This book was just okay for me - i feel like i was so excited because of other reviews coming out so I had really high expectations. I did enjoy that this book had a large focus on body image. I enjoyed the solving the murder portion of the story the most.

A unique and engaging read but just not a big fan of this story. I felt a bit disconnected and did my best to do this book justice by sticking with it through the end but I think I'll give her other books a try and see if this was just a one off for me. I've heard many great reviews about JW's books so it might of just been the mood I was in while reading this gem. Thank you!

Jennifer Weiner has always had the ability to make you feel that she knows you when she writes her stories. Big Summer was another such story. Weiner never disappoints.

long time fan of Jennifer Weiner, I found Big Summer an interesting departure from her womens fiction of 2016's, 6 Star reviewed read of Mrs. Everything, and her early days of chick-lit/rom-com, like Good in Bed. With her depiction of a NYC girls' life in the "influencers" culture, Big Summer is a contemporary, suspense story that doubles, no triples, as a wonderful beach read.

The story opens in 1994 with single mother Christina lamenting end of summer and expounding on the joy of a cottage house on the cape. Fast forward to 2018, the story picks up with NYC native Daphne Berg, forging a business as a blogger/influencer and her reconnection with once upon a time bestie Drue Cavanaugh, who is now planning her social event of the year wedding on the Outer Cape. Drue wants Daphne to be in her wedding, and the timing couldn't be more suspect. But Daphne, long feeling like a second class citizen to the Cavanaugh family, is eager to be back in the fold and to discover just why Drue came to her and lets nostalgia influence her.

The story is well paced and the first half of the book leads up to the momentous occasion, but the event does not go off without major glitch (queue the suspense aspect in the second half of the story.) Daphne, like the rest of the wedding is forced to account for their time during the rehearsal dinner and the night before the wedding activities.

What I really enjoyed about this book was getting to know Daphne. In the early chapters we see her making her way as a hashtag queen, finding the movers of shakers who can help her build her brand. She's always struggled with her weight, but she tries to transcend the negativity often associated with size by focusing on herself in the entirety. We learn about her childhood and how her parents tried to instill confidence in her and end up raising a young woman with lots of integrity.

The second half of the book, after the wedding, revelations abound. It turns out Daphne is quite the investigator and in the end, Christina's story comes full circle. The intersection with the Cavanaugh family is astounding and reminders that not all is as it seems. 5 Stars and recommendation!

I'm so happy I finished this book! Part 1 felt slow to me and it was difficult to get into the book. I was definitely more invested in Parts 2 and 3 of the book and they were worth it. Once, the book took a major shift, I was in for the ride. While this book looks like a simple beach read, it's not. There's so much more going on below the surface!

Weiner drives some strong points home about the pros and cons of social media, such as a person's tendency to be more performative rather than authentic on the platform. She also manages to tackle topics like body image, society's view of women, and the complexity of female friendships. Some moments talking about these things felt a little on the nose, but overall I think she did a good job balancing them and flushing them out.

In terms of character, I loved Drue the most. As we learned more about her and what happened to her I was drawn deeper into the story. She was crafted into a character with depth and while she surely did a lot of cruel things, I felt so bad for her by the end of the novel. I liked Daphne as well, her advocacy for body positivity and contemplation of social media was interesting. It was realistic how sometimes she struggled with being positive. You can't always be kind to yourself 100% of the time especially after what she had been through. It made sense she was still learning and growing to love herself. That's why she was trying to be kinder. However, I was not interested in the romance between her and Nick at all. Darashi was another favorite, but I wish we got to see her get developed more.

In short, I definitely recommend you pick it up if you're interested in stories that are part drama, part chick lit, and part mystery.

This was overall an enjoyable read. Here’s what I enjoyed;
- Daphne and her body acceptance
- Trying to figure out Christine and how she fit into the story

Here’s what I didn’t enjoy:
- Daphne’s toxic relationship won’t Drue. She should have ended that friendship so long ago
- nothing really happens until 50% of the way through the book

Thank you to the publisher for a copy of the book.

I enjoyed the first half of this book much more than the second. Appreciated the messages of self-love and body positivity, but I just found the switch in focus towards the middle of the book to be less compelling that the narrative at the beginning.

I will forever be a fan of this author - her books are amazing. This one really surprised me because of the unexpected mystery element. I truly enjoyed it.

Alex Malm
Dec 17, 2019
Alex Malm rated it really liked it
Shelves: arc
Thank you to Atria Books and Netgalley for the ARC of Big Summer! Jennifer Weiner is a favorite author of mine and I was excited to read her latest book.

Big Summer starts out as a topical women's fiction, featuring Daphne, a plus-sized influencer. Daphne struggles with her self image as a young woman, but grows into a more confident adult who isn't afraid to speak her mind. I loved Daphne as a main character, and her flashbacks to her childhood really punctuated the storyline. Drue is Daphne's mean-girl high school bestie, and after not speaking for many years, Drue reaches out to Daphne to be a bridesmaid in her wedding. Although she has reservations, Daphne agrees and takes the opportunity to be a part of of high-profile event in Cape Cod, thinking it may help her influencer campaigns. Things take a turn the night before the wedding, and a mystery ensues to determine who committed a murder.

I definitely wasn't expecting the second half of this book - I was surprised by the turn of events! The book started out as a standard Jennifer Weiner book (which I loved!), then became a whodunnit type of novel. I will say I enjoyed the first half of the book more, as I loved learning about Daphne's past. However, the mystery angle kept me interested and wanting to know what really happened the night before the wedding. This was an enjoyable book that I would recommend to any Jennifer Weiner fan!

I have a good idea of what to expect when I pick up a Jennifer Weiner book, and as I read this one I felt like I still knew. But then...
But then it took an interesting little turn. I won't say too much because I enjoyed the little surprise it gave me. Let's just say it was a timely book - one addressing body image, the effects of social media, the eternal meanness of teen girls and the effects that linger long after we've left our teen years behind, and lessons about what's important in life - that those who seem to have the most sometimes have the emptiest lives. I listened to much of this one and the narration was very good on the audio version. I very much enjoyed Big Summer - it was sweet and sad and funny and surprising.
My thanks to Netgalley and Atria Books for providing a copy for an unbiased review.

Interesting subject that comes from the heart and captivates the reader. I love when offers offer a unique perspective.

I enjoyed this book. I was already into it when I was shocked by a plot twist. Great balance of romance, humor, and mystery. If you're looking for a light, summer read, check this one out.

Jennifer Weiner does not disappoint in her latest drama. A little bit of chick lit and a little bit of mystery goes a long way on these hot summer days. Daphne and Drue were best friends growing up in NYC, until a fight ended their friendship. While Daphne struggled with her weight and finding her place in the world, Drue relied on her looks and money to nab her a gorgeous fiance. Several years later, and Daphne is now a successful plus-size social influencer when Drue waltzes back into her life....to ask Daphne to be her maid-of-honor at her upcoming nuptials. While Daphne is skeptical, she ultimately agrees to take on the task

The big weekend arrives, and all is well until the night of the rehearsal dinner. Daphne spends the night chatting up a handsome stranger, and the world appears to be her oyster....until a dead body appears the morning of the wedding.

Jennifer Weiner does an awesome job combining the complexities of friendship with a whodunit mystery. This novel had me laughing at some points and furiously tearing through pages at other points. How does each of our past lives play a role in our present and our future? Can people ever REALLY change? This book is an easy, breezy, and fun summer read for those last dog days of summer.

*Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC of this title in exchange for an honest review.*

My review can be found here: https://aubreysangle8.home.blog/2020/08/22/review-big-summer-by-jennifer-weiner/

An enjoyable summer read that is really two books in one -- a story of self and friendship and a murder mystery. I flew through this book -- I liked it overall but thought that the murder mystery was not as well done as it could have been. I really loved Mrs. Everything more than this one. Still worth the read to escape the pandemic!

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. To be honest, I struggled through this book the entire time. Nothing about the book appealed to me - it just didn't capture my interest from the beginning, I felt no connection with any of the characters, and towards the middle of the book when something somewhat interesting occurred, it fizzled out quickly. I really wanted to like this book because I've read this author's previous books and enjoyed them, but this one just didn't do anything for me.

Well, I wasn't expecting the story to go that direction but wow! I really enjoyed reading this book and trying to figure out who did it. A fun poolside read!

I went into this book not having any idea what it was about. It felt like it started out as one genre of book and then partway through does a hard turn in the plot and becomes less women's fiction and more mystery.

It is a fast paced read and I did love that it explored the body positive theme through the main character, Daphne's as a large-bodied model/social media influencer. The plot has some done mean girl vibes - esp what kind of adults that mean girls grow into - as well as exploring the life of a social media influencer. It also delves into revenge, family dysfunction and infidelity.

This was a great beach day read that was entertaining as well as tackling some pretty big issues.

I'm a huge JW fan so it's a no brainer that I am going to buy her books when they come out and I am going to like them. This IS a beach read - it takes place on Cape Cod, it's fast-paced, it's totally timely/on trend. It grapples with female friendships, fat shaming & body insecurity, Instagram "fame" and today's overall societal norms. As usual, JW's main character is one you root for because she is SO REAL. This book has a mystery thrown in that's a bit of an "Oh" moment and while some of the sleuthing was a bit too forced, it is still makes for a decent plot.

It's been a long time since I read a Jennifer Weiner book, perhaps 15 years or so. I loved Part 1 of this book and wished it had stopped there, as a short story. The rest of the book did not pull me in and I couldn't wait for it to be over. Certainly not my favorite by this author.