There are a few author's books I automatically read as soon as they are available. Jennifer Weiner is one of them. I was excited when I saw that she had a new book.

The story revolves around one extended family and one particular locale, Summer Place, which has been a meeting place for everyone over the years. A beach house. There is to be a wedding at this home, which (unbeknownst to most) is to be a farewell also, as the matriarch of the family feels that it is time to sell.

The format of the story is different…..each chapter (or section) is from the point of view of a different character. But, it is easy to follow, very cohesive. They are long chapters, lots of time to get involved with the characters' stories. We learn backstories.

The characters are all interesting. Some are likeable; some, not so much. And everyone has a (gasp!) secret!!! In fact, there were a few moments when I couldn't keep the secrets straight. It was fun trying to pre-guess what each secret might be. The Summer Place is a limited character too, with thoughts and opinions.

When the time came for everyone to get together at The Summer Place, the story started to come apart for me. Some parts were a little far-fetched. Two of the characters became unlikeable to me. So much happened in a matter of a couple of days that, to me, it felt forced. The secrets were all divulged but that part almost seemed anti-climactic.

I appreciate that some of Ms Weiner's life experiences factored in the story. She spent time at Cape Cod as a child, then she brought her children there when she became a mother. The fact that the matriarch had a health crisis mirrors Ms Weiner's recent experience with her own mother. I think that including this in the story would have been cathartic and a tribute to her mother.

I thought that this book would be an automatic home run for me. The first 2/3 of it was good. But, the last part let me down. Judging by the reviews I’ve read, this has not been the case for everyone. I'm glad. Ms. Weiner writes excellent books, hopefully the next one will again hit it out of the park for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an Advance Readers copy.

Thanks so much Atria books and NetGalley!

I really struggled with this one. Too many characters and too much going on. I couldn't finish it. I am so bummed. I love, love, love Who Do You Love? and keep wanting Weiner to recapture that for me. I hope to like her next one!

I love Jennifer Weiner's books. They are well written and weave humor through out, which is always fun. At it's core it is a book about family, and how that family interacts with one another and the secrets they keep. In this book each member of the family has a secret: one discovers his sexuality, one was dx with cancer, one lies about the paternity of a child, another engages in a brief affair before realizing what she thought was love 20 years ago does not stand the test of time. But they manage to discover things about themselves, and this kooky, crazy family that all comes to a crescendo at a family wedding on the Cape. Jennifer manages to wrap up all the loose ends to a satisfying conclusion. Oh and a talking house? What can be better? Recommended for all public libraries.

Is it even summer if you don’t plan on reading the latest JW book? It’s not if you’re me, she’s an author I’ve adored for years and I’ve really enjoyed her past few releases as they’ve been the perfect blend of beachy fun and darker family drama. No one does characterization as well as she does either, I always feel like the characters are real people I know by the time I finish and this was no exception. If you like multigenerational books with depth, flawed and authentic characters and dysfunctional family drama this is a must! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️I did alternate between print and audio but ended up mostly doing audio because Sutton Foster narrates and wow she was amazing! 🤩

Also wanted to add that her previous release, That Summer was recently released in paperback and that one was really good too!

4.5 STARS - Jennifer Weiner is back again with an engaging, character-driven story about the wonderful and emotional messiness of family! The Summer Place is a hard-to-put down, dramatic beach read with juicy secrets, great topics, and well-developed characters.

This is a story about three generations of a family - grandparents, husbands, wives, children, and significant others who all have a connection to Ronnie, the matriarch of the family. Ronnie is the owner of a beautiful home on Cape Cod where many family memories were made and a place that has a secret or two of its own. With Ronnie's granddaughter's wedding soon to bring the family together, secrets and lies, self-discovery and scandal, will abound in this once tight-knit family.

Weiner sets her story in Cape Cod with vivid descriptions of the area, and I liked how she subtly included the impact of the Covid pandemic at the beginning. The story is rather on the long side, but Weiner uses this page time to delve into her characters' lives by providing her readers with backstories on several of the characters, many of whom share their POVs. We get clear pictures of their motivations, foibles and strengths and that detail helped me keep them straight in my head. Granted, readers will have to suspend disbelief with some of the coincidences, but that was easily done and made for some interesting reveals.

Add The Summer Place to your must-read summer book list! I'd suggest going into it blind and letting Weiner unfold her well-woven story and her cast of intriguing characters that will keep you eagerly turning the pages.

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

I really have no idea how to review this book. It was like something i have never read before. The storyline and characters were indeed unique. The stories were so crazy you really had no idea what was coming next, and would never expect it. It was so bizarre I had to finish it. I still dont know what to think of it.

This is a Family Drama/Women's Fiction. I was really excited about this book, but it really let me down. I just could not get into this book. There were way to many characters with way to much going on. I think that if this book focuses on one or two characters than a boat load I would have enjoyed it. The storyline/plot felt too jumpy because there was way too much going on. I received an ARC of this book. This review is my own honest opinion about the book like all my reviews are.

The Summer Place
By Jennifer Weiner

An Engaging And Messy Family Drama

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

SUMMARY
Veronica Levy Bought a summer home on Cape Cod Bay forty years ago with the hope of large family gatherings for many years to come. But with her son, Sam, now in California and her daughter Sarah rarely spending any time at the cape, she decided to sell the old place. But the house has some thought about that idea. After all, the house knows things good and bad about this family over the years, and she is not quite ready for them to let her go.

When Veronica’s granddaughter Ruby announces her engagement Veronica agrees to host the wedding at the beach house. She feels the wedding celebration would be the perfect endpoint before putting the house on the market to sell.

When the wedding day arrives, secrets come to life, new relationships are formed, misunderstandings abound, and revelations that will touch every family member are discovered.


REVIEW
THE SUMMER PLACE is an engaging but messy family drama of love, sacrifice, and forgiveness. It’s a story of children and parents and husbands and wives. The story introduces a diverse array of colorful characters and issues. From child abandonment and sexuality to infidelity and illness; all bases are covered in this expansive novel.

Author Jennifer Weiner juggles multiple plot threads in this skillfully written but complicated read told from seven different perspectives. This is no light beach read; it’s full of substance and suspense.

Weiner is an American writer, television producer, and journalist. She lives in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and her most recent novels include Big Summer (2020) and That Summer (2021). Thanks to Netgalley for an advance reading copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.


Publisher Atria Book
Published May 10, 2022
Review www.bluestockingreviews.com

"You think you know someone"

I love Jennifer Weiner. Mrs. Everyhing is one of my favorite books. So I was ecstatic when I was approved for this advance copy.

It was what I anticipated to read but also not at the same time if that even makes sense. The cover, I think, is misleading, This is not a lighthearted, fluffy beach read as the cover suggests. It is a messy, family drama. I loved getting to know all the members of this dysfunctional family and the supporting characters- Ronnie, Sarah, Eli, Ruby, Gabe, Sam, Rosa and Annette- through impeccably developed backstories and feel like I truly know these people.

I loved how messy and tangled the relationships got. I was initially bothered by all the infidelity but I am not the morality police here. These characters are imperfect humans and everyone has secrets, everyone makes mistakes, Most of the issues between the couples, mainly Sarah and Eli's issues could have been solved if they communicated better. But I got why Eli's secret was too big to share with his wife. And, although, it took some self-reflection, I was able to see Sarah's side of things. Being stuck at home with a partner during the pandemic was a trying experience for most of us and some marriages weren't left unscathed.

Ronnie and Sarah's conversation on the Cape house "the marriages can survive a lot of things" talk, the "it was not even about the other man, it was about how he made me feel" talk ,even brief, was the highlight of the book for me.

I wanted to see more of the Cape Cod setting because Cape is one of my favorite places. The "pond people" sections reminded me a lot of Miranda Cowley Heller's The Paper Palace.

I enjoyed the part 3 the most because the catalyst of this story was the wedding of Ruby and Gabe and everything came full circle and all the detailed backstories and personal perspectives paid off. In the end, I think The Summer Place was a juicy family drama that most could enjoy. I have to say though it could have been a tad shorter :)

This is the first book I’ve read by Jennifer Weiner and I have to say this was an inciting read.

First and foremost there are A LOT of characters in this book. This is the story of a large blended, Jewish family and Jennifer manages to make them each whole enough to be memorable and have individual personalities.

The central plot revolves around Ruby and her upcoming wedding to Gabe and the family coming together at her wealthy grandmothers lavish summer home in Cape Cod for the wedding. This is all taking place about a year after the Covid-19 lockdown and there are many references to this throughout the novel.

The chapters cycle through focusing on different family members, while slowly unraveling their tightly woven spider-web of secrets.

There was one secret that by the time it was revealed the THIRD person was hiding this same thing, I was rather annoyed.

Eli’s secret and lack of transparency particularly bothered me as it had the potential to effect other people negatively and the longer it went without being communicated the more it bothered me, as it was entirely selfish without thinking of how this would psychologically impact any other parties involved.

These characters are entirely believable, complex human beings full of real emotion including both hope and sorrow. The summertime beach-side setting and captivating readability make this an excellent choice for the book you pull out while laying ocean adjacent and soaking up the sun. I will definitely check out more books from Jennifer Weiner in the future.

Thank You NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for the E-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I’m so conflicted on this review. On one hand I think it would be great for zoning out while sitting on the beach. On the other hand I didn’t find it super engaging .

When Ruby gets engaged, three generations of family secrets are forced to come to the surface. All of the secrets are so outlandish and the pure amount of coincidences that would need to happen to make these come true is ridiculous. I’d be more inclined to believe the coincidences if this was taking place in a small town but instead it takes place in NYC. While I believe we live ‘in a small world’, I just couldn’t get on board with the main ‘coincidence’ in the story.

We have quite a few characters in this story and each has major secrets they’re hiding that quickly come to a head when Ruby and Gabe get engaged. On Ruby’s side we have her father Eli, who is quickly folding in on himself. This in turn causes Ruby’s step-mother, Sarah, to begin doubting her relationship with Eli. The lack of communication between the two is mind blowing, and the decisions Sarah specifically makes based on her anger is hard to digest. Then we have Sarah’s brother, Ari and her mother Veronica, who are both harboring massive secrets as well.

In addition we have Gabe’s mother who hasn’t lived in NYC since Gabe was born, but has a secret that ties her to Ruby’s family.

Phew, building that though train without spoilers was a struggle. While these are the primary characters, there are half a dozen additional secondary characters as well. Weiner has structured the story so that each chapter centers on a different character. I usually don’t mind a big cast of characters especially when we get everyone’s POV, but there were just too many to keep track of here and there were multiple chapters I felt added little to the story line. The shear redundancy of events in each character’s chapters was a bit tiresome. Ultimately, I ended up not being able to connect with the characters much, which detracted from the story for me.

Realistically I felt there were too many storylines taking place. While not my favorite Jenifer Weiner book, it’s still entertaining enough to read.


The Summer Place comes out May 10, 2022! Huge thank you to Atria for my advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion. If you liked this review please let me know either by commenting below or by visiting my instagram @speakingof_books.

A special thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this digital ARC The Summer Place by Jennifer Weiner

I first start by saying I am a big fan Jennifer Weiner's and have read many of her books, so of course I screeched with joy when I was approved to read her newest book.

I will say though, I was worried about it being another book that is Pandemic drama (I've read quite a few already). However, if you are a JW fan you will enjoy The Summer Place. The complexity of families is at the heart of all of it across the generations. My only issue was the amount of infidelity - so be sure you know the trigger warnings. Overall another solid read by Jennifer Weiner

The Summer Place is a character driven pandemic drama that fans of Jennifer Weiner will enjoy. The complexity of families is at the heart of all of it across the generations. All the infidelity was hard for me to get passed because so much of it hit home.

I don't know why Jennifer Weiner is always marketed as a summer read. This book, while it has Summer in the title, is not a quick fluffy summer read.

This is a study in character development and it is flawless from that aspect. The plot gets a bit muddied about half way through, but overall this is an excellent read.

Sarah Danhauser is the anchor character of this novel, with everyone else's issues stirring like a cyclone around her.

Jennifer Weiner never disappoints. The perfect poolside/beachside/vacation read with classic chick lit vibes.

I have enjoyed many books by Jennifer Weiner in the past, but this one is an exception. Massive dense paragraphs stuffed with information is more tell than show and not my personal cup of tea. Conversation is so scant that it seems like you are constantly searching for what the reply followed. It can be back a way. The characters failed to engage me positively. The stories revolve around two families bound together by secrets. A cheating husband with multiple marriages in his history is the father of a young woman planning to wed the son of a woman who deceived him into providing money for an abortion for a pregnancy conceived before the deceit. She remembers him because he gave her a business card; he remembers sex with her so fondly he recreates it with his current wife who, unknowing believes he’s simply keeping up marital intimacy. The groom to be is the unaborted child that the father of the girl believes to be his son. The action takes place during Covid quarantining so everyone responds not only to their unbelievable dilemma but also to the tension from being in forced proximity. A complex story which may appeal to some.

Thoroughly enjoyable summer read about a family that gathers for a wedding. It seems as though everyone has a secret of some sort and when they come out, everyone is changed for ever. There is a cameo by one of the characters in Jennifer Weiner's last book. Fans of her work will love it.

Jennifer Weiner is consistently one of my favorite authors, since all the way back in her "Good in Bed" days. I think I have read every book she has ever written.

"The Summer Place" didn't really grab me though. I found some threads of it interesting but by and large I just didn't feel invested in the story or characters like I usually do.

I give this book a 3.5 but being that it is a Jennifer Weiner, I round it up to four. :)

This book surprised me in the best way! I loved The Summer Place. Stories about family, love, loss, and relationships. Set in the days/weeks/months when we thought we were beginning a 'return to normal' after pandemic lock downs The Summer Place was relatable on so many levels. As a stepmom, as someone who struggled with relationships during the lock down and post pandemic to the way we wished life would have been and trying to find peace with what is. This book was surprising, with the stories grasping my attention and leaving me unsure of what path each character would take, but sensing somehow it would work itself out. Highly recommend this new novel by Jennifer Weiner!

This was my first Jennifer Weiner book and it was good! I really enjoyed the ride she took her readers on. Her writing is really well done and descriptive. I felt like I was in the house on the Cape even though I’ve never been there.
The story was entertaining and definitely kept your interest but I didn’t really like any of the characters. I understand that they were all deeply flawed people like we all are but man did they all have to make the same mistake? I don’t want to say too much because I don’t want to give the story away.
This is a really good beach read about a family that has many secrets, that loves each other deeply but they have some seriously communication and honestly issues.