Click here to read the book synopsis on Goodreads.
Click here to read the book synopsis on The StoryGraph.
I do not often share negative reviews here on my blog, but this is one that I felt like I needed to. Why, you ask? Because I was very outspoken about the fact that I was reading this book on my Instagram page. I hosted a buddy read for this book with around 70 participants. I pushed people to join the buddy read. I bought the book in hard cover, full price. And then I ended up sorely disappointed because of the complete lack of morals displayed with our main characters.
This was my first Elin Hilderbrand I’ve ever read, and I don’t think I will read another after hearing feedback from my IG followers about how infidelity is often a theme in her books. The book contained great writing but the story was not my favorite, to say the least. 28 Summers should just be called 28 Summers of Infidelity, because that’s what this whole story is about. 28 Labor Day weekends of two characters sneaking around whether or not they have someone at home. No matter what, they dropped their lives and spent the weekend together.
This book felt so so icky to me. It romanticized infidelity and that’s just not something I can get behind. I don’t even think I can give it a star rating that would be fair, because while I hated the storyline, it was compelling enough to keep me reading.
I am the first to admit that I am not a sensitive reader. Not much bothers me. I don’t mind flawed characters, but one thing I absolutely cannot stand is when flawed characters do not grow or change throughout the course of the story. And that is exactly what we encounter in 28 Summers – a lot of bad behavior with no consequences or signs of regret.
Content Warnings:
Cancer
Car crash (death involved)
Death due to chronic illness (cystic fibrosis)
Drug addiction
Infidelity
Loss of family member
Mention of drowning
Jenna, Stop Reading! 