That Summer by Jennifer Weiner had its moments, but it didn’t fully meet my expectations. I appreciated the timely themes and emotional depth, but the pacing felt uneven and some plot twists seemed forced. The dual timelines were a bit disjointed, making it hard to stay fully engaged. Still, the writing was heartfelt, and I connected with parts of the story. It was a decent read, just not as powerful as I’d hoped.

This one is an engaging mix of friendship, hidden pasts, and personal growth. The story follows two women who meet by chance and discover a deeper connection rooted in a shared, complicated history. Weiner weaves in themes of trauma and healing with sensitivity, and while it’s a bit heavier than some of her other books, it still has that relatable warmth she does so well. A good pick if you're in the mood for a compelling, heartfelt read with layers to unpack.

This book was a bit of a slow burner but worth persevering with. Overall a good read with important topics covered.

This is a thought provoking story. The author tackles serious topics very well. There is excellent character development. I enjoyed the two timelines.

This was my first read by Jennifer Weiner. I personally found the story to be slow paced. Though, the book was will written and the characters also were interesting. I did manage to finish it.

Overall, a recommended book if your looking for a good summer read.

Thanks to netgalley, the publisher at little brown book group & author Jennifer Weiner.

I absolutely loved this book! The premise immediately hooked my interest and it was filled with twisty characters and such intense plot!

This was a great and compelling book - would recommend as a page-turner for a beach holiday. I raced through it.

I really enjoyed this book. I've heard fantastic things about Jennifer Weiner so was excited to pick this up, wasn't disappointed! Loved the main characters (both named Daisy), loved the storyline. Would definitely recommend.

Having both characters named Diana could have been confusing, but here it's done really well and it just worked.

However I found the start a little slow, and it took me a while to get into the swing of this book. I did however appreciate the respect given to tough topics such as rape and sexual assault.

Daisy Shoemaker wife of Hal, is the homemaker. She does however have her own flourishing cooking career in which she provides cooking lessons to paying customers. In the eyes of her Husband Hal she is the one that runs the home and he is the breadwinner, that’s the way it’s always been and the way it always should be. In his opinion of course.

When Daisy (Formerly Diana) meets another Diana through a case of mistaken identity. The two form an unlikely bond. Diana is a high flying go getter with a career essentially restructuring companies and removing the dead wood.

What Daisy doesn’t know is that Diana isn’t who she says she is.

Set between suburban Philadelphia and Cape Cod and told from the perspectives of the two Dianas in alternating chapters.

I did enjoy the story as a whole but I found myself struggling initially with the story and trying to make sense of where each character fit. This may have taken me almost 40% of the book to sort in my head.

The other thing I will mention is that despite the light and airy cover mentioning and depicting summer. This book is far from the light and fluffy beach read you might expect. Content warning for sexual assault and rape. So make sure you are fully informed before diving in.

This book was so good, I read it in a day! I just didn’t want to put it down. It told the story of 2 characters called Diana, who were linked in a way which would determine their whole future, I loved the way the story unfolded, with some surprises along the way. The telling of the traumatic event which shaped the future of the elder Diana in particular, was done in such a sensitive and heartfelt way that I really felt her pain, I found the ending to be very thought provoking in that it highlighted the effect of abuse not only on the victim, but occasionally on the some of the abusers as well as they battle with the feelings of shame and regret,
A fabulous book which will not disappoint!
Thank you to the publishers and to Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to enjoy this book.

A great book read that compelling unfolds as we discover how and why two very different women are linked. Overwhelmed, adrift and in-denial-of-her-own-unhappiness Daisy believes their friendship to have been an accident, an internet error that was actually a blessing in disguise. But she has no idea of the true intent behind it, and how her entire life may be totally uprooted. A compelling beach read.

Wow this tale from Jennifer Weiner delivered a lot more than I anticipated - I loved it. It contained similar themes and settings to previous stories by Weiner that I've also enjoyed in the past, the author's love for Cape Cod is as strong as ever!
The 1st section of the book is about 15 year old Diana who has a summer job as a mother's help on the Cape. She works in the daytime and spends evenings with new friends. As summer passes, she grows closer to one of the teenage boys from a group of prep school boys celebrating the end of school; with her eye on one in particular, called Poe. The next part of the book is about Daisy, who is a happily married wife and stay-at-home mother in her 30s.She wanted to be a chef but she met her husband and married young. He is now busy at work and she looks after the house and their family business, also teaching cookery lessons on the side.

Daisy (who is actually called Diana) receives a series of mis-directed emails, emails that are meant for another Diana. The two women start a conversation and end up meeting up for lunch, starting a real friendship. The new Diana is a successful charismatic businesswoman and Daisy/ Diana enjoys her company immensely. There's more to the new Diana than meets the eye though; she has a hidden agenda and isn't the person she is purporting to be.
The unravelling of the truth behind Diana's story and Daisy's unwitting involvement in the whole affair was brilliantly told and well executed.
After a slightly slow start, I couldn't put the book down and was keen to see how it would pan out for all concerned. I could entirely empathise with the situation at the heart of the story and thought it was well explored from all angles.

Daisy is feeling increasingly dissatisfied with her life. Her husband doesn’t listen to her (let alone seem to respect her) and her teenage daughter is on course to be thrown out of her expensive boarding school, of which said husband is an alumnus. So when emails start landing in her inbox meant for someone whose email address is one letter different from her own, she’s quick to begin imagining the glamorous life led by management consultant Diana. And when she and Diana meet, their connection is instant and friendship blossoms. But Diana is keeping a secret…

That Summer is classic Jennifer Weiner and I enjoyed it enormously. It deals with some tough subjects, but sensitively so, and there is a great deal of satisfaction to be had in seeing Diana’s plans play out. The characterisation is astute and the central themes - of privilege, wealth, toxic masculinity, trauma and #MeToo - timely. It’s also an easy read despite the heavy themes, while never minimising the them.

I thoroughly enjoyed the latest from Jennifer Weiner. I have always enjoyed her books and she continues to deliver every time.

This book is based on events that happen ‘that summer’ and the consequences that arise from that. It explores the relationship between two women named Diana, which isn’t as coincidental as it may first appear.

I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

When Daisy starts receiving emails accidentally for another lady with a similar name she is envious of her life. Where Daisy is first a foremost a wife and a mother, the other Diana is a business consultant travelling all over the world and having independent success. Daisy is desperate to meet the woman and quickly arranges drinks in New York and a friendship blossoms between the pair.
What Daisy doesn’t know, is that Diana isn’t whom she appears. And she is actually reaping revenge for an incident that happened in her teens ‘That Summer’.
I had never read a Jennifer Weiner book before and I was lured into assuming they were girly romcoms. Although at times I find this book to drag a little the overall premise was really good and it was bingeworthy in the fact that it gave such little snippets of information you have to keep reading to learn more.
Definitely a good read but not a chill on the beach sort!

I was very close to DNFing this book at 20% but I saw a review that after 25% through they couldn't put it down and so I continued, and that review was so correct! A slow start but overall a good read. I was disappointed by the ending but understood the reason for the underwhelming end due to the topic explored.

Connections…
A connection not so accidental in this contemporary, fluidly written tale of friendships and secrets. Characters are credible and crisply drawn and the multi person narrative immersive and compelling where difficult issues are handled well and with care.

That Summer focuses on Daisy and Diana and how they become connected through an event in Diana’s past. Daisy has a good life, but recently she’s been questioning life's purpose. When she meets Diana, who seems to be a highly successful businesswoman, Daisy's doubts intensify.

I really liked Diana and how the author revealed her story, making me desperate to keep reading to see what would happen next. Told using multiple perspectives, there is a lot more to this book than meets the eye and contains insights into personal tragedy, trauma, and the power of friendship. It's a great contemporary read that I thoroughly enjoyed. Very highly recommended.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Little, Brown Book Group UK, Piatkus via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.

I loved this one! The characters were likeable and I loved the descriptions of the cape in winter, it made me want to be there. Thank you so much for this arc