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. (Synopsis courtesy of Amazon.)
I've been a fan of Jennifer Weiner's writing ever since I picked up Good in Bed in 2002. I always know that I'll get a high quality novel when I see her name on the cover. While last year's novel, Mrs. Everything, was a heavier story, Big Summer gets back to the (somewhat) lighter side. If you liked Good in Bed, Best Friends Forever, and/or Goodnight Nobody, you will definitely enjoy this novel!
I was drawn into this novel right away and it kept me engaged and entertained the entire time. There was even a mystery aspect to it, which added to the excitement. I didn't even see that part coming either. I liked the use of social media to carry the story along, in terms of how people present themselves online and what it means to be an influencer in this day and age. The descriptions of people, locations, food, and clothing (even though I am not up to date with fashion labels) enhanced the story even more. It speaks volumes about body shaming, as well. I was so angry reading the part with Daphne's Nana.
This was a great story about a complicated friendship and whether or not people can change from who they used to be. Some of it reminded me of Mean Girls. I enjoyed it thoroughly and had fun getting to know Daphne, Drue, and some of the secondary characters. It's the perfect summer read and a great escape from our current reality.
Movie casting suggestions:
Daphne: Jillian Bell
Drue: Rebecca Rittenhouse
Darshi: Vella Lovell
Nick: Steven Strait
Aditya: Himesh Patel
Leela: JuJu Chan
Thanks to Atria for the book in exchange for an honest review. They have one copy to give away!
How to win: Use Rafflecopter to enter the giveaway. If you have any questions, feel free to contact us. If you have trouble using Rafflecopter on our blog, enter the giveaway here.
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