I remember the movie Same Time Next Year for a couple of reasons: it was filmed at a beautiful part of the Northern California coast where we used to vacation, and I just liked the acknowledgment that it is possible to love more than one person at a time. So when I read that Elin Hildebrand’s novel 28 Summers was based on that film, I was happy get a copy (thanks to Little, Brown & Co and NetGalley) in exchange for this honest review.

The book begins with Mallory Blessing’s son Link looking in the drawers of the desk that belongs to his dying mother. He finds deathbed instructions telling him to call a number that turns out to belong to Jake McCloud,  the husband of the frontrunner of the 2020 Presidential election. Link has heard of Jake, as he and his wife are quite famous, but Link has no clue how his mother knows or knew Jake.

A flashback to summer 1993 has Mallory inheriting an oceanfront cottage on Nantucket, and agreeing to let her brother Coop use it for his (first) bachelor party over Labor Day weekend. Coop’s college friend Jake connects with Mallory that weekend, and they agree to meet the following Labor Day weekend, and continue to do so every Labor Day for 28 years, until Mallory’s serious illness results in Link snooping in her desk drawer.

Each chapter is the story of one of the years, and begins with a list of pop culture references, etc. that are fascinating. It’s a good beach read, a nice diversion from pandemic quarantine, and  a thought-provoking look at friendship, marriage, parenting, and  family. Four stars.