Kudos to this book’s topic. I loved that they used Daphne’s body image in a very favorable light. This book has it all, drama, romance and a little whodunnit. Highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a great beach read who is unable to travel. Thank you NetGalley for the advanced reader copy.

An absolute stunning read by one of my go to authors Jennifer Weiner. This is a favorite for the year and one of her best. Body image, friendships, family, Instagram influencer,wedding, Cape Cod = grab your copy. I don't want to spoil a thing about this unexpectedly brilliantly thrilling story. Just read it.
Dare I call it perfect? 5 stars!

*Thank you to the publisher for my copy. All views are own.

A mystery, romance, wedding, best friends gone wrong, social media, something for a lot of readers in this story. This story points out how obsessed people have become with what happens on social media and how you don’t need it to live your life. At times the story slowed and the ending was pretty good. A good summer read.

Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for letting me read this in exchange for my honest review.
After reading this I find myself asking these questions, what genre was this? Also, did this book have two separate authors? The first half of the book is your typical contemporary women’s fiction that Jennifer Weiner is famous for. While interesting, nothing was really happening and I had contemplated about not finishing. Then part two BAM! What, what?! Murder mystery! I could not put this down for very long, the second part definitely held my attention, it was so good. And I was very surprised by the ending, not at all what I was thinking. The only reason I am not giving 5 stars is the slow beginning and the ending seemed a little rushed to me. But a solid 4 stars, definitely recommend!

I loved the concept of this book, a nasty girl bully asks one of her victims to be in her wedding, and the victim agrees to show bully just how much she's changed. Also, a new Jennifer Weiner book is not to be missed!

The book definitely met my expectations and more. I was surprised and pleased when a rom-com turned into a mystery, it made the book even better. I like books that have strong female characters with vulnerabilities, and the Cape Cod setting was perfect for the plot as it played out. I highly recommend this book, 5 stars.

Thanks to Atria Books and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

An entertaining, thought-provoking, satisfying read, Big Summer explores the dynamics of female friendship, body image, and the pretense of social media personas. Daphne is an appealing character who is easy to identify with. Her personal growth and journey to self-acceptance is particularly moving.

This was a great book! I felt like the ending was sort of abrupt and rushed, but I was completely engrossed during the entire story.. I really liked the main character!

This was a good story - but the characters were portrayed only superficially and as a result, I didn't feel a connection with them.

Fun Summer read. Makes you think and keeps you thinking. Starts out as one thing and becomes something else. In a good way. Nice twists.

This book ended up being a bit of a surprise for me. I had read the book summary when I first added it to my to read list a few months ago, but decided not to before I started it. Not knowing where this was going, I was completely taken off guard when Drue was murdered, I thought this was going to be a light summer read, but nope! I ended up liking the story’s turn of events, and it was extremely easy to read. However, I think it might have been trying to cover too many topics in one book - social media, body confidence, friendships, murder mystery.

This book was a real treat! I truly enjoyed "Big Summer" and Jennifer Weiner has done it again! This book had relatable, authentic characters with real emotional impact.

An amazing book that deals with so many issues facing women today. Bravo. I will be recommending this for all of my Senior Women Lit classes as well as my Continuing Education classes.

I know this is a big hit but unfortunately it just did not work for me. After several attempts I finally forced myself to finish it. I am such a fan of the author and am sad this one was a miss for me.

I will not be sharing my thoughts on this one outside of NetGalley.

Overall, the book was entertaining. What I thought was a fun beach read turned into a murder mystery which I appreciated since I’m partial to mysteries and thrillers. The only con for me was that there was a lot of emphasis on weight that I couldn’t relate to. It’s still a fun beach read but with messages of friendship, body shaming, and social media influences.

Jennifer Weiner's latest Big Summer explores friendships, family, body acceptance & positivity, and the good, bad, and the ugly of social media. This was a quick and easy read and while it didn't wow me - I enjoyed reading it and appreciate having the opportunity to do so.

I flat out love Jennifer Weiner - her wit, her warmth and her empathy, which are all on display in her new novel. Daphne has finally accepted her body, which is far from ideal - think Lindy West without the shrill. In fact, she's turned her size into an advantage as an Influencer for fat women , one of those social media celebs whose recommendations, pursuits, tastes and photos are followed by a respectable enough number of fans to earn her a pretty good income. She has a loving family, an active life, a loyal dog and a roommate, a friend from high school who witnessed the many humiliations Daphne, like her, suffered at the hands of her old classmate, Drue Cavanaugh. So Nashri, Daphne's roommate, is stunned when Drue not only reaches out to Daphne after their long estrangement but asks her to be a bridesmaid at her wedding,, which is so fulsomely and hilariously described and iso over the top it makes the nuptials in Crazy Rich Asians look like a low rent Vegas affair. Daphne's reasons for accepting the invitation are as ambivalent as Drue's motives for asking her, which become clear only in the aftermath. You won't see it coming, although when it does you'll be as surprised as I was by who turns out to have set it in motion. And you'll root for Daphne from the first page to the last and be as happy as she is with her happy ending

I urge you to forgo reading the synopsis and just dive in! Allow this summer read in a picturesque Cape Cod setting blow your socks off like it did me. Wiener writes very relatable characters and themes such as body image, friendships, family and a bit of mystery abound. Also fabulous on audiobook!

An entertaining, thought-provoking, extremely satisfying read.

Six years ago, nineteen-year-old, Daphne Berg was out with friends for a night of fun and dancing. The night ended with Daphne making a vow to never see her "friend", Drue Lathrop Cavanaugh ever again.

Six years later, Daphne is an up and coming influencer. She is excited to be starting a collaboration with another influencer. This opportunity means she will gain more followers. At the same time, she knows that more followers mean more attention and scrutiny which is hard on any woman but extra hard for overweight women.

Daphne is surprised when Drue Cavanaugh gets back in touch. She’s shocked when Drue asks her to be her maid-of-honor.  Daphne had read about Drue’s upcoming wedding in the papers and online, but she never expected this. Daphne knows she shouldn’t do it. She's still so angry but she does remember having some very good times with Drue. But the hurt goes deep.

Drue seems to have it all. She’s beautiful, she’s rich, and she has a wonderful fiancé.

But Drue’s life may not be as great as Daphne thinks it is.

Will Daphne give Drue another chance? If she does, will she regret it?



One crazy summer filled with secrets, lies, and surprises!

I really enjoyed this novel. The story is told from Daphne’s perspective and alternates between the past and present. I was gripped.

Jennifer Weiner is such a talented storyteller. I thought “Big Summer” would be an entertaining summer read and it was, but it also went further than I expected. It touches on many issues and I thought the author handled them brilliantly. This was a well-paced read with terrific characterization and I was surprised by the well-timed unexpected twists.

An engrossing story of friendship, betrayal, forgiveness, and more


I'd like to thank the publisher for providing me with a copy of this novel. All opinions are my own.

The first half of the book was fantastic and I could not put it down. I fell in love with the characters and couldn't wait to see how everything played out. However, the twist in the plot made this seem like different books to me. It lost it's momentum and the characters did not seem to develop or blend as well any longer.

Another great read from Jennifer Weiner! Her books are always a delight to read with a little of everything you want in a book- part mystery, a little chick-lit, and a lot of drama. Daphne, the main character has been gaining notoriety on social media with her influence for the plus size community. She then reunites with her best childhood friend who she hasn't spoken to in 6 years. That is when things become a little bit dicey! Jennifer Weiner pulls you into this story with complex characters and many social issues that are current today.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.