If you’re here, then you actually want Big Summer spoilers. If you haven’t read the book yet, go read my review instead!

So, about that body! When Drue was found dead, the story took  a pretty dramatic departure from my expectations. I knew Drue wasn’t being honest about the wedding, but I just thought she had a secret boyfriend, or secret debts, or maybe even another terrible grenade-jumper for Daphne to pose with in wedding photos. I was NOT prepared for murder!

In fact, I was so unprepared for it that I was pretty sure Drue looked dead, but was actually going to be airlifted to a top-class hospital and be saved by money.  I didn’t think she was actually dead, just comic-book dead, sure to be saved in the dramatic next scene.

And, one more spoiler. Throughout Big Summer,  I barely even considered Leela as a character! I thought the opening of the novel, was plot exposition about Daphne’s life and work as plus-size influencer! I saw Leela’s whole company as a device to give Daphne the perfect clothes for every situation, just another body-posi moment for our cute and chubby Insta influencer. I thought Daphne deserved pretty clothes, and really enjoyed when she tired things on and even found a flattering bathing suit, and Leela was basically the vehicle for that. I didn’t even mildly suspect her as the villain!  

I also loved her harsh comments about gullible shoppers really wanting wanting to believe in sustainable, artisan fashion. It was such a counterpoint to the too-perfect sponsor company in the opening of Big Summer.