This was a fun soapy drama set on Cape Cod and based on a family planning a wedding at the family’s beach house. I really enjoyed the audio version of this one because the writing was very conversational - and at times felt a bit rambling if I was just reading along - but if I was listening to it, it just felt like I was listening to a friend tell me about her complicated family drama. This book was chock full of DRAMA with a capital D, which made it very compelling and an entertaining beach read. At times, some of the situations felt a bit TOO unrealistic and coincidental; however, if you can suspend disbelief and lean into the absurdity of some of the situations, you’ll definitely be entertained. I know I was!

special thanks to NetGalley for the complimentary copy!

I have enjoyed every words that Jennifer Weiner had written, but The Summer Place is in a class by itself! This was hands down my favorite of her novels!

I loved this multigenerational saga set in a Cape Cod Beach house. It echoes the fun, splashy novels similar to those matriarch Ronnie once penned. It's also the first novel I've read that address the stress of the pandemic and quarantine, the tolls it took on marriages and sense of self. How it accelerated some relationships and caused others to crack. Weiner handles it deftly all while weaving in such diverse and multilayered characters. There is nothing like a destination wedding for family drama and there is plenty.

I could not put it down, but also didn't want it to end. I would welcome future novels of Sam, Sarah, Gabe, Ruby and Eli- some of the most well drawn memorable characters yet from Jennifer Weiner!

This is the absolute perfect summer novel!

The family complications and secrets in this novel kept me hooked. What would happen when all the dirty laundry was aired? Weiner is such a great author who truly gets better with age. The struggles of her characters and the growth of then always shines through.

4 stars.*

I'm embarrassed about how long this one sat in my TBR. I adore Jennifer Weiner and generally I pop anything I have by her to the very top of my list. Somehow this one sunk way to the bottom and I forgot about it until I saw it FOR SALE at my local bookstore!

It was a joy to read as a "beach read" and it is classic, exactly what you expect from her.

The Summer Place is the story of a summer home, purchased by a. successful novelist/screenplay writer as a summer getaway for her family. It is also her story, the story of her daughter and son...and ultimately, the story of their children.

Add to your summer TBR friends. Just do it.

*with thanks to NetGalley for the digital ARC in exchange for this honest review.

I'd like to thank Netgalley and Atria Books for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is the first book I have read by this author. I know she is pretty popular so I was excited to receive this book. I feel a little deceived though!! The cover gave me rom com vibes so that was what I was expecting and what I read was kind of heavy. It was still a good read but the cover threw me off.

This family puts the dysfunction in dysfunctional! There were so many twists and turns between the characters that it kept me intrigued. There is a lot of back and forth between the past and the future that I felt really helped the story along. There really is a lot of points of views in the book which could really turn readers off. It was ok, but I think I would have rated it higher if there were not so many characters. To me with so many characters no one really stood out to me.

Recommended to those who are in to family drama reads.

I found The Summer Place by Jennifer Weiner to be an enjoyable beach read, but with many characters to follow. More soap opera-ish than her other novels, but a good summer distraction during these stress-filled times. Weiner is a gifted story-teller, painting a vivid scene with words. Her characters always feel real. With family dysfunction, frequent coincidences, and extreme drama, this may not be my favorite book of Weiner’s, but nonetheless I appreciated the summer escape. An advanced digital copy was provided by Netgalley in return for my honest review. 3.5 stars.

I loved this from start to finish. Perfect, fun beach read full of salacious details but filled with heart. I almost read this in one sitting. Highly recommend!!

Thanks to #netgalley for the copy!

The Summer Place is an easy read - perfect for a day on the beach - but filled with lots of layers and intricacies within the relationships represented. Featuring multiple perspectives, this story is full of twists and turns, and gives an insight into the minds of the individual characters.

This book has a lot of unlikeable people that do horrible things, but I could not put this book down until the last page.

Ruby meets Gabe at college 6 weeks before the start of the pandemic in New York. When the city shuts down, and they go into lockdown, she asks her dad and step-mom if Gabe can stay with them. Reluctantly, they say yes and while we know this became a true test of relationships, theirs prevails and they get engaged shortly after they move into their own apartment.

Every part of this book is the lead up to this simple wedding at Ruby’s step-grandmother’s home – The Summer Place. Told from the many points of views of Ruby and those closest to her, we get a story that is full of intrigue and innuendo’s.

Most of the family thinks Ruby is way to young to get married, but there is one secret that Ruby’s father, and Gabe’s mother are hiding. This secret leads to martial trouble, cheating, and just a lot of confusion for many of the parties involved.

This is a summer beach read to it’s core. It’s salacious, sexy, gossipy and anything else that fits into this genre. I understand there are mixed feelings on this book, but for me it worked. I think we were supposed to dislike many of the people in this story, but for me it just worked, and I totally enjoyed it. Bonus, I listened to the audiobook, and Sutton Foster was such a delight to listen to for the length of this book.

Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for an Advanced Reader’s Copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Another five star read from one of the best. THE SUMMER PLACE delivers on all levels with humour, heart and intrigue. Weiner's characters are relatable, the settings vivid and the storyline engrossing. I read this in a couple of sittings and, as usual, found myself wishing I'd taken longer simply because I didn't want it to be over.

My thanks to the publisher for the advance reading copy.

Thank you NetGalley for my ARC. I always love Jennifer Weiner’s books and associate her books with summer.

This book had so many twists to it. It followed different stories of various family members and it held a lot of secrets. This was a quick read since there seemed to be a new secret with every couple chapters.

I’ve been a longtime fan of Jennifer Weiner. In my book reading over the years I have noticed there is a season(time, place) for each novel read. Unfortunately, the connection never quite materialized in this particular story.I guess it was an off-season for me. Reflecting back and trying to figure out where the disconnect occurred my mind came to the conclusion that it had a lot to do with the timing (pandemic) her verbiage and the development of the characters. The setting gets a thumbs up as well as the “house” having a voice in the novel. So there were some things that were appealing. Sadly this just wasn’t my cup of tea and it felt discombobulated. While the novel goes back in forth in time revealing to some extent how the characters came to be where they are today it was hard for me to stay completely engaged. “Ronnie was my favorite. A strong woman who ultimately put her family first after realizing the initial choices she made were were jeopardizing her husband and children. #NetGalley ty for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

I typically love Jennifer Weiner books and look forward to them. There are some that I have absolutely loved, and this one although enjoyable, missed the mark somewhat.

1. There are a lot of characters with their individual storylines.
2. Once I got to know more about the characters, I went from liking them to being disappointed by them to feeling meh about them.
3. It really is a small world after all - at least it is in this book.
4. Too many coincidences.

Ruby is getting married to her COVID lock down boyfriend. The wedding is set to take place on Cape Cod. The family members are going to gather as are the parents of the bride and groom. Celebrations will be held. Should be a great time. But with these characters, well....

There is a lot going on in this book. We get introduced to a lot of characters in this book and the events in their lives. They all have secrets and when they all gather, things become messy.

Communicate. Communicate. COMMUNICATE. I kept thinking while reading this book. For characters to have been in each other’s lives for so long, it annoyed me that a simple conversation could not be had. Relationships are messy in this book because the characters don't talk, instead guard their secrets as others are left to come to their own conclusions. Misunderstandings and hurt feelings ensue.

Weiner usually dazzles me but this one, while enjoyable, failed to wow me. There were parts I really enjoyed and parts where I shook my head.

Many readers enjoyed this more than I did, so please read their reviews as well.


Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.

We all have secrets and family events have a way of bringing them to the surface. Intriguing situations and resolutions. Jennifer Weiner has done it again!

I love Jennifer Weiner, but….the storyline was random and felt like she created unnecessary conflict for every character had conflict. . There were so many main characters and her attempt to weave them together felt unrealistic and very forced. This was not one of my favorite books of her books. 3 1/2 stars rounded up to 4

Jennifer Weiner is just one of those authors that, as a reader, I connect with. I appreciate the beauty she breathes into her characters and the details she uses to bring her locations to life. As a long Cape Cod vacationer, you can tell that she has not only spent a great deal of time there but how much she loves it by the care she puts into every description. The Summer Place has a lot of characters BUT they all fit- they all connect- and they are all important to the story. There is never a feeling of confusion or overlapping with personalities or traits. You can uniquely envision each one in your head. I appreciate that- it takes a great deal of experience and work to achieve that. I was thrilled to be given this ARC of The Summer Place and will eagerly await her next release. This is the perfect summer (or anytime!) read and you will instantly feel at home with this fictional family and gorgeous Cape Cod setting. I loved this book so much that I went out and purchased my own hard copy for my bookshelf! Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for this ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I have been a fan of Jennifer Weiner’s books and her writing since picking up “Good In Bed” many years ago and I was really looking forward to diving into her latest book. However, this book – The Summer Place – just didn’t quite hit the mark for me. Don’t get me wrong the writing lives up to the “queen of the beach read” reputation and I did enjoy the book but the story felt a bit like a train-wreck you just couldn’t stop watching. This book tells the story of a multigenerational family just as the world started to shut down due to the Covid pandemic. families who have been used to going to school, work and social activities suddenly spending all of their time together under one roof and homes that previously felt spacious starting to feel a little cramped.

There isn’t a main character per-se, each chapter is told from a different family members perspective but it was easy to follow and I found it added more substance to the characters to get their point of view. Some of the chapters are on the longer side which really helps to get to know them and also provided at lot back story. I really like books that are written from different perspectives for exactly that reason. This book however had so many storylines that were all intertwined, for me this meant I didn’t really connect with or root for a particular character. I suppose the intent behind the book wasn’t for one character to be the main but rather for the family and the summer place to be the centre of the story.

While there were some parts of this book I could not get on board with (cheating) I loved the suspense created by the characters secrets. It kept me interested and not wanting to put the book down. I found one particular storyline hard to accept, while I understand Eli’s hesitancy to come clean it really felt icky that he let it go for as long as he did. I think had this been addressed earlier my overall impression of the book would have been more favourable.

I received this book for free from NetGallery in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

3.5 Stars rounded up: The Summer Place was a book I was highly anticipating for my 20 Books of Summer, and although I enjoyed the story, it wasn't the summery, beach read I was expecting. This is a story about family, their trials and tribulations that is set in many places, with only some set at the beach. It flashes back and forth as we learn the backstories of Veronica Levy, her children Sam and Sara and Sara's husband and step-daughter. Ruby brings it all to the head when she plans to get married at Ronnie's summer home with all the family together for the first time in a long time.

This was more of a family saga with secrets that could have destroyed a lot of lives depending on how they were revealed. The main characters, Ruby, Sarah and her husband Eli, and Sam are all likable, but all have flaws. They need to evaluate their lives and what they want for the rest of it, in order to be happy. I did like all the main characters despite their flaws, and I wanted them all to be happy. There are some secrets that need to be revealed and things to be resolved that direct their actions, but all is sorted by the end of the book. Part of the story is set during the covid crisis, and while it is not a huge part of the story, it does influence some decisions made. There was infidelity, child abandonment, and hidden homosexuality, but also family love, loyalty and decisions to make as you grow up. There were parts of the story that dragged, but for the most part this was an enjoyable women's fiction story, but don't expect a light and easy beach read.

I wanted to love this book but it just fell short for me. Being hyped as a great beach read, I felt it was a little more dark and complex than expected. The story frequently switches point of views and switches between flashbacks and present time. There are many characters that you need to keep track of and all the stories intertwine in a large, messy web. Parts of the story I could relate to but others seemed a bit more out of touch. The plot twists kept you interested in reading more but if you're looking for a lighthearted, easy beach read this probably is not it!

Thank you so much Atria Books for gifting me an advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review. I typically try to read a Jennifer Weiner book every summer. She brings life to her characters in such a deep way. She always has underdogs that make questionable choices but you can't help but root for them anyway. This was the perfect book to start summer reads off with. This book contains pandemic times and also has long chapters!

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