Thanks to Atria and NetGalley for an advanced copy of That Summer!

I'm a big Jennifer Weiner fan and unfortunately this one was a little disappointing for me. I wasn't the biggest fan of any of the characters and the ending was anticlimactic.

I thought the idea of getting the wrong emails and wanting to meet was fun but didn't like that it wasn't accidental .

I guess I was expecting more of a fun beach read, which the cover and title suggest but this was a lot deeper. I think if the 2 female characters weren't so weak and unlikeable I might have liked it more.

This is not my favorite Jennifer Weiner book. The characters were not very likeable and at times, the plot seemed to drag. The main characters, Daisy and Diana were both abused by the same man at different stages of their lives but the seem unable to move forward and change things for themselves. The ending seemed anticlimactic and rushed. True fans of Jennifer Weiner will read and mostly like this book but I didn't find it to be one of her best.

This fits in with two other books I've read this month: The Smash Up and Too Good To Be True. I do wonder if I would have enjoyed That Summer a bit more if I hadn't read it so close to the others; the topics and stories felt a little repetitive rather than offer an opportunity to converse with one another.

Even without my personal reading chronology, I didn't LOVE this one. Good in Bed and Mrs. Everything remain my top Weiner works, and this one just fell short for me.

However, I really appreciated her use of structure and timelines in the way she crafted her work, and while I didn't really connect with the main characters, I adored Beatrice and Michael.

*I received an ARC of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley.

This isn't your typical Jennifer Weiner book. I found this to be much more serious than others that I've read. Daisy, homemaker, mother of a teenager, and parttime chef, keeps getting emails intended for another Diana. When they decide to meet, see what happens. Great for readers looking for a little drama and suspense!

I really enjoyed this advance copy from NetGalley...

I am not one to nit pick a story, if I enjoy it & it entertains me & keeps me happily reading, that's important to me.

It starts with a 15 year old mother's helper on the Cape & an incident that happens to her on the cape.

We move forward 20 or so years & there's a mix up of someone receiving emails from a similarly typed email address. The 2 women connect via their similar email addresses. The story builds from there....2 women, 2 lives, 1 connection to each other.

Not my style to give too much information about the actual people & how the story plays out.

I loved it....

I did receive a free copy from netgalley in response for my review. I’m torn on this book. I am a huge Jennifer Weiner fan, but this was not my favorite. It started almost like a thriller, which is not the norm. I didn’t like Daisy enough to feel empathetic towards her, and Diana I struggled to fully embrace. Something was just a tad off for me, it kept me engaged, but it was ready for it to be done, mainly because I wasn’t fully invested in any character. The ending was a huge let down. I don’t know what ending would have felt *right*, but this wasn’t it. It felt abrupt.

My feelings for this are about the same as the author's last book, Big Summer, which could have been better, IMO. It had body shaming and other elements that made it less of a summer book than it was supposed to be. This kind of follows the same idea and it was shocking to me that this is supposed to be a "summery beach read" but there are heavy trigger warnings in it, which was a turn off. Can't there just be a normal fun beach read? So annoying! I did like the characterization of Daisy and Diana and the friendship that resulted.

I have liked other past books before these two novels, very disappointed.

Thanks to Netgalley, Jennifer Weiner and Atria Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Available: 5/11/21

I am loving Jennifer Weiners last several novels!
I the past few years of the #metoo movement- Weiner brings her readers both the young girls perspective and the wife of her rapist.
Diana was raped as a mere 15 yr old girl as an Au Pair in the summer while she should have been happily enjoying her youth- she was depressed and sullen- thinking of what she could have done differently and if she’d ever run into the boys again.
Daisy (ne The Other Diana) married Poe (Hal) at a young age and had no idea of what his elite past held.
These women brought together something all mothers and young daughters think of...

Another winner from Jennifer Weiner. She has been writing some great books these days. This one delivers a story that is original, on-trend and heartwarming in a good, non-icky way. And even more to the point, this story may be original but the events of That Summer are not. And this book highlights a terrible event and yet offers a surprisingly happy ending. I truly enjoyed this book and look forward to more of Jennifer’s work. Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC. All opinions are honest and my own.

Jennifer Weiner's new book, That Summer, deals with the long-term affects of sexual assault and the #MeToo movement, doing so in her trademark storytelling style that results in a book you can't put down. She takes a heavy subject that far too many women can identify with and gives it a narrow focus through the character of Diana. Weiner weaves the story of Diana, who is still processing the event that shaped her life, with that of Daisy, who becomes her friend. The story also contrasts the "way things were" with the way young women are being raised today, which is a refreshing reminder of the changes taking place.

Note: while the subject of sexual assault is handled in a responsible way, it is still a tough one that may bring up feelings and memories that are difficult to deal with.

I loved this book, but I like all of Jennifer Weiner's books!

A book that is about genuine, heartfelt friendship, self discovery, women’s growth, and independence. Set in the Philadelphia suburbs and Cape Cod.

It’s intense, emotional, and inspirational. Perfect beach read.

I really enjoyed Jennifer Weiner’s last book, Big Summer, so I was really looking forward to reading her newest novel. Sadly, I was disappointed. The characters felt so familiar, as if Weiner found a winning recipe that she just keeps remaking, tweaking it a bit here and there. In Big Summer, I loved the surprise ending, and I kept waiting for something unexpected to occur in This Summer. It never did. The story was predictable from the start.

Daisy, like many of the characters in Weiner’s previous other books, was an overweight Jewish woman with ties to Cape Cod. I could not connect with Daisy, who knew from the beginning that her husband’s history was “like walking into a dark room and touching the side of a monster.” Yet when she was forced to face that monster head on, she blamed her brother and her mother for not telling her the truth about him. Daisy chose a life of comfort in exchange for her silence, yet she portrayed herself as the victim.

Diana’s character was again a character recycled from other books – the mysterious friend who is more than she first appears. However, she is more likeable and relatable than Daisy, dealing with her teenage trauma throughout the rest of her life. She seemed to be a crazy stalker, yet she was just emotionally tortured. Hal was completely unlikeable from the start, putting Daisy in her cage and treating her as his pet. The ending was unsatisfying, as I would have like to hear how he made retributions for the pain that he caused as a young man. It felt as though he got off easy, only losing his wife but not having to face any fallout.

This Summer takes its subject matter from the recent #metoo movement, but doesn’t provide any new perspectives, interesting revelations or deep insights. It is not one of Ms.Weiner’s best books.

My thanks to NetGalley for an Advanced Readers Copy of this book. All opinions are my own and not biased in any way.

This book started a little slow, and seemed at first a little formulaic. But wow, even when I figured out the big surprise, it kept me going until the end. What a wonderful take on #metoo, and the responsibility we have for our actions, even if they were decades ago.

Jennifer Weiner at her best. This book started light and domestic, and veered into the heavy world of women. Prep school, wealthy adults, sexual assault...Weiner weaves it all together masterfully.

Diana "Daisy" Shoemaker is a woman who has it all. She has a successful husband and teenager in a beautiful home. And when Daisy isn't at home she is sharing her passion for cooking with her clients. Until she starts receiving email meant for another Diana--a more fun and glamourous Diana. So when Diana emails her and apologizes for the wrong emails sent her way and invites her to dinner, how could she say no? But this "chance" encounter may lead to more than Daisy bargained for, and instead opens up the past that will change everyone.

That Summer tells the story of how a single event can change a lifetime for those involved. For some it may bring them closer together, and others push them closer apart, as still others clutch desperately to hold their secrets close and undiscovered. The book explores a number of themes that the author really explored well, told through different perspectives. The way that "boys will be boys" can shift based on perspective, and questions on whether we can really change or recover from the past. The use of multiple perspectives, which instead of being distracting, added an additional layer of depth to her message. Even after finishing this book, I found that the themes have stayed with me long since I closed the covers. I thought the book was well done, and highly recommend it.

I would like to thank the author, publisher and Net Galley for providing a free e-copy of this book in exchange for my review..

I was so excited to get an ARC of this book. I honestly love everything that Jennifer Weiner writes, and look forward to her books every year. I like her writing style, her character development, the way she sets up the book, describes the settings - everything. I am a total fan girl of Jennifer Weiner and I will not lie about it. She has taught me thinks about life and being an adult much in the way Judy Blume taught me about being a teenager. I wish she could be my big sister or aunt or cool cousin, because it would just be amazing to hang out or sit and chat with her.

The book, I loved the book. It was a joy to sit down and read, escape into the world created. Read the book. It's awesome.

I have always been a Jennifer Weiner fan and this book just made me a bigger fan! I remember not being thrilled about Mrs. Everything, thinking that JW just tried too hard to cram too many ideas and obstacles into the characters’ lifelines. I enjoyed Big Summer but didn’t love it. I felt like JW was venturing into the mystery genre but missed the mark somewhere. BUT, with That Summer, I feel like JW is back to hitting her stride. The characters are REAL. The subject is topical. It is a story that made me think about a lot of different “what would I do?” scenarios. I highly recommend it to anyone who is a parent to a teenager: There are a lot of life lessons for parent/teen discussions. I also think this would be a great Book Club book as well. Kudos as well for the food descriptions — don’t read this on an empty stomach.

Thanks to Atria/ Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for the advanced copy and the opportunity to read this before it is officially published.

Jennifer Weiner knows how to “pack a punch” and her newest novel That Summer is no exception. Starting off a little slow, readers are introduced to Daisy. Daisy is a middle aged woman with a rebellious teenage daughter and a successful, but absent husband and is kind of flailing in her middle years. She’s lost her best friend and doesn’t have a network of women to depend on. When she starts receiving emails meant for Diana, a woman she doesn’t know, but appears to have a much more exciting life, Daisy forges a friendship. Turns out there is a lot more to Diana than Daisy knows and their meeting is not by chance. I really enjoyed the way the novel seemed to take a twist and reveal Diana’s true history. I found myself frustrated at times with both women and their past decisions, but was rooting for them both. Weiner explores how the past dramatically influences our future selves and exposes how buried secrets can fracture relationships without solid foundations. Readers will be so excited to see Weiner’s newest novel on shelves this summer and her tradition of excellent storytelling continues. I definitely recommend reading That Summer as soon as possible.

A sincere thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Jennifer has done it again!
many many readers. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! No spoilers. Beyond amazing I enjoyed this book so very much. The characters and storyline were fantastic. The ending I did not see coming Could not put down nor did I want to. Truly Amazing and appreciated the whole story. This is going to be a must read for many many readers. Maybe even a book club pick.

5 Poignant Stars!

That Summer by Jennifer Weiner deserves to hold the prominent book slot in your beach tote this summer, but it is so much more than a beach read. In between glimpses of warm summer fun and delicious food, Weiner gently exposes the perverse and over-indulgent underbelly of wealthy, privileged prep school good old boys (just being boys), and the unsuspecting girls whose lives they irrevocably changed.

Diana and Daisy are each in their own right, phenomenal characters with relatable experiences and viewpoints, who have led very different lives but somehow end up needing each other more than they could have imagined. That Summer is an honest and thoughtful portrayal of what happens after, detailing the shock waves that can be felt for years while answering the questions, “why didn’t she say something sooner?” Or “why now?”

A must-read for women (and men) of all ages, That Summer is Jennifer Weiner’s best book yet. Bravo!