The Breakaway by Jennifer Weiner was pretty good. I was so looking forward to this release! Not one of my favorites, but still worth the read. This is a book of self confidence, love, and friendships. It is well written with a number of subplots related to the lives of the people whose bike tour Abby is supervising. I think Abby's struggles will be relatable for a lot of readers.

Another great book by Jennifer Weiner! I've loved her books and was so glad to read 'The Breakaway' as an ARC from NetGalley. The book follows a bicycling group through a trip in New York State. While I initially thought the book would be mostly about the main character and her relationships, it delved into more relationships among the group members, sometimes in surprising ways. Being from the Buffalo, NY area helped me visualize the New York stops along the way and I also appreciated the research Ms. Weiner had done in mentioning the smell of Cheerios when the group arrived in Buffalo (well done)! I found this book a lovely balance of light and heavy topics, with very relatable characters.

Jennifer Weiner once again provides readers with a fun, beach read for the summer. A love story for all people, perfect or imperfect!

Loved reading about Abby’s biking adventure! The flashbacks giving the readers insight on her childhood was a nice way to get to know the character while still enjoying the biking adventure storyline.

The Breakaway's heroine, Abby, in her 30's, having educated herself about "health at any size" and diet culture, has chosen to accept herself as a fat woman. She's a passionate cyclist and can ride for miles, but living outside social norms (where a thin body is deemed morally superior) is still a struggle. Abby knows people see her as unhealthy and undesirable, and her mom-- obsessed herself with staying thin-- has always pushed Abby to lose weight. Abby knows that most people on restrictive diets "yo-yo," packing the pounds on again within two or three years. However, Abby's hard-won knowledge, independence, and self-esteem falter in her mother's presence in particular, and she cannot help feeling she is somehow unsuitable when a desirable man desires *her* as she is. Love and/or passion do not exactly triumph here.

The narrative is broken up by segments of the bike trek Abby is leading through much of the book-- cycling, bikes, and gear are involved. This reader perceived all that as naturally occurring in a story framed around a long bike ride. However, the subplot about a teenage girl and her mom did seem a wee bit out of place and didactic-- the author is making a point.

Overall most enjoyable and highly recommended. A terrific book club pick. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the digital ARC.

In the past when I was looking for a romcom, I always turn to Jennifer Weiner. I have to tell you this book and her last book were a bit of a disappointment. I guess I’m tired of the fat girl story. Her books are all starting to feel the same and I was disappointed in the last two. I gave it a three star review and that’s a stretch… I found the characters to be similar, and some of her earlier novels in the storyline, same old, same old.

Ahhhh, love this adorable book!! Jennifer Weiner never disappoints and always delivers for a cute, heartwarming and fun book to read. Abby is a character that's easy to love and the story flows from page to page so quickly. Loved this book!!

Thank you to netgalley for the arc in exchange of an honest review!

This book is for romance book readers. It’s filled with a delightful main character, a variety of interesting side characters and bicycles galore. You’ll find yourself rooting for the main character to find her true love.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this fun book in exchange for an honest review. From the publisher: Thirty-four-year-old Abby Stern has made it to a happy place. She’s got good friends, her bike, and her bike club in Philadelphia. She’s at peace with her plus-size body—at least, most of the time—and she’s on track to marry her childhood sweetheart.

They say if you want to write well, write what you know. Jennifer Weiner’s character Abby is a chip off the writer’s block in many ways – she loves to bike – just check her social media, she admittedly has struggled – but come to terms with – her weight (she looks fantastic as is); and she is decidedly feminist (but not annoyingly so).

It is clear from the get-go that while Abby dearly cares for Mark, something is missing in her mind – not to mention he doesn’t bike and he doesn’t really eat – having had weight loss surgery to finally lose his excess weight. He couldn’t be kinder and treasures her, but there’s no zing; that “it” factor that propels people into truly soul satisfying relationships. And Abby knows zing. Two years ago, she had a one-night stand with a man named Sebastian that revealed off-the-charts chemistry between them both in and out of bed – but when Abby’s insecurities about her physique and attractiveness raised their head in the dawning hours, she quietly gets up and dressed and leaves while he’s still sleeping and without saying goodbye. But she doesn’t forget him.

When Abby’s friend begs her to lead a lengthy New York group bike trip, Abby looks forward to the opportunity to distance herself from Mark’s pushing her to move in and just breathe. When she shows up to lead the trip and sees two familiar faces: Sebastian and her mother, who just wants to spend time with her, she panics – but presses on.

This is a book of love, friendship, confidence and confidants, helping others and some managing our regrets. It is entertaining, sweet, and well written. I won’t spoil any of the surprises or plot beyond this except to say that everything works out as you might hope.

I received a free copy of, The Breakaway by Jennifer Weiner, from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. 34 year old Abby is comfortable in her skin, even if its plus size, which is so refreshing to read about. Abby is a bike rider, she is asked to lead a bike ride in New York, though she has a love interest, a man from her past still haunts her. This is a good read. Its nice to read a book about a girl who is not skinny, but loves herself anyway.

Another great by Jennifer Weiner. She does not disappoint with this darling novel. It is fun to watch the main character Abby work through all the feels for a long ago one night stand. You will not be disappointed with this one!

Another winner from Jennifer Weiner.
This one doesn’t have the sharper wit that characterized her early novels like Good In Bed. But like Weiner, her characters have matured with her. Abby is a sweetheart who can’t commit and has no direction. Her life is safe and quiet. So when the one wild moment of her life, suddenly reappears two years later, she is a mess of indecision and unwanted desire. And just when she thought it couldn’t get more complicated, her mother appears.
My only criticism would be a little less cycling information and a little more back story between Abby and her mother and her family dynamic. With the multiple voices, it was harder to delve deeper into each of the characters. Morgan in particular feels like an add on with her mother Lily. The book has two mother/daughter storylines but Morgan and Lily feel forced there to move the storyline along sometimes.
Thanks Netgalley for the ARC.

"The Breakaway," is a quintessential Jennifer Weiner story that addresses issues related to complex family relationships, self-esteem, and personal growth. It tells the story of Abby Stern, a thirtysomething year old plus-size woman who, during one steamy night, deeply connects with Sebastian and then slips out of his apartment in the early morning without leaving a trace.

Two years later, she is in a "comfortable" relationship with Mark, but still doing odd jobs, living in an apartment that looks like a university pad, and struggling with people's perceptions of her. Her only solace is cycling. So, when Abby is offered a chance to lead a cycling trip across Northern New York, it is impossible for her to refuse. But, on the first day, Abby is shocked to find that Sebastian is one of the other riders in the group. Despite his sordid relationship history, he too had never fogotten that one night with Abby.

As the group of 14 cyclists, including the surprise addition of Abby's judgemental mother, spend the next two weeks together, Abby and Sebastian begin to better understand who they are, what they want for their lives, and what they might want from each other.

Thank you Netgalley and Simon & Schuster for the ARC!

This book is Jennifer Weiner at her finest - fun, easy-to-read, thoughtful, and full of personal growth. Any fan of hers will love this book!

Still a fan of Jennifer Weiner, but this one didn't work for me. I guess I'm tired of the story of a fat girl who doesn't realize she is beautiful. The women's health story was better, but a bit heavy handed to set it in Senaca Falls, I think. Also, the resolution of that could have used more conflict, not necessarily with the young girl's mother, but maybe with someone else. It's not unheard of for women to have complex feelings and beliefs.

I love this new novel by Jennifer Weiner. She deftly weaves a charming story about insecurity, misplaced perceptions about ourselves and others, and just trying to live honestly, one day at a time. Abby and Sebastian's one night stand was magical for them both, but insecurity keeps them from further investigating their attraction. Meeting again 2 years later by chance and in very different circumstances reignites feelings for them both - but again, there are circumstances that can stand in their way. Have they changed enough to find happiness?

I am a huge fan of Weiner, but this novel was a little less sparkling than her usual feast. It’s the story of Abby Stern, overweight and unhappy. The catalyst for the novel is a one night stand with a gorgeous stranger. When Abby returns home, she becomes involved with a reliable podiatrist. Yet, there is something missing. Since her passion is biking, she seizes the opportunity to lead a bike trip and make decisions.

This is predictable and the examination of mother/daughter relationships is basically simplistic and easily repaired. As a non-biker, I found it had TMI about biking. Though I enjoyed this book, I found it fundamentally predictable and superficial.

I think reading groups will enjoy discussing obesity and the fraught relationships between mothers and daughters. Weiner has also dared to write about today’s most controversial subject, abortion.

Thank you Netgalley for this book by one of my favorite authors.

Jennifer Weiner's newest novel The Breakaway has all of the humor and heartstring tugs that we've come to expect and love from one of my favorite authors.

Abby is an avid cyclist and, despite three summers at the fat camp that her mom forced her to attend, she is still overweight but healthy. She reconnects with her camp boyfriend Mark, who is now a gorgeous and fit doctor, but despite their compatibility Abby fights that constant feeling that she doesn't deserve him.. and that there's something missing. When she agrees to lead a bike trip and is shocked to see her one and only one-night-stand in the group, Abby is faced with some big decisions... is Sebastian, a serial dater, really as into her as he seems? Is staying with Mark going to lead to her happily ever after or will she always want more? And can she repair her relationship with her mother, who surprises her by joining the bike trip and showing a side of herself that Abby had never known?

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the Kindle ARC in exchange for an honest review. Jennifer Weiner is one of my favorite authors. I call her my "Philly woman," since I grew up in Philly and love reading about the places she describes in her books. The Breakaway seems to mirror Ms. Weiner's most recent adventure - cycling, alone and in groups. Her love of cycling is obvious in the pages of her latest book and fun to read. The story is also about Abby, a thirty-something woman, trying to figure out life, trying to figure out whether or not to move in with her loving but boring boyfriend and finding temptation with another man. Some of my favorite Jennifer Weiner books involve some of the more serious issues in life - In Her Shoes, Mrs. Everything. The Breakaway does address some serious issues but is, for the most part, just a pleasurable read - something to enjoy when life itself is too heavy or busy to want to dive right into issues. A great getaway of a read.

Synopsis (from Netgalley, the provider of the book for me to review.)
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From #1 New York Times bestselling author Jennifer Weiner comes a warmhearted and empowering new novel about love, family, friendship, secrets, and the power of a trip to change your life.
Thirty-four-year-old Abby Stern has made it to a happy place. True, she still has gig jobs instead of a career, and the apartment where she’s lived since college still looks like she just moved in. But she’s got good friends, she’s got her bike, and her bike club in Philadelphia. She’s at peace with her plus-size body—at least, most of the time—and she’s on track to marry her childhood sweetheart. Abby and Mark met at the weight-loss camp Abby’s perpetually-dieting mother, Eileen, forced her daughter to attend. Fifteen years later, when Abby reconnects with a half-his-size Mark and finds out that he still adores her, it feels like fate.
Yet Abby can’t escape the feeling that something isn’t right…or the memories of one mind-blowing night spent with a man named Sebastian two years ago. So when Abby gets a last-minute call to lead a group bike trip from New York City to Niagara Falls, she’s happy to have time away from Mark, and a chance to make up her mind.
But on the first day, Abby is shocked when she sees a familiar face in the tour group—Sebastian, the one-night stand she never thought she’d see again. As a serial dater who lives a hundred miles away, Sebastian is far from Mr. Perfect, and Abby is determined to keep her distance, even if their chemistry is undeniable. To make things even worse, there’s a last-minute addition to the trip—Abby’s mother, Eileen, whom Abby blames for a lifetime of body shaming and insecurities she’s still trying to undo.
Over the next two weeks, strangers become confidantes, hidden truths come to light, and a teenage girl with a secret will unite all the riders in surprising ways—while all of Abby’s certainties about herself, her mother, and the nature of love are challenged.

The cover of this book threw me: is it Lombard Street in San Francisco? Is it the yellow brick road? Is it spaghetti ... or worse, intestines??? It will certainly get people to pick it up and check out what the book could possibly be about.
I love how Jennifer Weiner has plus-size women in her books as we are highly underrepresented but I did question how a plus-size woman would just jump up and say sure I will lead a 760-mile bike trip without freaking out the people they are leading...but that would depend on how "plus size" she is and how physically "in shape" she is..fat phobia and hatred is real, people. (I remember "Big Girl" from Danielle Steel where the big girl was a size twelve...when the average size of a woman in North America is a 16! And if I want to really comment on fat phobia, then I will bring up the movie version of Jennifer's "In Her Shoes" where the zaftig Rose was played by Toni Colette and was about a size eight!)
There are an extraordinary number of subplots in this book and I really liked the one with her mom (who decided to surprise her and cycle on the trip with her!!!!) as Abby reminds me a lot of myself, fat and with an eating disorder, but put the possibility of biking aside ... I would personally not make it out of the city but I have not ridden a bike in 35 years! I do question if her boyfriend is the best man for her, but that is such an integral part of the story, I will not delve into it further in this review so I do not spoil it for you, dear reader.
I love Jennifer Weiner and I have a lot of fans of her in my branch so I can see it flying off the shelves...highly recommended.

Thanks to Atria and NetGalley for the ARC. Weiner does it again. I loved this book. For many reasons, the least of which would be the emphasis on women's issues that we are facing today. Highly recommend.