Jennifer Weiner writes the most juicy family dramas, perfect for your summer reading lists. I definitely think this is a book that will have mixed reviews, and I already saw that it wasn’t a hit for some of my book friends. Me? I loved it. I was immersed in the stories of this quite dysfunctional family and felt that the long sections from each of their viewpoints created well drawn characters. ⁣The family matriarch is Ronnie, a former novelist and the summer house owner. She actually appeared in the last book – That Summer – as did her children Sarah and Sam. Sarah is married to Eli, and at the start of the pandemic lockdown, Eli’s daughter Ruby and her boyfriend Gabe move home with the family. The book begins with the two announcing their engagement (at a Shabbat dinner!) and we know right away that something is going on with Eli. Eli was my least favorite character – I thought he was extremely selfish in keeping something important secret from his daughter just to protect himself. ⁣As secrets unravel, we learn who these characters were in the past and the people that they are now. I will say that if infidelity turns you away from books, you will not want to read this one! No one in this family seems to appreciate being committed!

I did not like this Book. I read about half of it and gave up. This was not a summer book. Thank you to NetGalley

Jennifer has done it again! I went into this not sure how much I was going to enjoy this book. I wasn’t excited about reading multiple family member’s POVS. But it was actually an enjoyable read. Some of the twist I saw coming a mile away but that didn’t take away from enjoying the book. This is the first book I read taking place during/shortly after Covid-19 pandemic and it wasn’t as horrible/triggering I thought it would be. It made sense how the pandemic played a part in the story telling and it didn’t feel like a cheap plot line. I love most Jennifer Weiner novels and this one is no different.

I am a huge Jennifer Weiner fan and have read every book she has ever written. I’m sad to say this one fell a bit flat for me. Some of the coincidences were too convenient to be anything but frustrating for this reader. The pace was slow for me, and I had difficulty following the plot at times. In addition, I feel that the cover of this book doesn’t really match the heavier tone of the narrative. With that said, I will never stop reading this author. She’s a long-time favorite.

My thanks to NetGalley and Atria for the opportunity to read and review this book.

To get just a couple negatives out the way: The personification of the house came up randomly and didn't seem necessary. The big reveal for some of these major secrets ended up being somewhat anti-climactic. And the timeline was a bit hard to follow at times. 
*
But those negatives aside, I really did enjoy reading this. There are a LOT of characters, and a lot of POVs, but each one was so wonderfully flawed and interesting, and I had no problem keeping track of them. I loved how they made bad but realistic choices, and I really rooted for each of them, even if I wanted to shake them sometimes. 
*
There were moments that were funny, there were some that were a bit over-the-top like a soap opera, and there were some that were really sad. This book had a lot of depth that kept me engaged with a somewhat-slow storyline. (The last third speeds up dramatically, but the first two sections were slower)
*
This is not light and cheery, this is dramatic and depressing at times, and very messy (the story, not the writing!)  I'd recommend it, but be prepared that you're not getting a "summer" book.

The plotline for this book is really interesting. The stepdaughter of one of the main characters is getting married to her pandemic boyfriend in Cape Cod which somehow becomes the catalyst for multiple family secrets to come towards the surface. Everyone seems to have something to hide (some good, some bad, some sad) and I couldn't wait to see how it would all unfold.

Jennifer Weiner has done it again — written an engaging family drama with complex characters and a relevant storyline that will keep you hooked.

A portion of the book takes place during the COVID pandemic during lockdown and Weiner gets the family lockdown feeling on the page. Sarah Danhauser, her husband Eli, her two young sons and her stepdaughter Ruby (plus Ruby’s boyfriend Gabe) are all riding the pandemic out in a Brooklyn brownstone. I had to laugh at how Sarah feels suffocated by being around her family 24/7 — I get it! She loves her family, but hearing her husband pace around in his loud flip-flops as he takes work calls…..relatable!

The story begins with Sarah being shocked by Ruby, 22, announcing that she is going to marry her boyfriend Gabe. The family has doubts, but they keep them quiet. The wedding will be in Cape Cod at the home of Veronica, Ruby’s step-grandmother. There is a lot of family drama between the announcement and the clan’s arrival in Cape Cod.
I did not enjoy Big Summer, but after reading The Summer House, I’m going to go back and read last year’s That Summer.

I will say that there is an abundance of cheating in this book (not a spoiler) and a lot of coincidences, which might turn off some readers.

Thank you @atriabooks and @netgalley for an advanced e-galley in exchange for an honest review.

This will be in a lot of beach bags this summer. It is a soapy family drama - well written - with lots of characters set mostly on the Outer Cape. I liked it, but I think there were several secrets that were kept an excruciatingly long time without good reason. The story dragged along for me and there were too many coincidences and a too neatly tied up ending. I think it is interesting how authors are choosing to write about time during the pandemic.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC. This book will be on shelves May 10, 2022. Jennifer Weiner remains one of my favorite authors.

I was overjoyed to be approved for a Weiner book, having tried many times before, but had been unsuccessful. I had much anticipation as I savored this new read. The novel begins very slow. For most of the book, I feel as though none of the characters are happy in life. The chapters switch narratives often. I did like all the intricate plot twists. I have to give the author credit for making my jaw drop a few times with how the plot progressed. The ending was the best part. I did infer the author’s mother inspired one of the main characters, which was confirmed in her afterward.
I do love the setting and the best character was the house.

Review 4.5 stars
On my goodness, The Summer Place by Jennifer Weiner was so good! Full of twists and turns, it’s a page turner that you won’t be able to put down. It’s difficult to give a short synopsis because it has a lot of characters and each character has their own storyline. However, the details and back stories are so well developed, it’s easy to keep up with everyone. I loved how it showed this family going through and coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic and the struggles it caused. Weiner included many issues families struggle with such as infidelity, trust, sexuality, and grief. This is definitely a good book to add to you summer TBR!

Ruby is marrying her boyfriend from Covid lockdown, even though it's a newer relationship and she's young and unsure. Her dad and stepmom have their own problems, as does her extended family. Her step-grandmother is there to be the family constant with her beach house in Truro, but she also has her secrets.
This is a family drama in the vein of Elin Hildebrand. The problem is that I wanted a family comedy in the vein of Jennifer Weiner! I could have used some lightness and fun and Weiner's witty and thoughtful writing here. It was still okay, but not up to the high standards that I'm used to with Weiner's books. It is worth a read, but I wanted something different and more.
Maybe now that she's done her loosely connected three beach books, she'll reinvent her writing yet again. I'm here for it.

Thank you to Netgalley and Simon and Schuster for the advance copy for review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for gifting me with an ARC of The Summer Place by Jennifer Weiner. In exchange I offer my unbiased review.

Jennifer Weiner, the Queen of Summer Sizzle is back with another messy family drama. And boy, is this one packed with secrets!! Fans will delight in her newest story loaded with shenanigans, this time set in the summer of 2022, when the world is starting to emerge from a two year pandemic haze of quarantines & family isolation. Plenty of fun and lightheartedness can be found in these pages, but you really need to suspend dubious amounts of belief for any of the stories to actually be believable. Perfect for the pool or beach when you want to escape with a book.

Love the cover design.

This book has too many characters with too many long summaries of their lives. The plot lines are ludicrous and far fetched. The characters are not likable and deserve their ridiculous lives.

Jennifer Weiner does it again with a multi-generational family saga filled with characters so complex and richly drawn that I came away feeling as if I knew each of them personally. The book is written around an upcoming wedding to be held at the family's Cape Cod beach house. The entire family will be there together, some for the first time since Covid began, and some for much longer than that.

All families are messy, and each member has pressures, struggles, secrets, flaws, and regrets. One of the things that I love about this book is that there is no main character; each is given their chance to shine; even the house itself is a character, which I enjoyed. I also love how well the author portrays that no matter how often or much we may screw up, in the long run, family is there for you.

There is much fodder for discussion to be found within these pages making it a perfect friend or book-club read. A very enjoyable read all the way around!

My thanks to Atria books for allowing me access to an e-ARC of this book via NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and are freely given.

I love Jennifer Weiner for good escapist reading but this book was a bit too much for me. There were too many characters and too many situations that stretched credulity. But if you want a long, beach read this summer and can be somewhat forgiving, this overall was fun.

The Summer Place was not your traditional book with a central main character, instead, it focused on more of an ensemble cast, the Levy-Weinberg family. All of the family members play an important role in the plot of the story, a story filled with twists and shocking moments.

The focal point of the story is when one of the family members, Ruby is set to get married. While going through the chapters you are learning about each family member and all this development will come to fruition at the wedding. Everything we have learned is laid out and exposed in the lead-up to the wedding making for a lot of surprising reveals and drama. As the reveals and twists were coming I could not put the book down. This was a great read!
A huge thank you to Netgalley and Atria Books for an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

I made it to just after 50% an realized I couldn't go on with this book. There is so much drama, which is fine, but I find myself aggravated at the characters. I also spend a lot of time skimming the details because there is so much that doesn't move the story along. Also - so many different POVs and flashbacks made it hard to keep the story straight. I love Jennifer Weiner and will continue to read her books, but this one is a miss for me.

Another great book from Jennifer Weiner.

Ruby is set to marry her pandemic college boyfriend at her (step) grandmother's Cape Cod house. However, this wasn't just Ruby's story. Jennifer Weiner weaves a web that encompasses not only Ruby, but her stepmother, father, grandmother, and uncles. It works well, and keeps the story interesting and moving.

Really enjoyed this one, and I think all Jennifer Weiner fans will as well.

One of the things I liked most about The Summer Place by Jennifer Weiner, was the way she took us back to some of the more frustrating and inconvenient elements of the pandemic quarantine, and layered it with humor and endearment. It’s a talent I’ve found signature to Weiner and her books throughout the years. Family drama, and strong female characters are front and center in The Summer Place. The actual plot, the wedding of a young couple who met right before quarantine, takes a bit of a back seat to the complicated and relatable storylines. Each character experiences love, loss, heartache and redemption in ways that felt very to real to the reader. Lastly, another favorite element are the reflections of Weiner’s own life peppered throughout the book adding intrigue and richness to the story.

The Summer Place will make a wonderful beach read for anyone who values love and family, and who also appreciates a flare for the dramatic side of life.

Another summer means another great read from Ms. Weiner! This seems to have become an annual event and I only wish I took an annual vacation where I could lay ocean/lake/pool side to read while consuming a pretty adult beverage! I will admit that this one starts slow and at one point I feared I would get disinterested and annoyed with it, but as though reading my mind, things started getting interesting. Really interesting! I love that relatable family drama is spiced up a bit in these books. I always feel like they speak to my sarcastic nature. Once again, the book is a great balance between what the reader expects (summer fluff) and some more serious social commentary. Though, this one did lean more towards the fluff perhaps in response to the more serious years we have just come out of? Whatever the reason, I'll take it!