A fun read - love how Weiner wrote about the pandemic and some of the emotional struggles we all experienced during the initial days of lockdown without either glossing over it or making it too traumatic. I enjoyed the large cast of characters, who came from all walks of life and generations.

Another great summer read from Jennifer Weiner. Set in NYC, Sarah is shocked when her 22 year old stepdaughter gets engaged shortly after the world is coming out of lockdown. This announcement causes Sarah to overanalyze her marriage, and question other family relationships. Sarah's mother was a best selling writer who also looks back at her life wondering if the choices she made were the best ones.

After reflecting on my 2022 reads thus far, I realized I was leaning heavy on the dark reads. I picked up THE SUMMER PLACE hoping for something fun and sudsy; what I got was a pile of loathsome people who chose to get married but couldn’t for the life of them stay faithful.

THE SUMMER PLACE is a multigenerational family drama that follows a messy family the last summer at the family’s beach house on Cape Cod. This all sounds lovely, but unfortunately this wasn’t the book for me.

I don’t mind infidelity as a plot point in a storyline, but I do mind when it is seemingly the only plot device in the author’s arsenal. Believe me when I say that everyone and their mother (literally) were choosing to stray in their marriage. It was a steamy read but it felt even more unsettling to me knowing that these romps were dishonest. Know yourself as a reader–this might land better with you than it did with me and that’s completely fine.

I started the book on audio and quickly switched to my kindle to get a better handle on the characters. There are way too many characters given POV chapters and I think the book would have benefited from focusing in on a few narrators. This became especially tricky to keep track of everyone on audio, although the narration by Sutton Foster was superb.

Weiner’s writing is solid but 432 pages of light plot and a plethora of implausibility felt excessive for a summer read. Other readers have enjoyed this one, but ultimately it just wasn't for me. My search for the fun and sudsy summer read continues!

RATING: 2.5/5 rounded up to 3 stars (would only recommend to certain readers)
PUB DATE: May 10, 2022

A big thank you to Simon audio and Atria books for advanced audio and electronic copies of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Review will be posted to www.instagram.com/kellyhook.readsbooks in advance of publication day

When her twenty-two-year-old stepdaughter announces her engagement to her pandemic boyfriend, Sarah Danhauser is shocked. But the wheels are in motion. Headstrong Ruby has already set a date (just three months away!) and spoken to her beloved safta, Sarah’s mother Veronica, about having the wedding at the family’s beach house in Cape Cod. Sarah might be worried, but Veronica is thrilled to be bringing the family together one last time before putting the big house on the market.

But the road to a wedding day usually comes with a few bumps. Ruby has always known exactly what she wants, but as the wedding date approaches, she finds herself grappling with the wounds left by the mother who walked out when she was a baby. Veronica ends up facing unexpected news, thanks to her meddling sister, and must revisit the choices she made long ago, when she was a bestselling novelist with a different life. Sarah’s twin brother, Sam, is recovering from a terrible loss, and confronting big questions about who he is—questions he hopes to resolve during his stay on the Cape. Sarah’s husband, Eli, who’s been inexplicably distant during the pandemic, confronts the consequences of a long ago lapse from his typical good-guy behavior. And Sarah, frustrated by her husband, concerned about her stepdaughter, and worn out by challenges of life during quarantine, faces the alluring reappearance of someone from her past and a life that could have been.

When the wedding day arrives, lovers are revealed as their true selves, misunderstandings take on a life of their own, and secrets come to light. There are confrontations and revelations that will touch each member of the extended family, ensuring that nothing will ever be the same.



My Thoughts:

The Summer Place is the centerpiece of this captivating family story that carries the reader along as we get to know each of the characters. There are so many layers with them all, and we gradually come to love them, not wanting to say goodbye to any of them.

The Pandemic is also a big part of this story that goes beyond its Cape Cod setting, resonating with those of us who are still feeling the sweep of it.

I felt a connection to each of the characters, but my favorite was probably Sarah. She felt like someone I could enjoy as a friend or even a daughter.

I loved how the author brought us into the whole family with all of their quirks and issues, and how we could root for each of them, from Veronica the matriarch to the younger members of the family, like Sam’s stepson Connor.

When I finally set the book down, I wanted to start over with it again! Definitely a five-star read.

My e-ARC came from the publisher via NetGalley.

This is the second book I’ve read by Jennifer Weiner. She is an excellent author and has a strong following. Unfortunately, this book is not for me.

The formatting of this book is cumbersome with the spokesperson for each chapter being another of the characters. They may all speak about the same events, or not. The time frame isn’t always linear, and it is hard to keep track of what happened to who and when. I would have preferred a single spokesperson throughout the book, using a calendar-related timeframe.

Secondly, I’m not a prude, but this book is filled with a large amount of extremely explicit sexual acts, including male on male. This ruined the book for me. A warning in the description of the book regarding the latter would have been appreciated.

I did like the characters for the most part, but I never became emotionally invested in any of them. The storyline seemed to drag on.

I did appreciate the way that the family came to appreciate the Summer House and decided to accept it part of their future, thus forming a more cohesive and loving family unit.

If you don’t mind much infidelity and in-depth sexual activity, this book may work well for you. I would have preferred a cleaner side to the romantic portions.

I would certainly consider reading another of Jennifer’s books, but I would investigate the nature of the book prior to choosing it.

I received this advanced reader’s copy for free from Author Jennifer Weiner, Simon and Schuster Inc. Publishing, and NetGalley. This is a voluntary review, and all comments and opinions are entirely my own.

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.