I finished reading #28Summers by Elin Hilderbrand and I absolutely LOVED it.

The story is inspired by the film, Same Time, Next Year, which I have not seen but will be watching ASAP. So, if you are familiar with the film, I understand that given the premise of this book, my love for it may be a controversial opinion.

But y’all, this is a love story. It may not be conventional. Some may even consider it improper or scandalous. Nevertheless, the central love story is based on that once in a lifetime kind of love. And when you find that y’all, wouldn’t you do whatever you could to hold on to it? I know that I wish that I did.

This book explores a variety of relationships. Both romantic and friendships. Some successful. Some horrific failures.

This book also addresses the different choices women make in terms of their careers, life, and love, and the effect such choices have on their lives and those around them. I enjoyed how varied the personalities of these women were and watching how life events affected them. Some character arcs were pleasantly surprising. A few were heartbreaking. And one was down right infuriating!

Have you ever had a “friend” that was actually your worst enemy? You know the ones I am talking about. They are always trying to steal the spotlight, are never truly happy for you, and “accidentally” stab you in the back.

This book was one of the best books I have read in a while. The characters were well developed and ones that you could relate to, like old friends. Mallory is the friend that you want to shake and make stand up for herself and see her worth, yet she never truly does. She is the sweet wall flower that just settles with what is given to her and never learns to fight with more. You love her and get annoyed with her all the time. Jake, on the other hand, is the hot guy that has Peter Pan Syndrome and wants to live in both worlds; reality and fantasy. There were many ups and downs that I felt reading this book. I loved it and didn't want it to end.

I would like to tank NetGalley and Elin Hilderbrand for gifting me this copy in exchange for my honest review.

I wanted to start off by saying that this book was amazing to read. Hilderbrand has a way of writing that makes each character personable and lovable. The premise of this story is two young twenty year olds that are at different points in their lives fall in love and agree to meet up with each other to continue a budding romance. We go through each year (and there is a lovely surprise at the beginning of each chapter that helps you to remember what was going on throughout the years) and the author develops each character wonderfully and you really connect with each of them and see how they grow each year. Now I will say the infidelity trigger in this novel is strong, understand that that is the basis for this story, without the infidelity there would be no story.

A very well written novel.

Wow! What I thought would be a light and breezy beach read turned out to be anything but! I loved this story, packed full of dreams, drama, and heartbreak. Characters had some serious depth and while I may not have agreed with every decision they made, I became fully invested in their stories. My favorite book by this author so far!

My favorite thing about Elin Hilderbrand's books are the vivid descriptions of Nantucket. Every summer when I read her latest book, I feel like I've been on vacation there. 28 Summers is no different. In fact, I enjoyed the year round look at island life that Mallory enjoys.

However, the romance between Mallory and Jake was not my favorite. It seemed unrealistic and pathetic that Mallory would live her whole life waiting for him to visit 3 days of every year, never have an actual planning conflict with that weekend, and that Jake would stay married to Ursula when he seems to despise her.

Overall this book was 3.5 stars for me. I still love Elin's writing and would recommend this one if you are a fan of hers. Didn't mind the political undertones or plot lines like many of the other reviewers mentioned. Thought that it was central to Ursula's story and an interesting interpretation of current events.

I loved this book and couldn't put it down! Unlike many books that build towards a conclusion, this book is all about the journey. The characters are thoughtfully developed, and make you question (in the best way) your sense of right and wrong. I longed for more descriptions of the principal characters' time together. This is a beautiful story of love, hope, loss, and longing.

I have never read an Elin Hilderbrand book that I didn't love, 28 Summers is no exception. I went into it not really knowing anything about it and I recommend reading it this way. A perfect summer read!

A beach read in the very best way. I really felt like I was on Nantucket. The book mirrors one of my favorite movies, Same Time Next Year, and some of the food comes straight from the pages of a favorite cookbook on my shelves. I found the characters interesting, even if they were too predictable sometimes. That predictability is probably one of the selling points for me. After a couple of really heavy books, this was just what I wanted to read.

This was my first ready by Elin Hilderbrand, despite having seen rave reviews for quite some time. I'm so glad that I finally read something by her, especially 28 Summers. I look forward to reading more Hilderbrand.

Mallory and Jake have an unusual love affair. Each Labor Day weekend, they drop everything in their lives and are finally reunited. We know from the prologue that there will be no happily-ever-after, but it is still easy to be pulled into their lives. Most of the book actually focuses on the time that they are not together, as they are only together for short blissful periods. I loved this book, despite the fact that the logical part of me was frustrated that they had only these short period of time together.

A very quick and lovely read, I especially loved the opener for each year. Hilderbrand gives us a quick paragraph of terms relating to major events and people that were in the news and it really helped to draw you into the years as they passed for Mallory and Jake.

Thanks to NetGalley, the author, and Little, Brown and Company for the opportunity to read this advance copy in exchange for a review.

Worth. The. Wait.
I have so many feelings. All of them conflicting and confusing and so overwhelming. Such a great book y'all. @elinhilderbrand outdid herself again.
I was literally bawling like a baby by the end and my husband was so confused. That is the sign of a great book. I cannot wait to discuss this with the beach read queen herself tomorrow with the #nantucketnights
Crew and @badbitch.bookclub. it is going to be fantastic!

Mallory and Jake meet for one weekend every year for a moment of solitude and romance. Their lives go on, with marriages, children, jobs and moves. But every year, they meet again

I loved this Elin book, especially the ending. Yet another perfect beach read that's both heartbreaking and hopeful, 28 Summers follows a relationship that spans, you guessed it, 28 summers, which is different than her usual storylines. I enjoyed seeing the growth and development over the characters and how she set the scene for each summer with notable events, songs, movies, books, etc. from each year to transport you there. 28 Summers tackles love, loss, friendship, marriage and parenthood beautifully, offering something for everyone to take away. I've recommended this already to friends and family and everyone has loved this love story. I docked a half star for a few dull summers and the Stone Cavendish subplot, but overall this is must-read Elin book. 4.5/5 stars.

*Spoiler Alert at the end of my review* This book was beautifully written and as always, makes you feel like you’re right on the shores of Nantucket. This is the perfect summer read. This book’s story broke my heart. The concept of “same time next year”, especially on Labor Day Weekend, was so sad. I finished this book in a few days. I fell in love with the characters and wished somehow that Mallory and Jake could have been together or found their happily ever after.

The summer delivers amazing vibes especially when it is shared with people you love on a Nantucket Beach in Elin Hilderbrand style. The summer of 1993 changed Mallory’s life when her brother brings college friends to her beach house and one of them she connects with is Jake McCloud. This connection last for 28 Summers once a year on Labor Day Weekend. How can a love story continue 3 days out of a year? It was a love affair replicate of Same Time Next Year movie with Jake married to presidential candidate Ursula and a Mallory has a son with her brother’s other friend Fray. What??!! I know... How could this work?
The atmosphere of Nantucket drives the storyline with the anticipation and ocean breeze much deeper than any description I could give it! Through trials, tests and final destinations I found my heart pulled into so many emotions and cheering a forbidden love affair, which is not my style and wrong in every way.
Thanks #NetGalley for my copy #28summers I truly enjoyed this adventure, until I emotionally broke down in this tear drenched book.

28 Summers has been permanently branded as my favorite novel by Elin Hildebrand!
Hildebrand took a very different approach to her chapters in this novel. Instead of spending time writing about each of the 28 years and what the hot topics were, she introduced each chapter with a quick list of the hot topics and then jumped right into the story. This was great – I liked having that reminder about what was happening in the real world and not having to wrack my brain or look up things up in order to understand the times.
Overall, the character development was superb. I love how Hildebrand introduced Mallory and Link in the prologue and left us guessing about them while their stories unfolded. Hildebrand’s descriptions on the Nantucket setting made me want to jump on a plane and get there as fast as I could. The sweet cottage, fresh beach scenes, and even the restaurant/bar descriptions provided great ambiance in my mind.
I enjoyed 28 Summers and cannot wait to recommend it to my reader-friends. And I imagine that I will experience it all over again if I can get my hands on the audiobook!
Thank you to NetGalley and Little, Brown and Company for a copy of the ebook to review.

I would give this 3 1/2 stars if possible, but I'll round up to 4 because of its emotional impact. I've only read 1 of her books before, but this one definitely made an impact. The inspiration for it was the older movie, Same Time, Next Year, which I enjoyed.

This is a wonderful, beautiful book. Not often do you become a character; that's the mark of a truly brilliant author. I recommend this book to anyone who has experienced loss, and anyone who has lived.

I don't have the words for how much I loved this book. This is a book for anyone -- from the totally hopeless sixteen-year-old romantic still waiting to fall in love, to the long-settled middle aged person who has a little bit of the hopeless romantic left in them, to the most cynical reader of any age or gender who normally does not read romances. I seriously dare anyone to be unmoved by this book.

This book is about Mallory and Jake, who meet and almost immediately fall in love, but the circumstances are never right for them to be together. So they agree to meet once a year in Nantucket, in the same way the lead actors in the movie "Same Time Next Year" met every year. They continue this one weekend a year romance tover 28 years. They continue even as Jake marries an up-and-coming female politician, even as both have children, even as their lives take different twists and turns. Though it never seems to be the right time for one or the other of them to make a permanent move to be together, they both always want to, and Jake always shows up at Mallory's cottage in Nantucket every Labor Day weekend, no matter what.

The book begins with this so it's not really a spoiler: it's 2020, Mallory has cancer and she wants to see Jake. The book then backs all the way up to the first summer Mallory and Jake met and all the 28 summers of their love affair since.

I absolutely loved both Mallory and Jake. The characters were beautifully drawn. I even came to love some of the less lovable characters, like Ursula, by the end. The plot is so well-done, the characters so great, and the 28 summers woven beautifully through the story.

I am a slightly demanding reader of novels classified as "romance" or "chick lit." I don't read just every one that comes along. I need them to have a strong emotional center, great writing, exceptional characters, and I need them to deliver something more than just sex. This book has all that and more. I loved every minute of this book and did not want it to end....but at the same time, found I was turning pages at a fast and furious pace.

This is my favorite Elin Hilderbrand book so far. Though often referred to as "beach reads," and though it is true they are compulsively readable and page-turning, Hilderbrand's books don't get the credit they are due for the quality of the writing. This one was perfection. It went straight to my heart and will probably stay there for some time.

Big thanks to Little, Brown, NetGalley, and Elin Hilderbrand for the advance copy of a wonderful book. I'd also love to see this book get made into a movie.

What a fun beach read! The story seemed to be an updated read of the movie "Same Time, Next Year," which I remember seeing so long ago. The characters were what you expected them to be and the plot the same if you had seen the move. If you want escapism, especially now, you should read it.

Sometimes a book pulls you in and holds on tight—this is definitely one of those. Primary protagonist Mallory Blessing is warm, engaging, entertaining and enthusiastic and is surrounded by a colorful cast of supporting characters. As the story begins, Mallory is dying and her son, Link, is given instructions to call a strange number belonging to Jake McCloud. Listeners are soon taken on a journey back in time as their 28-year love story unfolds. Mallory and Jake embark on an unconventional "same time next year" relationship even as both of their lives change and grow in all other ways - friendships, romantic relationships, work, politics and more. Best of all, each chapter opens with a list of "things we were talking about" during each of the 28 years, making the novel's journey back in time even more memorable for readers.

4.5 stars! I really loved this book. It elicited all the feels from red hot anger to ugly happy tears. No ending could do this epic story justice, but the conclusion felt a little incomplete to me. Maybe I just didn’t want the book to end! It’s my first Elin Hildebrand book and certainly not my last. Thank you so much to Elin Hildebrand, Little, Brown and Company, and Net Galley for the digital copy in exchange for an honest review. #28summers #NetGalley