Wow! I thoroughly enjoyed this book and loved the surprise right turn in the middle. I loved to see Weiner step out of her comfort zone and give us a mystery to solve. She expertly combined what I love in her contemporary fiction with a strong mystery that kept me guessing until the end.

We first meet Daphne, a plus-sized social media influencer and nanny, questioning her past friendship with fancy pants Drue Cavanaugh. Drue waltzes back into Daphne's life asking her for forgiveness and for her to be in her Cape Cod wedding to a reality star. Curious, flattered and maybe hoping to gain more for her Instagram account, Daphne accepts much to the annoyance of Daphne's best friend who knows how hurt she was.

As the big weekend arrives, Daphne meets a hunky guy who seems interested in her. They hit it off and end up spending the night together. Daphne wakes up and her hunky friend is gone and she finds a dead body in the hot tub outside her room....

Without giving the mystery away, Daphne was a great character and I loved reading about her, her family & friends. They all added to the story and I was sad when the book was over. I loved this book and will recommend it as a great beach read to our patrons. Highly enjoyable!

Big Summer was exactly what I needed to get the summer feels going. It transported me a warmer climate while Boston was only just beginning to warm up. It also made me think of my own time spent on beaches on Cape Cod.

Let’s start with Daphne Berg…Yes, girl, yesssss! I loved that she was a “curvy” woman who stood her ground and believed in her own beauty. Nothing is more beautiful than confidence IMO. And yes, Daphne had her fair share of times when she didn’t quite feel like the beautiful woman that she was meant to be. The reader sees this when she befriends one of the rich girls in school, Drue Cavanaugh.

Daphne and Drue have a falling out which ends their friendship for years until Drue shows up six years later. Drue seems to have changed, she’s apologized, and she is getting married and wants Daphne by her side as her maid-of-honor.

Being the kind-hearted person that she is, Daphne wants to give Drue the benefit of the doubt and work on repairing their friendship.

What unravels from there is the fun part…but you’ll have to read it because I don’t want to give too much away. Jennifer Weiner was able to touch base on issues such as body image, social media influence, and the expectations the world places on females.

This is great summer read!

I really enjoyed this book. I loved that she was a plus size influencer who worked to accept herself on a daily basis. I loved her relationship with her parents and her friends. The mystery seemed a little out of left field, but I really liked the book. I loved all the yummy food descriptions!

I really enjoyed this book. I loved that she was a plus size influencer who worked to accept herself on a daily basis. I loved her relationship with her parents and her friends. The mystery seemed a little out of left field, but I really liked the book. I loved all the yummy food descriptions!

This was an enjoyable read. Reading the description I was hesitant thinking the story’s from character may be too young for my taste but not the case at all. Perfect summer read with humor, a bit of sexy, mystery and life lessons on body image and the reality of what’s portrayed on social media. As usual Jennifer Weiner did not disappoint. Thank you for the opportunity to read.

Big Summer by Jennifer Weiner is hard to review without giving away spoilers! Daphne is an influencer who focuses on having a healthy body image. Her "best friend" growing up, Drue, hasn't helped with Daphne's self-esteem. While the book started out one way, it took a turn that I wasn't expecting (should have paid more attention to the description!) and I enjoyed it! The twist adds another layer of complexity to the story and I couldn't put the book down. Thoroughly enjoyable! Thanks to Atria Books and NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

"A sparkling novel about the complexities of female friendship, the pitfalls of living out loud and online, and the resilience of the human heart, Big Summer is a witty, moving story about family, friendship, and figuring out what matters most."

The summary at the end of the synopsis perfectly summarizes this book. While I could go on and on about what I loved in this book, I'm going to keep it short so I don't accidentally give any spoilers.

What I loved:

1. Daphne was such a likeable and relatable character that I couldn't put this one down. I read it in one sitting because I had to see how everything turned out for her.

2. The unique plot of this one definitely threw me for a loop and I enjoyed every second of it. It had a bit of everything I love in a book, a highly addictive drama, a little mystery I didn't see coming, and even a bit of romance.

3. This book was highly entertaining, but was also very thought provoking. I did think Weiner focused on her weight a bit to much, but she got the social media aspect spot on. With all the different complex topics this one has, it would be a great book club pick!

This well-written and highly entertaining novel is definitely one you'll want to read this summer.

I received this ARC from Net Galley.

I am a huge fan of Jennifer Weiner and so was excited to see where this book was going after the prelude alluded to a mystery and then switched to modern day and her usual genre of women lit. Needless to say, I was not disappointed with this genre blending. I loved the main character and would love to read another book about her. I related to her a lot and I am sure many other women would as well. I am also a huge true crime buff and so I recognized the details of the murder as being one that truly happened in the town of Truro. Overall, a great book to read on the beach this summer.

BIG SUMMER is the story of Daphne Berg, a plus-size fashion influencer on Instagram. Several years ago, she had a falling out with her high school BFF, the wealthy and beautiful Drue. When Drue walks back into Daphne’s life and asks her to be in her fancy Cape Cod wedding, Daphne welcomes the chance to get close to her former friend again.⁣
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I enjoyed that this was a seemingly light read but took on some meaty issues about body image and influencer culture. Part 2 took a twist I wasn’t expecting which was definitely fun (I won’t go into details so as not to spoil anything for those who haven’t read this yet!).⁣
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Sometimes you want to pick up a book and let your brain relax into something. This is the perfect beach read to toss into a pool or beach bag - enjoy it with a chilled adult beverage and you are good to go!⁣

This book had it all the story line quickly reeled you in, it was a well developed plot. I didn't think I would like this book but I found it hard to put down. I enjoyed the main theme of this book and I was very impressed with how the author crafted the story. Worth your time to pick up if you like this genera!

I love Jennifer Weiner, and Big Summer did not disappoint! It's a perfect summer read, with a lot of substance, and a twist I absolutely did not see coming. The characters are fun and well-rounded, the plot moves quickly, and I really want to be friends with Daphne in real life. Loved this book!

I received a copy of this title from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I'm usually a big fan of Jennifer Weiner, but this book pales in comparison to Mrs. Everything, and really didn't do it for me. Part of the issue is that I wasn't expecting there to be an element of mystery/thriller involved, and it seemed very out of place. Writing this genre probably isn't Weiner's strong suit, and I found it to be full of plot holes and really just odd.

I did enjoy the beginning of the book - I thought both Daphne and Drue were interesting characters. But, the entire plotline of Daphne solving Drue's murder was so insanely unrealistic. I also never saw any chemistry with her and her love interest, who also came off as strange. The end of the book made so little sense to me that I was left shaking my head.

I'm looking forward to Weiner's next book in the hopes that it will be a return to her success for her.

Thank you to Atria Books for providing me with a copy of Jennifer Weiner’s latest novel, Big Summer, in exchange for an honest review.

Drue Cavanaugh appears to have it all. She’s rich, beautiful, and successful. However, looks can be deceiving, and happiness is something that has always eluded Drue. Drue is magnetic and charming, which draws people to her, but she also has a ruthless, mean streak, which destroys her friendships.

Drue’s childhood friend, Daphne Berg, was a target of Drue’s cruelty, and after a particularly painful incident, they haven’t spoken in six years. Daphne is surprised when Drue contacts her, begging Daphne to be her maid of honor for her upcoming lavish Cape Cod wedding. Drue seems sincere in her desire to fix their friendship, but there is another piece of the puzzle. Daphne is a rising social media star and Drue pitches that Daphne can use the wedding to promote herself. Many aspects of the wedding are being promoted on social media and companies have donated products for the bride and groom to showcase.

Daphne agrees, and she is swept back into Drue’s glamorous world. On the night of the rehearsal dinner, Daphne meets a handsome man and has a steamy one-night stand. The next morning, the man is gone, and Drue is found dead in a nearby hot tub. Daphne is a suspect, and she works to solve the mystery of both Drue’s murder and the identity of her mystery man.

I’ve read many of Weiner’s previous novels, and I’m a fan. I was excited to read Big Summer, but I must confess that this was a miss for me. The first third of the story is strong; setting up the history and dynamic between Drue and Daphne. Daphne is a charming character, especially as we meet her after she has made a big transformation in her life. She is happy and on the path to success when Drue’s reappearance threatens her. Drue’s sway over people is captivating. I found my interest crumbling after Drue died and the story shifts to a mystery.

I didn't anticipate the reveal of the murderer, yet it wasn’t a satisfying twist. Weiner sets Drue up as someone who has wronged many people and therefore, her murderer could be anyone. Daphne, and her roommate Darshi, set-off to solve the various mysteries. The mystery aspect of the novel has a lot of convenient situations and tenuous links. I didn’t find it plausible and my interest waned. Mysteries are a departure for Weiner, and I applaud her for trying something new, but it didn’t gel.

A lovely aspect of the story was the relationship between Daphne and her parents, especially her father. Daphne and her father have a Sunday tradition of trying different restaurants and cuisines. In a flashback scene, Drue joins them one Sunday. Drue’s parents have held her at a distance, and being included on this Sunday outing was an emotional experience for Drue. Daphne is made aware that the love from her parents and their support is something that money can’t buy.

Big Summer has beautiful themes of the ability to change and not being defined by your past. Daphne has insecurities due to her weight, but when she allows herself to let go of her worries, she finds acceptance, including a new boyfriend, Nick. Speaking of Nick, their romance is passionate and sexy. I may have been blushing!

Big Summer reminds us that not everything on social media is how it appears, both what is shared and what is kept private. People have the ability to change, even if we are not noticing their changes. I’m a fan of Weiner and will certainly read her future novels, but Big Summer was enough of a miss for me, that I can’t recommend it. The strengths in Big Summer are the characters and themes, but the overarching plot is messy.

A wonderful book from Weiner! A fun story with a small twist with suspense, it was an unputdownable summer beach read! Can't wait to see what Weiner has in store next!

“Even if things don’t get better, you can always make them look good on the internet.”

Big Summer is part chick-lit, part drama, and part mystery. It explores the dynamics of female friendship, body image, and the pretense of social media personas.

Daphne’s character drew me in immediately. As a woman, I found her vulnerabilities and experiences easy to identify with. A self-described “babysitter and not-very-influential influencer,” Daphne spends a lot of time focusing on her body image and insecurities, but at the same time, she fights to empower herself and view her body in a different light. She exposes herself on social media; however, her social media persona allows her to hide her true self, which poses an additional layer for her to explore in her journey. Part of her journey involves self-acceptance, another part focuses on her acceptance of a former friendship that soured in the worst of ways.

This book kept me company during Tropical Storm Cristobal, and it had all the elements needed to distract me from the gloomy weather: drama, mystery, humor, and a little bit of romance. It's a lot lighter and fluffier than Weiner's most recent book, but this fluff has depth!

I received an ARC of this book from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Never in a million years did I think I would be getting approved for Jennifer Weiner arcs. This would blow my teenage self’s mind. Jennifer Weiner has always been a favorite of mine, anytime she would publish a new book and I would devour it. Big Summer was no exception. I read it in one sitting.

One of my favorite things about Weiner’s characters is that they are always unapologetically themselves. (sometimes not at first but they find their way there) I have always enjoyed the character development they go through throughout the book. Daphne was no different, her story was a fun one! I mean gotta love plus size representation am I right?

What threw me for a loop was the big twist and I do mean big twist. I was not expecting THAT to happen at all. Right smack in the middle of the book, the plot changes. I was honestly shocked and I didn’t like it at first. As the synopsis gave no indication it was heading in this direction. But I continued and don't regret it for a second. Now I won’t spoil it so that’s all I will say about that.

But hands down one of my favorite Weiner books. I will gladly recommend this one to old and new fans!

As an avid Jennifer Weiner fan, I loved this book! Easy to read and felt so in tune with today’s society! I loved how the main character was an influencer as many young women can relate to that as well! Mix in the INSANE twist that occurs within these pages, I truly felt like I was getting two genres in one! (Not trying to spoil, but if you read you know what I mean!) Along with a beautiful story, I loved the addition of learning to love yourself for who you are. Great summer read!

This book totally did not turn out to be what I had thought it would be. The first half was light and fluffy and chugging along exactly as I expected this kind of book to be, until the twist... then it turned into something totally different and I liked that! From the description of the book, I wouldn't have guessed what was coming. But it was a good book that keep me guessing and really was a fun summer read.

Thanks to Netgalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

The book as an ok beginning. Once I finished chapter 9, then it got better. It did have a slow spot after that, but picked up again. I have read other books about heavy girls and their self esteem, and this has a lot of the same thing you read in those books. The ending had a good meaning that everyone should think about.

When I requested this book, I recognized the author and how I have enjoyed all her other books. I also really liked the cover. I had seen some reviews, some were positive, but a lot of the reviews stated that the book wasn't that exciting. I did not read what the book was about so at the end of chapter 9 was the first time I found out this was a mystery.

Again the ending had a great message for everyone.

Find yourself a nice spot outdoors, fix your favorite beverage, and dive into this book! Big Summer by Jennifer Weiner is a great summer read. It's the story of friendship, it's a mystery, it's a commentary on today's social media fixated world. I started reading it and could not put it down!