Initially, I was pulled into this book quickly but soon found that there was a lot going on in this book and I found it to be very far-fetched. The reader is introduced to a number of characters who we all learn are intertwined in some way. It was a bit drawn out and despite the title, it didn't scream summer to me.

Jennifer Weiner always slays the summer beach read which is why I'm always coming back for more. With her poignant plots and relatable characters this is a must read! In fact, I recommend all her books. I've been reading them for years and she hasn't disappointed one once!

Lots of family drama in this book. I found there were a lot of characters to keep track of, but they all intertwined somehow. Enjoyed the story, found it a little long and was looking forward to the end. How it was all going to play out.

Thanks to Netgalley for my free advance reader copy in exchange for my review.

Publish date: May 10, 2022

Honestly I love getting my hands on Jen Weiner's fiction ahead of publication because I know it will be a LOOONG wait for it to come to me in print! Her books are great because they reflect real-life and how real women operate in their lives. Her best one yet!

This was such a fun, juicy beach read! Sort of a family saga that culminates in a wedding weekend on Cape Cod. Lots of drama, laughs, and love.

Jennifer Weiner’s latest is a family drama about 3 generations of a family including grandmother Ronnie, her adult twin kids Sarah and Sam, Sarah’s step-daughter Ruby, and more - I think there were at least 7 characters who got at least a few POV chapters though I think Sarah had the most. And in addition to the family dynamics, each character has their own issues/problems/secrets.

Despite the title, this is not a particularly summery book - not because it is heavy (like Weiner’s last book, That Summer, which was considerably darker), but because it’s told over multiple seasons and only partially is set on Cape Cod over the summer - on the same stretch of beach as her last two books, but considerably less of a Cape Cod vibe. Interestingly, the book is also set in our current world, so Covid is referred to, but in a subtle and realistic way - not about people getting sick but more about how quarantine impacted the families, in a realistic and relatable way.

I don’t like to give spoilers in my reviews, so I will just say that there was one plot point in this book that really played out in a ridiculous way and felt contrived. And yet, I loved the writing and the characters and the whole vibe of the book.

I am a huge longtime fan of Weiner since her very first book, and have read all her adult novels and her memoir. So, this was one I eagerly anticipated and while it is not my most favorite of her books, I still loved it.

Jennifer Weirner is an author I was familiar with, hadn't read before. This is a touching story about an ordinary large, messy, complicated family. All of them have secrets, pasts, regrets, problems, hopes and dreams.
The setting is at the summer home on Cape Cod where many of these family members spent time and made memories. The house itself has its own personality and is integral to the plot, I just loved it! The house is near a pond that divides classes of residents surrounding the public beach areas, known as the 'Pond People'. Wealth, prejudices and opinions abound.
The chapters alternate between characters, lots of people to keep up with but, an easy read that flowed well. Would be an excellent vacation or beach read.
The Jewish family members are all coming together from as near as Brooklyn to as far away as LA for a wedding. Widowed Veronica (Ronnie) is preparing the house for Ruby's, her granddaughter, special day. Brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, cousins, husbands, fathers, wives, stepparents, lovers, both new and old, come together. They each have specific feelings and recollections of their own pasts at the summer house.
There are plenty of steamy romantic trysts, old lovers remembered, new love blossoms and the house's next generation will have choices to make that could alter the family's future summers.
I predict this will be a summer blockbusting best seller.
Many thanks to NetGalley, Jennifer Weirner and to Atria Books for the advance digital copy of "The Summer Place".
These are my honest personal thoughts and opinions given voluntarily.

Jennifer Warner newest book wasn't for me this time around. The chapters with so many different characters got lost on me, I really only cared about 2-3 of them. Once I started skimming through chapters, I knew I was overwhelmed. I love her books and her writing but I noticed the different point of views just get a bit confusing. Also the coincidences in the story were a bit unrealistic. It didn't scream summery like her other ones have. I will still read Jennifer's books in the future this one just wasn't for me.

Jennifer Weiner knocked it out of the park with this book. This is how family melodrama should be done - lots of secrets, grappling with the past, trying to figure out the right path forward. I loved every page!

The characters in this novel are emerging from the COVID pandemic, so if you're trying to avoid media that references the past few years, I would avoid this. While the pandemic itself isn't a huge focus, there are certain plot lines that did come about as a direct result of the lockdown. I personally enjoyed this approach as I found it interesting how Weiner captured the escalating tensions after being cooped up at home for over a year with our loved ones.

The plot spans multiple generations, and explores how one generation's choices, and secrets, have impacts down the line on their children and grandchildren. I felt like I was figuring things out in real time, right alongside the characters. It's not a mystery, more of a family drama, but the intrigue and hidden pasts definitely kept things interesting.

I sometimes have a hard time finishing books if the characters aren't likable. While the characters in this novel have very real flaws, and make a lot of mistakes, I found myself rooting for them and empathizing with the decisions they made. It felt very true to life. That being said, I would have LOVED to spend more time with Sam. He was hands-down my favorite character and I would happily consume a whole spin-off focused on him and his life!

If you're a fan of Jennifer Weiner's work, then you'll enjoy this book. It's a great summer read, yes, but it's also got more substance than your typical beach read. Definitely give it a shot!

The Summer Place by Jennifer Weiner is another book that takes place on Cape Cod. This book a bit more grown up from her last two books and it incorporates a few nods to her real life. I am a Jennifer fan and I do follow her on FB and Instagram.

Sarah Danhauser’s twenty-two-year-old stepdaughter, Ruby, moves home with her boyfriend during the pandemic and they eventually decide to marry. The wedding is going to take place on the Cape at Sarah’s mother’s beach home. The book has quite a few characters with lots of drama. Sarah’s husband, Eli, questions a past relationship. Sarah also meets up with a past boyfriend from the Cape. Ruby comes to question if she should get married and her birth mother comes back into the picture. Sarah’s twin brother has identity questions of his own and their mother has a serious medical condition in the book. In short, the family is pretty much a hot mess with lots of drama which is what a beach read is all about.

I appreciated that many of the main characters in the book are 40+ and the kids are realistic ages for parents of this age. I did feel some of the situations may be a little far fetched but hey we do not need to read about the reality of a pandemic or the world today. It is kind of nice to escape and enjoy someone else’s problems. This book makes you grateful that maybe your life is a little easier than this family.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy of The Summer Place by Jennifer Weiner. #NetGalley #TheSummerPlace #JenniferWeiner

This was my third Jennifer Weiner book, and I love her writing style. She conveys complex relationships so well and her writing is engaging. I liked the multiple points of view in this story and thought she created a juicy family drama with interesting dynamics, I enjoyed learning more about Jewish culture and traditions. I also thought that the elements of the pandemic were handled in relatable but not triggering way.

The plot fell short for me. I did find some elements of the story to be icky and wildly unrealistic. I genuinely couldn’t believe a father would keep a secret like that for so long knowing his daughter could be sleeping with her brother? That was very weird to me. Also, the uncle sleeping with her fiancé?? Also very weird, I think these elements took the story over the top and made it harder to buy.

3.75/5

Loved this, all the characters were enjoyable and understandable despite flaws and mistakes. The beach house settings and intertwining of family drama was well written and an enjoyable read from start to finish.

This is now officially my favorite Jennifer Weiner book!! This book had so much heart and was nearly impossible to put down. They say that certain books come to you when you need them. This was certainly true of The Summer Place. Set in both NYC and Cape Cod (my faves), the story took place during and toward the end of the COVID pandemic. What I took the most from it is that no matter how old or young we may be, we never stop questioning pieces of ourselves-who we are and where we come from. Some are certain of their life choices while others may long for the road not taken. There were incredible family dynamics woven throughout this novel and imperfect people who showed the capacity for deep love. Secrets and surprises abound and made me unable to turn the pages quickly enough. There were so many characters to get invested in and I feel this story belonged to them all. A family of three generations and those who become a part of their family in some way. There is even some magical realism in terms of the Cape Cod house having a mind of it's own. This book will be released on 5/10/22. I suggest you run to your nearest bookstore on that day! Thank you to @netgalley and @atriabooks for the ARC of this book. My opinions are solely my own. #netgalley #goodreads #thesummerplace #jenniferweiner #bookreviewer #bookstagrammer #booksandmrdarcy #withhernosestuckinabook

Jennifer Weiner’s new novel THE SUMMER PLACE, is the story of family—its worst, its best, its messiest. Busy mother, daughter, wife, and step-mom Sarah Danhauser, has no time for herself. A woman, like so many, who loves her family but has secretly dreamt of locking herself in the attic, a basement, or a closet just to get a little peace. Then she’s blind-sided when step-daughter Ruby announces her engagement to pandemic boyfriend Gabe, with the wedding scheduled at Susan’s family’s Cape Cod beach house in only three months. The story centers around wedding plans, but layer after layer unfolds as each character’s personal battles become plain to see. Grandmother Veronica faces life-changing news. Other characters are plagued by past indiscretions, affairs, and family lies, all of which make this book a page-turner, full of high drama and more than a few twists. Lots of sex, maybe too much, in my opinion, but I love the organization of the book with each chapter a new POV from one of the characters.

THE SUMMER PLACE is a tale of a less than perfect family but a true testimony to the power of sacrifice and forgiveness. It’s so much more than a beach read. Jennifer has written a tale of the sustaining power of home, of the comfort of all the people we choose to call family, and the hope that love steps up every time we fall.

Thank you to Atria books and Netgalley for the ARC.

Jennifer Weiner is one of my favorite authors and this book is my favorite of hers so far! Her characters are so easy to relate to. Every person in this family has their own secrets in this engaging story of skeletons in their closets. Once I got to know these characters, I couldn't put this book down. This was my first ARC from NetGalley and I enjoyed it so much. This is also my first book review I've written for them.

The Summer Place, by Jennifer Weiner

Put this on your summer reading list for an easy beach read.

Told through the lens of the various main characters (including the point of view of the house!), each chapter flows from the present to the past, helping us understand how they got to the place they find themselves. The plot twists are a bit extreme and far-fetched. I mean, even one of the "coincidences" would have been hard to. believe but the perfect storm of disruption reminded me of the soap operas I watched back in the day. That said, Weiner's writing is strong enough to hold it together and suspend belief enough to keep the pages turning. I found myself rooting for each of them, wanting them to make good choices, disappointed when they didn't, excited for the small victories.

The family is, for the most part, likable - ordinary decent people holding their family together the best they can. Supporting each other through tragedy and through celebrations. It's their secrets that end up causing the biggest conflicts and I kept hoping for a big family therapy session. Geesh some of the secrets were uncomfortable but certainly not the end of the world (though of course others were huge betrayals of trust). I loved the family matriarch (Ronnie, Veronica, Safta) but found her daughter (Sarah) who is presented as a sympathetic character, to be overprivileged and self-indulgent though she is somewhat redeemed by the end.

Weiner does a good job incorporating details that hold together the current realities of (post?) pandemic life.
I happened to have spent much of the pandemic in Park Slope and smiled at some of the familiar places like Prospect Park and customs (like the Buy Nothing Group that Eli joins) and the dog. At first, I found the details of this period of time annoying but so much has defined and shaped us over these two years and some of that is reflected in the annoying details of mask-wearing and the impact of quarantine. And certainly the lock-down brought to light bigger questions of life choices as we faced our mortality and examined our priorities.

As someone with a deep appreciation and respect for blended families, I wish that the focus on "step" was a little less prominent. Family is family and constantly pointing it out felt like maybe the stepkids aren't as integrated into their heart as the parents want to believe. Oh and does Connor's grandfather ever actually die?! Both Connor and Ruby have a parent who leaves them but the abandonment issues didn't really seem to be dealt with - how is/will the next generation be impacted because of the family secrets and dynamics?

But maybe the point of the book is that no family is perfect and learning how to live and love better is a constant process.


emotional funny hopeful lighthearted medium-paced
Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75 stars

So this is my first Jennifer Weiner book, and I really enjoyed it. the main character is Sarah, who is wedding planning for her stepdaughter during the pandemic. Sarah has been Ruby's stepmother since she was a child. Ruby's relationship with her boyfriend that she met during the pandemic Gabe, has moved very quickly because of Covid. They decide they want to get married on Cape Cod in only a few months at the home owned by Sarah's mother, Ronnie. Meanwhile, Ronnie plans to sell the family beach front home but has not told anybody as of yet. As wedding planning gets deeper and deeper, so much family drama is revealed. Sarah's husband, Eli, has been weird and distant from her. Sarah's old boyfriend reappears in her life, Ronnie revisits her past relationship and Sarah's twin brother, Sam, explores his sexuality after a tragic loss. There is a lot going on in this story and the end is shocking! You must read this to find out the rest.

The Levy-Feinberg family is coming out of the pandemic preparing for a wedding on Cape Cod, but each member of the family seems to have a secret they are waiting to deal with "after the wedding". This was a wonderful family saga, and it was told by alternating the focus of each chapter from one character to another. For once, this device didn't make the novel feel choppy - each character was fully fleshed out with their own problems and concerns, and I found myself eager to keep reading more. Although there were one or two twists that seemed a bit contrived (characters' lives intertwining in unexpected ways), I really enjoyed this novel and would highly recommend it.

In The Summer Place, Jennifer Weiner makes her triumphant return to "queen of the summer beach reads." Her last book, That Summer, though excellent, was much darker and serious in tone, due to the sexual assault and aftermath detailed in the novel. Here, Weiner acknowledges how the seriousness of the Covid-19 pandemic has made us long for lightest fare and she delivers in her latest installment.

Ronnie Levy-Weinberg loves her home on Cape Cod and only wishes that her family, her adult twins, Sam and Sarah and their children would visit her there more often. When her beloved step-granddaughter Ruby announces her intentions to get married to her "pandemic" boyfriend Gabe on Cape Cod, Ronnie is hopeful that Ruby's wedding will bring everyone in the family together one last time before she intends to sell her beloved home.

Meanwhile her children are struggling through their own personal issues. Her son Sam is coping with single fatherhood as he deals with the untimely death of his wife Julie. He's also startled to come to terms with new revelations about his sexual identity and is looking forward to further exploration on Cape Cod. His sister Sarah is insistent that her husband Eli is having an affair as he's been remote and distant from her since the pandemic began. When she runs into her first love, Owen, Sarah's feelings for this unresolved relationship re-ignite.

As everyone descends on Cape Cod for Ruby's wedding, including Ruby's estranged mother Annette, Eli's playboy brother Ari, and Gabe's quiet and secretive mother Rosa, secrets will be revealed and revelations will reverbate through all gathered. Life will never quite be the same.

Weiner creates a family drama with some twists worthy of a telenovela. Multiple narrators keep the plot moving and help draw us into the dysfunctional family circle. It's relatable and refreshing and its awesome to see Jennifer Weiner in her element.

*Also look for a cool cameo from a character from That Summer!

The Summer Place is the perfect Summer read! I was not expecting the depth of not one, but multiple characters. Each chapter focused on a different family member and their own personal struggles. What a lesson this book teaches....everyone is dealing with their own personal challenges. We are not all that different from each other. I throughly enjoyed every page!