4.5 stars I am a huge fan of Jennifer Weiner and was excited to review this seemingly light beach read. About halfway in, she throws us for a huge loop thus changing the direction of the book. I love how she tells her story and expands on each major and minor character. I feel like I knew the secondary characters almost as well as the major characters. This became a page turner that shifted my mindset from the "cute beach read" the cover suggests. Weiner is a thoughtful writer who kept me absorbed in the book until the bitter (and sweet) end. Thanks, NetGalley for a copy to review. :)

This is the typical Jennifer Weiner fiction we know and love, but with an added murder mystery element! A plus-sized fashion influencer is skeptical when her estranged high school bestie reconnects. Before she knows it, she has agreed to be a bridesmaid in the friend’s wedding, but the friend’s history of not treating people well comes back to haunt her in a big way. A super enjoyable beach read!

This was a good page-turner that took some unexpected twists. The story follows Daphne, a social media plus size influencer who lives in New York City and has lost touch with childhood friend Drue, who could be both kind and cruel. Drue reaches out to Daphne and asks her to be part of her Cape Cod wedding, prompting Daphne to wonder if Drue has changed. The wedding triggers a series of events that reunites Daphne with others from Drue's past, all of whom have complicated relationships with her. This is a tricky book to summarize, as it covers friendship, self-image, a little romance, and mystery. I loved the characters, especially Daphne and Drue. Their friendship, and their individual flaws and positive attributes, were really well done. There is also some thoughtful commentary on social media influencers and what it takes to keep up appearances. Despite the cover and title, the content of "Big Summer" makes it heavier than a typical beach read, though it is still absorbing and entertaining.

I thought this was just going to be some fun chick lit. But it's also a murder mystery. What?!?!?

Daphne is a body confident social media influencer. Drue is a rich mean girl. Years ago, Drue did something to Daphne that turned her entire life upside down. It actually launched her onto her current path and made her "Instagram famous." Now Drue wants Daphne to be in her wedding to a reality TV star. I would have said no, but I'm not a character in a novel.

This book has all sorts of things going on. Friendship, love, family dynamics, confidence, bravery, back stabbing, revenge, murder, and the quest to be true to yourself despite what other people think.

This book is so much fun (+ murder mystery). I definitely recommend it.

Jennifer Weiner never disappoints and in Big Summer she takes a look at the complexity of female friendships from youth to adulthood. Daphne has made a name for herself as an up n coming plus size influencer but when her old best friend shows up, she starts to feel insecure all over again.

What Ms. Weiner does well is make all of her characters relatable even Dru.

Big Summer by Jennifer Weiner is a great and entertaining novel that deals with friendship, love, loss, betrayal, wealth, family,crime, adulterous affairs, body image, true love, Instagram, fame, influencers, and ethnicity. The main characters attend middle and high school together and then have an argument that causes them to not see each other for many years. One of the characters named Drue Cavanaugh is a rich young woman who uses people when needed. She does miserable things to many and experiences very little remorse. Another character, Daphne, is an overweight woman who has issues with self esteem and body shaming. She had become an Instagram influencer by promoting large women fashion , exercise and other topics relevant to women in general, but especially large women. Yes all the topics are woven into a rich and entertaining novel, There is a video of Daphne that goes viral. In it she is screaming at a twenty something man who has been very hurtful to her at a nightclub . Someone posts this video and this is how she starts her “career”as an Instagram influencer. She takes lemons and makes lemonade. There is also a wedding of an old friend who has hurt Daphne in the past. Drue begs Daphne to be in her wedding even though Daphne has not seen Drue in six years! I would love to keep writing about the plot of this novel but I do not want to create any spoilers. I read this entire book in 1 1/2 days! It was so enjoyable. I would like to thank Simon and Schuster and netgalley for allowing me to read this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Big Summer by Jennifer Weiner is going to be really big this summer. Ha. See what I did there? Sorry...I’m feeling cheesy and a little bit silly today. Plus, I’ve been into the wine. Weiner’s latest really surprised me. It wasn’t what I was expecting at all and I found it so different from her previous novels. The first half was very Jennifer-esque, but then things switched gears. Weiner went the mystery route, and it threw me for a loop! My jaw dropped and I liked it. However, the ending felt a little rushed, to be honest. There was a lot going on in the last half of the novel, and I wasn’t super impressed with how things were tied up. Other than that, Big Summer was an enjoyable read. Not my favorite from the author, but I’m certain it will be a huge hit this summer. 3.5/5 stars for Big Summer!

Big Summer is my favorite Jennifer Weiner book yet! For me this book really stood out, mostly because the main character, Daphne, was so down to earth and relatable. She’s the type of girl who has learned to love the skin she’s in, though the journey wasn’t always easy. Her struggles followed her into adulthood, and when a former friend asks her to serve as Maid of Honor, she finds herself at a moral crossroads. What begins as an extravagant wedding weekend, quickly ends in disaster and tragedy. I was instantly drawn in to the impressive writing and unique story line. It’s hard to go into specifics without giving away spoilers, so I’ll just say it is a fantastic summer read with the perfect blend of female empowerment, mystery, and a touch of romance!

A book that examines both social media and friendships- this book is ultimately a pretty decent summer read. I will admit to enjoying the first part of it more than the latter parts, but things aren’t generally perfect. This is a satisfying read.

This was so good! I really don't want to give too much away with putting book details in the review, but if you want a really good fiction read that's set in the summertime (and even more so if you're already a fan of Jennifer Weiner's books), then definitely pick this one up!!

This book is very different from Jennifer Weiner’s other books. Definitely was not expecting the twist halfway through. The first half was stronger than the second, the finale chapters were a little predictable. All in all, this was a fun beach read.

Perfect Big Read for the Corona Virus Quarantine Spring 2020

Jennifer Weiner’s 16th novel comes just in time for the Covid-19 shut-down--read it while you are WFH and before it gets made (once Hollywood is back to it) into a movie starring a plus-size actress, loads of fashion, and great shots of NYC and the Cape.

Wendy Ward
http://wendyrward.tumblr.com/

I know for a fact I am in the minority here when I say I wasn’t crazy about this one. In the beginning there were so many flashbacks and different timelines, each story branching off to another story. There was a huge twist about halfway through, which made the story more interesting. But it was as if the story was wearing too many hats, touching on multiple genres all at once: mystery, romance, contemporary fiction. While it brought up important topics such as women empowerment, strong female friendships and body positivity, I had trouble simply grasping the general concept of the story and I wasn’t invested in any one character. Also the whole social media/influencer aspect, I have very limited knowledge on. Sadly this one wasn’t for me. ⁣
Thank you to Netgalley and Atria Books for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Big Summer by Jennifer Weiner is much more on par to her usual work. I enjoyed this one much more than some of her past ones. The characters were sharp, layered, and nuanced. There was some humor I really appreciated. All in all, a fun summer read.

I would have liked this title better if it had stuck with one theme. The addition of the murder mystery seemed a little too much for the overall storyline. Other than that, I really enjoyed it!

Daphne was blindsided by her friend Drue 6 years ago, which resulted in the end of their friendship. Daphne had an opportunity to use that horrible moment to build her brand as an influencer. Drue walks back into her life with an outrageous request for Daphne to be her maid of honor. She accepts, and is dragged back into Drues world of money and glam. Would the risk of letting Drue back into her life be worth the reward? I was pleasantly surprised how this book touched on social media, self esteem & body image.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC.

This book was phenomenal. I did not know what I was getting myself into with this one and I LOVED IT! This book is beautiful and absolutely savage. I recommend that anyone looking to read this book goes in not knowing too much. It was great for people who like a Good Girl's Guide to Murder.

I think I have read all of Jennifer Weiner's books. "Big Summer" was a very enjoyable book. It had mystery, death, love & intrigue. It was hard to put down. I wanted to know what happened! And did not figure out who the killer was before it was revealed! Which is rare in a book!

I would give Big Summer 3.5/5 stars, rounded up to 4. It felt like two different books in one. I loved the first half! The second half murder mystery fell a little flat for me. While it did keep me turning the pages, it came completely out of nowhere (which I know was on purpose since no synopsis mentioned a murder!) and it felt like the characters took a back seat to the plot when I was loving the characters in the first half. However, overall it was a fun and enjoyable read for me and will be perfect for a day at the beach!

Wow! This book was everything I needed. I went in blindly, well because that is how I like it. This was an insightful novel about real issues about self-love and acceptance. At the same there was also a mystery about who "dunnit" which was a great addition. This was my first book by Jennifer Weiner and I will definitely be reading more. This novel was all too relevant and current, but the added mystery pushed it to a 5 star for me. The book touches on all too real problems and we have all had insecurities, but the journey to self-love was quite powerful.