Jennifer Weiner

AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER “Sexy and satisfying, Big Summer is the perfect quarantine read.” —USA TODAY “The beach read to end all beach reads.” —Entertainment Weekly “Big fun, and then some. It’s empowering and surprising—a reminder to put down the phone and enjoy each moment for what it is.” —The Washington Post A deliciously funny, remarkably poignant, and simply unputdownable novel about the power of friendship, the lure of frenemies, and the importance of making peace with yourself through all life’s ups and down. From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Good in Bed and Best Friends Forever, Big Summer is the perfect escape with one of the most lovable heroines to come to the page in years. Six years after the fight that ended their friendship, Daphne Berg is shocked when Drue Cavanaugh walks back into her life, looking as lovely and successful as ever, with a massive favor to ask. Daphne hasn’t spoken one word to Drue in all this time—she doesn’t even hate-follow her ex-best friend on social media—so when Drue asks if she will be her maid-of-honor at the society wedding of the summer, Daphne is rightfully speechless. Drue was always the one who had everything—except the ability to hold onto friends. Meanwhile, Daphne’s no longer the same self-effacing sidekick she was back in high school. She’s built a life that she loves, including a growing career as a plus-size Instagram influencer. Letting glamorous, seductive Drue back into her life is risky, but it comes with an invitation to spend a weekend in a waterfront Cape Cod mansion. When Drue begs and pleads and dangles the prospect of cute single guys, Daphne finds herself powerless as ever to resist her friend’s siren song. A sparkling novel about the complexities of female relationships, 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.

A Novel

Big Summer

Patricia Nelson

This is the first of Jennifer Weiner's books that I've read, and I liked it. It's a story of a young woman who struggles with her weight and how it impacts her self image and her relationships contrasted to another young woman who appears to have it all. It's a story that needs telling about the power and falsehoods of social media and the world in which young people live in 2020. Themes include body image, family, friendships, forgiveness, acceptance, and appearances. This would be a good book club pick. It's a quick read and there are a lot of topics that could make for a good discussion.

Six years after the fight that ended their friendship, Daphne Berg is shocked when Drue Cavanaugh walks back into her life, looking as lovely and successful as ever, with a massive favour to ask. Daphne hasn't spoken one word to Drue in all this time - she doesn't even hate-follow her ex-best friend on social media - so when Drue asks if she will be her maid of honour at the society wedding of the summer, Daphne is rightfully speechless. Drue was always the one who had everything - except the ability to hold onto friends. Meanwhile, Daphne's no longer the same self-effacing sidekick she was back in high school. She's built a life that she loves, including a growing career as a plus-size Instagram influencer. Letting glamorous, seductive Drue back into her life is risky, but it comes with an invitation to spend a weekend in a waterfront Cape Cod mansion. When Drue begs and pleads and dangles the prospect of cute single guys, Daphne finds herself powerless as ever to resist her friend's siren song.

becky oh

OH. MY. GOD. CAULDRON. BOIL. ME.

I loved this book soooo much and it was nothing like I was expecting it to be.
I loved the characters, especially Daphne&Nick, Drue(maybe...), Darshi and Daphne's parents. Other than that, I HATED everybody else. (I forgot to add, I liked Emma's mother and Drue's boyfriend(real one!) I SERIOUSLY wanted to kick Stuart and Corina on the butt. I loathed them and I never want to hear their names again. AND Drue's father. I hate him. But I like Drue's mother. She sounds nice enough. 

I don't know why but this book had lured me into mystery solving. I usually don't read mystery and solving problems since the one who murdered someone was like, the main characters closest friend or their boyfriend or whatever. But this...it was unexpected at the end.
I can tell you that this book is about being yourself and friendships, and romance. There WAS romance, but, you know, it has everything, bit by bit. 

Although, this book was great and all, it just, made me hate people who were...ugh. I loathed anybody who has betrayed Daphne and Drue, (you'll see why I hate Stuart and (I want to say ugly, but the book said she is beautiful but in my mind, she's a smug woman, who, I think is worse that who Drue used to be) Corina. Ugh. Can I just say, Corina was just a pain in my butt. When the book first introduced her, I was like 'I'm definitely gonna hate that woman.' And I did. Never want to hear Corina and Stu again. Their stupid love and all. Whatsoever.

Anyway, stopping with hating characters, I just basically loved this book wholly and I will be reading some more from this author.

Loved it so much!

Kristen Claiborn

This book was not at all what I was expecting and I was completely shocked. I will say nothing more except this is a thoroughly exciting whirlwind of a story that will keep you on your toes.

Jen Harris

Probably one of my favorite books by Jennifer Weiner, and I have read them all.

AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER “Sexy and satisfying, Big Summer is the perfect quarantine read.” —USA TODAY “The beach read to end all beach reads.” —Entertainment Weekly “Big fun, and then some. It’s empowering and surprising—a reminder to put down the phone and enjoy each moment for what it is.” —The Washington Post A deliciously funny, remarkably poignant, and simply unputdownable novel about the power of friendship, the lure of frenemies, and the importance of making peace with yourself through all life’s ups and downs. From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Good in Bed and Best Friends Forever, Big Summer is the perfect escape with one of the most lovable heroines to come to the page in years. Six years after the fight that ended their friendship, Daphne Berg is shocked when Drue Cavanaugh walks back into her life, looking as lovely and successful as ever, with a massive favor to ask. Daphne hasn’t spoken one word to Drue in all this time—she doesn’t even hate-follow her ex-best friend on social media—so when Drue asks if she will be her maid-of-honor at the society wedding of the summer, Daphne is rightfully speechless. Drue was always the one who had everything—except the ability to hold onto friends. Meanwhile, Daphne’s no longer the same self-effacing sidekick she was back in high school. She’s built a life that she loves, including a growing career as a plus-size Instagram influencer. Letting glamorous, seductive Drue back into her life is risky, but it comes with an invitation to spend a weekend in a waterfront Cape Cod mansion. When Drue begs and pleads and dangles the prospect of cute single guys, Daphne finds herself powerless as ever to resist her friend’s siren song. A sparkling novel about the complexities of female relationships, 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.

Jennifer Eggleston 

A summer read in autumn 

A good read, page turner. Authentic self or social media self that is the question. The story has twists but found the end to be rushed.

Gisela Ayala 

Absolutely deliciously wonderful!

I thought I was reading about one thing - self-acceptance in a world that always tries to tear down your confidence (which was consistent through the book) but it turned out to be even more than I realized! I cannot and will not give much more about plot so that you dear reader can be as shocked as I was. 

Act One of the book wonderful, funny, heart breaking rom-com book. Act 2 was A WHOLE OTHER LEVEL OF WOW. Jennifer Weiner touched multiple genres in this book in the most artful way. Weiner writes about female friendships, the complicated ones, the shallow ones, the ones you though you knew but in actuality they are hiding a whole other universe. 

I really appreciate the modernity of the book and how social media affects us all. How horrible and magical it can be.

Cheri McElroy

Daphne Berg is a plus-sized Instagram influencer. After a falling out with her not-so-nice best friend, she constructs a life she is proud of. Then Drue, the old frenemy, returns, asking Daphne to be in her wedding.

I don’t want to say much more about the plot, except that there is a twist that takes the reader into a mystery. 

The first third of the novel I was thinking three stars. The inner dialogue of Daphne, and flashbacks to high school in the middle of every scene, were tiring. Then came the twist and I was invested. And in the end, there was a deeper message about friendship, family love, and honesty that I appreciated.

This is definitely a good book to kick off the summer season.

Sophia Geron

For some reason I didn’t expect this to be a murder mystery! I thought it was going to be a good drama, but the story took a twist that I didn’t expect.

Shan

Not what I anticipated but so good. Big Summer is like the adult version of A Good Girl's Guide to Murder

Celeste Richardson

Actual rating: 3.5 stars

We all have our insecurities, reasons we sell ourselves short and chicken out on following our dreams. Reasons we don’t think we deserve those dreams. And we’re all wrong. We all, every single one of us, deserve those dreams. And we need to respect ourselves enough to get out of our own way and to at least try. The worst that can happen is that we fail, right? And how is that worse than never trying at all?

Big Summer is a breezy, very current murder mystery. The perspective character, Daphne, is a plus-sized Instagram influencer who is about to be part of the biggest wedding to ever hit social media. But when someone winds up dead, Daphne finds herself trying to track down the murderer instead. 
“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 found Daphne incredibly relatable. She’s a woman who is trying to accept herself for who she is, in spite of a desperate desire to be thinner. While I’m not at all into social media, I appreciated that Daphne’s character wanted to use her posts and status as an influencer to help other women feel beautiful, no matter their size. 
“I was going to eat to nourish myself, I was going to exercise to feel strong and healthy, I was going to let go of the idea of ever being thin, once and for all, and live my life in the body that I had.”
Like so many women, I’ve been plagued by self-image issues, especially since having a hysterectomy and putting on weight that no amount of exercise or healthy eating seem able to melt away. I have lived my adult life in a perpetual state of “when/then.” When I finally lose some weight, then I’ll record some music and make YouTube videos so I can get my voice out there. When I’m thinner, then I’ll finally try out for a play with the local theater troupe. When I’m not so big, then I won’t inwardly cringe every time someone pulls out a camera. Later this week, my co-bloggers and I are going to be video chatting for the first time ever and, while I’m thrilled by the fact that I’ll finally get to see their lovely faces while we chat, I’d be lying if I said there wasn’t a part of me that is panicked, afraid that they’ll think less of me when my face appears on their screens. (I absolutely know that they would never judge me like this. Most fears are irrational, right?) 

All of that being said, I’m learning to accept myself for who I am instead of punishing myself for not being perfect. I know my worth. I’m funny and open and kind and smart. I’ve got a killer voice and a way with words. And dang it, I’m pretty, too. I’ll never be perfect, but neither will anyone else, no matter how airbrushed they appear on social media. I have every right to be comfortable in my body, even if that body doesn’t meet societal norms for beauty.

End rant.

Big Summer is not the type of book I would generally pick up. Honestly, I placed a library hold on a whim and, when the audiobook became available the same day I had to take a long drive, I decided to give it a go. While I rolled my eyes in a lot of places, I didn’t hate the characters, the idea of a wedding with such a heavy social media presence was intriguing, and I didn’t guess the murderer. It ended up being a pretty entertaining read. If you’re looking for something breezy with enough edge to keep things interesting, give Big Summer a chance.

You can find  this review and more at Novel Notions.

Anna Campbell

** spoiler alert **
           I had no idea I was reading a murder mystery. I thought this would be an empowering summer romance! But it turned out to be both. 
Daphne, Drue, Darshi and Leela all got so much depth and good character arcs. I love that Nick was a really great dude, and that the book focused on how lucky people are to have great parents. Drue seemed to have a miserable life, and I can’t even wish to go to a wedding like that some day. But Daphne and Darshi’s life sounds wonderful, and makes me miss NYC.

Robin M Cabana

I have loved all of Jennifer Weiner's books and this one might be one of my new faves.

Lauren Attaway

This book preached self-love without being preachy and was an easy beach read without sacrificing any intelligence! Excellent book for the summer or just a mental anytime getaway!

Caitlin Snyder

Maria

внезапно chick lit превращается в murder mystery, когда никто не ожидал! также мне нравится, как в нулевых героини чиклита работали в модных журналах, а в двадцатых у нас героиня plus sized instagram influencer

Kelsey Holtaway

I’d say this is more of a 3.75 for me. Overall a fun read.

This book starts one place and ends somewhere completely different. The reason i continued on with this book is because i had heard from a few different sources that this book takes a wild turn, because otherwise i probably would have DNF’d it for dragging in the first half. 

Once it picks up, it really picks up, so if you’re stuck try sticking with it

Krystal Pollock

Loved this book

Jennifer Weiner has done it again! I absolutely loved this book. I went in completely blind, without reading the synopsis and I'm so glad that I did. I thought I was going to be reading a book based on a beach or something. Nope far from that. I loved that the main character Daphne was a "big" person. I can totally relate to that as a big person myself! Love seeing more of that in books. But why wasn't I told that this book had a huge twist in it? I don't want to spoil the book for anyone who hasn't read this yet but if you like a good murder mystery this is a book for you! And the killer at the end was not who I was expecting! Omg! I cannot sing this books praises any higher then I am right now! Go read this book! Or don't I can't tell you what to do of course! But I really do suggest that you pick it up and try it. You won't regret it!

Chelsea White

** spoiler alert **
           3.5 stars.
I was so excited by the premise of this book, a fat girl living her life and getting it. But about halfway through the book everything came to revolve around Drue’s, and not only because she was killed and Daphne was a suspect. All of Daphne’s thoughts were consumed by Drue, finding ways to attribute good intentions to actions that were still incredibly hurtful. The entire scene with Lala in Daphne’s apartment was beyond cringeworthy. Yes, Lala shouldn’t have killed Drue, but also Drue was VERY shitty to Lala. She ruined her entire life, her relationship with her parents and her sense of worth. Daphne trying to say “well, at least your parents love you” unlike Drue’s dad who was not a great guy was so belittling.
I had been hoping this book would be more about Daphne growing to love herself even more deeply rather than becoming obsessed with digging into Drue’s life. And to be fair to Daphne, she WAS the prime suspect. But also... you can’t let a girl who was beyond mean to you rule your life.
I did really like Daphne, I just wish this story had actually been hers.

Renee Blankenship

Thank you to the publisher for the free copy! 

One of the things I love most about Jennifer Weiner's writing is her ability to create an unforgettable main character. In Big Summer we meet Daphne, an Instagram influencer who has come a long way from her struggles with body image and self worth in high school (no thanks to a not very nice "friend" whom we meet later) and is still working through the perception she has of herself now. I loved seeing this side of a female character. It was eye opening for me in a lot of ways and also made me root for her all the harder!

Go into this one as blind as possible- the twist makes it all the more addictive to read and hard to put down! Definitely the perfect summer poolside read!

Tess

“In space nobody could hear you scream, on the internet nobody could tell if you were lying”

This is a thriller disguised as a beach read rom/com. Body positivity, friendships, social media, and a murder mystery are intermixed within this book. It was entertaining and a fun summer read. 

Part of the time is spent on Cape Cod and it brought back some nostalgic moments for me. I am from the Cape, so every location that was mentioned I could see vividly ♡ those parts reminded me of home. 

Read This If You Like ⤵️

🐚 Murder Mysteries
🐚 Body Image Struggles
🐚 Female Friendship
🐚 Seaside Escape
🐚 Romance

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫/5 
Big Summer by Jennifer Weiner

Joleen

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!

Big Summer A Novel

Reviews