“Even if things don’t get better, you can always make them look good on the internet.”

Big Summer is part chick-lit, part drama, and part mystery. It explores the dynamics of female friendship, body image, and the pretense of social media personas.

Daphne’s character drew me in immediately. As a woman, I found her vulnerabilities and experiences easy to identify with. A self-described “babysitter and not-very-influential influencer,” Daphne spends a lot of time focusing on her body image and insecurities, but at the same time, she fights to empower herself and view her body in a different light. She exposes herself on social media; however, her social media persona allows her to hide her true self, which poses an additional layer for her to explore in her journey. Part of her journey involves self-acceptance, another part focuses on her acceptance of a former friendship that soured in the worst of ways.

This book kept me company during Tropical Storm Cristobal, and it had all the elements needed to distract me from the gloomy weather: drama, mystery, humor, and a little bit of romance. It's a lot lighter and fluffier than Weiner's most recent book, but this fluff has depth!

I received an ARC of this book from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Never in a million years did I think I would be getting approved for Jennifer Weiner arcs. This would blow my teenage self’s mind. Jennifer Weiner has always been a favorite of mine, anytime she would publish a new book and I would devour it. Big Summer was no exception. I read it in one sitting.

One of my favorite things about Weiner’s characters is that they are always unapologetically themselves. (sometimes not at first but they find their way there) I have always enjoyed the character development they go through throughout the book. Daphne was no different, her story was a fun one! I mean gotta love plus size representation am I right?

What threw me for a loop was the big twist and I do mean big twist. I was not expecting THAT to happen at all. Right smack in the middle of the book, the plot changes. I was honestly shocked and I didn’t like it at first. As the synopsis gave no indication it was heading in this direction. But I continued and don't regret it for a second. Now I won’t spoil it so that’s all I will say about that.

But hands down one of my favorite Weiner books. I will gladly recommend this one to old and new fans!

As an avid Jennifer Weiner fan, I loved this book! Easy to read and felt so in tune with today’s society! I loved how the main character was an influencer as many young women can relate to that as well! Mix in the INSANE twist that occurs within these pages, I truly felt like I was getting two genres in one! (Not trying to spoil, but if you read you know what I mean!) Along with a beautiful story, I loved the addition of learning to love yourself for who you are. Great summer read!

This book totally did not turn out to be what I had thought it would be. The first half was light and fluffy and chugging along exactly as I expected this kind of book to be, until the twist... then it turned into something totally different and I liked that! From the description of the book, I wouldn't have guessed what was coming. But it was a good book that keep me guessing and really was a fun summer read.

Thanks to Netgalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

The book as an ok beginning. Once I finished chapter 9, then it got better. It did have a slow spot after that, but picked up again. I have read other books about heavy girls and their self esteem, and this has a lot of the same thing you read in those books. The ending had a good meaning that everyone should think about.

When I requested this book, I recognized the author and how I have enjoyed all her other books. I also really liked the cover. I had seen some reviews, some were positive, but a lot of the reviews stated that the book wasn't that exciting. I did not read what the book was about so at the end of chapter 9 was the first time I found out this was a mystery.

Again the ending had a great message for everyone.

Find yourself a nice spot outdoors, fix your favorite beverage, and dive into this book! Big Summer by Jennifer Weiner is a great summer read. It's the story of friendship, it's a mystery, it's a commentary on today's social media fixated world. I started reading it and could not put it down!

**Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.**
I had heard great things about this book, so I was excited to get approved for a copy on Netgalley. I went into it not knowing much about the plot, other than what it said in the description. That Daphne Berg, a plus-size fashion Instagram model reconnects with her best friend from the past, Drue Cavanaugh. Drue and Daphne had a falling out when they were in college and Daphne had never forgiven Drue for what had happened. Drue suddenly pops back into Daphne's life, apologetic and asking her to be a bridesmaid in her upcoming wedding in Cape Cod. Daphne, although hesitant, accepts her apology, hoping that Drue really has changed. Daphne heads to Cape Cod for the incredible wedding weekend. I don't want to say anymore for fear of spoiling the surprise, but what happens at the wedding literally had my mouth hung open in shock. I was not expecting the twist this book took about halfway through!
This is a great book about friendship, forgiveness and learning to love yourself as you are. It was a modern, refreshing read that would be a perfect beach read this summer. I strongly recommend that you pick up a copy, you will not be disappointed!

I'm always a fan of Jennifer Weiner's writing and this book didn't disappoint. I liked the characters and how relatable they were in this time of constant social media. I guess I didn't read the synopsis well enough because I wasn't expecting the murder half way through and then thoroughly enjoyed the rest of the book while they tried to solve the crime.

I was not expecting who the murderer was and I love that. I feel like too often it's easy to guess and that wasn't the case. There were a couple of interesting twists I really enjoyed.

This would be the perfect summer beach read!

Thank you Netgalley, Ms. Weiner and Atria books for this advance copy of Big Summer in exchange for my review. This author's books always make for a good summer read whether by the pool, at the beach or in your back yard with a cold glass of lemonade. The story begins with two school age girls, Daphne and Drue during a difficult time of growing up and trying to find oneself. When image is so important and the acceptance of peers is critical On the outside it appears that Daphne has it all looks, wealth, and the power to control most situations. Daphne, who wants so badly to be friends with Drue often gets hurt and neglected by Drue. As the girls get older Daphne has had enough of Drue's mean behavior and walks away from their friendship. Daphne starts to see herself as beautiful, strong and worthy once she realizes that she is more than what size her dress is. Daphne becomes a influencer promoting being proud of who you are no matter what size you are. She is trying to show others that the world is not a "one size fits all" and to love yourself for who you are. After a long time apart Drue comes back into Daphne's life despite much resistance from Daphne's "true" friends. Drue wants Daphne to be in her very high profile wedding. Despite Daphne's past with Drue she says yes. During the wedding planning the two women rekindle their once fractured friendship. While at the wedding, it starts to unfold that everything is not all that it seems. There is a complete twist in the story at this point and the story of rebuilding a friendship turns into a mystery that needs to be solved. One of the things that I enjoyed about this story first and foremost is Daphne. She is a real woman that many women can relate to . The story also examines social media platforms and reminds us that everything isn't always as it seems. I initially thought this story was slow to start until I realized that the back story of these two friends, the growth they had as they became adults and the realization that sometimes we don't realize what is really important.

This was such a great book! Honestly, I had no idea what this book was going to be about but I got in anyway since she is one of my favorite authors. Jennifer Weiner always has a way of using characters that I can relate with, which is rare.
I did not expect the murder mystery but I was pleasantly surprised. Keep the books coming!

This is the second book I've read of Jennifer's so I knew I was going to love it!! The whole concept in this book from Instagram influencers to rich girls who get whatever they want was so refreshing to read. Jennifer did her homework when it comes to living the life of an influencer and I found that so interesting!! The twists and turns will keep you turning pages!!

I can't believe that Big Summer is my first book by Jennifer Weiner! I truly enjoyed Daphne Berg as a character and found her delightful and relatable. I read the book while lounging on the couch across from an older family member, and I had to stop and read several paragraphs out loud to her because they were hilarious and true to both of our experiences. The mystery kept me guessing, and the final twist was not one that I saw coming until the very end. All in all, the only thing keeping me from fully recommending this book is the explicit sex scene in the middle of the book—other than that, it's a fun read, best enjoyed under a bright-colored umbrella at the beach.

I had forgotten how much I loved Jennifer Weiner. So much so that once I started reading this book, I felt connected and had to share on my Instagram stories. Like her previous series, Good in Bed, this book has a plus size heroine. She is smart, entrepreneurial and stylish. And everything I want to be.

About halfway through this book, it takes a surprising turn. Like so surprising that I can’t even mention it here because I don’t wanna ruin it. The release summary doesn’t reference this plot line or the tone this book will take. And I’m not even mad about it.

I advise you to go into this book with the mind to let it take you to a different place than you expected. It’s ending is not earth shattering or anything. It’s just a different book than it is marketed and a solid read anyway. I give my rating based on the connection to the character and the way this book surprised me. Will totally be reading again.


You can see my video review here:
https://youtu.be/w-I8UzTW8E0

This book is one of the buzziest books of the summer. It’s been everywhere and I have tried to stay away from reviews so as not to taint my own but it’s been so hard because it’s literally everywhere on social media right now.

I had such great luck with Beach Read (another buzzy book) and I was eager to start this one thinking it would be really similar—-but it wasn’t. The cover makes me think this book would be more of a beach read but then the summary suggested women’s fiction and yet there was a mystery element to the story.

Basically this book had a lot going on and I wasn’t exactly sure how it was all going to fit together but I was looking forward to reading one of the hottest books of the summer.

Summary
Six years after the fight that ended their friendship, Daphne Berg is shocked when Drue Cavanaugh walks back into her life, looking as lovely and successful as ever, with a massive favor to ask. Daphne hasn’t spoken one word to Drue in all this time—she doesn’t even hate-follow her ex-best friend on social media—so when Drue asks if she will be her maid-of-honor at the society wedding of the summer, Daphne is rightfully speechless.

Drue was always the one who had everything—except the ability to hold onto friends. Meanwhile, Daphne’s no longer the same self-effacing sidekick she was back in high school. She’s built a life that she loves, including a growing career as a plus-size Instagram influencer. Letting glamorous, seductive Drue back into her life is risky, but it comes with an invitation to spend a weekend in a waterfront Cape Cod mansion. When Drue begs and pleads and dangles the prospect of cute single guys, Daphne finds herself powerless as ever to resist her friend’s siren song.

A sparkling novel about the complexities of female friendship, the pitfalls of living out loud and online, and the resilience of the human heart, Big Summer is a witty, moving story about family, friendship, and figuring out what matters most. (summary from Goodreads)

Review
First of all, this book features a topic that I think many of us can relate to—social media and body image. Right away I thought this was an important topic. This book talks about some of the pitfalls to living your life online and the pressures that come with that. I was hooked for this reason alone as I thought it was such a relevant topic. I appreciated Daphne and how she struggled with insecurities. I think she was a solid main character worthy of readers love and adoration. I liked her and I think many other readers will too.

While I loved the social commentary of the story and the main character, I felt like there was a lot going on in this one. There was romance, the complexity of friendships, a murder mystery, and then of course all the social media stuff. So there was a lot going on and I felt like this book needed more firm direction. I liked it—but I didn’t love it.

The murder mystery happened way too late for me and it felt rushed. There wasn’t much build up or time to explore this plot to its full potential so that was a little disappointing. For me the romance and the friendship plots worked much better and kept me reading rather than the romance.

I know that I am in the minority with this one. Plenty of people loved it and raved about it and honestly I was expecting to be one of those people but in the end I felt like it was just ok for me. There was just too much going on for me. I think it’s definitely worth a read though because it does have a modern, sexy feel to it plus I loved Daphne so I think readers who are looking for something a little more fresh and hip would enjoy this one quite a bit but for me it was just ok.

Book Info and Rating
Kindle Edition, 364 pages
Published May 5th 2020 by Atria Books
ASIN B07Z43JXYH
Free review copy provided by publisher, Atria Books, in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and in no way influenced.
Rating: 3 stars
Genre: womens fiction, contempo lit

A new book by this author is always welcome and this title is no exception.  Big Summer is a summer read but one with a bit of food (apologies for the pun) for thought.  Protagonist Daphne has spent much of her life struggling with her weight and the impact this has on her self-esteem.  As the novel opens, she is an "influencer" who is feeling better about herself.  Daphne lives with a roommate she likes and has caring and supportive parents.  She cares for two children whom she likes and maintains all of her social accounts.  But...her life is about to change.


When Daphne was in 6th grade, she enrolled in the private school where her father taught.  While there, she made some good friends including her current roommate.  She also came under the spell of Drue.  Drue seemed to have everything that Daphne wanted and when Drue offered her friendship, even a flawed one, Daphne was willing to accept this.  Of course, she subsequently got hurt as happens when one cedes to the desires of a mean girl.


After a period of about 6 years, Drue comes back into Daphne's life again seeming to offer Daphne something but, of course, also wanting something.  What will happen moving forward?  No spoilers so you will have to read the book to find out.


This book touches on some issues that matter:  the importance of family, the nature of friendship, self-acceptance and self-esteem are some of them.  Never hitting readers over the head, Ms. Weiner just invites them to think while they enjoy a Big Summer.


Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this title in exchange for an honest review.

Loved it! This book is a good combo of several genres: romance, mystery, drama. For me it was a slow start, I found the pacing of the book to be off. In fact after a few chapters I debated even finishing, but after reading the reviews I decided to stick with it. Glad I did!

It opens with a single mom raising her son in Cape Cod, then suddenly shifts to a woman named Daphne and her two best friends Drue and Darshi living in New York City. There were a lot of flashbacks in the beginning, which I didn’t care for. But fast forward a few chapters and the story really picked up and got interesting! It turned into a whodunit mystery, which had me guessing all of the characters.

I think most people can relate to this story in some way- dealing with body image, self-esteem, finding love, the good and bad of social media, balancing work and family, also having toxic friends in your life. The friendships and relationships in Big Summer reminded me a lot of Emily Giffin’s book Something Borrowed.

Perfect beach read!!
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for sending me a copy!

Another really easy summer read. This book has many unexpected twists. I was not prepared for a murder suspense almost half way through the book. There were many issues facing these characters, not all the time I had the sense that this could be considered fully believable/credible. If you are in the mood for an unexpected genre hopping drama with an awesome, relatable main character this book is for you.

Wow! This book went to places I did not expect. I was happily surprised with all the crazy twists and turns. I would rate this book a 4.5.

Big Summer follows Daphne, a plus sized Instagram influencer and babysitter who's just trying to live her best life. Having experienced a tough time growing up as a plus sized gal, including criticism from her family and a viral video gone wrong curtesy of her former best friend Drue, Daphne is all about maintaining positivity to develop her brand and create a great future for herself. With her best friend, her parents and her dog by her side, life is going pretty well! She's also just recently signed a deal with a big time fashion brand. All is good until Drue, Daphne's former best friend pops back up and into her life, asking a huge favour. Drue needs Daphne to be her maid of honour at her huge, expensive, and highly covered by the media, wedding. Daphne agrees, although she's very hesitant. Why does Drue need her? The wedding festivities begin and all is well-Daphne's even met someone-until an unexpected event occurs leaving absolutely everything up in the air.

I loved this book. I loved Daphne and all of the characters, they were so well written. I thought the story was interesting and captivating. There were so many layers and various aspects, stories and characters coming together. Weiner's writing is perfect, just enough details and descriptions to ensure you have a complete, clear picture of what's occurring. I found Daphne so relatable. There were times where I kept thinking, my gosh Daphne, no! However, I think all of her feelings and thoughts were so real and justified. As a character she definitely went on a journey and I enjoyed reading it. I also loved the supporting characters, Daphne's bestie, her parents, her love interest, they were all so lovely and supportive, to see that community was great. The twist! The twist in this book was the absolute last thing I ever expected, but I was so happily surprised. Not giving too much away, I enjoy reading these types of stories and for me it combined genres that I love. I thought the book was the perfect length, I didn't figure anything out until the very end. I have to admit I do think some aspects were a bit far fetched, but who cares? It was entertaining and kept me reading. I think this book covered some important topics including body positivity, bullying and family trauma. This is a must read!

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

3 stars

I'm sitting here trying to figure out how to write a review for this without including spoilers. Hmm. Here goes:

At its heart, this is a story about friendship, both healthy and unhealthy friendships and how we sometimes have a hard time knowing which is which. It's a story about trust, both on one's own judgement and in others. It's also about realizing that appearances are not always what they seem. That sounds rather deep and if you were to spend some time dissecting it, perhaps it would be. But the Cape Cod ultra-rich backdrop and Instagram influencer occupation prevent this from getting too heavy.

However, <spoiler>this story jumps the shark at the mid-point when it turns into a murder mystery. Yup, you read that right. So, while I applaud Weiner for trying something new, it wasn't the best mystery writing as some clues just magically appeared and were conveniently explained away. And, the abrupt switch had me wondering what the hell was going on. But, I decided to go with the flow and see where it ended up.</spoiler> On reflection, I still found myself enjoying it.

I think Weiner does her best when she writes women's fiction and I'll continue to read her novels for those types of stories. This still ended up working for me partly because I was committed to not taking it too seriously and because of that, I was able to excuse things more readily just to keep up the enjoyment.

I ended up dnfing this at 38% it was hard to continue with this. This one just wasn't for me sadly. It was hard for me to want to pick this one up. It took me a while to get as far as I did.