Jennifer Weiner always writes such thoughtful explorations of family and society and this latest novel is no exception. Abby is leading her first ever cycling trip from NYC to Niagara Falls. This trip will not be ordinary! Starting with the fact that one of the cyclists just happens to be a guy she had a one night stand with 2 years ago. Told from their perspectives along with other cyclists, their journey unfolds as well as flashbacks to what led each cyclist to this trip.

I really liked this one! I appreciated the tender and thoughtful way the author discussed topics of mother/daughter relationships, feminism, body image, fat shaming, bodily autonomy, family secrets and community. While the topics were heavy, overall the book has a light and approachable tone with elements of romance and travel that ended on a hopeful note- it would be an interesting beach read! I really flew through this one. Thanks Atria and Netgalley for my copy.

This is a good end-of-summer beach read, but not the kind of read I was in the mood for at the time I read it, so that likely affected my view. I also don't love the focus on the body-types.

I always love this author. Abby is about to move in with her boyfriend, but she isn't quite all in. She feels like she should be because he is great and has known her since they met at a health (read fat) camp when they were children. They reconnected as a adults. Abby still thinks about a guy she met two years ago in NYC and then....poof!...he appears on a two week bike ride she is leading. A few interesting side stories involving her relationship with her mother, other riders on the bike trip round this novel out well.

This book is good and it touches on important issues that are things we each unfortunately either face or are confronted with. Though it is a romance on the surface, the depth is not to be overlooked in that it touches on things that are buzz-worthy in social justice issues of our time. This book has a lot of heart and is not to be overlooked. I cannot wait to recommend it to many patrons both fans and unfamiliar with Weiner's magnificent works!

The Breakaway started strong for me and I was immediately sucked in and felt invested in where it was going. However, it left me with mixed feelings as the story progressed.

I really enjoyed the main character of Abby but felt the side plots took away from the main story and even though I am liberal, it felt a bit preachy about liberal viewpoints to me. It just seemed a little confused on what it wanted to be.

In addition, I don’t love cheating in books, especially when you are supposed to be rooting for the people cheating. If you don’t want to be with someone, break up.

I didn’t quite buy that Abby’s mom had been overweight and Abby never knew and never saw pictures from her wedding. I also didn’t love the theme that you need gastric bypass to lose weight.

Overall, I mostly enjoyed this one but felt with some more editing it could have been better. Not my favorite of Weiner’s but I have really enjoyed some of her others and will be back for more with the next!

Thank you netgalley for the arc!

Thank you NetGalley and Ateia books for providing me with an ARC copy to review. It has been a few years since I have read a Jennifer Weiner novel and The Breakaway did not disappoint. It was filled with familiar character types and body positive images. However what did catch me off guard was the inclusion of just about every social justice issue there is. While on the surface I don’t disagree with Ms Weiner’s stances, I am somewhat out off by knowing where she stands on these issues after reading a fictional novel of hers. I don’t feel it was always to the betterment of the book or the deep ness of the characters. All in all an enjoyable modern romance that involved long bike journeys which I enjoyed learning about.

This book was good. I enjoyed that it explores complex issues about body image. As someone who this is very personal to because of my own struggles with this, I appreciated the way it was handled in the book. I also enjoyed that this had two mother & daughter duos that each had to go through their own issues to try to heal their relationships. As this author usually does, there was more than one perspective in the book and I felt like the ones she chose to highlight helped move the story and develop the main characters. I do wish we had seen a little more of Morgan’s story later in the book. Overall, this was a solid read with some love sprinkled in to top it off.

I really enjoyed this book by Weiner; I have read almost everything she has written. A romance on the surface but then it dives deep into issues like mother daughter relationships, body image, sexual stereotypes, current social events and politics. Subtle at times and in your face at others. This all comes about in a bike tour that captures so much more than biking.

Copy provided by the publisher and NetGalley

The Breakaway was a delightful story set against the backdrop of a cycling trip through New York State. The story was told through multiple viewpoints with chapters alternating narrators. I enjoyed reading not only Abby’s story, but became invested in many characters through the book. The title was fitting and the story empowering for women.

Every time I finish a book by Jennifer Weiner, I have to grab a Kleenex! And with The Breakaway, she does it again! I absolutely love! her books, and I have read them all since her debut book, Good In Bed! This book is written with such a clear intent, honesty and desire. I hung onto every single word! I love that she was so vocal regarding abortion and being Jewish…..It’s good to be Jewish! …..One reason why I love her books so much. I find her work so honest, sincere and self validating. Thank you, Ms. Weiner, for yet another brilliant and fabulous book about living, life and love!!! Thank you, NetGalley for the arc! So grateful!

The Breakaway centers around Abby, a thirty-something, larger woman who is asked by her 60-year-old best friend Lizzie to lead a biking tour through New York state. Abby is at a point in her life where she is contemplating what to do in her career and love life, and she is still angry with her mother for always pushing diets on her. When Sebastian shows up for the bike tour with his best friend Lincoln, Abby is forced to remember her one night stand from 2 years ago.

There are a lot of competing story lines in this book, and I felt like the author was trying to push some political and social issues on the reader. I enjoy Jennifer Weiner's writing style, however, this book didn't quite work for me. There were several side character POV's that didn't really add anything to the story. Plus overall, I didn't really care for Abby and all of her issues. I will definitely read another JW book even though I didn't enjoy this one as much.

Thank you Atria Books ​and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy of this book.
I rated this book 3 stars, rounding up from 2.5. It's a bit puzzling for me to admit that I struggled with it because I'm usually a fan of Jennifer Weiner's work. However, I found myself skimming through about a third of this particular novel. The characters are undoubtedly interesting and enjoyable, and there's a lot happening on this bike trip, with themes of healing, forgiveness, love, and acceptance interwoven.

This is a lovely story of family, romance, found family, and friends. The bike trip of a lifetime that will change lives and bring about change for the better. I enjoyed the characters and the alternating viewpoints that provided a well-rounded look at their life situations. There was a lot of development and growth throughout the novel and so many warm feelings. I was sad to turn the last page as Jennifer Weiner's writing always leaves me smiling.

A unique plot to discuss some difficult topics. This book discusses body positively and teen pregnancy/abortion all while on a couple week group bike ride.

There were so many points in this book that I just wanted to give Abby a hug, between going to fat camp and thinking she wasn't cared about due to her weight. This book was her really finding herself and helping others along the way.

OK so Sebastian, he definitely had some family baggage and basically used dating apps to be a man-whore since he couldn't really let feelings get involved. That never ends well and brings some drama. His one night stand with Abby was definitely different.

Abby and Sebastian end up on the same bike ride and that confuses Abby since she has been with childhood sweetheart Mark for a couple years. Mark is a nice guy, but he is painted as being pretty bland.

This book takes a bit to get to the bikeride, but once it does it pulls ypu in. I liked the ending since it was more realistic than your typical romance wrap up. Overall, the tough issues were done beautifully and fit nicely.

Thank you to Atria and Netgalley for providing me a copy of this ARC for my honest review.

At thirty-three, Abby is finally in a happy place in her life. While she feels she lacks in the career department (working dead-end jobs), and her apartment is a mess, she has great friends, a biking club, and a gorgeous boyfriend. But she feels something is off. Moving in with her boyfriend doesn’t appeal to her, and her dead-end jobs drag her down. So, she agrees when her best friend asks her to fill in as a guide on a bike trip at the last minute. But this bike trip is going to be anything but ordinary. Why? Because Abby’s unforgettable one-night stand is there, she can’t take her eyes off him. Add her mother suddenly joining the trip, Tick-Tok drama involving her one-night stand, and a teenager with a huge secret, Abby will have her hands full. Can Abby survive the 700-mile, 2-week trip to Niagra Falls with her relationship and sense of self intact? Or will everything be thrown up in the air?

I am going to be blunt here. This book was different from what I expected. I thought this was going to be a lighthearted romantic comedy. Instead, I read a thought-provoking book about women’s rights and body positivity.

There are some trigger warnings in The Breakaway. I went back and forth on posting some of these because of spoilers, but I decided to proceed. They are:

Body shaming:Abby was weight-shamed constantly by her mother when she was younger. She was sent to a weight loss camp every summer and forced to diet. She is also weight-shamed by various secondary characters in the book (in flashbacks and the present day).
Abortion: There are several different angles to abortion discussed here. One is how not being able to get an abortion severely affects women. There were also brief mentions of politics and abortion. There is also a storyline about a teenager getting an abortion via pill during the bike trip (not graphic, but the author did explain what would happen while the abortion was happening). The religious stance on abortions is talked about (and it was heartbreaking to read).
Cheating: Abby cheats on Mark in the book. The aftermath of her infidelity is explored.
Challenging mother/daughter relationships (I got this from a review posted on NetGalley): Abby and her mother have a very tenuous and stressful relationship. She is weight-shamed constantly, sent to fat camp, and only praised when she loses weight as a teenager. Morgan has a tense relationship with her mother because of her secret. She also feels that she cannot tell or trust her with it because of religious implications.
Eating Disorders: Bulimia is brought up by Abby during a heated conversation with her mother about the weight loss camp she was forced to attend. Abby’s boyfriend, Mark, has a severely restricted diet because of gastric bypass surgery. He also developed disordered food thoughts due to the surgery and what he went through when he was overweight.
If any of these trigger you, I suggest not reading the book. I struggled with sections of the book.

I liked how the author broke The Breakaway up. She sections the books into the trip’s legs (for example, the chapter would have the character’s name, and under it would be Day One: New York City to Mount Kisco. 50 miles). Within those blocks, the main characters (Abby, Sebastian, Morgan, Lily, and Kayla) would have chapters from their POVs. It was interesting to read and helped the book zip right along. I was OK with figuring out whose chapter it was (the author marked it) or where they were (again, clearly marked).

As I mentioned, there are 5 POVs in The Breakaway. They are the main characters. Instead of giving them each a paragraph, I will bullet point them instead.

Abby: She was my favorite character, and I hated how she viewed herself. I also thought that she was settling with Mark. I understood why she was so pissed that her mother showed up (there is an explanation). But I didn’t get her fascination with Sebastian. I liked her character’s growth during the book. I only disagreed with how she dealt with the Morgan situation or how she cheated on Mark with Sebastian.
Sebastian: He was not my favorite character. He was a manwhore, plain and simple. Who sleeps with every girl he meets on Tinder or other dating apps? But I did like that he was honest about it and that he felt shame when that girl made that TickTok about him sleeping with her and 8 of her friends. Sebastian did have some deep-seated issues that were lightly touched upon in the book (drunk mother/absent father). I wasn’t thrilled that he kept pursuing Abby, even though she told him she had a boyfriend.
Morgan: My heart broke for her. When she was introduced, I wasn’t expecting the storyline to go the way it went. I thought the author would reveal that she was lesbian and in a secret relationship with her best friend. When the author dropped that bombshell, I was pretty shocked. I’m not going much into the storyline except that I felt for her.
Lily: The author kept her chapters pretty sparse, as she appeared often in Morgan and Abby’s. But I did think she was a holy roller by some of the things she said. When Morgan finally admitted what happened, I was expecting nuclear fallout. Instead, she surprised me. Actually, she was too good about it. If a stranger had taken my daughter to do what she did (even if it was by pill), I would have been furious.
Kayla: I did like Kayla and wished she had been featured more in the book. I liked how she decided to help Morgan. It brought tears to my eyes. But again, I was a little irritated that she didn’t tell Lily.
The secondary characters made the book. I liked seeing Abby’s relationship with her mother progress (and it was very bumpy during the trip). I liked seeing Morgan’s friendship with Kayla’s oldest son, who was a sweetheart and supportive of Morgan. I also loved the elderly couples who traveled with the RV. I almost died when a particular tidbit was released about them. Mark, I wasn’t a fan of (he was dull), but Abby did do him dirty. And Lincoln, Sebastian’s best friend, was precisely what Sebastian needed during the trip.

The end of The Breakaway had me crying. I liked how Abby and her mother started to patch up their relationship (what her mother told Abby was heartbreaking). The note about Morgan made me happy. And Sebastian, well, nothing was said about him until a year after everything happened. I liked that the author ended the book as a happy for now instead of a HEA.

I would recommend The Breakaway to anyone over 21. There is mild violence, language, and graphic sexual situations. Also see my trigger warning list.

Many thanks to Atria Books, NetGalley, and Jennifer Weiner for allowing me to read and review The Breakaway. All opinions stated in the review are mine.

This is a genre I often don't like, but something about the way Weiner writes draws me in every time. This book has so much heart, but isn't corny. This book has so much depth, but it reads like a real page turner. I recommend this to both contemporary AND literary fiction fans. This will be a favorite of the year and I am so surprised by that!

This hurts to rate a Jennifer Weiner novel 3 stars. I've been a fan since 2008 when I read Certain Girls, which my grandmother bought me that book from a book fair at her work. What she did not know was that she was giving an adult novel to a 13-year-old. Then, I remember my art teacher coming up to me saying she was reading the same book as I, which was very, very awkward. But it was not until my college years that I picked up any book by Jennifer Weiner.

I have always loved how Jennifer could suck you in with her writing and very flawed characters. Most of her books have her characters have POVs in the past and present. I've always been a fan of that because I need to know all the juicy details of her characters. But what The Breakaway does is not that. We focus on the present with a few nods to the past.

With The Breakaway, I was not drawn to the characters like I usually am with Jennifer's other books. I enjoyed them going around New York biking and coming to different realizations about their lives as well as how to face their future. But I kept getting a few characters here and there mixed up. I felt like there was not many things going on with the characters that intrigued me to draw me into this book. I just thought they were okay and was like cool. I kept waiting for more backstory of the characters and more possible consequences/growth from them too.

Like I said: I still enjoyed this book for the most part but really, it's not love or its hate it's just indifference. I do look forward to future works by Jennifer and I think a lot of people will see the appeal of this book.

“‘It’s scary,’ he finally said. ‘But worth it,’ said Lincoln. ‘If it works, if you find your person, everything you suffer is worth it.’”

2.5 stars rounded up. I struggled with this one and I don’t know why. I always love Jennifer Weiner books but I think I skim read about 1/3 of this one. The characters are interesting and fun and there’s a lot going on on this bike trip. Healing. Forgiving. Loving. Accepting.

But I just couldn’t get that ahhh I-need-to-know-what’s-going-to-happen-next feeling. I could have put this one down and not picked it back up and not cared a whole lot about that.

Thank you, though, to Netgalley, Atria Books, and the author for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Always a good read with Jennifer Weiner who manages to incorporate real world topics in a natural life application that never seems too heavy. This was an easy read that felt realistic and relatable. Enjoyed the idea of biking being the backdrop to the story. I don’t think you can miss with this author.

I love Jennifer Weiner’s books,and this one did not disappoint. Not afraid to handle difficult topics, while adding humor and truth, are hallmarks of her style. Abby is in a committed relationship with Mark, someone she met when younger at fat camp. Mark is perfect on paper, but Abby is unsure of how she feels. When she agrees to lead a bike trio across NewYork, she is surprised that one of the group, Sebastian, is someone she had a fling with. Each character in the bicycling group offers something unique to the story. There are laughs, tears, and insight into what it means to be a plus sized woman. Highly recommended! Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.