
Member Reviews

I have read all of Jennifer Weiner’s novels and she is one of my favorites. All of her books feature characters who are so familiar and relatable, and you feel like they are friends or neighbors. This is a good story, primarily about two women: Daisy and Diana. The author tackles some tough, timely issues, with grace and respect. References to A Doll’s House were definitely a plus. Recommended.

Thank you, NetGalley, for an advanced copy of this novel.
That Summer was an emotional read that was impossible to put down. The novel follows two Diana's whose lives intersect because of a terrible event. That Summer shows the power of resilience, friendship, and strength. I highly recommend this book.

Thank God - finally a book I finish in 24 hours! I should have known when I saw it was my girl Jennifer Weiner!
What a beautiful story with a great twist! I instantly fell in love with the concept of going back and forth between present and past, as well as the serene, cozy setting of the Cape.
A story of 2 women who meet “accidentally”, and end up sharing more of a past then they may have initially realized. My only regret is that I didn’t read this book in June by my pool.. because it truly is the perfect summer read! I guess I’ll just have to read it again!

2.5 ⭐️
This is a story of two Diana’s, one experienced a traumatic event she is working to overcome, and the other, “Daisy”, seemingly lives a perfect life with her husband and daughter. The two meet and develop a friendship, but one has no idea the other has an elaborate plan of revenge.
Big Summer was one of my favourite reads from last year, so when I was sent That Summer I was beyond excited. After reading it though, I’m beyond disappointed. Like what was the purpose of this book? The book did touch on a sexual assault, recovery and healing and that was important, it was also the part that was the most gripping and kept me reading. But the rest was just, what? The ending is SO anticlimactic I was pissed, it felt like a giant waste of time. Daisy’s family was so horrible, from her mother to her brother, her husband and even her daughter was so bratty and ungrateful, hard to read. Daisy herself was miserable and naive. I liked Diana a lot better and her story was much more interesting, but in the end again like it went nowhere. I thought this would have some giant twists and turns but I figured everything out before it happened. The writing was good and I did like reading Diana’s side, I liked Daisy also but her character was just so sad. Anyways, I wouldn’t waste your time with this, it missed big time. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the free preview in exchange for an honest review.

I've long. been a fan of Jennifer Weiner, and I can't help but think her work has only gotten better (and I thought she was pretty amazing a decade ago). While I understand some reviews requesting a trigger warning for this novel (which does address the Me Too movement), I appreciated that I didn't know where this story was going when it began, and was really moved by Weiner's thoughtful work in showing how current events can hit hard in people's personal lives. I loved the evolution of the characters, and that their every progression felt natural and in line with who they were at the outset of the novel.
In summary, this was a really fantastic book, and one I would happily sit down to read again.

This will be the Book of the Summer 2021!
Jennifer Weiner is at the top of her game with That Summer: a beautiful, emotional, timely read. A story of two women named Diana whose lives are more connected than they think upon first meeting. Our story shifts between present day, one fateful teenage summer, and important moments in between.
This one had me reading all night long! An empowering read that is not to be missed. I wish I could give more stars than 5!
I received an ARC of #ThatSummer by #JenniferWeiner in exchange for an honest review courtesy of #NetGalley and #SimonandSchuster

Thanks to NetGalley and Jennifer Weiner for an advance copy of this book. Jennifer Weiner books have been in my TBR pile for a while now... and I was intrigued to finally start one of her stories.
Daisy is the quintessential suburban housewife, living her life for her husband and teenage daughter. She accidentally gets some email for a woman named Diana (Daisy's real name is actually Diana too). Forwarding the misdirected emails on to the other Diana sets in motion the events that will change Daisy's life forever. The landscape of the Outer Cape becomes a beautiful backdrop to this narrative. We are treated to intense explorations of the relationships between mother/daughter and husband/wife through the twists and turns of the story. Secrets are revealed and lessons are learned as the layers hidden for many years are finally pulled back.
Trigger warning - this book has themes of sexual assault and rape.

Jennifer Weiner does it again - this book was a thoughtful take on sexual assault and the reckoning of the "Me Too" movement and a compelling novel with a hint of mystery, a great plot, sympathetic characters. It has a great exploration of mother-daughter relationship, too. This is a perfect summer read that does not shy away from tough issues.

I hope when this book is published it includes a trigger warning. I was not expecting to read about a rape. The subject was treated with much care and compassion for the situation and wrestled with the difficulty of what retribution would be appropriate for someone who has perpetrated a sexual assault. The fallout for the victim and those who love them. I appreciated the story being told from multiple characters point of view. What motivated them and their role in how events unfolded. The two main women in the story become unlikely friends and it is remarkable that through their friendship they are able to heal. An interesting piece of the story is that the sex offender in question has a teenage daughter as the events of his youth are exposed. It is hopeful to see the young daughter evolve and grow as the next generation of strong females. I was given an advanced reader's copy via NetGalley, thank you to them. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Wow! I really enjoyed That Summer by Jennifer Weiner. This book hits close to home and things I have lived through. I graduated HS in 1985 and that is when a major part of this story takes place. I lived through the carefree summer of 1985. This story also relates to my life today so it was a fascinating read for me. This book does have several triggers especially rape, bullying, and boys will be boys mentality. The book also gets into the "Me Too" movement. This book is not a light, fluffy beach read that the cover suggests.
I appreciated how Ms. Weiner made the women characters show their vulnerabilities and become strong women in the end that stood up for what is right. The 15 year old daughter pretty much had her shit together all through the book. The adults have to come to terms with their pasts and their present to carry on. The two Diana's in the book you want to hug and cheer on by the end of the book. The men are douches that need the lessons that they learned. The people of my parents generation, born in the 40's/50's, were just exasperating but I believe they are portrayed realistically. Of course not everyone of this generation has all of these characteristics but I have seen some of them shinning brightly.
I hope you enjoy this story. This is a story that explains why some things are the way they are today so there are lessons to be learned. I would like to thank #NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book. Thanks to #JenniferWeiner for another great read. I have loved her last three books!

Two women with more than their first names in common makes for a real page turner. Weiner can add another best seller to her list because reader will not be able to put this book down! She writes an empowering story focused on the #metoo movement that several women will unfortunately be able to relate to.

I have read every book that Jennifer Weiner has written. Thank you to @netgalley for the ARC of That Summer. I am struggling to find the words to give an honest review of this book. At times, I was completely captured and couldn’t put the book down, reading and devouring every word. At other times, I speed read through parts because the story lagged. There was a lot to digest. All characters had problems and issues. At times, the sequence of the story didn’t make sense to me. If you are looking for a light beach read, this book is not for you. As always, I will look forward to the next Jennifer Weiner book.

I received an advance copy of That Summer by Jennifer Weiner in exchange for my honest review and opinion. I am a huge Jennifer Weiner fan so I was thrilled to receive the approval to read and review this book. As usual, she does NOT disappoint with this new release! I absolutely loved it and was unable to put it down. I will be telling everyone I know to read this as soon as it's released! SOOOOOOO Good!

Thank you to @atriabooks and @netgalley for my gifted copy of That Summer, by Jennifer Weiner! This book is out on May 11th, and the synopsis is in the comments.
There was a lot to unpack in this book: themes surrounding identity, friendship and family, coming-of-age, and The Me Too Movement. I thought that Weiner did a fabulous job of wrapping them all up within each other, and at the same time, fleshing them out. That Summer leaves you with a lot to think about at the end.
The synopsis doesn’t give away a lot, and I don’t plan to either. So, I’ll list out my thoughts, with no spoilers within them:
As usual, the descriptions in this book blew me away. It made it seem as if I was right there in several of the scenes. This was an easy book to get wrapped up in.
Learning more about the characters leads to a lot of discoveries and revelations within the plot. Make sure as you read, that you are paying attention to who knows who, and last names.
I thought how the Me Too Movement was brought into this book was so well done, and contributed a great deal to the setting and the plot
In this book, they talk about summering on Cape Cod. Do you have a dream place you’d like to summer? I’d love to visit The Cape or Nantucket some day!

This book is the perfect light read anyone would expect from Jennifer Weiner. The hint of mystery in each of her books is certainly not lacking in this story. From the prologue to the very last page her writing is engaging and impeccable. The characters could be your best friend, your mom, or your newest acquaintance which make her stories feel so real with a slight element of that feeling you get from Instagram. There was nothing lacking in this novel as it was exactly what I expected from this author. Definitely add it to your Summer reading list.

I am a huge Jennifer Weiner fan- this is not my favorite book by her but it was a beautiful story about a heartbreaking subject. It is about a girl named Diana (15 years old at the time), who had a horrible thing happen to her one summer by a boy named "Poe". This went on to haunt her entire life until she was older and found out who this man truly was. It is a story about redemption, finding friendship in a very unlikely way & being brave. I would recommend.

When two women get their emails crossed, they end up meeting and forging a surprising friendship. Daisy is married with a daughter. She has her own cooking business, but feels dissatisfied with her life and can’t quite put her finger on it. Diana lives in New York, an executive at an important job, the women couldn’t be any different. But their newfound friendship forces them to shine on a light on themselves as they discover they happen to have a lot more in common than they think. I have to admit, when I first started reading this book, I thought it was going to be light and predictable. It turned out to be engrossing and much more nuanced and thought-provoking than I had expected. It’s a hard book to talk about, because I don’t want to give too much away, but it was a really interesting, thoughtful and a well-rendered read. Thank you to Atria Books for the advanced review copy.

In this novel, vaguely unhappy housewife Daisy meets the glamorous-seeming Diana after she starts receiving emails for her due to their similar email addresses - but there turns out to be way more to their paths crossing than meets the eye. The book includes both of their perspectives in the present and the past, as well as Daisy’s daughter Beatrice, taking on everything from family, friendship, Me Too, self-acceptance, and self-worth. Contrary to the title and cover illustration, this is not a fluffy beach read even though some of it takes place on Cape Cod - it is actually quite a serious book. I have been a major Jennifer Weiner fan since her very first book was published, and was thrilled to get an advanced copy of this one, coming out on 5/11/21. Although her books have always dealt with real emotions, this is definitely not the romance/chick lit of her early books, but is more similar in tone to the seriousness of her book Mrs. Everything though less historical in scope. It also happens to be one of my favorites of her books. 4.5 stars.

Jennifer Weiner excels at writing about imperfect women and this is yet another shining example of her work.
This story mostly takes place over the course of a few months with both Daisy and Diana flashing back to tell you the stories of how they got to when they meet and why they meet. I really enjoyed the story but mostly I wanted to read more about Beatrice. She by far was my favorite of all the characters!
There is a small tie-in to Weiner's last novel, Big Summer, for those that were a fan of it.
Overall it's an engaging story that was a better land for me than Big Summer but not quite the tops of my favorite novels of hers.
Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for an eARC copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

Beautifully written story about a heartbreaking subject. When Diana was 15 years old she took a summer job as a babysitter in a beautiful home on Cape Cod. As the summer progresses she becomes close to a young man named Poe who is a few years older who is just graduating high school and is on the Cape as a last hurrah before college. What happened to Diana at the hands of Poe and his friends changes the outcome of Diana’s future and her ability to trust anyone. This book is Jennifer Weiner at her very best. Although it is a heartbreaking subject, it is written honestly and allows you to see both sides. Excellent book, highly recommend.