I was so excited to receive a copy of this! I love Jennifer Weiner and pick up copies of every new release. That Summer didn't disappoint! Between the complex characters, the intense relationships, the mystery and connections to our society, this is much more than a "beach read". While Weiner never disappoints, this is one of her best yet.

I really liked this book about two women affected by something that happened 15 years earlier. Provides social commentary on the Me Too movement as well as rich character development of both women (Daisy and Diana) and Daisy's adolescent daughter. Themes of regret, redemption and growth are present throughout.

I have thoroughly enjoyed the other Jennifer Weiner books that I've read and That Summer did not disappoint! It's the story of Daisy, a married woman and mom, working as a cooking teacher. And it's the story of Diana, a woman still trying to process a past traumatic event. The two women's lives collide and That Summer is the tale of revelation, redemption, and consequences.

The book is full of #MeToo references, which makes it all the more relevant. It's written in the popular contemporary style of showing each character's perspective in separate chapters. There are a minimal number of characters, which helps eliminate confusion, and the story is well written and compelling. I read it in record time because I couldn't wait to find out how the problem would be resolved. I was not totally satisfied with the ending - I might have perhaps added another chapter to explain those details.

Highly recommend to other fans of Jennifer Weiner!

Thanks to NetGalley for allowing me to read this book.

Interesting story line but the way it was ended left me hanging. Almost as if the author got tired of writing. There were a lot of unresolved issues.

Jennifer Weiner does it again!

Based on the cover and the title (my mind immediately went to That Summer by Sarah Dessen), I thought that I was in for a light, feel-good summer story. I was wrong. I’ve read a few books by Weiner before, so I expected lots of twists and turns, but I did not expect the plot to be so focused on sexual assault and the rise of the #MeToo movement. That’s something potential readers might miss based on a quick read of the synopsis, but something to take into account before diving in!

With that said, this book is well done. The initial premise totally drew me in — two Dianas become friends because their email addresses keep getting mixed up and things get weird from there? I’m hooked. It took me a few chapters to understand the difference between Daisy and Diana (the prologue threw me way off), but once that clicked for me, I liked the alternating POV. The addition of some chapters told from secondary character’s POVs was a smart move, too. It made everyone feel fleshed out and real. The only qualm I have with the structure is that the timeline wasn’t always easy to understand — Daisy’s chapters were mostly in the present, while Diana’s were often from a decade ago. I would’ve appreciated some sort of clarity there. As far as the story itself goes, I was a bit let down by the ending, and think Weiner missed an opportunity to add real depth to the #MeToo conversation. Despite that, it was incredibly entertaining.

While not necessarily an easy-to-read, beachy story, this book kept me turning it’s pages for hours at a time. I’m a fan.

That Summer by Jennifer Weiner is a tale of two Diana’s and how their lives changed in a blink of an eye. I began this novel assuming it was going to be another light, summer read; Instead the book focuses heavily on the #metoo movement. While it wasn’t my favorite of hers, I’m still glad that I read it, because I think the Diana and Daisy characters will stay with me for a long time. Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for proving this advanced copy for my honest review!

The content of this book was great. There was a strong focus on the #metoo movement, and many nods to the Brett Kavanaugh issue. While the ending was rather anticlimactic, I think that was realistic as there isn't a good answer for what happens in the real world. That being said, the "surprises" were pretty obvious throughout and I never felt full invested in the characters. I really would have liked more on the friendship or Dianna and Daisy. I found them both likable, but the solution was also very convenient based upon all the financial privilege Daisy has.
Overall, great story, but left me wanting more.

I love Jennifer Weiner’s books, and couldn’t wait to read this one. I found myself putting it down and taking breaks, I think in part because of the hard subject matter. But the women who were the central characters were well written and interesting. Glad I picked it back up.

Received an ARC from Netgalley for an honest opinion.

This is a tale of the two Dianas. One Diana is a married, mother that owns a business in which she teaches people how to cook. The second Diana has spent her entire life trying to overcome a summer tragedy that has shaped her adult life. The two meet by chance when their email addresses get confused or do they?

Okay this one wasn’t what I was expecting when I started reading this one. This is only my second Jennifer Weiner book, but I’m quickly learning that the cover of her books can be a little misleading. After reading the synopsis and seeing the cover I thought I was in for a twisty beach read. Nope! When the main plot of a book surrounds a triggering or traumatic event, I would think there would be either a trigger warning or a mention of it in the synopsis. I really hope the final product will have these trigger warnings to help readers.

With all of that being said, let’s get down to the book. I really appreciated Weiner’s dive into what comes after for victims of rape and sexual assault and how greatly it impacts victims for life. Diana’s story was very moving and touching for me, but I did struggle with the alternating POVs between her and Daisy. It was hard to distinguish a timeline of events until much later in the book. Maybe this was done by design, but I just felt confused about it. Overall this one lacked a lot for me, but Diana’s story saved the book from being a total flop for me. 🌟🌟🌟 for this one.

Jennifer Weiner does it again!

Daisy (Diana) Shoemaker is a stay at home mother of a teenage daughter, wife to a lawyer, and owner of a small cooking business. She married young and has always been content with her way of life, but lately things are changing and she isn't exactly sure why. She starts realizing her own potential, her inner feminist begins to emerge. Coincidentally (or so it seems at the time) Daisy meets Diana and an unlikely friendship is formed. Diana has secrets of her own and they could tear apart Daisy's entire family.

This novel touches on so many important topics - sexual assault, rape, white privilege, and the #MeToo movement. Diana was raped as a 15 year old and it truly changed the trajectory of her life. I think this story was told in a skillful way to draw attention to these topics and make the reader question the motives of all involved.

Finally, I loved the Cape Cod setting and how can I sign up to marry Michael Carmody??

A weak four. Perhaps I’ve been influenced by the two previous Jennifer Weiner books, as I feel this doesn’t compare favorably to either of them. There’s a clear attempt here to be timely, tying in the MeToo movement, but it all felt disjointed to me. Despite my disappointment, there were good parts. I especially loved the description of Diana’s cabin, as well as life on the Cape.

Daisy is living an ok life. She married, has a daughter, and has her own cooking business. Yet, she can't seem to shake that she's missed out or her life is missing something. When she starts receiving emails not meant for her, for a woman who is obviously living an exciting life, she decides to contact her.

This woman is not who she's pretending to be. She is trying to take revenge for something in her past that happened and changed her life forever.

The two become friends and eventually, the truth comes out. Now Daisy has to decide what to do with this truth.

I had grown weary of Weiner's books after I read a few in a row that were just meh for me. Then I was sent an advance copy of Mrs. Everything before it published, and to my surprise, I really liked it. Then I read Big Summer, and now I've just finished That Summer, and what do you know; Jennifer got her groove back. That Summer deals with some weighty themes, which Weiner has never shied away from, but she's lost the faint preachiness of her previous novels. We are introduced to characters who feel stunningly real, with thoughts and feelings true to our own. I know this is billed as twisty, and there are certainly some big reveals, but this is not a mystery or a thriller. That Summer goes deep inside the hearts and minds of young girls, and women, exposing our fears and insecurities, but also our strengths. I am excited to see where Jennifer Weiner will go next. Thank you to Atria Books and Netgalley for the chance to review this advance copy.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC. I wanted to like this book more than I did. It was very uneven for me and I don’t think Weiner has done anything groundbreaking as far as writing about sexual assault. I think part of the issue is that the ARC I received seems very raw - more of a first or second draft than an ARC ready for review. The timeline of Diana’s portion of the story seemed to skip back and forth and her chapters would greatly benefit from having some type of date on them. For example, the suicide of one of the accomplices was mentioned in one of Daisy’s chapters and then fleshed out again way later in one of Diana’s chapters. It just made for a confusing read since I was never quite sure of the timeframe of some of the plot points in relation to others. Overall, the book has potential as Weiner always writes excellent characters, but it just needs a lot of cleaning up.

Weiner does it again! I could not put this one down! This novel is very much "of the moment," a commentary on the Me Too movement and the Kavanaugh hearings and how women respond to violence, sexism and cultural expectations. I loved every page of That Summer, from her incredibly complex characters to the fast-paced plot. Will highly recommend when it is published. Thank you for the ARC!

A fresh feel from this established author. That Summer is ripped-from-the-headlines topical, but also engaging and absorbing. Great read!

Weiner is one of my favorite authors and I always look forward to her books. I didn't care for last summer's Big Summer, so I was hoping this book would be better. First of all, this is not your typical Weiner novel as it does have some pretty hefty topics (it is not a "beach read" as the cover might imply). It focuses on the #MeToo movement. While I knew where the novel was going and there weren't any surprise moments, it was a good novel. I thought Weiner did a good job of tackling the subject and expressing how detrimental sexual assault can be. I didn't really care for Daisy that much, except at the end. Beatrice is her quirky daughter and a lovely added narrative to the story.
I would recommend this novel.

I received an Advanced Reader Copy courtesy of NetGalley which I couldn't pass up because I am always ready to read a Jennifer Weiner book. "That Summer" follows the lives of two women named Diana. It took me a while to figure out where the book was heading which I really appreciated. There were a couple of timeline issues that I assume will be straightened out before the book is published but otherwise an intriguing, engaging take on the #metoo movement.

I have been devouring Jennifer Weiner's work since her debut book, Good In Bed. I was so excited to read That Summer and give my honest opinion in exchange. If you haven't read anything by Jennifer Weiner, you are seriously missing out. Jennifer has the most amazing, real-life characters that everyone can identify with. I also follow Jennifer on social media and she herself is an amazing person. Very relatable and so very funny.
That Summer introduces you to Daisy and her life. Daisy feels like something is missing, which I think we all can identify with on some level. Daisy starts receiving emails for a Diana, which is actually her real given name. Her husband started calling her Daisy after they first met and that is what she has gone by for years now. The two Diana's start emailing back and forth. A bond is formed and a friendship blossoms. Daisy is so excited, she has real friend who understands her and cares about her. It all seems to good to be true. And people always say; if its too good to be true, it probably is.
This book had me totally fooled! Just when you think this is a book about women and our crazy lives, Weiner takes a turn and suddenly you are trying to figure out a mystery. I love books like this. You think the book is going one way and then the author takes you on the most surprising ride!
I will definitely be recommending That Summer to all my book reading friends. I will definitely be looking for Jennifer Weiner's newest works when they become available. Special thanks to NetGalley, Jennifer Weiner, Atria Books for allowing me the privilege of reading an advanced reading copy of That Summer in exchange for my honest opinion. 5 HUGE STARS for me!!

#ThatSummer #NetGalley