Big Summer is the perfect Summer read. Equal parts mystery and women's fiction, it gives a glimpse into several worlds from the influencer world, to the mega rich all while keeping a mostly down to earth protagonist that is easy to relate to and feels like a long lost friend. I am not one for mysteries ( aside from Sue Grafton novels RIP) but I really enjoyed how Weiner incorporated that element. There were times when I felt like, why are they chasing the "killer", instead of letting the police do its work but their chase added some depth to the story and characters and it didn't overshadow the other part of the story. This is one of those quintessential Beach reads for 2020. I couldn't put it down and finished it within 48 hours, staying up late to get to the end.

Jennifer Weiner does not surprise when it comes to tackling societal issues with irony and satire. Big Summer features Daphne Berg, a New Yorker who is working on establishing herself as an online influencer in fashion for large size women. Daphne lives with her college roommate, Darshi, and life is good. Drue Cavanaugh, an old private school classmate, and friend, shows up and asks for a favor.

Drue is the perfect looking girl Daphne has always adored. Immediately, the sense of danger permeates the story. No good can come from resuming a friendship with Drue. Darshi voices her concern and advises against having anything to do with Drue. She hurt Daphne deeply more than once and still has some power over her. The story's suspense builds from the moment Daphne agrees to be in Drue's wedding.

In the meantime, Daphne continues to wear clothes from a designer, Leel Katoon, who is building her brand for plus size women. Daphne photographs everything she wears and feels confident that she will become a well-known influencer in that particular area of fashion and continue to partner with Leel. She is happier than she has ever been now that she is free from school, where her weight was always an issue for her.

JW is a skillful writer, and while I am not a fan of her constant reference to Daphne's issues with weight, the book turned out to be much more. New characters come into the plot when the location changes to Cape Cod for Drue's wedding. Nothing is as it seems, and quick-fire events spice up the novel. I had to read it through to the end as fast as I could. This novel is sad, exciting, and hopeful. I recommend it as a fast-paced and well-written story!

Thank you to the author, Atria, and NetGalley for an e-ARC of this May publication.

I received Big Summer from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review. I absolutely loved this book. The story was fun turned murder mystery. Loved the antagonist and was drawn to this character from the beginning. This was a quick read because I just couldn't put it down. The title is perfect for this book! Love Jennifer Weiner and LOVED Big Summer!!

One again Jennifer Weiner has done it again. Loved this book. Great timely story. Couldn’t put it down.

This book has it all. Friendship, betrayal, love, heartache, mystery and suspense. Drue and Daphne have t been friends since an e ending gone wrong so when Daphne comes waltzing back into Drue’s life, she is tentative but is swept back into the whirlwind emotional roller coaster. Jennifer Werner is a favorite author, but this book took me to another fan level. I couldn’t put it down! Thank you NetGalley for the early review copy. 5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I am almost ashamed to admit that my first Jennifer Weiner book was Mrs everything. And oh gosh did I love that book. It was like it was written for my soul. There was so much depth to it that I was immediately enveloped. With that in mind I was so excited to find out she had a new book coming out.I had the highest expectations for Big Summer. Like impossibly high expectations especially with how much I fell in love with Mrs Everything. I was not disappointed in Big Summer. From the first page I felt transported to picturesque Cape Cod and a part of the wedding event of the season. Trust me please when I say to give this book a try. You wont regret it.

I really enjoyed this book. I am a fan of Jennifer Weiner and her previous work, including Mrs. Everything, so going into this novel I had high hopes. I am very pleased to say I wasn't disappointed. I absolutely adore novels about friendship, especially now as a woman nearing my thirties. These relationships we cultivate are so complex and much messier than we want them to be as we grow older and I feel like Weiner did a fantastic job of illustrating these intricacies between Drue and Daphne. I don't want to give too much away but the book also takes an unexpected turn of events that seemed weird at first but it really worked! I definitely recommend this book to any and all contemporary fiction lovers.

A fun and light read from Jennifer Weiner, I really enjoyed this from one of my favorite authors. Daphne is a plus sized influencer who is recruited by her former best friend Drue to be her maid of honor. This book has everything from women's fiction to romance to a mystery, and it kept me guessing throughout. I always love that Jennifer Weiner is a Jewish writer who references Jewish things in her books as well. This was not as amazing as Mrs. Everything, but I loved reading Big Summer.

Jennifer Weiner's books are sharp, witty and extremely entertaining. Throw in some inner (and sometimes Outer) angst about being different from the sea of supposedly skinny, Minnie's that surround the main character, Daphne, and you have a story about resilience and over coming years of pre-programming by your inner critic.

Daphne is a middle class girl who went to a very upper class school thanks to a scholarship and a parent who worked there. The most beautiful, popular girl in the school befriends her but that friendship comes with a dose of cruelty and a one sidedness that Daphne can see but can't stop herself from being part of. A couple years into college and a night club incident finally breaks that friendship and changes the way Daphne views her body and how she wishes to present herself to the world,

Then Drue, the frenemy from school pops back into Daphne's life and asks her to be part of her stunningly expensive celebrity driven wedding and the book takes a very different turn.

I loved the twist and the second half of the book. I enjoyed Weiner's description of the delicious, mouth watering food in New York. Daphne's wonderful parents and her fantastic life that she can't quite enjoy. I wasn't so keen on all the Instagram stuff. It felt like I had signed up for a free course on how to become an influencer without having any interest.

This is the perfect book to lose yourself in and enjoy an old fashioned Agatha Christie detective story set in modern day New York and Cape Cod. Thank you Netgalley for providing an ARC in return for my honest review.

Hooray Jennifer Weiner! This book is so much fun. Its release couldn't be at a more perfect time. Don't read reviews, just read this book.

5.0 stars

I received a complimentary e-book copy of this book from Atria Books through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you to Jennifer Weiner, Atria Books, and, NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

I so loved this book. It took me the prologue and two chapters to get into it and I was hooked. The last chapter was so good that I just could not put this book down (well, my phone really as it was a Kindle ARC).

This author has a beautiful way with words - absolutely lovely. Her plots are well-written and her characters fully developed. This is the second book that I have written by this author. I look forward to going back and reading some of her earlier releases. She has me HOOKED!!

I loved all of the discussion about how social media impacts our lives in good AND bad ways. Also, fat-shaming really hit home for me as this was always an issue for me. Finally, friendship and frenemies were another strong plot point.

This book is the PERFECT summer read. Hopefully, since I am writing this review during the COVID-19 pandemic, that everyone will be able to read this book by a pool or on a beach.

I was able to read Big Summer by Jennifer Weiner for free from Netgalley for providing me with an advanced ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I really enjoyed this new story by Jennifer Weiner.  This book is perfect for the summer season.
I love the fact that Jennifer Weiner is big on drama and the impact it has on the plot.  
The mystery twist made it enjoyable.  
The characters are multi-dimensional and able to identify to them.  
I don't want to give too much detail because then it will be a spoiler. 
Definitely recommend this to any one.

Daphne Berg is an up and coming influencer who is finally coming into her own. After a humiliating video taped incident that went viral, Daphne picked up the pieces of a destroyed friendship and is starting to make a name for herself through Instagram. When her former friend Drue Cavanaugh shows back up in her life begging her to be in her highly anticipated wedding, Daphne finds herself unable to say no. With a new clothing brand sponsoring her posts, she makes her way to Cape Cod and is thrust back into Drue's life. Everything is "extra" from her tv star fiance, to the Persian rugs on the beach for the engagement party. Daphne is having a great time and is wondering if it's possible that Drue has changed for the better. The wedding is gearing up to be the society event of the summer and Daphne can hardly believe she is a part of it. This story is about find your true self, friendships between woman, and the pros and cons of living an online life.

I was so excited to be sent this new book by Weiner. I loved Mrs. Everything and started this one as soon as I could. This is definitely a lighter read. I was drawn in as soon as I started it and had a hard time putting it down. There were a few instances that I had to go back and reread after finishing the book, a few holes I had to fill in for myself. I can see this as being a big book for the summer, it is definitely a great beach read!

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this latest winner from Jennifer Weiner. This is different from her other work in that the surprise twist is a new storytelling element I have not seen in Weiner’s previous work. Threw me for a loop but as I adjusted my expectations and settled into enjoyment of a new direction for the author, the book kept me intrigued to the last drop. Characters were deftly drawn and complex enough to keep me fascinated. Highly recommend this early summer blockbuster!

I would be remiss if I did not start off this review by saying that Mrs. Everything was one of my favorite books of 2019. I was so thrilled to receive an ARC of Weiner's newest book, Big Summer.

Big Summer centers around Daphne, a plus-size influencer who unexpectedly reunites with her ex-best friend from school, Drue Cavanaugh, when Drue asks Daphne to be in her wedding. Drue is beautiful, wealthy, influential, and ruthless. I will leave it at that because I think it best to go into this book without knowing too much.

I absolutely loved this book; it covers a myriad of topics ranging from social media to wealth and weight. Daphne is a lovable protagonist along with a strong support cast of friends and family members. The story took an unexpected turn, which I enjoyed. There were a lot of subplots and side stories (some were a smidge distracting), but overall, it was a riveting and unique story. I highly recommend it!

I was reeled into this book from the first page. It seemed like it was going to touch on some important issues.....social media and being overweight. And it did. But then it took an odd turn and it seemed like I was reading a Nancy Drew book. The main characters trying to solve a murder did not fit in with the first half of the book. Nevertheless, I still enjoyed it. As I expected from the author, there were some political jabs, and I do not need that when I am reading a novel for entertainment. Because of that, it went from a 4 to a 3.5.

I revived this ARC from Atria Books and Simon & Schuster in exchange for an unbiased review. Thank you, Atria Books!!

What. An. Adventure! I love diving into a book and have it completely shock you and turn itself on it’s head. I have enjoyed Jennifer’s books way back since Good in Bed and all the way up to Mrs. Everything.

Big Summer, by far, has been my favorite of them all.

Fat shaming, high school hurts/regrets, grown up friendship struggles, all with a social media bent thrown in there. Daphne was a relatable main character that I found myself rooting for, being frustrated with but ultimately loving. Jennifer writes incredible, realistic and well rounded characters and I love that about her. These characters in Big Summer—good, bad and ugly, are no exception.

I can’t delve into the plot without completely ruining the story so I won’t begin to try. Just read this one. Trust me. It’s exactly what the world needs to escape into right now.

I really thought this was going to be a chick-lit easy, fun beach read type book. It started off that way, but then took an unexpected turn, and it wasn’t really the light read I thought it was going to be…

I love Jennifer Weiner’s writing style. I find it totally engrossing, making her books so bingeworthy. Another one of hers I finished in a day!

I really liked Daphne’s character. She constantly puts on a mask for everyone, including social media, but behind it all, she struggles deeply with a number of insecurities. The book really highlights some heavy topics such as body image and the dangers of social media. I just love how Weiner brought this character to life and included a well developed backstory along the way.

I loathed Drue’s character, she had a real rich mean girls vibe to her, but thought her character was equally well crafted!

I won’t reveal anything further on the storyline (swipe for plot), but if you fancy a mix up of genre; chick-lit come mystery you should definitely give this one a try - you won’t be disappointed! Out May 5th. Thanks @Atria for my advance copy.

up on the blog on tuesday!

Thank you to Net Galley and Atria Books for the Advance Reader Copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The last Jennifer Weiner novel I read, "Mrs. Everything," was a DNF for me. Did not finish. Never one to judge an author by one book, I got an ARC of "Big Summer" based on the publisher synopsis and dove in with only one expectation: that it's set on the delicious shores of Cape Cod during a luxurious summer wedding weekend. Who can resist?

"Big Summer" is rife with typical chick lit topics such as frenemies, insecurities, and romance but it surprised me with its exploration of social media and influencer culture. The plot was a little weird for me because it took a complete turn about halfway through. The book instantly and randomly went from women's fiction to a totally different genre. It felt disjointed to me but it seems to work in the end.

If you read too many reviews on this book you're bound to ruin the plot twist for yourself since the publisher synopsis doesn't mention it. You've been warned.

Overall, this is a fun summer read. Grab one for your beach bag when it comes out on May 5 and be prepared for the unexpected.

I received this book as an ARC from Net Galley. As a longtime fan if Jennifer Weiner I was thrilled to read Big Summer.
This work explores many themes related to womanhood - from self-esteem, family dynamics to the complications of friendships. We see everything through the eyes of Daphne Berg a clever, engaging protagonist whose story will keep you turning pages and wishing for a sequel.