I enjoyed this book very much! I have read several of Jennifer’s previous books including her very first, Good in Bed. I found this one to be very similar to that character wise. I like that Jennifer incorporated a murder into this story and did a little something different with this story. She made Drue a very complex character that you were constantly going back and forth between like and dislike. Overall I think it was a good solid read and a great book to throw in your beach bag and enjoy at the beach. It’s got love, jealousy, diversity and murder!

It seems like Weiner’s newest book might just be one of the biggest books of the summer! Which should come as no surprise, with such a beloved author. This was a little bit of a mystery and just the right amount of spunk, of course!

Yeah, I’d call this a beach read. We have a young twenty-something that makes some money as an influencer on Instagram and makes the rest of her money by part-time babysitting two kids after school. Daphne’s deal is she is plus sized, and she influences on fashion and gear for her body type. It’s still difficult for Daphne, and her past with the comments kids made still roam through her head all the time.

There are good aspects to the book, but the plot got a bit boring for myself, honestly. And all the minute details about what people are wearing and other information was excessive. I realize the main character would likely pay attention to these details, but sometimes a glossing over would be nice.

Then the book shifts, dramatically, in part 2. And here the writing seemed to suffer. The characters seemed to act differently than what they were drawn out to be like. There was a weird path that Daphne took, that wasn’t explained very well why she was doing this. But yet this did make the book somewhat more interesting.

I’m sure there will be many fans of this book.

Jennifer Weiner never shies away from issues affecting women: aging, body shape, romance, parenthood and parents, and friendships. In the case of Big Summer, Daphne has to decide what she values more: herself or Drue's perception of her. And she has to solve a murder mystery.

As an Instagram influencer (an aside: this is the second book I've read in the last few weeks where the heroine has this gig, and I remain fascinated that people monetize their Instagrams), Daphne puts herself out there to be judged and picked apart, but mostly to validate herself. She takes advantage of an opportunity for a type of fame, and in doing so, she makes her fans believe that she accepts herself for who she is, a case of Instrammer heal thyself.

Daphne's shock over being asked to be a bridesmaid in Drue's wedding pulls the block that sends her Jenga tower of confidence toppling into a pile of rubble. Inside her, Daphne may always be the fat girl Drue sometimes loved, sometimes bullied, but she's been striving to make that part of herself smaller and smaller. Jennifer Weiner makes these thoughts something you want to ponder and mull. How do you respond when you see the Daphnes of the world? What are your knee-jerk reactions?

Yet this book is far from pedantic. There is a romance, one that gives you butterflies and makes you excited. There is a best friend, the sort we always wish was on our side. And Daphne's parents are the stuff of dreams. (Her grandmother, on the other hand, seems to have taken her marching orders from my mother.)

About midway through the book, we have a murder mystery, so the tone takes a bit of a detour, as does Daphne. The sense of self she loses around Drue regenerates.

Parts of this book will make you laugh, parts will make you cry, and parts make you think. You also will do some swooning. It has many of the Jennifer Weiner hallmarks, if not their sense of consistency. Big Summer feels like two books, and I can't figure out which one I like more. Any time spent with Daphne, though, is something to be savored.

As I reached the midway point of Big Summer, I was pleasantly surprised to discover the story had suddenly turned into a murder mystery. From that point on I had to keep reading to put all the pieces together. I learned a lot along the way about social media influencers. It confirmed my long-held theory that people's lives are rarely as rosy as they portray online for the rest of the world to see. Thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for the opportunity to read and review Jennifer Weiner's newest novel.

The Big Summer is Jennifer Weiner's book for this summer and it's a blend of woman finding her own way and summer mystery. I won't share any plot details but I enjoyed the inside view of social media influencers and especially how Daphne finds her way to her own vision of confidence. About midway through the book there's a plot turn that moves the action along turning it into more of a page turner.

This was an enjoyable poolside read to kick off the summer that Weiner's followers will likely enjoy.. It's a 4 star read for me. I received this ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

One of my favorite books this year! I loved the characters & found them relatable. The book was well written & I loved how it all played out, it definitely went in a different direction than I originally thought.

This was definitely an easy, summer read. I’m not sure that I’m the target audience but I think it would definitely appeal to millennial‘s. I’m Gen X and may be a little too old for this to be as appealing to me which may account for my lower than average rating. Thank you to #NetGalley for providing an advanced reader copy.

I have always been a huge fan of Jennifer Weiner, and she definitely did not let me down with this new release. The beach setting, the unputdownable prose, the relatable characters: all of these ingredients make for a typical Weiner novel. However, I really loved how she included commentary regarding how women feel they need to view themselves through society's messed-up lens. I thoroughly loved Big Summer!

I am not a Beach Read reader in general. As the odds of me getting to the beach this year seem slim, I’ve decided to jump into the genre.
I was sucked into Big Summer immediately. Girl unhappy with her body being patronized by rich perfect mean girls. We’ve all been there or seen it. Daphne is easy to cheer for. . Fun wedding romance. Bit of a murder mystery. Social media and how influencers work was a theme that I found fascinating. Kept me up late last night to get to the end so I mark that as a success. Thanks Net Galley for the arc.

Thank goodness for Weiner, I learned about social media “influencers”. For me, Weiner’s books are escape. I need not have to keep track of numerous characters. Her characters almost seem to be cookie cutter stereotypes. And its no different in this book, part romance, part mean girl, part mystery.

I loved that Daphne was a plus sized Instagram influencer I loved how this book has some suspense and a little thrill to it all in all this was a face paste fun read for me couldn’t put it down.

Big Summer is an excellent novel by Jennifer Weiner. It is a perfect read for those looking for a story about the lives of rich people, influencers, family secrets and a good mystery.

I have always loved Jennifer’s books, and Big Summer did not disappoint. A strong main character struggles with acceptance, body image, and the best and worst of what the internet has to offer. Approached by a frenemy 6 years after a public fallout, Daphne is asked to be in Drue’s wedding on Cape Cod. What could possibly go wrong?

Great summer read. It really was perfect. I read it a week ago and I don't remember much about it, but walked away feeling good. Isn't that what we all need now?

This book had me hooked right from the beginning! I instantly related to Drue and her struggles with body issues, self-esteem and friendships. I loved all the twist and turns and did not expect the outcome! Thanks for the arc o this book! :)

The first half felt like a typical contemporary/chick lit with Weiner’s classic approachable writing style, then it had an identity crisis halfway through and morphed into the amateur sleuthing you’d find in A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder or one of Lucy Foley’s books.

If I had to rate each half separately, they’d both get north of 4 stars, but I can’t ignore how disjointed they felt. While Daphne was relatable throughout and the mystery was entertaining with a twist at the end that was reminiscent of the feelings I had with The Guest List, that pivot in the middle was just too much. The prologue was breadcrumb-like but I wanted the tone to match as well.

I enjoyed this book about an overweight influencer coming to terms with who she is and friends from her past who made her feel less so. Daphne, mid-twenties, has a lovely life in New York, when an old friend shows up and asks for an unexpected favor. Despite her misgivings, Daphne gives in. Things go downhill from there, and Daphne finds herself caught up in an unexpected web that she must help untangle.

This book started off a bit slow for me, but picked up quickly and I couldn't stop reading! I was able to guess at some events, but others were completely unexpected and kept me guessing until the end.

It was a light, easy, perfect summer read! Definitely recommend, and I can't wait to enjoy some of her other titles.

First of all, I want to thank NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC.
I really liked this book. For the first one-third of the book, I thought it was going to be about frenemies and a woman suffering with self-esteem issues, which I can understand and appreciate. The cover, too, made me think it was going to be a light and fluffy beach read, but then it took a turn, and I was intrigued. There were a few times in the book that I was a little baffled as to how/why something happened, and how they figured out what was going on, and the ending wrapped up very quickly. However, overall these were easy to overlook since I was highly entertained.

This took me forever to read, but it had nothing to do with the book! I enjoyed the author’s departure from her normal writing. I found myself saying out loud, “wait, what?!?”, quite a few times and that is definitely a good thing. I really respect what the author did with the genre change mid-way through the book. I really liked it, but I wouldn't go so far as to say it was my favorite book of hers. (For more on this, I'll make sure my thoughts are hidden so as not to ruin it for anyone.) This was a perfect summer read and I'm sure it will be many summer lists!

[My frustration with the book lied in the second half. The genre change to a mystery with the death of Drue was great and clever, but the execution was kind of eye brow raising. So now Daphne, her bff and the guy she just hooked up with are all best friends and super sleuths? Mmmm okay... And then they also are smarter than the "small time" police from Cape Cod to figure out the murder way before they do? Sure...So this is the reason for my demotion from 5 stars to 4.

The other thing that bothered me was that Drue was dating and loved someone in secret (that was okay), but who it ended up being was a little bit of a stretch for me. Yes, people can change and try to do better, but I wasn't 100% on board. Maybe I'm too cynical? Who knows, but I have a feeling I'm not alone on that point. (hide spoiler)]

The ended was very well excuted (despite my comments in the spoiler section) so I felt that is what elevated this from a 3 to a 4 star read.

Thank you so much to Dana Trocker at Atria Books for her generosity in sending me this print copy to review!

Review Date: 05/23/2020
Publication Date: 05/05/2020