This is the second book by Jennifer Weiner I've read, and it was much better than the first one. Daphne is a growing social influencer who is trying to be happy with her plus-size body. When her old friend Drue - they haven't spoken for over 6 years after a falling out - reaches out to ask Daphne to be a bridesmaid at her upcoming high society wedding. Daphne is a bit taken aback and not sure she's willing to let Drue and her drama back into her life. Daphne finally agrees, and will soon find out of Drue has changed at all.

There are several themes and a few twists in the story, and overall it was a fairly light, enjoyable read. It is a mix of chick lit, mystery, and romance. At times Daphne's thoughts/comments about her weight were a bit much, but at the same time there was truth in the perceptions and obsessions we ourselves and society have about looks.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC and the opportunity to share my opinion.

Wow, this book surprised me! I was expecting - based on the cover, title, and knowledge of the author alone - a beachy read with perhaps some romance and female friendships. I wasn't wrong, but add in a mystery and sprinkle in thematic elements of social media and its impact on us all, as well as body image, and you have a book I couldn't put down! This book will take your mind off everything going on in the world today, while making you think about what you will do it contribute to it when we are all back in everyday life once more.

I was invited to read the ARC of “Big Summer” by Netgalley. Opinions are my own.
“Big Summer” follows plus size influencer Daphne Berg as her childhood friend — socialite and social media star Drue Cavanaugh — reaches out to ask Daphne to be part of Drue’s wedding, set to be a dazzling affair on Cape Cod. Daphne and Drue’s longtime friendship had ended in a dramatic climax six years before the wedding, but Daphne is curious and ultimately unable to tell Drue no.
I am a huge Jennifer Weiner fan and was very excited to read this ARC. It was a slow start for me — and I do not hesitate to abandon books, so I had all but dropped this one around the 36 percent mark. I picked it back up and that’s exactly where the storyline begins to accelerate. True to Weiner’s style, this becomes one of those plots you can’t put down. It was a little darker than I expected, and the ending was a bit abrupt. But overall, I loved it, and I would recommend it to anyone as the perfect beach read.

A new hit from the queen of summer reads, Jennifer Weiner! I had obviously read the book jacket description and was ready for a fun, lighthearted beachy read. What I was not expecting was the mystery, intrigue, and deception that went along with the fun and romance. The characters were nuanced and likeable and the plot was twisty and kept you guessing until the very end.

I’m unsure how to categorize this story, as it wasn’t quite a romance, nor a thriller, though about halfway through it become mostly a mystery. It sent quite a few good messages, in particular—that despite outward appearances, especially those on social media, the grass is not always greener. Everyone could be battling their own personal demons and thus should be given grace even when we don’t know why. This was an enjoyable read for me.

Daphne and Drue were best friends growing up and throughout high school, but things ended badly, and suddenly, six years ago. Then, Drue appears out of the blue, asking Daphne if she will be her maid-of-honor in her upcoming wedding. It’s unexpected, to say the least, and Daphne is torn about what to do. For their entire lives, Daphne lived in Drue’s shadow. Drue was beautiful, rich, and the life of the party. Daphne was overweight and not nearly as popular. But lately, the balance appears to be shifting somewhat. Daphne now makes her living as a successful, plus-size influencer, and Drue—though still gorgeous and wealthy—appears to no longer have as many friends. Nonetheless, Daphne remembers the good times (and she feels bad!), so she accepts the offer to be in Drue’s wedding party. And from that moment on, nothing will ever be the same for anyone
This book is clearly marketed as a novel about female friendship—something Weiner does, so well—and it IS that. But it is so much more. There is mystery and even murder (!), which was something I did not expect! This was a fun, suspenseful book that was very tough to put down. It’s a quick read, but a great one. I’m calling it now: This will be THE beach read of 2020. Enjoy!

What a wonderful mix of mystery and romance! I will be recommending this to the adult book club at my library as a fun summer read. I think this will appeal to multiple generations of readers -- from those who are the protagonist's age to their mothers.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for my review copy! I enjoy all of the Jennifer Weiner books I have read thus far, and didn't even look at the description before diving in...I think that was a good thing! A twist occurred that I truly didn't expect, and it kept me even more on the edge of my seat. I highly recommend this as a 5 star read!

A rather disappointing read from Jennifer Weiner. While she does make reference to fat shaming and the pervasiveness of social media the false images we convey through these platforms, it seems rather superficial and obligatory. The storyline involving murder and newly discovered parentage and romance is rather far fetched and muddled. While I did enjoy the setting of the novel, it was months enough to make up f0r the far fetched storylines and resolution employed by Weiner.

I absolutely loved this book. I finished it a couple of weeks ago and I’m still thinking about it. You know when you’re reading a book and you just want to slow down because you don’t want the book to be over? That was this book for me. I’ve been a Jennifer Weiner fan since the beginning. I’ve read every single one of her books. I’ll be honest, though. I didn’t love her memoir and her last book was just “ok” for me. When I heard this book was going to be more like her earlier books I was so excited to read it! This book was classic Jennifer Weiner - an easy, fun read with substance.
Daphne and Drue were friends in high school, but after one too many incidents in which Drue took advantage of Daphne and didn’t treat her the way a friend should, they went their separate ways. So, six years later, when Drue shows up and asks Daphne to be her maid of honor in her wedding, Daphne reluctantly agrees. This is the blurb premise of the book, but this book is about so much more. This book is about relationships and love and acceptance. Just take my word and read this book, I hope you love it just like I did.
Thank you #netgalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
#bigsummer

I thoroughly enjoyed this book but it was not what I was expecting! Daphne and Drue were high school friends but Drue always took advantage of Daphne and their friendship abruptly came to an end after a particularly bad fight. Years later, Drue reappears in Daphne's life and asks her to be her maid-of-honor in an elaborate high society wedding on Cape Cod. Daphne now has a career as a social media influencer and decides to do the wedding both because it is the right thing to do and it could help her career. At the wedding, the story takes an abrupt turn and becomes about a murder investigation. Drue and her friends do some amateur detective work and try to help find the killer. This book had the typical love and friendship but also mystery and suspense. Something for everyone!

“She described her clothes as, "’Luscious’, it sounded like a new code-word for fat – like, Rubenesque.” There always seemed to be a code-word to describe a fat person; some biting, meant to sting and be mean. Then some marketing person realized fat women need clothes too, so they better come up with a word that sounded more appealing, more positive, making these women feel more attractive, you know, less fat.
I’m excited about this book! Jennifer Weiner tackles plus-size women and fat-shaming head-on in this novel, as it should be. Of course, she does it with humor and honesty, but wrapped in a story of two “BFFs” from high school into their adult lives. One is a girl of privilege, Drue; and the other was the scholarship girl, Daphne, at the fancy prep school they attended together.
Life happens, so much life. When a blind date Drue set up for Daphne, goes all wrong on the dance floor of a local club, Daphne turns the shamming around and gives a guy a lesson in manners and values. Unbeknownst to Daphne, someone filmed it and posted it the next day. The video goes viral and to Daphne’s shock, most of the hits are positive for her!
She’s stunned. She’s always tried to eat healthy and exercise. She’s just a big girl. If all the people see her as a ‘real person’ then it’s time for her to see it too! Daphne replaces her dark wardrobe for colorful clothes that enhance her shape and becomes a media influencer. She’s positive and honest, and her followers love that about her.
As the second half unfolds, we’re suddenly involved in a mystery of a “who dunnit,” with most of the characters from part one. Drue is getting married and begs Daphne to be in her wedding, explaining she doesn’t have any friends. Well, Daphne understands when you use people most of your life that can happen. Drue pleads so Daphne accepts. The wedding is the extravaganza Daphne anticipated, but unexpected ‘s--t’ happens that no one could have possibly predicted. Are we going stay around this? You bet we are!
It’s so well done you will not put the book down. Big Summer is a Big Winner!


Thank you Netgalley, Atria Publishing, and Jennifer Weiner

Love love loved this book, I could not put it down! So many plot twists that I just did not see coming. Daphne’s character was just so strong and lovable and resilient. I loved reading her story and all the twists and turns that she went through to have to find herself and find some peace. Thank you to Netgalley and Atria Books for the ARC.

This was a rather disappointing read from Jennifer Weiner, an author I have always enjoyed. Her last book, Mrs. Everything, was one of the best of 2019. I rated it 5 stars - the protagonist in Mrs. Everything had so much depth and the plot was so well thought out, it made Big Summer seem as if it was something she developed over a weekend at the beach, like she slapped a few current trends together - inclusivity, a more positive self imge of young woman & social media presence, then turned it into psychological suspense murder mystery with some family drama thrown in.
I just did not find it plausible, from begining to end.
Sorry for the negative review, I will still read Ms. Weiner's next book. Hopefully, it will be better than this one.

A natural for summer reading, for fans of light women's fiction who like a bit of depth. A sudden turn into murder mystery territory only adds to the delicious diversion this novel provides for the reader. Friendships, family, and even social media are given thoughtful treatment in the plot.

Daphne is a big girl whose profitable Instagram account portrays her as a triumphant victor over poor self-esteem and a master of body positive hashtags and plus-size marketing. Daphne's frenemy Dru, however, has a way of dragging her right back into high school. Glamorous and wealthy, Dru is the last word in Mean Girls, who has a long-standing habit of using and hurting people, even though her personal magnetism makes her easy to believe and hard to resist. Dru is out of Daphne's life, and firmly relegated to the unpleasant past, or so Daphne thinks. When Dru turns up asking Daphne to be her maid of honor at a million dollar Cape Cod wedding, Daphne reluctantly accepts, for business reasons. But nothing is as it appears. Not the wedding, not Dru, not Dru's enviable life—and even Daphne learns many startling things about herself, her romantic prospects, and her current business arrangements that no one could ever guess from looking at her Instagram.

I received an advanced readers copy of this book from the publisher and Netgalley and was encouraged to submit a review.

BIG SUMMER by Jennifer Weiner reads fast and keeps you guessing to see what relationships are genuine and which are a genuine pain in the ass. I don’t know what kind of a novel I was expecting originally but the big characters of Drue, Darshi, and Daphne played off each other very well and the way the plot evolved made it a real page turner for me. I like the way that the author writes characters and dialog, especially inner dialog. The dynamic between Daphne and her family, especially her dad, was so well done and I enjoyed the steamy parts with Nick as well. Throw in an actual story line that is both believable and non-believable with an ending I didn’t predict and it made for a great summer read.

Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for the advanced copy of this novel. All opinions are my own.

Chick-lit at it's best. A fun read with a serious message about fat-shaming and how social media has taken over every aspect of our lives - and reality might be so much different from what we see. Also - treasure your true friends!

Daphne Berg, a plus-sized, Jewish 20-something who lives her life Very Online, is the heroine of "Big Summer." I wanted to love the book. A skillful mix of romance and mystery, the novel is like a store-bought pastry: It makes a good photo on Insta but doesn't make you hum with pleasure as you savor the last bite. Everything makes sense at the end, people (mostly) get what they deserve. It seems to say something about female friendships and our society's fascination with rich people. Ultimately, though, this is well done light fiction and not a novel you'll be thinking about for more than a day after you finish it. "Big Summer" is probably a return to form for Jennifer Weiner, but if "Mrs. Everything" was the first book of hers that you read (like it was for me), you may be disappointed by it.

I went into reading this book not knowing anything about the plot line - and was pleasantly surprised by the plot twist halfway through! Weiner did such a good job describing Drue (the girl in high school we’re all familiar with - pretty, popular, with a mean streak) and I loved their relationship and how it changed throughout. I was a little underwhelmed by the ending - if felt a little rushed and like it wrapped up too quickly. But overall this was a great, fast read!

Thank you to Netgalley & Atria Books for an ARC of this book in exchange for a honest review.

Jennifer Weiner is one of my favorite authors and its books like this that prove why. She can’t go from rom-com chick lit, to contemporary literature, to mystery effortlessly and with the signature Weiner wit.

Our main character, Daphne Berg, is flawed but she’s also a kick ass human being even while battling her negative inner voice. She’s genuine but she falls into the same personal pitfalls that we sometimes do by re-entering into a relationship with frenemy Drue Cavanagh. Drue herself has her positive and negative attributes and Weiner gives her enough of both to make her the perfect antagonist. While there isn’t a lot of twisting and turning in this book like most mystery novels now Weiner managed to throw a big twist right at the end that feels organic.

Touching on body image, the influencer generation, and female friendships “Big Summer” was not the book I expected but that doesn’t mean it was a disappointment. This book is perfect is a perfect beach/rainy day/lazy day/quarantined read.