Wow! I devoured this book! This was my first read by Jennifer Weiner, and it did not disappoint! I received an E-arc from Netgalley. The story follows Daphne Berg and her complicated friendship with Drue Cavanaugh who reunite after a falling out years ago that helped shape Daphne’s future. The book really kicks off at the midway point though when a major plot twist occurs. I totally wasn’t expecting the turn of events and was along for the ride the rest of the way. The story is well rounded and satisfying. It really brought into perspective that not everything you see on social media is as it seems. It also revolves around the value of friendship and forgiveness. Such a great read! Highly recommend!

I thought this book was better than her last book! It was full of all the things that make a Jennifer Werner book stand out. It has humor, mystery, romance, danger and relatable characters that the reader grows to love!
Ultimately, it has an important message about friendship, authenticity and self love. I highly recommend the book, I really enjoyed it!

I have adored Jennifer Weiner's books since she wrote "Good in Bed" in 2001. I can honestly say that "Big Summer" is by FAR my favorite book she has penned and will be in my top choices for 2020. The things we've come to expect from Weiner, like vivid pictures drawn out eloquently, heart-felt and well-crafted characters, and creative storylines continued in this read. The twist in the middle I didn't see coming AT ALL. I loved it. My heart ached for Daphne as she grew up, struggling with her body image. I saw myself and so many other women in those scenes. We all have our flaws and issues, and Weiner knows exactly how to verbalize them, to make the world see what it's like to struggle as an overweight woman. It's needed as our society grapples with weight as we've generations never had before, along with social media everywhere you look.
This book was a mix of my favorite genres mystery and romance - definitely not too risqué, but also included a huge murder mystery midway that hooked me just when I couldn't see where the story was going. Jennifer Weiner has done it again. I predict "Big Summer" will be a big deal this 2020 pandemic summer!!

Big Summer is the perfect book to pull you out of your quarantine reading slum! Jennifer Weiner's newest book is everything you expect a chick-lit beach read to be and more. Weiner tackles topics of family, friendships, mean girls, body image, and social media presence without heavy handed moralizing.

This is such a great story of growth and learning to lobe yourself. Daphne Berg is a plus-sized influencer. It has taken her years to learn to love herself and her body and those years include plenty of torment from her middle/high school bestie, the glamorous Dru Cavanaugh. Once in college, Daphne learns her self worth and distances herself from Dru. One day Dru shows up out of the blue to ask Daphne to be in her wedding to reality star Stuart Lowe. Because Daphne has a heart of gold -- and because let's face it, it is good for her business as an influencer to be photographed with someone like Dru - Daphne agrees to the wedding duties. Although Dru's life seems glamorous, things are not always what they seem. After a tragedy on the wedding day, Daphne resolves to solve the mystery. This book shows the importance of self-love and true friendship -- and of course it involves a little romance. Excellent summer read! Perfect for the beach or pool!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC in return for an honest review.

I LOVED THIS BOOK. Excellent commentary on what's going on in the world, great relationships between the characters, back and forth in time....and then more that I don't want to give away! Flew through it. Amazing.

I was given this book as an arc by Atria Books and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you so much for the book!

Six years ago a fight ended the friendship between Daphne and Drue. Now Drue is coming back into Daphne’s life with a favor to ask. She wants Daphne to be in her wedding.

Three and a half stars. Drue to me was more of a bully to everyone than a friend and she at first was definitely not likable. Daphne was very relatable to any woman who has ever felt insecure about their bodies. At the end of part one the plot twist got me I definitely didn’t see it coming. This was overall a very good book. However I wasn’t a huge fan of the ending just because I feel like it was a little cheesy.

You will enjoy this if you’ve like Weiner’s lighter books and if you liked Elin Hilderbrand’s The Perfect Couple. Has an interesting social media angle too. Good summer beach read! Probably would have been 3.5 stars for me but I rounded up :)

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC.

This book was thought provoking, exciting, fun, modern and sexy! It’s women’s fiction and a suspenseful mystery too! It’s like getting a two for one.

Our main character is Daphne Berg who is a plus size social media influencer who has finally after years of being bullied, attacked, shamed and pitied. Daphne’s social media following has grown steadily as he learns to love herself and her body.

A phone call from Drue, one of Daphne’s nemesis, who made high school a living hell, begs Daphne to be a part of her wedding party and the years’ most celebrated wedding to be featured in Vogue. Daphne remembers the trauma but also knows that being in this wedding will increase her social media influence.

What happens next in Cape Cod is what you have to read about. I tried not to read to much about this book so that you can experience for yourself Weiner’s brilliance in unfolding the story to completely change the atmosphere and add that surprising element I found that made this such an enjoyable read!

I started this book just over two weeks ago and I had only read 24% of this book before I decided I could not read any more. (For comparison sake, if I am hooked, I will stay up until 5am and devour the book over several days.)

I was not particularly hooked by Daphne or her position as an influencer for social media. Drue irked me ever since she met Daphne in school and started stealing pieces of her food. What kind of person needs to ask for money from the new student when she comes from money? Yet, time and time again Daphne went back to Drue. The fact that Daphne was worried about what her roommate would think about Daphne being asked to be a bridesmaid speaks volumes over the unhealthy relationship.

This was my first Jennifer Weiner book and I was not particularly impressed. I will give another one of her books a read to see if I can get hooked.

Thank you to Jennifer Weiner, the publisher, and NetGalley for this complimentary copy in exchange for my honest review.

Jennifer Seiner returns with another beach read with Big Summer! Drue Cavanaugh has everything money and social status can buy, and definitely has not made lots of friends along the way. When she plans for an outrageous wedding on Cape Cod and asks her ex-friend Daphne to be her maid of honor no one could have predicted the tragic turn events would take... or could they? I enjoyed this light read as it is perfect for lazy sunny afternoons and it has some introspective moments about social media, the meaning of friendships and the importance of love in our relationships. I highly recommend adding this book to your summer reading list. I received an ARC of this book, all opinions are my own.

Fun, funny and a great beach read! This one will be just what we all need once the pandemic is over and will be right up there on the lists!

A delicious funny and unputdownable novel.
About the power of friendship and the importance of making peace with yourself through all the life’s up and down.
It’s a great beach read.
Throughly enjoyed this book !

I always get excited when I see that Jennifer Weiner has a new book coming out! This was no exception. I thoroughly enjoyed this and anticipate it being on many "Best of Summer 2020" reading lists. This was a different type of story than I initially expected. I enjoyed the character Daphne tremendously. She is a unique women with so many qualities that I feel many women will be able to identify with. This light read is engaging and sure to keep your attention. I believe this will be a massive hit! Highly recommend.

I consider myself a Jennifer Weiner groupie after reading 'Mrs. Everything' last year. Seriously, that is one of my favorite books, it is just absolutely epic. Read it or listen to it if you can. So I was thrilled when I received a copy of 'Big Summer' with that colorful cover and catchy blurb. Influencers? Beach wedding? Yes, please!

'Big Summer' is the perfect book for our crazy times. Are you looking for a fast-paced, funny, sweet and smart story that will pull you away from all your worries? This is the perfect book for you! The first part of the story explores the very rocky friendship between our plus-sized heroine Daphne and the gorgeous Drue. Jennifer Weiner has a gift for exploring female friendships, and she makes the two characters really feel very authentic. While not a very serious story, this book nonetheless provided several hours of fabulous escapism and a peek into the real lives of social influencers, and our modern obsession with social media.

Daphne and Drue have a long history together and it seems from their past that Drue is the classic "mean girl". But has she finally grown up and put all of the behind her? Daphne takes gamble on Drue and agrees to be a bridesmaid at Drue's fabulous upcoming wedding on Cape Cod. The book took a surprising turn and became a mystery mixed with romance when a sudden and very shocking turn of events shakes up everything Daphne thought she knew about Drue and her family.

I loved how the author explored some very thoughtful topics such as social media, weight and self-esteem, all while providing a breezy story that I could not put down. I loved every page. Highly recommend this one!

A couple of Jennifer Weiner’s latest releases have been big hits for me (specifically, Who Do You Love and Mrs. Everything) so I was excited to pick up Big Summer. While it’s being touted as this summer’s beach read, it also provided plenty of food for thought.

Daphne is a young woman who has spent much of her life struggling with body image and self-acceptance. As an Instagram influencer, her posts focus on plus-size fashion, fitness and body positivity. Daphne is more than a little surprised when her former frenemy makes an appearance after a six year silence. Drue Cavanaugh was always everything Daphne wasn’t: thin, rich, beautiful, popular. And now she’s asking Daphne to be her maid of honor. The lure of Drue proves too much to resist, and Daphne finds herself in picturesque Cape Cod for the society wedding, telling herself that the exposure will help generate more Instagram followers and sponsors. Things don’t go as planned and Daphne begins to question if she ever really knew Drue at all.

"I stopped and asked myself, What did I do wrong? Who am I hurting? Is this what I deserve just for having the nerve to leave my home, to dance and try to have fun? I’m fat. That’s true. But I’m a good person. I’m kind and funny; I’m generous; I try to treat people the way I’d want them to treat me."

Going in I had a certain expectation of the trajectory Big Summer would take, but after a plot twist at the end of Part One, that got turned on its head. Weiner took Big Summer in a direction I never saw coming and she did it so well. At its core, this is Daphne’s story and I loved her journey. I felt such a kinship with this woman. I cheered for her triumphs and felt heartsick when she was knocked down and treated with such cavalier cruelty – from online trolls, supposed friends, and a not-so-well-intentioned family member. Daphne is funny and self-aware and at one point comments to a young friend: even if things don’t get better, you can always make them look good on the internet.

"I wanted to go home, away from all these beautiful people who, just by living, made me feel inadequate, at once enormous and small."

And therein lies one of the main themes in Big Summer. Because in addition to self-acceptance, body positivity, and toxic friendships, Weiner also shines a light on the sometimes toxic nature of social media. Whether it’s the anonymity that makes it so easy to spew hate, or the oh-so-perfect (and oh-so-filtered) photos that invite envy and comparison, the pitfalls of social media have Daphne examining its impossible standards – and how to combine her connection to social media while living an authentic life.

"Everyone tries to put the best versions of themselves across. To fake it. And when they’re not doing that, they’re sitting behind their screens, passing judgment and feeling superior to whoever they think’s being sexist or racist that day."

I highly recommend Big Summer to anyone who loves a mix of big, juicy beach read with relevant issues and a top notch heroine. Daphne Berg was an absolute gem and the main reason that Big Summer equated to Big Fun.

Disclosure: I received a a complimentary copy of this book for review. This does not impact my opinion of the book or the content of this review. I received no compensation and my review is voluntary.

Big Summer is the new release by author Jennifer Weiner. This is a book filled with many unexpected twists and turns. It is also a difficult book to review without giving away any spoilers, but I will try my best to not reveal too much.

Daphne Berg and Drue Cavanaugh were best friends in high school, but after a fight...and a video that was released...their friendship suddenly ended. That fight was life changing for Daphne because she took the pain and hurt and turned it into a successful career as a social influencer for other people struggling with their weight. Now six years later, Drue is back, begging Daphne for forgiveness as well as wanting Daphne to be her maid-of-honor in her upcoming wedding. Daphne is skeptical at first, after all, she was extremely hurt by Drue. However, she gives Drue the benefit of the doubt, and believes her when she says she has changed. But has Drue really changed, or is she once again using Daphne for her own personal gain?

The story that unfolds is full of twists and turns that begin about halfway through the book. The opening of the book will leave you wondering how it is relevant, but it is finally explained later in the book. As for Daphne, I loved her character. Her relationship with Drue frustrated me, but on the flip side, I understand why she was blind to seeing Drue for the person she truly was. She went through a very difficult and heartbreaking incident with Drue, but instead of letting it get her down, she used that to start her career as a social influencer. She has always struggled with her weight, and now is trying to help other people learn to love themselves and especially love whatever size they are. She constantly gives encouragement to those with low self-esteem, and offers advice as well as fashion tips. There are times she does not always follow her own advice, which was annoying, but also understandable, especially if you spent your entire life being shamed about your size.

Drue is a character that I could not like, no matter how hard I tried. I understand she may have had issues at home, but the way she treated Daphne just irritated me beyond belief. In my mind, I kept seeing the Mean Girls movie. Without revealing what happens, I will just say that she ends up paying a price in the end.

I would like to thank Atria Books and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review an ARC of this book. My views are my own, and are in no way influenced by anyone else.

A fun summer read with good plot twists and characters that kept me guessing until the very end. The ending seemed a little unrealistic but at the same time I always appreciate a happy ending!

I liked this one! Juicy & perfect for the beach. I'm conflicted because this one felt like it wanted to be serious, but also wanted to be a beach read so I wasn't quite sure how to feel. It was good but not my fave JW novel.

Of course this book is wonderful--Jennifer Weiner is the one of the best anywhere and this is no exception. It is told from a perspective of someone who is finally comfortable in her own skin, which is soooooo rare now., but it is more than a book about friendships--both real and desired, it is a romance, it is a murder mystery, it is a cautionary tale for us to be glad for the things that we have, and it is a book about change. I loved the descriptions of clothing and especially the descriptions of food--I would find myself salivating for a chocolate eclair!, which added to the book's authenticity. I devoured this book in one day--just couldn't put it down..