Thanks to Netgalley for providing me a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. It started out great, making me wanna find out more after each chapter. Ruby seemed more like side character than one of the main characters. There was no shock value. It got boring towards the middle.

Jennifer Weiner's books never fail to keep you turning the page - and this one is no exception. Written in the voice of several members of family who's mother loves her Cape Cod home as much as she loves her family. Their story takes us through their lives, loves and has a truly heartwarming ending.

A definite must read this Summer.

Weiner proves she has holding power with The Summer Place. Set around a wedding on the cape, this novel unwraps a family's messiest, most tender angles with Weiner's trademark humor and heart. Every family has secrets, but for the Danhauser family, it seems each member has one that will threaten to upend a relationship. Full of surprises, Weiner's storytelling delivers a compelling tale of family and forgiveness. Five glorious stars!

This is a book filled with secrets that can change a lot of people's lives. Ruby has decided to have her wedding at her Grandmothers house on the Cape. As the wedding approaches, the secrets start to be revealed. This story has many different relationships going on along with the secrets as each character has to find themselves. An interesting book that holds your attention.

The premise of this book seemed very interesting. There was a lot going on and I found myself confused a bit. I found it very hard to keep my attention. I wished I had found the characters more interesting.

It took me a while to get into this book, but once I did, it was worth finishing. At first I found the extensive backstory for each character to be intrusive and wondered if so much detail was necessary. It was. The second half was engaging and kept me intrigued, wanting to know how it would all sort out. I can see why this author is a popular beach read.

Thank you Atria Books for an e-copy of this book!

Though not a perfect fit for me, this book was overall enjoyable to read. This was my first book I’ve read by Jennifer Weiner and it definitely won’t be my last as I found her style of writing very witty and entertaining!

I think what made it not 100% for me was the story is very pandemic heavy as well as has a lot of what seems to be nonchalant infidelity. Both subjects which can be very triggering for many people. I do feel many people will enjoy the story though as it has many twists and turns which kept me engaged and intrigued. Definitely worth the read and a great book to enjoy this summer!

I know it is summer when I get the chance to luxuriate with another Jennifer Weiner novel set on Cape Cod. The Summer Place is another book that handles family drama with ease. Weiner is a delightful story-teller whose books feel as though they should be "chick-lit" or "beach reads" but always delve into the human condition more deeply than you might expect. This is a complex family story that deals with human topics such as LGBTQ issues, fidelity and infidelity, relationships, lost and found loves, heartbreak, love, and family. Just to name a few of the topics addressed within these pages.
As usual, Weiner delivers her prose with beautiful storytelling and writing and does so with the vibe of a new summer beginning.
Highly recommend!
#TheSummerPlace #NetGalley #AtriaBooks

Not just a beach book…

A smoothie for my scratchy throat, a little aloe for this anxious skin! This was an easy read that also was smart. It’s about an upper-middle-class family that is stuck together during COVID. A wedding is being planned on Cape Cod. There are many secrets, much anguish, and good characters. (All I know is, now I really want a smoothie.)

I have to complain, though, about this author being pigeonholed as writing just beach books. I know the writer wants to go big and write blockbusters, but this book is better than a beach book full of sand, glanced at in-between peeks at the kiddos in the tide pools. But what can you do when The New York Times calls Weiner “the undisputed boss of the beach read”? Well, she’ll get millions of readers, but the literary-fiction gang will no doubt avoid her like the plague, and that’s a shame.

Joy Jar

-Vivid characters in a slightly dysfunctional family that has complicated relationships; always a yum-yum situation. You get to see inside their heads.
-A plot that moves right along.
-Many juicy secrets, with some suspense surrounding the reveals.
-Language that’s lively and sophisticated, even though it’s basically utilitarian.
-No fillers.
-No sentimentality (this can often ruin a good family saga for me).
-Partially set on Cape Cod; I used to live there so it was fun to go back.
-Unputdownable.

Complaint Board

-No, no no, not FOUR coincidences! Really, that’s going a little overboard. How to buy that bologna? But the coincidences are so much fun and so integral to the tasty secrets, I didn’t care. (The book has got to be good if I’m defending this complaint so desperately!) But these never-would-have-happened plot parts are what kept me from giving the book 5 stars. The overabundance of coincidences will probably annoy others a lot more.

-Cut this baby down, will ya? Come on—it’s 432 pages! However, I can’t say there’s any fluff to cut (so shut up already, Debbie).

-There’s a little WASP-bashing by the family, which was Jewish. They called the WASPS “pond people” and it sounded derogatory. In fact, whenever the WASPS were brought up, it was in a negative way. I hate it when any group is put down.

-I didn’t like the biological mother. She had a bit part but she bugged me. I got on my moral high horse because I couldn’t stand her behavior toward her kid.

Bottom line: I consider this a masterpiece, with or without beachiness—beach title, beach cover, beach blurbs. Weiner (pronounced Winer, I’m happy to report) writes effortlessly and sure knows how to spin a tale. She wrote this book during the pandemic, whipped it up quickly it seems. It boggles my mind, because the book doesn’t seem hurried or incomplete. I’ve read a few of her books but now I want to read more. She’s mighty prolific. And I hope she keeps churning them out fast, like she has done here.

Grab this if you want an absorbing, well-told story that will distract you from the world for a little while.

Thanks to NetGalley for the advance copy.

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of That Summer comes another heartfelt and unputdownable novel of family, secrets, and the ties that bind.

The best of the best of Summer and Beach Reads. I will read anything Weiner writes!
A pandemic engagement, a heartfelt story, and always the secrets and family drama we know and love from this author. The perfect pool, beach, deck, or cozy reading spot book!

I’ve been reading JW for a long time, and I was super curious to see how she’d round out the “summer” trilogy, especially since BIG SUMMER and THAT SUMMER were so different. THE SUMMER PLACE is more similar to THAT SUMMER, but still uniquely its own. I’d describe it as THE PAPER PALACE, but a beach read.

The premise: 22-year-old Ruby is getting married, and it seems like no one is sure about it, including her. The reader dives into the minds and histories of her step-mom, her step-grandmother, her fiancé, her uncle, and her dad, who’s hiding a *big* secret.

It took me a little while to get into the groove of this book, because it’s mostly back story. The reader learns what happened in each of the characters’ lives to get them to where they are headed into the wedding. I liked some of the plot decisions more than others; there was one that had me hissing “whaatt!!” out loud as I read. The one thing that stayed consistent throughout was the beautiful line-level writing; I really loved how the characters were brought to life

I would like to thank the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for a fair review. This story is about a dysfunctional family on the corner of dysfunctional and WTF. I don't have any issues with suspending disbelief of whether people would really act like this so I did enjoy it. The setting was an upcoming wedding on the Cape which is always fun. I love Jennifer Weiner and will read everything and anything she writes.

I both read and listened to this novel so this review will be on both. First, the audible. Sutton Foster was the perfect voice for this and should read all Weiner’s novels.

The novel itself:

What a great emotional beach read. For the setting and the premise. I loved how the house was the tying factor.

This book is told from the POV of multiple characters each with a back story and a secret or two.

Funny but dramatic. Loved every page

excellent!!! love all of jennifer weiner's books. easy, fun, and as great as all the others. good summer read or any time!!! i am working my way through all of hers that i have not read yet. i can picture myself right in the scenes that she creates!!! a definite recommend.

As an avid Jennifer Weiner fan, I was thrilled to receive an advanced copy of The Summer Place. This is a multi-generational story of a family with many big secrets that come to light surrounding a wedding. The cast of characters and Cape Cod backdrop makes this a great summer read. Thanks to NetGalley and Atria books for the advanced copy.

A family saga that follows several characters. Sarah and her husband Eli have been struggling since the pandemic, he feels distant. Their 22 year old daughter, Ruby, is engaged and Sarah feels she’s moving too fast. Sarah’s mother, Ronnie, is worried her secrets will get out. Sarah’s twin, Sam has been unlucky in love and finds himself in a tough situation. The Summer Place in Cape Cod is also a character in the book. Everything comes together at Ruby’s wedding hosted at The Summer Place.

This will be a hit with a lot of people. I did enjoy it a lot as well. My main issue with this is the infidelity. I don’t think there’s a character that isn’t involved in it so if it’s a trigger or you don’t like reading about that I wouldn’t pick this up. I also felt the house being a character could have been involved a bit more. It seemed sort of thrown in without being consistent throughout. That said I did get sucked into this book and it would be a great book to take on vacation and had good character development (except the house character).

Thanks NetGalley for the advanced reader copy. This book is available now.

Warning - spoilers ahead.

Weiner’s most recent book, The Summer Place, could have been called Secrets and Lies. The chapters alternated between seven characters, and each one had a secret that they were keeping from themselves, their spouses or their friends and family. For me, this felt far-fetched, like Weiner was grasping for ways to keep the story moving and she just kept piling on the secrets.

Eli was terrified that his daughter was marrying Gabe, his long-lost son – but instead of talking to his wife about it, he shut her out and put his marriage on the line. Rosa knew that Eli was upset, but instead of telling him that Gabe wasn’t his son – like a grown up – she just blocked his calls and texts. Ruby didn’t want to get married, and frankly neither did Gabe, but neither of them told anyone until just before the wedding. Ronnie’s twins weren’t really her husbands. Sarah had an affair with her high school flame, Owen. Owen lied repeatedly to Sarah. Sam was secretly – even from himself – gay. And then Gabe and Sam hooked up? Please!

The Summer Place is one long soap opera. If you are looking for a pure escapist beach read, you may enjoy it. It did not appeal to me.

My thanks to NetGalley for an Advanced Readers Copy of this book. All opinions are my own and not biased in any way.

Jennifer Weiner never disappoints and this book is not exception. With twists and turns you won’t see coming, you will keep on reading to find out what happens next.

A fun summer read book and easy to read. This was a fast read because of all that was going on to keep you turning the pages.

Thank you to #netgalley and #atria books for allowing me to read the eARC of this book. All opinions expressed above are my own.

I'd like to thank Netgalley and the Publisher for sharing an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Another outstanding book by an exceptional author.

Review will be posted on 5/27/22

Sarah Danhauser's step-daughter, Ruby, is suddenly getting married and it's shocking to some of her family members. Sarah didn't see this coming as Ruby is still very young (22!) and she hasn't been dating her boyfriend, Gabe, that long. Sarah thinks that maybe all this time together in close quarters during the pandemic brought the two together quickly. Sarah's parents have a house on Cape Cod and Sarah's mother, Veronica, is excited to to host Ruby's wedding there. What's better than a family wedding at Cape Cod, especially after the pandemic? What the family doesn't know is that Veronica is putting the house up for sale after the wedding, so this is more than just a party; it's one last hurrah. Meanwhile, weddings are stressful to plan and this one is no different. There's Sarah's husband, Eli, who is hiding secrets about his past and is being so secretive at times that Sarah is convinced he is having an affair. Speaking of affairs, Veronica is afraid her past may come back to haunt her and then there's Sarah's twin, Sam, who is hiding secrets of his own and dealing with a possible love life that may implode. Then there's the bride herself who isn't really 100% sure she should be marrying Gabe. So, I ask what could possibly go wrong? The Summer Place by Jennifer Weiner is a modern family story set on beautiful Cape Cod; it makes for an engrossing beach read.

There are a lot of characters to keep track of in The Summer Place, but surprisingly, Weiner does such a good job developing them and giving us their backstories through flashbacks, which is definitely essential as it helps us to understand the many characters better. There's so many secrets....so much drama! Where should I start? I liked Ruby and the backstory involving her biological mother broke my heart. Ruby didn't have the easiest childhood, but she had a lot of support and once her father married Sarah, she had the family she always dreamed wanted. Ruby is close with Veronica and I loved their relationship and their mutual enjoyment of the beach house. Her relationship with Gabe was one huge red flag though. Sarah, while she seems like a decent human being, gets tangled in a mess that makes me question her. Eli's past is also a bit muddled as well as Veronica's. There's a lot of characters making a lot of poor choices and while I didn't agree with them most of the time, I was completely captivated, much like you would be when you watch a car crash. You just can't turn away! The only character that didn't make me completely cringe was Sam. He is lost in a way after the death of his wife and is trying to figure out where he belongs. He also gets tangled up in some major drama that was extremely cringe-worthy, but he himself isn't a bad guy. So, needless to say, I didn't really like any of the characters as they were all very complex, but tragically flawed.

Which leads me to the turn of events in The Summer Place. While I found all the drama extremely entertaining, I also found it unbelievable at times. I mean how many family members can be engaged in that much drama? How many coincidences can play out in one summer? Once I sort of let go of my expectations regarding whether this was plausible, I was able to enjoy the story a bit more as there's a lot of dramatic irony at play as well as misunderstandings that made me shudder. I read somewhere that this novel is similar to A Midsummer Night's Dream and I'd have to agree with that completely!

So, if you are looking for a family drama this summer, check out Weiner's The Summer Place. While this wasn't my favorite of Weiner's novels, I still thought it was completely absorbing and I just had to know how this disaster of a wedding was going to play out.

Are you a fan of Jennifer Weiner? Is The Summer Place on your summer TBR list? Let me know in the comments below.