This was a great love story that I read on the beach. It was a great summer read and I have been searching for good summer books. I liked the different romance story because it did not follow the traditional structure. It was an easy read and fulfilled the summer fantasy.
Thank you NetGalley for this ARC, all reviews are my own.

A whirlwind romcom that sweeps you off your feet, following the life of Abby while she maneuvers through life's disappointments. These disappointments include her family, men, career and also her size. Navigating life as a plus size woman has never been easy, and Abby has worked her whole life to accept who she is. One of her friends introduces her to an opportunity she can't resist, to lead a 2 week cycling trip. This turns out to be quite a pivotal trip for her and I enjoyed every moment!

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC, all reviews are my own.

Abby has reconnected with the man she met at weight loss camp in her teens. He is half the size he was and still adores her and her plus-size body but not her eating habits. When Mark pushes her to move in with him she instead agrees to lead a bike tour across New York State. She feels lucky so why is she hesitating? As the bike tour starts she realizes Sebastian, a man she had an encounter with that she can not forget, is part of the group. What is he doing there and why is she still drawn to him? Plus Abby's mother shows up just to spend time with her which she has never wanted to do before. How will Abby make this trip work? And what will she decide about Mark?

Thank you to NetGalley, Atria Books, and Jennifer Weiner for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I enjoyed the fast pace, engaging characters, and differing POV narration. It is a great summer time read, although it does have some heavy themes and triggers that should be mentioned: teenage pregnancy and abortion in this book. While I enjoyed the setting, a group of bike riders from different age groups and backgrounds take a long bike ride from NYC to Niagara Falls, I wish the story focused a bit more on Niagara Falls. Without giving anything away, I feel like that part of the books is rushed and a bit incomplete. The evolving romance between Abby and Sebastian is interesting and my favorite part of the story. The characters are a bit stereotypical, such as the boyfriend who had weight-loss surgery and can only eat a very limited diet and exercises excessively, as well as the bomb-shell revelation by Abby’s mother. I feel like if Weiner did a little more research, these characters could be better rounded and more realistic. The mother-daughter relationship between Ally and Morgan was more realistic and heart-warming than that of Abby and her mother. Overall, I enjoyed this book and am hoping for a sequel in the future.

This was a fun read and I enjoyed it very much. I did struggle a little with how often Abby talked about her weight though. Abby’s weight was like its own character in the story. But then I realize… this is completely accurate. I’m just not used to READING it. I, too, talk about and obsess about my weight, just like Abby. I also assume others are judging me for it. Those of us with a little extra weight do often bring it up, either in conversation, or in our thoughts, so often it’s probably annoying to everyone else too.
I don’t think I’ll ever do a bike ride like this one, but I’m slightly more interested than I was before.

This book should have been extremely triggering for me - (I had a bike accident years ago and absolutely detest bike riding and everything about bikes now, and I’ve had disordered eating patterns in my past and food/body image are also still struggles for me - yet I loved it. I loved following the bike group through my home state of New York (and a mention of a diner I used to frequent in high school), I loved the characters and their struggles and triumphs, and could not put this book down.

I really enjoyed parts of this novel - the self image parts, the complicated mother / daughter parts, and the biking parts. I also loved the setting. However I HATE cheating in books. That being said, it really deterred me from fully enjoying the book...

It was a great love story and the ending wasn’t like a typical love story. It was realistic and practical. This was a great summer read!

Love the premise of this one and I think it may be my new favorite from this author! In depth plot with great character development. Recommend for a good beach read!

A fabulous, feminist read for autumn days and nights! Jennifer Weiner once again delivers an intelligent, insightful, entertaining and well-crafted tale - this time featuring themes of feminine empowerment, fraught mother-daughter relationships and, of course, love and friendship in various forms. I especially applaud the brave and ambitious exploration of women’s agency and self-acceptance in so many diverse respects, which is reminiscent for me of the best of Judy Blume’s works. That said, I suspect this novel might have been more impactful overall had the storylines been a bit more streamlined. The wide ranging scope does not always serve the story well. Also, while I loved relatable protagonist Abby, I did not quite buy into all of her adventures, particularly as some seemed out of sync with her character (e.g., the timing of Abby’s return to Philly during the road trip).

Nonetheless, I think this is an important, timely and heartfelt tale that will be appreciated by anyone concerned about women’s control over their own destinies and emotional, as well as physical, wellbeing, and is likely to be loved by those who are already Weiner fans and/or fans of Susan Wiggs’ recent books. Special credit to Weiner for continuing to spotlight plus sized protagonists and for her courageous choice to call attention to heart wrenching challenges faced by many a young woman.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Atria for a complimentary ARC. Opinions are my own.

Abby Stern is seemingly quite content with where she is in life. She is a plus size cyclist with a great boyfriend Mark, who accepts her for who she is, despite the constant judgmental eyes of her mother. Yet she still feels like all the puzzle pieces don't fit neatly together like they should. Mark is starting to get impatient with Abby about moving in with him and in the back of her mind she wonders if she wants something more. She keeps going back to the memory of a one night stand she had right before she met Mark. That man made Abby feel the butterflies and sparks she always wished she felt when she was around Mark. So when she is given the opportunity to lead a bike trip to Niagara Falls she jumps at the chance. She needs the time to clear her head and think clearly about her future. During the introductions for the riders on her trip, she comes face to face with her one night stand - Sebastian. Abby is determined to keep her distance, especially after a viral video comes out casting Sebastian in a negative light. She focuses on the other riders she is in charge of - a teenager with a secret, two older couples who like to dole out advice, and her uninvited mother who is trying to forge a better relationship. Throughout these 2 weeks Abby truly finds the strong person she always knew she could be.

Jennifer Weiner is a go-to author for me. I love the way she blends light chick lit while also focusing on a current and relevent topic. This book did not disappoint, I loved it and highly recommend it!

Weiner's new book tackles a lot of tough topics, while still bringing heart and humor. Abby doesn't know what she's doing with her life, but she's still pretty happy. She has a great boyfriend and so what if he doesn't share her passion for bicycling and eating anything remotely enjoyable. He's just proposed that they move in together when she gets a call from her best friend, begging her to lead a long bike trip from New York to Niagara Falls, she takes it, planning to decide what to do about her boyfriend along the way. But one of the guys on her trip is her one-night-stand from two years ago and they're both very much still attracted to each other. Suddenly her decision got a lot more complicated.

Abby is still trying to find herself at thirty-four. She has a plus size body that her mother is constantly trying to fix but Abby is comfortable with herself. While in New York for a bachelorette party she hooks up with Sebastian. After a great night with him she sneaks out in the early morning believing he would never find her beautiful in the light of day and sober. Abby has just started dating Mark after running into him years after they met at weight loss camp. They dated 2 years without anything permanent, but she knows it is coming and still feels a long-term relationship with Mark is not what she wants. Abby loves bike riding and Mark does not ride. Her bike is her happy place and she agrees to lead a bike group for 2 weeks. Sebastian is one of the riders. She is determined to stay away from him. Her mother also comes to ride much to her dismay.
I really liked the people on the bike ride. They became like a community and supported each other. I felt like I was on a road trip as the bikers rode through the countryside. I could smell the outdoors and feel the tremendous rain. It was fun watching Sebastian try to become Abby’s friend and Abby’s mother trying to spend time with her daughter. I think this book is important. Mothers and daughters need to express themselves and trust each other. The world needs to allow people to be what they are and not all men and women are a size 34 or 10 or less. Lots of surprises. Great book!

It’s been years since I’ve read anything by Jennifer Weiner, so I wasn’t sure what to expect. The very first scene was super spicy, which I didn’t mind, so I figured that’s what I was getting into. Wrong! This book takes on many issues - weight shaming, accepting yourself, social media, complex mother/daughter relationships, and more. I found our main character, Abby, very likeable and I could relate to her feelings about being “behind” in having her life plan all figured out. For me, the best parts of the book were the family issues and Abby working out what she wants. The dating stuff was fine, but really secondary to all the other drama going on. I laughed out loud at times and cried like a baby at some of the mother/daughter issues. I also enjoyed that biking was what brought these people together.

I always look forward to a new release from Jennifer Weiner and then I read it in a day and I'm left already looking forward to the next one. I especially love all the Philadelphia references. This was super cute and a perfect beach read!

**I was excited to receive a complimentary copy of The Breakaway by Jennifer Weiner from NetGalley. Opinions in this review are completely my own.**

I enjoyed this book a lot. I had forgotten about this author; I used to have read all of her books. I enjoyed this journey of self-discovery that delves into themes of identity, courage, and the pursuit of one's passions. I could relate to Abby's character and how she feels judged by her mother. I feel that sometimes too. The characters were well developed and the plot flows at a good pace. I read this book fairly quickly. This would be a perfect summer read.

Name of Book: The Breakaway
Author: Jennifer Weiner
Genre: Women’s Fiction
Publisher: Atria Books
Pub Date: August 29, 2023
My Rating: 3.4 Stars!
Pages: 432

Summer is right around the corner and it is time for “The boss of beach reads” to release a new story. I am not a chick Lit fan but I am a [author: Jennifer Weiner|9212] fan ~ this is novel #18 for me.

I have been following Jennifer Weiner on FaceBook and Instagram and know she has a love of long distance biking. When I saw this was about a biker, I ask JW if there was going to be any piano playing. Hmmm perhaps next simmer!

In this story Abby Stern is thirty-four years old and is in a relationship with Mark, whom she met as a young teenager at a weight loss camp (Eileen-Abby’s perpetually-dieting mother forced her to attend). Mark seems like the perfect boyfriend—he is a Podiatrist and Doctors always rank high with moms- he is kind and neat! Abby is far from neat but their relationship has progressed --and it may be time for them to move in together. But a fabulous one - night stand two-year ago when she was out of town for a friend’s wedding -made an impression on Abby that neither Mark nor anyone else can match.

Abby belongs to a Bike group and has gone on many tours locally but when needed to lead a tour from NYC to Niagara Falls she is doubtful but since she is needed - accepts. She figured it will give her time to figure out if she really wants to commit to Mark.
Guess who is on this very same bike tour? Yep, It is Sebastian, her one-night hook-up, and his best friend- who was his college roommate and no not a female!.

I know I am showing my age as there was more about sex in this story than I cared to read. The fab sex with Sebastian who has had hundreds of hook-ups had me rolling my eyes ~ trust me there is more so much more to love than a one-night fling of fun sex!!

I did get caught up in Morgan’s and Lily’s story and was full of hope.

The last several JW books were about some heavy topics although this does touch some tough issues ~ I didn’t have a desire to throw the book across the room!
Not the Wow read I was expecting but that’s okay I am still a fan and looking forward to JW’s 2024 summer read!

Note from Jennifer: Cycling helped me through some dark days. It kept me sane during
the pandemic. It kept me steady when my mom was dying. And I loved writing this story
about Abby Stern, who learns, over the days and the miles, about love, and leadership, and
not settling for just good enough.
I loved writing The Breakaway” and I can’t wait for you to read it.

Want to thank NetGalley and Atria Books for granting me the pleasure of reading this early eGalley.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for August 29, 2023

I’m always excited to read a new Jennifer Weiner book and this one lived up to my expectations. Abby’s such a real, relatable character - I’ve felt much of what she has, and it was nice to see that mirrored.

This may be a little too weighty for Jennifer Weiner’s fans. But I found much to be charmed by. I liked the main characters, I didn’t mind the current issues of our society being part of the narrative, and all in all I turned the last page completely satisfied! Definitely recommend for your summer reading list.

I could relate to a lot of what Abby was going through. Her journey is one of constant change and self improvement that many should take but choose not to.