I thought that this was a wonderful book. Through the lens of Diana's character, readers can really understand a rape victim's perspective on the long term effects. I think often books highlight the actual event but then don't go on to explain how the victim is impacted years later. Even though this is a main topic of the book, there is also an air of mystery to the story line as we try to figure out how the two Dianas connect to each other in the story. The story line and the characters drew me in right from the beginning and I enjoyed the entire book. My only criticism is that I felt the ending was abrupt. I would have liked more story line after the climax of the plot.

3.5 STARS - I've been a fan of Jennifer Weiner's books for years because they are a compelling blend of contemporary fiction, timely subject matter and memorable main characters. Her latest book That Summer is loosely connected to her 2020 hit Big Summer and features a story with issues that are both poignant, thought-provoking and will spark great discussion.

I strongly caution readers to not judge this book by its cover. Despite its summery feel, this is not an easy-breezy beach read. The story jumps between two timelines and is told via two POVs for most of the story (with a third added later) and it is through the experiences of these characters' that Weiner tackles larger, societal issues within a story about self-discovery, female friendship and justice. Other topics include manipulation, privilege, misuse of power and the long-lasting effects of trauma.

I appreciated the subjects Weiner ambitiously includes in this story which are important and emotional but may be a trigger for some readers (trigger warning at the bottom of this post - caution spoiler). The story has a slow start, and it took me almost half of the book to get into the lives of Daisy and Diana. After that point, I had an ah-ha moment, realized where Weiner was going with her plot, and things took off from there. But despite the subject matter, I found this book to be less powerful that I expected, I struggled to connect with the main characters and found a couple of the male characters and the bratty teen to be one-dimensional.

Overall, That Summer was a good read and the fifth book I've read by this author. It is an ambitious novel that handles big, timely topics with compassion but there's also some romance and intrigue too. While this isn't my favourite book by the author, I continue to be a huge fan of Jennifer Weiner and eagerly look forward to reading her future books.

Disclaimer: My sincere thanks to Atria Books for my advanced digital copy of this title in exchange for my honest review.

Another winner from Jennifer Weiner! That Summer is the story of 15 year old Diana whose life is changed one summer on Cape Cod. That Summer will also impact the other narrators in this book: Daisy, the stay at home mom who mistakenly receives emails meant for Diana since their email addresses differ by one character; Beatrice, Daisy’s one of a kind, eccentric daughter, who’s forging her own path in life, and Hal, the man whose actions that summer have lasting consequences.

This book examines the mistakes made as young adults, the impacts on the characters lives, and addresses the #metoo movement and the philosophy “boys will be boys.”

This is not a cotton candy, sweet, beach read. This is a delicious, savory story with a lot to digest.

I enjoyed this story a lot! Thank you to @netgalley and @atriabooks for the advanced e-copy of #thatsummer!

#book #bookreview #netgalley

When you see Jennifer Weiner has a new novel out, you just know it will be well-done and That Summer is no exception. I loved following the story of a young girl who endured a tragic event and despite it finds her footing. This was a moving read and I really enjoyed it.

That Summer by Jennifer Weiner was AMAZING! Two women with very different lives meet due to similar email addresses and crossed messages. Relatable, empowering, inspiring and honest, this book examines the damage inflicted on women whom were sexually assaulted, the trickle effects, as well as the men whom are capable of such acts, and the ones that are tormented over it. Wonderfully built up and brave, full of girl power, motherhood challenges, generational biases, and Me Too insight. Thank you NetGalley, author and publisher for the e-reader for review. All opinions are my own.

While it took me a bit to get into this book, I soon couldn't put it down. This is the story of how life of two women is affected by one day, and one person. While you figure out fairly quickly what happened and the reason behind their connection, the way it unfolds is masterfully done. The way that the book goes back and forth between their two perspectives allows the story to really blossom and keeps you reading. While Diana's story was ultimately more compelling than Daisy, their stories were equally important and had a really nice message in the end. It was clear that the author did research, and the way everything is laid out is smart and well done. This is definitely a brain candy book, and would be a great beach read this summer.

Thank you to Atria and NetGalley for the advanced copy.

Thank you to Atria books and Netgalley for an advanced readers copy of the book for my honest opinion.

You can go wrong with a Jennifer Weiner summer read. But they are not just just fluffy reads. From the start this story had me hooked. Highly recommend!

This is an intricately woven, character driven story with an important message that is timely and thought provoking. Using multiple points of view and timelines, Weiner details how one’s actions can have devastating long lasting effects that impact many. Daisy and Diana are two women living very different lives who meet after crossed messages are received by the wrong person due to similar emails. A friendship develops as both women confront difficult issues from the past.
At times a heavy read as it deals with darker subject matter, it is also deeply moving and poignant. Issues related to the #metoo movement are dealt with sensitively while exploring female empowerment and responsibility to the next generation of women.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

That Summer by Jennifer Weiner

Brief Summary: Daisy leads a life focused on creating a home for her high powered attorney husband Hal and her spirited teenage daughter Beatrice. One day she starts getting emails meant for another woman, Diana, whose email is strikingly similar to hers. The two start corresponding and hit it off when they meet up starting up a friendship. This dramatic novel contains many elements we’ve come to love about Weiner’s novels: a female friendship and strong female characters trying to find themselves set in Philadelphia.

Highlights: This is an engaging and heartwarming read. Weiner does an excellent job portraying how trauma can both negatively impact and inspire resiliency in a survivor. I enjoyed how she wove the characters life paths together. I also like how she examined the choices various female characters had made about how they live their lives in regards to education, career, and family. She also hits on the #metoo movement and how to find your voice when you have been hurt or wronged. This is a good female empowerment novel; it’s never too late to change the course of your life.

Explanation of Rating: 4/5; very strong and thought provoking, just not a schedule clearing read

This is a great summer beach read. I think this would also be a great book club pick.

Thank you to Net Galley and Atria Books for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review

Note to Publisher: I’m sorry this review is late. I was recently hospitalized for a GI Bleed.

Summer reading for me always includes Jennifer Weiner.

THAT SUMMER is a Cape Cod-centered beach read that meets mystery, mixed with friendship, secrets and the #metoo movement. This is not a fluffy novel - it’s heavy but Jennifer’s writing is exquisite and gorgeous. She respectfully captures the intensity of the story and breathes relatability and empathy in her characters.

While the plot centers around a past traumatic experience, it also dives into the power of friendship, mother/daughter relationships, romance, second chances, trust, guilt, forgiveness and hope.

I spent so much of my childhood in Eastham and know the Cape well...as does Jennifer who (as always!) captures the true essence of Cape Cod so clearly that you swear you can smell that ocean air.

THAT SUMMER is timely, compelling and beautifully written. Thank you Atria Books & NetGalley for this ARC.

Please be aware of triggers including rape, talk of suicide and emotional abuse.

I always get hooked by her books. This is no exception! After a little bit of a where is this going start, I could not put the book down!
This explores the very difficult topic of rape and how it can cause lifelong effects. It also explores family dynamics and secrets that should never be kept! Read it! Note: I was not a fan of the ending because it leaves things kind of up in the air. I like an author to tie things up at the end. I still loved the book though.

I love Jennifer’s books, and this one did not disappoint. I love her storytelling. I really enjoyed this story.

This is another great story from Jennifer Weiner. Her books are always so enjoyable and well-written. Daisy is a semi-content stay at home mother who “meets” Diana after an email mixup. The two unlikely friends have more in common than they think. The past always has a way of coming back to haunt those who do wrong.

That Summer
By Jennifer Weiner

This is a story about two Dianas - Diana (who now goes by Daisy) and Diana, whose paths cross through an email that was delivered to Daisy but meant for Diana - they end up befriending each other and becoming friends. Daisy's life is dull compared to Diana's life as a jet-setting strong and powerful business woman. As the story progresses and reading about the backstory of their childhood, the story suddenly takes an unbelievable turn that you have to read to find out.

This is a wonderful story told in multiple point of views and timelines that was engaging, powerful and heartbreaking. This is a story about female friendships, hurts from the past, and the difficulty with moving on after a life altering traumatic event. This is a revenge story with heart, compassion and quite the intriguing read that is quick and completely immersive. Jennifer Weiner writes stories that are relevant and thought provoking that stays with you long after reading. I found this read to be immersive and a great page turner with shocking and surprising twists throughout the story..

Though the subject matter may be heavy that involves some TW, Weiner writes with a hopeful narrative that is not only intriguing and compelling, but is framed in complex female friendship, and mother daughter relationship.

Looking for a great warm weather, sit by the pool or beach read? That Summer by @jenniferweinerwrites fits the bill & for an added bonus takes those of us without a pool or the beach to Cape
Cod ☀️🏖

When Daisy (Diana) Shoemaker, busy mom of a teenage daughter, wife to a distant husband and friend to people she really only deems acquaintances starts receiving emails meant for a different Diana, things go from interesting to twisty!

I’ll be talking more about this on an upcoming podcast episode but I enjoyed it so much!! I decided to listen because I love the narrator Sutton Foster and I’ll tell you I binged listened to this one! One thing, (among many) that Jennifer Weiner does so well is to give us the authentic details of the coastal setting, the food, the cocktails, the clothes, the things that make summer feel like summer! Then she adds in some female friendship drama and secrets and like I said, bingeable. Highly recommend!

That Summer is the perfect mix of serious issues and cute beach read. At fifteen, Diana spends a summer on the Cape for a babysitting job. It is her dream but what happens that summer stays with her. That summer changed Diana’s life forever. Years later, Daisy starts receiving emails for another Diana. Daisy and Diana end up meeting and forming a friendship. The women are very different with vastly different lives, but they have a connection in the past. Diana even bonds with Daisy’s daughter. That Summer grabbed my attention from the first page. I was trying to figure out the connection of the summer and the adult characters. All of the characters are dealing with personal and relationship troubles. I really enjoyed Diana and Daisy. They were both great characters. Many parts of the book were light and enjoyable, but there were also some darker moments with serious issues that played a big part in the book. I highly recommend That Summer for fans of Jennifer Weiner or books that are both serious and light.

I listened to the audiobook narrated by Sutton Foster and loved her narration. She really brought the story to life and her narration added to the story. I definitely recommend the audiobook.

Thank you Atria Books and Simon & Schuster Audio for That Summer.

Daisy contemplates the life she might have had, and those thoughts are only added to when she begins to receive emails meant for someone with a similar email address. Diana has the life Daisy thinks she might have had had she not married young and become a housewife. Daisy makes a connection with Diana, but all is not what it seems and this connection is anything but accidental. I really enjoyed Weiner's Big Summer from last year so this was a real treat to continue with her. There was that right amount of suspense to keep you turning the pages to find out the answer to all of the secrets hidden. I loved the way Weiner built up women and wrote them to stand up for themselves and be their own person. Looking forward to more from her, and will probably get into her backlist.

To be honest -- I was really afraid I was not going to love this book as much as I did Big Summer -- and even now I don't think I did -- but even saying that -- this is a book you are going to love. Jennifer is just one of those authors who writes books you can just sink into and escape from your world. I thought the second half was a better than the first half because I needed time to hear the voices of the characters but once I did I couldn't put it down.

This is a bold statement but That Summer is Jennifer Weiner’s best book yet. I’ve loved all her others too, but this one feels like the book that encapsulates this particular time. (Although, of course, it’s also timeless because men.)

Fan girl moment…..I love Jennifer Weiner! She is literally one of my top 10 favorite authors. Her stories are extremely enjoyable but more importantly her characters are real and super relatable and honestly makes women feel good about themselves! So I really have to applaud Jennifer for setting and bar and breaking the modes!
Ok That Summer…..wow people put this super fun thriller on your summer must read list! I love love loved the dynamic of Daisy/ Diana! Now I am calling this book a thriller but it is so much more it have romance too!!! SWOON! Don’t take my word on how amazing That Summer is read it for yourself!!! You will thank me!