Scan barcode
bethanghi's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 love how body positive and sassy this book is! It's a fun read full of food, girls, and empowerment.
beccacantread's review against another edition
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fatphobia and Eating disorder
feliciasrose's review against another edition
There is something about the voice that Taj takes on that does not work for me. Maybe it's third person issues but third person is okay. If I'm not chuckling or invested on chapter one. I don't think it makes sense to continue so I'm moving on. I don't see myself finding something to make me rate it higher than a 3 star right now.
stateofiction's review against another edition
3.5
idk why I went into this thinking it was a rom-com, but I quickly readjusted my expectations. this is definitely women's fiction about self improvement and self love with really supporting friends and a hot guy with a dog. overall I enjoyed this, but it just isn't something I'll think about again. I will say that this book made me hungry as fuck!! Savvy is a creative hobby chef and everything she makes is described in detail and.... can I come over?
however, while the food descriptions were phenomenal, the character descriptions lacked. I didn't even know Savvy wore glasses until over halfway through the book when she was getting contacts. I didn't know a character was holding something until they interacted with it further. it was just things like that that made me go "wait did I miss something?" and the answer was no it wasn't me it was the author.
also there is a HP reference in a book published in 2022 so shame on that.
however, while the food descriptions were phenomenal, the character descriptions lacked. I didn't even know Savvy wore glasses until over halfway through the book when she was getting contacts. I didn't know a character was holding something until they interacted with it further. it was just things like that that made me go "wait did I miss something?" and the answer was no it wasn't me it was the author.
also there is a HP reference in a book published in 2022 so shame on that.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming
zayah_wrights's review against another edition
3.0
I'd read this book for weeks and somewhere along the line kind of had a burning need for something else and I just never went back to it. Until I did.
And now that I finished it, I think it's safe to rate it a solid 3 stars.
I enjoyed it and the message it aims to send to readers all over the world, I just wish the layout would've been done a bit differently. Here, we have Savannah Sheldon, a bright, ambitious and kind woman who finds herself in a long-term relationship with someone who doesn't value a single thing about her. She settles into a routine with this guy and before she knows it, it's been years since they 've been together yet they literally have nothing to show for their union.
If anything, Jason is hell bent on breaking Savvy down then leaving her behind to tend to the scars of his verbal abuse and cruelty all alone. He dumps her, saying he doesn't appreciate how she's let herself go and that as his career is starting to look up, he needs a proper woman by his side (don't even ask who's been helping him out in the time that he was unemployed!)
Heartbroken, Savvy makes few promises to herself and throughout the length of the novel we see her reach each and every one of her goals. She gets back into the court and starts toning her body and improving her fitness, she excels at work which earns her a promotion, she meets new people and even strikes a cooking book deal along the way, she finally commits and gets someone to help her remodel her house (drumroll: she and the contractor fall in love)
All in all, this is an amazing book. I loved the descriptions and other narrative devices that painted the full picture of what Taj wanted us to see while reading their work.
And now that I finished it, I think it's safe to rate it a solid 3 stars.
I enjoyed it and the message it aims to send to readers all over the world, I just wish the layout would've been done a bit differently. Here, we have Savannah Sheldon, a bright, ambitious and kind woman who finds herself in a long-term relationship with someone who doesn't value a single thing about her. She settles into a routine with this guy and before she knows it, it's been years since they 've been together yet they literally have nothing to show for their union.
If anything, Jason is hell bent on breaking Savvy down then leaving her behind to tend to the scars of his verbal abuse and cruelty all alone. He dumps her, saying he doesn't appreciate how she's let herself go and that as his career is starting to look up, he needs a proper woman by his side (don't even ask who's been helping him out in the time that he was unemployed!)
Heartbroken, Savvy makes few promises to herself and throughout the length of the novel we see her reach each and every one of her goals. She gets back into the court and starts toning her body and improving her fitness, she excels at work which earns her a promotion, she meets new people and even strikes a cooking book deal along the way, she finally commits and gets someone to help her remodel her house (drumroll: she and the contractor fall in love)
All in all, this is an amazing book. I loved the descriptions and other narrative devices that painted the full picture of what Taj wanted us to see while reading their work.
birdabouttown's review against another edition
lighthearted
slow-paced
2.0
Ugh. Disappointed by this one. The dialog felt stilted and so many parts of the book were boring—lots of skimming
fbee's review against another edition
I wanted to love this book-but I found the writing painfully detailed and verbose
allibee's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 Stars
3 Chili Peppers
This book was about Savvy discovering that her life isn't as wonderful as she thinks it is. Especially after her long-term boyfriend dumps her in the most shallow and pretentious way ever.
Savvy decides she's going to change her life for the better and discovers, along the way, that even what she wants for herself may not bring her happiness. I loved following Savvy through her fitness journey to just get stronger and have more energy. I adored her boss and how he helps evolve her role to better fit her lifestyle and not force her to change completely for a promotion.
There was also a love story involved but I enjoyed how it wasn't the main focus of the book. The author made a point to display her ride-or-die relationship with her friends over Spencer, the super sexy contractor who Savvy thought was homeless. They mention this multiple times in the book and it kind of irked me a bit. Maybe because I live in a city with a high homeless population and I didn't think it was something to joke about(?). Don't let that deter you from reading this novel though. It's all about a woman doing the most to better herself when her life is falling around her and she kills it. Such a fun read.
3 Chili Peppers
This book was about Savvy discovering that her life isn't as wonderful as she thinks it is. Especially after her long-term boyfriend dumps her in the most shallow and pretentious way ever.
Savvy decides she's going to change her life for the better and discovers, along the way, that even what she wants for herself may not bring her happiness. I loved following Savvy through her fitness journey to just get stronger and have more energy. I adored her boss and how he helps evolve her role to better fit her lifestyle and not force her to change completely for a promotion.
There was also a love story involved but I enjoyed how it wasn't the main focus of the book. The author made a point to display her ride-or-die relationship with her friends over Spencer, the super sexy contractor who Savvy thought was homeless. They mention this multiple times in the book and it kind of irked me a bit. Maybe because I live in a city with a high homeless population and I didn't think it was something to joke about(?). Don't let that deter you from reading this novel though. It's all about a woman doing the most to better herself when her life is falling around her and she kills it. Such a fun read.
jennymcc97's review against another edition
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5