3.5 rounded up to 4

Daisy Shoemaker has the picture perfect life from the outside looking in. She lives in a beautiful home in the suburbs of Philadelphia, a part time job teaching people how to cook, and is able to volunteer in her spare time. She also has a difficult teenager, and a hard to read husband. She feels unfulfilled but can't quite figure out why. When she receives another mistake email from a woman who shares her name, she forwards it to the rightful owner and strikes up a conversation. What begins as a friendly back and forth turns into a real friendship. The women end up meeting regularly and Daisy finds herself slightly jealous of Diana's carefree, sophisticated life. What Daisy doesn't know is that their friendship did not happen purely by chance and Diana has a connection to her past that could cause catastrophic changes to Daisy's world as she knows it.

Jennifer Weiner is a go to author for me. I always enjoy her books and usually read them as soon as I can get my hands on them. This book started off a little slow for me, but once it picked up I couldn't put it down. Just because this book has the word "Summer" in its title does not mean it's a beach read. This book seems to be inspired by the Me Too Movement and definitely has some triggers for those who are sensitive to that. This book is told in alternating chapters that bounce between Diana and Daisy. I liked learning about Diana's past and I loved her relationship with Michael. I saw Daisy as slightly irritating and the way Hal spoke to her made me cringe. Overall I would recommend this book, but don't go into it thinking it'll be a breezy read like Big Summer. The subject material is heavy and parts of the story will make you want to throw your book (or Kindle) across the room.

An absolute triumph !! That Summer travels decades and families from cape cod and back and weaves in #metoo . This may be one of Weiner’s best , a must read for sure. This book was graciously provided by the publisher via netgalley in exchange for an honest review

I am a fan of Jennifer Weiner's novels and "That Summer" will be added to the list of great books. The story is told by 2 different women, Daisy and Diana. Diana had something happen to her as a teenager that set the course for her life. She ends up meeting Daisy because of this years later. This novel is touching, sad & redeeming all at the same time. I would recommend this novel to anyone who enjoys secrets that no longer remain secrets and friendships that can overcome pain.

I adore all of Jennifer Weiner's books but this one just took my breath away! You know when you settle in to one of her novels (well, maybe immerse yourself is a better term) that it will be both plot and character-driven and be relevant and delicious. And this is one of her best! Diana and Daisy meet under unusual circumstances but form a fast friendship. But as the circumstances of their lives unfold, we see that they are connected by secrets of the past and one summer that cannot be forgotten. Weiner's writing is powerful and soul-searching; it will make you laugh, it will make you cry, it will demand that you look at our society and see its flaws. But it will also show you that young women today can be anything they choose if they are strong enough to persevere and maybe even seek redemption. This novel will resonate with me for a long time!

I am so glad I was given an advance copy of this book. I loved the story and felt drawn back in time!

Jennifer Weiner never disappoints! That Summer explores the lasting effects of rape on the victim and on the perpetrators. She handles all points of view with understanding and sensitivity, and creates a narrative both involving and propulsive. Her feelings on the Bret Kavanaugh debacle would have been better cut out of the final draft, but otherwise a wonderful novel about retribution and redemption. Recommended.

What happens when you don’t realize your past is haunting you? 🌊 ⁣
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It’s been a tough week for me and when Atria invited me to preview Jennifer Weiner’s upcoming release, THAT SUMMER, it sounded like the perfect escapist read. ⁣
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I haven’t read all of Weiner’s catalog, but I loved BIG SUMMER last year and this book takes place in the same universe. Weiner’s strength has always been specifically drawn female protagonists, and she’s doing some of her best work here. I enjoyed it over all, but the ending felt rushed and some of the male antagonists felt like caricatures (but maybe that was the point?). ⁣
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Thank you NetGalley and Atria for providing an eARC in exchange for this review!⁣
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CW: sexual assault, suicide.

<i>That Summer</i> is a weird book to try to classify. A lot of the description and characters seem like normal Weiner character--smart, sensitive women trying to figure out what makes them happy. There are some beautiful descriptions of Cape Cod and great descriptions of food...but all these things that normally make for a charming Weiner book also seem really jarring and out of place in a book centered on a woman healing and then trying to get revenge on a group of men who hurt her as a teenager. For that reason, the book never feels even. Part of it reads like the crime centered novels that are really popular now, and the other feels like a normal Weiner book. This makes it really hard to find your footing as a reader in the book, and what until causes the book to fizzle out at the end.

Thank you, Netgalley, for the ARC of the book.

That Summer by Jennifer Weiner is a tale of two Diana’s and how their lives changed in a blink of an eye. It’s a heartwarming yet very suspenseful tale that will have you on the edge of your seat wondering....what happened That Summer?

Thank you Netgalley and Simon & Schuster for the ARC for an honest review. #Netgalley #ThatSummer #May2021

That Summer is one of Jennifer Weiner's best.. When Daisy, a dissatisfied housewife, meets Diana, a sophisticated consultant, she delights in their burgeoning friendship. But as the friendship deepens, Daisy suspects that her new friend may not be who or what she claims and that their meeting wasn't likely by chance. Twists and turns keep the story moving from beginning to a most satisfying ending.

I absolutely devoured this fresh heartwarming story from Jennifer Weiner complete with a surprising twist and engaging characters.This was a slow start, but worth it to keep going. I had a really hard time getting into it at first. Daisy was kind of uninteresting and the beginning is primarily focused on her. I'm so glad I kept at it until we meet Diana (in present day) because it got sooooo much better after that. The novel travels back and forth in time and while there's nothing explicitly telling you that there's a time jump for the most part, it's usually easy to pick up. But there are a few, mostly with Beatrice, that don't make a lot of sense. I was delighted to learn that 'That Summer' is not a beach read at all and instead focused more on the narratives of the Me Too Movement and the Kavanaugh hearings, Weiner brilliantly confronts the "boys will be boys" and "they were all drinking" excuses of sexual assault in privileged prep school environments, with the fall out of the passing of years, the subsequent accomplishments of perpetrators, their feelings of regret, shame, and denial, as well the enormous and unforgettable impact felt by the victims at the time of the assault, the and the impact on families of the perpetrators when accusations come to light decades later. As I mentioned, slow start, but once it takes off it is fantastic!

Let me say first that this book is a heavy read. It kept me engaged and enthralled the entire time but covered incredibly difficult topics that may be very sensitive for some readers. Jennifer Weiner tells an intricate story spanning decades exploring themes of friendship, trauma, recovering from pain, the choices we make, gender norms and expectations of women and men, the meaning of family, forgiveness and accountability for past actions. There's a lot to unpack in this novel and for the most part, I think she did a really excellent job of portraying how different experiences and emotions shaped her characters' lives. Told from multiple perspectives and beautifully written, this was a profound, powerful and poignant read.

Thank you so much to Atria and Netgalley for this advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

Not just another summer read! I began assuming it was going to be another light, summer read.....no! Timely and important, That Summer puts a spin on the Me Too movement by forging past the headlines and made me consider the way entire families are affected by past sins. Great ending!

In all honesty, I did not finish this book. The first two chapters were terrible and I didn’t wish to continue.

Wow...there’s a LOT to unpack here in Jennifer Weiner’s upcoming May 2021 release “That Summer”.

First, the fact that the book isn’t very good. It’s full of so many small and utterly tiny details that the reader requires 0% knowledge of, that it gets old fast. There easily could have been 75-100 pages trimmed off this manuscript. She got so bogged down here in framing the story of "That Summer" (the past) versus the modern storyline that I think it just got to be way too long and wordy.

Secondly, this book is heavy. Like very heavy. Especially in the last 40%. And it's not a beach book. At all. It’s being sold as a book that is not what you're going to read based on the title, cover, and synopsis. It's not awful. I appreciated the story and the author’s purpose of the book. I get the “social message” that she’s trying to convey. But it just took so long to get anywhere and the storyline was so messy by that point that it didn't have that powerful of an emotional punch. Plus, this topic has just been so over covered in the media lately.

As for the overarching plot, I don't know...there isn't much of one until you get to the 60% mark...and anything I tell you is going to spoil this book tremendously. Something happened to Diana that was tragic during “That Summer" when she was young, and Daisy starts getting emails meant for Diana and they form a friendship, that isn't actually genuine, because Diana plans the friendship. And there's a lot more to be unpacked in that...

Wow....Sorry. That was a lot more than I intended to type when I started. I’m sure some people will end up enjoying this book for what it is....but if I had been given a more accurate description of it and knew what the last 30-35% was going to focus on, I never would have picked it up.

2.5 ⭐️

Jennifer Weiner has been my favorite author since I was in college (almost 20 years!) and I've never missed a new release. To get an advanced readers copy of her latest novel is a serious dream come true. I will admit, I don't think I really read the premise of the novel.... I just saw Jennifer Weiner and knew I was going to read it.

I was initially drawn in with the characters that were so well developed and that I wanted to get to know more. I felt myself turning pages with speed, desperate to connect the dots and multiple times gasping when they did connect. The novel handles some really tough topics with grace and emotion. It was beautiful how well she approached every aspect of the issue and showed that not everything is black and white as you see from the media.

The humor I expect from Weiner was there, but muted. What I really loved was that there wasn't a great love story... it truly was about loving yourself and how to get there. Beautiful, thought provoking and challenging. While set in the cape, it might not be one you want to relax on the beach with--- but you definitely will want to add it to your summer reading pile!

This book was received as an ARC from Atria Books in exchange for an honest review. Opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own.

I am a huge fan of Jennifer Weiner and That Summer was extravagant and entertaining to read. While reading and learning about the lifestyle Daisy had compared to the lifestyle of Diana that Daisy wants, I could not help but to think of the movie Desperately Seeking Susan while Roberta was living the perfect rich life but she wanted to live on the run full of adventure like Susan. It was the same for Daisy and Diana and that made me love the book even more, a modern twist on the movie now with emails instead of newspaper ads. Just like the movie, Diana and Daisy become friends and realize that they have more in common then they seem and the point is to never judge anyone until you get to meet them because you never know what they are really like and to never take your life for granted and always count your blessings.

We will consider adding this title to our Adult Fiction collection at our library. That is why we give this book 5 stars.

Never have I ever been disappointed in a Jennifer Weiner novel - even the ones that feel rushed are still such a fun, welcome escape from reality. That Summer is no exception. Perfect quarantine read!

Jennifer Weiner writes another fabulous summer read, returning to Cape Cod and the different types of people who make it their home. Last year's Big Summer also took place partially on the shores of Cape Cod, and like that book, That Summer has a crime that occurs on the picturesque beaches.

That Summer begins with what seems like a blossoming online friendship. Two women, both named Dianna, seem to be getting each other's emails by mistake. When they start chatting, they decide to meet up for a drink. The story unfolds in multiple perspectives and switching from past to present. Readers start to see that this was not a coincidental friendship at all, but the culmination of many years and many past secrets.

I loved Big Summer, and I love this one too! It is everything you want in a delicious beach read-- a little romance, a little intrigue, a little mystery, and a lot of awesome female characters (including one of the Dianna's daughter, Beatrice). Highly recommend!

Weiner always writes engaging stories with sympathetic characters. The cover and title are misleading: this one dealt with a pretty heavy topic (sexual assault), and I think the plot suffered a bit under its weight. Some of Diana's complicated machinations were a little hard to believe. But I was still rooting for both women.

*Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an e-galley in exchange for an honest review.