I have been a huge fan of Jennifer Weiner since the early 2000s. I've read all of her books. While some were better than others, they were all enjoyable.

I really hate to report that I had to struggle with the book. And, I can't pinpoint why. The story is about a group bicycle ride from New York City to Niagara Falls, Canada. Abby, our main character, leads the group. The chapters are about different members of the group, but they always interconnect.

Abby makes some choices that I don't agree with. But, that does not cause my struggle with the book. There are other characters that I don't like. Perhaps, that's the cause. Sebastian, in particular, was not likeable. The reconnection of Sebastian and Abby after 2 years is totally unrealistic. I did not enjoy the long descriptions of riding in the rain. Though, I’m sure it is realistic.

I follow Ms. Weiner on FB, I know that she had found great joy in riding over the last few years. She transfers that joy to Abby in the book.

A bright spot in the story was a foursome (2 couples) of senior citizens, well into their 70s. They were biking on the tour but also had a motor home along in case they felt they keep up at any point. They called themselves the Spoke'n Four. Great name, great pun! While they didn't have huge roles in the book, they were cute.

I think that there was too much packed into the book. The bicycle tour, Abby's struggle with her mother's views of a full-figured daughter, the relationships of Abby and Sebastian and Mark, the results of Sebastian's insecurities, the dilemma of a young teen girl on the ride. There's more but that would involve spoilers. And, there were still more characters, though they lurked in the background. There was a general mood of angst throughout. And, too much going on.

I did like the ending. Again, I don't want to give away anything. Everything was wrapped up to my satisfaction.

I can already see that there are many positive reviews, and I’m happy about that. There are some claiming that there is a political agenda. When a writer talks about things that are relevant in our times, I do not consider that an agenda. Not every book is for everyone. I still look forward to Jennifer Weiner's next book. And, I look forward to getting back in the groove with her next choice of story!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the Advance Readers Copy.

Thoroughly enjoyed this book. The arc of the story taking place on a bike ride through New York was refreshing. I found it a good balance between the character, Stotts, and the action of the book.

4.25 Stars
Thank you Atria and Net Galley for the opportunity to read and review this early. This post contains affiliate links.

It’s been about 15 years since I read a Jennifer Weiner book. Why did I stay away? I remember how relatable she was back then, and I found her just as relatable now. As a Jewish mid-to-plus sized woman with a skinny mom for whom weight is a big deal, I found Abby to be so relatable it actually freaked me out a little!

The following three quotes sum up Abby’s relationship with her mom:
“The less of Abby there was, the more Eileen liked it. The more Eileen liked her.”

“Just like pop culture buffs could link any actor to Kevin Bacon in fewer than six steps, her mother could swing any conversation around to weight in just two or three.”

“She knew about the weight-loss drugs, and the surgical options—mostly because Eileen insisted on mailing her links every few weeks, usually with a note attached that said something like Gary and I would be more than happy to help with this!”

These three quotes were 100% relatable to me, except I love my mom, she is amazing, loving, generous and complimentary, she just has this hangup about weight, and deep down I know it’s because she wants me to be healthy and happy. Abby never seemed to get past this problem with her mom. As a child, Abby wanted to go to drama camp, but instead she was sent to fat camp every summer where she met Mark, her current boyfriend. He has had weight loss surgery and is now very good looking and fit, and keeps to a VERY strict diet, while Abby wants to enjoy life and her food, and doesn’t mind if that makes her a little bigger.

Abby is 34 and healthy. For as long as she can remember she has been riding bikes and it is a major part of her life that sadly, her boyfriend doesn’t share. She is part of a cycling club and was just asked to lead a 2-week bike tour for the first time from New York City to Niagara Falls. Mark has been pressuring her to move in with him, but something was holding her back, so she decided that the two weeks apart would be a good time to work out what was holding her back.

When she meets the group she will be leading, she sees a familiar face: Sebastian, the guy with whom she had the most amazing one-night-stand ever 2 years prior. The one she never stopped thinking about. Also her mom decided to join the trip at the last minute in the hopes of bonding with her daughter. Surprise!

There was a lot to tackle in The Breakaway. We not only have Abby’s story, but we have Sebastian’s and all of the rest of the people on the tour. There was a large side story that included an abortion, so if that is something you are against, this is not the book for you. I thought it was handled very realistically and very well, but I almost think it should have been a novel in itself.

I felt bad for Mark. Abby knew he loved her more than she loved him, and it seemed like she was just using him because she didn’t think she could get any better.
“He’s smart, he’s kind, he’s employed, he’s generous. He makes me laugh. He loves me.” She paused. “And it’s not like there’s hundreds of other guys waiting in the wings.”

She didn’t want to deal with the dating:
“Guys whose eyes skipped right over her as if she were invisible. Men on the apps with weak chins and receding hairlines, beer guts and bald spots who felt absolutely no compunctions about inboxing her to tell her how much prettier she’d be if she went to the gym, went on a diet, ate less, exercised more. She loathed the idea of more of that.”

So totally relatable! But Mark was a really good guy and I felt bad for him. It made me not like Abby as much as I could have.

Likes:
•How relatable Abby is.
•Abby’s self-loathing thoughts—I totally got her.
•The book featured Jewish characters but wasn’t about being Jewish.
•The message that you don’t have to be skinny to be fit.
•The addition of a few other POV chapters. I thought it was interesting and unique.
•I liked getting to know the other riders.

Dislikes:
•There was cheating.
•Her mother’s disclosure at the end seemed very strange.
•I did not like the way Mark was treated.
•I didn’t love Abby.

Not sure:
•The abortion storyline. I really liked the whole story so much, but I almost think it should have been its own book. Lily had her own story as well as Morgan.
•The end. My romance-loving heart wanted a little more, but it fit perfectly in this story.

The Down & Dirty:
I really enjoyed The Breakaway by Jennifer Weiner. This wasn’t a romcom though there was some humor. It delved into some very serious topics including weight, self-loathing, settling for someone, abortion, religion, mother-daughter relationships, social media, promiscuity and so much more. There were some heartbreaking scenes and some fun ones. Though I didn’t totally love Lily, I found her to be very relatable which is the biggest reason why I enjoyed the book so much.

Rating: 4.25 Stars, 1.5 Heat

The Breakaway, by Jennifer Weiner, is a well-paced, fun story that tackles some current social issues without seeming preachy. I loved that the main character saw herself as being overweight, but it didn't keep her from living life. Thank you, NetGalley and the publisher, for providing me with an ARC ebook to review.

stepper at the gym— it’s 5⭐️ y’all.
This book might not be for everyone, but it will be EVERYTHING for some people. If you’ve ever struggled with body image, body positivity, parental judgement of your body— this is your book. Also, if you’ve ever wanted to walk a mile in those shoes— this is for you too.

It’s also just a really beautiful story of personal growth. I loved so many journeys in this book. There are so many people getting honest with themselves, seeking their true happiness, figuring out their worth— it’s beautiful. And it’s not just about body positivity— Weiner covers coming-of-age, internet shaming, mother/daughter relationships, abortion, different relationship choices, privilege— this book runs the gamut but also never felt overambitious or hard to follow.

This book was enjoyable throughout, but the way it ended was *chef’s kiss*— and definitely elevated it to a 5⭐️ read for me. I felt like it really was a gift and I was honored to read it. I’m so thankful @jenniferweinerwrites gave us this piece of her soul. I think a lot of people will see themselves in this book, and will get great joy out of reading it.

I had the opportunity to get an advanced copy of this book, I enjoyed it so much. I really related to the main character and what she’s going through. If you have ever felt like you were in a rut in life and feel like you could be doing morn, then you might be able to relate to this book as well. I thought it was very well thought out and well written. I definitely recommend this book when it comes out on August 29th!! Thank you to net galley, Simon & Shuster, and atria books for the opportunity to reading this great book a little early.

Jennifer Weiner does it again with The Breakaway! Jennifer tackles some major issues effecting women with grace and empowerment!

The Breakaway is a fun, steamy and heartfelt book that I truly enjoyed reading. I love how Jennifer writes her characters; they are never plastic cookie cutter molds. They are full of realness and substance. Same goes for the storyline.

Abby Stern is a thirty-three year old woman who still seems to be trying to figure out her life. She is overweight, has a job that doesn’t really fulfill her, a boyfriend who has just asked her to move in with him, a mother who always comments on her weight and just feels like she’s “lost”. Abby knows the one thing that she truly loves and makes her feel happy is riding her bike. When a friend asks her to be the leader on a two week bike trip on the Empire Trail that ends up at Niagara Falls, she accepts and figures it will give her a chance to do a lot of thinking about her future and possibly moving in with her boyfriend. At the start of the bike trip, she recognizes one of the bikers - he is a man she had a wonderful one-night stand with a couple of years earlier. She doesn’t think the man, Sebastian, will remember her but he does. He asks her why she left and didn’t leave her phone number or even tell him her last name. Their attraction is still strong. It may seem like a romance story, but the author also throws in a lot of different characters and relationships (Abby’s mother shows up to join the bike trip without telling her). There are very relevant issues that are touched upon - poverty, abortion, secrets, parents, kid, etc. I found the story interesting and entertaining. It made for an easy, enjoyable read.

I give this book 4 stars out of 5. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Weiner always does a phenomenal job of writing enjoyable books and touching on topical issues, and this book is no exception. I loved the main character and thought Weiner handled the difficult issues very well. Thanks to NetGalley for an advanced copy!

Although Abby still hasn't figured out what kind of career she wants, she has finally accepted her body and is in a good place in life. She is dating her boyfriend, Mark, who she met many years ago at a fat camp. A chance encounter with a man named Sebastian right after she re-met Mark leaves Abby thinking about him for years. Abby has pushed him out of mind and is on track to move in with Mark when her friend asks her to lead a bike tour. Abby agrees and is shocked to find that one of the people on the tour is Sebastian. All of her old feelings come back and she is torn in what direction her life should go.

This started out really strong and I loved the body positivity/acceptance from her love interest as she struggled through her weight acceptance journey. The ending could have been smoother and wrapped up better, but overall I enjoyed this.

I was really excited to dive into this book after reading the synopsis as the premise seemed very promising. Cycling, body positivity, romance, mom issues, online dating and much more, Jennifer Weiner as always delivers by not shying away from important and sensitive topics, which are bound to unsettle some readers.

Religious people will find this book’s stance on abortion quite problematic, avid cyclists will have a lot of questions about the weight of the protagonist, seasoned romance readers will not find anything new in the love story. I, personally, found the book to be predictable and thus a tad too long for my taste. I did enjoy reading it once the book was in my hands, but I had to force myself to keep coming back to it. I did not find everything in this story believable and it definitely took away from the experience. I don’t want to reveal anything of the plot, but a fat cycling enthusiast who rides dozens of miles daily, really? You will struggle to come across this person in the wild.

All in all, I would label this book an enjoyable light read if you don’t dig any deeper. However, digging deeper is what the author seems to want and for me the two simply did not work together. If you enjoy quirky characters paired with the plot that carries a strong political message, pick this up for your August beach read! Otherwise, you are safe to pass this one up.

<i>I want to thank NetGalley and the publisher for the Advanced Reader Copy of this book.</i>

I really enjoy this author and was looking forward to this book. The best part was the bike ride that goes through NYS - and actually through my town! Added to that, I know people who love to ride bicycles so I was very excited to read this book.
The character development was well done. You really felt like you knew the people with all their quirks and flaws.
I did struggle a bit with some of the topics that were introduced and how they were handled. I felt like these things were to simplistic and pat. It also leaned to the left politically which I really don't love when I'm reading for escapism.
All in all, I was entertained, but not awed.

Weiner's novels are very hit-or-miss for me, and this was unfortunately one of the misses. The good: a plus-sized heroine with a healthy attitude about her body despite both cultural attitudes and a hyper-critical mother. An adventure feel to the story as our heroine, Abby, leads a group bicycle trip across New York State. A positive side story of a teen getting support for an abortion. Some resolution of the rough mother-daughter relationship. What didn't work for me: Abby was just really unlikable, and this kind of a novel needs an MC you want to root for. Her treatment of both her loving, awesome boyfriend, and her hookup bothered me. Her hookup, who faces a personal crisis when called out on TikTok for sleeping with pretty much every woman in NYC, has never once felt any glimmer for any of the hundreds of women he's slept with except for Abby - despite the fact that we're never shown anything remarkable or special about their hookup. While I appreciated the abortion side story, it felt like it was crammed into the novel for political reasons and didn't really mesh with the story as a whole. And on a personal note, Weiner's clear disdain and contempt for Peloton riders alienated me from the beginning, and I struggled to get past that given how valuable Peloton has been in my own fitness journey. Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for a digital review copy.

** spoiler alert ** After reading Jennifer Weiner's book "Mrs. Everything" I became a fan. Her newest book "The Breakaway" is the third book I've read by Jennifer Weiner and I was eagerly anticipating this book after receiving an Advanced Reader edition for my Kindle. I confess I was feeling a little disappointed when I first started reading this book for a couple of reasons: 1) I felt like the summary provided in the book book description "gave away" a major plot point (Sebastian joining the bike trip); 2) I struggled to find Sebastian a likable character due to his "serial dating" history, which Weiner attributed to attachment issues with his mother during his childhood; 3) Abby's POV of herself due to her weight could be labeled as a potential "trigger warning" for people who struggle with this personally.

HOWEVER, having faith in Jennifer Weiner, I stuck with the book and I found it more enjoyable as the book progressed due to the inclusion of additional plot points which hadn't been revealed in the original book synopsis. One thing I enjoy/appreciate when reading Jennifer Weiner's book is her ability to weave current reality into her books, making them especially timely. For example, there are brief mentions of the COVID pandemic, vaccinations, etc. as it was naturally part of the conversation between characters in a book set in 2023. Weiner also had a few mentions of white privilege (minus the word white) when her characters were reflecting on their path in life and what obstacles they did (or did not) face. As someone who personally enjoys cycling, I enjoyed that element of the book. I also prefer books with a strong sense of place, so the sprinkling of tidbits about the places they visited on their bike trip across New York State (map included at the beginning of the book) was a plus. I found the last 1/3 of the book especially readable and interesting, and I enjoyed the ending. I am looking forward to reading future woks by Jennifer Weiner!

***SPOILER ALERT****

Another timely and relevant element Jennifer Weiner includes is the current reality young women are facing in states where abortion is no longer a medical service being provided. **Trigger warning**

This review is based on the Kindle ARC I received from NetGalley.

She does it again! Jennifer Weiner is a favorite for me. Even when a book has a topic I don’t know about and normally wouldn’t gravitate towards like this one she still manages to get me to interested and committed. I loved it!

The breakaway by Jennifer Weiner
33 year old Abby Stern is on the cusp of marrying her childhood sweetheart from fat camp Mark Medoff, she has great friends. So why does she feel like her relationship with Mark is missing something and she can’t get a proper career going? She’s dropped out of university programs, she’s working for a dog walking company with no real direction in her life. So when an opportunity to lead a bike trip from NYC to Niagara Falls falls into her lap she reluctantly grabs the opportunity to get away to think over her relationship with Mark. One of the participants of the bike trip turns out to be a one night stand from two years ago, Sebastian. Could he be part of the reason why is she can’t seem to see a future with Mark?

Abby has always been overweight and for the most part she’s been fine with it that is aside from her mother making her feel bad about it and sending her to fat camps every summer against her wishes when she was a kid. Abby rather ride her bike and go to theatre camp but her mother is too obsessed with her weight, her looking good for pictures and having her lose it. So when she also just turns up to join the bike trip she is shocked and not too pleased.

Through the bike ride and dealing with her conflicting emotions surrounding Mark, Sebastian, her mother Abby and in dealing with secrets of the other bike riders she is forced to come to terms with who she really wants to be and who she is becoming.

Overall, I enjoyed the novel however, it very heavily brought up a lot of political issues and agendas. This was a little bit much for my liking as it seemed at times a bit forced. Definitely topics that need to be talked about however, there were a lot in my opinion. I didn’t feel like I connected a lot with the main character. There were multiple viewpoints also in this novel besides Abby. The relationship between Abby and Sebastian is sweet and I did enjoy that part. It was a nice easy read however, it wasn’t all that engaging for me personally.

Thank you to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange, for my honest opinion.

This was a cute, camp-y type read. I enjoyed the relationships between the characters. Initially, the frequent POV swaps had my head spinning but it eventually evened out. I had a grandmother that would treat me similarly to the way the MCs mother treated her, empathy abounds. The author did weave the abortion issue into the story and I’m so glad she did! Healing & understanding cannot happen when everything we don’t like is swept under the rug. Secrecy is the weapon of choice for most villains…. I received this ARC from the publisher, author, and NetGalley. This is my unbiased opinion. Thank you!

What an epic ride this book was. Abby Stern took a chance on more than leading a bike group on a 2 week trip. Out of her comfort zone on so many levels, she is forced to examine existing relationships while building unexpected ones. I loved watching Abby come into her own through the course of this novel and really become who she has always wanted to be and knew deep in her heart. I loved relationship between mother daughter and with all of the travelers in this group. This book will have you cheering for Abby and her decisions to fall deeper in love with herself and the unexpected relationships that unravel.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
This book was almost a DNF for me, since I don't like cheating (especially when the partner is kind and it seems truly unwarranted). It dealt with a lot of important topics, and I enjoyed the cast of characters, but a lot of their decisions seemed convenient for the plot and unrealistic/faithful to their overall portrayal.