Despite hearing some mixed reviews, I really loved this book! It's a cute, fun romance with enough social commentary that it isn't pure fluff. When Alexa gets stuck on an elevator with Drew, a handsome doctor, she agrees to be his date to his ex-girlfriends wedding. When things heat up, it's a romance neither of them expected. The twist? Alexa is a curvy black girl and Drew is white. (Well, except it's less of a twist than it could have been. More on that later)
The plot of the book is fairly predictable, but the fun is really in the journey and this book has a lot going for it. Alexa and Drew have a great dynamic, filled with cute banter that I really enjoyed. They are also just really into each other, even though Alexa isn't his normal type. And Alexa is wonderful- she's a smart, successful, passionate woman in her 30's. One of my favorite things about this book is the way that body size is handled. Alexa isn't thin, and she's quite curvy. She is sometimes a little insecure about this, but at other times she's very confident. This is a very body-positive book and I love how it shows a beautiful woman who isn't thin enjoying life, being confident in her sexuality, and ending up with a guy who is more conventionally attractive and fit. Because the truth is that bigger girls don't only attract bigger guys. So thank you to the author for that!
Which brings me to the things that made this a 4 star read instead of 5. One is that once they get together, Alexa and Drew have sex A LOT! And in general they aren't drawn out, explicit scenes, but it sometimes feels like the sex is the dominant force in their relationship which I had mixed feelings about. They do explore other parts of their relationship too, especially as the story progresses, but I still wish it had been a little more balanced. I also think the book could have done more to talk about the interracial nature of their relationship.
It's brought up a few times, but typically without much depth. There is one discussion of teenage exploits and white privilege, but that's about as far as the book ever goes and even that was a bit lackluster. Despite how the blurb sounds, the central conflict in their relationship actually has nothing to do with race. Rather, it has to do with Drew's fear of commitment. Which was still good, but given the premise of the book, I wish the author had done more with the race aspect. Because there was definitely space for it.
Overall though, I thought this was a very strong debut and really enjoyed the book. There are also some great side characters who I would be happy to read more about! Carlos and Olivia maybe? Definitely recommend if you want something fun and romantic.
The plot of the book is fairly predictable, but the fun is really in the journey and this book has a lot going for it. Alexa and Drew have a great dynamic, filled with cute banter that I really enjoyed. They are also just really into each other, even though Alexa isn't his normal type. And Alexa is wonderful- she's a smart, successful, passionate woman in her 30's. One of my favorite things about this book is the way that body size is handled. Alexa isn't thin, and she's quite curvy. She is sometimes a little insecure about this, but at other times she's very confident. This is a very body-positive book and I love how it shows a beautiful woman who isn't thin enjoying life, being confident in her sexuality, and ending up with a guy who is more conventionally attractive and fit. Because the truth is that bigger girls don't only attract bigger guys. So thank you to the author for that!
Which brings me to the things that made this a 4 star read instead of 5. One is that once they get together, Alexa and Drew have sex A LOT! And in general they aren't drawn out, explicit scenes, but it sometimes feels like the sex is the dominant force in their relationship which I had mixed feelings about. They do explore other parts of their relationship too, especially as the story progresses, but I still wish it had been a little more balanced. I also think the book could have done more to talk about the interracial nature of their relationship.
It's brought up a few times, but typically without much depth. There is one discussion of teenage exploits and white privilege, but that's about as far as the book ever goes and even that was a bit lackluster. Despite how the blurb sounds, the central conflict in their relationship actually has nothing to do with race. Rather, it has to do with Drew's fear of commitment. Which was still good, but given the premise of the book, I wish the author had done more with the race aspect. Because there was definitely space for it.
Overall though, I thought this was a very strong debut and really enjoyed the book. There are also some great side characters who I would be happy to read more about! Carlos and Olivia maybe? Definitely recommend if you want something fun and romantic.