A plus sized insta-influencer gets drug back into her previous friendship with a controlling Richie rich. She knows better. But does it anyway. All the drama ensues that you would expect. Engaging

Big Summer by Jenifer Weiner || ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⁣
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Daphne and Drue went to high school together but had a nasty falling out that sent Daphne to become a plus size influencer. Now, 6 years later, Drue asks Daphne to be her maid of honor at her wedding. While Drue was always the one that seemed to have everything and treat Daphne as her sidekick, Daphne has learned incredible strength in those 6 years and has a different view of things. ⁣
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Wow. This book was a ride. Let me tell you: there are so many unexpected parts of this book!! I refuse to give anything away because I was shocked when reading it but I know this is the perfect read to distract during quarantine. I devoured it in two sittings! Daphne is so relatable for any girl who has ever felt like an outsider secretly hoping to be a part of the inner circle. This book is witty while also inspirational and I can’t recommend it enough! I read it in two sitting because I could wait to find out what was going to happen! It’s the perfect summer read that actually has depth to it!

Big Summer was a really captivating and thought-provoking story. It immediately captured my attention, not only with it’s content, but also its accessible, easy writing style.

The story delves into some weightier topics with humor, grace and insight, though it does become a bit repetitive at times. We start with a mystery, then leave it and follow the life of Daphne, a plus-size Instagram influencer. She has built a fairly successful life for herself in spite of, or because of, her rocky relationship with an old friend, after a personally traumatic event, and has turned her obstacles into virtual successes.

The story then turns into a mystery and the remaining portion of the book is an attempt to resolve the mystery and find justice. In the course of sleuthing for clues, the beginning of the story is brought back to our attention and reveals its purpose in the narrative.

As you can tell, this story is a bit all over the place, but somehow it works. It examines the social media influence we all fall prey to, the ways we view others based upon our concepts of success and how to be happy with ourselves despite what society and the media tells us. There is romance, mystery, social commentary (some of which I did not agree with), and despite the hodgepodge of these various story elements, it’s a cohesive, moving, insightful, enjoyable story. It’s admittedly a bit longer than need be, in my opinion, but I still loved it, nonetheless and definitely recommend it.

I know I say this with every Jennifer Weiner book I read, but this was by far my favorite. I was worried she wouldn't be able to top Mrs. Everything. She did. Big Summer blew me away.

Daphne was loveable, relatable, and real. Her relationship with Drue, though frustrating, is something that I think we can all sympathize/empathize with. I was rooting for both of them.

I will say, the second half of the book blew by. Once I hit part two, I couldn't put it down. I was enthralled and had to finish it. I won't give away the mid-point twist, but DAMN.

It has been a while since I read one of Jennifer Weiner's books and it was no trouble at all to ease back into the comfortable prose, the effortless plot lines, and the relatable characters.

I loved Daphne! She is the epitome of the modern woman and feels like someone who is approachable and magnetic. Her friend Drue is almost the opposite. Not very relatable, over the top, and a bit inaccessible as a social climber and status seeker. These two could not be more different.

Although they had been estranged, it's pretty obvious that when Drue begs Daphne to be in her lavish storybook celebrity wedding, that Daphne would agree. Drue always gets her way, no matter how awful she's been to Daphne in the past. But when the wedding day comes and the most SHOCKING THING EVER happens... I was like WHO IS THIS NEW JENNIFER WEINER AND WHERE HAS SHE BEEN HIDING ALL MY LIFE?!?

The first half felt a tiny bit disjointed from the second half - almost like two separate books. Two separate genres? But I enjoyed the direction it turned, and it was a unique way to shake up the story. It did confuse me for a hot minute, but only unsettled me for the tiniest bit because it was something I'd never experienced before while reading.

Totally unexpected, and a fun spin that changed the basic model and criteria of storytelling I've known my entire life. And I liked it.

I can’t remember the last time a book made me say “WTF?!” (in the best way) all the way until the end, but Jennifer Weiner’s “Big Summer” (out today) made me say that aloud multiple times, briefly pause after each exclamation, and then quickly devour into the wee hours of the night. It’s best to go into this genre-bending novel blind, reading or rehashing the synopsis on here would only scratch the surface of the multiple layers of this book, but it is a great contender for a summer beach read (when the beaches are safe to go to again, that is).

The Big Summer by Jennifer Weiner

The Big Summer, by Jennifer Weiner, is indeed an excellent beach read. Set primarily on Cape Cod, it focuses on Daphne and Drue, whose fraught relationship will make you cringe when it is bad and when it is good. Lots of relationships are scrutinized including other friendships, romantic involvements, and those between parents and children. Pondering those relationships constituted the novel’s greatest value for me. The major takeaways were the importance of character and resilience combined with the knowledge that you do sow what you reap.

A lot of this book centers on Daphne’s long-standing issues with her size. Although her livelihood now stems from her identity as a “social influencer” for large women, Daphne’s size still undermines her self-value. The emphasis on social media and materialism were a bit over the top for me, but that may be evidence of the generational gap. Both the romance and the mystery lacked authenticity. Nonetheless, they were fun to read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the opportunity to read an electronic ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I love Jennifer Weiner books! This one however was a tad disappointing. It took me quite a while to find my groove with this book as the beginning was extremely slow. Halfway through it picked up for me but unfortunately not enough to love it. I love reading books about vacation spots but this one just didn’t grab me. Still worth a read on the beach in a lounge chair!

When I first started reading this book, I honestly was not a fan. I did not like the two main characters at all. I found Daphane to be a whiner and Drue to be a a spoiled hateful brat. However, I stuck with it and I am glad I did. Somewhere around the half way mark, the book completely changed into something new and interesting.

Thank you Netgalley, Simon and Schuster, and Jennifer Werner for the ARC.

Read this book. This was the great escape I needed to read. Don’t read too many reviews as this book has probably one of the greatest plot twists of all time. I couldn’t put it down and stayed up way to late reading. I was worried at first that it was too over-hyped on the internet, but I was wrong. It is SO good! In the story Daphne Berg, self proclaimed “Big Girl” spokesperson and rising social media influencer, is asked by her ex-best friend Drue Cavanaugh to be her bridesmaid in the summer wedding of the year on Cape Cod. In the months leading up to the big day Daphne questions her worth next to this girl she has always idolized, but after the biggest plot twist of all time she begins to question the spectacle surrounding the rich and beautiful people around her. This is a delicious story about friendship, success, social media, body image, forgiveness, and true love.

Thanks to Net Galley for a copy of BIG SUMMER.

Summer welcomes a new novel by Jennifer Weiner and once again we're off to Cape Cod. BIG SUMMER (Atria) tackles some heavy issues Weiner is know to take on: body image, female relationships and eventually adds up to a fun novel for summer. BIG SUMMER includes the new must have character in a novel - a social media influencer. Unlike many influencers, Weiner's is a strong, smart woman with something to say.

This was a great beach read. It was layered with so many elements which all came together to produce a terrific story. It deals with body image, friendships, social media and so much more.
Many thanks to Atria Books and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Big Summer seemed like it would be the perfect book for reading under the strain of quarantine. It started out fun and light with an enterprising young woman, Daphne Berg, on her way up through her success as a growing influencer on social media. I liked this character, but then she took a shift that throe me. Dafne was approached by Drue, her childhood best friend, and asked to be the maid-of-honor in Drue's wedding. What bothered me about this was that Weiner made clear how awful Drue had been to Dafne as a teen and young adult. Her "friendship" did not fall short of bullying, and yet, Dafne agreed to Drue's request. At that point, I lost respect for Dafne as a character, but continued on.

Letting go of Drue's decision to let herself back into Drue's life, I continued on and for a time, the Big Summer became just the sort of fun I was looking for. Then, it took a turn that I never expected and that made the book fall off the rails for me. I''m usually a big fan of Jennifer Weiner, loving last year's Mrs. Everything, but Big Summer just wasn't the book for me.

I'm sure I've read a Jennifer Weiner book before, but if this is what she's writing now, I'll pass. Way too long of a book that was high of female "fluff", and low on plot. Way too many things going on, a book that was too many pages, a couple of friends that were SO dramatic and over the top that I rolled my eyes most of the time. I finished it, because I guess I kept hoping that it would get better, but it didn't. This will be however a HUGE summer read, for maybe people that like to read fluff on the beach.
Thanks to the publisher via NetGalley for an advanced digital copy of this book for an honest review.

I was able to read this, courtesy of netgalley. In true Jennifer Weiner form, Big Summer kept me spellbound. Twists, turns, and a lead character that is fabulous are enough to make this one a great beach read or an entertaining way to spend a day. What keeps this from being trite or formulaic? The wistfulness that comes from old friendships and dealing with the people who knew you before you knew who you were. Good stuff!

Review of Big Summer by @jenniferweinerwrites
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This is hands down my favorite Jennifer Weiner novel.
Here is what I will say: the book is about Daphne (an influencer), friendships, and accepting oneself. All friends and family members within the story are well developed and I love Darshi.
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I was nestled into the story, questioning a choice Daphne made and suddenly the story is all cattywampus in the absolute best of ways! I did not see these twists! And I will not ruin anything. Just grab this one, I love it!
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I can’t thank @atriabooks @netgalley enough for the ARC. Thank you so much!!!
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#bigsummer #jenniferweiner #netgalley #atriabooks #kindlepaperwhite #advancedreaderscopy

I enjoyed this book very much, although I was not expecting the turn it took halfway through. Very culturally relevant with positive messages about social media presence and body image.

Big Summer - Jennifer Weiner

4 / 5 Stars

** Thank you to Netgalley, Atria Books, and of course, Jennifer Weiner for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Boy, I loved this book so much. From the beginning, the cover reminded me of sunshine and summer - obviously, with that name! Especially with the world’s current state, I dream of the beach. So let's get into it.

Big Summer focuses on Daphne Berg and Drue Cavanaugh and what happens when their friendship resurfaces. I don’t want to give too much away and advise you to read the book over reading the reviews on Goodreads. Jennifer Weiner has done it again with a book that I devoured. I’ve always been a fan of her work so when this novel arrived I knew I would enjoy it.

Jennifer works her incredible magic we have come to know through an entertaining plot, well-developed characters, and excellent writing. This time around, she has focused on topics such as Fat-Shaming, Dangers of Social media, the line between friends and enemies, and when it blurs and what happens when your past enters your present - especially when you have changed.

The deep dive into female friendships is something that drew me to this book. I have enjoyed reading this style this past year and learning more about what makes gendered relationships either unbreakably strong or paper-thin weak.

This page-turner, with the mix of serious topics and romance, is exactly what I wanted to read. I look forward to more from Weiner in the future.

Truly one of the best books this year! Absolutely loved it and will be recommending to everyone. It is the perfect book to read during summertime about friends falling apart and then falling back together again.

I will preface this review with the knowledge that I know I am in the minority of people that did not like this book, but I DID NOT LIKE THIS BOOK.

1st: the beginning; why? Why do we have this little snippet to suck us in only to stop there? I can see where the author tried to tie it back in, but it was not done well and made the beginning seem pointless. I wanted more of that story and less of the main story.

2nd: The main character was bitter about being fat, but did nothing to change that. She has a very unhealthy relationship with food and an unhealthy outlook on life. She assumes everyone is looking at her and thinking about her size, when more than likely most people don't care/don't notice her. If she's that concerned with it, which she obviously is, change your habits!

3rd: The "mystery" angle--I don't really even know where to start with this one. The ending was so far-fetched. The quest they go on to find the killer was ridiculous and very unbelievable and UNNECESSARY! In what world would you thinking googling "DRUE" and "CHEATING" would yield the results they were looking for? Wow.

4th: The social media angle was so obnoxious to me. I would be pissed to be spending time with someone that constantly had to update her phone for her "followers". I really almost couldn't read this book because the Instagram aspect was so annoying. I do not worship at the alter of "influencers" on social media, so this probably wasn't the book for me. HOWEVER, after Mrs. Everything last year, I assumed J. Weiner could do no wrong.

This book read almost like a YA because of all the petty Instagram and insecurity issues. This book also showcased one of my biggest problems with social media: everyone pretends they have it all together, and people fall for it and judge their own lives using those standards. The poor girl that wrote asking "How do I be brave like you?" is 100% a real girl, somewhere, judging her life based off of a stupid Instagram post thinking she doesn't measure up. I WISH PEOPLE REALIZED THAT IT. IS. NOT. REAL. The redeeming quality of this book was the answer given to this question. We're all pretending to be brave until we actually are.

I will absolutely pick up J. W's next book because her track record is solid. This was just not for me.


I received an advance copy. All thoughts are my own.