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The Breakaway
From #1 New York Times bestselling author Jennifer Weiner comes a warmhearted and empowering new novel about love, family, friendship, secrets, and a life-changing journey.
Thirty-three-year-old Abby Stern has made it to a happy place. True, she still has gig jobs instead of a career, and the apartment where she’s lived since college still looks like she’s just moved in. But she’s got good friends, her bike, and her bicycling club in Philadelphia. She’s at peace with her plus-size body—at least, most of the time—and she’s on track to marry Mark Medoff, her childhood summer sweetheart, a man she met at the weight-loss camp that her perpetually dieting mother forced her to attend. Fifteen years after her final summer at Camp Golden Hills, when Abby reconnects with a half-his-size Mark, it feels like the happy ending she’s always wanted.
Yet Abby can’t escape the feeling that something isn’t right...or the memories of one thrilling night she spent with a man named Sebastian two years previously. When Abby gets a last-minute invitation to lead a cycling trip from NYC to Niagara Falls, she’s happy to have time away from Mark, a chance to reflect and make up her mind.
But things get complicated fast. First, Abby spots a familiar face in the group—Sebastian, the one-night stand she thought she’d never see again. Sebastian is a serial dater who lives a hundred miles away. In spite of their undeniable chemistry, Abby is determined to keep her distance. Then there’s a surprise last-minute addition to the her mother, Eileen, the woman Abby blames for a lifetime of body shaming and insecurities she’s still trying to undo.
Over two weeks and more than seven hundred miles, strangers become friends, hidden truths come to light, a teenage girl with a secret unites the riders in unexpected ways...and Abby is forced to reconsider everything she believes about herself, her mother, and the nature of love.
Thirty-three-year-old Abby Stern has made it to a happy place. True, she still has gig jobs instead of a career, and the apartment where she’s lived since college still looks like she’s just moved in. But she’s got good friends, her bike, and her bicycling club in Philadelphia. She’s at peace with her plus-size body—at least, most of the time—and she’s on track to marry Mark Medoff, her childhood summer sweetheart, a man she met at the weight-loss camp that her perpetually dieting mother forced her to attend. Fifteen years after her final summer at Camp Golden Hills, when Abby reconnects with a half-his-size Mark, it feels like the happy ending she’s always wanted.
Yet Abby can’t escape the feeling that something isn’t right...or the memories of one thrilling night she spent with a man named Sebastian two years previously. When Abby gets a last-minute invitation to lead a cycling trip from NYC to Niagara Falls, she’s happy to have time away from Mark, a chance to reflect and make up her mind.
But things get complicated fast. First, Abby spots a familiar face in the group—Sebastian, the one-night stand she thought she’d never see again. Sebastian is a serial dater who lives a hundred miles away. In spite of their undeniable chemistry, Abby is determined to keep her distance. Then there’s a surprise last-minute addition to the her mother, Eileen, the woman Abby blames for a lifetime of body shaming and insecurities she’s still trying to undo.
Over two weeks and more than seven hundred miles, strangers become friends, hidden truths come to light, a teenage girl with a secret unites the riders in unexpected ways...and Abby is forced to reconsider everything she believes about herself, her mother, and the nature of love.
400 pages, Hardcover
First published August 29, 2023
About the author
Jennifer Weiner
70 books23.5k followersJennifer Weiner is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of eighteen books, including Good in Bed, In Her Shoes, and, most recently, That Summer. A graduate of Princeton University, she lives with her family in Philadelphia. Visit her online at JenniferWeiner.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 4,237 reviews
August 31, 2023
I would have given this 4 stars, probably 4.5 but I had to give 5 just to counteract the ass backward negative reviews. If you don’t think abortion is a huge topic in America, you haven’t been paying attention. If you think Weiner doesn’t ALWAYS touch on topical issues in her books you haven’t been reading them. I’m sure once Weiner’s real fan base reads this book the reviews will trend upward. I don’t know why people read things they know they won’t like, life’s too short for that. #mybodymychoice
September 15, 2023
My Reviews Can Also Be Found On:
The Storygraph and The Book Review Crew Blog
This book was so good. Jennifer Weiner is known for her character driven storylines and The Breakaway is no different. It is so much more than a romance, she tackles a lot of tough topics in this one…It’s about loving yourself, mother/daughter dynamics, body positivity, mental health and a woman’s right to choose. Fans of the author will see familiar themes that are in most of her books, but Weiner manages to keep it fresh.
I loved the location of the ride as I am very familiar with upstate New York. My son lives in Fort Erie, Ontario which is a 15-minute drive away from Buffalo and I have been to Niagara Falls on many occasions. What I also liked were the different points of view of the other riders as it helped me to get to know them and appreciate what they brought to the group and the book itself. Abby is aware that her life is pretty chaotic for someone her age and she struggles to find her place in the working world, taking on the bike tour gives her some confidence and she gets to know her mother a little better along the way.
As much as I hated the cheating aspect I was really cheering for Abby and Sebastian. They were both so real, flaws and all. The sexy scenes were hot enough without bringing any of the ick factor. The 400 pages just flew by because the story was so engaging and highly entertaining. I loved this book, it was in a word, propulsive. I suggest you pick it up and just sit back and enjoy the ride. (No pun intended)
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the Advance Readers Copy.
The Storygraph and The Book Review Crew Blog
This book was so good. Jennifer Weiner is known for her character driven storylines and The Breakaway is no different. It is so much more than a romance, she tackles a lot of tough topics in this one…It’s about loving yourself, mother/daughter dynamics, body positivity, mental health and a woman’s right to choose. Fans of the author will see familiar themes that are in most of her books, but Weiner manages to keep it fresh.
I loved the location of the ride as I am very familiar with upstate New York. My son lives in Fort Erie, Ontario which is a 15-minute drive away from Buffalo and I have been to Niagara Falls on many occasions. What I also liked were the different points of view of the other riders as it helped me to get to know them and appreciate what they brought to the group and the book itself. Abby is aware that her life is pretty chaotic for someone her age and she struggles to find her place in the working world, taking on the bike tour gives her some confidence and she gets to know her mother a little better along the way.
As much as I hated the cheating aspect I was really cheering for Abby and Sebastian. They were both so real, flaws and all. The sexy scenes were hot enough without bringing any of the ick factor. The 400 pages just flew by because the story was so engaging and highly entertaining. I loved this book, it was in a word, propulsive. I suggest you pick it up and just sit back and enjoy the ride. (No pun intended)
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the Advance Readers Copy.
September 6, 2023
**Many thanks to NetGalley, Atria, and Jennifer Weiner for an ARC in exchange for an honest review! Now available as of 8.29!**
breakaway (noun): a divergence or radical change from something established or long standing
Abby has finally Broken Away from her childhood: growing up overweight with a highly critical mother was far from easy, and she's struggled with her self-worth for most of her life. The one bright spot of going to a weight loss camp as a teen was meeting Mark Medoff, a guy who always saw her just as she was and became Abby's first love. Years later, Abby has found a new path for herself and is a cyclist who loves leading long rides with her cycling club. When she runs into Mark yet again, it feels like fate, and the two end up in a long term relationship. Everything finally SEEMS right...and yet, Abby can't shake the feeling that something is missing. And then there's also that nagging memory of a one night stand she had after a friend's bachelorette party that just won't go away...
Abby's newest adventure has her leading a group down the Empire Trail, from NYC to Niagara Falls, with many scenic New York stops along the way. It seems like the perfect opportunity to mull over her future...until who should show his face? Sebastian, the Casanova from two years ago and that one passionate night. He's on the bike ride with his friend Lincoln, and before Abby can catch her breath, ANOTHER familiar face pops up: Abby's mom Eileen. When Abby learns that Sebastian is a bit of a playboy, however, she feels even MORE conflicted. Why does this man make her forget all about her loving boyfriend at home? Can she reconcile with her mother and heal their strained relationship? And when she is entrusted with one of the other riders' secrets, can she maintain confidence AND keep the whole group together long enough to reach their final destination?
My first encounter with Weiner was several years ago, when I picked up Mrs. Everything and was drawn into the multi-generational tale and the beautifully written characters. That book had depth, emotion, substance, and humor, and I soon added all of Weiner's other books to my TBR without a second thought...but I haven't had a chance to grab another one as of yet. That being said, I'm not sure if Weiner has been on this track for a while now or not, but this book was less a work of literary fiction and was more along the lines of a cookie-cutter, eye-rolling romance.
Much of the book is focused on Abby's weight or other characters discussing or criticizing weight, appearance etc. This would be fine, except I feel Weiner makes a LOT of problematic statements, such as basically stating at one point "diet and exercise don't work." Well. I know everyone's situation and body is different and there are LOTS of factors involved, but I think most people would agree that diet and exercise at least AFFECT weight to some degree. Weiner also implies at times that skinny/skinnier people don't eat ANYTHING unhealthy (or only eat tiny portions of vegetables) or formerly overweight people have ALL had bariatric surgery to be skinny and I just found all of the rhetoric over the top.
It's very possible to eat foods you like and still be a healthy weight, and I think living life at EITHER extreme is what is unhealthy. Rather than focusing her messaging on acceptance of all bodies, it felt like a very 'them vs. us' mentality, which is sort of the opposite of accepting, so that personally rubbed me the wrong way. I've read so many other body positive books that handle this subject beautifully, and I can't say this is one of them.
There are also LOTS of characters and unnecessary story lines just to create extra drama, but they felt more like page-filler than moments for true emotional storytelling. I didn't feel a close bond with anything that was gong on with them, and if a bike ride group didn't require so many people, they honestly could have been eliminated from the book entirely without detracting much from the plot. It's hard to even comment on the personalities of most of these other riders, because we just don't get to know them on a deep level.
And then there's Sebastian. A stereotypical 'love em and leave em' playboy who goes through women like tissues and even gets called out on TikTok...and yet, Abby still finds him irresistible. Weiner spends SO much of the novel trying to make him palatable, but it never worked for me. Growing up with problems at home isn't necessarily an excuse for this sort of behavior, and there was nothing THAT incredible about him, aside from his supposed incredible looks. And that's yet another thing that bothered me...the journey Abby is on is supposedly about acceptance etc., and yet her biggest reason for being so head-over-heels for Sebastian is that he's SO attractive...and was good in bed...once?
🤦♀️
As much as I wanted to cheer for Abby, I found myself wishing (even by story's end!) that she would have followed the steps laid out in Kelly Clarkson's "Break Away":
1) make a wish
2) take a chance
3) make a change
(and you all know the fourth one! 😉)
3 stars
breakaway (noun): a divergence or radical change from something established or long standing
Abby has finally Broken Away from her childhood: growing up overweight with a highly critical mother was far from easy, and she's struggled with her self-worth for most of her life. The one bright spot of going to a weight loss camp as a teen was meeting Mark Medoff, a guy who always saw her just as she was and became Abby's first love. Years later, Abby has found a new path for herself and is a cyclist who loves leading long rides with her cycling club. When she runs into Mark yet again, it feels like fate, and the two end up in a long term relationship. Everything finally SEEMS right...and yet, Abby can't shake the feeling that something is missing. And then there's also that nagging memory of a one night stand she had after a friend's bachelorette party that just won't go away...
Abby's newest adventure has her leading a group down the Empire Trail, from NYC to Niagara Falls, with many scenic New York stops along the way. It seems like the perfect opportunity to mull over her future...until who should show his face? Sebastian, the Casanova from two years ago and that one passionate night. He's on the bike ride with his friend Lincoln, and before Abby can catch her breath, ANOTHER familiar face pops up: Abby's mom Eileen. When Abby learns that Sebastian is a bit of a playboy, however, she feels even MORE conflicted. Why does this man make her forget all about her loving boyfriend at home? Can she reconcile with her mother and heal their strained relationship? And when she is entrusted with one of the other riders' secrets, can she maintain confidence AND keep the whole group together long enough to reach their final destination?
My first encounter with Weiner was several years ago, when I picked up Mrs. Everything and was drawn into the multi-generational tale and the beautifully written characters. That book had depth, emotion, substance, and humor, and I soon added all of Weiner's other books to my TBR without a second thought...but I haven't had a chance to grab another one as of yet. That being said, I'm not sure if Weiner has been on this track for a while now or not, but this book was less a work of literary fiction and was more along the lines of a cookie-cutter, eye-rolling romance.
Much of the book is focused on Abby's weight or other characters discussing or criticizing weight, appearance etc. This would be fine, except I feel Weiner makes a LOT of problematic statements, such as basically stating at one point "diet and exercise don't work." Well. I know everyone's situation and body is different and there are LOTS of factors involved, but I think most people would agree that diet and exercise at least AFFECT weight to some degree. Weiner also implies at times that skinny/skinnier people don't eat ANYTHING unhealthy (or only eat tiny portions of vegetables) or formerly overweight people have ALL had bariatric surgery to be skinny and I just found all of the rhetoric over the top.
It's very possible to eat foods you like and still be a healthy weight, and I think living life at EITHER extreme is what is unhealthy. Rather than focusing her messaging on acceptance of all bodies, it felt like a very 'them vs. us' mentality, which is sort of the opposite of accepting, so that personally rubbed me the wrong way. I've read so many other body positive books that handle this subject beautifully, and I can't say this is one of them.
There are also LOTS of characters and unnecessary story lines just to create extra drama, but they felt more like page-filler than moments for true emotional storytelling. I didn't feel a close bond with anything that was gong on with them, and if a bike ride group didn't require so many people, they honestly could have been eliminated from the book entirely without detracting much from the plot. It's hard to even comment on the personalities of most of these other riders, because we just don't get to know them on a deep level.
And then there's Sebastian. A stereotypical 'love em and leave em' playboy who goes through women like tissues and even gets called out on TikTok...and yet, Abby still finds him irresistible. Weiner spends SO much of the novel trying to make him palatable, but it never worked for me. Growing up with problems at home isn't necessarily an excuse for this sort of behavior, and there was nothing THAT incredible about him, aside from his supposed incredible looks. And that's yet another thing that bothered me...the journey Abby is on is supposedly about acceptance etc., and yet her biggest reason for being so head-over-heels for Sebastian is that he's SO attractive...and was good in bed...once?
🤦♀️
As much as I wanted to cheer for Abby, I found myself wishing (even by story's end!) that she would have followed the steps laid out in Kelly Clarkson's "Break Away":
1) make a wish
2) take a chance
3) make a change
(and you all know the fourth one! 😉)
3 stars
July 26, 2023
I once enjoyed Jennifer Weiner books. I felt she was a voice that was missing in the book world. And then she disappeared. Not literally, but her voice no longer had the same impact it once did. Weiner’s books became superficial, pointless and just downright cringy. I promised myself I would never read another Jennifer Weiner book again.
But I was offered an advanced copy of Weiner’s newest book, The Breakaway, and I thought I would give her another chance. And now I mean it. I will NEVER read another book from the author again.
The Breakaway was beyond ridiculous. Here is my laundry list why:
- Jennifer Weiner used to write Women’s Fiction, but this book was strictly romance. And not a very good one. The teen romance books that I used to read in the 80s were written better than this book.
- The main character, Abby, and a love interest had no chemistry. They essentially fall in love with each other after a one-night stand, even though he is a serial womanizer who never had feelings for anyone before Abby. The extent that the author shows their deep connection is that they eat pasta in bed together.
- Abby is almost engaged to someone she met in summer camp. On paper, her boyfriend is perfect. But she questions their life-long commitment because he doesn’t know how to ride a bike. What?!?!?!
- Throughout the book, there is tension between Abby and her mother. The tension quickly resolves itself at the end of the story for reasons that almost caused me to throw the book across the room.
- While I don’t have issues with the author’s beliefs, I felt Weiner went a bit over the top with the politics. This could have been a great opportunity to show a more personal side of women’s reproductive rights. But, the author did not handle it with the care that the story needed. She was preachy, shoving her beliefs down the reader’s throats. Instead, what could have been a learning experience turned into something that was inaccessible for many. I can see a lot of readers having an even more negative opinion about “liberalism” than they may have previously held after reading this book.
- Cheating. Just no.
Overall, the book was a waste of my time. The only good thing that came out of the experience for me is that I will never waste time on a Jennifer Weiner book again.
On a side note: The May 2023 Amazon First Reads offered a novella called Golden Hills, also by Jennifer Weiner. I didn’t realize it at the time, but this is a companion story to The Breakaway.
Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for an advanced copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
But I was offered an advanced copy of Weiner’s newest book, The Breakaway, and I thought I would give her another chance. And now I mean it. I will NEVER read another book from the author again.
The Breakaway was beyond ridiculous. Here is my laundry list why:
- Jennifer Weiner used to write Women’s Fiction, but this book was strictly romance. And not a very good one. The teen romance books that I used to read in the 80s were written better than this book.
- The main character, Abby, and a love interest had no chemistry. They essentially fall in love with each other after a one-night stand, even though he is a serial womanizer who never had feelings for anyone before Abby. The extent that the author shows their deep connection is that they eat pasta in bed together.
- Abby is almost engaged to someone she met in summer camp. On paper, her boyfriend is perfect. But she questions their life-long commitment because he doesn’t know how to ride a bike. What?!?!?!
- Throughout the book, there is tension between Abby and her mother. The tension quickly resolves itself at the end of the story for reasons that almost caused me to throw the book across the room.
- While I don’t have issues with the author’s beliefs, I felt Weiner went a bit over the top with the politics. This could have been a great opportunity to show a more personal side of women’s reproductive rights. But, the author did not handle it with the care that the story needed. She was preachy, shoving her beliefs down the reader’s throats. Instead, what could have been a learning experience turned into something that was inaccessible for many. I can see a lot of readers having an even more negative opinion about “liberalism” than they may have previously held after reading this book.
- Cheating. Just no.
Overall, the book was a waste of my time. The only good thing that came out of the experience for me is that I will never waste time on a Jennifer Weiner book again.
On a side note: The May 2023 Amazon First Reads offered a novella called Golden Hills, also by Jennifer Weiner. I didn’t realize it at the time, but this is a companion story to The Breakaway.
Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for an advanced copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
August 24, 2023
Something isn't right in Thirty-three-year-old Abby Stern's life. She can feel it. But what? She has an apartment, works gig jobs, is in a bicycling club, has a boyfriend (Mark) that she met while they were kids at a weight-loss camp, and is happy in her own skin. So why does she feel that something isn't right. For starters, she can't stop thinking about Sebastian, a man she had a one-night stand with before she reconnected with Mark. When she is talked into leading a bicycle trip from NYC to Niagara Falls, she is shocked when her mother as well as Sebastian, her one-night stand who she can't stop thinking about, are in her group.
Jennifer Weiner writes books that deal with many issues and this book was no exception. In this book she has included body positivity, being healthy, mother/daughter relationships, romantic relationships, one night stands, choice, and exercise.
This book is told through several POV chapters with the most POV being from Abby and Sebastian. Both characters are flawed and have things they individually need to work on. This book is a romance and I always say romance books are a journey. Many of the characters go on journeys in this book. From making choices, to revealing secrets, to biking, to reflection.
As with her other books, I thought this was well written and enjoyable. I enjoyed how Abby was confident and poised even if she didn't feel it on the inside. The issues she experienced were realistic and felt authentic, but I wished they would have been fleshed out even more. I also appreciated that she showed that although she was overweight, Abby was physically active and encouraged young girls to be active as well. This was a very nice message. I enjoyed the discussion she had with her mother. I thought Weiner nicely showed how perceptions can shape how we feel and act. That what we think and see, might not be the full story.
For me, this would make a nice beach read. It does deal with important issues but not at any deep level. There are a nice number of bikers in the group and readers get to know some of the things a few bikers are dealing with in their lives. But was this necessary in terms of the story? I get what Weiner was trying to do but sometimes less is more. That way, other themes could be fleshed out more, in my opinion. But I do realize that she was throwing so much in to prove a point while also showing empathy and understanding. But again, sometimes less is more.
Well written and enjoyable. Not my favorite by her but still this book has merit. The biggest plus of this book was the focus on body positivity.
Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.
Read more of my reviews at www.openbookposts.com
Jennifer Weiner writes books that deal with many issues and this book was no exception. In this book she has included body positivity, being healthy, mother/daughter relationships, romantic relationships, one night stands, choice, and exercise.
This book is told through several POV chapters with the most POV being from Abby and Sebastian. Both characters are flawed and have things they individually need to work on. This book is a romance and I always say romance books are a journey. Many of the characters go on journeys in this book. From making choices, to revealing secrets, to biking, to reflection.
As with her other books, I thought this was well written and enjoyable. I enjoyed how Abby was confident and poised even if she didn't feel it on the inside. The issues she experienced were realistic and felt authentic, but I wished they would have been fleshed out even more. I also appreciated that she showed that although she was overweight, Abby was physically active and encouraged young girls to be active as well. This was a very nice message. I enjoyed the discussion she had with her mother. I thought Weiner nicely showed how perceptions can shape how we feel and act. That what we think and see, might not be the full story.
For me, this would make a nice beach read. It does deal with important issues but not at any deep level. There are a nice number of bikers in the group and readers get to know some of the things a few bikers are dealing with in their lives. But was this necessary in terms of the story? I get what Weiner was trying to do but sometimes less is more. That way, other themes could be fleshed out more, in my opinion. But I do realize that she was throwing so much in to prove a point while also showing empathy and understanding. But again, sometimes less is more.
Well written and enjoyable. Not my favorite by her but still this book has merit. The biggest plus of this book was the focus on body positivity.
Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.
Read more of my reviews at www.openbookposts.com
April 29, 2023
I was given this book by the publisher on Net Galley in exchange for an honest review!
WHY y'all WHY. I'm literally a fat cyclist who has an eating disorder, who was in a similar relationship to the main character in terms of relationships with her mother. This could've been so good but I had so many issues. The first was that the author tried to do way too much in such a short amount of time. All of the conflicts resolved way too quickly for my liking, and the main character felt very flat. I also did not like the love interests. I also just feel like politically this book wasn't my cup of tea, but I can understand the need for books like this for more liberal feminists. But the ending, and a pronoun joke at the end (?). I was sad and actually kind of upset with some of the themes in this book in terms of being taught to empathize with those who have awful views.
WHY y'all WHY. I'm literally a fat cyclist who has an eating disorder, who was in a similar relationship to the main character in terms of relationships with her mother. This could've been so good but I had so many issues. The first was that the author tried to do way too much in such a short amount of time. All of the conflicts resolved way too quickly for my liking, and the main character felt very flat. I also did not like the love interests. I also just feel like politically this book wasn't my cup of tea, but I can understand the need for books like this for more liberal feminists. But the ending, and a pronoun joke at the end (?). I was sad and actually kind of upset with some of the themes in this book in terms of being taught to empathize with those who have awful views.
September 3, 2023
I used to love this author. But honestly, nothing feels fresh. I feel like she always writes the same viewpoint from the same character over and over again - and. Spoiler alert - the character is her. In physical appearance and mindset. It’s just too much of the same old thing.
And the social/political issues were way over the top on this one. Enough already. That was tiresome, boring and preachy. The divisiveness is just not what we need right now, especially when you just want an entertaining and enjoyable escape for a few hours. In fact, I think that’s why I didn’t like the main character, specifically. In prior books, her “heavy girl” was kind and humble and finding her way in the world. Abby was a selfish mess who goes around hurting people. She’s absolutely awful to her mother. She was terrible to Mark. She wasn’t even particularly nice to Sebastian. She’s so confident she’s right about everything in the world that she never considers others might have a viewpoint she can’t see or understand…like why her mother was the way she was. At almost 34 years old she really ought to be past the teenager stage of irrationally hating your parents for everything they do or say.
I didn’t care for her attitude about men. Are some of them entitled and superficial? Sure, but there are just as many women that way too. Men have the same insecurities and struggles that we do in life. They aren’t the enemy. One wonders how you can have a healthy relationship at all if you’re always looking at them as if they’re against us. Maybe that’s why Abby treated both Mark and Sebastian as badly as she did.
If you’re looking for something lighthearted and fun, or even just cute and thought provoking, I would keep looking. This is not it.
And the social/political issues were way over the top on this one. Enough already. That was tiresome, boring and preachy. The divisiveness is just not what we need right now, especially when you just want an entertaining and enjoyable escape for a few hours. In fact, I think that’s why I didn’t like the main character, specifically. In prior books, her “heavy girl” was kind and humble and finding her way in the world. Abby was a selfish mess who goes around hurting people. She’s absolutely awful to her mother. She was terrible to Mark. She wasn’t even particularly nice to Sebastian. She’s so confident she’s right about everything in the world that she never considers others might have a viewpoint she can’t see or understand…like why her mother was the way she was. At almost 34 years old she really ought to be past the teenager stage of irrationally hating your parents for everything they do or say.
I didn’t care for her attitude about men. Are some of them entitled and superficial? Sure, but there are just as many women that way too. Men have the same insecurities and struggles that we do in life. They aren’t the enemy. One wonders how you can have a healthy relationship at all if you’re always looking at them as if they’re against us. Maybe that’s why Abby treated both Mark and Sebastian as badly as she did.
If you’re looking for something lighthearted and fun, or even just cute and thought provoking, I would keep looking. This is not it.
September 8, 2023
Thank you @goodreads for this giveaway book win.
I’m a big fan of Jennifer Weiner and have read all of her novels. I was surprisingly disappointed with her latest novel.
Abby is a plus size woman and avid cyclist, as is Jennifer Weiner. I’m sure the author has used her experiences as inspiration for this story.
Abby is floundering in her life goals and feeling conflicted about Mark, her boyfriend of 2 years’ invitation to move in together. She therefore, jumps at her friend’s invitation to lead a last minute cycling trip, hoping the time away will bring some much needed clarity.
Abby is horrified to learn that her mother, Eileen signed up for the trip. Their relationship has been shaky ever since her mother forced her to go to weight loss camp as a teen. Abby also cannot believe that Sebastian, a man she had a steamy one night stand with two years ago, is also a participant.
The bike ride has suddenly gotten a lot more complicated….
***SPOILERS
My main problem with the book was the unlike-ability of Abby. I wanted to embrace this book, hoping it would be an ode to empowerment and body positivity. Abby actually listing a reason she might need to break up with Mark as “he doesn’t eat sugar” seems to negate that message. Mark, having had gastric bypass surgery, is dedicated to more restrictive eating than Abby.
Abby cheating on Mark on the bike trip with Sebastian also was offensive to me. She reiterates a lot in the novel about how Mark has loved her as she is for years-this seems to be a horrible way to treat him.
There is also a subplot about a mother and daughter on the trip. The 15 year old daughter is trying to get an abortion without her mom’s knowledge and turns to participants on the bike trip for help. This seemed to be way out of place and the makings of a different novel.
This subplot detracted from the Abby/ Sebastian storyline that needed further exploration.
A definite miss for me.
I’m a big fan of Jennifer Weiner and have read all of her novels. I was surprisingly disappointed with her latest novel.
Abby is a plus size woman and avid cyclist, as is Jennifer Weiner. I’m sure the author has used her experiences as inspiration for this story.
Abby is floundering in her life goals and feeling conflicted about Mark, her boyfriend of 2 years’ invitation to move in together. She therefore, jumps at her friend’s invitation to lead a last minute cycling trip, hoping the time away will bring some much needed clarity.
Abby is horrified to learn that her mother, Eileen signed up for the trip. Their relationship has been shaky ever since her mother forced her to go to weight loss camp as a teen. Abby also cannot believe that Sebastian, a man she had a steamy one night stand with two years ago, is also a participant.
The bike ride has suddenly gotten a lot more complicated….
***SPOILERS
My main problem with the book was the unlike-ability of Abby. I wanted to embrace this book, hoping it would be an ode to empowerment and body positivity. Abby actually listing a reason she might need to break up with Mark as “he doesn’t eat sugar” seems to negate that message. Mark, having had gastric bypass surgery, is dedicated to more restrictive eating than Abby.
Abby cheating on Mark on the bike trip with Sebastian also was offensive to me. She reiterates a lot in the novel about how Mark has loved her as she is for years-this seems to be a horrible way to treat him.
There is also a subplot about a mother and daughter on the trip. The 15 year old daughter is trying to get an abortion without her mom’s knowledge and turns to participants on the bike trip for help. This seemed to be way out of place and the makings of a different novel.
This subplot detracted from the Abby/ Sebastian storyline that needed further exploration.
A definite miss for me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 24, 2023
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐ ½
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Abby is thirty-four years old plus-size woman in a difficult situation. Her boyfriend, Mark, has asked her to move together, but there is something inside her that keeps her unsure about her relationship with him. When she is offered a job as a tour guide on a bicycle trip for a couple of days, she accepts it just to delay moving in with Mark. This tour becomes full of unexpected events, especially when Abby finds out that her one-night stand man, Sebastien, is part of it too. And to make things worse, her mother is also a participant. The reader follows the main character and several of the secondary characters’ POVs during the course of that tour.
This is the third book I've read by Jennifer Wiener. I like the author’s writing style and her interesting way of storytelling. Breakaway was no exception because all these pros were very much there. The main focus of the book is the romantic relationship between Abby and the two men. So the main characters are well developed.
However, what this book lacks are the additional subjects and themes that the author usually injects into her stories. There are several other themes here too, but their impact, I’d say, isn’t as strong as in the previous books I’ve read. The other thing that I felt was unnecessary was the POVs of the side characters. I’m not sure that enhanced the story or the reading experience for me. Regardless of the cons of this book, I still enjoyed it and recommend it to anyone who wants something fun and light to read.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of this book.
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Abby is thirty-four years old plus-size woman in a difficult situation. Her boyfriend, Mark, has asked her to move together, but there is something inside her that keeps her unsure about her relationship with him. When she is offered a job as a tour guide on a bicycle trip for a couple of days, she accepts it just to delay moving in with Mark. This tour becomes full of unexpected events, especially when Abby finds out that her one-night stand man, Sebastien, is part of it too. And to make things worse, her mother is also a participant. The reader follows the main character and several of the secondary characters’ POVs during the course of that tour.
This is the third book I've read by Jennifer Wiener. I like the author’s writing style and her interesting way of storytelling. Breakaway was no exception because all these pros were very much there. The main focus of the book is the romantic relationship between Abby and the two men. So the main characters are well developed.
However, what this book lacks are the additional subjects and themes that the author usually injects into her stories. There are several other themes here too, but their impact, I’d say, isn’t as strong as in the previous books I’ve read. The other thing that I felt was unnecessary was the POVs of the side characters. I’m not sure that enhanced the story or the reading experience for me. Regardless of the cons of this book, I still enjoyed it and recommend it to anyone who wants something fun and light to read.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of this book.
September 5, 2023
I will "breakaway" from most of the reviews and also Jennifer Weiner's books. Until now, I have always enjoyed her quick read books. Not this one and I doubt if I will read anymore of her books.
Spoiler alerts!
Enough has been mentioned about the actual story, the story was fine, it was the various POV thrown into the storyline. The liberalism/wokeness of the book is what bothered me. An abortion enabled for a 15 yr old without her mother knowing.....the lifestyle/partner swapping.....gender/pronouns......it was all too much for me.
The only reason for two stars is that I kept reading the book, wanting to know how it ended. Thank goodness I downloaded the book from my local library and did not pay money for it!
Spoiler alerts!
Enough has been mentioned about the actual story, the story was fine, it was the various POV thrown into the storyline. The liberalism/wokeness of the book is what bothered me. An abortion enabled for a 15 yr old without her mother knowing.....the lifestyle/partner swapping.....gender/pronouns......it was all too much for me.
The only reason for two stars is that I kept reading the book, wanting to know how it ended. Thank goodness I downloaded the book from my local library and did not pay money for it!
August 18, 2023
3.25 stars
I have mixed feelings about The Breakaway. While there were many things I liked about the novel, in some ways it missed the mark. Most of my issues can be traced back to the main character. The story does follow a few other characters along the way but it's a tough read when you find yourself increasingly irritated by basically the star of the show.
Thirty three year old Abby Stern is in her element when she hops on her bicycle and hits the wide open road. She agrees to lead a multi day cycling trip thru New York. Abby is in for quite the surprise as her overly critical mother has joined the trip. As if that wasn't bad enough, Abby learns a one night stand from a few years back, Sebastian, will also be a part of her group. Well, I'm sure this will be totally fun and not at all awkward for Abby.
One of the better aspects of the book is Abby feeling comfortable in her own skin. She's plus size but recognizes health is what matters and the amount of exercise she gets from bicycling means her fitness level is better than most. It was nice having a self-confident character who doesn't let others dictate how she should feel about her body.
With that being said, Abby is self-involved. Yes, she has her kind moments doing stuff for others but there are instances where it's like she doesn't grasp other people have feelings too. Or if she does she more brushes it off without much self-reflection. The second half of the book I really started losing interest in her. Oddly enough it's the mother's backstory that ticked me off the most as it really showcased that apparently Abby has never had any desire to get to know her mother better and who she is as a person. I'm trying to tiptoe around spoilers but what kid isn't at least somewhat curious about their parents and how they grew up? The whole thing was just weird to me and I guess I will leave it at that.
Not my favorite Jennifer Weiner novel but still an okay read.
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing an advance digital copy! All thoughts expressed are my honest opinion.
I have mixed feelings about The Breakaway. While there were many things I liked about the novel, in some ways it missed the mark. Most of my issues can be traced back to the main character. The story does follow a few other characters along the way but it's a tough read when you find yourself increasingly irritated by basically the star of the show.
Thirty three year old Abby Stern is in her element when she hops on her bicycle and hits the wide open road. She agrees to lead a multi day cycling trip thru New York. Abby is in for quite the surprise as her overly critical mother has joined the trip. As if that wasn't bad enough, Abby learns a one night stand from a few years back, Sebastian, will also be a part of her group. Well, I'm sure this will be totally fun and not at all awkward for Abby.
One of the better aspects of the book is Abby feeling comfortable in her own skin. She's plus size but recognizes health is what matters and the amount of exercise she gets from bicycling means her fitness level is better than most. It was nice having a self-confident character who doesn't let others dictate how she should feel about her body.
With that being said, Abby is self-involved. Yes, she has her kind moments doing stuff for others but there are instances where it's like she doesn't grasp other people have feelings too. Or if she does she more brushes it off without much self-reflection. The second half of the book I really started losing interest in her. Oddly enough it's the mother's backstory that ticked me off the most as it really showcased that apparently Abby has never had any desire to get to know her mother better and who she is as a person. I'm trying to tiptoe around spoilers but what kid isn't at least somewhat curious about their parents and how they grew up? The whole thing was just weird to me and I guess I will leave it at that.
Not my favorite Jennifer Weiner novel but still an okay read.
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing an advance digital copy! All thoughts expressed are my honest opinion.
August 15, 2023
2.5 Stars
So many reviewers have already described this novel perfectly. It's a novel filled with angst, secrets, poor choices, misdirected loathing, the joy of cycling, and the unlikely plot of a woman who meets a boy in camp as a teenager and then meets up with him again as an adult. This woman also has a (and this is in the very first chapter) heated one-night stand with a man she has picked up (for lack of a better word) while on a bridal party outing and then meets up with him years later on a cycling trip she is leading.
I could not connect with many of the characters, I found the politics to be annoying (and I'm all about a woman's right to choose), and some of the shenanigans on the trip concerning certain teenage people to be forced and potentially horrific.
I finished this book, but I'm not at all sure that I liked it. Fans of this author, and perhaps the younger set, will likely love this novel. It just wasn't my cup of tea.
*ARC supplied by the publisher Atria Books, the author, and NetGalley.
So many reviewers have already described this novel perfectly. It's a novel filled with angst, secrets, poor choices, misdirected loathing, the joy of cycling, and the unlikely plot of a woman who meets a boy in camp as a teenager and then meets up with him again as an adult. This woman also has a (and this is in the very first chapter) heated one-night stand with a man she has picked up (for lack of a better word) while on a bridal party outing and then meets up with him years later on a cycling trip she is leading.
I could not connect with many of the characters, I found the politics to be annoying (and I'm all about a woman's right to choose), and some of the shenanigans on the trip concerning certain teenage people to be forced and potentially horrific.
I finished this book, but I'm not at all sure that I liked it. Fans of this author, and perhaps the younger set, will likely love this novel. It just wasn't my cup of tea.
*ARC supplied by the publisher Atria Books, the author, and NetGalley.
September 5, 2023
Nope, this book wasn't for me. I can't stand when authors think you want or need to hear about their political views. I read fiction because I DON'T want to hear your political views.
October 8, 2023
A heartwarming story that explores women’s issues often not explored in novels. At the forefront. A woman struggling with society and her mother’s perception of how her body should or shouldn’t look.
Abbey Stern is trying to stay afloat. She's 33, holding random jobs, going out with friends, and maintaining her apartment in Philly. Her true passion is biking. When she decides to start a biking club, taking people from NYC to Niagra Falls, everything changes.
Abbey has been dating her childhood summer camp sweetheart, Mark Medoff. The two met at a weight loss camp that her mother--obsessed with weight loss forced her to attend. When Abbey reconnects with Mark, who's maintained a lean figure, she thinks everything is perfect.
Abbey had gotten used to being the biggest girl in a group, but now sh's arrived at a pint where she was both the biggest and the least accomplished. This development did not fill her heart with joy
Abbey has a feeling that something isn't right. She keeps going back to one perfect night she met with a man named Sebastian--they might at a club and she went home with him--not something she usually does.
Mark and her are engaged--how could things not be perfect? The bike tour begins, and Abbey sees a familar face, it's Sebastian. Is fate calling her name? The other surprise additon, her mother Eleen.
This is a heartwarming story of addressing the past, dark feelings shoved under the rug and uncovering the bruises that linger.
Abbey's Mom is extremely critical and until now, Abbey's floated by, ignoring the fact that her childhood wasn't normal. When her perfectly skinny Mom reveals a dark secret, everything changes.
Eileen wanted her daughter to shrink hearself to fit into the space the world allotted, instead of fighting to change the systems and institutions that wanted women to keep themselves small. She treated Abby like a problem in need of solving instead of asking, even once, whether it was the world, not her daughter that might have been wrong
The one part of this book that felt unecessary--the side story of a character named Morgan, who's convervative Mother is about to find out she's done something against the rules. I felt no connection and felt this part could have been left out.
Overall a good story with some strong, thought provoking writng.
4/5 stars
Abbey Stern is trying to stay afloat. She's 33, holding random jobs, going out with friends, and maintaining her apartment in Philly. Her true passion is biking. When she decides to start a biking club, taking people from NYC to Niagra Falls, everything changes.
Abbey has been dating her childhood summer camp sweetheart, Mark Medoff. The two met at a weight loss camp that her mother--obsessed with weight loss forced her to attend. When Abbey reconnects with Mark, who's maintained a lean figure, she thinks everything is perfect.
Abbey had gotten used to being the biggest girl in a group, but now sh's arrived at a pint where she was both the biggest and the least accomplished. This development did not fill her heart with joy
Abbey has a feeling that something isn't right. She keeps going back to one perfect night she met with a man named Sebastian--they might at a club and she went home with him--not something she usually does.
Mark and her are engaged--how could things not be perfect? The bike tour begins, and Abbey sees a familar face, it's Sebastian. Is fate calling her name? The other surprise additon, her mother Eleen.
This is a heartwarming story of addressing the past, dark feelings shoved under the rug and uncovering the bruises that linger.
Abbey's Mom is extremely critical and until now, Abbey's floated by, ignoring the fact that her childhood wasn't normal. When her perfectly skinny Mom reveals a dark secret, everything changes.
Eileen wanted her daughter to shrink hearself to fit into the space the world allotted, instead of fighting to change the systems and institutions that wanted women to keep themselves small. She treated Abby like a problem in need of solving instead of asking, even once, whether it was the world, not her daughter that might have been wrong
The one part of this book that felt unecessary--the side story of a character named Morgan, who's convervative Mother is about to find out she's done something against the rules. I felt no connection and felt this part could have been left out.
Overall a good story with some strong, thought provoking writng.
4/5 stars
September 6, 2023
DNF.
Uhhh. What? I was enjoying this book with the light romantic story - and then. The bomb drops. The main character is going to help a 15 year old get an abortion and not tell the girl’s mother??? What?? Why is this okay. I can not express to you the anger I had as I read this. It doesn’t matter if you are for or against abortion. To help a 15 year old make a life decision like that and hide it from her mother??? And say you are doing it because the mom is old fashioned and conservative? That is just heartbreaking and very immature. I have worked with too many teens who have made decisions that they regret and the parents always have a right to know. So disappointed. I don’t even care to finish the book.
Uhhh. What? I was enjoying this book with the light romantic story - and then. The bomb drops. The main character is going to help a 15 year old get an abortion and not tell the girl’s mother??? What?? Why is this okay. I can not express to you the anger I had as I read this. It doesn’t matter if you are for or against abortion. To help a 15 year old make a life decision like that and hide it from her mother??? And say you are doing it because the mom is old fashioned and conservative? That is just heartbreaking and very immature. I have worked with too many teens who have made decisions that they regret and the parents always have a right to know. So disappointed. I don’t even care to finish the book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 9, 2023
This book was just…supremely boring. To emphasize how much of nothing was happening, a side plot was added in that truly had nothing to do with the main story. I’m not a huge fan of adding different POVs out of convenience or for the sake of adding chapters. The characters were not lovable, I didn’t have anything to root for, and I was eagerly awaiting that final page so I could close the book. I will disclose I felt a hard reading slump coming on and hoped this would get me out of it, but it only sent me more into a hiatus. I wouldn’t recommend this read. At all.
Thank you to the publisher for the gifted ARC.
Thank you to the publisher for the gifted ARC.
August 15, 2023
**ARC of this book provided by publisher in exchange for an honest review**
Abbie is 33 years old and still have not figured out her life - she is working some odd jobs, her apartment is only half furnished and the only stable thing in her life is her relationship with Mark. But when her sweet and patient boyfriend propose that they move in together, Abby suddenly does not feel so certain so instead of making a decision she decides to postpone it and leads a biking trip from New York to Niagara Falls. One of the participants on that trip is Sebastian - the only one-night stand Abby ever had - that reminds her of long dormant passion and sparks longing that is going to turn Abby's life upside down.
I have a mixed feeling about this book. On the one hand it was a 400 pages read that was entertaining and easily digestible but on the other hand it occasionally got preachy in tone in a very annoying way. And it was preaching about variety of topics - body positivity, abortion laws (pro-choice), mental health etc. With this moralistic background the instant love connection between Abby and Sebastian felt especially out of place and to be frank the longer the romance was lasting the less I enjoyed it. In the end this books feels like it was written for certain group of people with the same political and moral views as author and will probably annoy readers that think differently. I still enjoyed the story of Abby's messy life and a struggle to get it under control. It's not perfect and I would definitely make different choices than heroine but the ending was wrapped with some really nice messages so I closed to book feeling satisfied.
Abbie is 33 years old and still have not figured out her life - she is working some odd jobs, her apartment is only half furnished and the only stable thing in her life is her relationship with Mark. But when her sweet and patient boyfriend propose that they move in together, Abby suddenly does not feel so certain so instead of making a decision she decides to postpone it and leads a biking trip from New York to Niagara Falls. One of the participants on that trip is Sebastian - the only one-night stand Abby ever had - that reminds her of long dormant passion and sparks longing that is going to turn Abby's life upside down.
I have a mixed feeling about this book. On the one hand it was a 400 pages read that was entertaining and easily digestible but on the other hand it occasionally got preachy in tone in a very annoying way. And it was preaching about variety of topics - body positivity, abortion laws (pro-choice), mental health etc. With this moralistic background the instant love connection between Abby and Sebastian felt especially out of place and to be frank the longer the romance was lasting the less I enjoyed it. In the end this books feels like it was written for certain group of people with the same political and moral views as author and will probably annoy readers that think differently. I still enjoyed the story of Abby's messy life and a struggle to get it under control. It's not perfect and I would definitely make different choices than heroine but the ending was wrapped with some really nice messages so I closed to book feeling satisfied.
October 30, 2023
This book felt a little different to me than the previous works I’ve read by this author and I think that may be that she put a lot of herself into this one. I thought it was a cute rom-com but it was also more as it tackled some big issues. I really liked the main character a lot and I thought she was a great representation of a confident, healthy woman who doesn’t fit into societal standards. Abby Stern has made it to a great place. She’s in a loving relationship with her childhood sweetheart, but she doesn’t know exactly what she wants to do and is drifting work wise still. When an opportunity to lead a bike ride comes she’s nervous but agrees since being on a bike has always been her happy place. Imagine her surprise when the only man she ever had a one night stand with is in the group and definitely remembers her.
September 1, 2023
I feel like this was Weiner’s attempt to write like Jane Green’s Jemima J but it fell flat. Abby was a unlikeable character. Weiner’s message that you can not lose weight with diet and exercise only gastric bypass was ridiculous. There were too many supporting characters that were just thrown in randomly that could have been cut out all together. Again she pushed her political views into every chapter she could manage to squeezes them into. I don’t care what side of the political agenda anyone is on, I read to get away from all of it not to hear more. Her last book was more of the same, I don’t think I’ll be keeping her on my must read list any longer.
July 2, 2023
A Fun and Immensely Satisfying Ride
SUMMARY
Abby Stern, 34, is completely happy with who she is. Despite not having a full-time job, having a messy apartment, and carrying too much weight, she is really happy. She has good friends, her bike, her Philadelphia bike club, and she is at peace with her lifelong battle with weight. Her boyfriend, Mark, loves her just the way she is too!
Mark and Abby met at a weight-loss camp when they were children. They reconnected a few years ago and have been together ever since. Mark is now a podiatrist and half the size he used to be. He adores Abby, despite their differences in weight, tidiness, exercise, and healthy eating. Mark has asked Abby to move in together, but Abby can’t help but think something is missing. She just isn’t sure.
Now Abby is nervously leading a 750 miles Bicycle Tour on the Empire State Trail from New York City to Niagara Falls with a dozen riders. And just to make things interesting, two of those riders are known to her. One is her unwelcome, uninvited, and supercritical mother, and the other is Sebastian, a man she had an incredible fling with over two years ago on a girls’ weekend. She never saw him again until now. Isn’t this just going to be a fun ride!
Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving.
-Albert Einstein.
REVIEW
THE BREAKAWAY is a perfect title for this charming book, in both the context of the bicycle tour and in defining Abby’s life itself. It has romance and high drama written all over it, and the final pages will have you cheering. The read is fun and immensely satisfying. One of life’s pleasures is to read a book simply for enjoyment. This book is enjoyable.
Author Jenifer Weiner’s writing is expertly crafted and cleverly layered, with many issues that Abby must handle on the bike tour. The book touches on real-life issues such as weight shaming, serial dating, infidelity, abortion, and mother/daughter conflict, which Weiner handles with professionalism and care.
Abby’s character was delightfully real. She is realistic about who she is, her present lifestyle, and her uncertainty about her future. She is nervous about being responsible for the people on this 750-mile bike ride, but she is confident in her abilities to take on the challenge. I enjoyed getting to know such a self-assured and composed woman. When faced with controversy or danger, Abby was always the poised and cool-headed ride leader.
Weiner is a graduate of Princeton and the bestselling author of 21 books which most recently include: The Summer Place (2022), That Summer (2021), and Big Summer (2020). Jennifer lives with her family in Philadelphia.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an advance reading copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I do not wish [women] to have power over men: but over themselves.
– Mary Wollstonecraft, A Vindication of the Rights of Women
Publisher Simon & Schuster
Published August 29, 2023
Review www.bluestockingreviews.com
SUMMARY
Abby Stern, 34, is completely happy with who she is. Despite not having a full-time job, having a messy apartment, and carrying too much weight, she is really happy. She has good friends, her bike, her Philadelphia bike club, and she is at peace with her lifelong battle with weight. Her boyfriend, Mark, loves her just the way she is too!
Mark and Abby met at a weight-loss camp when they were children. They reconnected a few years ago and have been together ever since. Mark is now a podiatrist and half the size he used to be. He adores Abby, despite their differences in weight, tidiness, exercise, and healthy eating. Mark has asked Abby to move in together, but Abby can’t help but think something is missing. She just isn’t sure.
Now Abby is nervously leading a 750 miles Bicycle Tour on the Empire State Trail from New York City to Niagara Falls with a dozen riders. And just to make things interesting, two of those riders are known to her. One is her unwelcome, uninvited, and supercritical mother, and the other is Sebastian, a man she had an incredible fling with over two years ago on a girls’ weekend. She never saw him again until now. Isn’t this just going to be a fun ride!
Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving.
-Albert Einstein.
REVIEW
THE BREAKAWAY is a perfect title for this charming book, in both the context of the bicycle tour and in defining Abby’s life itself. It has romance and high drama written all over it, and the final pages will have you cheering. The read is fun and immensely satisfying. One of life’s pleasures is to read a book simply for enjoyment. This book is enjoyable.
Author Jenifer Weiner’s writing is expertly crafted and cleverly layered, with many issues that Abby must handle on the bike tour. The book touches on real-life issues such as weight shaming, serial dating, infidelity, abortion, and mother/daughter conflict, which Weiner handles with professionalism and care.
Abby’s character was delightfully real. She is realistic about who she is, her present lifestyle, and her uncertainty about her future. She is nervous about being responsible for the people on this 750-mile bike ride, but she is confident in her abilities to take on the challenge. I enjoyed getting to know such a self-assured and composed woman. When faced with controversy or danger, Abby was always the poised and cool-headed ride leader.
Weiner is a graduate of Princeton and the bestselling author of 21 books which most recently include: The Summer Place (2022), That Summer (2021), and Big Summer (2020). Jennifer lives with her family in Philadelphia.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an advance reading copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I do not wish [women] to have power over men: but over themselves.
– Mary Wollstonecraft, A Vindication of the Rights of Women
Publisher Simon & Schuster
Published August 29, 2023
Review www.bluestockingreviews.com
August 23, 2023
Life hurts. It's full of heartache, loss, and disappointment, and even the best things come salted with sorrow. But you can't leave yourself open to the good things -- happiness, true love, real connection -- if you aren't willing to risk being hurt.
Thirty-three-year-old Abby Stern is at a place in her life where she should feel content. Sure, she still isn't quite sure what she wants to do when she "grows up," but she's finally at peace with her plus-size body, and she's in a stable relationship with her preteen summer camp sweetheart, Mark. And yet, she still feels unsettled, not quite sure if she's ready to fully commit to Mark, and unable to forget about a steamy night with a man named Sebastian a couple of years ago.
When Abby gets the opportunity to lead a bike trip from New York City to Niagara Falls, she thinks it will be a chance to get away and clear her head. But she swiftly learns it won't be that simple: Not only is Sebastian, her steamy one-night stand, among the group of bikers she's leading -- so is her mother, with whom she has a complicated relationship after a lifetime of body shaming. And to complicate matters even further, a teenage member of the bike group is harboring a devastating secret...
I read quite a few of Jennifer Weiner's books in the early aughts and then for some unknown reason stopped seeking out her new releases. I'm happy to have rediscovered her with The Breakaway, which is both a breezy rom com and a thoughtful, nuanced meditation on several themes: body positivity, women's health, complex mother-daughter relationships, infidelity, sexuality, and mental health. The narrative is so charming and engaging, and I found it difficult to put the book down. Even though she touches on some serious issues, Weiner maintains a mostly light-hearted tone throughout and I found myself just sitting back and enjoying the (bike) ride. Weiner's writing feels effortless and is full of humor and heart, and Abby and Sebastian are flawed, relatable characters that I was really rooting for.
I wish Weiner had committed a bit more fully to the multiple-perspective structure of this novel, or done away with it entirely, as I'm not sure one of the storylines really fit organically into the overall arc of Abby and Sebastian's story (it felt added for social/political relevance). But mostly, The Breakaway is refreshing and thoughtful and sweet, a novel about learning how to love other people -- and learning how to love yourself, too. Thanks to Atria Books and NetGalley for the early reading opportunity.
December 26, 2023
Consider this...
You are plus-size and sensitive about it.
But…
No one but (maybe Mom) seems to see this about you. Because, they see you as beautiful, talented, sexy and amazing.
Still…
That sexy one-night stand experience which felt like the love of your life, was the one you walked away from without a word.
Instead…
You decided to be with the comfortable guy who meets every meet-cute criteria you could ever ask for!
Decent. ✔️
Handsome. ✔️
A doctor. ✔️
Loves you. ✔️
But…
Even though he created steady, are you okay with scheduled passion?
Is this truly what you want for yourself?
These are the questions that face Abby Stern. Especially when after agreeing to lead a cycling trip to Niagara Falls, Abby finds that her one-night stand (who she hasn’t seen in 2 years) is now joining her on this cycling journey.
What will this encounter do to Abby?
Especially…
When her mother decides to join the cycling trip, too?
What we get as readers…
Is a fun, sweet, sexy romance with believable characters and an emotionally satisfying and optimistic ending.
You are plus-size and sensitive about it.
But…
No one but (maybe Mom) seems to see this about you. Because, they see you as beautiful, talented, sexy and amazing.
Still…
That sexy one-night stand experience which felt like the love of your life, was the one you walked away from without a word.
Instead…
You decided to be with the comfortable guy who meets every meet-cute criteria you could ever ask for!
Decent. ✔️
Handsome. ✔️
A doctor. ✔️
Loves you. ✔️
But…
Even though he created steady, are you okay with scheduled passion?
Is this truly what you want for yourself?
These are the questions that face Abby Stern. Especially when after agreeing to lead a cycling trip to Niagara Falls, Abby finds that her one-night stand (who she hasn’t seen in 2 years) is now joining her on this cycling journey.
What will this encounter do to Abby?
Especially…
When her mother decides to join the cycling trip, too?
What we get as readers…
Is a fun, sweet, sexy romance with believable characters and an emotionally satisfying and optimistic ending.
September 29, 2023
I first read Jennifer Weiner's books in mid-/late-2000s and adored her writing style that often features quirky and spunky ladies, family dysfunction, and romance right at the center. The Breakaway has all of the above and more, including a thrilling and picturesque 2-week group bike ride from NYC to Niagara Falls. (Side note: I love upstate NY, enjoy cycling, and the bike trip sounds so much fun... but there is NO WAY I can't manage that trip in real life. 😂)
The book touches on multiple important (and divisive) issues, though perhaps one too many, as they kind of take the focus away from the main character's self-discovery and romance journeys. That said, the story flows well. I was enamored by the funny and unique characters participating in the bike trip. It was the perfect cozy late summer read for me.
Many thanks for the ARC I received in a Goodreads giveaway. Publication date: August 29, 2023.
The book touches on multiple important (and divisive) issues, though perhaps one too many, as they kind of take the focus away from the main character's self-discovery and romance journeys. That said, the story flows well. I was enamored by the funny and unique characters participating in the bike trip. It was the perfect cozy late summer read for me.
Many thanks for the ARC I received in a Goodreads giveaway. Publication date: August 29, 2023.
September 5, 2023
This book was completely boring. I feel like the whole point of the book was to talk about her political views instead of working on characters. Maybe the author should just switch to writing her political opinions in a book instead of trying to write a story around her beliefs.
September 9, 2023
I had mixed feelings about this book. There were elements I loved and some things that didn't work for me. The main character, Abby, is leading a Breakaway bike tour from NYC to Niagara Falls. I am not a biker but I loved the bike riding parts! It really seems like such an amazing experience. I also enjoyed the eclectic group of riders and wish we had gotten to know them in greater detail, especially since a few were crucial to subplots. I do think that there were a lot of themes and subplots being explored here which ultimately prevented the story from having more depth. Weiner writes about weight, weight loss, romantic relationships, mother-daughter relationships, pregnancy, abortion & woman's choice, cheating and more.
Plus, we have a weird love triangle that just didn't work for me. Abby was in a committed relationship with Mark who had also struggled with food growing up (they met at weight loss camp) and who she describes glowingly often but who she isn't happy with because he doesn't share her love of riding or food indulgences (due to bypass surgery). She has a world rocking one night stand while on a girl's trip with Sebastian, who ends up years later on her riding trip. Sebastian is a bit of a womanizer (there's viral video proof and all!) but we are supposed to believe that these two are meant to be. I wish I could have rooted for them more but I iust never felt invested.
Overall, this was on ok read for me but unfortunately, it's just not one that made a lasting impression.
Plus, we have a weird love triangle that just didn't work for me. Abby was in a committed relationship with Mark who had also struggled with food growing up (they met at weight loss camp) and who she describes glowingly often but who she isn't happy with because he doesn't share her love of riding or food indulgences (due to bypass surgery). She has a world rocking one night stand while on a girl's trip with Sebastian, who ends up years later on her riding trip. Sebastian is a bit of a womanizer (there's viral video proof and all!) but we are supposed to believe that these two are meant to be. I wish I could have rooted for them more but I iust never felt invested.
Overall, this was on ok read for me but unfortunately, it's just not one that made a lasting impression.
August 6, 2023
Just wrapped up 'The Breakaway' by Jennifer Weiner, and I must admit it was a struggle to finish. The central character, Abby, left a lot to be desired in terms of empathy and relatability. While exploring the dynamics of stagnant relationships is crucial in literature, Abby's handling of her situation felt inconsiderate and selfish.
In my opinion, literature has the power to expose the complex layers of human emotions, even those tangled up in infidelity. However, here, it seemed more like Abby's disloyalty was portrayed as a solution to her boredom rather than addressing her internal conflict in a mature way. It was disheartening to see Abby stringing Mark along while she navigated her feelings.
The subplot involving abortion had potential to add depth to the narrative, but it felt somewhat out of place in this storyline. The significance of this topic seemed overshadowed by the focus on infidelity.
Moreover, the character of Sebastian was another point of contention for me. His lack of respect for Abby's boundaries and his arrogance were off-putting. His 'change of heart' felt rushed and unconvincing.
All in all, 'The Breakaway' did not resonate with me. Abby's journey felt more like a missed opportunity to explore a character's growth through adversity. If you're looking for strong, admirable female characters, this might not be the book for you.
In my opinion, literature has the power to expose the complex layers of human emotions, even those tangled up in infidelity. However, here, it seemed more like Abby's disloyalty was portrayed as a solution to her boredom rather than addressing her internal conflict in a mature way. It was disheartening to see Abby stringing Mark along while she navigated her feelings.
The subplot involving abortion had potential to add depth to the narrative, but it felt somewhat out of place in this storyline. The significance of this topic seemed overshadowed by the focus on infidelity.
Moreover, the character of Sebastian was another point of contention for me. His lack of respect for Abby's boundaries and his arrogance were off-putting. His 'change of heart' felt rushed and unconvincing.
All in all, 'The Breakaway' did not resonate with me. Abby's journey felt more like a missed opportunity to explore a character's growth through adversity. If you're looking for strong, admirable female characters, this might not be the book for you.
August 13, 2023
Abby seems to have it all with her boyfriend, Mark. But she cannot forget the memories of a one-night stand she had with a man called Sebastian two years ago. So imagine her surprise when she reluctantly agrees to lead a bike trip from NYC to Niagara Falls and discovers that Sebastian is one of the group members. Even worse, Abby's nagging mother Eileen shows up as well.
This is a cute, easy read that I enjoyed, even if it doesn't have the full zing of some of Weiner's other works. BREAKAWAY is part romance, but also tries to tackle serious social issues such as abortion and body positivity. I think it does the body positivity piece quite well. Abby has struggled with her weight all her life--she and Mark originally met at weight-loss camp before reuniting years later--and she feels as if her mother has never accepted her for who she is. But even if she's still trying to find her way at times, Abby is tough. A cyclist who can fix a flat or cycle for miles in the rain. She impressed me over and over.
As for covering abortion, the book delves into a serious situation. At times, it seems like it handles this topic a little glibly and not always in-depth enough. Things wrap up awfully easily. But it was good to see the topic being covered at all.
My favorite part of BREAKAWAY was Abby and Sebastian. Their chemistry and relationship was enjoyable. I would have liked more of them honestly. The focus on relationships overall was good--mother/daughters, especially. I also learned a lot about cycling from reading this book.
This is a good read, perhaps a little light on the topics it delves into, but enjoyable nonetheless. 3.75 stars. (I wouldn't mind a follow up on Abby and Sebastian!)
I received a copy of this book from Atria Books and Netgalley in return for an unbiased review.
This is a cute, easy read that I enjoyed, even if it doesn't have the full zing of some of Weiner's other works. BREAKAWAY is part romance, but also tries to tackle serious social issues such as abortion and body positivity. I think it does the body positivity piece quite well. Abby has struggled with her weight all her life--she and Mark originally met at weight-loss camp before reuniting years later--and she feels as if her mother has never accepted her for who she is. But even if she's still trying to find her way at times, Abby is tough. A cyclist who can fix a flat or cycle for miles in the rain. She impressed me over and over.
As for covering abortion, the book delves into a serious situation. At times, it seems like it handles this topic a little glibly and not always in-depth enough. Things wrap up awfully easily. But it was good to see the topic being covered at all.
My favorite part of BREAKAWAY was Abby and Sebastian. Their chemistry and relationship was enjoyable. I would have liked more of them honestly. The focus on relationships overall was good--mother/daughters, especially. I also learned a lot about cycling from reading this book.
This is a good read, perhaps a little light on the topics it delves into, but enjoyable nonetheless. 3.75 stars. (I wouldn't mind a follow up on Abby and Sebastian!)
I received a copy of this book from Atria Books and Netgalley in return for an unbiased review.
September 4, 2023
Jennifer Weiner is back and better than ever in this fiercely feminist, body positive book about learning to love yourself just as you are!!
I enjoyed this latest women's fiction/romance from a fav author so, so much!!! The breakaway features Abby, a fat Jewish woman in her early 30s who has grown up knowing her mother hates her size and was constantly trying to get her to lose weight, even sending her to fat camp in the summers.
The only place Abby ever felt free was on a bicycle and its still one of her greatest joys. When the opportunity to lead a cycling road trip arises, Abby reluctantly steps up finding a newfound confidence as she makes new friends, is reunited with her one night stand and is forced to reconcile with her mother who decides to join the trip too.
This book does tackle some heavy topics from male slut-shaming, fatmisia, teen pregnancy and abortion, alcoholism and mental health but it is also a beautiful story of friendship, love, vulnerability and forgiveness.
Great on audio narrated by a full cast and highly recommended for fans of books like Chantel Guerton's Two for the road. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy and Simon and Schuster Audio for a complimentary ALC in exchange for my honest review!
I enjoyed this latest women's fiction/romance from a fav author so, so much!!! The breakaway features Abby, a fat Jewish woman in her early 30s who has grown up knowing her mother hates her size and was constantly trying to get her to lose weight, even sending her to fat camp in the summers.
The only place Abby ever felt free was on a bicycle and its still one of her greatest joys. When the opportunity to lead a cycling road trip arises, Abby reluctantly steps up finding a newfound confidence as she makes new friends, is reunited with her one night stand and is forced to reconcile with her mother who decides to join the trip too.
This book does tackle some heavy topics from male slut-shaming, fatmisia, teen pregnancy and abortion, alcoholism and mental health but it is also a beautiful story of friendship, love, vulnerability and forgiveness.
Great on audio narrated by a full cast and highly recommended for fans of books like Chantel Guerton's Two for the road. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy and Simon and Schuster Audio for a complimentary ALC in exchange for my honest review!
September 11, 2023
Abby is an unlikable character. She moans about being judged about her weight yet she looks at men just as superficially. A main plot line is abortion, which is not mentioned in the description. The author makes it clear that prolifers are old white men who shouldn't have a say. I could go on, but I never would have read it if I knew it was her political views disguised as a rom com
November 22, 2023
While The Breakaway by Jennifer Weiner did bring me to tears and dealt with some particularly important and sensitive subjects, it was also just REALLY fun to read. We get many different viewpoints, and while this can be confusing in some books, I wasn't confused at all the way it was used here and I loved getting a little bit from all the different characters. As the book progressed, I felt like I got to know them all better and better, and I can tell you right now I had 0 interest in Abby getting married to Mark. She is 33, confident, and overall, just a great FMC, and I loved her POV most of all besides Morgan.
The audiobook is fantastic and narrated by quite the cast! Nikki Blonsky, Santino Fontana, Jenni Barber, Soneela Nankani & Joy Osmanski each breathed so much life into their associated characters, and the only small complaint I had was that the narrator for Abby was a little choppy at times. Other than that, it was a wonderful experience and one that I would recommend. You may want to check out triggers before going in (I recommend checking StoryGraph), as those sensitive topics I mentioned, will definitely be triggering for some. Each of the characters is going through something different but equally as important, and I loved the grace with which Weiner handled them all. The cycling aspect was incredibly fun and interesting as well! I will be recommending The Breakaway to anyone who wants a touch of romance, plus girl rep, and smart/sensitive characters.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
The audiobook is fantastic and narrated by quite the cast! Nikki Blonsky, Santino Fontana, Jenni Barber, Soneela Nankani & Joy Osmanski each breathed so much life into their associated characters, and the only small complaint I had was that the narrator for Abby was a little choppy at times. Other than that, it was a wonderful experience and one that I would recommend. You may want to check out triggers before going in (I recommend checking StoryGraph), as those sensitive topics I mentioned, will definitely be triggering for some. Each of the characters is going through something different but equally as important, and I loved the grace with which Weiner handled them all. The cycling aspect was incredibly fun and interesting as well! I will be recommending The Breakaway to anyone who wants a touch of romance, plus girl rep, and smart/sensitive characters.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
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