First, but not my last.

This is the first book I have read by this author,and I am enjoying it more than I thought I would. The story zips along, hard to pull away from. I wondered at first if I would be able to get into the main character, she seems so wishy-washy. But I am finding myself drawn to her. Why did she have an affair? Maybe because of a husband who is not a very good husband. I am hoping he redeems himself by the end of the book. This guy makes mine look like quite the prince! I will be back for more of this author's stories. Later...........I have finished the book and am glad I tried this author. There were many layers to this story, not as much fluff as I thought it would be. Some of Claire's motivation still doesn't make sense to me, but all in all, a good story, hard to put down, definiately will read more by Hilderbrand.

A sizzler!

This was the first of Elin's books that I have read and was not disappointed. I couldn't wait to finish this book. Summer Affair is a great book to read during the summer, or in the winter to reminisce about the summer nights. I am looking forward to reading her other books, as well.

Trite subject matter, great writing.

I was given this book to read by a super smart friend who has unfailing good taste in books. I saw the title and wondered why in the world she had recommended it. As I began to read, the writing and subject matter were more than declaration and devoid of nuance, however, as I continued to read, I realized that the inner thoughts of the main character were the essence of the recommendation. Claire, sensitive, self effacing, drenched in all of the second-guessing that each of us do when we are lacking confidence, tries to make sense of what is happening to her. Hilderbrand's writing is introspective, honest, painfully self-critical.
Anyone who has ever had to an affair and had to make a choice between the established and HELD and the unestablished and feverishly DESIRED will read every possible inner thought connected with that decision.
Don't be discouraged by the title of the book or the seemingly trite subject matter.

not as good as I had hoped

There just wasn't all that much to this book. It dragged on with out much development, just the back and forth of the affair. I suppose it's a decent summer or vacation read, if you just want something to keep you busy.

Don't Judge This Book by Its Cover

"A Summer Affair", Elin Hilderbrand's seventh novel, follows Claire, a mother of four and artist in her late 30s who is struggling to deal with the realities of her life. After an accident in her studio, Claire delivers her fourth son prematurely, and her husband forces her to give up her art, which leaves Claire feeling adrift. When Claire accepts a position as a co-chair of a local charity gala, she hopes that it will give her some direction in her life. Little does she know it will lead to her beginning a relationship with Lock Dixon, the Executive Director of the charity. As the gala draws closer, will Claire be able to keep herself and her family together, or will she chose to flee her former life.

When I started this book, I thought it was going to be an airy light and candy coated fiction, where a woman has a carefree summer affair. I was surprised to find out that this book was much more complex, and really explored why Claire was involved in the affair, her guilt, and her emotional struggles with her life. The way Hilderbrand got into the head of her main characters was really interesting, and she did a great job building to the tension of the actual event and running multiple story lines at once.

This was the first Elin Hilderbrand novel I had ever read (I had always been turned off by the fluffy covers) but I think now I'm interested to read more. This was definitely better than I expected!