Cute story, easy read, and has some great lessons about body image, self-worth, and love. I am not a huge fan of this author's books but I thought the story sounded interesting. I'm glad I finished it but it was just okay.

Everything Jennifer Weiner touches is golden. This is a really beautiful book! I am so thankful to have read it

Jennifer Weiner is the best answer for a uplifting, empowering, and addictive summer read, and I'm so glad I finally got to this one. Abby Stern is a plus-size cyclist in her 30s who is stuck in a comfortable but kind of dead end relationship with Mark, who wants to settle down. Abby seizes the change to lead a cycling tour, and is joined by a delightful ensemble of characters. There is just so much goodness and heart in this story, and I would recommend it to anyone who is looking for a breezy and happy summer read.

Jennifer Weiner's The Breakaway is a vibrant and emotionally resonant exploration of self-discovery, body image, and the complexities of love. At the heart of the story is Abby Stern, a 33-year-old woman who leads a two-week bike tour from New York City to Niagara Falls. What begins as a journey of self-reflection becomes a path to confronting past relationships and uncovering hidden truths. Weiner masterfully intertwines themes of body positivity, personal growth, and the intricate dynamics of family and romance. The narrative is both heartfelt and humorous, offering readers a compelling and uplifting experience

In The Breakaway, Jennifer Weiner explores so many of the core experiences of modern womanhood -- fat phobia and diet culture, mother-daughter relationships, and reproductive freedom. As a longtime Weiner fan, I love seeing how her fiction has evolved and become more richly nuanced. The Breakaway is a fun, emotional, and fascinating read!

The Breakaway was an easy, enjoyable read with some real heart to it. I liked the mix of humor and heavier themes, and the characters...especially Abby...felt relatable in their messiness. It’s a story about second chances, self-discovery, and figuring out what you actually want instead of what’s expected. Some parts were a little predictable, but I didn’t mind...sometimes comfort reads hit just right. It’s not my favorite of Weiner’s, but I’d still recommend it for a weekend read or a vacation pick.

This is a great summer read. It moves along at a fast pace, but the story is not harried. A classic Jennifer Weiner.

The Breakaway is a breezy, empowering ride of a novel that follows a plus-size woman on a bike trip that becomes a journey of self-acceptance, second chances, and surprising romance. Jennifer Weiner blends humor, heart, and a dash of emotional reckoning, delivering a story that’s as feel-good as it is refreshingly real. It’s summer reading with soul.

I just love Jennifer's writing. She always write very relatable FMC's and I love that. The stories feel messy and realistic and I find that enjoyable. Thank you to Netgalley and Atria Books for the ARC.

Thank you to Net Galley for this audiobook in exchange for an honest review. I’ve enjoyed many of Jennifer Weiner’s other books in the past and the way that she writes about characters who don’t fit the traditional mold of romance novels. A heart warming story where the characters come to realize that many of their fears about how others viewed them where really their own manifestations rather than reality. As they opened up to others who were brought into their lives by chance, they began to strip away the barriers that they had created for themselves. Weiner’s characters were messy but allowed themselves to be vulnerable and through that vulnerability they were embraced for being their true selves.

A heartwarming, funny novel about rediscovering yourself on a cross-country bike trip. Empowering, emotional, and full of Weiner’s trademark wit.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

3 STARS⭐⭐⭐

The Breakaway was just ok for me. It had an abundance of sub-stories, each vying for attention and preventing a deeper connection to the main plot. It wasn't a bad read, but it was just ok for me.

I've always been a huge fan of Jennifer Weiner's work - I appreciate her realistic stories, and the way with which she tears at human emotions. She's incredibly talented as an author.

The Breakaway is about strangers who become friends, hidden truths and secrets pull said strangers together, making them both question everything, including their family and love. Weiner does an incredible job of threading this story, tearing at your heartstrings for Abby. There are some tough subjects discussed, such as abortion. I would definitely recommend this book!

Breakaway by Jennifer Weiner is a heartfelt, relatable story about finding yourself and starting over. Abby Stern, the main character, is funny, honest, and easy to connect with. As she deals with love, friendships, and learning to accept herself, you really feel like you're on the journey with her. Jennifer Weiner writes in a way that’s both emotional and light, mixing serious topics with humor and warmth. It’s an easy, enjoyable read that still has depth. Some readers may be turned off by the abortion storyline, but it is a significant and timely issue that deserves open and thoughtful discussion. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

Thank you to #NetGalley, the publisher and the author.

Jennifer Weiner is one my go to for chick lit. There isn't one book by her that I have read that I haven't liked so far and I've read all but her latest one.

Not that this fictional book is based on her but I know she's a bicyclist and I've seen her travels and pictures on her Facebook page so I know this book is somewhat true. Her characters are always fat but she makes light of it.

It starts off in 2021 with Abby's friends bachelorette party In New York, where she has a one night stand with a guy she met at a bar. The scene is very sexy if you're "squeamish" about these kind of scenes.

Cue to 2023, where Abby is thinking of moving into her boyfriend Mark's apartment when an opportunity comes up to lead a bike club group since the leader of it can't do it plus she gets paid which is nice since her job right now is a dog walker. She's always questioning herself but can she do it? She's done major bike rides before but not as a leader and it gives her a chance to think about moving in with Mark. She met Mark when she was 13 and they were both in fat camp for a few Summers.

Guess who is a part of the bike group? None other than Sebastian, her one night stand from two years ago. What a coincidence. Ha! Another surprise pops up but I'm not going to spoil it but let's just say she and her mom Elaine were really never close because all she wanted from her daughter was to lose weight.

As for Sebastian, I'm not a fan of his. He's not sleazy or anything. It's his way of relationships with women. It's not all scenery, and biking, but also the lives of Abby and Sebastian and the other bikers and their stories.

After the ride was over, Abby took a good look at her life and got together a "girls biking club." Teenagers and young girls and helped them in learning to ride a bike, etc. I have a confession to make myself, I never really learned how to ride a bike either since my father didn't have the patience to teach me but I tried a few times and I never had the balance anyway. When my friends growing up went biking, I wasn't jealous that I wasn't a part of that group but now I wish I learned. I know it's not too late but with my bad knees etc., I'm not even going to try. LOL.

I'm a big softie and I got emotional when she and her mother had a heart to heart and she was at synagogue with her at Yom Kippur and they said the forgiveness prayer and afterwards Elaine and Abby had a heart to heart about Elaine's life and her consciousness about her weight and also Abby's.

A year goes by and Sebastian turned up in Philly. Who know what happened in the future with them but I hope it was a happy one either way.

The Breakaway is a heartfelt, empowering journey that blends romance, self-discovery, and the complex web of female friendship. Jennifer Weiner has a knack for creating relatable characters, and Abby is no exception. If you're into stories about self-love, complex relationships, and women stepping into their power, this is it!

DNF - I attempted to start this book and it just did not hold my interest. This may be a book I come back to in the future.

The Breakaway by Jennifer Weiner was a solid, enjoyable read. I loved the mix of friendship, self-discovery, and personal growth throughout the story. While it didn’t completely blow me away, the relatable characters and lighthearted yet meaningful plot kept me engaged. Perfect for fans of heartwarming fiction!

Another healing, compassionate, empowering novel from Weiner. The explorations of family, self-fulfillment, and love were rich and nuanced, and watching our protagonists grow into the people they need to be in order to find happiness together was a joy.

This body positive novel digs deeply into struggles the modern female goes through well beyond weight shaming. There were a lot of women supporting women relationships in this book, and while at first we question the mother's interactions with her daughter, the primary character, we get a glimpse into how her past defined her and how she was trying to provide her daughter with what she wished she had. Prior to reading this novel, I did not know that bike trips like this existed, and I love that they do!