Release Date: July 9th, 2013
Genre(s): Adult Chick-Lit/Contemporary Romance
My Review: (3.5/5 stars*)
I both loved and hated this book. When I first picked this one up I
instantly thought it was going to be laugh-out-loud funny—it wasn't.
It's part inspirational & motivating, part romance, with witticisms
abound. The main character Holly's self-loathing made me loathe her but
overtime I grew to like her page by page. I've never read anything quite
like Big Girl Panties, it's a unique and surprising story. I liked a
lot of things about Holly, especially how she reclaims her life and
sheds the pounds for herself, and then overcomes the rest of her issues
with inner-strength the size of Texas. She was relatable, likeable, and
quick with the sarcastic remarks. Logan is from another world completely
and sees something in Holly that triggers his need to help her face her
fears and start living again. The connection between them is evident as
both friend and mentor. I didn't think this would be a romantic story
but it was.
I had a difficult time accepting Logan's feelings for
Holly as genuine. Logan goes from being repulsed by Holly to being
near-obsessively attracted to her. I guess the thing that most irked me
was that no matter how fit she got Logan still wanted her to make
improvements even when she was finally comfortable in her own skin and
other characters thought so too. Somehow by the end of the novel instead
of it being Holly's journey of transformation it suddenly became
Logans. With little personality development through out he miraculously
has a breakthrough and admits to himself and her that despite all odds
he loves her. For awhile the very idea of liking Holly in that way makes
him ashamed and that's where things got iffy for me. Even though the
romance part of Big Girl Panties was a bit unbelievable and Logan was
pretentious and half the time a downright jerk I still enjoyed this
book.
Holly is an amazing character she's fearless, determined,
has unwavering strength, and she's a beautiful and kind person beneath
the layers. What drew me to her character was her personality. She's
super witty, outgoing, and fun. Logan had his moments of being
thoughtful, kind, and considerate so I didn't totally dislike his
character. I loved his friends Amanda and Chase Walker although they had
a weird fetish that creeped me out just a little. Aside from that they
also contributed to Holly reinventing herself, and they both accepted
her for who she was and never pushed her to be more. I guess that's
where my problem with Logan came in, because he wanted her to fit his
own image.
Overall Big Girl Panties has a good story with some
great characters. Holly's road to success was a satisfying aspect, as
was her comical retorts. It's a slow-moving progression of events but if
you liked Holly as much as I did you'll stick to finishing it. There
was a mountain of issues to overcome and the main character faced each
one with unwavering resolve. The writing was nicely executed for a debut
novel, and it had an unconventional love-story that will leave you
entertained. If you enjoy wit, strong-minded characters, and opposites
attract narratives this book should appeal to you.
Synopsis:
They say that big girls
don't cry. But when the chips are down and the dip is gone, what can you
do? Pull up your BIG GIRL PANTIES and change your life.
Holly
Brennan didn't expect to be a widow at thirty-two. She also didn't
expect to be so big. Through her husband Bruce's diagnosis and death,
food was the one thing she could always count on. Now, those extra
pounds make flying coach more than a little mortifying-especially since
she's sitting next to Adonis himself, aka Logan Montgomery, a personal
trainer to the country's most famous pro athletes.
Though Holly
doesn't make the grade on his first-impression meter, Logan finds
himself intrigued by her sharp wit and keen insight-a welcome change
from the beautiful bubble-headed dolls he usually dates-and impulsively
offers to get her back in shape. Ready to make at least one positive
change in her life, Holly agrees.
To Logan's (and her own)
surprise, Holly turns out to be a natural in the gym. Throwing herself
into exercise, the red head with the blazing wit and welcoming smile
slims down into a bonafide looker with killer curves-and a new kind of
hunger. Soon, the easy intimacy and playful banter of their training
sessions lead Logan and Holly into the bedroom where they share their
most intense and steamy workouts yet.
