This book was so surprisingly good! It was my first Jennifer Weiner book, and I picked it based on the description alone. It did not disappoint! I immediately loved the main character, Daphne, a semi-famous plus-size Instagram influencer. I do wish her character had shown a little more body positivity, however I understood Weiner's point in exposing the falseness of Instagram and how it is easy to mold yourself into who you want to be perceived as.

When an old friend shockingly shows up at Daphne's job asking for a favor, it changes Daphne's life in more ways than one. I expected this book to be a light beach read, but it actually turned into a fairly intense mystery!

I enjoyed the ending, and how it all seemed to come together. I do wish the chapters had been a little shorter, but as the book progressed, they seemed to pass by quicker. I really enjoyed this book, and would definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a light, page-turning read.

I've read nearly all of Jennifer Weiner's books, and this one surprised me. The first half was her usual explorations of self confidence and girl-on-girl crime, but without giving away any spoilers here, it becomes a bit of a mystery. I'm still feeling conflicted about several characters, and I love books that keep me thinking after the fact.

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.



My Thoughts: Big Summer opens with a prologue featuring a single mom and her young son and concludes with a cliff hanger. We see nothing more about these characters until the very end, after the culmination of some tragic events that turn the story about struggling characters searching for love into something more. It becomes a mystery.

In the first part of the book, we come to know Daphne in the present and through flashbacks of the past. Her friendship with Drue is tumultuous, with the kind of stormy episodes that, in my opinion, should have forever turned Daphne away from this so-called friend.

But when Drue begs Daphne to be in her wedding on the Cape and offers the opportunity for her to feature it on her online accounts, drawing traffic to her influencer business, Daphne cannot resist.

As the weekend winds down, Daphne is beginning to sense that more is afoot with Drue and her fiancé and with the hugely expensive wedding…and when the truth finally starts to unfold, the mystery begins.

I loved the descriptions of Daphne’s business, her thoughts and feelings about events, and how her plus-size figure challenges her constantly. Her business has boosted her self-esteem, but can she ever really dismiss how her supposed friend Drue has made her feel “less than” over the years? I couldn’t stop reading this book that carried us through issues of friendship, betrayal, loss, and finally, consequences. 5 stars.

My e-ARC came to me from the publisher via NetGalley.

See my review here: https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/books/jennifer-weiners-big-summer-is-a-breezy-romp-through-online-influencer-culture/2020/05/05/3ba8c02e-8ed5-11ea-a9c0-73b93422d691_story.html.

Big Summer by Jennifer Weiner is a must summer (or lockdown) read
I’ve been excitedly waiting to read Big Summer by Jennifer Weiner for months! I just love Jennifer Weiner. All of the Weiner books I’ve read are about women becoming their own heroes and living their best life. This one is not different, but I have to warn you this book was not the book I thought it was.

I’m now going to walk a fine line, trying to describe my emotional journey through this book without spoiling it for potential readers.

Let’s talk about our heroine, Daphne
Daphne and Drue were friends for years, starting their “bestieship” in grade school. Drue was the thin, beautiful, and rich mean girl, while Daphne was the chubby, kindhearted, and loving sidekick. Through Daphne’s flashbacks, we learn about how their friendship developed and how it ended after an awful and emotional night at a club.

Years after the fight, Daphne is now a popular Instagram influencer, promoting acceptance and self-love. Drue has continued struggling with personal relationships and regrets the actions that led to the demise of their friendship, and ultimately led her to not have any close friends as part of her wedding party.

Drue reaches out to Daphne and asks her to be her maid of honor. With much hesitation, Daphne agrees to Drue’s request, and they rather quickly resume their friendship.

Even though Drue still causes Daphne many negative emotions, bringing even more to the surface her feelings of self-doubt and struggles with self-love, Drue no longer seems like the bully she used to be. Daphne enjoys having her old BFF’s best qualities back in her life.

Their renewed friendship seems to be working for both of them, but you get the feeling that we’re all just waiting for the other shoe to drop.

The backdrop for the shoe dropping is a glamorous affair in Cape Cod
Something happens during this million-dollar wedding celebration that makes Daphne go Agatha Christie on us. Simultaneously, I’m enthralled and disappointed with the book. I don’t know how to explain it. And I really can’t without spoiling it for you.

The bottom line is that about halfway into this book, you start a new one. This new storyline has all the elements of a Jennifer Weiner book—personal growth, acceptance, and empowerment—but in the most random circumstances.

The first half of the book felt familiar, nostalgic, and inspiring, but it also bordered on cliched. Then the second half is surprising, clever, and exciting. It’s everything you want in a summer read—including some steamy encounters— but it’s too darn short!

I wish Weiner had spent a little more time priming me for the big reveal. I needed the unraveling of this mystery we encounter to be a bit more believable. I think spending little less time on the background (first half) and more time on the mystery (second half) would’ve benefited the story. Nevertheless, I 100% enjoyed the read.

You’ll never regret reading a Jennifer Weiner book
Jennifer Weiner doesn’t just narrate a story, she paints you an incredibly lively and detailed picture. You are there with the Daphne and Drue in Cape Cod at the lavish parties. You are actually seeing the photo from that fun moment the friends had at the beach. You even feel the jitters from that passionate kiss with a mysterious man.

I wrote and rewrote this review multiple times, trying to get you excited about reading this book without spoiling it while also trying to be fair about its shortcomings. If you are a Jennifer Weiner fan, I’m sure you’ll enjoy meeting Daphne and Drue and being part of the wild ride that is their friendship. It’s a perfect lockdown read.

Big Summer by Jennifer Weiner will publish on May 5, 2020. If you would like to support a local bookstore, you can pre-order it from Bookstore.org today!

Thank you so much to Atria Books for the eARC of Big Summer! We don't know what summer will look like this year, but I know mine will be full of summer books! I couldn't imagine a better way to kick off (almost) summer reading than Big Summer!
When Daphne's estranged best friend approaches her to be Maid of Honor at her wedding, Daphne looks past years and years of Drue's bad, fat-shaming behavior and reluctantly accepts. Daphne is no longer entirely the person she was, she's a influencer with a faithful following of people who love her body positivity (and her dog Bingo). She believes that Drue has changed too. When they set out for Cape Cod for the wedding festivities, it looks like this will be the wedding of the year, and Daphne is glad to be a part of it, but then things start to go awry.
This book has everything! A wonderful setting, a relatable heroine in Daphne, Daphne's delightful parents, a very mysterious, handsome guy, and a mystery to solve. I stayed up WAY too late because I had to find out what happened in the story. If you want a summer book to transport you and suck you in, I definitely recommend Big Summer!

Daphne, self-proclaimed and successful body image “fat” influencer is loving the dream New York after launching blog Sox years ago when a night out turns into a YouTube moment turned opportunity. Six years later, Drue, ex-best friend to whom she hasn’t spoken since invites Daphne to be the maid-of-honor at her wedding. Is Drue truly worth forgiving after their fight or she too good to be true?

I was amazed by this book guys! I was expecting a light beach read and was drawn in by the many twists the author had throughout. Daphne was witty and fun, and her friends Drue and Darshi had their own developed personalities as well. I tore through this in two days and I’m sure it will be a hit this summer.

I was not able to get into this book! I keep reading great reviews however, so I will most likely revisit.

First I’d like to thank Atria books and author Jennifer Weiner for the opportunity to receive a copy of this book to review. Big Summer presented a surprising genre mix of chick lit and suspense with powerful themes of self love, friendships, family, the dangers of social media and assumption of one’s life based upon it. Big Summer was a page turner from the very beginning and will keep you captivated to the very end.

When I picked up this book and read about the first 30% I thought it was going to be exactly what I expected it to be. A great book but a predictable chick flick summer read. It’s anything but. I love a book that keeps me guessing and wondering how it’s going to turn out the entire time and this book did just that. It was anything but what I expected and I can’t wait to have someone to discuss it with.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy!

This may be my favorite Jennifer Weiner book yet!
I've always been a fan of her books, but this one has a little bit of an extra edge. When Daphne reunites with her old bff, Drue, the one who treated her terribly and embarrassed her all the time, she was told by her roommate that she was making a huge mistake. But she was still drawn to Drue, and Drue was about to have a huge and very public wedding that would be great for Daphne's social media presence. So she agrees. And everything changes.
This book has everything you could want for a summer (or quarantine!) read. There's a romantic storyline, a who-done-it, and the "always got your back" female friendship. If you've always read Weiner, you'll love this one. If you haven't read her before, start here.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of the book. This is my honest review.

Big Summer felt different than anything I’ve ever read by Jennifer Weiner, but once I picked it up, I couldn’t put it down! Daphne was such a real and unique character. I love that Weiner creates characters who are not a size zero. She tackles real current issues like social media and influencers. I thought I was reading a story about high school frenemies, but the crime solving element kept me intrigued and I couldn’t wait for Daphne to figure it out. Jennifer Weiner never disappoints and continues to be one of my favorite authors. I can’t wait to grab a finished copy when it is released. Thank you Netgalley, Atria, and Jennifer Weiner for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

Special thanks to Atria Books for providing our copy of Big Summer by Jennifer Weiner in exchange for an honest & fair review.

Oh my goodness. What a read! It's no secret that I'm a Jennifer Weiner fangirl. I was and still am obsessed with Cannie from Good In Bed. Weiner is one of the authors who really spurred my continued love of reading as I entered college. I just love her.

Big Summer is a huge 5 stars for me. Like, if I don't see everyone reading this book this summer, I will be shocked. Big Summer has it all. Female friendships, strong writing, heart, developed characters & more. As soon as I started it, I couldn't put it down.

THE VERDICT

Read this book, talk about it with friends & just know that Jennifer is a queen. It feels so good to be reading & falling in love with her writing once again.

In typical Weiner fashion, Big Summer is a character relationship focused book- but atypical to Weiner writing is a suspenseful plot line! Daphne and Drue were “best” friends growing up, until one unforgivable night that had Daphne vowing she would never speak the name Drue again. ⁣
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Low and behold, six years later, Drue (short on the friend front) begs Daphne to be the maid of honor in her high profile wedding. Forever the forgiver, Daphne obliges... knowing the sacrifice won’t hurt her growing fashion Instagram. As she attempts to build back her friendship with Drue, Daphne also finds herself uncovering pieces of her former best friend’s life that help her to see a new side of her. ⁣
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This is a bit of a whodunit, a bit of a steamy romance, and a friendship and forgiveness story, this one will surely top my summer favorite list. ⁣

She did it again! With Big Summer, Jennifer Weiner captures the essence of female friendships — and insecurities.

The story begins with a prologue of a single mother living with her son in a cottage on Cape Cod, then shifts to 2018 where we begin to follow Daphne’s story. We shift through time a bit, learning about Daphne’s childhood, how she became a social media influencer, and her complicated friendship with Drue Cavanaugh, all of which leads her to saying yes to Drue’s request of being maid of honor at her upcoming wedding on Cape Cod.

A twisty whodunit follows, while we learn more about both Drue and Daphne. This book is fast paced, easy reading perfect for your own Big Summer beach or poolside reading!

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria books for the advanced reader copy!

This was my first Jennifer Weiner book, even though I’ve had Mrs. Everything sitting on my bookshelf for ages. I really enjoyed it! I didn’t know anything about it before diving in (one of my favorite things to do, apparently) and this book actually read like two. The first part was heavy on women’s fiction and the second half was more of a thriller. In the women’s fiction half, I loved that the story touched on female friendship as well as body image and weight – I felt seen. I didn’t love the Mean Girls vibes, but I do think it was necessary to thicken the plot and get a sense of who Drue was. Once I got to the thriller portion, I flew through the rest of the book. I could not and did not guess the killer before the author told me who it was, which is my sign of a good thriller. Over all, I think this book has a little something for readers of all genres.⁣

This is the perfect book to put you in a "big summer mood"! Big Summer is not just a fluffy beach read. It explores complex female friendships, body image, and online portrayal. I was drawn in immediately by this book, and it will definitely be one of my favorites of the year. It has everything you could want--"feel good" elements, romance, a mystery, and a lot of heart. It does rely very heavily on elements of social media culture, so if that's not your thing, you may have a harder time with it, but I couldn't put it down. Another great read from Jennifer Weiner!

What a great book this was! It touches on several important topics that are relevant to the times in which we live. Body image and how tough we are on ourselves, being insensitive or rude about body types, the good and bad of social media (particularly when it comes to influencers) and how people’s lives aren’t always as great as they may appear. Even when someone appears to have it all, you can be sure that you don’t know their struggles. And there’s even more.
I really liked the main character, Daphne. She was working toward accepting her body and being comfortable in her own skin. The author gave such a good view of what that struggle is like. How that voice in Daphne’s head was waiting to criticize and how she worked to block out other people’s opinions about her body.
The story itself sure held a big surprise. I really wasn’t expecting it—and I mean that in the best way! I feel like the last 30% dragged a little, but not too bad. Pick this one up. My bet is that you’ll enjoy it!

When Daphne's former best friend requests her presence as maid-of-honor at her East coast society wedding, Daphne can't exactly say no. The former friends fall back into their old routine and head to the beach for the big celebration. Things seem to be going well and Daphne even meets a new guy, but the morning of the wedding day, everyone is awoken to a major shock! From there, the twists keep on turning!

You guys, I don't know. This didn't do it for me.

I can't believe that the only other Jennifer Weiner book I've read is Mrs. Everything, but the amount that I loved that book indicated to me that I would adore this one. Plus, all the rave reviews from people I trust saying that this tackles important issues about body positivity and female friendships and more!

But there was something that just seemed so surface-level to this book about me, dancing around these topics without really going in-depth like she did in Mrs. Everything, and instead focusing on this murder mystery that appears midway through the book. I would have much preferred one or the other - either a fun beach ready whodunit/amateur investigation like The Perfect Couple or Conviction, or a more focused reflection on women's bodies, being an influencer, female friendships, mean girls, reconnecting, self-discovery, etc. This book has promise as both, but doesn't do either storyline justice.

It's hard to give away more about the story without crossing the line into Spoilerville, so I'll refrain. But I'll add that I didn't connect with any of the characters like I connected with Jo and Bethie in Mrs. Everything - everyone here, even our narrator Daphne, was just shallow and uninteresting to me. There are a few major characters who get introduced rather late in the game, and the story revolves to center around them, but I didn't feel like I knew or sympathized with them at all.

This was a fast read, and I admit that I stayed up late reading because I needed to know what happened. But to me, it felt entirely forgettable - even a day later, I'm left wondering what I actually read. (Side note, I don't love the title "Big Summer" here. Is it because Naomi is plus-size and this book takes place during the summer?) Given how much I loved Mrs. Everything, I'm definitely going to keep reading and trying other books by Weiner. This one just didn't do it for me! Thank you to Atria for the ARC.