The Summer Place
A Novel
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3.8 • 1.2K Ratings
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- $13.99
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- $13.99
Publisher Description
From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of That Summer comes another “fun, feisty” (The Washington Post) novel of family, secrets, and the ties that bind.
When her twenty-two-year-old stepdaughter announces her engagement to her pandemic boyfriend, Sarah Danhauser is shocked. But the wheels are in motion. Headstrong Ruby has already set a date (just three months away!) and spoken to her beloved safta, Sarah’s mother Veronica, about having the wedding at the family’s beach house in Cape Cod. Sarah might be worried, but Veronica is thrilled to be bringing the family together one last time before putting the big house on the market.
But the road to a wedding day usually comes with a few bumps. 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 confronting big questions about who he is—questions he hopes to resolve during his stay on the Cape. Sarah’s husband, Eli, who’s been inexplicably distant during the pandemic, confronts the consequences of a long ago lapse from his typical good-guy behavior. And Sarah, frustrated by her husband, concerned about her stepdaughter, and worn out by the challenges of the quarantine, 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 first-rate page-turner” (Publishers Weekly) 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.
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
From steamy affairs to juicy family secrets, best-selling author Jennifer Weiner’s scintillating beach read has it all. When 22-year-old Ruby announces she’s engaged to her handsome, bisexual boyfriend, Gabe, everyone seems happy for the young couple. But as the wedding looms closer, Ruby’s father, Eli, begins to grow distant, hinting at a shocking secret that could change their family forever. We were wowed by Weiner’s ability to weave each member of Ruby’s large, blended family into the story, with every chapter devoted to a different and intriguing person. As Ruby’s wedding day gets closer and closer, the calamity and catharsis build. The Summer Place is an exciting, emotional, and heartfelt read.
Customer Reviews
“Woke” is what went through my mind.
In my humble opinion, the author has written a woke book and checked off a lot of boxes in the process. While somewhat irritated by her obvious intent, it was a good read and I look forward to reading another one of her novels in the future.
The Summer Place
Very disappointing. I wish I would have read some of the reviews. I will be more careful with recommendations from magazine editors.
Terrible
Honestly, this book is terrible. The number of ridiculous coincidences and the poor decision making of a majority of the adult characters (the uncle and fiancé, the boyfriend’s mother random hook up with said don’s girlfriend twenty years before) just makes it tedious. Worse than a soap opera. Ronny and Annette are the only somewhat compelling characters in the book. Don’t waste your time or money.