By far one of the best I read in long time I would advise anyone to pick this book up on there must read

Honestly, I'm not sure if I would've picked this one up if I hadn't been offered a review copy (thank you Atria and Netgalley!) The storyline kept me sufficiently interested enough to finish it, but this just isn't what I expected out of a Jennifer Weiner novel.

CW: fat shaming, eating disorder

This was such a nice take on the importance of friendship! Great characters that kept me interested in the story throughout the book. The story itself was captivating and it was all clearly thought trough and well written.

This was different from what I had expected, especially after Mrs. Everything had such a big impact on me, and, unfortunately, I didn't love it. There's a lot going on and some interesting characters and relationship dynamics, as well as a somewhat interesting look at social media and the way we present ourselves online, but it just never grabbed me and made me feel like I couldn't put it down.

I wasn’t sure what to think about the book during the first 50%. The story focused mainly on the heroine, her social media presence as an influencer, her relationship with her former best friend, and her being plus size. It became a bit much at times.

But then at around 50% it became interesting. There was suddenly a mystery and I really started getting into the book.

I enjoyed the last half of the book the most, and became quite invested in the plot and characters. The mystery, the budding love-story, the backstories, it all came nicely together. It started making sense.

In the end, the story touched on quite a few heavy subjects. Sometimes it tried a bit too hard. But all in all the plot was entertaining, and I would recommend this to anyone for their summer tbr.

I received an ARC from Netgalley. I am leaving my honest review.

Let me be honest by stating that Chick Lit is not my favorite genre. Despite the mystery component this is most definitely a book geared to women.

Jennifer Weiner is an established author who is excellent at her craft.

The main problem I had with this book was that I didn't particularly like either of the main characters. They were both self centered and rather whiny.

Drue's alleged attempt at redemption wasn't credible and never engendered sympathy. .

Daphne's embracing self love despite her size never rang true. Her issue with her weight was understandable but she never quite achieved independence from how others viewed her.

Nevertheless, this is a quick, frothy read.

Escape fiction with well-thought-out characters and entertaining descriptions of food, fame and fashion. This is all about "cherish what you have/be careful what you wish for" and thus perfect for those looking for an uplifting story in these pandemic times. The narrative starts off as one thing and segues into something else halfway though. I thought the first half was more successful, but the reader buys into the characters at this point, so the switch isn't too unsettling. Jennifer Weiner consistently charms and entertains and her fans will love this novel as much as her previous ones.

#thanksnetgalley

Back when she first hit it big with Good in Bed, I read a bunch of Jennifer Weiner's novels. Her books were fun, light, and relatable without being too saccharine or cheesy. Then I read Mrs. Everything earlier this year and it was a different Jennifer Weiner than I remember. I loved Mrs. Everything it was an enjoyable historical fiction ode to sisters.

Big Summer: so, when I saw this cover and hadn't yet read the blurb, I figured: chick lit beach read. OR maybe historical fiction chick lit beach read. Well, it started out like chick lit and then there was a twist and it took on another dimension.

The book's main character is Daphne, a young woman living in NYC with rising success as a body-acceptance Instagrammer. Daphne's rise to "internet fame" was kicked off by a viral video of her telling off a man in a night spot. That same night was also the end of her friendship with her school friend Drue. Drue was a wealthy girl who frequently mistreated her friends. 6 years after their friendship ended, Drue seeks out Daphne to ask her to be her maid-of-honor in her upcoming Cape Cod wedding.

I would still consider it a beach read though. :) I actually enjoyed the added dimension of the twist. AND I loved the Cape Cod setting. This book is a look at female friendship and the issues with being an instagram influencer. It was a fun read that you don't have too take too seriously.

I loved this! I genuinely connected with the characters and the writing style. This is the perfect book to read in the summer - or in the winter if you're looking to warm up!

I had no idea what to expect from this book, though I know that I consistently enjoy Jennifer Weiner's books when I'm looking for novels that are a little bit lighter, but still smart and engaging. That said, her books are all so different from each other, a fact that I really appreciate! Overall, I really enjoyed this one, though I was definitely more into the first half of the book than the second.

Daphne is a plus-sized fashion influencer who loves her career and is grateful for her life, but still has a lot of self-loathing for herself and her body/relationship with food. I found this portrayal to be pretty realistic and feel that a lot of people can probably relate to Daphne. When Daphne's ex-best friend Drue comes back into the picture, against her better judgement, Daphne lets her back into her life and agrees to stand up in her wedding.

It definitely bothered me that Daphne was so easily swayed by Drue after how Drue had treated her (you'll learn about their history in the first part of the book) and it didn't feel totally realistic that Drue was so desperate for bridesmaids, but I just went with it. Once Daphne is at Drue's wedding, the book enters into a bit of a mystery/thriller genre and continues this way for the remainder. Honestly, I feel like the less you know going into it, the better, so I'm not going to share too much aside to say that I didn't love the thriller feel. However, I've noted that readers seem equally split on which half of the book they prefer... I'm not a huge thriller reader, so that may be why I liked the first half better.

Ultimately, I found Big Summer to be pretty entertaining and a really good summer beach read. It's lighter than a lot of what I've been reading lately, but still has serious notes and feels smarter than the typical beach book. I can definitely see it being made into a movie/series in the future!

Thank you Atria for a complimentary copy. I voluntarily reviewed this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

Big Summer
By: Jennifer Weiner


REVIEW ☆☆☆☆
Big Summer is the perfect beach read. It is easy to read, delightfully charming and filled with all the quirks and oddities that female relationships sometimes carry. Personally, I could never be as forgiving as Daphne is to Drue. A nice person and a horrible person just don't mix, despite many attempts. Still, I'm glad Daphne gets the chance to mix and mingle with the snobs of Cape Cod. I never had a good feeling about Drue at all. Kinda wanted to slap her. I was surprised by the twists and turns in the story, unable to put the book down for long. If you enjoy spiteful female friends, lifestyles of the rich and rude and partying on the beach, check out Big Summer!

4.25 stars- really, really enjoyed this new Jennifer Weiner book. It would probably be 5 stars but for a plot point halfway thru that I wasn't completely on board with. This is Jennifer Weiner doing what she does best-a lighter in tone book with interesting things happening and a relatable heroine to root for. If you liked her most well-known book, In Her Shoes, I think you'll like this one. It is being billed as a mystery but it's more of a women's fiction book that touches on social media, friendship, plus sized celebrity, commercialism, and family secrets. Jennifer Weiner does it again and is better than ever.

An all around great summer read.

Social Influencer, Daphne Berg, puts aside her roommate & BFF Dashini when their former classmate, Drue calls. Daphne finds herself accepting Drue's request to become a bridesmaid at her upcoming wedding. Daphne learns that life on social media doesn't reflect anyone's real life before coming to terms with her plus size body.

A novel of complex relationships and strong personalities with well-developed characters and a steady suspense building murder investigation.

*I already read prior to obtaining NetGalley ARC* here’s my review from June 2020:

Unfortunately this one was not as good as I thought it was going to be. The first part was slow and a little boring. I loved the Part 2 and it was looking promising but Part 3 was another bust and I was a left pretty disappointed. The idea of the book was good and loved most of the characters. I thought it had a lot of potential but fell short. Hopefully you’ll have a better reading experience than I did.

I was looking forward to this one SO much, Jennifer Weiner is one of my go to authors....buuuut it seems I’m the odd man out on this one.⁣
⁣
I loved the first half of the book. It read like her usual woman’s fiction style, while dealing with important topics such as body image, and social media. It was on par for 4 stars at the start. The second half? It took a turn for the worse for me. I was bored by 65% and I found I wasn’t eager to pick it up anymore.⁣
⁣
I don’t want to spoil anything, but I felt like it was trying to be too many things (woman’s fiction, mystery, romance) that no one genre stood out and it ended up just bland. Parts of it weren’t believable to me. I’m not sure if it’s because I had high hopes for it or if it is just mood, I liked it but it wasn’t my fave of hers by a long shot. 3⭐️⁣
⁣
Please check out the other reviews out there though, because I’ve mostly seen glowing rave reviews so I’m definitely the unpopular opinion on this one.

I love Jennifer Weiner! Big Summer is an enjoyable story about friendships and forgiveness. This novel is based on an unconventionally rekindled friendship at a society wedding on Cape Cod. Daphne and Drue learn what's really important in life, and what is worth letting go of. A great and heartfelt book!

A bright, engaging read that I hugely enjoyed. Definitely more of a mystery element than I was expecting from JW but she did an excellent job. The characters, as always, felt fully fleshed out and real, and I was absolutely not expecting the twist at the end. Great read!

It's 1984 I'm September on the cape
Christina is on the summer cottage. She wanted the cottage.aftet her mom died. She is a single mother. The father was married. I liked the jump to the future but it was also frustrating. Leela is running late for a fashion design meeting. I liked the characters

I finally decided to dive into one of the summer’s biggest #beachreads, @jenniferweinerwrites, #bigsummer.

I was really enjoying it, until it morphed from a beach read, into an unrealistic mystery/ thriller.

Nonetheless, the story does have some important take home messages including, most predominantly, our abuse/ overuse social media, and, the pros and cons of social platforms.

Themes include #love ❤️, #secrets, 🤫, #forgiveness, food (psychology), and “#bullying”/ #gaslighting. The reading club guide glues or gels everything into a cohesive story, in the end.

Finally, how much does this cover make you ready for #summer?
Love 💕 it!

Thank you #netgalley for this e-ARC in return for my honest review.

I was really excited to read this book because it seemed like a perfect summer read. Daphne and Drue are old friends, but clearly never had a real friendship. When Drue asks Daphne to be in her wedding, Daphne is surprised but excited to hopefully bond with her old friend and why not get a nice Cape Cod vacation out of it! I don't want to spoil anything else so let's just say that things take a turn for the worse and Daphne has more on her plate than she ever thought she would have to deal with!

While I did enjoy this read and was utterly shocked at the twist half way through, it just didn't really blow me away like I was hoping it would. It almost felt as if there was too much to the story and got a bit confusing on what I was supposed to learn from it and even what category or genre to consider it as. 3 stars for me.