Member Reviews

I honestly hesitated before getting this book. In the movie Same Time Next Year, the guy dies. And in this book, reading the publisher's synopsis, the woman dies. ARGH, There is so much chaos in the world right now with COVID19, I wasn't sure I wanted sadness in my life. But I love Elin Hilderbrand and I couldn't resist. I'm glad I didn't. There is nothing in this book about death. Instead, it celebrates life - and the joy that we bring to one another in little and big ways. By reading this book, I was not only transported to another place and time, but I was affirmed in what I do to show my love and concern. It was fun to revisit each year as Elin begins each chapter with a reminder of what we were talking about then. I great trip down memory lane.

Don't hesitate to get this book. While you might shed of tear or two at the end, it will be a tear of love and joy - not a tear of sadness. I hope you love this book as much as I did.

Was this review helpful?

I was gifted a copy of this book from @netgalley and @LittleBrownandCompany in exchange for an honest review. This book is due out on June 16, 2020 ⭐⭐ ⭐ ⭐⭐ Elin Hilderbrand created a wonderful story of love and relationships. I loved how each chapter was a new year and started with "What are we talking about in (2001)". It brought up some great memories from each year and made me feel nostalgic. This book makes me want to visit Nantucket (I even googled airbandbs in Nantucket while reading.) I loved all the characters (except Ursula), cried at the end, and didn't want my time with the characters to end. Its a great summer read! #28summers #netgalley #littlebrownandcompany

Was this review helpful?

28 Summers is a love story that spans decades and the many phases of life. I loved this book, in part because it is exactly the type of expansive story I enjoy most, but also because it is beautifully messy. Life is never lived in a straight line or in black and white. Mallory and Jake meet one Labor Day weekend and connect in a powerful way. That connection continues throughout their lives as they love, explore, and change directions over and over. The only constant is their yearly weekend secretly spent together. Their choices keep them apart in every other part of their life and their choices bring them back together without fail. There are definitely moral issues in this story that I had to get past. The characters made so many choices that I struggled to understand but I think that was ultimately why I was heart-broken when the book ended. I loved the characters, I loved the turns their lives took, and I loved trying to understand the power that this affair had on them. The ending left me in tears. One fun note, each chapter starts with a brief overview of the cultural events of the year and those were so interesting to read.

Thank you to Elin Hilderbrand, Little, Brown and Company, and NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Was this review helpful?

I absolutely loved this book and feel it's one of her strongest to-date. The shifting perspectives and timelines were masterfully presented, and the pacing felt perfect. My only complaint was that it ended with Mallory's death because that destroys any chance of the story continuing in a second book!

Was this review helpful?

Elin Hilderbrand's best yet - a family saga driven by romance, realistic character development, and rich descriptions of the setting (such that one wishes to be enveloped in the warmth of a Nantucket beachfront cottage). What stood out most was the skillful attention to detail - the nuances of female friendships, the relationship between mother and son, sister and brother, the moral conflict of conducting a decades-long affair.

If selecting this book based on the desire to read a beach "romance," you may find yourself disappointed. The romantic entanglements and conflicts driving the book from year to year could have been resolved in the opening pages - the main characters could have simply decided to be in a relationship!

Instead, the book excels when focusing on the complicated role of the educated woman in a male-dominated society, the fragile dynamic of female friendships, and the evolution of our protagonist from naive school teacher to powerful, independent single mother.

A special thank you to Net Galley for advance access to this title.

Was this review helpful?

Let me begin by saying that I love Elin Hilderbrand’s novels. Her best to date is ‘28 Summers’.
In this time of quarantine and ‘staycation’, Elin is taking me on vacation once again to the island of Nantucket. I am introduced to Mallory, Jake and Link and follow a love story that lasts 28 years, albeit only three days each Labor Day weekend.
Her writing is atmospheric. You sense the smell of salt in the air, the feeling of the breeze in your hair, the creaks of the cottage floor boards and the sounds of the waves carrying you into sleep at night. The flashbacks of past summers begin with ‘what are we talking about that year’ which brilliantly sets the time, place and emotion of the each chapter.
This is a thought provoking novel that reaches into the depths of the readers mind and heart and the traditional and no traditional dimensions of love. Spend some time on Nantucket this summer. Let this novel take you there and it will be a summer to remember.
Thank you NetGalley and Little, Brown and Company for the ARC of Elin’s latest and highly readable and recommended novel. 5 Stars!

Was this review helpful?

What’s a great story! Elin Hilderbrand has done it again! The story spans over 28 years...which I love these type of stories...it gives us history of the characters. One of the subject matters of the book is marriage infidelity . A subject I tend to shy away from. This story is so much more! Friendships, family, disappointments, loss, losing love and finding love and parenting!
I felt the story was REAL....the main character Mallory..I found myself sometimes judging her ...decisions she made ...and times I felt sadness because some of her decisions she made left her alone. That’s why I said the story felt real.....life isn’t always good and happy...sadness, loneliness are sprinkled throughout our lives! Elin fans will enjoy...! And of course ...I want to travel to Nantucket!
Thank you to Netgalley and Little, Brown and company for the opportunity to read and give an honest review!

Was this review helpful?

A wonderful read. A story of love that span s over 28 years. The characters lives change but always come back to each other for that one magical weekend a year.

Was this review helpful?

Jake and Mallory meet through Mallory's brother Coop and begin a love affair that lasts a lifetime. Although unconventional, their Same Time Next Year affair works for their individual lifestyles and almost seems to make sense, if that is possible.

Everything about this books is beautiful! At first I didn't think I would like the idea of the book just because of the premise; it ultimately is based on an affair. However, Hilderbrand skillfully develops the plot and characters' life situations, so that the reader is understanding and can even root for their relationship.

Be sure to add this to your summer must-read list. You will not be disappointed! Thank you NetGalley for an arc of this great book. Elin Hilderbrand, thank you for continuing to provide your readers with books to look forward to!

Was this review helpful?

I adore Elin Hilderbrand. I’ve read all of her books and I was so pleased with this one. Mal and Jake have known each other for years through Mal’s brother, Cooper. They’ve never met, only talked on the phone. Until one summer when the boys descend on Nantucket for Labor Day weekend. What follows is a romantic weekend for Mal and Jake that they vow to continue every summer, no matter what. And they do. Follow the growth of their lives and their relationship for 28 Summers.

Was this review helpful?

This book was exceptional. I was sucked into this story right from the beginning. There are many characters but the writing is so good that it was to keep up with the story. The descriptions of the scenery made you believe that you were right there on the beach with the wind blowing thru your hair.

Loved this book!!!

Was this review helpful?

First book of summer break had a fitting title ☀️ ⁣

Full transparency: what’s going on right now is hard and I needed a break from reality. This book provided that and maybe you need something similar. ⁣

28 SUMMERS was my first from Elin Hilderbrand, and it was a solid pick. The novel follows Jake and Mallory, who meet as young adults in 1993. After an impulsive weekend, they continue to spend only one weekend a year as lovers for the next almost 30 years, inspired by the movie SAME TIME, NEXT YEAR. ⁣

Fortunately the novel doesn’t focus on just those weekends—we also get glimpses into the rest of Jake and Mallory’s lives. Their worlds are well-drawn and I was invested in them pretty quickly. My only (but fairly major) pet peeve were the *ridiculous* “What were we talking about that year?” that kick off each chapter. Not only are they unnecessary, but I really disliked the use of “we” given the basic and very whitewashed cultural touchstones the author includes. The “we” is not inclusive at all, and points to the author’s limited worldview. ⁣

28 SUMMERS felt like having frozen pizza for dinner...it’s not the most substantial, but when you just need something quick and satisfying, it’s there for you. ⁣

Thank you to Hachette and NetGalley for providing an eARC in exchange for this review. ⁣

Was this review helpful?

To keep it short and sweet, I adored this book. I love the way it made you feel, I love the way all of the characters were intricately woven together, I love the way the Elin Hilderbrand touches on subjects that are hard to talk about and does it so eloquently, and I love the way that it all falls back on one single night. 28 Summers brought out every single emotion in me and I couldn’t recommend it more.

Was this review helpful?

This is hands-down the best book I’ve read this year, maybe even in the last year. I laughed, I cried, I invested in the people in the book.I couldn’t wait to see what their lives were going to turn out like. If you don’t read another book this year please read this book it just it was so good I cannot wait to recommend it to all my friends.

Was this review helpful?

After a weekend where they find themselves unexpectedly alone, Mallory and Jake have an instant attraction that they cannot ignore. Only problem is Jake is unavailable. After watching Same Time Next Year, they decide to give it a try. 28 Summers tells the unexpected and unconventional love story of two people who spend one weekend a year together. Another wonderful beach read set on beautiful Nantucket.

Was this review helpful?

Twenty eight summers is a romance book, but more than just one that you read for entertainment. The book is one you will remember. Mal, the main character of the book starts her adult life with a surprising inheritance from her aunt, a cozy cottage on Nantucket and a nice monetary amount of money. As the book unfolds the cottage is the centerpiece of a life that is full of love, laughter, friendship, and a once a year love affair. It spans the 28 Labor Day weekends of Mallory's life long true love. The story is told around those weekends as that is what the main character and her lover live for. Erin Hilderbrand masterfully spins the life story of Mallory and this magical relationship around each of those years devoting a chapter to each year. The love of the two main characters is so deep, so poignanct so romantic that you will be reminded of your own loves and wonder about the power of lasting love and life's challenges to a deep connection to a true soul mate. Read it and be touched by the magic of love and life.

Was this review helpful?

She has done it again. The queen of summer made me smile, swoon, laugh, and cry. Her characters leap off the page and their stories and relationships are weaved so skillfully. As always, I can't wait for next summer's read.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

Was this review helpful?

28 Summers
by Elin Hilderbrand
Little, Brown and Company
You Like Them You Are Auto-Approved
Women's Fiction
Pub Date 16 Jun 2020 | Archive Date 31 Aug 2020

I love Elin Hilderbrand books for beach reads. I do not condone affairs. My patrons always ask for her books and this one does not disappoint. Great read! 5 stars.
Thanks to NetGalley and Little, Brown and Company for this ARC.

Was this review helpful?

I haven’t read a Elin Hilderbrand book in years. She didn’t disappoint. She keeps you engaged from page one. This will be an easy book to hand sell. Great beach read.

Was this review helpful?

⛵️ ARC REVIEW: Just a heads up, I don’t condone cheating, adultery, affairs in real life but when Elin Hilderbrand writes them this beautifully and so RAW, then I’m okay with making an exception. Mallory Blessing and Jake McCloud’s 28 summer long affair is heart wrenching, frustrating and incredible. Would you be content with the perfect relationship just 1 weekend a year or a full relationship all year long? That’s the question that ravaged my brain throughout reading this. Not only was the romance devastating and perfectly imperfect, but the narration was amazing. Referring to the main characters as “our girl” and “our boy” throughout the book made me attach myself to them even more and each chapter began with the year and notable things we were all talking about at that time. It was hilarious to be reading about a heart wrenching love affair and then be reminded of “It started out with a kiss, how did it end up like this??” (2004) or “Leslie, Ron, Ann, April, Andy” (2010). This is only my 2nd Elin Hilderbrand book but I own THREE more of hers so I’m bumping them up my #tbr pile ASAP ⛵️ Thank you to @netgalley and @littlebrown for my e-ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review ⛵️ Pub Date: June 16, 2020 ⛵️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Was this review helpful?