Look, I don’t usually give books one stars - something has to really make me mad in order for me to do that. This book has so many scenes that made me mad and overall, I felt like the writing (both plot and characters) was so weak compared to other Jennifer Weiner books I’ve read. I absolutely loved Mrs. Everything, so I am not writing off this author, but this book just felt halfhearted, cheap, and not well fleshed out.

The book centers around the rich and privileged family of Sarah Levy-Weinberg Danhauser. Sarah married a divorced man who had a daughter named Ruby, then had two sons with him. Sarah’s mother was a successful novelist when she was younger, and made enough money to pay for Sarah’s family’s house in NYC, Ruby’s college tuition, and a faaaancy house on Nantucket that Ruby grew up going to every summer. Now, Ruby has just graduated from NYU and gotten serious with a boy during the two years of Covid. The book starts off with Ruby announcing that they’re getting married. It then rotates chapters between Sarah, Ruby, Sarah’s husband slash Ruby’s dad, Sarah’s mom, and Sarah’s twin brother.

Here are the things I didn’t like, in no particular order:
1. THE PRIVILEGE. i’ll be honest, I am starting to get fed up of stories about rich white families whose generational wealth leads them to have no real problems in the world, and allows them to act in ridiculous ways that would have insane consequences for anyone without a fraction of the money that the family has. Granted, I just finished reading another book in which the main character is unhinged and protected from every consequence of her bad actions because of her family is generational wealth, so I might be a little less forgiving. But this is reaffirming the fact that I need to spend more of my time on stories about people who do not fit into this mold and come from more diverse and interesting backgrounds. I don’t want to hear any more stories about wealthy grandparents who have secured housing for their future generations through their own nepotism and connections. Also, the way that the mother of Ruby‘s future husband is treated in the story is horrible. It’s an extremely stereotypical and un-nuanced view of someone struggling to come up in New York.

2. The infidelity. I don’t think this is a book where the characters are meant to be unlikable - I really believe the author wants you to root for the success and happiness of the family she puts in front of you. But the characterization is simply lazy, and the characters do a lot of things that make them unlikeable - namely: I’ve never read a book with so much infidelity. Another reviewer said something I agree with here - if the plot relies on that much cheating to survive, the writing is weak.

3. The lack of show, don’t tell. Every new characters chapter is basically a rote retelling of their life story. Again, it feels lazy to just have the character go on this long, long, long monologue about their past, their mistakes, their experiences, and have everything be tied up to the present day in a bow. R here are so many stronger ways to do this without just having each new perspective be a short biography of the character.

Overall, this was not the book for me. I might try another Jennifer Weiner in the future, but I’m getting a liiiittle bit tired of these sorts of stories. Thank you to the publisher for the ARC via Netgalley!

This book is a beautiful, funny, poignant look at family, friends, class, first loves, and infidelity. it follows three generations of a family as they come to terms with their lives as the worst part of the pandemic comes to a close and a new chapter begins. I loved how the author gave voice to women everywhere who carry the burden of an entire family while also managing their own work and responsibilities while in many cases their partner is less burdened but more vocal. The author also talked about what drives a person to infiedelity and anxiety and how perspective can clear things up. The characters were far from perfect, often privileged, and yet just human trying to figure their lives out in the best way they knew how. Motherhood was discussed on multiple levels as well as parenthood and how again, life can often lead us astray from our goals. I can't say enough how beautiful the writing is, how touching the story, and how glad I am that I read it.

There is something for everyone as this book includes all sorts of tropes: New Adult, forced proximity, questioning, queerness, age-gap, long lost love, found family, and so much more!

I really enjoyed this book, even though it took me a long time to finish it. It was entertaining enough to keep me engaged, but I do wish that Jennifer Weiner wrote a different kind of story.

I did not see one of the major plot twists coming and I was very shocked (in a good way!).

A great book, overall but again, wishing that the stories set in the summer at the Cape get a rest on the next book.

Jennifer Weiner is back with The Summer Place!
Ruby is engaged to marry her quarantine boyfriend, Gabe, to the surprise of her family, even though the couple spent lockdown in Ruby's father, Eli, and stepmother, Sarah's home. Now, the family is set to descend upon Sarah's mother's home on Cape Cod in a short three months for the wedding. This book isn't about the pandemic, per se, but rather the pandemic and living in quarantine changes the dynamics of this family. It fast-forwards one romance and shows the fault-lines in another.
It's hard to summarize this book without spoiling anything, but this multiple POV, multiple plotline story is a tangled web of secrets, betrayal, infidelity, love, misunderstandings, and dysfunction. I would probably call this a family drama more than a beach read because it is involved and messy with lots of drama. There are three generations worth of characters, all with secrets and baggage. Weiner writes vivid, complex characters, even the unlikeable ones. She also covered some powerful themes yet does so with a lighter touch. Thank you so much to NetGalley and Atria Books for the opportunity to review this ARC.

Super bummed, but this Jennifer Weiner book just might not be for me. 20% in I put it down (perhaps for now perhaps for good) as there were too many POVs + too many big issues for each character.
I really really really wish it was in short story format with interconnected stories because I think it would have been AMAZING that way!

This was a heavy family drama centered around a summer house in cape cod. There’s too many characters and very intrinsic stories that happen but it is filled with so much drama. This is like a summer Family Stone so if you like your stories melancholy yet uplifting, give this family drama a chance

Read this book if you like: Multiple POV, crazy twists and turns, family drama, heartfelt stories

Sarah is completely shocked when her 22 year old stepdaughter, Ruby, announces her engagement to her pandemic boyfriend. Even crazier is that Ruby has already set a date, just three months away. She's also spoken to Sarah's mother Veronica, about having the wedding at the family’s beach house on Cape Cod. Sarah might be worried, but Veronica is thrilled to have the family together one last time before putting the big house on the market.

Every single character in this book ends up going through a trial of sorts that tests them. Ruby finds herself dealing with the wounds left by the mother who walked out when she was a baby. Veronica ends up getting unexpected news from her meddling sister. She must revisit the choices she made long ago when she was a bestselling novelist. Sarah’s twin brother, Sam, is recovering from a terrible loss. Sarah’s husband, Eli, who’s been distant lately. He confronts the consequences of a long ago lapse from his typical good-guy behavior. Sarah is frustrated by her husband, concerned about her stepdaughter, and worn out by challenges of life during quarantine. She then faces the alluring reappearance of someone from her past and a life that could have been.

We see all of this from the different POVs. Normally I hate when a book has more than 3 POVs. I loved this though. This book is so good. The family is messy, entertaining, and still so loving to each other. I loved being dragged through the family drama. There are confrontations and revelations that will touch each member of the extended family. The character development was perfect. I really felt connected to them. They feel so realistic. The setting of the book sounds absolutely gorgeous. I have never read one of Jennifer's books. It won't be my last. This is the ideal Summer read. Get it tomorrow!

Thank you to NetGalley, the author Jennifer Weiner, and Atria Books for my gifted copy!

Finished this one last night and I enjoyed it very much. I can easily see it being an easy summer read as the story catches your attention from the start, the characters are interesting, and their is a bit of mystery.

Family dynamics definitely takes centerstage and I enjoyed that we got to see how this family handled and was affected by the pandemic. I’m pretty sure this is the first “pandemic” books I’ve read.

This is also the first book I’ve read with so many perspectives. You are allowed to hear almost all of the characters thoughts which adds to the tension and mystery. I thought I would get lost being in so many characters’ heads, but it was actually easy to follow.

This is a book with a large cast of characters. Their lives are entertwined and each person's storyline ripples into the others. Sarah is who we original will believe to be the main characters. She's a wife, mother, stepmother, daughter and sister in her 40s. We soon learn all of the other characters' stories and Sarah's are entertwined.

The story is sparked by the wedding of Ruby, who is Sarah's stepdaughter, to Gabe. It is post-covid and life is resuming. All the characters have something to do with this new union, even the back in time snippets we get. As the story goes on, Weiner intermingles past and present secrets of to tell an amazing story.

Everyone is trying be supportive of the wedding, but they wonder if Ruby knows Gabe well enough to tie the knot? Everyone has a secret, including Gabe!

Sarah’s husband Eli, Ruby's father, is a successful dentist with a secret of his own that could destroy everything!

Sam, Sarah’s twin brother, has lost his wife and is raising in stepson, and has a big secret of his own.

Ronnie, Sarah and Sam's mother, and once a best selling author, is the owner of The Summer Place and saddened in the past years that no one wants to vacation there any longer. She is thrilled to host the wedding. But also has a secret of her own that will send the family in a tailspin.

This wasn't a fluff read. The story is told from several characters’ POVs and there are multiple storylines. But rather than be hard to follow, I felt it made me invested in each character and how their stories would impact the others. It dealt with many issues that a family deals with - love, trust, grief, friendship, sexuality, infidelity, aging parents.

Many thanks to Atria Books and NetGalley for an advance reader copy in exchange for my honest review!

Ruby is 22 and getting married to her pandemic boyfriend - a small, intimate wedding at her Safta’s (her step-mother’s mother) beach house on Cape Cod. This family is filled with secrets and the days leading up to the wedding threaten to expose secrets as each family member has to face something. This one is told in multiple perspectives that will have you screaming for this family to communicate with each other and dying for all of these secrets to get out.

This was a juicy summer read that was filled with secrets and so many tangled webs. It’s hard to say much without giving anything away but I enjoyed that this one was suspenseful without being too dark or stressful. I kept turning the pages waiting for things to explode and all of the secrets to catch up with this family. I loved how complex and real this family felt and how many issues this book tackled. Jennifer Weiner is the queen of the summer beach read, and she has another fun one here!

Thank you to Atria Books for the advanced copy!

We have some blended family here and I’m loving it. But the full circle moments for most of these family members are bit too much for me. Who knows who, how is one connected with the other, who ends up with who after all that happens? One full circle is good but multiple is little bit too much of a stretch for me.

Pandemic hits. Daughter brings her boyfriend to quarantine with her family because dude cannot go back to California at this point. Call it cabin fever, after things start to get better daughter and the boyfriend decide to marry. Father sees and mother in law’s face over FaceTime and then when memories start to flood back. And not in a good way!

As the wedding day approaches, everyone starts thinking about how to unveil their secrets to others, trying to figure out the best time to do it. While all family members are loosing sleep over their secrets, the daughter solves everything with one word. It was a good page turner, but I could do with less web of connections between people

I loved The Summer Place by Jennifer Weiner! Complex characters, fast-paced plot, and even some twists. This book should be on your summer reading list!

The novel centers around 3 generations of one family. The entire family is gathering at the matriarch’s Cape Cod beach house for the wedding of her step-granddaughter. Leading up to the wedding, secrets will be revealed, misunderstandings abound, and hopefully forgiveness is given. Not only does Weiner tell a great story, but I was also moved by her keen observations on life woven throughout the book.

The author writes about each characters’ backstory, so you feel like you really get to know them – the good and the bad. Even Cape Cod becomes a living breathing character in this story. I was sad to see this story end as the characters came alive for me.

I’ve read all of Jennifer Weiner’s books and this story stands out as one of my favorites.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC!

I've been a huge Jennifer Weiner fan for 20 years now and from her recent books, I loved Big Summer but wasn't a fan of That Summer. I do love the Cape Cod setting of these 3 books and her books have me dreaming of summer and beach reads, but unfortunately, The Summer Place wasn't for me.

There are a lot of characters and they seem kinda dysfunctional and I'm not loving all of the COVID/pandemic that the beginning of the book seems to mention on every page. I found the end kinda strange and didn't like any of the characters.

Thanks to Atria Books for a copy of The Summer. It comes out next Tuesday - May 10th.

The Summer Place is not my normal sort of read. I don’t normally read Women’s Fiction or Book Club Fiction or Summer Beach Reads or whatever you want to call them. And I have to admit that I struggled at first because of the constant changing of viewpoints in order to establish the backstory. Every time I would feel myself settling into the story, the point-of-view would change which frustrated me. There were so many characters to follow, and at first, I didn’t find any of them likeable and at first, it was hard to keep track.

But that changed as I got further into the book. I became invested in the characters and cared about what happened to them. Then, I couldn’t put the book down. While I didn’t finish in one sitting, it only took me a few nights of reading to get through it.

The book covers multiple generations and several families. My favorite character was the matriarch, Veronica, who not only shares a name with my oldest daughter, shares her personality, too. I can just see my daughter ending up like Ronnie. While I didn’t agree with all the actions Veronica took in the book, I found her to be the most likeable character of the story.

There are a number of coincidences in this book that made me think I was reading a grown-up Nancy Drew book. There’s definitely a six-degrees-of-separation going on as you travel through the pages. I also liked the fact that it shows how only extended family dealt with the pandemic and the change in family dynamics because of it.

The Summer Place has everything that makes it a good summer read: strong and memorable characters, an excellent story arcs, fascinating insights into the human pscyhe, a little romance, a little heartbreak, and a satisfying conclusion. I highly recommend this as your next summer read.

Two families, many generations and lots of secrets spiraling around. Everything comes to a head when they all get together at Grandma's summer place for what they think will be a wedding. Poignant humor and a deep understanding of human nature make this a compulsively enjoyable read.

I have been a Jennifer Weiner fan since her first foray to the printed page. I love how her novels and the characters within have matured and aged as she has and their stories are always relevant to the world around them.
This novel was written during the pandemic and the characters, just like the author was holed up and itching to get out and getaway.
Family drama and friendships come with highs and lows and this first Bonafide Beach Read of 2022 encompasses it all. With stressed-out people, weddings, and wrangling children on cape cod's sunny shores, sets up The Summer Place up as another all-star read with a female cast of characters.

This book is full of family drama! I felt like every soap opera/talk show point of drama was thrown into one story.

I felt like the drama from relationships to past transgressions was a bit too over the top for my taste. At the beginning I felt like a huge portion of the book was spent on different character's flash backs with alternating stories between many characters.

I may have liked this book more if the time was spent from only a couple main characters perspectives. I enjoyed the book, but didn't feel like there was anything special in the plot that hasn't been done before.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing a copy of this ARC for my honest review.

Hang on tight for a bumpy ride. It’s all about family dynamics/dysfunction and I’m here for it. This is a wildly imaginative, original story that doesn’t romance over this family’s three generations of flaws. It begins when a 3rd gen. 22 year-old announces her engagement to her six-weeks-new pandemic boyfriend. It then follows along as the various family members backstories are told up to the current time as they sort out private issues and past decisions. This felt like a soap-operish take on the good, the bad, and the ugly. Secrets, indiscretions, sexuality, and just plain old bad decision making are par for the course here. There were heavy topics that Jennifer Weiner was able to write with finesse giving them a somewhat lighter feel (which I appreciated). These aren’t the most likable characters, but oh boy.. what an interesting and entertaining group indeed!

*I received an arc from Atria Books via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The first half of the book is exposition and there are a lot of characters it covers. The second half is a lot more interesting. The house itself is a "character" and I wish it had more scenes. It had some good family themes.

This is my first Jennifer Weiner book and I was so disappointed by it. The amount of characters is overwhelming. I couldn’t keep track of who was who and what was happening with them. The chapters were so long.. I felt like each character was it’s own book within the story and there were just too many heavy topics being covered. I didn’t enjoy the house being a narrator either. & I’m still wondering how this is a summer novel…