Good fiction helps us rearrange disparate pieces of life into a cohesive, new picture; our worldview is shifted and we can more clearly see something just outside of our own experiences. Author Jennifer Weiner has tackled a myriad of issues faced by women of all ages. It’s not that aspects of these issues haven’t always existed, it’s that seen together the whole is powerful. And in many ways, frustrating and disappointing; women are supposed to have so many advantages now that their mothers and grandmothers didn’t have. THAT SUMMER begins warmly and with all of the charms that a beach can offer teenage girls. Over the course of the book, every woman in the story will review her life choices and come to new conclusions about themselves. Topically, this is very current, with the #metoo movement front and center. But the experiences transcend generations. There are mysteries, tragedies and love stories in this tale and it is difficult to put down. Ultimately the book is one of renewal and hope. It’s a good book and definitely worth reading. I. Received my copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

One night changes the life of a young girl and now decades later she wants those involved to take responsibility for their mistakes. But is she willing to accept responsibility for the innocent life's that will be destroyed?

Wow!!! I am so grateful to Netgalley for the ARC of what I believe to be Jennifer Weiner’s best book to date! Timely, deep, incredibly sensitive and descriptive, Written with tenderness and compassion, Weiner sustained a mood that brought issues to light without heaviness. This was such an engrossing read....could not put it down. And...one of the things I always appreciate in a novel is delicious descriptions of food! Ms Weiner is a powerful author, and this as I said, is my favorite of all the books of hers that I’ve read. Thanks again and definitely get this book!!

While That Summer was confusing at first and triggering in places, as books covering the “Me Too” movement tend to be, the way it wrapped up and all the pieces of the story from each perspective fit together was immensely satisfying to me. It is a great read, you pretty much can’t go wrong with Jennifer Weiner.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

In the age of #metoo this book really hits home.

This is the story of 2 Diana's who find each other *accidentally * via email. One is hiding a dark secret. Without giving too much away I will say this book is brilliant. I couldn't put it down, but had to at times due to the content.

The characters were developed very well. Once again Jennifer Weiner has hit it out of the park with That Summer.

I have read all of Jennifer Weiner’s novels and she is one of my favorites. All of her books feature characters who are so familiar and relatable, and you feel like they are friends or neighbors. This is a good story, primarily about two women: Daisy and Diana. The author tackles some tough, timely issues, with grace and respect. References to A Doll’s House were definitely a plus. Recommended.

Thank you, NetGalley, for an advanced copy of this novel.
That Summer was an emotional read that was impossible to put down. The novel follows two Diana's whose lives intersect because of a terrible event. That Summer shows the power of resilience, friendship, and strength. I highly recommend this book.

Thank God - finally a book I finish in 24 hours! I should have known when I saw it was my girl Jennifer Weiner!

What a beautiful story with a great twist! I instantly fell in love with the concept of going back and forth between present and past, as well as the serene, cozy setting of the Cape.

A story of 2 women who meet “accidentally”, and end up sharing more of a past then they may have initially realized. My only regret is that I didn’t read this book in June by my pool.. because it truly is the perfect summer read! I guess I’ll just have to read it again!

2.5 ⭐️

This is a story of two Diana’s, one experienced a traumatic event she is working to overcome, and the other, “Daisy”, seemingly lives a perfect life with her husband and daughter. The two meet and develop a friendship, but one has no idea the other has an elaborate plan of revenge.

Big Summer was one of my favourite reads from last year, so when I was sent That Summer I was beyond excited. After reading it though, I’m beyond disappointed. Like what was the purpose of this book? The book did touch on a sexual assault, recovery and healing and that was important, it was also the part that was the most gripping and kept me reading. But the rest was just, what? The ending is SO anticlimactic I was pissed, it felt like a giant waste of time. Daisy’s family was so horrible, from her mother to her brother, her husband and even her daughter was so bratty and ungrateful, hard to read. Daisy herself was miserable and naive. I liked Diana a lot better and her story was much more interesting, but in the end again like it went nowhere. I thought this would have some giant twists and turns but I figured everything out before it happened. The writing was good and I did like reading Diana’s side, I liked Daisy also but her character was just so sad. Anyways, I wouldn’t waste your time with this, it missed big time. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the free preview in exchange for an honest review.

I've long. been a fan of Jennifer Weiner, and I can't help but think her work has only gotten better (and I thought she was pretty amazing a decade ago). While I understand some reviews requesting a trigger warning for this novel (which does address the Me Too movement), I appreciated that I didn't know where this story was going when it began, and was really moved by Weiner's thoughtful work in showing how current events can hit hard in people's personal lives. I loved the evolution of the characters, and that their every progression felt natural and in line with who they were at the outset of the novel.
In summary, this was a really fantastic book, and one I would happily sit down to read again.

This will be the Book of the Summer 2021!
Jennifer Weiner is at the top of her game with That Summer: a beautiful, emotional, timely read. A story of two women named Diana whose lives are more connected than they think upon first meeting. Our story shifts between present day, one fateful teenage summer, and important moments in between.
This one had me reading all night long! An empowering read that is not to be missed. I wish I could give more stars than 5!

I received an ARC of #ThatSummer by #JenniferWeiner in exchange for an honest review courtesy of #NetGalley and #SimonandSchuster

Thanks to NetGalley and Jennifer Weiner for an advance copy of this book. Jennifer Weiner books have been in my TBR pile for a while now... and I was intrigued to finally start one of her stories.

Daisy is the quintessential suburban housewife, living her life for her husband and teenage daughter. She accidentally gets some email for a woman named Diana (Daisy's real name is actually Diana too). Forwarding the misdirected emails on to the other Diana sets in motion the events that will change Daisy's life forever. The landscape of the Outer Cape becomes a beautiful backdrop to this narrative. We are treated to intense explorations of the relationships between mother/daughter and husband/wife through the twists and turns of the story. Secrets are revealed and lessons are learned as the layers hidden for many years are finally pulled back.

Trigger warning - this book has themes of sexual assault and rape.

Jennifer Weiner does it again - this book was a thoughtful take on sexual assault and the reckoning of the "Me Too" movement and a compelling novel with a hint of mystery, a great plot, sympathetic characters. It has a great exploration of mother-daughter relationship, too. This is a perfect summer read that does not shy away from tough issues.

That Summer blew me away. I didn't see the ending coming, and I am not sure I like it. For some reason it really bothers me that Diana and Daisy remain friends, and I just can't figure out why I feel that way. I guess, although I understand Diana's need to confront Hal, I am not sure that I like or approve of the way she went about it. That said, I don't know if there is an appropriate or better way. That Summer definitely made me think and will stay in my thoughts for quite some time.

I hope when this book is published it includes a trigger warning. I was not expecting to read about a rape. The subject was treated with much care and compassion for the situation and wrestled with the difficulty of what retribution would be appropriate for someone who has perpetrated a sexual assault. The fallout for the victim and those who love them. I appreciated the story being told from multiple characters point of view. What motivated them and their role in how events unfolded. The two main women in the story become unlikely friends and it is remarkable that through their friendship they are able to heal. An interesting piece of the story is that the sex offender in question has a teenage daughter as the events of his youth are exposed. It is hopeful to see the young daughter evolve and grow as the next generation of strong females. I was given an advanced reader's copy via NetGalley, thank you to them. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Wow! I really enjoyed That Summer by Jennifer Weiner. This book hits close to home and things I have lived through. I graduated HS in 1985 and that is when a major part of this story takes place. I lived through the carefree summer of 1985. This story also relates to my life today so it was a fascinating read for me. This book does have several triggers especially rape, bullying, and boys will be boys mentality. The book also gets into the "Me Too" movement. This book is not a light, fluffy beach read that the cover suggests.

I appreciated how Ms. Weiner made the women characters show their vulnerabilities and become strong women in the end that stood up for what is right. The 15 year old daughter pretty much had her shit together all through the book. The adults have to come to terms with their pasts and their present to carry on. The two Diana's in the book you want to hug and cheer on by the end of the book. The men are douches that need the lessons that they learned. The people of my parents generation, born in the 40's/50's, were just exasperating but I believe they are portrayed realistically. Of course not everyone of this generation has all of these characteristics but I have seen some of them shinning brightly.

I hope you enjoy this story. This is a story that explains why some things are the way they are today so there are lessons to be learned. I would like to thank #NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book. Thanks to #JenniferWeiner for another great read. I have loved her last three books!

Two women with more than their first names in common makes for a real page turner. Weiner can add another best seller to her list because reader will not be able to put this book down! She writes an empowering story focused on the #metoo movement that several women will unfortunately be able to relate to.

I have read every book that Jennifer Weiner has written. Thank you to @netgalley for the ARC of That Summer. I am struggling to find the words to give an honest review of this book. At times, I was completely captured and couldn’t put the book down, reading and devouring every word. At other times, I speed read through parts because the story lagged. There was a lot to digest. All characters had problems and issues. At times, the sequence of the story didn’t make sense to me. If you are looking for a light beach read, this book is not for you. As always, I will look forward to the next Jennifer Weiner book.

I received an advance copy of That Summer by Jennifer Weiner in exchange for my honest review and opinion. I am a huge Jennifer Weiner fan so I was thrilled to receive the approval to read and review this book. As usual, she does NOT disappoint with this new release! I absolutely loved it and was unable to put it down. I will be telling everyone I know to read this as soon as it's released! SOOOOOOO Good!

Thank you to @atriabooks and @netgalley for my gifted copy of That Summer, by Jennifer Weiner! This book is out on May 11th, and the synopsis is in the comments.

There was a lot to unpack in this book: themes surrounding identity, friendship and family, coming-of-age, and The Me Too Movement. I thought that Weiner did a fabulous job of wrapping them all up within each other, and at the same time, fleshing them out. That Summer leaves you with a lot to think about at the end.

The synopsis doesn’t give away a lot, and I don’t plan to either. So, I’ll list out my thoughts, with no spoilers within them:

As usual, the descriptions in this book blew me away. It made it seem as if I was right there in several of the scenes. This was an easy book to get wrapped up in.
Learning more about the characters leads to a lot of discoveries and revelations within the plot. Make sure as you read, that you are paying attention to who knows who, and last names.
I thought how the Me Too Movement was brought into this book was so well done, and contributed a great deal to the setting and the plot

In this book, they talk about summering on Cape Cod. Do you have a dream place you’d like to summer? I’d love to visit The Cape or Nantucket some day!