The Breakaway features the sure-footed storytelling readers have come to expect from bestselling author Jennifer Weiner (The Summer Place; That Summer; Mrs. Everything). The story takes readers through the journey, mostly on a bicycle, of 33-year-old ("almost 34") Abby Stern. Abby's mother and society in general have instilled in her feelings of inadequacy about her plus-size body. Nonetheless, Abby has the perfect boyfriend in Mark. He has loved her since they met at weight-loss camp as teenagers. Abby's life path seems to be laid out in front of her: they will move in together and, Abby assumes, Mark eventually will propose.
But she has flashes of a sense that the perfect life of a doctor's wife might not be for her, so she hesitates. Building on her biking prowess, she decides to lead a cycling tour. But there are two unexpected participants: a former one-night stand named Sebastian, who seemed out of her perceived league, and her mother, Eileen. Both seem determined to forge a closer relationship with Abby. To complicate matters, Sebastian becomes the subject of a viral TikTok video on the second day of the trip. The video--a group of friends realize that each has slept with him--highlights his promiscuity. Abby feels unsettled about both her mother's presence and Sebastian's new infamy. Abby will ride into the sunset, but whether it's with Mark (who doesn't ride at all), Eileen, Sebastian, or by herself is the choice she will make, using all her characteristic wit and intelligence. --Elizabeth DeNoma, executive editor, DeNoma Literary Services, Seattle, Wash.