This book was so good! There were so many layers to this story. I enjoyed all the different points of view. The subject matter was different but so interesting. I very much enjoyed it and can't wait to read more from this author.

4.5 stars

As always, Jennifer Weiner has yet another home run with this delightful joy of a novel. I really loved getting to know everyone and was sad when it ended. I love how body positive she writes her leads and this is yet another one!!

I had some trepidation about reading this book since I'm not really into bike riding but I found the knowledge to be informative without being overwhelming or obnoxious.

Highly recommend to anyone looking for a good self-discovery read with a dash of romance!

I had put off reading this book for a long time. I love Jennifer Weiner but I felt that this one didn’t call to me as her previous ones did…I was so wrong!

I loved this story. Abby and Sebastian will forever hold a place in my heart (and so will every character in this story!). This is a story about putting yourself out there and trusting yourself, that all those worst-case scenarios will most likely never come true. And that you are worthy, no matter what you look like.

And a special shout-out to all the Moms in this story (especially Eileen) ❤️

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advance copy of The Breakaway by Jennifer Weiner in exchange for my honest review and opinion. Jennifer Weiner is a must read author for me so I was thrilled to be approved to read this ahead of all my friends and family. I loved this book and the writing style Jennifer takes to explain lots of issues. I highly recommend this book!

I am probably going to be a bit biased because I am a fan of all things Jennifer Weiner. She is genuinely one of the best to me.

We meet Abby on a bachelorette trip where she meets a beautiful stranger who she cannot believe is interested in her. Abby lives in Philadelphia and is beginning to seriously see a man who she thinks may lead to a boyfriend. However, that does not stop her attraction to Sebastian. The two have a memorable night and do not see each other again.

Fast forward to two years later and Abby is asked to lead a bike ride that spans several weeks and goes all through New York. She is shocked to learn that Sebastian is one of the riders on the trek.

What follows is a heartfelt story of these two individuals struggling with themselves while also trying to avoid their obvious attraction to each other.

Weiner does an amazing job of writing plus size characters. She humanizes the characters and I can totally relate to them. Abby is sent away to “fat camp” as a kid and my heart cries for heart.

This book is a romance at heart but it does tackle some heavy issues. I cannot recommend this enough.

Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Enjoyed this modern reliance set on a biking trip. Having followed Jennifer Weiner on social media, I knew she was a biker and she shows off her knowledge of biking in this novel. Weiner never misses and I’ve always enjoyed her books. I liked Abby Stern, the main character, who is torn between her “safe” partner who she met at “fat camp” as a teen and the man she meets as an adult who makes her heart sing. The book interweaves what happens on the bike trip with flashbacks for Abby and some of the other characters that explain why the characters behave the way they do. I’ve always wondered what this type of bike trip would be like so I found that interesting as a side plot. Feminist touches such one of the settings being Seneca Falls and a young girl who struggles between her parents’ conservative views and her desire for an abortion are deftly woven into the story as the book progresses. Mother-daughter relationships and diet culture are also touched on in the book. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the chance to read an advanced reader’s copy.

I liked this book a lot. Jennifer Weiner is great at character development!
I even read the amazon short story of this! It was great!

I liked how complicated Abby is. It's like she is awake for the first time and questioning what her life is. It happens!

Thank you for this advanced copy. Jennifer Weiner can do no wrong!

I am in no way a cyclist and was concerned that I wouldn't be able to get into this because of the subject matter, but I was wrong. I enjoyed the character development, the flash backs, the explanations for everything that weren't overly detailed that it lost me. The casual polyamorous triad made me really happy and it just was. There was no need for overexploitation.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! Receiving an advanced copy was much appreciated. I believe both existing fans and newcomers will find it equally enjoyable.

Abby Stern is 33, doesn't have a solid career, but does have a great boyfriend and a love of biking. She's also a plus size woman with a small sized mother. A mother who used to send her to weight-loss camp every summer where she first met Mark, her current boyfriend. Mark is now fit and trim, with a grueling diet/exercise regime. He's a great guy (when he isn't hiding Abby's ice cream in the back of the freezer) who loves running (but can't ride a bike and won't learn). When Abby is asked to lead The Empire Trail bike excursion she finds herself face to face with Sebastian, a man she hooked up with two years earlier.

This is just part of a larger story, and in fact, Abby's love life isn't the main draw at all. Abby's relationship with her weight has been the deciding factor in many of her relationships. How people see her, and how she sees herself has always been Abby's struggle. She's on a journey of self-love.

Along for the ride is Lilly, and her teenage daughter, Morgan, who are struggling to connect. Her Christian Pastor husband was supposed to come along but he couldn't make it so now those two need to find a way to bond. Secrets come to light as mother and daughter find they each have their own journey of self-love and forgiveness. (Note: so many one star reviews state this storyline is "unnecessary", "political", "preachy". If you can't see this for what it is then you're probably married to a pastor, too).

Finally, Sebastian likes to just keep moving. When his life implodes on social media he realizes he's riding away from who and what he could be, as well. Abby is forced to face all of her beliefs about herself, her mother, and what she really needs love to look like in order to be happy.

Thank you, NetGalley, for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Man, I love Jennifer's books! This was no exception. It was a great story with a great setting and a wonderful cast of characters. It was classic Weiner and I could not be happier about it. 4.5 stars rounded down.

*** spoilers ahead with sensitive topics ***

I received The Breakaway quite some time ago, and was not drawn to it immediately after the first few pages. I finally saw that my local library had the audiobook available and decided to give it a try. I loved the audiobook! The multiple person cast was delightful as it moved through the multiple POVs of each character. I appreciated the dynamics built between the two main characters, Abby & Sebastian. Their love story is unique and the secondary characters included certainly helped to build their backstory. I enjoyed "the breakaway" as being the overall theme of the book where characters go into the trip as one person but leave as another. Body empowerment is definitely a focus of the story, with Abby's story being the most forward. The story between Abby & Eileen (Abby's mother) was one that I was particularly drawn to and enjoyed listening to their story's arc. In fact, it overshadowed Abby & Sebastian's story in the end and made me like the book even more. Overall, there were bits of the story I loved and others I didn't, and enjoyed it very much on audio rather than reading it.

Thank you, Atria Books and NetGalley for the free ARC in exchange for this review.

I loved this book. Jennifer Weiner really laid out her heart and soul in this one and it was just a fantastic read. It dealt with very serious and controversial topics in a way that I think we can all relate to. I love how The Breakaway community rallied around to help one of their own; whether they agreed with her decision or not. Each of the characters was so real and I loved them all. This may be my new Jennifer Weiner book!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book. These words are my own.

I would like to thank NetGalley and Atria Books for providing me with an advance e-galley of this book in exchange for an honest review. Look for it now in your local and online bookstores and libraries.

**ARC of this book provided by publisher in exchange for an honest review**

The book touches on multiple important (and divisive) issues, though perhaps one too many, as they kind of take the focus away from the main character's self-discovery and romance journeys. That said, the story flows well. I was enamored by the funny and unique characters participating in the bike trip. It was the perfect cozy late summer read for me.

The Breakaway was an okay read for me. I wish I could put my finger on what was missing. The best way to describe it would be that the story felt artificial. Or canned. The bike angle was fresh, and I enjoyed that part. I ended up DNFing at about 60% through.

Overweight athlete Abby goes on a big bike trip that is overtaken by the presence of a former one night stand as well as her meddling mother. While I wanted to enjoy the trials and tribulations of the would-they-won’t-they experienced by Abby and Sebastian, I couldn’t help but feel for her doting fiancé Mark back at home. Moreover, I couldn’t root for a love story rooted in infidelity. Overall, Abby was an unsympathetic character and her actions mostly ruined the book for me.

I have mixed feelings about The Breakaway. While there were many things I liked about the novel, in some ways it missed the mark. Most of my issues can be traced back to the main character. The story does follow a few other characters along the way but it's a tough read when you find yourself increasingly irritated by basically the star of the show.

I am sorry for the inconvenience but I don’t have the time to read this anymore and have lost interest in the concept. I believe that it would benefit your book more if I did not skim your book and write a rushed review. Again, I am sorry for the inconvenience.

As with her other books, I thought this was well written and enjoyable. I enjoyed how Abby was confident and poised even if she didn't feel it on the inside. The issues she experienced were realistic and felt authentic, but I wished they would have been fleshed out even more. I also appreciated that she showed that although she was overweight, Abby was physically active and encouraged young girls to be active as well. This was a very nice message. I enjoyed the discussion she had with her mother. I thought Weiner nicely showed how perceptions can shape how we feel and act. That what we think and see, might not be the full story.