28 Summers

Book: 28 Summers

Author: Elin Hildenbrand

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.

There must be a mistake, Link thinks. How do Mallory and Jake know each other?

Flash back to the sweet summer of 1993: Mallory has just inherited a beachfront cottage on Nantucket from her aunt, and she agrees to host her brother's bachelor party. Cooper's friend from college, Jake McCloud, attends, and Jake and Mallory form a bond that will persevere -- through marriage, children, and Ursula's stratospheric political rise -- until Mallory learns she's dying.-Goodreads

Review: If you are triggered by adultery, do not read this book. This is about a Jake & Mallory, that for all intents and purposes, should be together but aren’t for a very ridiculous reason (of course, we need them to not be together to drive the plot so just go with it). They meet up once a year over Labor Day weekend, with zero communication during the year, even after Jake gets married. The author wrote Jake’s wife, Ursula, as a real shrew when I did legit feel sorry for her. I found Mallory annoying, but the story is well written (if that makes sense). Overall, even though I didn’t like the main characters, this was a solid read.

Grade: 3/5