Abby is a thirty something year old, healthy relatively happy and comfortable in her own skin, even if it is plus size. Having fought with her mother about her weight for her whole life she has forged her own way. Does it really matter that she lives like a teenager, doesn't have a long term plan for her life and is in a relationship that seems so right but at the same time not so right? A favor is called in and she ends up leading a bike tour which includes Sebastian, her bar hook up from the previous year and off we go.
This is so much more than just a romance. It speaks of self love and caring for others. The topic of abortion comes up when one of the teenagers on her tour seeks out a Planned Parenthood for an abortion. It deals with relationships that we all have, with our parents, friends and lovers. I thoroughly enjoyed going on this ride we call life with Abby and her group.
#TheBreakaway#NetGalley#AtriaBooks

The Breakaway is a story of Abby Stern, an avid cyclist who struggles with her weight. All throughout her life, Abby has felt judged by boys, family and friends but now that she is in her 30’s, she is finally feeling okay in her body…now if only she can find her niche in life. When she’s given the opportunity to lead a bike ride across upstate New York, she comes up with an idea that might mark her future. However, when she shows up to lead the ride, she comes face to face with someone from her past who she never thought would want to see her again. Will Sebastian take her heart for a ride or is he here for the long haul?

TW: body shaming, pandemic reflections and abortion; I felt the last one was unnecessary to the storyline. Also, am I the only person who loathes reading about the pandemic? Let’s forget it ever happened please.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

One thing I can always count on with Jennifer Weiner’s books is female characters I can relate to, and I’m a plus-size woman, so it was easy to relate to Abby and her feelings about size-acceptance and everything that goes along with that. But I do have to admit that The Breakaway is my least favorite of what I’ve read so far of Jennifer’s work. I was hoping for a light-hearted read, but with all the talk of abortion, polygamy, gender pronouns, etc. it felt politically driven. (I get enough of that from the daily news). Books are an “escape” for me, but sadly this one wasn’t. I have to agree with the reviewer who commented that Jennifer’s writing style has changed from her earlier books. Simply put, they just aren’t as fun as they used to be, and that’s very disappointing.

I enjoyed this book and read it quickly because the author does a good job of keeping you interested. I liked the main character Abby, but some of the other characters was not as devoted to.

"The Breakaway" by Jennifer Weiner goes at a nice pace, just like the cyclists in her novel. Abby, the main character, is learning a lot about herself and reflecting on her past while leading a group of cyclists through New England in the fall. She thinks she has her life figured out but events and people from her past accompany her on her journey.

I am a huge fan of Jennifer Weiner. I love who she presents as a person as well as many if her older books. This was the first book of hers that I liked in a few years. I liked the characters and was proud of her for tackling abortion. That said, I still miss her older books. I don’t know what has changed but the storytelling just isn’t as good. Almost like they are now written to be turned into a lifetime movie. Still, will always be a fan of hers.

[UPDATED] After some thought: 2.5 stars rounded up.

This is my first Jennifer Weiner book (even though I've had a couple of books on my TBR list) and I'm going back and forth on if it will be my last.

There was just a lot, maybe too much, happening which is why the ending felt rushed. Feminism, abortion, gender pronouns, polygamy, etc. all of it was through a lens of privilege, and as a Black woman, I just could not relate to how "easy" everything felt. One thing in particular that *really* bothered me was that there wasn't a single mention of the cost to get an abortion at Planned Parenthood. It seems small, but when Abby talks about helping other girls get access to health care, she only talks about getting to point A to point B (which I get because it's about cycling BUT), not the financial aspect of it all, including the $500+ it costs to get a medical abortion at Planned Parenthood.

Overall, the book was *fine* which is why I rounded up. I really loved the complexity of mother-daughter relationships as a daughter with a mother and how that was portrayed. I could have done with a lot less of the other characters and more of Abby telling Mark why they weren't good together, or more of Sebastian's healing journey, or how Abby and Sebastian do after he professes his love.

*** Thank you Netgalley and Atria Books for an ARC in return for my honest review!***

I loved this book but I need an epilogue to that epilogue please Jennifer Weiner!!!!! I loved the characters, they were so well developed that I truly feel like I miss them now that I finished reading. I didn't watch the Vanderpump Rules Scandoval Reunion Part 3 as it aired because I couldn't put this book down and if that doesn't say enough than I don't know what will!

My thanks to both NetGalley and the publisher Atria Books for an advance copy of this novel set in a bike club full of characters who change gears and have a better life.

One of the saddest phrases in the English language is what could have been. This phrase is quick to cut in many ways. Blaming the person thinking it for not taking a chance, or blaming someone else for not doing so. This phrase shows that people are content with a life that seems perfect in many was. Maybe it could be better, maybe it could be worse. These thoughts slowly effect a person, a poison of the mind that might spread, affecting relationships with lovers and families. Once awhile a person gets another chance, to see if the path less taken leads to a happier trail, or one that ends in a cliff. The Breakaway by Jennifer Weiner is about a young woman, a bike club, her dark secret and her judgemental mom.

Abby Stern thinks she is finally happy, after years of being lost. Two stabs at graduate school, many diets, and finally love with a boy she met years ago. Engaged to be married, and finally at piece with her body image, an image not helped by her mother, Abby still has a doubt. A few years before Abby had met a man and had a night that she still remembers to this second. Maybe there is more to life than what the future seems to hold. A chance at leading a bike trip from New York City to Niagara Falls is offered, and Abby needing time and distance takes it. Only to find that her one-night stand is a fellow biker. And Abby's Mom is also on the trip. And a trip to think about the future just got a lot harder.

There is a lot that will be familiar to long time readers here. Weight, family, love, sex. The addition of bikes does make the book different, and the idea of bike clubs does sound like fun. The characters are kind of stock, Abby is not as nice as she thinks she is, the Mom is a little too invasive, and the man crush is very Hallmark movie acting, before he changes near the third act. Fans will like it. The bike club is interesting. A nice diverting read for the beach. Or to listen to while biking.

I want to thank Atria Books for the opportunity to read this ARC. I loved this book, plain and simple just loved it. I think it might be my favorite book by Jennifer Weiner so far. I might be a little biased, since I am from the Philadelphia area, so I love that I recognize and have been to the places she mentions in the book, and are familiar with the neighborhoods. I loved Abby, and just found myself identifying with her in so many ways. All of the different personalities of the members of the bike tour, and seeing how they formed their own little family over 12 days. The relationship between Abby and her mother and Abby really getting to know her mother. I really just loved everything about it.

I didn't really care for the main character, Abby, as it seemed she wasn't much better a person than some of the people she felt had caused her so much damage (mainly her mother).

Abby has been reunited with her teen boyfriend, and now they're on the path to getting married. But Abby has some feeling that there is something missing. When she gets the chance to lead a 2 week bike tour, she decides it will be a great way to escape and maybe figure out what's wrong with her - why wouldn't she be completely excited to marry someone who was pretty much perfect?

Then Abby finds one of the tour partcipants, Sebastian, is a man she had a one-nigh stand with several years ago. She's never forgotten that night, and the feelings are impossible to ignore during the 2 weeks.

There were a few other topics thrown in that really didn't add much to the story, but they didn't bother me- I felt they were pretty unrealistically portrayed and resolved.
I received an ARC from #NetGalley to share my honest thoughts and opinions.

In real life, the author has become an avid cyclist. Now she's written a book to reflect that passion. The main character, Abby, has a passion for cycling. She is asked to step in and lead a group bike trip, on which we learn about the other participants and Abby gets a couple of surprises.

Weiner's go to themes are present here, but as always, it's an enjoyable read. Even if I can't fathom cycling for 30+ hours a day!

Jennifer Weiner’s The Breakaway centers on Abby Stern, a 33 year old woman who is at a crossroads of her life and relationship when she leads a bike tour. As in many of Weiner’s novels, our protagonist is struggling with weight and self esteem, a major theme throughout the novel. Abby is questioning her romantic relationship’s future when she realizes one of the riders on her bike trip is the unforgettable one night stand she had right before settling down with her good-on-paper boyfriend. Another surprise rider? Her diet obsessed mom.

Wiener always excels in creating complex characters and storylines, and The Breakaway is no exception. There are chapters from the perspectives of many of the group’s riders, and a moving subplot about abortion. The book has a lot of heart, and I found myself rooting for the romance and for Abby. Weiner’s love of cycling is apparent throughout, and I really enjoyed learning about the culture of distance biking through Abby and the riders on her trip.

Where I struggled with The Breakaway is the convenience of some of the themes wrapping up. Twice we find out mother characters have secrets that directly relate to their daughter’s biggest shames, which leaves the conflicts around abortion and weight loss feeling like heavy-handed lessons. Although I agree with the points being made, I imagine readers who don’t might struggle with the exploration of fatphobia, abortion access, slut shaming, and diet culture. That said, these are all important issues that are given nuanced, albeit somewhat convenient, consideration in The Breakaway.

Overall, I’d absolutely recommend The Breakaway, especially for fans of Weiner’s previous work.
(I received this ARC from Netgalley and Atria books exchange for a fair review.)

Is this a typical Jennifer Weiner trope consisting of main character who struggles with body image issues and self identity? Yes. Is there more to it? Also yes. There's a reason that I continue reading J. Weiner novels and that is for the rest of the story which is usually a page turner. I'm not sure this was a favorite but it was a solid 3 3/4.*** And an enjoyable read.

I know a lot of people who are going to love Abby’s journey through a tough time in her life where her future has a lot of question marks. Bike riding/romance fans will eat this up.

I really enjoyed this book – it's fast reading, the characters are multi-dimensional and likable, and it's just an all-around feel-gooder. I would take it with a grain of salt, though, because all the pain points seem to resolve almost too neatly, and I'm not sure how realistic some of the situations are – but there does seem to be an authentic empathy for differing backgrounds and points of view.

I would recommend this as a nice summer beach read, and hooray for body positivity! Looking forward to the day when the story involving a body-positive main character doesn't revolve around her weight, but that it's just one of her positive attributes. That's a dig at our current culture, not a dig at the author, and I do believe books like this help move our culture in the right direction.

Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Well, Jennifer Weiner has done it again. Great story and characters. I didn't want to put the book down. Very clever and well written. I would definitely recommend this book to friends and family, anyone really who asks! Well done!

I will start by saying I have always been a big fan of Jennifer Weiner books and was really looking forward to this one. The story premise is good and I enjoyed the characters and the dialogue. However, some of the secondary plots were a bit heavy handed in their messaging. Spoiler alert ahead: one of the characters in the story needs an abortion and it starts to feel like a promotion for Planned Parenthood (don't get me wrong as I feel the message is important). It was just a bit heavy-handed in places.

I enjoy the books written by Jennifer Weiner and this very good. It may not have been her strongest effort but it kept my attention from the first chapter.
The storyline was interesting, well thought out and executed well.
Thank you for the opportunity to read this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I’m grateful to NetGalley for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

I have mixed feelings about this one. I’m a big fan of Jennifer Weiner, particularly her novels that have some mystery (Big Summer or Goodnight Nobody) and also loved her memoir. But this novel, about a woman named Abby who leads a bike tour and the ensuing drama of the fellow riders, was uneven. There were bright spots whenever the author wrote about backstory but all the present day action felt flat to me and I didn’t like the main characters. Abby had a lovely boyfriend for over two years and yet she was quick to cheat on him - made her very unlikable to me. I’ll still happily read more from this author but this one wasn’t as good as I hoped.