It’s PUB DAY for this summery book!! I was looking forward to this one SO much, Jennifer Weiner is one of my go to authors....buuuut it seems I’m the odd man out on this one.

I loved the first half of the book. It read like her usual woman’s fiction style, while dealing with important topics such as body image, and social media. It was on par for 4 stars at the start. The second half? It took a turn for the worse for me. I was bored by 65% and I found I wasn’t eager to pick it up anymore.

I don’t want to spoil anything, but I felt like it was trying to be too many things (woman’s fiction, mystery, romance) that no one genre stood out and it ended up just bland. Parts of it weren’t believable to me. I’m not sure if it’s because I had high hopes for it or if it is just mood, I liked it but it wasn’t my fave of hers by a long shot.

Please check out the other reviews out there though, because I’ve mostly seen glowing rave reviews so I’m definitely the unpopular opinion on this one! Thanks to Simon & Schuster Canada and NetGalley for the gifted book to review, all opinions are my own.

*Thank you to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster Canada for giving me this eARC in exchange for an honest review*

Big Summer follows a plus sized social media influencer named Daphne as she attends the wedding of an ex-friend who bullied her in the past. I liked some of the messages of this book about body positivity and social media culture, but other than that I really didn’t enjoy this book. I feel like I’m the minority, as this book as so many positive reviews but this just wasn’t for me. I found myself struggling to get into the story and didn’t even really want to pick the book back up multiple times while reading.

First of all, I wasn’t a fan of any characters in this book. Even the main character Daphne criticizes society for being judgemental, yet is extremely judgemental herself. She also makes silly decisions the entire book and it was so frustrating to read about, especially when it comes to doing things that could get her in trouble. Also, I found every character of colour in this book to be pretty stereotypical. For example, the only Asian character in the book has parents who disowned her for not becoming a doctor.

On top of this, I didn’t like the writing style of this book. There were so many flashbacks in the first half that I was losing track of what the present story was. There was even flashbacks inside flashbacks at some points. The genre also changes half way through the book from contemporary/romance to a murder mystery which I did not enjoy. A lot of the plot points in the mystery portion of the book just weren’t realistic or believable, especially that ending. Throwing in a twist ending doesn’t work if it’s a complete stretch and unbelievable. There’s also a alternate timeline in the first chapter that ends up barely meaning anything to the story and I just didn’t understand the point of it. Overall, I was quite disappointed by this book and do not recommend it.

This book was WILD.

From the synopsis and cover (look at that beautiful cover!!), I expected a somewhat light, fun beach fun focusing on female friendships and examining the life of an influencer and the consequences of living online. It certainly did the latter--relationships and influencers are a big chunk of the story--but this was hardly a fluffy romance or rom-com.

Reading the prologue, I was initially concerned I was reading the wrong book. It had the tone and atmosphere of a thriller. The first few chapters were more of the content and tone I expected--focusing on Daphne's relationship with Drue, her struggles being the fat friend and what it means to be a plus-sized girl online--but the characters and problems in the prologue weren't mentioned, though I caught a few hints to it. Suddenly, about halfway, the story derails and becomes an entirely different story altogether. And it was fantastic.

This book is a weird blend of a fun beach read that looks at female friendships and struggles, and a mystery set at a fancy, destination wedding. It's unpredictable and fun, and I highly recommend it!

Thank you to NetGalley and a Simon and Schuster Canada for an advance reader copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I was excited to read this novel because I have seen books by this author for years but hadn’t actually had the opportunity to read one. I was also looking for a light read.

I loved that the main protagonist of the book - Daphne - is a large size woman , You don’t see that often. She is introduced as this confident social media influencer, but hasn’t really accepted herself as much as she’d like her followers to think ,

When you read the synopsis for this novel, you think it’s going to be a book about friendship. But really the the first half of the book seemed like it was mainly just flashbacks to Daphne’s struggles with her weight , with a little bit of friendship backstory thrown in .

Then the book takes a turn, and you find yourself in a Nancy Drew like murder/ mystery novel , and tbh not a very good one at that.

This was a 2.5 star ⭐️ read for me.

Wow! This book took me by surprise in the best way! I didn't know much about it to be honest. I knew that it was insanely popular on the internet. I knew that it was getting a lot of positive feedback and Jennifer Weiner is someone who I have always wanted to read. This is my first book from her and I am definately a new fan! I actually think it's best to go into this one a bit blind, because the "twist" if you will, is totally awesome and it was a direction that I did not see the story going. This book started out as a story rooted in women's issues, female friendship, body shaming and body image issues. Daphne, a plus size instagram fashion influencer, is such a wonderful character. I love the way she came into her own and how strong she was. At one point, the book took a turn and I loved every minute of it! I don't want to give anything away, but just know that this story had many layers and was a truly great read! So thankful to Simon and Schuster Canada and Netgalley for allowing me the chance to read this book! And thank you Jennifer Weiner for a fabulous novel!

What starts as chick lit transforms into a mystery. I love it! This was so different from Mrs. Everything, my first of JW's I read last year (and also loved). I seriously need to tackle her backlist. Her writing seems so effortless and is so readable, while tackling some pretty heavy and serious topics in an intentionally subtle way. It seems like this was a fun one to write as JW takes two genres and makes them mesh together in a way that works.

This was a really fun and quick read. Would make a great summer read on the beach!

Thanks to Netgalley and Simon and Schuster Canada for an e-galley of this book in exchange for an honest review.

After reading the author’s Mrs. Everything last summer, I was excited to read Jennifer Weiner’s latest book “Big Summer” - I was not disappointed.
Daphne Berg knew at a young age she was bigger than most of the kids her age. She never thought too much about it until one summer when she is introduced to the world of dieting by her paternal Grandmother. Her teenage and college years were full of issues with body image, feeling self-conscious and trying to fit in. When a high school friend, Drue, invites her out during Spring break in her college freshman year, Daphne is determined to dress for a fun night out and not think about her weight. What she doesn’t know is that Drue has set her up for a humiliating experience in a club which is filmed and posted on Youtube. Not wanting to let this moment define her, Daphne embraces this moment, ends her friendship with Drue and begins her career as a plus-size Instagram influencer.
Years later, Daphne is extremely surprised when Drue begs her to be in her wedding party. She claims she has no one else to ask, and wants to mend their relationship. Daphne reluctantly agrees and attends the elaborate, very expensive wedding weekend at Cape Cod.
Weiner excels in the development of our protagonist - a sensitive, young woman trying to develop confidence and positive self-esteem. The success of her social media account, whose readers not only accept her but admire her, has her feeling on top of the world. But it is the experience of the wedding weekend which provides Daphne with the insight and reflection she had been lacking.
The book is engaging, well-written and thought-provoking. I highly recommend this book to those who love contemporary fiction.
Thanks to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster Canada for the ARC of this book in exchange for the honest review provided here.

There are a few things you can rely upon in life, and one is that (for me) a Jennifer Weiner book is going to be a great escape from daily life. Weiner has, in this book, worked her usual magic in creating a central character that I could identify with, and really wanted to see have the best outcome possible. It was a fast and engaging read for me, exactly what I needed right now.

The book is told with parts of the story in the present, and parts in the past. I liked this approach because it gave a back story, and really made the characters more developed and complex.

While I liked all the usual elements of a Weiner story- funny and likable characters, an engaging plot, and issues regular people can identify with, I also liked some of the additional elements. One of the areas that was very interesting to me was the social media influencer aspect, this was different from prior Weiner books that I read and really added to the story. Also, there are elements of a mystery which, as a mystery lover, also really appealed to me. I won't go deep into that aspect, for fear of spoilers, but I thought that was a perfect added element! Overall I thought this was a good book about the complexity of female friendship, the relationships we have with others, and our own relationship with ourselves as we get older.

I really enjoyed this light summer read, it was the perfect way to ease into the spring/summer reading period, and I highly recommend indulging in a beverage of choice and sitting out in the sun to read this book as soon as you can get your hands on it!

Overall, a great read! Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Canada for the opportunity to review an advanced copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

I was instantly hooked on Big Summer. This book opens with strong character development, where you learn about the main character in a very genuine, heartfelt way. Daphne is someone who I felt drawn to from the first chapter of this book - she is warm, real, honest and feels some pretty raw feelings that I could relate too right away. She is successful, hard-working, kind and generally happy, but all the while insecure (due to her larger size), at times anxious (where will he life land her?) and at times lacking in confidence (shame and inferiority taking over) - making her 100% a relatable, true woman I felt connected too. I certainly have moments of insecurity and I was drawn in to Daphne more and more with her honest raw personality.

As the story evolves we see Daphne struggle with reconnecting with an old friend who once did not treat her so well, we watch her find some romance on her journey, and the story evolves into an unexpected mystery. This book kept my attention throughout. I won't say too much to avoid giving it away - but this is a summer read you definitely want to pick up!

This one gets 4/5 stars from me.

4.5 STARS - In her latest literary offering, Jennifer Weiner focuses on what she does best - writing an engaging story featuring important contemporary issues as she pulls readers into the life of her relatable character. Big Summer is all that and a bag of chips but this time, Weiner throws in a twist that should pleasantly surprise her fans.

The first half of the book focuses on the childhood and personal and professional lives of Daphne Berg, a plus-sized social media influencer whose life was turned ass over tea kettle one fateful night. I adored Daphne. She is relatable and through her relationships with others and herself (I liked the addition of her often self-loathing internal dialogue), I felt I got to know her - the good, the bad and the self-doubting. She's a character readers will root for and I thought her career as a social media influencer was interesting and relevant.

Then, halfway through, there's a big, wonderfully unexpected twist that turned this Contemporary Fiction read into a Mystery. What the wha?! Yup. There's one doozie of a twist which threw me for a loop and had me rereading the shocking lines a couple of times. I lurrved it!

While Mystery isn't Weiner's usual cuppa tea, she includes some red herrings and gives readers a satisfying conclusion without forgetting about character development or relevant issues she's introduced. I loved the jolt of the twist and thought she did a bang up job on the mystery but it's Weiner's skill of weaving a likeable, relatable character and a story that is layered with pertinent and sensitive subject matter (including fat shaming, self-loathing, female friendships, social media sharing and family) that I will remember the most about this book. I particularly appreciated how the issue of people's need to be seen and valued was addressed with sensitivity.

This is an excellent pick for a summer, hanging out at home kind of read. With its focus on relationships and relevant themes, including the drawbacks of sharing too much of our lives with the world online, Big Summer would make an excellent pick for a summer online book club.

Big Summer was such a nice surprise! I did not read the synopsis beforehand (it’s Jennifer Weiner so I knew I was going to read it regardless) so I was expecting a nice, light summer read. This book gave me a lot more than that. The plus-size representation was great. I’ve never read a book with that before so it was nice to see. I was not expecting the mystery element in this story so that made it even better. I thought the writing was excellent and I loved the NYC/Cape Cod setting. I would definitely recommend adding this to your summer reading list! Thank you to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster Canada for the review copy.

I received this book from NetGalley, Simon and Schuster Canada and Jennifer Weiner to read in exchange for an honest review. This is an easy book to review because I loved it. The main character, Daphne was well developed and as real as a character in a book could be. She was so likeable that I wanted to be her friend, to go for coffee with her and to sit and talk about life. Daphne was not the typical female character as she did not look like a supermodel nor was she rich. She was the girl next door and I was delighted for her when things went well and I felt so sad when she described her school years. This is how you should feel about a character if the book is good and this was one was amazing. The storyline evolved quickly and smoothly moving from one event to the other. It had a bit of everything ; friendship, romance, family, murder and a touch of suspense. If you enjoy realistic and likeable characters, a quick moving story and a bit of “whodunnit” then you will love Big Summer.

Drue Cavanaugh has everything—except true friendships. Six years after a friendship-ending fight, Drue tries to rekindle her friendship with ex-best friend, Daphne Berg. Daphne, an upcoming social media influencer, reluctantly agrees to be her ex-best friend’s maid-of-honour at THE WEDDING of the summer.

This story was not at all what I was expecting, it was better. I found myself relating to Daphne in more ways than one—always trying to be a great friend, not feeling the skinniest one, but having a loving and supportive family—the story of Daphne and Drue’s friendship is the perfect beach read to kick off the summer. Without giving too much away, this is more than a “surface-level” kind of book and has a surprising twist that left me with an open jaw. Dealing with hot topics like being real vs. fake in social media, I’d highly recommend this book that will be a BIG one this SUMMER (get it?🤪) .

4.5/5 stars

Daphne Berg is at the cusp of a successful career- or at least a lucrative side gig- as being an influential plus-sized Instagram influencer. When she is approached by a popular up-and-coming designer who specializes in plus-sized fashion Daphne is elated. Daphne is less elated when former frenemy Drue Cavanaugh, who tortured Daphne and others throughout high school, attempts to come back in to Daphne's life. Even worse is the fact that Drue is begging Daphne to be in her upcoming wedding, claiming that she has no other friends to do it. Daphne bends to Drue's will eventually but has no idea what is really in store for her.

This book could not have been more timely or more engaging. I absolutely loved it from start to finish. It is well-written and engaging and full of surprises. What I can honestly say that I loved the most was the way that Weiner truly understands the mindset of a plus-sized woman who has struggled with body image her whole life and is doing her best to accept herself as she is. This is not a book with a perfect hero who loves her every curve, this is a book with a woman who is being portrayed as being flawed yet trying so hard to love herself. There are many of us out there that can relate to this, myself included.

This book also contained some surprises uncharacteristic to Jennifer Weiner's usual writing style, and I loved it! There was a twist that I didn't see coming at all and I enjoyed reading about what happened in the aftermath. Since I enjoy women's fiction as well as novels with some mystery in them this scratched both of my itches!

I absolutely loved this book and will be recommending it to everyone that I know who reads this genre. She has really hit this one out of the park and I thoroughly enjoyed it!

Received an ARC and Jennifer as always did not disappoint. I read this book in two days and I’m left saddened it has come to an end. This is a perfect summer beach/poolside read.

Big Summer by @jenniferweinerwrites•



Review: 🌟🌟🌟🌟•



Hi, my name is Sloane and apparently, I live under a rock. This was my first @jenniferweinerwrites book and I feel sorry for past-Sloane. She was a shell of her present self because she hadn’t experienced the magic. Now that I’ve joined the land of the living, I will be going back to read allllllllll of her previous works. •


This book was light and heavy all at once. It followed the timeline of Daphne and Drue’s friendship. From childhood to adulthood, from “best friends” to virtual strangers (no pun intended). Daphne was drawn to Drue from day 1 and felt more alive and more confident when they were together. Drue fed on that knowledge and wasn’t a particularly good friend. Actually, she was downright horrible. •



As a result, Daphne and Drue haven’t spoken in 6 years. In that time, Daphne has found her own and is a body positive Instagram influencer. So no one is more shocked than Daphne, when Drue reappears into her life and asks her if she will stand with her on her wedding day. Bizarre, right? When Drue asked Daphne I thought, “ohhhhhhhhh helllllllllll, no.” Drue made her bed and she should lie in it!” But, alas, Daphne accepts and the glamorous affair takes her to Cape Code. She is single and looking to mingle. It’s in the picture-esq setting of Cape Code that this story really takes off. •



Modern day friendship can’t escape the hold of social media. It’s everywhere. @jenniferweinerwrites uses this book almost as a platform to show the positive and negative attributes of social media. That what you see, is not always reality (shocker), but that it manages to affect us nonetheless. I thought it was a reminder in the form of art, that wherever possible, we should lift one another up rather than tearing one another down. We all have the ability to support one another and be kind. •




@jenniferweinerwrites has bumped the release date of this book up to May 5. Preorder, Mark your calendars - do whatever you need to, to get your paws on this delicious book. Thank you to @netgalley and @simonandschustercanada for an early copy in exchange for an honest review. •



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I enjoyed Jennifer Weiner's book Mrs.Everything and was super excited to see that she wrote a new book! I really enjoyed Weiner's writing style and how she was able to explore so many heavy issues in Mrs. Everything and now this!! Big Summer explores, social media and friendships, women's body image. From the first page, the writing got my attention and I couldn't stop reading. Having read Mrs.Everything, the first part of the book was exactly what I expected and wanted! The second half of the book turned into a mystery novel which definitely took me by surprise... BUT A GOOD ONE!!

This is a book you're going to want to read this summer !

Unfortunately, I did not enjoy this book as much as others written by Jennifer Weiner. I am unable to give it a fair review as I waited too long after reading it and now I cannot clearly remember what I liked and what I disliked.

Big Summer is surprisingly my first book by this author. I would categorize it as a combination between Women's Fiction and Chick Lit. And there is also a mystery aspect to the story.

The book is divided into three parts. The book starts with a prologue set in 1994. Then the first chapter moves to 2018.

The narrator is Daphne Berg (25ish- 1st person POV). She is plus-sized and a social media influencer who lives in New York City.

The first chapter was very strong. Although I was a bit confused at how the prologue fit into the story. The first part of the book then goes back and forth between the present and Daphne's past. I was not a fan of so much of the story being in the past. I just really wanted to get on with the story. But honestly by the one third point very little had happened (in the present) because so much of the story was focused on the past.

After the end of part one the book completely changed. And I really enjoyed it from that point on. I like when books are divided into parts and there are shocking cliffhanger endings at the end of each part.

I really liked Daphne a lot. It was such a welcome change to have the main character be plus-sized. The author really focused a lot on what it was like for Daphne. And I enjoyed this part of the story a lot.

The book focused a lot on Daphne's former best friend Drue. And the book also had a different amazing setting away from NYC.

Overall this was an enjoyable read. I loved the mystery and romance aspects of the story. And was intrigued by Daphne's career and life.

This story had a very interesting and unexpected premise. It incorporated a lot of current themes, social media presence and the effects of exposure, and explored the element of frienship. It started off as a breezy read and then turned into an unexpected mystery, There were some very deep and profond moments ( when Daphne talks to rabbi). The story developed at a good pace, all the characters were interesting (maybe not likeable but intriguing) and the twists were unexpected.