Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The main character, Daphne, was endearing and funny, which is typical for Jennifer Weiner books. I did think it was a little implausible that Daphne would jump back into Drue’s life and wedding plans after only a few moments of conversation.

I did appreciate the murder mystery that came along halfway through the book. This made it a much more interesting read. I also didn't guess who the killer was, which is always a bonus.

I also enjoyed the commentary about social media and the picture Weiner painted of Daphne’s family and how lucky she was to have them.

All in all, this book was a great offering from Weiner and I will be recommending it!

Oh Jennifer Weiner! You did it again and I think you have top all your other works! I loved this book!! This is definitely topping my year so far as one of my favorites and it definitely is my favorite Jennifer Weiner book to date. Weiner had me guessing from the prologue, I thought this was going to be a totally different kind of book. and then again after part 1, I was blindsided again. But in the best way possible! So well written!
You meet Christina in the prologue and you kinda forget about her until she comes back into the back story later in the book. Then Part 1, You meet Daphne and Drue. Two "best friends" from their school years and the planning of Drue's wedding. Trust me when i say this book is so much more than the description on the book. I don't want to give too much away and spoil anyone else's read.
Definitely a 5 star read from Weiner! I will be recommending this book to others and will always be anxious to read Weiners work! She is amazing! Special Thanks to NetGalley, Atria Books, and Jennifer Weiner for the advance digital copy in exchange for my honest opinion
#BigSummer #NetGalley

Genre: Women’s Fiction
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Pub. Date: May 19, 2020

Vacation primes us for the pleasure of reading light books with plots that are not too heavy or thought provoking. Usually, the reader just wants to unwind in the sun, the sand, and a story. Beach books are at their best when read on a beach, which is where this reviewer read “Big Summer.” There are two timelines in the novel, 1994 and 2018. They do not intertwine. The prologue takes place in 1994, located on Cape Cod. We meet Christina Killian, an unmarried pregnant woman. With no financial resources, she goes to live year-round in her family’s seasonal summer cottage. She has a son and they both thrive while living on the peninsula. When the boy is four-years-old, the prologue is over and the story takes a completely different turn. Christina is out of the plot. This is a shame because her story had the makings of a good beach read.

The bulk of the story takes place in 2018 and told in the first person. The protagonist, Daphne Berg, is a plus-sized likable young woman with low self-esteem. The story begins when she is in the 8th grade and continues until she is in her mid-twenties. Her best friend, Drue Cavanaugh, is the opposite of her. Drue is the epitome of the character from the movie “Mean Girls.” You will wonder if you accidentally picked up a YA novel. The plot is mix-matched and all over the place. You will read about; school bullying with a strong emphasis on fat shaming, the pros, and cons of today’s 24/7social media culture. Throw in a rather dull romance that morphs into a completely unbelievable murder mystery.

The reader comes back to the beach when Daphne is in Drue’s Cape Cod, over-the-top rich, wedding. This is fun to read. Think of the TV shows, “The Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous.” Or any episode of, “Keeping Up with the Kardashians.” This is also when the story turns into a chick-lit murder mystery. Besides, when we finally learn what happened to Christina. Publishers put out beach books in piles for the summer. You may want to add “Big Summer” to your beach read list, but not on the top of your pile.

This book was a complete surprise and I loved it.
I received an email inviting me to read it (thanks Atria Books and Simon & Schuster!) and, if it wasn't for this invite, I wouldn't have read this book because I thought it was not "my cup of tea".
I am not going to describe the plot, but it is a nice story, I loved the characters and how the author developed them, I really liked how Jennifer Weiner described the ups and downs of Daphne and Drue friendship, it was very realistic.
Only one negative thing I think there are few anachronisms about social media use.
Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Daphne is a plus-size influencer, with an emphasis on the plus-size. Weiner always has a plus-size heroine in her books, but focused on it too much here. I felt like I'd read the words before. This also suffers from a lack of focus, like it isn't sure what kind of book it wants to be.

But it's interesting seeing what it's like to be an influencer. The message about social media couldn't be more timely.

And I'm still not convinced about Drue's true self. Would she really have been able to fall in love with someone so unattractive (and not make him over‽) and do all these genuine, do-gooder things yet come across as the same bitchy self other times? Perhaps it would have been more plausible had we seen more of Drue's hidden personality.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC.

Wow! I really enjoyed this new story by Jennifer Weiner. Her writing has always proven to be good and stories well written, but throwing in a twist of a mystery made this one even more enjoyable! Definitely recommend this to any one.

When Daphne gets paid a visit from her high school best friend/mean girl, Drue, it’s almost impossible for Daphne to not get pulled back into Drue’s world where she does everything in her power to get Drue to accept her. With a complicated history that has since propelled Daphne to Instagram fame, she must make a decision: Should she join Drue for a big summer on the Cape and be her bridesmaid, or leave the past behind her? And when she makes the decision, she gets way more than she bargained for as she finds love in unsuspecting places, finds a crime scene when she’s not looking for it, and uncovers secrets of the past that she thought she had all figured out.

Usually after i gobble up a read I'm ready to leave my review. However. #BigSummer #jenniferweiner #simonandschuster #danatrocker I needed to take a pause. #THISISNOTABADREVIEW Forgive me if I'm wrong (also please correct me) #autoimmunediseases #brainfog I was absolutely captivated from the first page. The introduction is wonderful. But. Then we jump and you meet #Daphne. She is every woman who looks down on themselves. You craves to be #thin #popularandpretty. She was me. Her voice in her head was my voice. You can't help but to become emotionally involved with her. Half-way thru you are going to feel a slap in the face. Shocked. You are going to wonder #wtfjusthappened. This book is amazing. All of Jennifer Weiners books are amazing. I wasn't disappointed in this read. The story line or the characters. I felt them in my soul. And the ending. Whoa. Talk about I didn't see that coming 😂 I highly recommend getting your hands on this book as soon as you are able ❤️ I had the privilege to receive an #arc thanks to Dana and #Netgalley #booksofinstagram #bookstagram #readingismydrugofchoice📚🗞📕📘

Glad she's back! I have loved all of this author's books except her last one. Maybe it was me and I should try again. This was fun, yet suspenseful, with some romance thrown in. Very enjoyable read.

I began reading Big Summer with little idea of what it was about. In part one I was immediately drawn in by Daphne, the main character. A twenty something, body-positive, plus-sized influencer. As her story was shared we heard it all, the good and the bad, the reasons she has become herself, and details on the friendships she's had since she was just a kid.

Part two brings you into a roller coaster of a mystery. As Daphne figures out parts of the puzzle they are also revealed to the reader. The twists and turns of the story continue into part three, where they are wrapped up in what I thought was a satisfying conclusion.

If you enjoyed Jennifer Weiner's other books, and appreciate when an author tries something different, you'll enjoy this book. Or, you know, if you like a mystery that is also a fun beach read.


*I received an ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Big Summer encompasses so many feelings about body shaming, friendships, families, and love. As usual, Jennifer Weiner does an outstanding job of pulling the reader in to understand that we don't really know how someone else feels or how they're dealing with their feelings.

Social media allows us to give others a glimpse into the parts of life we want them to see. When I saw Jennifer Weiner’s new book “Big Summer” was available to read I jumped at the chance. I was so excited I started it the next day. The book started out pretty slow and was hard for me to get in to, but as a woman who has struggled with my body image my whole life it was easy to relate to Daphne. Overall, a good read for a lazy weekend.

Mysteries are not really my thing, however, I did enjoy Jennifer Weiner's latest. The plus-sized main character was relatable and her worries and concerns with dating, her weight and self-concept were entertaining and true-to-life. Somewhat predictable, I still found Big Summer to be an easy and enjoyable read. Another good one from Weiner.

Three stars for Big Summer by Jennifer Weiner. This was a four star book until the last third of the novel, when it started to go off the rails a bit. Daphne is a plus sized Instagram influencer, navigating the world of social media and its benefits/downsides. Asked to be the maid of honor in her estranged friend’s million dollar wedding, she grapples with what it means to have self confidence and friends who support you unconditionally.

Halfway through the book, the plot shifts, and it becomes a basic whodunit, as Daphne races to solve a murder before the police (ugh). A mysterious stranger (is he a bad guy?), numerous beneficiaries of a large inheritance (of course), and incompetent detectives who suspect our heroine (seriously?) meant this was as cookie cutter as you get. Several anachronisms related to the use/ popularity of social media during Daphne’s childhood years (I’m sure her mom wasn’t posting her picture all over Facebook in 2005) further took me out of the plot.

This was an average, throwaway novel for me. I read to the end to find out who did it, but I’m not sure it was worth it.

Jennifer Weiner's latest is full of surprises and a deep dive into the world of influencers, body image, and acceptance.

Characters: ★★★★
Body Image Discussions: ★★★
Plot/Arc: ★★★★

Daphne is a plus-size influencer in our modern world of Instagram, hashtags, and body acceptance. But she's still at the "accepting" part when it comes to her own body—and the life she leads on Instagram is a constant push and pull with her internal monologue.

Drue Cavanaugh used to be Daphne's best friend, but when she burned Daphne and made their last epic fight about Daphne's weight, Daphne escaped and never looked back. Drue was rich, thin, blonde, and perfect—it's time for Daphne to cut her losses and be the average girl she was meant to be.

Years later, out of the blue, Drue contacts Daphne and asks her to be in her wedding. She even offers to pay her. Turns out Drue's mean girl self hasn't done her any favors, and her influencer lifestyle needs to look perfect. Daphne knows she's been coerced and bribed, but she says yes anyway. She's never been able to say no to Drue for very long.

Big Summer is mostly about Daphne's experience at the Cape with Drue's wedding, but it's also series of past memories of Daphne's childhood. And, more specifically, a journey through Daphne's mind as she glitches on every single moment with thoughts on her body and body size.

Also, there was a huge twist about halfway through Big Summer that I was NOT expecting. I'm so glad the description didn't allude to it. I thought it made this novel so much better, and really enjoyed where it took Daphne.

If I had to pick a negative to highlight, I'd say that this novel is the most "fat-focused" of any Jennifer Weiner that I've read so far. That feels weird to say as a negative, but hear me out—as someone who is plus-sized herself, I found it really disheartening that literally every single moment, every single thought, and every single plot point focused or mentioned something explicitly related to Daphne's weight. At the beginning, I was like "Yes! Someone gets it!" but towards the first half...and the middle...and the end...I felt myself wishing, desperately, for more balance in the main character. In a way, by focusing on this aspect of Daphne so much, we went past highlighting her "acceptance" to reducing her to that one characteristic...which I feel was a problem, as we're trying to make plus-size women feel seen and normalized. Not reduced to their weight, or distilled down to one trait of self body-hate.

However, overall I thoroughly enjoyed this one, and am thrilled to see where Jennifer Weiner takes us next—don't miss this one this summer!

Jennifer Weiner always writes a book I can look forward to and enjoy all the way through. Some characters are more likable than others, but the plot always keeps me coming back for more. Big Summer was exactly what I was hoping for, though I do think it could have had a better title. If her name was not associated with this title, I would not have bothered to read it.

Picture your HS days; good? Probably not great is how many would sum up those days, but what if you were constantly pulled back and forth by Drue, the "in" girl and then embarrassed by her? Big time embarrassed, like she posts the videos for all to see, but yet when you are with her, you feel like she really brings out the best in you....until she doesn't. They part ways for many years.

Growing up is hard enough, but when you are fat, it's worse. A grandmother who forces you to diet at the age of 6 when your folks are gone for the summer sets the pattern to make Daphne ashamed of her fat for most of her growing up years, but not now. She is a plus size influencer with a good following. Then Drue comes back into her life in need of a friend/bridesmaid..

Thank you NetGalley for an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review. I really enjoyed this book and would have given it 5 stars but for the title of the book

First of all, I LOVE Jennifer Weiner, but Big Summer was just okay. It started out great, like a typical women’s fiction novel. Daphne is a relatable character, although the fat shaming in the book got old. The book fell flat during the second half, which became a mystery. It felt like two different books. And the reveal of the murderer was just not believable. Not my favorite Weiner book for sure.

Daphne has always had a weight problem, nothing major, but she grew up in New York City, where even an extra 25 pounds can seem like 500. When she receives a scholarship to attend the prestigious prep school where her father teaches she doesn't worry about having to make new friends. She never really had any, but since she has loving, supportive parents it hasn't mattered.

At her new school she makes several friends, among them wealthy Drue Cavanaugh who can be a good friend and a kindred spirit one day and a witch the next. Daphne and Drue attend different colleges but during one semester break when they're back in New York, Drue blatantly shows her true colors and the incident goes viral on social media. From an embarrassing experience, Daphne finds success for speaking out and she becomes an Instagram influencer with a legion of fans wanting to learn how a plus size life isn't a life sentence.

Over the years Daphne ignores Drue's efforts to make amends until one day Drue barges into Daphne's workplace and begs Daphne to be in her wedding, Daphne immediately refuses but after Daphne pleads she realizes how the event can bring more followers, more sponsors, and more success. Like all of the books I've read by Jennifer Weiner, this book tells a captivating story while subtly introducing a moral lesson or two. This is my new favorite Jennifer Weiner book. I love the way her books keep up with the times and the characters are genuine even when they're not particularly admirable.

I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review, and I knew when I moved Big Summer to the top of my to be read pile I'd hate to have the story end. A sequel to this book would be very welcome.

This felt like two different books in one. The first half was the chick lit I know and love from Jennifer Weiner. The second half was a mystery I wasn’t expecting. It wasn’t my favorite of Weiner’s but it was good!

I really liked this book. I haven't read anything by Jennifer Weiner in a long time. The main character was very likeable so I just kept on reading wanting to know what was going to happen next! Well written and definitely engaging from start to finish!