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.

I actually liked most of the book, it was fast paced and easy to read and I'm sure there are others who will absolutely love it. I didn't care for all the politics being forced in, I understood putting in the abortion story line and I don't necessarily have an issue with reading about other opinions on issues but there were so many other little political comments just forced in that it got a little irritating to me; I read fiction novels to get away, if I wanted political opinions I would read the news or hop on social media.

✨𝐑 𝐄 𝐕 𝐈 𝐄 𝐖✨

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐤𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐲 𝐛𝐲 𝐉𝐞𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐟𝐞𝐫 𝐖𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐫

Thanks so much to @bookclubfavorites #bookclubfavoritesinsiders for the advanced copy of one of my most anticipated reads this summer! I’ve been a long time fan of @jenniferweinerwrites & her newest book did not disappoint!! 😍🚴🏼‍♀️🧡

👍🏼: Abby, a long-time cyclist who has struggled with body positivity, still doesn’t feel she has her life or career figured out at 33. She’s also dating a wonderful guy but feels something is missing and jumps at the opportunity to take a break by leading her first cycle trip tour from NYC to Niagara Falls. When she arrives, an unexpected fling from her past has signed up and she has to spend the next few weeks in his company. I loved the unique cycling journey, learning about bikes & getting to follow the stories of several characters on the tour as they ride a crazy amount of miles each day through some well-known upstate NY towns!! I was inspired to jump on my bike and start riding 😂 This story touches on lots of deep & political topics including women’s rights, family issues, weight loss/surgery, however, the plot still felt light and funny at times! There were lots of great romance moment & healing between family members that I enjoyed too🫶🏼

👎🏼: There were quite a lot of characters to keep track of in the story, but I didn’t mind once the story got rolling! I also felt like I needed more at the end to wrap up Abby’s story on the romance-side of things, however, I was happy about how her journey ended with a variety of other factors she was struggling with!

I’ve seen some mixed reviews on this one already, but I very much enjoyed it. I thought it was unique & I love an author who doesn’t shy away from difficult topics 👍🏼 check this one out on 8/29!! 📚🚴🏼‍♀️🧡

Rating: 4.25 ⭐️
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Thank you, net galley, for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

I have read a few books by Jennifer Weiner, and always love her stories and character development. I really enjoyed the setting of this story! NYC is one of my favorite places, and I have family in upstate New York/Niagara, so I really enjoyed this!
I also found myself rooting for the main characters, and enjoyed the rawness of their struggles and relationship.
This was a great read that I recommend!

I love Abby's confidence in this captivating novel. Abby is a plus-sized woman who is comfortable in her own skin. She's healthy and active, but she feels as if her life is aimless and wandering, and she wonders if she should follow her heart or her brain. She finds love in an old, dear friend, but somehow she knows it might not be enough. Enter Sebastian, a face and force from her past. Neither feel the need to settle down, yet both feel the unmistakable force bringing them together. Abby will have to choose - the security and safety of Mark who has loved her for many years, or Sebastian and an unmapped out future.

Jennifer Weiner is a contemporary writer who touches on topics that are often controversial, but necessary to have knowledge of. In this novel she addresses several hard topics from her characters point-of-view. Abby's weight and her own comfort in being who she is, despite the constant criticisms of her mother and marketing's must-be-thin mentality. She also touches on the topic of abortion and a woman's right to choose. It's about a young girl left to her own devices while the boyfriend she trusted goes off to live his own life, and how she makes the ultimate hard decision.

It's a beautifully written book of interweaving stories and well-rounded believable characters. I am glad for the opportunity to have read it via NetGalley.

The Breakaway by Jennifer Weiner
Publishing date - 08/29/23
Trigger - abortion
Rating (4/5) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Thank you Netgalley and Atria Books for this eARC. This was an enjoyable read. This story is totally relatable to current times. I loved Sebastian and Abby’s story. I wasn’t a fan of the abortion storyline with Morgan which is why I only gave 4 stars instead of 5. Overall a great read and I think Weiner fans will enjoy this one.

Thank you to net galley for providing me with a digital copy of this title for an honest review. First off Jennifer Weiner never disappoints! She also does not shy from important issues that are always addressed respectfully. The main character Abby is a plus sized woman who is comfortable in her skin in spite of her mother’ s attempts to change her throughout her life. Abby, during the course of her childhood summers attends a weight loss camp. She meets and falls in love with Mark, as a teen. As an adult she is an accomplished cyclist searching for her direction in life and love. It is at this pivotal time that she is asked to lead a cycling trip. She meets a cast of characters, including a man from her past and her mom as well as others - equally interesting. During the course of the trip she must navigate numerous dilemmas and choices. Abby perseveres ! Very strong female characters throughout the novel drive the plot forward as well. These characters stayed with me always a win. Additionally the story’s portrayal of cyclist clubs and trips was very interesting and exciting. Another fantastic Weiner novel definitely worth reading!

I don't think this book was for me. I'm sure other readers will love it.
I don't like a lot of steam in my books so the steamy scene that pretty much opens the book, put me off. I almost quit but went back hoping that I would love the story. I just didn't.

This isn't the first book of Jennifer Weiner's I have read, but it is by far my favorite of hers! I really enjoyed this book and all the different topics it covered without seeming like too much. It is set through COVID and it definitely talks about how difficult that time of time was and how things were forever affected by it, but she also touched on the political climate in America along with the abortion crisis in America without being too preachy or pretentious. I love that the author isn't scared of the backlash she may get with writing about these difficult but necessary topics and that alone makes me give her 5 stars on the book!

I love the character development the author did for not only Abby, but for all of the riders in the group. I really appreciated all the different relationships she built, Lily and her daughter Morgan, Abby and her mom Eileen, Kayla and her sons, etc. Each relationship was different and unique, but all sort of tied together in the end which was done beautifully.

I of course loved Abby and Sebastians relationship and how much they actually grew as individuals before even pursuing a relationship together because we all know you have to be able to love yourself before giving yourself fully to a relationship.

Overall I really enjoyed this book and loved getting to know all the characters and their stories and lives.

**thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the advanced copy of the book.

It’s so easy to live inside the plots of Jennifer Weiner’s books. She gives the characters depth and feelings and the settings are well-described. I’ve enjoyed this feature with every Jennifer book I’ve read, and her newest novel, “The Breakaway” was just as relatable.
Abby loves to ride her bike. On brief trips or long rides, that’s where she’s the most comfortable. She struggles with self image, so the freedom of her bike is comforting.
Abby is offered a job at the last minute to guide a bike trip from New York to Niagara Falls. She has a lot on her mind and accepts the offer, hoping the time on the bike and the change in scenery will help her make some tough decisions. But she’s surprised when she sees that a former onetime date is attending. The tension between the two is apparent immediately. Abby is equally upset to learn that her mother, whom she’s distant with, has joined the ride.
As the ride progresses, the little white lies and secrets of the different riders slowly unfold. The mix of issues, personalities, feelings, and the difficulty of the ride combine to make an entertaining trip. As always, Jennifer makes it so easy to feel like the reader is riding along.
Thanks to Atria Books for an ARC in exchange for my honest review. The publishing date is August 29, 2023.