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lurker_stalker's review
4.0
I love a romance that has humor, angst, and complex characters. Big Girl Pill had all of that and more. And bonus points for gaming references!
lezreadalot's review
3.0
Friends wasn’t even the right word. She had no idea what they were now, but it was better than nothing. Maya wasn’t ready for them to be nothing.
3.5 stars. This was an enjoyable romance; not quite my favourite from this author, but a really fun read. It played a lot of the hits: friends to lovers, small town romance, second chance romance. Maya and Nina are best friends, but their relationship has been strained ever since their one night stand two years ago. Maya is back in town to participate in Nina's upcoming wedding and reconnect with her brothers, as well as wrestling with her feelings for Nina. Nina, meanwhile, has to deal with an overbearing mother and fiancé, and also the reality of what that night two years ago really meant to her. There are prickly feelings on both sides as they circle each other, and the romance moves fairly slow. I didn't feel the connection between them so much in the first half, but things started coming together more in the second half. There are a couple of really intense moments between them that I loved. All in all, though, the romance didn't move me overly?
This can definitely be classified as a romcom and family drama. Some of the quirky humour and hijinks worked for me; some of it didn't really land. I liked Maya's side-plot with her twin brother who's trying to find his niche (I like seeing stuff about the video game industry in books). Nina's plot with her mother was good but... heavy-handed? I don't want to say her mother's levels of bigotry and hatred were unrealistic, because there are definitely people like that in the world, but it was written about in a almost caricaturish way, which (for me, at least) can sometimes be worse than not addressing bigotry at all. Rachel was fun as a side character, but again, not all of the humour really worked for me.
Listened to the audiobook as read by Wesleigh Siobhan, and really loved it. One of my favourite things ever is discovering new narrators, and she's a keeper, for sure. I just really like her voice and the way she performs. This was a really good book, and the fact that I didn't enjoy it as much as I wanted might just be down to my weird mood this past day. I'd still recommend it.
Content warnings:
Spoiler
homophobia, racism, mentions of parental deathmarythewriter's review
5.0
What a beautiful love story, it made my heart warm.
I’m sooo happy I stumbled upon this author.
Firstly, I feel like Williamson didn’t write characters, they wrote human beings. I loved the Davis siblings in particular, I’m like I wish I knew these guys in real life lol
I would liken Williamson’s writing style to that of Jacinta Howard and Tia Williams. It’s so picturesque and immersive.
I am so in love with Maya & Nina and Rachael too
I’m sooo happy I stumbled upon this author.
Firstly, I feel like Williamson didn’t write characters, they wrote human beings. I loved the Davis siblings in particular, I’m like I wish I knew these guys in real life lol
I would liken Williamson’s writing style to that of Jacinta Howard and Tia Williams. It’s so picturesque and immersive.
I am so in love with Maya & Nina and Rachael too
laconni4's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
funny
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
claudia_is_reading's review against another edition
2.0
Sorry, I just don't get this story.
Part of it is because I don't like any of the characters, and the rest it's because the whole scheme seemed ludicrous to me. Why would you want to keep in touch with a woman that treated you the way that Nina did? And why would you accept to be part of her wedding? Unless you are a doormat, it makes no sense, at all.
And nothing along the way made me change my opinion, so I guess this wasn't the book for me :/
Part of it is because I don't like any of the characters, and the rest it's because the whole scheme seemed ludicrous to me. Why would you want to keep in touch with a woman that treated you the way that Nina did? And why would you accept to be part of her wedding? Unless you are a doormat, it makes no sense, at all.
And nothing along the way made me change my opinion, so I guess this wasn't the book for me :/
netgyrl's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 Stars - Audible version - Terrific Narrator
The book started very strong with interesting premise, great writing and wonderful narration. As the book moved along I found myself feeling kinda "meh" about it and wondering why. I think it is because our main love interests spend most of the book not sharing any scenes together. When they do get together they are within each others orbits for 10 mins before one or the other storms off. It was hard to get invested in their romance when they were hardly together. I totally get why Maya is pissed and avoiding Nina, but if they are not together enough for me to understand the initial attraction/friendship between them it makes it hard to care. By the 80% mark or so, they are together a lot more.
There is a LOT of descriptions of food and I want to visit EVERY restaurant the author talks about in the book.
The secondary characters are great and there is much personal growth happening for our MC's especially Nina. (proud of you girl!)
Bottom line: it was an ok story with an excellent narrator, a HEA and great restaurant recommendations :)
The book started very strong with interesting premise, great writing and wonderful narration. As the book moved along I found myself feeling kinda "meh" about it and wondering why. I think it is because our main love interests spend most of the book not sharing any scenes together. When they do get together they are within each others orbits for 10 mins before one or the other storms off. It was hard to get invested in their romance when they were hardly together. I totally get why Maya is pissed and avoiding Nina, but if they are not together enough for me to understand the initial attraction/friendship between them it makes it hard to care. By the 80% mark or so, they are together a lot more.
There is a LOT of descriptions of food and I want to visit EVERY restaurant the author talks about in the book.
The secondary characters are great and there is much personal growth happening for our MC's especially Nina. (proud of you girl!)
Bottom line: it was an ok story with an excellent narrator, a HEA and great restaurant recommendations :)
rickosborne's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
This story falls squarely into my "not awful but not my jam" pile. I really enjoyed Maya's family dynamics, and as much as Nina's family was a counterpoint dumpster fire, I grew up in the South, and have heard much of the same bigoted crap.
Having said that, I didn't get a sense of symmetric character growth, so it felt like the entire story hinged on one MC just being nice to the other, and not challenging them. It's also a weird feeling when you like the side characters more than the MC, and are more interested in their stories than what's going on in the main plot.
Maybe if you really enjoy redemption and reconciliation stories, this will be more to your liking than it was to mine.
Sex:two R-rated scenes
Tags: #BiPansexualMC #CareerChange #ConfrontingHomophobia #DualPOV #FamilyIssues #FriendsToLovers #SecondChance #SlowBurn #ThirdPersonPOV #Weddings
Having said that, I didn't get a sense of symmetric character growth, so it felt like the entire story hinged on one MC just being nice to the other, and not challenging them. It's also a weird feeling when you like the side characters more than the MC, and are more interested in their stories than what's going on in the main plot.
Maybe if you really enjoy redemption and reconciliation stories, this will be more to your liking than it was to mine.
Sex:
Tags: #BiPansexualMC #CareerChange #ConfrontingHomophobia #DualPOV #FamilyIssues #FriendsToLovers #SecondChance #SlowBurn #ThirdPersonPOV #Weddings
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism and Homophobia
Several scenes contain homophobia and racism ranging from backhanded to vitriolic. One FMC struggles with internalized homophobia.patricia71's review
3.0
What to say... It started really good. With lots of chemistry between Nina and Maya. And the pain in Maya because she would see the love of her life marry someone else, was very noticeable. I was hurting for her. And I could also feel the struggle inside Nina. I loved Rachel (hopefully she will get her ons story) I hated Nina’s mom and disliked Drew. All noticeable feelings. Up till then 5 stars. Than they got ‘together’ finally. And here’s when it turned to 4 stars for me. They had been waiting for 2 years to have sex with eachother again. They were both horny especially Maya who had had those feelings since forever. And than they really kiss...hotly..and than Maya starts about her brother who invited them for diner and a couple of minutes later about Nina’s mother. For me at that point clothes should have come of. I love a slow burn, but this slowness while they wanted eachother so much that there was electricity with every innocent touch was not realistic for me anymore. It dragged in so much that when it finally happend I was not invested anymore and just wanted the book to finish. Which is why it made me end up giving it 3 stars.
And what was up with all the weed and drinking like they were still teenagers!!
And what was up with all the weed and drinking like they were still teenagers!!
judeinthestars's review
5.0
4.5 *
Nina was Maya’s best friend, the most important person in her life – with her brothers –, until they slept together one drunken night in their last year of college. Nina, a supposedly straight girl, had complained about a bad experience with a woman (it’s college, right?) and Maya had offered to show her how it’s done. Maya had feelings for Nina, but never told her. Nina had feelings too but didn’t acknowledge them, not even to herself. What she felt that night terrified her to the point that she hurt Maya badly the next day. She immediately regretted it and tried hard for two years to maintain some sort of relationship between them. Maya went along, albeit reluctantly. Now, two years later, Nina is getting married to a man and Maya has agreed to be her bridesmaid, hoping it (i.e. the pain of it all) will help her to finally move on, while Nina is hoping to get her best friend back.
I’ve been struggling with this review for a couple of days and I think it’s because the things I loved about this story are mostly small, intangible things. I loved the characters, I loved Maya’s determination and sensitivity, I loved Nina’s journey to accept herself, I loved Rachel’s (Nina’s maid of honor and her loud and proud lesbian cousin) brashness, I loved everything about Maya’s brothers and the family dynamics, I loved Drew’s (Nina’s fiancé) confusion, I loved hating Nina’s horrifyingly shallow and bigoted mother and I loved that Nina’s first act of rebellion was choosing Rachel, her mother’s despised niece, and Maya, a black woman, both lesbians, as her bridesmaids. I also loved the interaction between Rachel and Nina, and between Rachel and Maya. The three of them together make the best scenes. Their lunch together when they first reunite is one of these, my heart was breaking for Maya and Nina, it was so awkward and sad.
The whole story is excellent and heartwarming. I also found myself smiling unexpectedly quite a few times, and it all felt very natural. I loved that the angst never felt forced, I loved the doubts and the will to trust, I loved the humour and witty dialogue even in dark and deep moments. And I think most of all, I loved loved loved Rachel, she’s someone you’d be lucky to have in your corner.
I received a copy from the publisher and I am voluntarily leaving a review.
Nina was Maya’s best friend, the most important person in her life – with her brothers –, until they slept together one drunken night in their last year of college. Nina, a supposedly straight girl, had complained about a bad experience with a woman (it’s college, right?) and Maya had offered to show her how it’s done. Maya had feelings for Nina, but never told her. Nina had feelings too but didn’t acknowledge them, not even to herself. What she felt that night terrified her to the point that she hurt Maya badly the next day. She immediately regretted it and tried hard for two years to maintain some sort of relationship between them. Maya went along, albeit reluctantly. Now, two years later, Nina is getting married to a man and Maya has agreed to be her bridesmaid, hoping it (i.e. the pain of it all) will help her to finally move on, while Nina is hoping to get her best friend back.
I’ve been struggling with this review for a couple of days and I think it’s because the things I loved about this story are mostly small, intangible things. I loved the characters, I loved Maya’s determination and sensitivity, I loved Nina’s journey to accept herself, I loved Rachel’s (Nina’s maid of honor and her loud and proud lesbian cousin) brashness, I loved everything about Maya’s brothers and the family dynamics, I loved Drew’s (Nina’s fiancé) confusion, I loved hating Nina’s horrifyingly shallow and bigoted mother and I loved that Nina’s first act of rebellion was choosing Rachel, her mother’s despised niece, and Maya, a black woman, both lesbians, as her bridesmaids. I also loved the interaction between Rachel and Nina, and between Rachel and Maya. The three of them together make the best scenes. Their lunch together when they first reunite is one of these, my heart was breaking for Maya and Nina, it was so awkward and sad.
The whole story is excellent and heartwarming. I also found myself smiling unexpectedly quite a few times, and it all felt very natural. I loved that the angst never felt forced, I loved the doubts and the will to trust, I loved the humour and witty dialogue even in dark and deep moments. And I think most of all, I loved loved loved Rachel, she’s someone you’d be lucky to have in your corner.
I received a copy from the publisher and I am voluntarily leaving a review.