This was so good! I really enjoyed the switching between the different points of views. I was really enthralled with the story and how it unfolded. I wish that there had been a bigger update at the end because I'd love to know more about what happens.

Firstly, this is NOT a beach read. It's not light or fun - it's serious and thought provoking. Having said that, it was very well written. This book has rape and suicide in it. The book is about two women - both named Diana who meet due to an unexpected coincidence. I couldn't stop reading because I wanted to know how it all came together, what happened next and what made the characters do what they do (no spoilers here!). I liked the way the characters were written - even my intense dislike of Poe and my love of Beatrice. The book has a lot and is quite heavy - it has the same themes over and over throughout the book - and the timeline isn't quite linear. As I mentioned, not a beach read, but a good book nonetheless.

Ehhhhhh. This was fine. It didn’t feel particularly fresh to me and the characters never really developed. I didn’t feel invested in the story and it felt formulaic. Definitely not my favorite Jennifer Weiner book.

First thing readers should know - despite the cover, this is NOT a typical "beach read". There's some dark, heavy subject matter happening here - particularly the aftermath of sexual assault for the victim. It's a tale of two Dianas, two women who are very different, but do have more than just their name in common. They initially meet online and then strike up an in-person friendship. Both women, along with a teenaged daughter, are frustrating at times - much like our friends and family members can be at times. We watch them grow and change as their stories unfold and they learn more about each other and themselves. There's a thin connection between this book and Big Summer from a couple of years ago, and I hear that another connected "summer" book will be coming - I kind of hope the teenaged daughter will be the focus, I'd love to see her come into her own.
This one was difficult to rate for me - I waffled between 3 & 4 stars. I ended up at 4 after removing my personal feelings about some of the subject matter Weiner touches on here and remembering that Weiner was looking at things through the lens of her character's life experiences, not mine.
My thanks to Netgalley and Atria Books for providing a copy for an unbiased review.

That Summer by Jennifer Weiner might be released in time for Summer Beach Reading lists but the material is more serious and less light, but it draws you in after you nail down the characters and their backstories. This is a novel about two Dianas who meet up because of an email address similarity, but seem to come from two different worlds. The book's plot is pulled from recent headlines of the #MeToo movement and has a revenge narrative with regards to hold people accountable for their past actions..

Jennifer Weiner's storytelling and character development is deep and rich and the audiobook narrator, Sutton Foster, is a perfect match for the tone.

Wow this book was a propulsive read to see how everything would play out. They beginning made me very tense, but the way Daisy and Diana’s stories come together really is an uplifting and powerful story for women. The book deals with some serious topics but it never felt too heavy. It’s more serious than some of other Weiner’s books, but definitely one to pick up to read this summer!

If I'm being honest, I loved Weiner's book, Mrs. Everything (I know it got all kinds of mixed reviews, but it worked for me!); I was annoyed by Big Summer; and That Summer just continued with that annoyance. After reading three of her books and only really enjoying one, I'm just not sure Weiner is an author for me.

I felt like this book needed some tighter editing and felt it could have easily been shorter by 75-100 pages. There was a lot of unnecessary dialogue and looping back that didn't add to the story at all.

Unfortunately, I think the cover is a disservice because it looks like an easy beach read, but with the heavy topics of the #metoo movement, I think some people will be disappointed. Somehow the cover should convey the heavier topics to avoid confusion with the readers.

This book is great! Would definitely recommend. Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

I love Jennifer Weiner and always look forward to reading her books every summer. That Summer did not disappoint. When Diana heads to the cape for a summer of babysitting, she thinks it will be the summer of her life.

Years later, she begins a friendship with another women named Diana when their email addresses are confused but, it is more than just mere coincidence. This is not the lighthearted story that I thought it would be but, it was sooo good.

Thank you to Atria for my copy of this book. All thoughts are my own.

This book is a #metoo story that sees two women’s lives intersect.

I liked how the story was laid out - with Daisy and Diana’s lives told separately, then together as theirs lives comes together.

I felt so frustrated with many of the men in this book. Their attitudes about behaviors and treatment of women.

I felt bad for Daisy and Diana each for the things that happened in their lives. But I am glad they were able to find their strength and stand up for themselves.

{cw - rape; diet talk}

I tried reading this book in hopes that it would grab me like Big Summer did. But unfortunately it did not. I ended up DNF'ing it. I will still try anything that Jennifer writes. I guess you just can't win them all.

Once again, Jennifer Weiner delivers a compelling and emotional story. Weiner tackles a sensitive topics with thoughtful consideration, and weaves the tale of a marriage, a family, that is at great risk of falling completely apart. I highly recommend adding this one to your currently reading shelf!

I anxiously await every Jennifer Weiner book and this one was no different! I love the way she tells a meatier story in the easiest to read way. This book was no different. If you have liked previous Jennifer Weiner books you will love this one!

That Summer tells the story of two different Diana’s brought together by an accidental typo in an email address. However, there is a different connection brought on later on....... Both Diana’s share something in common. This book was a quick read and I did enjoy it!

I can always count on Jennifer Weiner for a solid summer read. That Summer has a beach read setting, with some heavier content surrounding a sexual assault of one of the characters. The book was really focused on the stories and relationships between the two main women which I really enjoyed.

Daisy and Diana meet because their email addresses are only one letter apart. Daisy is a struggling housewife, while Diana is a busy career woman (or so you think...) As you get further into the book, you learn more about Diana's past and realize that the women are more connected than they first appear.

Personally, I didn't really connect with Daisy's storyline, but others may feel differently. I loved her daughter Beatrice, and I thought Diana's story was also very compelling. Like I said earlier, the content of this book makes it a little heavier than your average beach read, but I did find the story interesting, and the Cape Cod setting totally transported me to the beach.

That Summer is the story of Diana and Diana (also known as Daisy). Daisy, renamed by her husband Hal, lives a seemingly idyllic suburban life. Hal is a partner at a law firm and Daisy has a small business teaching others how to cook. Daisy has a teenage daughter, Beatrice, who is headstrong and creative, starting an Esty business with the crafts she makes. However, due to an email mix-up, Daisy ends up receiving some of Diana’s emails. Diana appears to be a sophisticated executive, her emails depicting a life of business dinners and a glamorous, independent lifestyle. However, both women are struggling with the decisions of their past, which may be more similar than they appear to be.

I would highly recommend That Summer. Weiner manages to explore very serious topics (rape, toxic masculinity) while still making the book feel like a compelling, entertaining summer read.

The women in the book are written to be strong, resilient, and, above all, survivors. By the end of the book, each of the women face their fears, challenge traditional masculine systems and ideals, find their own voices, and overcome the demons of their past. I loved how it was truly a book of women supporting women. It’s not obvious at first, but Weiner definitely makes clear that women are stronger together & shows what happens when women choose to be there, get behind, and believe in one another.
Wiener also excels at depicting the emotions of an abuse survivor. Through her characters, Weiner conveys the different forms abuse can take, and that confronting their abuser takes many different forms. Weiner shows that the mindset is not one of “revenge or nothing”. Weiner demonstrates that the emotions are more complex than that—ever changing & very nuanced, which i don’t think is a perspective that is widely known or conveyed.

There were two things that ultimately kept this from being a five-star read for me. The first is that it started a bit slow for me. The exposition and character introduction were definitely interesting, detailed, and thought-out. However, I couldn’t help but thinking, “where is this going” at times. But trust me when I say, you MUST keep reading. The book gets very compelling very quickly, and by the end I was reading faster than I could turn pages. The second aspect that didn’t work for me was the narration style. Weiner chose third-person narration that alternates between Beatrice, Diana, and Daisy. However, the narration also alternates time periods. The narration takes the reader through the pasts of each character, but it’s mixed in with the present. This wasn’t detrimental to the story, and ultimately was a great way of telling this story. However, there were times where I had to stop reading, remind myself of the character, and reorient myself within the context of the story.

Those two points are just two specific aspects that didn’t work for me personally. I think this is a great summer read that is not only entertaining but also considers serious concepts, making the reader reflect on questions of revenge, masculinity, assault, and confrontation. It’s rare that you find a book that has aspects of a drama and a thriller that also tackles heavy, serious subjects, but Weiner succeeds! I look forward to reading more of Weiner’s prior work and anything she writes going forward.

This was not a disappointment it was as good as her other books if you need a good summer beach read please pick this one up it is so worth it and worth all of your time and fun in the sun with a book

I thought that this was a wonderful book. Through the lens of Diana's character, readers can really understand a rape victim's perspective on the long term effects. I think often books highlight the actual event but then don't go on to explain how the victim is impacted years later. Even though this is a main topic of the book, there is also an air of mystery to the story line as we try to figure out how the two Dianas connect to each other in the story. The story line and the characters drew me in right from the beginning and I enjoyed the entire book. My only criticism is that I felt the ending was abrupt. I would have liked more story line after the climax of the plot.

3.5 STARS - I've been a fan of Jennifer Weiner's books for years because they are a compelling blend of contemporary fiction, timely subject matter and memorable main characters. Her latest book That Summer is loosely connected to her 2020 hit Big Summer and features a story with issues that are both poignant, thought-provoking and will spark great discussion.

I strongly caution readers to not judge this book by its cover. Despite its summery feel, this is not an easy-breezy beach read. The story jumps between two timelines and is told via two POVs for most of the story (with a third added later) and it is through the experiences of these characters' that Weiner tackles larger, societal issues within a story about self-discovery, female friendship and justice. Other topics include manipulation, privilege, misuse of power and the long-lasting effects of trauma.

I appreciated the subjects Weiner ambitiously includes in this story which are important and emotional but may be a trigger for some readers (trigger warning at the bottom of this post - caution spoiler). The story has a slow start, and it took me almost half of the book to get into the lives of Daisy and Diana. After that point, I had an ah-ha moment, realized where Weiner was going with her plot, and things took off from there. But despite the subject matter, I found this book to be less powerful that I expected, I struggled to connect with the main characters and found a couple of the male characters and the bratty teen to be one-dimensional.

Overall, That Summer was a good read and the fifth book I've read by this author. It is an ambitious novel that handles big, timely topics with compassion but there's also some romance and intrigue too. While this isn't my favourite book by the author, I continue to be a huge fan of Jennifer Weiner and eagerly look forward to reading her future books.

Disclaimer: My sincere thanks to Atria Books for my advanced digital copy of this title in exchange for my honest review.

Another winner from Jennifer Weiner! That Summer is the story of 15 year old Diana whose life is changed one summer on Cape Cod. That Summer will also impact the other narrators in this book: Daisy, the stay at home mom who mistakenly receives emails meant for Diana since their email addresses differ by one character; Beatrice, Daisy’s one of a kind, eccentric daughter, who’s forging her own path in life, and Hal, the man whose actions that summer have lasting consequences.

This book examines the mistakes made as young adults, the impacts on the characters lives, and addresses the #metoo movement and the philosophy “boys will be boys.”

This is not a cotton candy, sweet, beach read. This is a delicious, savory story with a lot to digest.

I enjoyed this story a lot! Thank you to @netgalley and @atriabooks for the advanced e-copy of #thatsummer!

#book #bookreview #netgalley