Big Summer by Jennifer Berg. 5*

Publication Date, May 19, 2020

Jennifer Weiner has been the voice of real women since her debut novel, Good In Bed.  When I say real women, I don’t do it to exclude anyone, but to add to the numbers of people who don’t get picked on for their looks, color, body shape, size, sexual orientation, nationality, age or any of the myriad reasons that get someone labeled as “other.” Jennifer’s books have wonderfully developed inclusive characters who aren’t afraid of showing up in a novel, and I personally find it refreshing.

Daphne Berg is one of those real women. She’s young, not thirty yet, but she is also smart and not a size 2. She’s also a rising star in the social influencer scene. Her adorable parents worked hard to send Daphne to private school where she excelled, but discovered all those elite cool kids, who treated her either as best friend or pariah. Daphne never knows which to expect, especially from her purported “best friend,” Drue Cavanaugh.

Once Weiner has hooked us on these fascinating characters, the book takes a solid turn into romantic murder mystery. Weaving well drawn characters into the idyllic setting of Cape Cod, Berg shows that she knows how to tie the threads up in an unexpected knot. 

This is a great book for summer reading, good for contemporary fiction, romance lovers, and people who enjoy a good mystery. Big Summer is another great read from Jennifer Weiner.

This was a Read Now selection from NetGalley and provided by the wonderful publisher, Atria Books.