I LOVED THIS BOOK! I loved the plot and that it involved cycling. I also loved that the MC was a woman with curves. 10/10!!

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this book in exchange for an honest review!

Thanks so much for the arc. This is inspiring me to get a bike again to have so I can go for rides whenever I want. This book had just the right amount about Covid in it without focusing the whole book on it.

Actually a 3.5. This is not my favorite book or story by thus author, but I was entertained. Good light reading material.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/85175319

As a fan of this author, I was definitely looking forward to reading this novel which is very much of the times we're in after a woman discovers a man she spent the night with has 'gone viral' over his voracious dating appetite. She felt very loved and accepted by him but after she learns that she's not sure. She also did not think she would every meet him again and she does, of course.

Using a multi-day cycling trip as the setting, we get to know the people on the trip along with the former lovers who reunite in this very strained circumstance. As a cyclist, I really liked that part of the story but even if you've never done a long bike ride, it's an interesting story filled with characters of all ages.

The main piece of the story focuses on how we present ourselves to the outside world and what weight is acceptable so that we can accept ourselves.
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This is such a great read. It incorporates important topics such as abortion, body shaming and body image, promiscuity, women’s rights, but in a logical and engaging way. The characters are fully developed and likable. The plot moves at a good pace and holds attention.
Would definitely recommend.

I have loved Jennifer Weiner's books in the past, but this one didn't do it for me. I felt like I had predicted the entire book's trajectory from about 5% in. Plus the descriptions of the feet pictures were foul.

I'm a long-time fan of Jennifer Weiner and this is one of my favorites of hers. I enjoyed the adventure of the bike trip, the family dynamics, the romance, and especially how she incorporated realistic actions and conversations around current issues. As Jennifer herself has talked about, it's too bad a book like this is called "women's fiction" because it is a good fiction book and all genders would benefit from reading these stories.

Abby has been fighting weight her entire life. Her mother has never let up since Abby's early teen days at "fat camp". Today, Abby is usually happy with herself and her life - or so she convinces herself. She has her fiancee Mark, himself a former camper with Abby, her bicycle club and her friends.
A perfectly fine life.
Until it isn't.
She takes over a bike tour group as leader for a friend, and meets up with Sebastian; Abby's one night stand that has never quite completely faded into the past. All.of a sudden her " good enough" life seems maybe, not really so good enough after all.
A good story that dragged a bit for me. Too much " is this real is is it not".
I was cheering heartily for Abby but it got a teeny bit tedious for me along the way.
Not a favorite Weiner story.

I was one of the lucky recipients to receive this book from NetGalley. I am a big fan of Jennifer Weiner's stories, and this book did not disappoint. The story was engaging, and compelling to read. The author touched on several hard topics such as abortion, religion, social media, family difficulties, weight gain/loss, the bonds and hardships between mothers and their children, the difficulties of growing up, along with other topics. I especially like that the ending of the story came away with a realistic theme, not just a happy and sappy ending. I highly recommend any reader who enjoys a good story that involves some drama, love, romance and family dynamics to entertain them.

**Provided by Net Galley**

When reading this book, I realized that Jennifer Weiner has been creating amazing overweight characters since way before it was trendy. I actually found this article online when I was thinking about it: https://www.vogue.com/article/jennifer-weiner-body-positive-books. She is a professional and says it better than I could, I am just an appreciative reader. It resonated on this book especially since it was such a large component of the book. It is hopeful to see attitudes changing along with doctors responses to being heavy AND healthy.

It helped when reading that my husband is an avid cyclist. I have a basic understanding of bike components and the needs associated with long rides. That being said, I don’t think you need to have that background to enjoy this book. I think it does help to ride a bike because the first chapter that covers her learning to ride, and why it was so important to her, made me remember how exhilarating it is. I actually grew up less than a mile from the Erie Canal and was allowed the independence of riding that into our village with friends. Her independence and love of riding really resonated with me because of that.

The second chapter was just HOT!

As the book jumped ahead, the Breakaway bike ride starts and introduces a couple new important characters. My favorites were Lily and Morgan. They were portrayed realistically, especially for such a complex issue. Then the Spoke’n Four just made me laugh, providing some levity along the way.

After the hotness of the second chapter, you knew (or hoped) Sebastian would reappear. His storyline resonated less with me but gave him the impetus for change.

Couple quick points:
- I understand the history with her mother and how a mother can say the same thing to you as someone else but somehow be perceived as an insult from her. But the fact that her mom came on the ride and wanted to spend time with her made her very sympathetic to me.
- I really admire the character of Abby for getting involved. My favorite example is the librarians. I remember reading about them a couple years ago. I loved that Abby read about them and actually followed up and did something about it.
- Thank you for revealing the “secret” of the Spoke’n Four at the end, I was definitely curious!

Always a fan of Jennifer Weiner, this was especially well done. Enmeshed in a wonderful, personal feeling story about one woman’s love of bicycling and fitting it into her personal life are the current issues of body positivity, reproductive rights, and mother/daughter relationships. Incorporating these issues made the story fresh and current, not preachy. I don’t think I’m spoiling anything by saying I loved the ending.

A full four stars, plus a little.

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!