Book Review and Giveaway: The Summer Place

By Melissa Amster

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 challenges of life during 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. (Synopsis courtesy of Amazon.)

While I enjoyed Jennifer Weiner's previous two summer themed novels, The Summer Place is my favorite of the three. I loved all the different character narratives and found myself laughing out loud and gasping quite a few times. The story has a wide emotional impact and so many memorable moments. It's definitely just for an adult audience, but I really enjoyed the steam factor. 

There were some times where I was able to guess what would happen, but I also loved the little clues that led me to figure things out. And I didn't see these things coming until everything just added up. There was a Modern Family feel to this story. I also loved the Judaism elements throughout. It was interesting seeing the same situation from two different lenses, as well.

I could have done without the house having a personality of its own. That just seemed too bizarre. Also, the age gap between Ronnie and her kids felt too wide (she was 80, while they were 38) for how the timeline was playing out. Did Veronica wait until her forties to have kids? I hope this was something that was clarified or corrected in the final publication. I also wish Ruby had received more than two chapters to tell her side of the story. One aspect that was mentioned in the beginning got dropped and only somewhat mentioned toward the end. However, nothing was actually done with it. Even with all these concerns, I still give five stars to this engaging and heartfelt novel!

The Summer Place is perfect for your beach bag this summer, or to curl up with on a comfy chair!

Movie casting suggestions:

Sarah: Romola Garai

Eli: Jon Favreau

Ronnie: Dyan Cannon

Sam: Max Rhyser

Ruby: Dylan Gelula

Gabe: Joey Pollari

Ari: Sasha Mitchell

Owen: Dylan Bruce

Annette: Amanda Peet

Rosa: Marisol Nichols (adult), Rachel Zegler (young adult)

Thanks to Atria for the book in exchange for an honest review. They have one copy for a lucky reader!

How to win: Use Rafflecopter to enter the giveaway. If you have any questions, feel free to contact us. If you have trouble using Rafflecopter on our blog, enter the giveaway here. 

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Giveaway ends May 9th at midnight EST.

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