This was a difficult novel for me to read and review . There was some parts of the novels that I enjoyed and others that I was angered and bored by.

Abby Stern is a plus sized woman who is engaged to her childhood /sweetheart friend that she meet in summer weight loss camp that her mother forced her to attend. Abby for the most part is happy ,she has her boyfriend ,biking and her cycling friends . However, there is something missing for Abby , the memory of her one night stand with Sebastian is never far from her mind . When a chance meeting reunites the two Abby life is at a crossroads.

As I said there were parts I really enjoyed and Jennifer Weiner’s writing style I found an easy read , but the body shaming was an anger point for me .

I just reviewed The Breakaway by Jennifer Weiner. #NetGalley #Breakaway

Abby isn't feeling totally settled in her life. Her boyfriend is great, but she doesn't feel the desire to move in with him. Her mother is caring...if a little too caring. Her career life is going nowhere. So when she gets offered a chance to lead a bicycle trip, she takes it. What she doesn't expect is one of the riders to be Sebastian, her hot one night stand from years ago, and the last minute addition of her mother.

Okay. This book was give and take for me. I liked some of it and disliked some of it. BUT, the parts that I liked were greater than those I didn't.

First, here's what I liked:
Weiner's writing style is amazing. She has such a way with words. The writing is smooth and transitions back and forth between past and present so seamlessly. There is also a great humor to it, especially in the dialogue and inner thoughts prose.
I liked Abby and Sebastian. Abby has a lot going on with her inner confidence and willingness to go after her own happiness. She's vulnerable. I did wish she came to realizations a bit faster. Sebastian was great. I loved his relationship with his best friend. I also liked Abby and Sebastian's relationship. They were so cute together and I was rooting for them.
The best part for me was the bicycling. I know nothing about this topic but Weiner does (I happened to go to a book signing were she talked about her love of it) and that comes through. It made me want to be a part of that world. She did a great job with that.

Now, what I wasn't keen on:
This book has a lot to do with weight. Which wasn't bad, but it was very heavy in it. I connected with some of it but wanted it to not be so prevalent. And yes, there was a point to it, but it could be triggering for some.
Now, I don't want to give too much away, but Abby has a boyfriend. A good boyfriend. You can tell early that she shouldn't be with him for her own reasons, but he's still a good boyfriend. He doesn't do anything bad to her. Honestly, there were times when little things came out when Abby thought about it, but they felt forced. And nothing that added up to her betrayal other than she shouldn't be in a relationship with him. I wish she had just ended it before anything happened.
Some are mad about the side plot of the abortion. I didn't have a problem with it. I didn't like that a group of adults worked to keep the 15 year old's mother in the dark, but it's clear where they are coming from. I wish though, that all of the others had stories. So it wasn't just about this one side story. Like each rider had a chapter and look into their lives.
I really really didn't like the part about Sebastian basically being dragged through the mud for just enjoying his life. He never made any promises and was upfront about everything. It really angered me that that woman made the TikTok about him and that it went as far as it did. Yes, it led him to reevaluate his life, but he should be able to live how he wants to.

All in all, I was middle ground. Give this one a try! Overall, it has some great elements to it!

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the gifted copy. My reviews are always honest.

While I really enjoyed this book, I dislike books that have controversial topics in it. Abby seemed to be self centered and didn’t seem to care about others feelings.

The absolute best story I have read in a long time. Will be sharing this one with everyone I know! Five well earned stars.

Abby Stern finds herself at a crossroads. A few years ago, she reconnected with her first boyfriend, who she met a summer camp many years before. Now, she is fairly confident they are soon to be engaged. But she cannot help but have qualms that she is not quite ready to settle down. When she gets an opportunity at the last minute to lead a two-week cycling trip in New York, she jumps at the opportunity to spend some time away and figure out what she wants. On the first day of the trip, Abby is surprised by two of the riders in the group she is leading -- her mom, who is prone to criticize Abby and her weight, and Sebastian, who Abby spent one night with that she has never been able to forget. Over the course of the two weeks, Abby comes into her own as a leader as she works through her relationships with Sebastian, her boyfriend, and her mom.

This is a engaging story about family, friendship, and finding your purpose when and where you least expect it.

Highly recommended!

Abby considers herself a lucky girl. She is set to marry a doctor. A handsome man she has known since high school. He doesn't make her heart leap but he understands her eating issues. After all, they had attended fat camp together. He has since had stomach reduction surgery and is now thin, she is still filling her belly with pleasure food and has a poor body image. Then, Abby spends one night with the thriller man of a lifetime. She knows it was just a lark, and life goes on. She is offered a fill-in job to lead a two-week bike excursion. The thriller guy shows up for the event and her mother. What happens in those two weeks is more than a bike journey.

I enjoyed this book. I liked the characters and the stories and even the side stories. I could have done without the political commentary. It didn't add anything to the story, the setting, or the plot and caused a distraction for me as I read what should have been one of Weiner's best stories. It remained, however, even with that, a good read.

Thank you to NetGalley for this advance copy of The Breakaway by Jennifer Weiner.I have read all Jennifer’s books and this one does not disappoint.Abby is a girl who has been big all her life.Sent to “fat camp “ as a tween she never measured up in her mother’s eyes.At camp, she meets Mark, with whom she forms a bon through the years doesn’t see again after her parents divorce and they can no longer afford camp. Fast forward about twenty years and Abby meets Mark again. He has had weight loss surgery and is now a podiatrist while Abby still works gig jobs but has also developed a love of bike riding.One night in New York ,right after she just met Mark again, she has a wonderful sexual encounter with Sebastian. Because she believes guys like him won’t go for girls like her, she leaves abruptly and doesn’t see him again until she is asked to lead a bike group from New York City to the Canadian border.There are an eclectic mix of bikers who provide lots of intrigue and drama including Abby’s mom who is looking for a way to finally connect with her daughter and Sebastian who has to convince Abby to give him another try especially after a scandal breaks out.This book is a little tedious in the beginning but kept reading you won’t be disappointed.

From my stationary bike, I felt a part of this story. It inspired me to hope that maybe I would find my way to getting a real bicycle that would work out here in the dirt road backcountry I find myself a part of.

This seems a gentle beach story at first. But soon, a person can see there are many subjects brought up from the character's point of view. A person needs to see all the layers of the story involved. Some may not agree with the views presented, but grab what you may and enjoy what you can. Mostly enjoy this young woman's life and journey as she finds her way to adulthood.

I was lucky to be able to read this Kindle edition through NetGalley. Thank you.

Another fabulous book by Jennifer Weiner. This book covers so many topics, body image, eating disorders, parental criticism, abortion, social media and more.
Abby Stern has fought her body image for years but has finally accepted herself. She was sent to "fat camp" by her mother for several summers. There she met Mark and was happy with him every summer, as he lost weight and gained it back every year.
Abby is a bike rider,so though people see her as overweight, she is healthy and happy.
Without giving to much away, Abby agrees to lead a bike tour in upper New York and a love triangle basically ensues.
Her mother also shows up and there is a mother daughter confrontation that leads to some important discussions.
You will cheer at the ending. I know I did.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for my EARC.

I adored Abby!!! This book, in true Jennifer Weiner form is a win… Abby was asked to help lead a biking group, since she loves to bike and this will be her first time, well why the heck not, but then she bumps into someone from her past, someone who had left an impression on her and before she made it official with her now boyfriend of 2 years. NOW THAT was juicy AF!!!!

There are a few topics on here that can be a little triggering, I felt so bad for the characters in the book, and I kept thinking about how each of them overcame that. It was an awesome read and now I want to bike and maybe join a like minded people who want to do the same….

2.5 ⭐️ bumping up to 3. SPOILERS AHEAD: I started off, loving this book. I was really intrigued by Abby and her love story. I was also really intrigued by the Breakaway cycling group. As I got about half way through the book and learned Morgan’s storyline, I was a little frustrated. I did not enjoy learning that a 15 year old girl got an abortion and the entire group hid this from her mother, who was also on the trip, because she “wouldn’t understand”. I also found it really odd that the maternal relationships were strained for all of the main characters. I feel like this book tried to be “woke “ but it didn’t land. I loved the feminist theme behind this book, but it wasn’t executed well. I also really disliked that Abby cheated on Mark. I enjoyed the love story between her and Sebastian, but it irked me to find out that she was cheating. About 2/3 of the way through the book, I sped, read, ready for it to finish. The big reveal of Abby’s mom’s secret was underwhelming.

Wow, it’s really hard to figure out how to rate this one. I really really liked some parts, didn’t love others and specifically felt uncomfortable with some of the characters’ choices. BUT I have come to realize that me not agreeing with something a character does doesn’t mean the author has done anything wrong or that there is anything wrong with the story. Stories and books, like life, are full of relatable moments and full of moments that make you cringe. This book had all of that for me and I appreciated it.

And I really really want to ride a bike now.

Thank you for the advance copy!

I requested this book because I have enjoyed Jennifer’s other books and this one was another great “ easy” read. I enjoyed the story and the characters grew on me and were very relatable! It also made me want to hop on a bike!

Thank you Net Galley for an ARC of this book for an honest review.
I started out thinking this book isn’t for me it’s more for younger readers. I kept reading and started to really enjoy it. It’s thought provoking in different ways. A woman in her early thirties leads a bicycle group when she was asked to do it last minute with no experience. She’s has a relationship with a guy she’s going to marry but for the wrong reasons.. She’s not really happy even though he’s a very good person. There are a lot of different experiences that happen in the time spent with the group. I don’t want to give anything away so I won’t go into detail. She learns a lot about herself. She’s a plus size woman and her Mom has always given her healthy food growing up. She doesn’t have a good self esteem but eventually does something about that. I enjoyed the book and would recommend it to my friends.

Abby Stern spent every summer growing up, going to weight-loss camp, thanks to her perpetually dieting mother. One of the campers she met was Mark Medoff, who was the largest boy at the camp. Abby saw through all of that though, and just noticed his smile, sense of humor and how he instantly fell head over heels in love with her. They lost touch after a while, but fifteen years after her final summer at Camp Golden Hills, Abby reconnects with a half-his-size Mark, & it feels like she may get the happy ending she’s always wanted. Yes, Mark had had weight loss surgery to lose the weight, and now runs six miles a day, and refuses to eat sugar (or anything that tastes good), in order to keep his weight down. But he loves Abby just as she is - with her plus-size body, and he doesn't mind if she eats what she wants (including desserts). But on top of the issues with food, there are other things that they don't have in common, like the fact that she loves to ride her bike and he doesn't know how to ride a bike, and he loves to run and she hates to run. Also, the spark has kind of fizzled out over the past two years. She keeps thinking about two years ago, when during a bachelorette party, they were at a bar, and she met a guy named Sebastian. They ended up having a one-night-stand, and it had been the best night of her life. She snuck out without leaving her name or phone number, sure he wouldn't be interested in seeing her again, but she never forgot him.

When Mark wants Abby to move in with him, she panics. When her best friend Lizzie calls, and begs her to lead a cycling trip from NYC to Niagara Falls, she’s happy to have time away from Mark, a chance to reflect and make up her mind.. When she arrives at the meet-up point , Abby spots a familiar face in the group—Sebastian, the one-night stand she thought she’d never see again. Abby is determined to keep her distance. Then there’s a surprise last-minute addition to the trip: her mother, Eileen, the woman Abby blames for a lifetime of body shaming and insecurities she’s still trying to undo. Over two weeks and more than seven hundred miles, strangers become friends, hidden truths come to light, a teenage girl with a secret unites the riders in unexpected ways...and Abby is forced to reconsider everything she believes about herself, her mother, and the nature of love.

I am a big fan of this author's books and this one may be one of my new favorites. There were so many laugh-out-loud moments, from the rider who was hard of hearing and shouted everything, no matter how embarrassing, to the viral social media shaming of Sebastian for his serial dating ways that had left him with a long line of ticked off women. Each person on the trip had their own story, and it was a pleasure to get to know each one of them. This had an excellent storyline that kept me engaged, despite how long the book was. I definitely recommend this one!

Jennifer Weiner could write the text on shampoo bottles and I would read it and I would love it. She writes real and genuine characters because she herself is real and genuine. If you’ve ever met her or even watched one of her live events on social media, you know what I mean. Her newest novel, The Breakaway, is no different. Her ability to combine humor, drama, friendship, and family is unmatched. When Abby agrees at the last-minute to lead a two-week cycling trip, she can’t even imagine who will be joining her. As the trip progresses, so do the relationships. Gear up for one of Jennifer Weiner’s best!

"Bike trips— any trips—were a liminal space, a kind of between place, apart from the routines of work and job and waking up in the same place every morning."
I could not have chosen a better book to dive into during my Canadian Rockies tour. I absolutely devoured The Breakaway and had trouble putting it down to look at the gorgeous scenery - I saw many bikers pass while I sat by the river while finishing this book in Banff 🚲
Abby is in her mid-30's and hasn't really figured her life out. She is called upon last-minute to lead a biking trip from Battery Park, NYC, to Niagara Falls. As with any trip, being away from her everyday life gives her both space and time to reflect on what she's been doing (both good and bad) and what she wants to do. Her path feels relatable. Equally relatable to me is her free spirit best friend Lizzie, 30 years her elder, with a scruffy pup as her number one companion.
There are two big surprises in store for Abby when she meets the bikers for the ride, and both provide ample drama. I'll let you read it and find out about them for yourself 😉
The book has an epic journey, family drama, romance drama, life struggles, along with strong feminist messaging - everything I want in a women's fiction read and I loved it ALL.
I have been reading the author's books for 20 years, and this one just really struck a chord with me, taking my back to reading her first books, Good in Bed and In Her Shoes, while I lived in the Philadelphia area for college.
Thank you to Atria for the ARC via NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion. I cannot recommend this one more - it comes out at the end of the month and should definitely be added to your TBR. Thank you for such a wonderful read, Jennifer!! Now I want to bike the Empire State Trail 😍

I'm not entirely sure how I felt about this book there were some parts I liked, some I disliked and some parts I was not to sure about. It's great the main character Abby has accepted herself for who she is weight wise after her mom has sent sent to fat camp while growing up. She has a boyfriend that wants her to move but she's not sure about that she wonders about the one night stand she had a couple years prior. Takes a job leading a group of bicyclist along a trail and there is where the guy from her one night stand shows up for the ride and now there's cheating, abortion, swingers apparently, it's like little stories within the story each character has their own issue and could be there own story line. Again there were political mentions but it was to far into the book so I decided to finish it but the political mentions could have been done without in my opinion. In all this was just an okay book for me.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my review.

Jennifer Weiner is a "go-to" author for me and her newest, The Breakaway, didn't disappoint. At first glance, it appears to be a romance book. It's not! (or at least not all of it is) It's more of a mother/daughter relationship book. Although the protagonist is younger and it's present day, a lot of Gen X women will see their relationships with their mothers in this book, especially regarding the pressure to be thin at all costs. It's very timely in the present day as regards to the attack on women's rights in red states (don't want to give too much away, but, if you're far-right leaning, for the love of all that's holy, do not read this book. It will make you mad-mad and then you'll do something stupid about it). (

The only thing that drove me kind of nuts about The Breakaway was that Abby and Sebastian kept drinking cappuccinos after 11am. IYKYK).

Thank you to Atria Books and Netgalley for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoy Jennifer Weiner's books as she always has well rounded characters and her books are just so readable. I was drawn to this one due to the setting of the Empire Trail which is a cycling trail that goes from NYC all the way to Buffalo (my hometown!).

Abby is 33 years old and has a boyfriend who she originally met at "fat camp" when she was younger and reconnecter with him when she got older. Abby is an avid cyclist who is still figuring out what she wants to do with her life. She has a one night stand in the early days of her relationship with her boyfriend and the one night stand ends up being on the bike trip that she led. She has had body image issues her entire life, mostly due to her mother who she feels like is constantly scrutinizing her.

I enjoyed the setting and all of the characters. I thought the ending wrapped up a little quickly/ambiguously but overall a good read. I stayed up past my bedtime multiple nights reading it.