My Rating: 4 stars
When I picked this book up at first, I honestly wasn't expecting to like it much. No, it wasn't really because of the premise (which of course I can understand why would be a deal-breaker for some readers), but rather, in general, I'm just not a fan of contemporary romance novels (a genre which this book definitely falls into). But after reading the summary, I was curious about the Same Time, Next Year-inspired story and how the author, Elin Hilderbrand, would pull it off. So I decided to go into this one with an open mind and see where it would lead me (plus I had never read this author before despite hearing so much about her works, so when it came up as one of the recommended works on my book club's summer reading list, I figured this would be as good a time as any to try reading this). As it turns out, I surprised myself with how much I ended up liking this one. For me, the beauty of this story was in the execution and the surprising amount of depth to the plot that I actually was not expecting. On the surface, this is a story about a love affair between Jake McCloud and Mallory Blessing — one Labor Day weekend in 1993, the two of them are brought together when Mallory hosts a bachelor party for her brother Cooper at the beachfront Nantucket cottage that she had inherited from her aunt. The party ends up being a bust, but Jake and Mallory develop a close bond and by the end of that weekend, they decide that they will get together on the same weekend each year, similar to what the characters in the movie Same Time Next Year (which they watched together that weekend) do. Their arrangement endures for 28 years — through marriage, children, career changes, family complications, etc. — until the summer that Mallory finds out she is dying.
At first I was worried that the story would be repetitious, especially when I saw that the structure of the book was divided into 28 chapters — one for each year — which I assumed would mean that we would essentially be reading 28 different variations of the one long weekend that Jake and Mallory spend together. It turns out that I was completely wrong — while the love affair was indeed the central force that drove the plot, it didn't overwhelm the story at all. Instead, we get an in-depth exploration into the different facets of both Mallory's and Jake's lives, but not only that, there are also the emotional implications of their relationship and how it impacts both themselves as well as those around them. In addition to also exploring the various nuances of love, the story also tackles the complexities of relationships mixed with the challenges of life — inevitably, it also raises the question of morality in terms of the affair, but instead of answering the question and risk veering into the "preachy" territory, Hilderbrand lets the reader decide for themselves what reaction they choose to have to the story and the characters.
Given the premise, there will undoubtedly be sections that are uncomfortable to read for some — moreover, the basis of the story being about an illicit love affair may also be a turn off for others...if it bothers you, I would recommend not picking this one up at all. Personally, I appreciated the way Hilderbrand approached the story, as well as the way she wrote the characters — I really felt for Mallory in her struggle with her feelings for Jake, while at the same time, I loved her personality, especially her sense of humor. As for Jake — I know technically I should've hated him, but I honestly couldn't bring myself to do so.
Lastly, it's impossible to talk about this book without touching on its narrative structure. Regarding the unique format of starting each chapter with various current events and pop culture moments from that year, I must say that this was my absolute favorite part of the book! It was like taking a trip down memory lane and for me, it definitely enhanced the reading experience. I also liked that we got to hear from the perspectives of not just Mallory and Jake, but also most of the other characters as well — this helped to make the characters more realistic and personable.
Hilderbrand is known for her picturesque descriptions of Nantucket, where she sets most of her novels, and this book, her newest work, is certainly no exception. Her depictions of Mallory's Nantucket cottage and its surrounding community were so atmospheric that I absolutely felt transported, so much so that I actually put Nantucket down as a place I would love to visit someday! While I'm definitely looking forward to Hilderbrand's next book, I'm hoping to be able to explore her extensive backlist at some point in the future!
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