Read if you like: multiple perspectives, contemporary books commenting on social issues.
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The book is about Daisy and Diana, and how they become connected through an event in Diana’s past. Daisy has good life, but recently she’s been questioning it’s purpose. When she meets Diana, who seems to be this successful business woman, this questioning becomes increased.
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I really loved Diana and how the author revealed her story! It made me want to keep reading to see what would happen.
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The book also comments on the Metoo movement. I’m not going to comment on whether it was well done or not, but I appreciated the conversation that the book has and the impact on women. The book also highlights how the patriarchy tries to keep women in roles with less power!
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There is a lot more to this book than meets the eye and I enjoyed it!
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CW: sexual content, sexual assault and rape, alcohol use, abusive/controlling relationships.

The past has a way of coming back to haunt you. This is true in Jennifer Weiner’s latest novel, That Summer. Lonely, stay at home mom, Daisy, receives emails meant for another woman whose email address is similar. The two women meet and forge a friendship. Did their paths really cross by chance?

That Summer is about two women who are connected by more than just a name. It's about Daisy, a middle aged mother who has spent her entire adult life responding to her husband's needs and making a home for them. And, it is about another woman, who has a life that looks completely different. She seems to be successful, educated, and unburdened by the things that tie Daisy down. But things aren't as simple as they appear, and these women have lives which are much more intertwined than first impressions would indicate.

This is the first book I have read by Jennifer Weiner, and I am really impressed. The writing is deep and hard hitting, but very accessible. I would even dare to say that this is an important read, brining light to experiences and truths that are particularly poignant in this moment. However, this does mean that there are parts of this book that are very hard to read. It isn't a laborious reading experience, but it can be an emotionally difficult journey to take. Still, emotionally heavy journeys are important, both to speak into a culture and to reveal experiences. If you're a woman, I can assume that you will feel seen during parts of this book. And if you're a man, I would absolutely encourage you to read this book so that your eyes can see. This is a #notallmen but #allwomen type of book that I think provides important insights to the stories and trauma that change the course of so many of our lives.

I rated this a 4.25. It really is an excellent book told in an engaging way, and as it sits with me, it may inch itself closer to that 5 star rating. 5 stars is so subjective, and perhaps the heavy nature of the subject matter makes it hard for me to call this one a favourite. But it is so good! And I will absolutely be recommending this book. I really hope men will pick it up too. I think calling this one "women's lit" is going to do a disservice to the impact this book can and should have for a wide range of readers, not simply women. But women, read this, and you'll feel seen, which is such a gift.

This was my first Jennifer Weiner so I wasn’t sure what to expect! It started off extremely slow for me but I powered through and enjoyed how everything really started picking up in the last quarter!

I really appreciated that it addressed the extremely important topic of the #MeToo movement and how it explored the lasting consequences that the victims have to bear and are left to deal with.

Unfortunately I just never got emotionally connected to the characters and I was left wanting just a little more from this one.

However, I have seen so many others love this one so make sure to check it out and decide for yourself!

Jennifer Weiner is a #1 New York Times best selling author. You may have read some of her books in the past, in particular In Her Shoes, Mrs. Everything or Big Summer. That Summer is her newest book (releasing on May 11th) and is described as "a story about surviving our pasts, confronting our futures, and the sustaining bonds of friendship".

First - don't let the fun, summery cover fool you, this is a serious book about some pretty heavy issues.

The book follows Daisy and Diana and their relationship that turns out to be not what either of them expected. Something traumatic happened to Diana the summer she turned 15 and it changed the course of her life and who she was forever. The book follows the life progression of Diana as she battles to move beyond what happened and how she begins to confront those that did it to her. Daisy is a mom who struggles to feel content is her existence as a mom and wife and in her marriage. When she meets Diana she thinks she's finally made a friend for herself but we soon learn that their connection and relationship is much more complicated than either one expected.

I could not put this book down from the very beginning. It was not always an easy story to read and it did leave me heartbroken and in tears at times but the sensitive topics were handled with such care and sensitivity. It is a statement to women and men and a powerful commentary on the state of class relations, power dynamics and society as a whole.

Please be warned that this book may trigger some people as it deals with issues like sexual assault, suicide and cancer.

#netgalley #thatsummer

I loved this one. I was a little skeptical going in; I didn’t enjoy the last couple of books I’ve read by Weiner, but this was a game changer for me.

First off, I loved all the characters (obviously with the exception of Hal). I liked Diana’s parts better than Daisy’s, but Daisy did grow on me as the story progressed. I fell in love with Michael. Seriously, what a guy.

The story deals with friendship, family secrets, and the “Me Too” movement, illustrating the movement from both sides of the perspective (the victim and the perpetrator). I think it was really well done.

I was satisfied with the ending. Pleasantly surprised by the whole story. Now I’m curious to see what else Weiner has written lately that I’ve missed.

Thanks to Netgalley, the author, and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Jennifer Weiner was a staple author for me, back in my 20’s. But, it had been well over a decade since I had read anything by her. I was absolutely thrilled to receive a digital ARC of That Summer from Simon Schuster, Atria Books and NetGalley. Goodness gracious, this book did not disappoint.

Daisy married young and found herself firmly placed in a position of mom, wife, cook and homemaker to support her husband’s lucrative law career. She started living vicariously through the accidental e-mails she started to receive that were intended for someone with a very similar email address. The fancy cocktail parties, gala’s and events made Daisy yearn for a different life.

As she begins to chat with the person, for whom these emails were intended, they strike up a friendship- is this a coincidence or is it something deeper than that?

To read the above review, it doesn’t begin to share how thought provoking, startling, timely and important this narrative becomes. Jennifer Weiner created a beautiful, page turning story that is a salient and relevant to the incredibly fundamental issues of this day in age.

This novel was perfection- a without a doubt, 5 star read.

Note: Please be sure to check the synopsis of this book for trigger warnings,

Thank you Simon & Schuster, Atria Books and Netgalley for the digital ARC.

Oh my gosh! I don’t know why but I had it in my head that this would be a light and fluffy book but it was far from it. This book is so deep and I want to mention a trigger warning *rape* for this book. I truly enjoyed the story but I did find the beginning slow. I was hooked once I got past the beginning and got about half way. That Summer is about two Diana’s and what different lives they life and who they are. I like the message from this book and I really enjoyed reading this.

I kept waiting for this book to get good and was left hanging. I loved Big Summer, and was anticipating something as exciting after reading the premise.

This book did not flow well at all, the first 30% or so I was struggling to piece things together and understand what was going on. The random flashbacks (without indicating they were flashbacks) didn’t help either.

There were so many unnecessary details that could have cut the book 50+ pages shorter. Diana’s story was interesting and I felt for her, but found myself getting bored during Daisy’s chapters. I did find this book having much of a plot until the end. Pretty boring read overall.

Just finished This Summer by Jennifer Weiner last night. I have to say this is my favourite book of hers so far. The story revolves around two different Diana’s from very different walks of life. Diana, nicknamed by her husband, Daisy, lives a very privileged life, running her own cooking business, married to a lawyer, living in an affluent neighbourhood in a fancy house, with no financial worries at all. The other Diana struggles daily. Due to her traumatic past, Diana dropped out of college and life in general, as she couldn’t function anymore. She moved to a small cottage in Cape cod working at a restaurant to pay her bills. By coincidence, or so Diana would have us believe, the two women’s worlds connect and a very unlikely and unique friendship is formed between Daisy and Diana.

This is not your typical Jennifer Weiner novel as it deals with a very serious trauma that happened to Diana when she was 15. The first part of the book felt like a cozy warm sweater on a cool fall night. I got a warm fuzzy feeling reading it. But about half way through, the novel took a drastic turn by dealing with a serious assault that happened “That Summer” decades ago. It was definitely much harder reading the second half and took me longer to read as I needed to process all that had happened.

That Summer was extremely well written, thoughtful, heart wrenching and relevant story. That Summer is about adversity, family, lies, deception, abuse, manipulation and the beauty of friendship, hope and love. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5. Thank you @simonschusterca for the advance, uncorrected reader’s proof in exchange for my honest review.

This book is full of intrigue, love, friendship and finding your self worth. The author created two amazing female characters that I automatically liked. They are troubled and broken yet they are strong and determined. I love the style in which the author wrote this book, so you are learning the storyline at the same time the other characters are. The book may have triggers for some people but it is not graphic and it is of utmost importance to the storyline.

This book shows the importance of not losing yourself as you get married, work, raise a family, etc. It also shows how much a strong friendship is to a person. We all need somebody that loves us and supports us no matter what and that person may not be the obvious choice. The author has blended two women’s lives together in several ways that we don’t see coming. Included in these two women’s story is that of a teenager trying to find out who she really is and who she wants to be. In many ways this teenager is miles ahead of other girls her age as she is self assured enough to dress as she wants. While she is trying to discover what a good friend and relationships are, her adult counterparts are discovering that life isn’t what they had thought it would be.

It is difficult to get into the story as I don’t want to bring any spoilers to my review. I can just say that this is a highly emotional and troubling story but one that needs to be told. It shows how the society is slowly changing the way it thinks but it also shows how the mentality of people still has a long long way to go. There are some unexpected twists that bring the intrigue to the book. You might want to have a few Kleenex beside is not a light beach read as I originally thought it was but it is an amazing book and is the same caliber as the other books written by this author. You will love it.

5/5 I'm writing this review after receiving an ARC from Simon & Schuster Canada.
Trigger Warning: Sexual Assault, Suicide

As I've come to expect with Jennifer Weiner - don't judge a book by it's cover. This is anything but a light beach read - a story of a young girl who was raped during a summer away from her family as a mother's helper told through the perspectives of 3 women (Diana, who was raped and is trying to find closure over the 35 years from when it occurred to the present, Daisy, a housewife and home cook with a seemingly idyllic life, and Beatrice, her daughter), jumping back and forth in time.

I don't want to spoil the connections and twists - but this book had me hooked from page 82 on!

I was excited to read this one, since I have read "Big Summer" - and loved it! That Summer deals with important societal topics as well as showcases the beauty of friendship and the strength of women. I loved the character development throughout the book, especially of "Daisy." The trapped bird in the cage finally freed herself. The ending shows true strength on both Diana's and "Daisy's" parts. The beginning started a bit wishy washy for me as I spent much time figuring out how the character's would possibility be related. However, it was soon made clear and I was left wanting to know more at the end. This would make for a great sequel. I would love to know more about Daisy's life on the cape. I sure hope she reaches those culinary dreams of hers! This story is one that has stayed with me long after reading as I pondered each character's story. At first, I gave this book a four but, now re-thinking as it is the e-arc that I have read, I am turning it into a 5. The minor edits (such as a few typos and misspellings as well) will no doubt be wrinkled out for publication day. It deserves a 5, stars as it successfully ties together a multi-layered plot. The last half of the book does seem a little rushed to me, but I will certainly recommend this book to anyone - especially those who have enjoyed "Mrs. Everything" and "Big Summer" by the author too. I can't wait to see what else Jennifer Weiner has in store for us!

As a long time Jennifer Wiener fan, I really enjoyed this book. Ms. Wiener has a way of teaching us about the characters that makes us like them and relate to them. The two main characters in this book, Diana and Daisy appear to meet by chance, but are tied together thru events that happened in the past.
I found this book to be enjoyably suspenseful at times, and quite thought provoking throughout. Reading it, makes the reader ask the questions, can someone truly be forgiven for things they’ve done in the past? Is there any chance for real atonement in this cancel culture we are living in today? Can a person every really forgive another for things that they had done when they were young? Does finally obtaining the revenge you’ve been seeking for years actually feel as good as it did in your dreams? I’m not saying I walked away with the answers to those questions when I finished the book - for some things you have to decide on your own., but I did enjoy this book, and will happily recommend it.

Do not let the cover fool you, That Summer is not a breezy light beach read, this book has teeth. The #MeToo movement plays a paramount role in this thought-provoking story that is penned with Weiner's acerbic wit and strong characterization. Set in a manicured subdivision in Philadelphia, bustling New York City, and gorgeous Cape Cod, this is more of a contemporary character-driven novel versus chick lit.

My only criticism it that it was a bit bulky and could've been tightened up. Overall a good read and compelling story that is both gutting and powerful. That Summer is not just a twisty tale full of secrets and lies, but a story about the power of female relationships.

Daisy Shoemaker has a beautiful house in the suburbs, a smart and creative daughter and a husband who provides for her every need. But Daisy can't sleep. Minutes turn into hours, and hours turn into long nights and Daisy just cannot sleep.

Her path crosses with Diana's - a confident, successful consultant whose emails keep getting sent to Daisy. They meet up one night amidst the hustle and bustle of an NYC pub and what unfolds is a touching story about about women of three different backgrounds, stories and ages.

One of the things that I've always admired about Weiner as an author, is that she has the ability to bring to life relatable, ordinary characters in a way that no other author can. If you look from afar, any one of us could be Diana, any one of us could be Daisy, and any one of us could be Beatrice. However, it's only when you look closer and read their stories spanning their entire lifetimes (another one of Weiner's fantastic literary gifts is telling stories covering entire lifetimes and making it sound fascinating) that you discover how extraordinary these women are at the same time.

In its true form, this book is written by a woman, it's a testament to women, and it tells the story of so many women. Do the women in your life need to read this? I'd say yes, but even more importantly, the men in your life need to read this one.

*I received an ARC Kindle edition of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.*