I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book! Thank you for the opportunity to read it early! I love that the main character was not a thin person. Enjoyed the story too of course. I recommended this book to friends and book club!
Thank again!

4 stars.*

I'm a big Jennifer Weiner fan and when I saw her new release available on NetGalley I lept at the chance to read it and review!

Big Summer is part self-love manual, part friendship story, part love story, part murder mystery.

It is the story of Daphne Berg - a young, plus-sized social media influencer who is reunited with her high-school best frienemy Drue Cavanaugh (who was the source of Daphne's greatest humiliation) when Drue reappears in her life begging Daphne to be a bridesmaid in her upcoming Cape Cod wedding.

Daphne has to deal with the old feelings of shame and hurt, while capitalizing on the high-society event that can bring her followers and greater influence. Daphne meets a handsome stranger at the rehearsal and has a night to remember. When she wakes to discover that Drue was murdered in the room next to her, she realizes not only is she a suspect but most of what she thought she knew about Drue is in question. And where did her handsome stranger disappear to?

A fun, summer beach read! Highly recommended!

Big Summer was one of my favorite reads of 2020 so far. I absolutely loved it! I can’t say too much because I don’t want to ruin it for anyone else - but this book is a mix of rom-com, fiction, drama, with a little mystery tied in. I adore Jennifer Weiner’s books but this one might just be my favorite yet. The PERFECT beach read!

This book was a ROLLER-COASTER. I don't want to say too much for fear of spoiling even the tiniest bit, but I went into this book knowing absolutely nothing and about halfway through something COMPLETELY shocking happens that left me having to drag my jaw up off of the floor because I didn't see it coming AT ALL. As much as I did LOVE that element and it did make this book super memorable and enjoyable for me, I don't think it would be something that I would call a new favorite. However, I would still definitely recommend it though if you are interested in reading a fun and fast summery contemporary about a fat girl living her best life!

TW: fatphobia, bulimia, restricted eating, adultery

entertaining, page-turning, fun while still being thought-provoking, and TOTALLY not what I was expecting.

My advice: Don't read reviews- be surprised, and if you think it's a little too fluffy- keep reading till around Part II.

Kudos to this book’s topic. I loved that they used Daphne’s body image in a very favorable light. This book has it all, drama, romance and a little whodunnit. Highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a great beach read who is unable to travel. Thank you NetGalley for the advanced reader copy.

An absolute stunning read by one of my go to authors Jennifer Weiner. This is a favorite for the year and one of her best. Body image, friendships, family, Instagram influencer,wedding, Cape Cod = grab your copy. I don't want to spoil a thing about this unexpectedly brilliantly thrilling story. Just read it.
Dare I call it perfect? 5 stars!

*Thank you to the publisher for my copy. All views are own.

A mystery, romance, wedding, best friends gone wrong, social media, something for a lot of readers in this story. This story points out how obsessed people have become with what happens on social media and how you don’t need it to live your life. At times the story slowed and the ending was pretty good. A good summer read.

Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for letting me read this in exchange for my honest review.
After reading this I find myself asking these questions, what genre was this? Also, did this book have two separate authors? The first half of the book is your typical contemporary women’s fiction that Jennifer Weiner is famous for. While interesting, nothing was really happening and I had contemplated about not finishing. Then part two BAM! What, what?! Murder mystery! I could not put this down for very long, the second part definitely held my attention, it was so good. And I was very surprised by the ending, not at all what I was thinking. The only reason I am not giving 5 stars is the slow beginning and the ending seemed a little rushed to me. But a solid 4 stars, definitely recommend!

I loved the concept of this book, a nasty girl bully asks one of her victims to be in her wedding, and the victim agrees to show bully just how much she's changed. Also, a new Jennifer Weiner book is not to be missed!

The book definitely met my expectations and more. I was surprised and pleased when a rom-com turned into a mystery, it made the book even better. I like books that have strong female characters with vulnerabilities, and the Cape Cod setting was perfect for the plot as it played out. I highly recommend this book, 5 stars.

Thanks to Atria Books and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

An entertaining, thought-provoking, satisfying read, Big Summer explores the dynamics of female friendship, body image, and the pretense of social media personas. Daphne is an appealing character who is easy to identify with. Her personal growth and journey to self-acceptance is particularly moving.

This was a great book! I felt like the ending was sort of abrupt and rushed, but I was completely engrossed during the entire story.. I really liked the main character!

This was a good story - but the characters were portrayed only superficially and as a result, I didn't feel a connection with them.

Fun Summer read. Makes you think and keeps you thinking. Starts out as one thing and becomes something else. In a good way. Nice twists.

This book ended up being a bit of a surprise for me. I had read the book summary when I first added it to my to read list a few months ago, but decided not to before I started it. Not knowing where this was going, I was completely taken off guard when Drue was murdered, I thought this was going to be a light summer read, but nope! I ended up liking the story’s turn of events, and it was extremely easy to read. However, I think it might have been trying to cover too many topics in one book - social media, body confidence, friendships, murder mystery.

This book was a real treat! I truly enjoyed "Big Summer" and Jennifer Weiner has done it again! This book had relatable, authentic characters with real emotional impact.

An amazing book that deals with so many issues facing women today. Bravo. I will be recommending this for all of my Senior Women Lit classes as well as my Continuing Education classes.

I know this is a big hit but unfortunately it just did not work for me. After several attempts I finally forced myself to finish it. I am such a fan of the author and am sad this one was a miss for me.

I will not be sharing my thoughts on this one outside of NetGalley.

Overall, the book was entertaining. What I thought was a fun beach read turned into a murder mystery which I appreciated since I’m partial to mysteries and thrillers. The only con for me was that there was a lot of emphasis on weight that I couldn’t relate to. It’s still a fun beach read but with messages of friendship, body shaming, and social media influences.

Jennifer Weiner's latest Big Summer explores friendships, family, body acceptance & positivity, and the good, bad, and the ugly of social media. This was a quick and easy read and while it didn't wow me - I enjoyed reading it and appreciate having the opportunity to do so.