This is a perfectly satisfying summer read and even reading it in February did nothing to detract from that aspect of it. Weiner tackles a COVID year and some of the impact it had on one family. Some of what she came up with for her characters was very astute and struck me as very true to reality for many folks. The story has so many twists and turns that you wouldn't be surprised to end up in the same place you started. I found some of them a little ludicrous and forced, but it's a summer read, so that's perhaps expected. With the requisite happy ending, readers will be quite satisfied with this book.

I would like to thank Atria Books for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of The Summer Place.

I think this might be my favorite of Jennifer Wiener’s books. I think that the characters were developed so well in this book. And I love the drama of the different family dynamics with some mystery weaved throughout the book. I also love that it wasn’t predictable, and really took you down a path. A perfect summer read!

Thank you to Atria Books and Netgalley for an ARC of this book. I was so pleased to have early access to this title!

An enjoyable and engaging read, with many secrets, and surprising twists and turns. The setting is a purely wonderful escape, and prompted me to begin summer holiday planning. The characters were likeable and sympathetic. Complex social issues are broached but in a manner that compelled me to read on. Will be an excellent summer read for many.

#NetGalley #AtriaBooks

I have so much love for this book! As the third in a series of somewhat connecting books, this is by far my favorite. When Sarah's 22 year-old stepdaughter announces her engagement to her pandemic boyfriend, Sarah is more than shocked. But her step-daughter already has all the wheels in motion and will be getting married at Sarah's family home on the Cape. Told from the point of view of Ruby, the stepdaughter, Eli, Sarah's husband who has essentially all but shut down, Sarah's, twin brother who is struggling with his own issues and Sarah's mother who has some secrets of her own this story will have you flipping pages. Its early in the year but I wouldn't be surprised if this ends up being a favorite for the year!

Thank you to Atria Books and Netgalley for an ARC of this book which I voluntarily read and reviewed. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Jennifer Weiner is one of my very favorite authors, one whose books I’ve been devouring for over ten years. THE SUMMER PLACE was no different.

The novel follows eight(!) different characters as they work their way towards the wedding of Ruby and Gabe at the family home (one of the characters, in a dash of magical realism!) in Cape Cod. And that’s putting it simply. Sarah is feeling a strain in her previously happy and healthy marriage to Eli, Ruby’s father, who’s been acting strangely since the family was all quarantined together. Sarah’s brother, Sam, has spent his life trying to find a piece of himself that seems to have always been missing, and their mother, Ronnie, a famous author in the eighties has some life-altering secrets of her own. Ruby’s mother left her when she was a baby to be raised by her father which has led her to be decisive about the decisions she makes in her life, including her marriage to a Gabe who was also raised by a single parent, but never knew his father.

These storylines are so tangled and expertly weaved that, despite how many points of view you’re getting, it was easily readable and puzzled together (think that Charlie Day meme with pieces of yarn criss-crossing from picture to picture, but in a non confused way) that readers will be able to immerse themselves in the story of this multigenerational family and the situations they’re in.

And though the characters often made choices I wouldn’t ever make in my own life, their actions result in a story that is both relatable to many and intensely thought-provoking. As I have for the past ten-plus years, I’ll be patiently looking forward to more from Jennifer Weiner in the future.

An interesting twist on how family dynamics can be intertwined in strange and complicated ways. It was kind of predictable at times.

Thank you, NetGalley and Atria Books, for the advanced reader's copy in exchange for my honest opinion.
Jennifer Weiner returns with a multi-generational family saga set largely on Cape Cod. In the exposition, Weiner takes time to develop each character and allude to his or her secrets. As the novel unfolds, we see how their decisions affect one another and the ways in which their lives intertwine. Jennifer Weiner's prose are beautiful, and her descriptions are vivid. The novel's pacing is somewhat uneven, but the plot is heartfelt and highly engaging. It wouldn't be summer without a Jennifer Weiner novel, and The Summer Place does not disappoint.

So many twists and turns and awkward situations, another Jennifer Weiner classic! I loved the intertwined stories and family dynamics, but I hadn’t read a novel yet that included the pandemic in the storyline, and I’m not sure I enjoyed that part of it.
If you like her other books like I do, you won’t be disappointed.

Story of several generations with a focus on a summer house on the cape. Lots of characters, told from numerous perspectives. The main character is Ronnie, the grandmother/matriarch, who once published several books but then stopped writing. The other main characters is Sarah, Ronnie's daughter, and stepmother to Ruby/mother of twins. During the pandemic, Sarah senses something is wrong her her marriage while Ruby has announced she is getting married at 22. Chaos, of course.

I loved it b/c I like this kind of book.

Wow, I really loved this book! It was the perfect beach read (took it to Hawaii with me) and full of some twists that I didn't see coming. I'm typically not a Jennifer Weiner fan but this one changed my mind and I'll be checking out more of her books in the future! Thank you Netgalley!

I have read all of Jennifer Weiner’s novels and she is one of my favorites. All of her books feature people who are so familiar and relatable, and you feel like they are friends or neighbors. This book features complicated characters and backstories, including the Cape Cod house that is itself a main character. Definitely recommended.

Sarah Danhouser's 22 year old step-daughter comes home and announces her engagement to her boyfriend who she has not known for very long.. The book was told in many POV, with the possibility of Sarah's husband also being the father of his daughter's fiancée from a one night stand from 20+ years back.

Unfortunately, this book just did not do it for me. I felt that there were too many personal political references as well as "defund the police" comments. I understand that everyone is entitled to their opinion, but as the wife of a police officer, I was upset to see that by one of my favorite authors.

I think there should be somewhat of a disclaimer that this book has some very graphic sexual scenes. I am a big fan of Jennifer Weiner’s books but this wasn’t at the top of my list compared to her previous stories that had such depth. I did enjoy learning about each character’s backstory and how they ended up where they were when the story started. I was also invested enough to keep reading until the end!

I can't give this book a fair review or rating. It's got so much of the author's personal stuff intertwined that it would be too much like rating her or saying bad stuff about her and I will never be that person. Let's just say I thought it was very over the top and had a hard time with it and leave it at that.

Such a lovely story of family. Sarah's step daughter Ruby is engaged and wants a quick summer wedding at the family beach house. This kickstarts some backstory on Sarah, her husband Eli, Sarah's mother Ronnie, Ruby's betrothed and Sarah's Sam.

It was a well weaved nostalgic story but well grounded in today's post covid world with great diverse representation. This book made me want to sigh out loud in contentment when I finished. It is hopeful.

Thank you NetGalley for the advanced eBook, The Summer Place by Jennifer Weiner. This was your typical Jennifer Weiner book. It was a fast, easy, enjoyable read. Predictable characters with a few twists that gave interest to the story. The main characters each had a struggle to work through and each struggle piggy backed off each other. I would definitely recommend it.

I was so excited to read and review this book from Jennifer Weiner as she is one of my absolute favorite authors! Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity. This book takes place on the Cape which is just a magical place and makes you want to be there right now. This is such a fantastic story! I LOVED it and was unable to put it down until the very end. So good! You will not be disappointed with this!

Jennifer Weiner never fails to provide well defined, easy to love characters, and The Summer Place has that and a lot more. She weaves together a number of stories, connected in unexpected ways, and shows the reader what comes from family connections and love. She also sheds light on how secrets can harm those who keep them and those who learns them later. As with all her books, The Summer Place was a fun, easy read, that went by way too fast. Love how she weaved a bit of Big Summer into this book, as well.

I got a little lost with one of the story lines, but by the end, all my questions were answered and I no longer felt like I had lost the thread. Maybe it was left a little frayed until the end, or perhaps I truly missed something along the way, but I liked how things tied together, and it was not a fairytale ending for all, which made the story seem more real than fantasy.

Highly enjoyable book, which I highly recommend.

3.5/5 I'm rounding up because I think Jennifer Weiner is an excellent writer, but this is my least favorite book of hers I've read so far. For starters, there were WAY too many POVs- something like 7-8. 3 is usually my max and then I find it hard to follow. Plus, it makes it hard to care about any of the characters when they are all treated as a sorta protagonist. This book also relied heavily on strange coincidences that didn't seem even remotely realistic. For example, recognizing someone as the son of someone you knew briefly over 2 decades ago? If one of my coworker's children walked into the office, I'm not entirely sure that I'd be able to guess who they belonged to so I certainly don't believe that.

Overall, I would have enjoyed this much more if we'd been able to focus just on one or two of these characters.

Jennifer Weiner is one of my favorite authors and The Sunmer Place is another outstanding book. It is another of her books that largely takes place in the summer in Cape Cod. The characters are so well written that it’s hard to believe they are not real. They all have flaws and problems but also there is something to love about each one of them. The story loosely revolves around a planned summer wedding, but centers on three generations of women and the relationships they have. I loved the way the storyline moved rhythmically from one character to another, which really kept the pages turning. If you like Jennifer Weiner, you won’t be disappointed in this book. It is another summer hit. Thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy.