A thoroughly enjoyable read! Abby is pretty happy with herself even though she is plus size. But she is not happy with her boyfriend or her mother. Then she is asked to lead a bike trip. She decides to do it thinking it will give her time along the way to decide what to do about her boyfriend. Things get complicated when a member of the group is Sebastian who she had a one night stand with and it seems the attraction is still there.
Really fun read!
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I tried figuring out what it is that made me enjoy this book so much and I really think it’s the characters! Their relationships, their struggles, their personalities. You were rooting a little for (and sometimes a little against) most people, but in the end the book reminds you most people mean well and it’s a feel good read.

The book centers around Abby, a fat girl who loves to bike ride, who finds herself at a crossroads in her relationship where she’s expected to move in with her boyfriend, perfect Doctor Mark. While contemplating what to do, she ends up leading a group bike tour from NYC to Niagara Falls - and it figures one of the riders is a former hook up, Sebastian. Sure it’s a romance but there’s so much more: lots of parent/child secrets and bonds, self acceptance challenges, abortion, friendship, to name a few. I also loved the Jewish themes sprinkled throughout!

The ending was satisfying and this was the perfect kind of light adventure book for a summer or vacation read.

".. the importance of staking a claim on a boy to go out with (what 'going out with' as tweens at summer camp meant, Abby would eventually learn." This is my generation story. My mother nor daughter understood what it meant for me. This novel tells a beautiful story of finding oneself when the world sees you differently. Of love, wonder, taking a ride, friendship and learning what matters. Its been sometime since I teared up at the end of a book, yet I did here. Abby, Mark, Sebastian, Eileen and all the participants on this ride are characters I won't soon forget! Bike tours, upstate NY, friendship across generations, mother/daughter relationships and choosing what's right for you, at the time you decide were the winners of this novel!

I am a huge Jennifer Weiner fan! I have met her in person and she is as thoughtful and humorous as her writing! I really enjoyed reading The Breakaway! She does such a. great job balancing heavy and light in her voice as well as the topics she writes about. This book is about Abby Stern and her struggles figuring out what she wants and needs from a romantic relationship, her relationship with her mother, and a career path. She leads a group bike trip through New York to Canada which leads her to the beginning of her journey to figuring out these issues and the obstacles that are holding her back. Whether you have enjoyed Jennifer Weiner's previous books, or are looking for an uplifting book about a woman discovering more about her own strength and resilience, I highly recommend this book!

The Breakaway by Jennifer Weiner

Thirty-four year old Abby Stern has found happiness in her life despite uncertain life goals. With gig jobs and a seemingly perpetual college apartment, Abby's true joy lies in her supportive friends, her passion for cycling, and her impending marriage to childhood sweetheart Mark. However, doubts arise when memories of a passionate encounter with a sexy stranger resurface.

When Abby embarks on leading a bike trip, she is surprised to find the sexy stranger, Sebastian, among the participants, challenging her emotions and sparking undeniable chemistry. As the journey unfolds, the many facets of the participants reveal themselves and relationships are tested.

This is the story I've been waiting for from Jennifer Weiner - she intertwines her love of cycling and body positive message into a story of hard choices.

Thank you to Atria, NetGalley and Jennifer Weiner for an advanced digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. Put this on your must read list for 8.29.23!

I always feel so empowered after reading Jennnifer Weiner's novels. This one was no different. I loved the main character and was truly feeling for her and rooting for her. This satisfied all the feels for me and brought up lots of emotions, good and bad. The author always has a way of weaving in current events and issues with her novels. It makes it so relevant. Knowing the author and her love of bike riding, I know she did lots of research and knew what she was talking about with the background of this book. I might just buy a bike!

Having read all of Jennifer Wiener’s books I was looking forward to reading her latest novel. This book did not disappoint. I loved how the author approached the topic of poor image issues in a compassionate and understanding way. The author makes the reader question whether sometimes we don’t always go for what we really want but instead do what feels more safe. The characters were interesting and I found myself relating to a few of them. I would wholeheartedly recommend this book.

like so many of jennifer weiner's novels, the breakaway was a highly enjoyable read. I love books that deal with people who aren't perfect. I know that plus size people figure in many of her books, and I appreciate that. It's nice to see that ordinary people of all Sizes and shapes can have happy lives. This book also features an unhappy relationship between the main character and her mother and that was also a very believable situation to read about. Thank you to net galley for an advanced reader copy of this novel I would recommend this to anybody who likes relationship novels that are based in reality.

This was a fun book that cruised along and never had a dull moment. I had no idea that a bike excursion could be so fun. Of course it’s Jennifer Weiner who always writes a fun book to read, I would highly suggest picking this book up that will take you on a fun ride.

Jennifer Weiner is among a handful of authors whose books I read without knowing what they are about. There is something wonderful about sinking your "teeth" into a book by an author you trust and not knowing what it is about. It's like sitting down with an trusted friend who is about to tell you a story and take you on a ride.

Abby ( I just loved, Abby. Can she be my friend?) is only 34 years old. She is dating her childhood boyfriend and they might move in together! Her career isn't exactly up to par with her friends but she's happy. After years of struggling and dieting she is finally at peace with her plus size body. She enjoys cycling. It's her passion and hobby. She is asked to lead a cycling trip and hesitantly agrees to it. Much to her surprise her mom whom she has always had a difficult relationship shows up as does someone from her past.

Over the course of the 2 week cycling trip Abby learns bits and pieces about the other cyclers. Bonds are formed, friendships are formed and life changing decisions are made by characters.

Weiner's writing takes you on the trip with the characters. I could feel and see the scenery. I don't even like riding a bike and suddenly I found myself considering purchasing one and taking up cycling. Abby's story is told in past and present tense. We learn about her weight struggles, being sent to fat camp, meeting her childhood boyfriend at camp at camp and they reconnecting with him later. Abby's tenuous relationship with her mother is relatable.

Be prepared to set some hours aside and find yourself falling in love with another one of Weiner's characters.

Another brilliant read from Jennifer Weiner! Her characters are always written in a way that makes you care about them and their stories, and The Breakaway provides a fresh setting for Weiner's bold storytelling. Highly recommend!

*I received an advanced reader copy of this book from NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This book follows Jennifer Weiner's typical formula: heavy girl finds love. It was a nice read, but entirely predictable. Abby Stern has spent her life coming to terms with her body and has finally learned to embrace her size. She is healthy and happy in a relationship with Mark, her childhood sweetheart from fat camp. But as Mark discusses taking the next step in their relaitonship and moving in together, Abby starts to panic. She takes a last-minute offer to lead a 2-week bike tour. Biking has always been Abby's favorite pasttime, something that centers her.

On the trip, she runs into Sebastian, the hot one night stand she had 2 years ago, just before getting serious with Mark. As you can probably imagine, sparks fly, and Abby has some big decisions to make.

This was an enjoyable story, very light and a good summer read. As a native of Philadelphia, I enjoy all the local references. If you are a Jennifer Weiner fan, you will definitely enjoy this book.

Loved this! Weiner once again showcases real issues for women with a great combination of romance and outdoor adventure. Plus, the rep was great! More like this please!

This was a cute summer read about a biking trip through NY state. I liked the pace & the format of each chapter being told from a different cyclist’s perspective. The main storyline was a romance, but there were also some mother-daughter moments & self-love themes throughout. 3 stars because this had some moments that made me roll my eyes, ultimately making the book a little cheesier than I wanted. However, if you are into bike trips or cycling, I feel like this would have landed better. A decent summer book, but not memorable in any way.

This was well-written with a great cast of characters. The body-positive element was present and affirming without being overbearing. Overall, however, there were several plot points that I didn't particularly enjoy, making this book not really for me. I think it would be great for those looking for body-positive women's fiction, with strong women's rights elements, and light romance.

This highly anticipated book was quite a let down for me. First of all, infidelity as a plot device is a hard pass for me. It makes any character instantly unlikable for me, and in the case of this book, the cheating was completely deliberate and irredeemable. This is also a huge reason why I disliked Weiner’s previous release The Summer Place. I found Abby’s character to be lacking personality, and the attraction between Sebastian and Abby felt forced and a little instalove-y. I did love how comfortable Abby is with her body, while still allowing us to see her lingering vulnerabilities. While it was well written, nothing really stood out to me. I wish Jennifer Weiner would go back to the types of books she wrote in the mid to late aughts, but I’m sure this book will resonate with folks who enjoy romance books.

The Breakaway by Jennifer Weiner
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫/5

There’s something so comforting about reading a new release from a favorite and familiar author. Abby is an incredible main character written with such amazing development, and we really get to see her grow into herself from childhood through her adult life. I loved the multitude of complex relationships entwined in this story too, whether it's her iffy relationship with Mark, her undeniable chemistry with Sebastian and her incredibly twisted stance on her mother. But even outside of the main characters, even the sub-characters had their own storylines which made this "trip" with them even more fun. Weiner definitely carries a few themes throughout her books so some of this will feel familiar to you; i.e. weight acceptance, romance, relationships, family drama, etc. However the cycling aspect added so much to this plot and I found myself so intrigued by the lifestyle of it. If you're looking for an easy read with complex character relationships with a touch of rom-com, this is it!

There were parts of the book I really enjoyed. I thought it was paced and I enjoyed the overall premise. However, I missed an emotional connection with some of the characters and I think that tamped down my enjoyment.

I have read every Jennifer Weiner book and continue to fall in love with her writing. While this wasn’t my favorite book of hers, I loved the story line and how she wove in characters that we could all relate to and feel like we knew. The only reason it wasn’t my favorite was just there are so many amazing Jennifer Weiner books! I truly enjoyed this book. Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced read!

I love the fact that the FMC Abby is overweight, most of us can relate to her. Most authors don't use this and I love the fact that she did. I adore the story line of this book. It is one that will keep you reading long into the night. I loved this!!!!
I just reviewed The Breakaway by Jennifer Weiner. #NetGalley
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