ABOUT THE BOOK:
The #1 New York Times bestselling author of the “nothing short of brilliant” (People) Mrs. Everything returns with an unforgettable novel about friendship and forgiveness set during a disastrous wedding on picturesque Cape Cod.
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 friendship, 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.LISTEN TO AN EXCERPT:
MY REVIEW:
Big Summer by Jennifer WeinerMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
Big Summer by Jennifer Weiner is a 2020 Atria Books publication.
A Big Summer Hit!!
A nasty fight between Daphne and her best friend, Drue, leads to a six- year estrangement. Daphne is now a plus-size Instagram influencer and has come a long way since her days of hero worshipping her rich and glamourous friend.
But, when Drue comes barreling back into her life, begging her to be the maid of honor at her wedding, Daphne, against her better judgement, decides to give Drue one more chance.
Besides, she’s been invited to Cape Cod for a wedding party, which could give her online presence a major boost, and there is sure to be a few eligible men in attendance, too.
Little did she know that the weekend events would change her entire perspective on many things, including family and friendship.
This is my first book by this author- though I have had a few of her books on Kindle for a while now. This one got some buzz last summer-but the wait list at the library was so long, I put it on a back burner for a while. Now, a year later, I’m finally getting around to reading it.
This book took me a little by surprise. I do remember reading some reviews for the book- after all, that is what convinced me to add the book in the first place, but I didn’t refresh my memory before I started reading. It was like going in blind- and it worked out perfectly.
Things were going along pretty much as I expected, and I was enjoying the book well enough. I appreciated the way the plot exposed the mindset of reality shows/ social media/ influencers/ and how Daphne was seeing Drue through a more mature lens.
Then the story took a dark turn I didn’t see coming- and suddenly I was no longer reading a chick-lit novel or contemporary fiction- I was reading a mystery/thriller too! Awesome!! What a great combination- Almost-like romantic suspense got a refreshing reboot!
I loved how Daphne’s character grew, the way she learned to appreciate how rich she really was, how grateful she was for all the blessings she had overlooked. She saw how sometimes other's lives aren't as charmed as they appear. She owned her own flaws, acknowledging the things she took for granted, and came away with a new outlook on life.
While I would say I’m probably a little older than the targeted audience for this one- I really liked the book and will definitely read more books by this author!
4 stars
*Note: Content advisory- I have some online book pals who, like me, prefer the sensual scenes remain behind a closed door- So beware- this novel has some explicit sex scenes- one that seemed to go on forever- especially since I was listening to the audio version at the time and couldn’t just skip past it as I would if reading on my Kindle. I personally don’t feel the added details were necessary to the plot, but I suppose that’s a matter of taste. Just giving you a heads up.
GRAB A COPY HERE:
https://www.amazon.com/Big-Summer-Novel-Jennifer-Weiner-ebook/dp/B07Z43JXYH/
https://www.amazon.com/Big-Summer-A-Novel/dp/B07Z8GT4VK/
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/big-summer-jennifer-weiner/1134079894
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Jennifer Weiner is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of sixteen books, including Good in Bed, The Littlest Bigfoot, and her memoir Hungry Heart: Adventures in Life, Love, and Writing. A graduate of Princeton University and contributor to the New York Times Opinion section, Jennifer lives with her family in Philadelphia. Visit her online at JenniferWeiner.com
