DNF because this book is wildly fatphobic. Also, I don't really like that there is an accounting of the food the character eats because that can encourage disordered eating. The character also comments about her large hips, which are 22 inches. The average woman's hips are 35 inches. The love interest doesn't find her attractive until she loses weight, which is shallow. The book tries to have it both ways, condemning her prick of a boss for being fatphobic, but not condemning the love interest. ( )

I'm interested in reading this, but I really hope it isn't one of those books where the heroine becomes progressively more attractive to the hero as she loses weight...

I'm interested in reading this, but I really hope it isn't one of those books where the heroine becomes progressively more attractive to the hero as she loses weight...

An actually BELIEVABLE story about a plus size woman (I believe she starts out at 250 lbs and a size 22. As a woman who weighs within a 10 lb radius of 240 and is generally a size 20/22, clearly the author knows her stuff. Not like a certain other novel that shall remain nameless that talks about a woman so grotesquely fat that everyone stares at her and pities her and she's fat because she eats 6 bacon sandwiches for breakfast every day, and oh, by the way, weighs 200 lbs and is 5'9". Sure. But I digress).

Cute story about Lucy, a marketing exec who gets roped into being the guinea pig in a marketing gimmick for a gym, in which she engages in a challenge to lose up to 100 lbs in a year. Her interactions with Theo (her hunky personal trainer) are heartwarming, though at times they suddenly seem to flip an emotional switch and left me thinking "Wait, what just happened?" Lucy's story is inspiring (even though it's fiction) and made me re-examine some of my own life choices, and today I joined a gym, haha. I'd love if my husband would come work out with me and we could have the sort of partnership Lucy and Theo do, supporting, encouraging, and challenging each other. I also loved much of the supporting cast (like Theo's brother Buddy) and could take or leave others (Lucy's sister).

Some steamy bits, but more about the story than the sex. If you're reading this one aloud to your Grandma, you may want to skip a few choice pages. ;) ( )

This is my first experience reading a novel by Susan Donovan. It's a very interesting book. I love the characters and the story. It has enough sugar and spice. Kudos, Susan Donovan. Looking forward for more books from you. ( )