Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.63 AVERAGE
3.63 AVERAGE
Full review to be posted on afterdarkbooklovers.com.
I enjoyed it, even if I wanted more on the emotional end of things. A traditional contemporary romance with a BBW heroine and a rugby player who loves all her curves, it was a sweet and sexy (swexy?) change of pace from what I'd just read. I’d read the next in the series.
**ARC provided by author via InkslingerPR for review**
I enjoyed it, even if I wanted more on the emotional end of things. A traditional contemporary romance with a BBW heroine and a rugby player who loves all her curves, it was a sweet and sexy (swexy?) change of pace from what I'd just read. I’d read the next in the series.
**ARC provided by author via InkslingerPR for review**
Took me awhile to read, mainly because I set it down after my eReader needed to be charged and ended up picking up several YA titles instead. Loved the way the novel ended, and especially the grand gesture. Also liked how Dex and Harper hung out with her 11 year old sibling twins, that was kind of sweet.
At some point, for some reason, some one decided that ritual public humiliation and cruelty had to be a part of the journey for plus size heroines in romance. Perhaps this was in the name of realism or for the sake of drama I’m not sure. But it’s not good. And not helpful. For example here’s how one a family member speaks to the main character at a rugby match in full view of strangers early on in Playing It Cool:
“I told you to stay in the stands, not embarrass me by running onto the goddamn field in a pair of jeans you’ve barely managed to squeeze your lard ass into. I have a certain image to maintain, and it does not involve being followed around by fat chicks.”
This is not an isolated incident. And that can’t simply be smoothed over with other messages about body positivity and fat acceptance later on in the book. Adding to that, in these same stories, apparently that the best way for the heroine to triumph over was the love and admiration of a conventionally attractive, high status hot man. I can’t stress how regressive that combination looks to me.
The author knows how to tell a story and there are some good things about this book as well, but a fatigue has set in with these stories and I just can’t justify the endless repetition of this narrative.
“I told you to stay in the stands, not embarrass me by running onto the goddamn field in a pair of jeans you’ve barely managed to squeeze your lard ass into. I have a certain image to maintain, and it does not involve being followed around by fat chicks.”
This is not an isolated incident. And that can’t simply be smoothed over with other messages about body positivity and fat acceptance later on in the book. Adding to that, in these same stories, apparently that the best way for the heroine to triumph over was the love and admiration of a conventionally attractive, high status hot man. I can’t stress how regressive that combination looks to me.
The author knows how to tell a story and there are some good things about this book as well, but a fatigue has set in with these stories and I just can’t justify the endless repetition of this narrative.
I read this on a whim because I had it on my phone and needed something short to read. I enjoyed it enough, but don't think I'll search out the author in the future.
I heard about this book on the Fated Mates podcast, and it popped up on sale for $0.99, so I thought I'd give it a go.
It features a plus-sized heroine, and she's portrayed better than a lot of books which purely fetishize fat women, but there's still a lot of cringey description of her body. Harper is also the 'ideal' curvy girl: skinny waist, big tits, round ass. We know she's tall (almost six foot), but never get a sense if she's a size 10, 14, what. Dex can pick her up and haul her around, but he is a rugby player, after all.
It is a very straightforward by-the-numbers romance. I could anticipate what the final scene would be from the mid point of the book. I enjoyed the build up more than the payoff, the final third of the book seemed pretty rushed.
The book did get some things right: there's a scene where they play strip video game, and she surprises him by taking her pants off first. When she finally takes her bra off, it's reluctantly, and she says that her breasts look better IN the bra. That's definitely a fat girl worry I can relate to!
It features a plus-sized heroine, and she's portrayed better than a lot of books which purely fetishize fat women, but there's still a lot of cringey description of her body. Harper is also the 'ideal' curvy girl: skinny waist, big tits, round ass. We know she's tall (almost six foot), but never get a sense if she's a size 10, 14, what. Dex can pick her up and haul her around, but he is a rugby player, after all.
It is a very straightforward by-the-numbers romance. I could anticipate what the final scene would be from the mid point of the book. I enjoyed the build up more than the payoff, the final third of the book seemed pretty rushed.
The book did get some things right: there's a scene where they play strip video game, and she surprises him by taking her pants off first. When she finally takes her bra off, it's reluctantly, and she says that her breasts look better IN the bra. That's definitely a fat girl worry I can relate to!