This is the second book I've read this year that manages to incorporate elements of the pandemic years without making it the main focus of the book and that is a good thing. This excellent family saga is a reminder that families and life are messy and complicated and full of sacrifices, especially the relationships between mothers and daughters. Being "stuck" together during the pandemic may have magnified some of those issues (we all have "orthopedic flip flops" in our lives), but we're all coming out on the other side in one way or another.

2.5 stars // Not a huge fan of this, but overall it hovers between okay and good. This is third in the “summer” collection and although some characters overlap (I do like that touch!), you don’t need to read them in a specific order to understand them. Each novel can stand alone.

Lots of family drama, secrets, and misunderstandings. Too much to be even a little realistic. I spent most of the time thinking that it’s just too much or being anxious that someone would find something out. Cut the drama in half and it would have been better.

I liked the theme of the house caring for its occupants and liked the way things wrapped up. My favorite of this collection by FAR is Big Summer. I recommend it more than I would this one!!

Fun, fast read about 3 generations intertwining relationships. I most enjoyed the family relationships. I loved how things from the characters past haunted them and yet by the end did not define them and even helped them see their future in a new light. Some of the overlapping relationhips were fairly hard to believe. But the afterward states the author was thinking of midsummer's nights eve when she wrote this so that make more sense. I did wish there was a little more of the "house" in the book as that character in the end was so important. Loved the grandmother. Really all the characters grew and shared so much of their inner lives. It helps you understand how what you see of people's actions can hide so much confusion and depth in their own hearts. (less)

I am a big fan of Jennifer Warner and this new beach read is filled with family secrets, mysteries and drama which did not disappoint. Once again I was drawn in immediately and couldn't put the book down until the end.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC

This is a fun family drama from Jennifer Weiner (author of Big Summer). It follows a family as they plan a quick wedding for their 22 year old daughter and her boyfriend. It flips between the point of view of 8 different family members and you learn all the secrets of their past and how they connect to each other.

This one has themes about relationships during the pandemic, including strains on a marital relationship from being together 24/7, new couples moving faster than normal due to quarantines, and navigating dating apps. I took a poll in my stories about whether you enjoyed reading about the COVID-19 pandemic and 90% (!) of you said you didn’t. But I actually found this refreshing. I felt seen

My issue with this one was that it was predictable. Wild coincidences happened throughout the whole novel that were so improbable that it felt ridiculous they were happening. It felt like a plot device that was too heavy handed. It almost felt like the movie Valentine’s Day.

And I found myself not quite connecting to the characters. Not sure if this is because there were so many points of view but I wasn’t invested or super excited to pick this up.

Overall, I enjoyed and would recommend if you like women’s fiction and family dramas.

I appreciate Jennifer Weiner's writing style and there were several characters who I could have potentially connected with. I'm still reading fiction to escape from the turmoil of the pandemic, so this book wasn't a favorite for me since it is set in the current pandemic phase of our lives.

I haven’t read a Jennifer Weiner book in quite awhile, but was gifted a copy of The Summer Place from NetGalley right before my Spring Break trip to the beach, Given that this is a “beach read”, I figured it was a perfect fit. This book is a little outside my usual romance genre, more of a chic-lit read, but I really enjoyed it. It is a character heavy and drama filled read, but I loved how all of the lives intertwined in the end. The parts that resonated with me most were about the struggles of mothers in the Covid world. It is well worth added The Summer Place to your summer reading list.

I love Jennifer Weiner so I was really excited to get this ARC. The book spans a few generations mainly between New York and Cape Cod. The family it follows has a lot going on, a lot of behind the scenes drama, and at times I was a little confused about who was who but it all came together in the end for me.
We have matriarch and successful author, Ronnie. Eli and his wife Sarah. Their three kids including Ruby, who is set to marry Gabe, her pandemic boyfriend. Then there’s Sam, Sarah’s twin and his wife Julia and her son Connor. The book also goes back and forth in time seeing how each couple got together, earlier affairs and so forth. Though it’s a lot to follow and cover I did enjoy the book. There were parts that were better paced than others and some of the drama was a bit coincidental but in the end the story touched me and I felt close to the family. This was a little different for Weiner but I think the more I think about it the more I’ll appreciate it.

This book blew me away! I was unable to but it down. Perfect, dazzlingly, very well written. The details the author described throughout the book was so amazing. The characters and storyline were fantastic. The ending I did not see coming Truly Amazing and appreciated the whole story. This is going to be a must read for many many readers. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! No spoilers. Beyond amazing I enjoyed this book so very much. The characters and storyline were fantastic. The ending I did not see coming Could not put down nor did I want to. Truly Amazing and appreciated the whole story. This is going to be a must read for many many readers. Maybe even a book club pick.

The Summer Place is the story of a family of flawed characters, and how they come together in the Cape Cod house to "celebrate" Ruby and Gabe's wedding. Each chapter is told by a different character in the story, and each one helps explain current and previous emotions and behaviors. So, that's a plus - this book is well written.

Every character in the book has some kind of secret, and it's difficult to spend so much time reading about the separate and collective hurts and conflicts. Somehow, I found all of these people to be off-putting. I was just kind of disgusted by the end of the book.

Thanks for NetGalley for allowing me to read and review The Summer Place.

I’ve had the privilege of reading several of Weiner’s books. Thank you NetGalley. Her writing is fluid which encourages the reader to read and read and read! At some point in this book. I thought there were way too many coincidences, but, as usual, Weiner ties them all together. At the end, it all tied together. I really enjoyed it.

Jennifer Weiner delivers another good beach read. After isolating together with her family Ruby and her boyfriend Gabe decide to get married. The wedding is a great opportunity for the family to get together for a last hurrah before The sale of the grandmother’s home on Cape Cod. Meanwhile Ruby’s stepmother and father have become disconnected. The story will unfold, secrets will be revealed.
I enjoyed this book but had to suspend belief about a couple of the plot premises.
Thanks to NetGalley for an advanced reading copy.

Jennifer Weiner!!! The Summer Place is Jennifer Weiner's best work yet! I have been a huge of Jennifer Weiner's since meeting Cannie Shapiro in Good in Bed! But The Summer Place has everything! Weiner's comical undertone, a little mystery, and good family-centered stories to make you have allll the feels as you read along. This one really had me! There are parts that made me laugh, reminisce, intrigue, and cry harder than I have in a while over a story line.
Ruby is getting married! No one thought a wedding would happen so soon out of quarantine but as the world is now, of course it makes no sense! But as the world starts to move one, so does Ruby and Gabe. Sarah is most excited Ruby chose the Cape to finalize her vows. After a rough start at step-motherhood, Ruby honoring her family at the Cape makes her feel loved and excited. And that's where the story starts. Everyone has choices in life. Its what we do with those choices that determine how our life is shaped. Weiner introduces you to a family and slowly over time let their personal struggles and choices reveal themselves. Sarah and Eli have been married for what feels like forever. Eli and Sarah met when Ruby was young and made a go of it. Adding two more boys to the mix, they lived happy ever-after. Until their choices started haunting them from their past. The same with Sam, Sarah's twin and her mom, Ronnie. Is there ever a choice we make that doesn't hurt someone, even ourselves?
I will definitely be recommending The Summer Place to all my book-loving friends! And I will always be looking out for Jennifer Weiner's work! She just does not disappoint!! Special thanks to NetGalley, Jennifer Weiner, and Atria Books for the advanced Digital Copy in exchange for my honest opinion! 5 HUGE HUGE stars for me!

I love a multi-generational drama filled with flawed and messy characters, secrets, miscommunication, and surprises. Jennifer Weiner has the gift of writing characters that feel so real that I feel like I know them and I wish I could offer them some advice.

The story alternates POVs between: Sarah (wife of Eli, stepmom of Ruby), Eli and his daughter Ruby, Annette (Ruby’s mom), Sam (twin brother of Sarah); Veronica (mother of Sarah and Sam); and Rosa (her son Gabe is Ruby’s boyfriend).

Even though it’s a fairly big cast of characters, each of the stories are unique and captivating and they all intertwine and impact each other.

The story takes place during the pandemic – some of the characters have been forced to live together and others have been unable to see each other much because of Covid restrictions. All readers will be able to relate to the irritations once experiences when you never have a break from your family members.

The setting is mostly in Veronica’s summer beach house in Cape Cod. The best way I can describe this book is to say it’s like the Jewish version of The Paper Palace which is also a multi-generational family drama set in Cape Cod. I loved the Jewish elements woven into this story.

If I have one complaint with this book, I would say that some of the plot points seem like pretty unbelievable coincidences or circumstances but they also provide the best surprises.

This story has a lot of heart and really made me think about family bonds, traditions and the ties that bind.

Thank you to Atria Books, Simon and Schuster and Net Galley for the e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Ruby is getting married to her pandemic boyfriend and her close friends and family are all getting ready to converge at the family home in Cape Cod. Little do they all know how many secrets will be uncovered before and during their time together.

Jennifer Weiner is a go to author for me. When I see one of her books I instantly grab it and read it right away. Her latest does not disappoint! Written in her usual different POV style, I was hooked from the very first page and loved the unraveling and development of each and every character. Make sure you pick this one up when it comes out this May!

This summer’s beach essential novel is about the Levy-Weinberg family who endure living together during the pandemic year. When restrictions are lifted and the adult children move out of the ‘safe bubble’ of COVID living, an announcement of an impending wedding tips the scales on a tense family situation and drama ensues. Weiner writes about “a man making sense of his sexuality, a husband confronted by an old mistake, and a wife tempted by an old love!” It’s a minefield to be tiptoed carefully through and a Pandora's box of secrets to be unleashed slowly.

Weiner explores how the seemingly never-ending quarantine revealed the cracks in relationships. To do this, she’s highlighted each member of the extended family, giving them a voice, and allowed readers a seat at the table to see the secrets each one is hiding. Weiner begins with the house being put on the market and then piece by piece, chapter by chapter, reveals the memories the house has held. The writing in the prologue is spectacular!

“The molecules of her walls vibrated with the echoes of every conversation ever held in her rooms; the ceilings and the floors and the dirt below hold the resonances of all she’s seen.”

I can see why so many readers are attracted to Weiner’s novels. She’s frank and she understands how people act, react and respond to major life events. She writes to include a little of all of us and her insight keeps us coming back for more.

I was gifted this advance copy by Jennifer Weiner, Atria Books and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.

The Summer Place is a warm comedy of errors a la Noel Coward. Mismatched couples all head to a family wedding on Cape Cod where they figure out where their hearts belong. Bittersweet mom moments, especially in the context of the death of the author’s own mother during the writing of the book. Ms Weiner is the thinking person’s beach read- great characters, humor, and interesting plots are always guaranteed. Another winner!
Thanks Netgalley for the ARC.

The Summer Place is full of family drama, good people making not so good decisions and well developed characters surrounding an upcoming summer wedding on Cape Cod. Jennifer Weiner's novel was engaging and I was quickly swept up in the imperfections of family dynamics. Though, the final affair seemed a bit unrealistic. However, I enjoyed getting to know the relatable characters and being transported into another families secrets, gossip and steamy relationships.

Thank you NetGalley & Jennifer Weiner for the free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

I really loved this book so much. It's full of family drama and although it felt odd to read about Covid, I felt like she handled that storyline perfectly. She gave us hope of coming out of this pandemic and being reunited with our loved ones, no matter the drama. Her characters came to life for me and their storylines were incredible. I was going crazy trying to figure out how she was going tie up the storyline, but it all came together. As someone who has never been to the Cape, I now need to add it to my list.

I'm always going to read Jennifer Weiner, especially in the summer. This book was enjoyable but far from my fave by this author. I enjoyed all of the characters but their relationships were all too far fetched.