This is my second Weiner book and I know how beloved she is so I was hopeful for this one. Sadly, I think she just may not be my cup of tea.

The opening spice scene seemed so cheesy I almost set this aside. It was sooo cringe and felt desperate or something? I hated the way Abby treats poor Mark and her mother too. Like I totally get characters have to have room to grow but it didn’t make her a sympathetic character. I wasn’t a fan of the Morgan plot line either.

Seemed like this book was trying to do too many things and it was just not for me.

Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

DNF - The tone and approach that this book took made it difficult for me to engage with the story as a whole. I found the main character rather difficult to sympathize with & realized early on that I wasn't going to have a positive experience with this book. I'll continue to read books by the author but this one was a miss for me.

Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for my gifted copy. I really struggled to get into this story. I will however, continue to read Jennifer's future books.

I am an avid Jennifer Weiner reader and was so excited to see this new book! Although I am not a bike rider by any means this story really was the perfect start to my summer vacation. It was a quick read and I really loved all of the characters. The author does a great job at developing all of the characters and I loved how each chapter was from a different perspective. I love how it addressed many current topics in a tasteful way from planned parenthood to body image, it was a nice addition to the story. I found myself rooting for the main characters and really enjoyed the ending! Jennifer does it again, I give this book 5 out of 5 stars. Thank you netgalley and publisher for the advanced read.

Abby is content in her relationship with Mark, who she met at age thirteen at weight loss camp. However, just before they reconnected on their thirties, she had one steamy night with Sebastian. He often crosses her mind and has her wondering what-if. When Abby’s friend Lizzie asks her to lead a bike trip from Philadelphia to the Canadian border, Abby is thrown for a loop when two unexpected guests show up for the ride. Weiner weaves controversial topics into this novel, and, because of this, I was surprised by how quick the novel moved along; some of the topics were woven throughout the text, while others seemed to appear and resolve a bit too quickly for me. This was a great book that I devoured in just a couple of days. Jennifer Weiner is turning onto a “go-to” author for me! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Jennifer Weiner does it again with the perfect love story/drama for the summer! I loved the fact that there were two potential love interests and the way the heroine was on a journey of self acceptance and love. So good!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review!

I always enjoy a summer read from Jennifer Weiner, and The Breakaway was an enjoyable one. My one concern is that this book felt like it was trying to cram a lot into the piece. Morgan's side plot, while very important, didn't really land with the importance it deserved. However, I liked the character of Abby a lot and found her relatable.

I enjoyed Jennifer Weiner's latest novel! I have read all of her books, and this was one of my favorite reads of hers. It is what I would expect from the author. A quick rundown of this story is as follows: Abby Stern is in a relationship, piecing together jobs, and coasting through life. She isn't super satisfied or dissatisfied. She is dating Mark, a podiatrist who she met as a child at a weight loss camp and reconnected with years later. Abby starts to feel like she may be settling. To avoid getting more serious with Mark, she takes on a job as a bicycle tour guide. On the first day, she notices a familiar face in the crowd. A man she met and spent one night with, Sebastian, is part of her tour group. Her mom also surprises her by showing up to join the group. Over the days and miles, Abby spends time thinking about Mark and Sebastian and her rocky relationship with her mom who focuses a little too much on Abby's weight. There is an entertaining cast of characters, and I found myself wanting to know what was going to happen next. I would recommend this book! Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC!

Another fantastic, fast-paced, important book by Jennifer Weiner. I love all of her stories - they make me laugh AND cry. I hope there isn't political backlash about these important and relevant topics. I would have liked to see a more "finished" ending, but I appreciate how realistic her plot is. A few minor typos, but I cannot wait to buy this book for my daughters to read in a few years.

I have read and enjoyed all of Jennifer Weiner's books, and this was no exception. She writes realistic fiction that rings true; the characters are relatable and the dialogue sounds natural.

While this book included elements that appear in her other books (e.g., main character struggling with her weight, romantic issues, and her relationship with her mother), they did not feel repetitive or stale. I did initially have a difficult time keeping track of all of the characters as their stories changed from one chapter to the next. I also thought that the theme of parental acceptance was overused. The same point could have been made as effectively through only one of the characters' story arcs instead of three.

Overall, if you enjoy realistic, contemporary fiction, and you want a quick, light read, you will probably enjoy this book.

This book is so fun! Abby and Sebastian’s will-they-or-won’t-they was super compelling, and I loved the details of the bike trip setting. This is a perfect summer book

The Breakaway was a surprising delight for me. I wasn’t sure this was a story that would hold my interest but it did that and more. I loved all the characters and the way they evolved. Abby is an overweight 34 year old without a solid plan for her future.but a passion for cycling. She leads a group of cyclists and a week long trip that covered hundreds of miles. The group she leads has a few surprises such as her mom, with whom she has had a fractured relationship, and a gorgeous guy that she had a one nighter with. She is living with a guy that she’s known since she was 13 who she met at fat camp and reconnected with later on. There are a cast of characters and problems that propel the story along. They struggle along the way with their personal problems and relationships as well as finding out who they are and what the future holds for them. Absolutely loved the story, the characters, and how the author resolves their issues. I will enthusiastically be recommending this one! #TheBreakaway #JenniferWeiner #NetGalley

I love this new book by Jennifer Weiner! Abby is 34 year old trying to find her way in Philadelphia. She can't quite find a career path she wants to commit to, but she has a perfectly lovely Podiatrist boyfriend whom she seems resigned to marry. The one thing in Abby's life she is passionate about is cycling. When she gets roped into leading a cycling trip through New York State, she nervously agrees. The trip contains a hodge podge of characters that Abby has to wrangle and cater to. One cyclist turns out to be a significant blip in Abby's past. Along the way, the reader learns of Abby's self-esteem issues due to her mother's constant weight critiques. Abby ends up being an amazing shepherd to her group, even asking her mom to help out when one of the young cyclist needs help securing an abortion that is not legal in her home state. The question is, how can Abby give herself the grace she gives others, and allow herself to be worthy of a great love?

I mean would you expect anything else from the queen of beach reads other than perfection. Because that’s what this is. It’s like a right of passage that you start every summer off with a JW book and this new one is absolutely amazing. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, get angry, get happy. All the emotions

Having long been a fan of Jennifer Weiner, this was a bit of a departure. But, once I thought about it, her characters are so well fleshed out, the plot is fun, and she manages to balance them in a way that is admirable. Not only am I not a bike rider, heck, I barely do any "sporting" type activity, I didn't even know the term "Breakaway." That said, you don't need to know anything about it, and you might learn something about a group of people that participate in this activity. Any one of these characters could have stood alone; I enjoyed them that much. It stands out as not only a great summer read, but for any season. You'll enjoy this book whether it's your first by the author, or you are already a fan.
Thank you to Atria Books, Net Galley and the author for a digital ARC of this title in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

I was lucky enough to win an e-ARC of THE BREAKAWAY by Jennifer Weiner in a Shelf Awareness giveaway. Thank you for the early look, and have a safe and happy summer!

This is a perfect summer read! Breezy and fun. Jennifer Weiner fans will recognize Abby as a quintessential Weiner heroine.

As a non-biker, I wasn't sure if I would enjoy Jennifer Weiner's latest novel, but you don't have to be interested in cycling at all to enjoy this story. Like all of her novels, I was immediately intrigued by all of the characters and invested in their stories. I do wish a little more time had been devoted to some of the other characters on the trip, but overall it was an engrossing story; I felt like I was traveling along the cycling trip and experiencing all of the drama right along with them. Definitely a great summer read! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the e-galley!!

Abby is a plus-sized girl trying to find her way in the world. When she is asked last minute to lead a Cycling trip through New York State, she hesitates but could use some space to figure out some things, mainly how she feels about her perfect Boyfriend whom she met years ago while attending Fat Camp. Everything is going well until one of the participants turns out to be a guy she had a memorable one-night stand with two years ago. He’s not the only interesting person on the trip, and as they cycle through the state we meet some more interesting folks hiding their own secrets. And if that’s now enough, there is a surprise special guest along that really throws Abby off her game.

This book blends a little bit of romance with storylines from others on the trip to provide a story with a fun backdrop. I don’t care for romance and found myself skimming over that particular story, but I did enjoy Abby learning about herself and coming into her own skin. I like the flashbacks that really help round Abby out as a character, and we got a few of those from some other characters, but those chapters and stories felt a little “rushed.” However, I don’t know if Abby’s story was enough without making it more romance, so I felt that it was a good balance.

This book definitely has a political leaning and standpoint ( preaching to the choir for me), but it is a big plot of the book. Overall, I enjoyed this book, and this was one I read quickly because I was excited to learn what happened next. I wished there was more scenery throughout the other cities in NY, but it was fun to be on a trip with this group.

I am usually a fan of J Weiner, but I just couldn’t get into this novel. The characters were not very likable and I really didn’t like their storyline. I read about 1/4 of the novel before I DNF. I may pick it up again later in the summer, but for now it’s just not holding my attention.