Judith D Collins

May 10, 20225 min read

The Summer Place

By: Jennifer Weiner

ISBN: ‎ 978-1501133572

Publisher: Atria Books

Publication Date: 05/10/2022

Format: Hardcover

My Rating: 5 Stars (ARC)

TOP BOOKS OF 2022

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.

When Veronica Levy bought her home on the Outer Cape, she imagined generations of her family gathering there each summer for many years to come—but things didn’t work out that way. Forty years later, Ronnie’s husband is gone. Her son, Sam, is in California, and rarely makes the trip back home. Her daughter, Sarah, packs her kids’ summers full of enriching, educational, resume-building activities that do not include collecting seashells or playing Frisbee on the beach with their beloved grandmother.

When Sarah’s 22-year-old stepdaughter, Ruby, announces her engagement to her pandemic boyfriend, Gabe, she is shocked. But it also feels like the perfect way to say goodbye to the Levy family summer place – a wedding to reunite them all for one last celebration on the Cape, and then Ronnie will say goodbye to the house she’s loved for her entire life. With the wheels in motion and headstrong Ruby setting a date only three months away, the Levy family begins the frenzied process of planning a wedding, bumps and drama and all.

Ruby has always known exactly what she wants, but as the wedding date approaches, she finds herself grappling with the wounds left by the mother who walked out when she was a baby. Veronica ends up facing unexpected news, thanks to her meddling sister, and must revisit the choices she made long ago, when she was a bestselling novelist with a different life. Sarah’s twin brother, Sam, is recovering from a terrible loss and contemplating big questions about who he is—questions he hopes to resolve during his stay on the Cape. Then there’s Sarah’s husband, Eli, who’s been inexplicably distant during the pandemic. He, too, must deal with the consequences of a long-ago lapse from his typical good-guy behavior. Frustrated by her husband, concerned about her stepdaughter, and worn out by challenges of life during quarantine, Sarah faces the alluring reappearance of someone from her past and a life that could have been.

When the wedding day arrives, lovers are revealed as their true selves, misunderstandings take on a life of their own, and secrets come to light. There are confrontations and revelations that will touch each member of the extended family, ensuring that nothing will ever be the same.

From “the undisputed boss of the beach read” (The New York Times), The Summer Place is a testament to family in all its messy glory; a story about what we sacrifice and how we forgive. Enthralling, witty, big-hearted and sharply observed, this is Jennifer Weiner’s love letter to the Outer Cape and the power of home, the way our lives are enriched by the people we call family, and the endless ways love can surprise us.

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Thank you, #Atria Ariele & Zoe and #NetGalley for an early reading copy and a beautiful finished hardcover - You made my day!

#TheSummerPlace

The Washington Post says it best: Jennifer is “back with a multigenerational story that dishes out the best kind of family drama," in THE SUMMER PLACE, and it truly embodies what Jen does best. She writes about families and motherhood and growing up and finding your own way with empathy and humor. There’s grief and joy and death because everyone went through something during the year (plus!) we have been locked down – but somehow Jen turned her pandemic year of losing her mother, her father-in-law, and her beloved dog – into inspiration for a fictional tale that is compelling and relatable and sharable. This book is Jennifer Weiner’s love letter to the Outer Cape and the power of home, the way our lives are enriched by the people we call family, and the endless ways love can surprise us.

I hope you will fall in love with her novels as much as I have!

This dog photo is for Jennifer. Novel spelled backward. LEVON her new rescue. LOVE THIS! Read about it here on IG!

Praise

“ [A] funny, tender read. A new novel from Weiner heralds the start of beach reading season, so prepare your collections accordingly.”

—Booklist (starred review)

“Weiner creates a story with all the misunderstandings and miscommunications of a screwball comedy or a Shakespeare play (think A Midsummer Night’s Dream). But the surprising, over-the-top actions of the characters are grounded by a realistic and moving look at grief and ambition…even when the characters are lying, cheating, and hiding from each other, they still seem like a real and loving family…[a] poignant look at family bonds.”

—Kirkus

“A family’s secrets and entanglements flare up during a Cape Cod wedding in this first-rate page-turner from Weiner. [She] is a master of emotionally complicated narratives, and her smart and witty writing is on full display here. This engrossing novel will please her legions of fans.”

—Publishers Weekly

Check out the Audiobook narrated by the fab Sutton Foster!

My Review

Jennifer Weiner, the summer queen, returns with a post-lockdown emotional tale of a multi-generational family in THE SUMMER PLACE.

Life is not always easy, full of drama, and sometimes messy, but it can be rewarding.

The author takes us to one of her favorite spots, the beautiful Cape Cod, where we meet a cast of characters where everyone gathers for a beautiful summer wedding.

EVERYONE HAS SECRETS! The what-ifs?

Sarah's stepdaughter, Ruby is getting married to Gabe. Sarah's mother Veronica wants to have the wedding at the Cape Cod home.

There are many emotions: Sarah is in a marriage and thinking of an old lover and a desire to be a pianist. Veronica, the novelist is facing something from the past. Sarah’s twin brother, Sam, is recovering from a terrible loss and more. Sarah's husband, Eli has a secret from the past which may come back to haunt him. Ruby is questioning her choices. Ronnie is dealing with her health and a love affair from the past. Lots of scandalous secrets.

With summer air, family, friends, the beach, beautiful homes, delicious food and wine, and lots of emotion, mothers and daughters — the author takes us on a roller coaster journey of family and the strong ties that bind.

Lyrical, heartwarming, blended with the master storyteller's own witty signature style makes THE SUMMER PLACE another excellent beach read and perfect for book clubs. Love the cover!

One of my favorite authors (I have read all of her books), and her passion shines through every page and character. I enjoyed the Author's note and her own personal journey coming out on the other side this past year. Well done! A beautiful love letter to the Cape and the power of home and family.

A special thank you to #NetGalley for a digital copy and #AtriaBooks for a beautiful print and hardcover copy to read, review, and enjoy!

@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks

My Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Pub Date: May 10, 2022

#TheSummerPlace

Elevator Ride with the Author

Check out my #AuthorElevatorSeries

with Jennifer Weiner where we go behind the book, THAT SUMMER, and behind this fun, talented, and fascinating author we all love! Celebrating Jen's 20th Anniversary and all her books!

INTERVIEW

MY REVIEW

About the Author

ABOUT JENNIFER WEINER:

Jennifer Weiner is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of eighteen books, including Big Summer, Mrs. Everything, Good in Bed, and an essay collection, Hungry Heart: Adventures in Life, Love, and Writing. A graduate of Princeton University and a frequent contributor to the New York Times Opinion section, Jennifer lives with her family in Philadelphia.