Big Summer, Jennifer Weiner's latest release, is part summer beach read/part mystery with some themes around curating that perfect online presence and truth behind social media profiles. Daphne Berg, a plus-sized Instagram influencer and blogger is shocked when wealthy, beautiful Drue Cavenaugh walks back into her life. After a fight went viral six years earlier, the two haven't spoken-but Drue has clearly kept tabs on Daphne through social media. Drue, used to getting her way through her charming but cunning personality, has a request-will Daphne please be in her upcoming wedding on Cape Cod? While Daphne has built a life for herself and found confidence, she is unable to say to no Drue, setting the stage for events that spiral out of control. While Daphne works to find herself and the truth, readers are led into the world of social media influencers-showing that not all that glitters is gold. Told with Weiner's trademark humor (and obvious love for reality TV), Big Summer is another hit!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest feedback.

I really didn't know what this book was about I really thought it was a summer read and a beach read but I was completely wrong, this story will make you believe that you're about to read those kinds of stories about bloggers and influencers that nowadays we are seeing in many books and personally I really dislike that kind of topics and book but Big summer is nothing like that. it will really take you to some scenarios that you won't see them coming and that will make this story even more appealing and more intriguing.

Big summer has mystery, suspense and romance, and many hidden agendas that you won't see them coming. by the end of the book, you will be speechless because you wot really see where the story or that ending hit you.

I like the character of Daphne but I have to admit that at times she was very trusting even when people already hurt her in a terrible wat, at those times I was always screaming to her like NOOO you're going to regret but that's what I like about stories like this that play with your emotions in such a way that will blind you to what's coming next.

The worst character of the story for me was Drue I really didn't like her not even at the end, I don't care how much she suffered, she never had any excuse to treat people like she did, and also everybody was kissing her grow I will not do that for a person who only is trying to steal and trying to get everything you have and she is not happy that she doesn't. she was mean and always very cold I really never understood how Daphne who was totally opposite to her was her best friend.

other than that there were few other characters who made this story more enjoyable like Nick but the rest were so meh

overall it was a good read with good characters

Big Summer was a quick albeit unmemorable. I don't care about characters who are self-proclaimed influencers. It's a bit overdone. Thankfully that didn't distract too much from the story which had a bit of intrigue. It was good escapism and something I'd recommend if you're looking for a quick and easy read.

I'm a long-time fan of Jennifer Weiner, so anytime she has a book come out I try to make sure I get to read it.

This book was really interesting to me because it felt like two different books in one. I felt like I was reading one of Weiner's typical kind of books, with a character who is going to grow into herself and overcome her challenges. About halfway through there is a murder, and the book flips into something else. While the character is still overcoming her challenges, there is the added plotline of a murder mystery.

I enjoyed this book. Weiner does a great job of building her characters and creating people that you want to root for. She also did a great job of managing the murder mystery element, which in my reading experience is new for this author.

If you're already a fan of Weiner or if you like contemporary fiction, I would recommend this one.

I was provided a free copy of this book by @netgalley in exchange for my honest review.
Weirdly, I was just recently offered a copy of this even though it was published back in the summer (May 5th)!
For many years Jennifer Weiner has been one of my favorite authors! Her female characters are real, deal with real issues, and I've loved many of her awesome stories. However, this one wasn't my favorite. Without giving too much away, it turned into a mystery, whodunnit story that was totally unexpected and not the norm for Weiner. Not that authors can't try new things, but I think the characters lost some of their relatability and charm as the story progressed. It still kept my attention, and I didn't want to find out whodunnit, but not as enjoyable as other Weiner books I've read.
#NetGalley #BigSummer

I think this might be the first book I’ve read by the author so I wasn’t sure what to expect. Daphne is the central figure in this book and she is a successful plus size social media influencer. She has had body issues for years that were exacerbated by her ex friend Drue. The two women haven’t spoken in years so Daphne is surprised when Drue begs her to be a bridesmaid at her wedding. Daphne warily agrees and she heads to Cape Cod for the ceremony. She hopes this will be great for her social media posts and she is thrilled to renew her friendship with Drue. Here is where the book really picks up the pace and we start having multiple stories happening at once. I thought it was a bit too much going on in the plot but I still enjoyed the story. It was great to see the personal growth with Daphne and her family and best friend were great secondary characters. I won’t say much more and give away plot points but I found the book interesting overall and I will go and read from the author's backlist.

This was a lovely book! It was filled with surprises that kept me glued to the pages! This was a fun romance that readers will enjoy anytime of year!

What a wonderful read!!! Jennifer Weiner is such a talented writer!! I loved the characters- Daphne - my heart broke for her but her character was relatable and loving. Drue the mean girl who everyone can also relate to and you begin to really hate her.... throw in summer,cape cod, this book turns into a thriller and my mind was blown away!! So many deep messages scattered throughout the pages!!

Sending a sincere thank you to NetGalley for an copy of Big Summer for my honest review! Can’t wait to see what comes next!!

Review posted on my Instagram blog
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Goodreads
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This book definitely surprised me! I enjoyed this storyline so much!! I did not see all of the plot twists coming that happened in this one!! The characters were so relatable! I love Daphne so much and really connected with her and her struggle with her body image. The mystery portion of this book was very well done & I loved how everything tied together. This one gets 🌟🌟🌟🌟💫

Love Jen Weiner and all of her previous books. Big Summer did not resonate with me, even reading it during the summer. The writing did not flow like a typical Weiner book. I have read other positive reviews, so should reread in the future. I will continue to read Weiner, even if this book was not to my liking. Gets a three star rating because of Weiner.

Jennifer Weiner was one of the first authors I started reading as an adult and I haven't stopped since! her books are absolutely magical in so many ways. not only are each of them unique, but her characters and their lives are realistic. This is one book you don't want to miss!

This book preached self-love without being preachy and was an easy beach read without sacrificing any intelligence! Excellent book for the summer or just a mental anytime getaway!

Friendship and forgiveness is the main theme of the book. There is also a secondary theme around body image, how society perceives women and the expectations put upon women.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Can a book be both surprising and predictable? I went into this pretty blind and was enjoying the book and then it took a total left turn which surprised and thrilled me. After that turn, I enjoyed the road it took me on but I found that road to be slightly predictable. I enjoyed the social media angle as well as the unlikable characters and red herrings along the way. It's well written and the different plot tangents were interesting. But in the end it was just a 'like' not a 'love' story for me.

Drue Cavanaugh has everything—except true friendships. Six years after a friendship-ending fight, Drue tries to rekindle her friendship with ex-best friend, Daphne Berg. Daphne, an upcoming social media influencer, reluctantly agrees to be her ex-best friend’s maid-of-honour at THE WEDDING of the summer.

This story was not at all what I was expecting, it was better. I found myself relating to Daphne in more ways than one—always trying to be a great friend, not feeling the skinniest one, but having a loving and supportive family—the story of Daphne and Drue’s friendship is the perfect beach read to kick off the summer. Without giving too much away, this is more than a “surface-level” kind of book and has a surprising twist that left me with an open jaw. Dealing with hot topics like being real vs. fake in social media, I’d highly recommend this book that will be a BIG one this SUMMER (get it?🤪) .

4.5/5 stars

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinions. I love anything Jennifer Weiner writes and anxiously await her new release every year. This year in particular when we were all staying home made reading this book even more fun! I loved everything about this book and thought the story was a great escape from reality! THANK YOU! I am already counting the days until your next release! I highly recommend this book!

Unfortunately, this one was a DNF for me. I couldnt connect with the characters and found it very hard to pick this one back up, so I decided to move on to another book. I absolutely love Jennifer Weiner's writing and while I do think that the message in this story is important, It just wasn't for me. Thank you for the opportunity to try it though!

LOved this book - It would have been the perfect summertime beach read if I had gotten my act together and actually read it during the appropriate season!!

Big summer was the book that I couldn’t put down over last weekend. I loved it! This book was just the book I needed during this cold weather. The character development was perfect and I love her sense of humor.

This was not my favorite book of hers but it passed the time just fine. It was refreshing to see a plus-sized main character as a well-rounded, complete person rather than a caricature or sidekick