What a nice find. This was the first book I've read from this author and I really enjoyed it. The story was different from anything I've read recently and really captured my attention. It was so well written and the characters were fantastic.

Thank you Atria for the copy of The Breakaway; I have long been a fan of Jennifer Weiner ever since her first books and her engaging main characters, her openness with body image themes, and her social media and NYTimes engagement.
The Breakaway honors what I know is the author's newer passion for bike riding and I love how she talks about why bike riding matters to Abby (main character); how this theme develops really works for me and I love how it expands into a bigger theme about women's lives and how it connects to another theme about women's bodies and identities. That is the biggest win for me in this book.
There are intersecting plots and stories involving secondary characters, the ever present maternal figure who tends to manifest in Ms. Weiner's work in interesting ways, and of course a romance that is nicely developed. I will say I would have been happy to have a little less of the secondary characters in places, not because I didn't like them but because they felt underdeveloped (esp the Spoke'n Four, great characters but not sure they were needed to move the story forward and felt like they need their own book instead!).

The story follows some predictable patterns but that is welcome, the themes are still strong and predictable as I always say doesn't mean bad, it means comforting and engaging in this case. This will be a nice end of summer read for late vacations, Labor day BBQ breaks, and for the last days by the pool.

Abby, by all accounts, has a great life. Still trying to figure out what exactly she wants to do in life, but she has a supportive boyfriend, great friends, and a complicated relationship with her mother.

***

The only problem Abby has is herself. I'm a Jennifer Weiner fan, so I was excited to get my ARC of her newest novel, however, this was just painful to read. It just felt so empty. None of the characters were sympathetic or even compelling. I wanted to DNF, but felt obligated to finish it.

First and foremost, the way that Abby treats Mark is inexcusable. Without getting spoilery that's all I can really say. And I appreciate why Abby has issues with her mother, and it was stupid of her to ambush Abby on a work trip, but somehow Abby still comes out looking worse here as well.

Don't even get me started on the love interest in this story, which also just fell flat.

Disappointed in this Weiner novel, but definitely willing to try her next one!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This novel is not your average Romance novel. It contains little side stories that add so much to the narrative. The ending was especially enjoyable. If you are looking for an uplifting empowerment story that is an atypical narrative, this is for you. Thank you, Net Galley, for the opportunity to breakaway for a pleasant day of reading.

I liked The Breakaway. It was a bit cheesy and predictable, but sometimes I enjoy that sometimes. We will be buying for sure -- we have a lot of Weiner readers at our library. Thank you!

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book! I really enjoyed it! The book is about a plus-size cyclist named Abby, who is asked to lead a bike trip from NYC to Niagara Falls. The trip has a few surprise guests including Abby's mother and a one-night stand Abby previously had.
The book was a good blend of serious and light. It was a relaxing read and a different type of lead than most, which I enjoyed.
I think there were more political points than I would have preferred but overall I enjoyed it and would recommend.

I've read other books by Weiner, so I had high hopes for this one. Unfortunately, it missed the mark for me. I was looking forward to the plus-size MC, but, overall, I found the characters shallow/lacking in depth. There were far more hot-topic issues than I expected, and that did turn me off, as I read to get away from some of the politics. It felt like they were included solely for the author to make a statement. Rom-coms do tend to be cheesy, but this one was overloaded with the cheese factor. This wasn't the breezy beach read I expected it to be.

Abby is a 30 something who is struggling with self-esteem issues & trying finding out who she is, and what she really wants. She meets Sebastian on a bachelorette party, and the chemistry is instant. But she walks away the next morning wanting to keep that night a happy memory out of fear he wouldn’t want her the same when he woke up. Two years later, serendipity brings them back into each others lives and had Abby questioning everything.

I adored this book! It was such a charming story that was really well written. I had no issue visualizing what the writer was presenting, and I really appreciated the many perspectives! I also really liked how the ending was left open to whatever happening off page. We, as the reader, can make up our own “future long term” ending. 4 star read for sure!

There is a reason why Jennifer Weiner is an auto-buy author for me. The Breakaway combines all the elements of family drama, hidden secrets, and personal struggles while hitting on some deep topics. Abby Stern's happy place is on her bike. She has made a life out of it, even if it's something her fiance can't stand. Abby's other happiness is with her fiance Mark who she met at a weight-loss camp when she was in her teens and of the most awkward age while on paper things should be great with her life, she can't shake the feeling that things just aren't the way they should be.

Although her life isn't fully together, Abby is excited to be newly engaged to her childhood best friend Mark, who she met at a weight-loss camp her mother forced her to attend. Yet, Abby still can't seem to shake the memories of Sebastian, a one-night stand from years ago. When Abby leads a group bike ride from New York City to Niagara Falls, she is shocked when both her mom and Sebastian are participants. Now Abby must navigate the group while avoiding Sebastian and dealing with her years of body insecurities which she blames on her mother.

If you want to read about shallow characters talked about in depth, The Breakaway is the book for you. Meet plus-size cyclist Abby who cheats on her perfectly nice boyfriend with the hot ladies' man Sebastian, who has slept his way through Brooklyn. All while she decides whether she should move in with that perfectly nice boyfriend who loves her. Add in the hot-topic issue of abortion rights for your side characters, for no other reason than Weiner wanted to make a statement, and you have a hot mess of a summer read.

I love Jennifer Weiner’s books. This one was a page turner. While leading a bike tour Abby realizes one man in the group is one she shared an incredible night of sex with two years ago. But she already has a man to come home to. This book takes you on a romantic ride. I highly recommend this book.

Jennifer Weiner is a favorite author of mine, and reading The Breakaway shows why. She highlights the complicated relationship of mothers and daughters in a few different ways, as well as a sharp take on the ways women are viewed and valued by society and how that molds our perception of our selves. I thoroughly enjoyed the book!
It was at turns moving and funny, with a well rounded cast of secondary characters.

This was such a cheesy rom com with way too many coincidences. It had several things I took issue with, but I read it in a day and I had fun reading it because it was such a page turner. Half of the problems in book could have been solved if the characters just talked to each other and were honest about their feelings, but that doesn't make for a book with tension, right?

Thank you Netgalley, the publisher and the author for the advanced reader's copy of this publication.

Jennifer Weiner always authors great books. Easy to follow, simple stories with meaning and enjoyable characters. This one focused on relationships from pasts and how we sometimes fall into the easy way and then shift when new love happens.

I really like Jennifer Weiner. Her last few books have been… a lot. I am glad this one was a bit lighter. While still dealing with current topics. As a fat lady who enjoys biking and has lived within walking distance of the Erie Canal my entire life, this book was written for me!
I was absolutely captured at the first steamy scene and was disappointed when mom showed up on the ride that there wouldn’t be more!
It’s not lost on me that the scenes where a young woman needed access to reproductive health care in and around the “birthplace of women’s rights” because she had lost those rights in her own home state. The conversation between Lily and Eileen about how far we’ve come and how far we have to go resonated.
I liked Abby and Mark together but I knew in the back of my head that she shouldn’t make the safe choice. I enjoyed that the ending didn’t necessarily have the happily ever after typically associated with novels like this.
I did think that it was a little cheesy in the way it hit all the fat positive talking points but if those are new ideas to some readers then I’m glad they were there.
Overall, it was a good read and I would recommend it for fans of romance and women’s

What happens when you are leading a bike tour along the Empire Trail and realize that one man in the group is a man that you shared an incredible night of sex with two years ago? The guy you thought you had a real connection with but left before he woke? What happens when you realize that he is now social media fodder for his many sexual conquests? Further- how can you feel anything for this guy especially when you have the perfect man waiting for you to come home and move in with him? Okay.... maybe the perfect man is not so perfect for you (maybe boring?) and maybe the not so perfect man is just perfect for you? Full of a cast of great characters and written with warmth and depth, "The Breakaway" Will take you on a memorable trip!

I was so excited for this new setting, a scenic bike trip sounds like a great idea. Lost loves reuniting! However the book felt forced on relevant topics and too political for me. Not quite the summer beach read I was hoping for.

Very enjoyable easy read with a valuable lesson about being your true self and valuing that person. Loved the ride through NY State and the interactions between most of the characters.

I request a lot of ARCs from NetGalley. I do not always get my requests approved. Imagine my joy when I got this ARC for a Jennifer Weiner book. I’m a huge fan of this author and have read many of her books. I think the main reason I like Weiner so much is that she focuses on body positivity issues in most of her books. The Breakway was no exception. Our protagonist, the likable Abby, is trying to figure out what she wants to do with her life and if she’s really happy with her doctor boyfriend who she’s known since “fat camp” days. While leading a bike tour, Abby is reunited with a hot one night stand from two years ago and things get interesting as she wrestles with career and relationship issues. I loved the romance angle to this story, as well as Abby’s relationship with her mother which felt very realistic. The secondary arc about abortion and pro-choice seemed a little underdeveloped to me. I give this one a solid four stars.

“The Breakaway” by Jennifer Weiner
Genre: Romance/Chicklit
Publisher: Atria Books
Pub. Date: September 12, 2023

I loved the author’s early work. Nowadays, it’s a hit or miss for me. They might have different names, but Weiner’s typical female protagonist, whom we have grown to love over the decades, is in this one too. She is overweight but still healthy, with low self-esteem. She is very bright with a wonderful sense of humor. There will be lots of laugh-out-loud scenes. Here is what is very important in Weiner’s books: the heroine is not accustomed to dating hot guys until she does. A common theme in the author's work is finding your path and learning to believe in yourself. This is great, but the reader knows there will be a happy ending early on. Maybe that is why Weiner’s books are so popular. They are great beach reads.

Thirty-four-year-old Abby Stern is generally at peace with her plus-size body shape. She has her bike, wonderful friends, and a biking club in Philadelphia. She is on track to wed her childhood beau—until she has a one-night stand and meets the man of her dreams. So, she starts stalling her boyfriend, Marc, on making a deeper commitment. To get away and have time to think, Abby agrees to lead a two-week group bike trip from New York City to Niagara Falls with both her mother (who does have issues with her plus-size figure, and, “surprise, surprise,” the former one-night stand, are on the bike trip. The novel is about love, family, friendship, secrets, and the power to change your life. The latest Weiner novel is good, but it tries to cover too many relevant topics making them seem crammed into the plot. I guess “The Breakaway” is a “miss” for me, not necessarily for you. This is a quick romantic read with interesting subplots that other readers may enjoy.