“Karma might not always be fast, but that bitch was always on time.”

“Staying married, she’d decided, was a choice; one that had less to do with love and more with forbearance.”

The Cape is my absolute favorite place to be in the summer and I am not even sure what I would do if I didn’t have a new Cape inspired Jennifer Weiner book to kick off the season with. Full disclosure though, I started this book in May. MAY. And I was so ready for a light beach read set on the Cape! But this one was heavy with a lot of moving parts and I just wasn’t in the mood for a book like that. #MoodyReader Now it’s July and I’ve picked it back up and finished in a day.

This was a complex familial story of cheating, betrayal, and owning up to your past transgressions. If there was ever a place special enough where a house could feel things and could know that it belonged to a family, though, it is in Cape Cod. I loved that little touch! But the story felt a bit disjointed at times. Some of the plot points were slightly ridiculous in how they came together and just way too coincidental to even be believable.

Thank you to Netgalley, Atria Books, Simon & Schuster, and the author for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely loved the author's previous book, Big Summer (5 Stars), but The Summer Place was a completely different feel of a book. This was not the beach summer story I expected. I did find it funny that the story was centered around the step-daughter marrying her "pandemic boyfriend, I married my pandemic boyfriend. Which brings me to why I thought this story was odd. There was a lot going on and I could not connect or relate to the characters, but if you suspect that your daughter might be dating her half sibling WHY do you not say a thing? What kind of Jerry Springer was that? There is nooooooo way the thought of your wife knowing you had an affair over two decades ago compromise the well-being of your daughter. I don't know, that was just a big turn off for me.

I liked this more than I expected to. The characters were well drawn, but there were a few too many of them and that unnecessarily complicated the story. The plot was fine, this story could have been told in 100 less pages. I love all of the Cape Cod descriptions.

A family comes together at their Cape Cod house to host and celebrate a wedding. Each member of the family is carrying something that will complicate their time together. A mother who walked out, a marriage ending, a diagnosis. While the descriptions of the Cape are true, the rest of the story feels a bit forced and formulaic. I did not feel that it was one of the authors best works.

Jennifer Weiner wowed me again with another family drama. In her latest creation, a wedding is in the works for Ruby on the shores of Cape Cod, bringing her family together for this special day. What is a joyous wedding if it doesn’t create tension, raise questions, and reveal past and present family secrets?

Weiner made me feel like I was vacationing in a small town on Cape Cod. I could hear the ocean waves, feel the mist of the sea air, and smell the hydrangea bushes in full bloom. Using her ideal backdrop, Weiner plopped me in the middle of a unique family drama. Secret pasts, blended families, and new discoveries keep this story floating without a cloud in the sky. The Summer Place is told from multiple points of view, including one “unusual” voice that ties all of the individual storylines together. I am a massive fan of Weiner’s beautiful and messy characters, the themes she is always willing to explore, and her love for a good old fashion summer on the Cape!

Thank you for this summer treat. The house reminded me so much of my family summer home growing up where the real world has no place and true colors come out.

Back in 2020, I read Big Summer by Jennifer Weiner and I remember that it was body positive and had a little romance and mystery, but for some reason it just didn’t do much for me. I have since wanted to try more of her books so I was excited to read her newest book, The Summer Place. I am happy to report that I loved this one!

The Summer Place is the epitome of contemporary family drama. It follows the family and extended family of Sarah Weinberg-Danhausser. Each family member is dealing with their own issues and secrets, especially in the aftermath of the Covid pandemic and lockdown. This is a classic example of a family drama where many of the characters make some very questionable decisions and mistakes, but there is also hope, forgiveness, and love embedded in their stories. Despite not agreeing with some of the things the characters did, I loved the family dynamics, the Cape Cod setting, and the journey each member of the family took to bring everyone together.

While the cover is so pretty and colorful, this is by no means a light read. While it is lengthy (around 400 pages) it read very quickly and easily for me, especially with the audiobook, and I think it would make a great beach read if you want something a little more substantial. I’m so glad I picked up another Jennifer Weiner book and I definitely plan to read more!

Thank you so much @atriabooks and @netgalley for the gifted copies!

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC of an author I have enjoyed in the past. Unfortunately this book was not a hit for me. I got about half way through and it was a do not finish. Just did not draw me in with interest of the characters or story line.

Classic Jennifer Weiner. If you are looking for a fun summer read, this is the book for you!
I was a little nervous about the book taking place during the pandemic, as we are still living through it, but I really enjoyed the multiple storylines. Weiner is so good at character development, as well.
Really enjoyed!

Discussed on episode 153 of the Book Cougars podcast.
https://www.bookcougars.com/blog-1/2022/episode153

I'm finding my enjoyment of Jennifer Weiner to be fading with each new release. After Mrs. Everything, I have not enjoyed her latest work. I'm sadden by this, as I have loved her previous work, but I think I'm done.

I received an advance copy. All thoughts are my own.

Another fun quick beach read from Weiner. Loved all the characters, the Cape Cod setting, the many unexpected plot twists, and how each chapter featured a different character. Once you start this you’ll be so engrossed.

The Summer Place by Jennifer Weiner is an amazing story. Weiner has done it again with a great story that you can't wait to finish just to see how it ends. Great book. Highly recommend.

I am a HUGE fan of Jennifer Weiner's books and storylines. Not only do they make for the perfect summer reading, but they hold my attention from start to finish. This book is no exception. I highly recommend it for those who want to "getaway" into a great story. This book, along with Weiner's others, can often be read in a sitting or two. Clear your schedules, this is a summer must-read.

Jennifer Weiner is back with another quintessential beach read in her Cape Cod/"Summer" series, and I am not mad about it!

First things first, this might be the only book I've read in which COVID features prominently that didn't completely and immediately turn me off (I read to escape, people!). I'm not sure how well it will age, but the premise of bringing a family together for the first time in years for a pandemic relationship wedding really worked for me. Other things that worked for me that don't always: the multitude of POV characters and the twists that were waaaay too coincidental but delicious enough that I was willing to overlook their improbability.

I don't say any of the above as a knock on the book--more as a testament to how compelling a writer Weiner is that she can pull off anything and I will always be 100% along for the ride with her. I flew through this one over the 4th of July weekend (appropriate, considering the aforementioned wedding takes place over the 4th), and would recommend it to anyone who is a fan of her previous work.

4.5 out of 5 stars. Jennifer Weiner has done it again with a fun, engaging summer novel! One of my fav Jennifer Weiner books!

I really enjoyed this book and it was a summer read! Jennifer Weiner is able to develop complex characters who feel real and weaves an engaging story that keeps you flipping page after page!

Thank you to Jennifer Weiner, Atria Books, and Netgalley for providing me with an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

#NetGalley #TheSummerPlace

Meh. What can I say? A fine summer read that left a lot to be desired. I couldn’t connect with the characters. They were lacking depth so this read as a gloss over. I don’t understand why affairs are a plot point now, but it doesn’t sit right with me. The writing was flat and I just couldn’t get into the story.

Initial thoughts:
It was an odd story to be reading set during COVID.
I liked Big Summer better.
So much dysfunctional family dynamics was entertaining but some a bit far fetched.
The emotion per usual was spot on for Jennifer Weiner.

The Summer Place
⭐️⭐️⭐️.75 (Rounding to 4 ⭐️)
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Format: Kindle eBook
Date Published: 5/10/22
Author: Jennifer Weiner
Publisher: Atria Books
Pages: 432
Goodreads Rating: 3.72

I requested a digital advanced readers copy from NetGalley and Atria Books and providing my opinion voluntarily and unbiased.

Synopsis: When her twenty-two-year-old stepdaughter announces her engagement to her pandemic boyfriend, Sarah Danhauser is shocked. Sarah might be worried, but Veronica, Ruby’s Mother, is thrilled to be bringing the family together one last time before putting the big house on the market. 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. 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: This book is a slower read and little bit long. This would not be a light beach read, it is an emotional, secret filled story that takes time to digest. The story is told from the POV of multiple characters, I believe that is necessary to fill in the backstory of all the characters, how they got to this point. I do love that it mentioned and walks through COVID and the quarantine, just as we did. The story has a dysfunctional family with hidden secrets in the aspects of the character lives, some decades ago, all come to rear their ugly head in this contemporary romance. The characters are well developed with depth, charisma, they are creative, dysfunctional, and emotional. The dysfunctional character relationships were likely due to miscommunication. I disliked most of the characters, I did love Sam. It is likely that the author’s intent was a dislike of the characters and their dysfunction. The author’s writing is extremely complex, with layers of complexity, inventive, shows a scandalous side, and just worked for this story. I liked Weiner’s style, while this is my first book from her, I have already added some of backlog books to my TBR. This book is already out and I highly suggest that you grab it!

This was entertaining enough as a beach read, but the plot veered too much into soap opera territory for me. I would've liked to have seen more of the house as a character element. As a whole, the plot was just too implausible.

Not her usual read all night because you can't put it down. Many characters and it takes awhile whether you decide if you like them or not and by the end it is still questionable. I was provided with an advanced reader copy so hopefully the references to Eli's profession has been resolved. He is noted to be a dentist a period on tier and an endodontist. Granted you must be a dentist to be the other two but they are not the same. I was also surprised there is no reference to LBG community in the jacket cover. I believe some would want to know. There was way more detail of gay behavior than I wanted to know and I suspect others may feel the same regardless of the author's popularity.
Overall a good read but sometimes bogged down with more detail than necessary. Thanks to the author published and NetGalley for the advanced reader copy. I was under no obligation to provide a review.