28 Summers

Product Information

The sequel to It Ends With Us (2016) shows the aftermath of domestic violence through the eyes of a single mother. It is at times, beautiful, desperate, devastating, heart-wrenching, intense, lovely and unbelievable. If you can't get to the beach this summer, bring the beach to you with Elin Hilderbrand's 25th novel, 28 Summers. It's a lovely escape.

28 Summers - Elin Hilderbrand - Google Books

Both the synopsis and the first chapter “spoil” the story with the fact that Mallory is dying. And that her and Jake never truly got together (other than the one-weekend-per-year affair). What do you think about the story choice to give away the ending and be upfront that Mallory will pass away? Did that impact how you read the story? Oh for the days when life was a picnic on the beach: Hilderbrand sets the gold standard in escapist fiction. Augustus Everett is an acclaimed author of literary fiction. January Andrews writes bestselling romance. When she pens a happily ever after, he kills off his entire cast. Summers had me torn between wanting to rush through this engaging story and making it last as long as possible. In her 25th novel, the Queen of the beach read has done it again!Jesse explained that he had just turned 50 years old and that the average life expectancy for a male in the USA, at that time, was 78 years. He shared with Tom that he had recently become fixated with the idea he might only have 28 Summers left. I think because of that, I found Jake and Mallory each so unlikable. I couldn’t believe Mallory was indignantly screaming about what a good person she was after learning that a guy she’d dated was married. Wasn’t she was cheating all the time with Jake anyway? Cheating’s okay, but only if you’re in on it, is that the rule? I also couldn’t deal with book telling me how “kind and sympathetic” Mallory was for offering some basic sympathy after seeing Jake’s pregnant and retching wife in the bathroom. Are you kidding me? She’s screwing that pregnant woman’s husband, don’t tell me how kind she is!

Club Questions for 28 Summers by Elin Hilderbrand Book Club Questions for 28 Summers by Elin Hilderbrand

A book begging to be read on the beach, with the sun warming the sand and salt in the air: pure escapism. But, we never found out if Bess was really Jake & Ursula's child or Anders? I know her hair was dark like J & U and A was blond, put that doesn't prove paternity. Nice dedication for Dorothea Benton Frank who passed last year...so young. I've read many of her Sullivan Island novels; 28 Summers would have been right up her alley. In the book’s prologue, the book's beloved and deeply flawed female protagonist dies of cancer at a young age. Per her request, her clandestine "same time, next year" lover is called to her deathbed. It's no secret this story doesn't end well (from book summary) and we know the storyline is based on a "Same Time Next Year" movie scenario so perhaps that's why 28 Summers made me feel kind of down. I think not disclosing the ending up front would have worked better (for me) in this one. I admit liking it — but maybe it’s a little bit like Chinese food ( ha, which Jake and Mallory ate once a year every Sunday night)....I didn’t necessarily agree with the decisions that the characters made in their lives but…as a piece of fiction I allowed myself to go along with the story. I love that each year starts with a what are we talking about in ..... that particular year as it takes us through some momentous events, those who caught the headlines that year, music and films and so on. Doesn't take a genius to figure what the main topic of conversation for 2020 will be. The characters of Jake and Mallory are so likeable and it’s so frustrating that they have real love that is secret and hidden and you just want them to be together! Some of the characters are selfish, self centred and career driven such as Leland and Ursula but they make a great contrast to Jake and Mallory. The story is very well written with personal touches that makes you feel as if the author is talking to you or reading the words aloud just for you which makes you even feel more invested in the storytelling. The dialogue is smart, sometimes funny, at times it’s sad, there’s tragedy too so there’s the whole range of aspects of real life. My name is Jay Worthy - I am a husband, dad to five amazing kids and the founder of 28 Summers. I host the 28 Summers podcast (Available on all the usual platforms) Let’s talk about Leland’s Letter where she wrote about Mallory and Jake’s relationship. What did you think about Mallory and Leland’s friendship overall? Unfortunately, something about this novel simply didn't grip me like the rest of the Hilderbrand library. Perhaps it's because we learn how the story ends within the first few paragraphs of the book? While I typically like that writing technique...in this instance, it was a bit depressing. I also felt there was some repetitive material, which is entirely expected when the plot involves two people meeting over Labor Day weekend each year...eating the same food, going to the same places, and participating in the same activities.

28 Summers About Jay - 28 Summers

This brings me to my greatest and only real grievance with 28 Summers: very little of the actual narrative is dedicated to covering Mal and Jake's time together. While the events of the story take place over 28 Labor Day weekends, we only see them together for maybe a quarter of those long weekends—and even that is a generous estimate. Most of the narrative focuses on their lives apart and covers their major life events each year, with only intermittent and brief accounts of their annual Labor Day encounters, which only grow more infrequent and briefer as the story goes on. Okay. WELL. I don't even really know where to start, since 28 Summers left me with so many conflicting thoughts and feelings that I'm having a hard time disentangling and making sense of them all, leaving me at a total loss for words. The descriptions of the characters, the town, the food, parties, the weddings, the special intimate-Labor Day weekends rendezvouses, When Mallory Blessing's son, Link, receives deathbed instructions from his mother to call a number on a slip of paper in her desk drawer, he's not sure what to expect. But he certainly does not expect Jake McCloud to answer. It's the late spring of 2020 and Jake's wife, Ursula DeGournsey, is the frontrunner in the upcoming Presidential election. Ugh. I haven't felt this empty after finishing a book since I read The Kremlin's Candidate last year.I don’t know if I’d be open to reading another one of Hilderbrand’s books. I wanted to try at least one, and there’s definitely things I liked about her writing, but I think perhaps I have a different idea of what romance is than she does. I adored Mallory and Jake's secret relationship! It was so touching and uplifting! I found them both somewhat emotionally stunted and I doubt their love could have survived beyond their Labour Day bubble but it was perfect for them.

28 Summers By Elin Hilderbrand |The Works

What I loved about this novel (my first Elin Hilderbrand by the way!) was the characters! They are all so very well drawn and each and every one of them added so much to this story. I adored the characters of Mallory, Linc, her brother Cooper and Jake and I even appreciated the character of Ursula. Mallory and Fray hook up at Cooper’s wedding and she ends up getting pregnant with Link. What did you think about that? Jake has been with Ursula for a long time. And he feels connected to Ursula due to her close friendship with his sister who passed away young. What did you think about their relationship? Did it make sense to you or was it perplexing? Why do you think Jake couldn’t bring himself to break up with Ursula for Mallory? I hold a Masters in Human Performance Physiology and a Post Graduate Certificate in Outdoor Education & Adventure, I am a qualified Life Coach and am currently writing my thesis for my Masters in Outdoor Ed and Adventure with a research focus on the restorative effects of nature and the outdoors, particularly for men. Mallory and Jake decide to make Labor Day weekend their thing, every year — No matter what. They keep this tradition for 28 years, experiencing the highs and lows of life in between each annual reunion. This includes other relationships, work, children, and grief — Timing is everything.I also thought the stuff she was “mad” at Leland for were ridiculous, too. Like, if you’re offended by some minor thing your best friend says, maybe try calmly talking to her about it instead of holding it against her for two decades? And, so what if Leland wants to eat a fancy meal or hang out with other friends, get over it.) The middle slowed down (for me) just a bit so I was glad when Hilderbrand slipped in a bombshell. That perked up the story again as well as the trip to Cooperstown and a couple home runs from heaven above.