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.

This story is about a girl that has battled weight problems all of her life. Most of the pressure comes from her mother and other perceptions of what is acceptable. She figures out that this is not about her. There’s also an interesting love interest to add more dimension to the story.
I enjoyed this story and it’s a quick read. I’ve read other books by this author. It’s certainly not my favorite, but I do recommend it.

What a delightful book! I always enjoy Weiner’s books and this one was no exception.. A fresh plot-line that had lots of layers. I enjoyed the bike trip and the mother-daughter dynamics.

This one was a like, but not love for me. I didn't love the main character & I thought the story would have been better without the whole cheating component, and the side trip for Morgan seemed a bit out of place and too easily wrapped up. But, I like the overall message of body positivity.

Jennifer Weiner is a must have summer reading author. Jennifer's books have a lot of common themes, so you kind of already know what you are getting, but somehow love it anyway. I guess I am always up for a character working on bettering themselves and their relationships with others. Unfortunately, this book felt a little rushed a flat to me. While this was not my favorite of her books, it was still an enjoyable read.

I adore Jennifer Weiner’s writing so when I was invited to review “The Breakaway” (which I knew was coming out as I follow the author on social media), I was thrilled. I knew the author was bringing a lot of her personal experience into this story, so I could not wait to get my hands on it.

Abby is finding her place in the world, even if she does not have the lustrous career. Her relationship with her mom might need some work, but she has a great relationship with Mark, a former childhood friend from fat camp, even if they don’t like all the same things. But when she gets a chance to lead a bike tour from New York City to Niagara Falls, she jumps at the chance, even when Mark isn’t as supporting as he could be. But who should show up on that bike tour but a former one-night stand (Sebastian) that Abby cannot stop thinking about. But Sebastian is trending on social media for loving and leaving every woman in NYC. Hence, his friend encourages him to be friend a woman and not just sleep with her, which is what Sebastian tries to do with Abby.

Told in the altering point of views of Abby, Sebastian, and some of the other cyclists, I enjoyed the narrative, but I wasn’t in love with Abby the way I have been with many of Weiner’s main characters like Cannie from “Good in Bed.” The writer tries too hard with the size-acceptance issue, which so easily evolved in “Good in Bed.” I also thought the writer tries to cram in every hot-button topic. I know Weiner’s views but do not need to be hit on the head with them on every other page. Yet, what saves the novel is the details of a biking journey and a mother daughter relationship that needs serious attention. I could not get enough of Weiner’s evocative descriptions. I have never tried a long-distance bike trip but after reading this book, I wanted to.

A reader comes to a Jennifer Weiner novel with certain expectations, and I can attest that those readers will not be disappointed. She is a master at creating bright, self-depreciating but witty characters. While the novel has moments of humor (and romance), I would encourage new readers to check out Weiner’s earlier work before reading this novel.

Three and a half stars.

I received a copy of this book through Netgalley. My thanks also to the publisher, Atria, and the author, Jennifer Weiner.

Jennifer Weiner’s newest novel, THE BREAKAWAY, covers some familiar ground but in different ways. We have a mother-daughter relationship that struggles through years of misunderstandings hinging around body image and food; a classic set-up in Weiner’s books and one she uses to good effect here as she has in the past. We meet a number of relationship pairs in various states of togetherness and we experience their particular level of entropy. We meet someone for whom multiple random sexual encounters has become a way of life and the ultimate cost of that lifestyle when it is revealed to the world at large. For the most part, Weiner has explored these topics before in other novels and is drawn to them repeatedly; I’m not sure she does a better job with them in this book, but it is a good book. It’s just not a new direction for her or her repeat readers. I received my copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

This book did NOT do it for me. I thought this was an author that I enjoyed reading in the past but when I looked at books I’d read by her, I gave them all average ratings. This novel had a lot of potential; I thought the plot was strong and characters were likable. But the author seemed so caught up in making political statements at every turn, I just couldn’t. Don’t think I’ll be reading her again.

This book follows the main character, Abby, who is a thirty something, full figured woman who seems to trying to figure herself out and appears happy yet not fulfilled by her life. Abby has a doting boyfriend yet seemingly questions if she wants to move in with him and a series of part time jobs after she dropped out of her masters programs. Last minute, Abby is asked to lead a bicycle tour from NYC to Niagara Falls. After carefully consideration, Abby takes the job as an opportunity to get away from her boyfriend and reevaluate her life. When she arrives on the first day to meet her other cyclists, she runs into Sebastian her hot one night stand that she hasn't stopped thinking about but also thought she would never see again. I wanted to love this book but there was just so much going on and a fair amount of fluff and cringe worthy moments. I loved that Abby was a plus size woman who was an avid cyclist and how the story showed off her capabilities to be fit and active despite her weight. There was too much romance storyline for me and I just didn't find her love interest, Sebastian likable or the whole idea of their romance believable. There is a lot of talk about diet culture and fat shaming which could have been done better. The book had themes of self acceptance, fraught mother-daughter relations, feminism and the struggle with self love and worthiness for love. I am a big fan of Jennifer Weiner but this was not a one of her better books. Maybe for me there was too much romance in the plot line and not enough character development as well as the book just was tied up too easily at the end. I didn't love the book but I didn't hate it.

I would literally read the copy on a soup can if Jen weiner wrote it … lucky for me instead she writes books that are moving , thought provoking and funny. The Breakaway doe not disappoint. This book was graciously provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review .