I love the Hartigans so much. I want to be part of that family. This book had me laughing from start to finish. This is a make you feel good story with heat. I loved Lucy. I could relate to her because the way she feels was me in high school and college. All those unpleasant memories came flooding back so yeah I can relate to her. Frankie, can I say by his description he is yummy! A really tall ginger firefighter. What I loved most about this book is banter between Frankie and Lucy. They had so much chemistry that worked so well for this book. Another favorite part for me is hoe Lucy see the true Frankie others overlook. If you haven't read these books with the Hartigan clan you'e truly missing out! I can't wait for the next book!

*3 Stars*

ARC kindly received in exchange for an honest review.

Whilst I enjoyed the storyline and premise of the book, I did feel that it was a little too long. For the most part, I liked both of our main characters, Lucy and Frankie, although I didn't like how Lucy was constantly harping on about her size and taking everything the wrong way.

I mean, yes, I understand her issues and that it would be horrible to be called out about your weight constantly, but at the same time, she didn't really give people a chance some of the time. Yes, some comments made during the book were totally uncalled for, and she took them correctly, but at other times, she was jumping to conclusions before thinking about it.

I think I liked Frankie the most out of our two main leads, but sometimes I just wished he would actually tell Lucy what he was thinking. Whilst I know he had his reasons, sometimes I think he would have just been better off spitting it out.

I did like the way he stood up for Lucy and accepted her for who she was. Lucy was the one who had trouble trusting and accepting things. I did think that when issues were resolved they were resolved nicely, although some a little too fast. The ending was really perfect for these two and also leaves open an interesting comment for the next book.

So yes, this was enjoyable and a great idea for a storyline, but it just wasn't one of my faves.

4 1/2 STARS!

Feisty, eye-openingly real and laugh out loud funny! With the second book in her The Hartigans spin-off, Avery Flynn brings us another story of a non-societly perfect woman getting her happily ever after. The story line grabbed my attention very quickly, and kept my emotions invested throughout. Great characters, a fun wit and a tackling of a really important subject . Really enjoyed this story!

Even after being a plus-size woman all of her life, publicist Lucy Kavanagh still can't believe some of the things people have the audacity to say to her ... take tonight for example. She's quietly minding her own business having dinner at a bar after a horrendous day at work and some jerk comes up to her and tells her she might be able to get a man if she had ordered a salad instead of that burger. What an imbecile! 

When firefighter Frankie Hartigan sees some guy getting under Lucy's skin at the bar, he steps up to see what he can do to have her back. She's the best friend of his brother's girl and family is family. He gleans the problem quickly and steps in to apologize for being late to their date and puts the jerk in his place. Sharing a dinner with Lucy is fun, and amid their chatter, the fact that she's not going to her high school reunion that's coming up makes it's way into the conversation. It just so happens he has time on his hands that he can't figure out how to fill, so he's taking her to that reunion ... and she's going to have fun no matter what she thinks!

Even if you've never struggled the way Lucy did in high school, every one of us can remember how awkward school life was if you didn't look or behave the way "regular" children did. Lucy hides her hurt & insecurity behind a loud, in-your-face attitude. But the crushing fear of attending her high school reunion solo prompts her to take Frankie Hartigan up on his offer to be her date for the weekend.

Frankie is a big softie underneath his aloof, love 'em and leave 'em attitude. So, when he's told that he may never be someone's HEA story, it hits him hard. A natural protector, he quickly jumps to Lucy's rescue and offers her his company to her reunion. As they spend time together, Frankie begins to fall for the girl beneath the veneer.

I fell for Frankie so hard. He was a romantic in every sense of the word. Sure, he loved that she was competitive & funny, but he cared about her insecurities, too, and loved her in spite of them all.

My dislike came near the end of the book, when Lucy unjustly attacked Frankie, in my opinion. It rubbed me the wrong way that he felt so guilty when he'd done very little to deserve her fury.

Overall, though, this is a fun, steamy read. Ms. Flynn created a superb plot with an excellent story line and awesome secondary characters. This is the first of the Hartigans series I've read, and I plan to remedy that soon.

I voluntarily read & reviewed an ARC of this book via NetGalley.

It is like... I only read romance? Right? But I can't help it, romance porn is my muse! And to be fair, after all this moody romance I needed a break, so here we are, bring on the RomCom! I have never heard of Avery Flynn, nor this series at all until I randomly signed up for a review chance - I mean can you blame me? Did you read that synopsis? Yeah, couldn't stop myself.

First things first, what did I absolutely adore about this gem? Well lots...

The characters were a different blend of all things nice. In one corner we have Lucy. Lucy is incredibly fierce female lead, as a reader, especially a female reader, it is easy to find a side on Lucy that is utterly relatable. Her sarcastic, witty comebacks are one for the books, she charms the pants off of me in a heartbeat, plus she is fiercely confident on many aspects, she is a proud curvy woman. I love that, it is refreshing to see a female lead who isn't described as a barbie figure but a natural, curvy woman. So I really did enjoy her, there is a point however that her personality did start to irk me, at least on a particular dynamic. On one angle, she is confident, tough shelled, headstrong but with this she has a flaw. This flaw is that she does still carry a huge weight of insecurity. I know, I know, this isn't something I should nitpick with, but let me explain - her overly confident projection really covers up her true self-esteem insecurities, one that makes her rather aggressive. Aggressive enough to create a drama that isn't really there. I don't want to say too much, because I would spoil major plot developments, but honestly there are at least five main pivotal moments when she allows herself to go on this defense, creating a barrier between her and the issue. It was exhausting to listen to her be 'confident' yet use sarcasm as a deflect when she let herself feel inferior. Many of these issues lie with the delicious Frankie...

Whew, and shimmer my timbers, Frankie. He is definitely an interesting blend of the alpha-male syndrome I gush over in my romance reads. He was the perfect additive to the comedy, he was not only drool worthy, but his witty, charming personality really sparkled the romance. 

And that romance - hot diggity dog it was steamy. Putting my prior comments aside about Lucy, Frankie and Lucy together was amazing. Frankie really enhanced the confident appeal from Lucy as their sexual attraction grew. At first both trying to 'friend-zone' the other, it became apparent rather early they let their dirty minds go flying, that dynamic really shined throughout the build of their chemistry. Between the hilarious banker, their ability to feed of the others personality making them both comfortable in their own skin together, and their sexual connection was just enough to either have me swooning hardcore or laughing like a giddy schoolgirl. 

Definitely, as you can tell, really enjoyed a lot about Muffin Top. It was witty dialogue, intense romance with a very raw, relatable dynamic, and honestly found myself clutching my stomach laughing from the shenanigans. If you are looking for a break from your normal romance porn, need some chuckles and a swoon worthy romance, this is a RomCom you need to read! I cannot wait to dive into more Avery Flynn, I need to go back and read Butterface and then pine away until I can get my greedy hands on Tomboy! Stalking has commenced!

Muffin Top by Avery Flynn was yet another quirky, sweet and sexy story. I loved how Frankie fell for Lucy even when he was telling himself she wasn’t his type, she was getting under his skin and worming her way into his psyche, and that’s without even trying or knowingly doing it.
Lucy was given the nickname Muffin Top by her dad when she was a toddler. But unfortunately the name followed her throughout her school life and ended up being used against her because she wasn’t the skinny little thing expected by society. Now, a grown woman, she’s sexy, curvy and has to fight for her right to just be who she is.
Frankie, on the other hand, is Mr. Sexy Firefighter and has woman falling at his feet, but he’s getting bored with that life and wants more.
These two barely know each other, but when Frankie sees Lucy being verbally lambasted by a douchebag, he can’t help going to her aid and in the process, invites himself along to her high school reunion as her plus one. Lucy isn’t sure she wants to go to her reunion. It means an eighteen hour drive but Frankie won’t take no for an answer.
One road trip later and the stakes are getting high. Can these two opposites stay just friends or will fate continue to lend a hand and give them the happy ever after the both are looking for?
This was a wonderfully light-hearted tale with a sprinkling of angst, both Frankie and Lucy have some baggage that’s holding them back. They have one week together and it doesn’t take long before they are both falling. This was a kinda slow burning story, with some witty banter, each giving as good as they got. But, their chemistry was through the roof, HAWT and not to be denied but what will happen when the return to their real lives. Can these two make it to the end?
Grab your copy and out today

I first fell in love with Frankie Hartigan from the moment he showed up in Butterface, so when I saw that he was getting is own story, I practically jumped for joy - and I couldn't wait to meet the woman who would tame him. In Butterface, he seemed untameable, but as every romance reader knows, those are the ones that usually fall the hardest. And fall he did. Lucy is his match in every way and she sure gives him a run for his money. It was so fun, watching their love story unfold. Can't wait to see what's next for the Hartigan clan!

5 Stars

This book is downright hilarious, sweet, sexy, sarcastic and full of some of the most realistic characters I have had the pleasure of reading about in some time. Frankie is a stand up guy, a firefighter that women cannot get enough of, and he tries to always do the right thing. He winds up crossing paths with Lucy while being that good guy he tries so hard to be. Lucy is a sarcastic and intelligent woman that is used to people treating her as “less than” because she doesn’t fit the mold of traditional beauty. This story is heartwarming and laugh out loud funny. I loved this couple, as well as many of the other characters so much I struggled putting this book down before finishing it (of course gotta feed the kids and take care of them...LOL). Ms. Flynn has given us a story I believe anyone can relate to because we all have something that makes us insecure, we all have our own defense mechanisms, just like Lucy and Frankie. She has given us characters that make us feel so many different emotions and in the end cause us to need to see how they get their happily ever after. If you want a book full of characters that you think could be someone you know in your own personal life...then you need this book! I loved Lucy and Frankie and all the shenanigans that occurred on their road to a sweet, sexy and hilarious HEA!

Cara - Alphas Do It Better Book Blog

This book was good, but I wanted to like this story much more than I did. For someone who supposedly is so confident, 90% of the book is Lucy bashing herself or focusing on her weight like that’s the entirety of who she is. I really got to the point where it was almost too much and I couldn’t take it. It overshadowed how fantastic Frankie was. He was the ideal book boyfriend.

Also, why did we keep needing to be told about his family, the cop bar, etc.? The details were given, yet we kept getting them in later chapters. Wasn’t a fan of that.

This novel was so good. It was delightfully snarky and it gave voice to all of the plus sized readers who are looking for a heroine that looks like them and gets the hot guy. And it had a hot firefighter which can't be beat. These two characters know their flaws and though they fight against them soon they embrace them or change for the better. Frankie is a man whore and Lucy is a ball buster. They work together to make their impromptu trip work but in the end everything works out better for each of them.

A great story! I loved reading about a bigger woman in this book it was a nice change. I really enjoyed the writing of this book!

A hilarious whirl wind romance that will have you either laughing or swooning the whole way through!

Lucy is seriously my favorite heroine I have ever read! She’s strong, smart and loyal to the ones she loves! She knows who she is and what she wants in life! She definitely meets her match when Frankie saves her from a royal jerk face! Frankie is the oldest of his siblings and takes his role as protector seriously! His family is everything but he’s never really thought of what he wanted in the long run not until he met Lucy!

Frankie got called into bosses office and was told he was being put on a forced vacation. He’s been a firefighter for years and doesn’t want time off. He meets his brother at a local bar. While there he sees Lucy getting hassled by a guy while she’s trying to heat. He knows her through mutual friends. He walks over and acts like he’s Lucy’s boyfriend so guy will leave her alone. Lucy is thankful but Frankie has a reputation. She mentions her high school reunion and he offers to go. Will this be a good thing or a bad thing? Frankie says he’s taking a break from hooking up. How long will this last?

Muffin Top is the second book in Avery Flynn's The Hartigan Series. Every book in this series can easily be read as standalone. The previous book is Butterface.
Before I start let me say real quick, I'm torn about the title. Yes he fits right in with the series, but Muffin Top brings hurtful memories from the past. Memories I'd rather forget.

Lucy Kavanagh is a big girl with a big mouth and spirit. At the first look she loves her body, only when you take a look under the surface you'll see the hurt and insecurities.
Frankie Hartigan is the oldest of 7 siblings. His siblings are Finn, Ford, Fallon, Felicia, Faith and Fiona. He's a firefighter by calling, hot, funny and a bit a commitment phobe. That's about to change when he rescues her from an overbearing knows it all. They hit it right off from the start, he agrees to be her one plus at the highschool reunion and together they're on a roadtrip into her past.
They grow close and develop feelings for each other. Put together a commitment phobe and a woman with a body awareness, wrapped up in a rom/com and you'll get a funny and witty read.

After reading and enjoying the first book in Avery Flynn’s The Hartigans series, Butterface, I was eager to dive into the second book. There was a wee bit of tentatively regarding Muffin Top, but I’m glad I jumped in. After finishing it, I’m extremely eager to get my hands on book three, Tomboy.

The fact this series is dealing with the unconventional female leads – book one was the female considered ‘unattractive’, book two is the female considered ‘overweight’, and book three is the female considered too ‘boyish’ – means there will be characters everyone can relate to. Being a woman, unfortunately, means we have labels thrown at us all the time – in some cases, we will be able to connect with all the labels being thrown at the characters. Hell, I know I can.

Although it is easy to connect with such characters, I was a wee bit worried before starting this book. I feared the female lead was going to be a cliché, with the story falling into the usual stereotypes. Fortunately, I had nothing to fear. I was sucked into this story from the very first page, and with every word I read I fell deeper and deeper in love with the characters and the relationship blooming between them.

Like Butterface, Muffin Top grabbed my attention and refused to let me free. Once I started reading, I found I could not put the book down. I was addicted, in love, and desperate to see how everything came together. I wanted more of the characters and their drama, more of the humour and emotions, and more of the countless other goodies on offer throughout the book.

It was a sweet story, with some steam and some harder hitting subjects, ensuring it reaches you on multiple levels. It’s a story that will have an impact, one that will stay with you long after you finish. So, if like me you find yourself a wee bit tentative, take the leap – there is more to this book than appears on the surface.

Now, I’m going to sit and impatiently await book three. The hints we got of what is to come have left me super desperate for more.

I thoroughly enjoyed Muffin Top - Frankie and Lucy are both so much more than meets the eye. They both vulnerable and sensitive and insecure and the way that they help each other grow is really beautiful. Their connection happens sort of seamlessly and so naturally that it is a relief. The biggest surprise is that they are each their own (and each other's) obstacles. A lot of the misunderstandings they have are not even over a lack of communication, but from them misinterpreting what the other one says because of their own skewed perspective. I love the entire Hartigan family and I'm glad we got to know more about them in this book. Lucy's dad was a wonderful addition to the story but something about his (and Lucy's) backstory irked me a bit, but I can't quite pinpoint why. I don't know if I liked this one as much as Butterface; I think the layer of angst was a little bit more dramatic in that one and that made it more entertaining. I'm definitely excited to read Zach and Fallon's story next. 4 out of 5 wine glasses.

This book! This fudging crazy book!!!
It's gonna take a week to come down from the high this one gave me.
Like my emotions are so all over the place I can't even process them properly haha.

This was such an emotional yet amazing read. It had a little of everything. From the sweet romance, to the hot romance, to the dimensional characters and funny sarcasm, to just plain ol' good story telling.

I just really enjoyed how smooth and easy of a read this was. Avery creates such a fun journey for these characters to go on. And still gives us a ton of development with them too. There was never a lull in the book that made me want to hurry through or skip around. And I just loved how the romance wasnt too quick to happen, or to slow to get antsy over.

Plus let me just say.... It was so fun getting to see familiar faces too. I love these stand alone series like this. You get q complete new story, but still see how things are going. And I highly enjoy that these days.

So let's jump in and talk characters for a second....

I am so in love with frankie it's not even funny. He is my new favorite book boyfriend hands down. ❤
And nothing will change my mind.... Well maybe.... Depends if the next book in the series is about the 2 people I think it is *fingers crossed*
He's just one of those male characters that is so sweet and thoughtful. But yet can be so pig headed and stubborn too. (Like bop him in the back of the head NCIS style he's so clueless haha.)
But honestly those "flaws" are why I adore him too. Because I feel like it makes him more real almost... If that doesn't sound creepy haha.

And I really just loved how he stood up for Lucy and would protect her. It never even crossed his mind to think about her the way she thought about herself. And as someone extreamly close to being in Lucy's shoes I found that so appealing in a character. He saw her for who she was and not a size or any of the BS us plus size girls go through.

And I really do adore Lucy too. There was so much I could relate too when it came to her personality and character flaws. Even if I did want to smack her a few times too haha.
As I said, I'm someone in real life who can relate to the issues she had. But also there were just times it drove me crazy about her insecurities. Like girl.... you are a bad a**! Embrace that in your regular life too, not just your work life!
I get she's a work in progress, and I honestly respect that in a character. It's nice to see them have internal struggles, as well as external with the other characters and situations and such.
But I really enjoyed her character arch through the story. And props to Avery for giving us such a strong willed, diverse, and empowered female. Flaws and all. 😍

And I'm just gonna say this here. Because I was having a real hard time not wanting to scream at some of these fictional people in this story.... these douche canoe guys that interact with Lucy.... who the heck does that kind of thing?! I understand it's a book, and obviously dramatized for the purpose of the plot. But aside from some mean people in high school... I don't think I've ever had someone come up to me randomly in public and judge what I eat or do. And I was just a bit miffed by how often that was made to happen to Lucy.
As I said.... yes, I know. Fiction. But that just was a point that seemed a bit over the top to me *shrugs* (there's always something you won't like about an amazing book I guess)

But yall need to be ready. MUFFIN TOP is available now! And it's one you need to grab up as soon as possible! 😉

I give MUFFIN TOP
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐5 STARS⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

*I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.*

I was so excited to read this book since it is a romance about a plus-sized character. It seemed to be pretty body-positive, so I was so ready to read something different than usual.

The thing is, it is so bland.

Let me back up. First let me say, I think everything mentioned about Lucy's weight is on point-- her worries and concerns aren't baseless. Although, I'm not truly plus-sized some of what is said totally hits home and I'm glad this book got so real with the shit bigger women have to put up with.

Besides from the body positivity stuff, there wasn't much I liked about the book. This hit me so hard, because I was so ready to love this book, yet I was so ready to DNF it that I'm not even feeling up to going back and reading the first book in the series.

Yes, Frankie is pretty awesome and he kept trying to get through to her, BUT she kept having misunderstandings. This trope will one day kill me. A few times I could see her insecurities making her misunderstand, but Frankie is pretty effing honest and straightforward that I had no idea how she could keep not believing him. Then the huge conflict-- you know, what breaks the couple up before they have their HEA *sigh I'm so tired of the classic romance formula right now* -- is all a misunderstanding and blown out of proportion while the make-up is over the top and ridiculous. What are we even apologizing for?!?!?

I would have loved more cute moments during the scavenger hunt to show a build up of affection instead of how stilted it felt. Not a great build up, imho-- mostly counted on sexual tension. Seriously, how does Frankie go from 'she isn't my type because she's a ballbuster' to 'omg she's the one' ??? Wow... I think I'm beginning to understand why Lucy doesn't believe he truly likes her... *sigh* I think it is time for me to stop thinking about this book.

So, no I don't recommend this one to people wanting a full romance, but I do see how people will be interested in it, so if think this might be you do please give it a try. I might getting too picky with my romances.

I don't know what it is about 2018, but I am so grateful for the relatable characters that authors are writing right now. Lucy is a size twenty, brilliant, independent woman with a knack for helping influential men out of tight spots. She has the confidence to spin stories and take control, but not when it comes to her own life. Frankie is the handsome town player, a firefighter with a heart of gold who doesn't know how to really love a woman properly. I loved that in such a small town the two really hadn't had any one on one contact prior to the bar, it made their week trip to Lucy's hometown so entertaining. The reunion trip is a chance for each to shed their usual skin, each discovering that maybe being themselves isn't so bad, especially when they begin to fall for one another. Avery Flynn doesn't gloss over the realities in Muffin Top though, Lucy struggles with her size and her expectations that love couldn't happen to her and Frankie has to work through his previous player ways in order to prove Lucy he can be a more than an easy lay kind of guy.

"But it felt better coming from Lucy. Better. Hard-won."

The chemistry between these two is off the charts, with the two giving in easily to the passion and connection they feel. Unfortunately, the sex distracts them from the serious stuff and even as the two open up about themselves they're each left unsure of what the other's interests are. With well placed humor, Avery Flynn puts the characters into situations that force them to realize a few things. I loved reading about how Lucy and Frankie see the good in one another, but not in themselves. They each set out to prove the other wrong, of course there's bumps in the road along the way. Like in Butterface, the previous novel in The Hartigans series, family plays a huge role in this story and an even bigger role in Frankie and Lucy seeing the light.

"This week just might kill him, but what a way to go."

An honest, funny portrayal of life and romance, Muffin Top is another hit in The Hartigans series from Avery Flynn. I love the Hartigans siblings and the partners they end up with even more. The books aren't the kind that you escape into to forget the world's problems, but they do make you believe in love again, throwing all preconceived notions about perfect romance out the window and giving it to you in a realistic, sweet way.

3.5 Stars

I was excited to read Muffin Top for two reasons. One: I have heard great things about Avery Flynn's writing, but hadn't read one of her books yet. Two: I loved that Lucy was a heroine who is larger in size than most romance novel women. My experience reading Muffin Top didn't work out for me the way I was hoping, though. I liked it, but I didn't love it. In order to simplify my reasons why, I'm going to break this review down into what worked and what didn't for me.

What worked:

*Avery Flynn's writing in third person. I am not a fan of third person, but it worked in this book. I was able to build connections with the characters and easily follow the switch between points of view.
*Frankie's character. I loved this guy. He had his hang ups, but he was comfortable in his own skin. Plus, I adored how stood up for Lucy in the best possible ways.
*All the family moments in this book. Both Frankie and Lucy's families were awesome.
*Lucy's acceptance of her weight, her frustration with those who judged her, and her struggle to let go of her feelings about it. She was such an easy character to relate to.

What didn't work:

* You know how I listed all that stuff about Lucy and her weight above? Well, those struggles she had were on her mind ALL.THE.TIME. It's really hard to "hear" someone beat themselves up as much as Lucy did. I know most of us have been in Lucy's shoes with the self-doubt and anger about either our own weight or another issue, but I got tired of it. I don't felt like it was truly resolved or lessened either. Her problems with Frankie were taken care of, but I wanted Lucy's fragile self-esteem dealt with deeper.

Overall, I enjoyed reading Muffin Top. It will definitely resonate with readers who are looking for a heroine who is "plus" size.