Book Review: Jennifer Weiner's The Summer Place

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for a copy of Jennifer Weiner’s latest novel, The Summer Place.

Veronica is a widow and retired novelist, living full-time in her Cape Cod summer home. She had hopes that her adult children, twins Sarah and Sam, would choose to spend their summers in Cape Cod with their own children, enjoying nature and lazy days. However, Veronica’s kids have their own problems.

Sarah has two young children of her own and a college-age adult stepdaughter, Ruby. Sarah’s sensing problems in her marriage and struggling to keep her life together. Sam has recently lost his wife and he is a single parent to his young stepson. Sam is having difficulty finding his place in the world, including dating again.

Veronica has made the decision to sell her beloved Cape Cod home and has not told her children. She will tell them after hosting one last big event: Ruby’s wedding. However, an incident involving a seemingly fun and frivolous home DNA kit, threatens to expose family secrets. Several characters panic, unsure how to handle the delicate situation without further damaging fragile relationships.

I’m a fan of Weiner’s books, but a few of her more recent ones have been lacking. The Summer Place gets Weiner back on track with her strong characters and a compelling plot. I felt most connected with Sarah’s story as it had shades of my first marriage and how I was feeling about fifteen years ago, the uncertainty and lack of emotional connection. It took me back to a difficult place, but that said, with distance and perspective, I can relate to Sarah’s troubles, without feeling overwhelmed. Weiner is a master at writing characters with strong emotional arcs.

This story is set during the pandemic. The pandemic plays a crucial role with the relationships, specifically Ruby’s engagement and Sarah feeling overwhelmed by not having her own space. Be sure to read Weiner’s afterward, as she explains the changes that were made while writing The Summer Place, due to both the pandemic and situations in her life. It sounds like The Summer Place ended up being a very different story from the original concept, and I suspect, a much better story.

The ending is perfect. It left me feeling hopeful and with a happy heart. The Summer Place definitely has a summer vibe and is a great pick for the upcoming season. It’s not a light “beach read” as it deals with very challenging relationship topics, but it will make you long for a vacation to Cape Cod.

Book Review- Alexander McCall Smith's Pianos and Flowers: Brief Encounters of the Romantic Kind

Thank you to Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group for providing me with a copy of Alexander McCall Smith’s short story collection, Pianos and Flowers: Brief Encounters of the Romantic Kind, in exchange for an honest review.

I’m a huge fan of Smith’s The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency series and I was thrilled to have the chance to review his latest short story collection. In Piano and Flowers, Smith uses vintage photographs ( shown at the start of each story) as an inspiration for his fictional tales. The concept is interesting and a majority of the stories went a completely different direction than I anticipated.

I enjoyed the story about a woman living and working in London, who has an instant connection with a man that she meets. She gives him her address and when he fails to contact her, she leaves notes at an Egyptian statue that he mentioned as a spot he loves to visit. Time passes and she becomes engaged to a stable, yet far less exciting man, yet she never loses hope for the brief encounter that sparked so much passion. This beautiful story has a tone of longing and hope.

The other stand-out story involves a friendship between two boys that carries them through World War Two and adulthood. The opening of the story shows the boys at a hunting lodge that belongs to the family of the wealthier of the boys. We see the expectations that are placed on this child, yet the boy is very sensitive and uncertain. He is able to share this intimate aspect of his personality with his friend, the only person with whom he can truly let his guard down. It’s quite touching.

Overall, I was disappointed with the collection. A majority of the stories failed to hold my interest. I was considering why and I think it may have to do with the very thing that makes me love The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency series and its protagonist, Mma Ramotswe, which is a certain touch of sweetness that borders on unrealistic. Sure, Mama Ramotswe handles difficult cases and personal issues that are not trite, yet her stories usually end on an upbeat note, leaving readers happy. In Pianos and Flowers, Smith wraps up several of his stories in a similar manner, and in the short story format it felt rushed or too neatly resolved.

If you’re a fan of Smith’s you will want to read Pianos and Flowers, however, if you are new to his work, I would encourage you to start with one of his series. He is an excellent storyteller and master of creating memorable characters. I usually finish his stories feeling delighted, but I’m sad to report that Pianos and Flowers was not his best work.

Book Review- Jen Mann's People I Want to Punch in the Throat

I've recently discovered NetGalley, a website where reviewers can receive copies of books from publishers in exchange for honest feedback. I need more books like I need a hole in the head, so naturally, I signed up. I was perusing the offerings last week and came across blogger/author Jen Mann's new book, People I Want to Punch in the Throat.  Random House-Ballentine was kind enough to accept my request to review Mann's book.

Let's start with the title. When you go for the jugular and title your book, People I Want to Punch in the Throat, you risk coming across as harsh or bitchy. It could alienate readers. This is unless, your reader "gets you". Mann is my kind of people. Like me, she is a bit of a non-comformist and an introvert. I don't actually want to punch people in the throat and I don't think that she does either. It's just that it's a darn good phrase when you're fed up with other people. Plus, as far as books go, it's an attention grabbing title.

Mann is the mother of two young children living in the suburbs in Kansas. Much of her frustrations are directed towards other parents and the hyper-competitve nature of parenting in her neighborhood. If you've watched a TLC Reality show, you get the idea. I don't have kids, but I still found her book to be highly entertaining, primality due to Mann's writing style. She writes in a way that made me feel like she was telling me stories over a bottle of wine. Much like Blogger, Jen Lancaster, I have a feeling that if I met Mann, we would be good friends. She has a personable writer's voice.

Mann's collection of suburban complaints is very funny. I read it in less than twenty-four hours and it was so entertaining, that I often had to pause to read sections aloud to my husband. We both agreed that if we had kids, I'd be a mom very similar to  Mann, especially when it comes to moaning about missing out on Survivor! And no amount of peer pressure will ever make me do crafts!

I've just started following Mann's blog and I will definitely check out her other books. I think that Mann's books might have enough of a broad appeal, that they could be recommended to friends that don't normally take the time to read books. It's was very entertaining!