MY HEART. Denise Williams has ruined me.

I thought I loved How to Fail At Flirting. And then I read The Fastest Way to Fall. I am ruined for Britta. I am ruined for Wes. Please read this book. PLEASE!

Britta is an assistant at a lifestyle website and gets her chance to actually write when she is in competition with her colleague Claire: both with test out one of the new fitness apps, write about their experiences, and at the end of their time one of them will be promoted. Britta is paired with FitMi Fitness and goes into her journey skeptical - she is not looking to lose weight and cares more about the story than anything. But when she is paired with her coach, Wes, her mindset starts to shift as she sees that amazing things her body can do. But as she slowly starts to fall for Wes, she has to decide between her dream job and this amazing man.

BRITTA - Britta!!!!!! I loved her so much. She is strong and smart but also extremely vulnerable. She is comfortable with her weight but still struggles with both the number and comparing herself to others. After a few low points, Wes helps her believe in herself, in her strength and sexiness. Her pushes her to realize that she is amazing no matter what, to treat her body not only with respect and awe, but with love. And the tension is there - you can feel how much each want the other one: their casual touches, and sweet words. It's so obvious to the reader and makes the tension so strong.

I have so many quotes from this book but will share post pub day. I messaged Denise after reading this and thanked her for writing this book - fat rep is so rare in romance and it was so affirming to read this. Thank you Berkley so much for my copy to review.

Very cute and not your usual chick lit. It is diverse and heartwarming. Great characters and an uplifting story and good message about body positivity.

OUTSTANDING!!!

I'm not even sure what prompted me to pick up this book, but I am thrilled I did. Denise Williams wrote one of the greatest female characters I have ever read. Britta was a breath of fresh air. She was strong, confident, and a role model. She wasnt the fat girl who hid behind her humor. She was humor. And she was sweet, beautiful, and a great friend. I wanted to be Britta, or at the very least, be her best friend.

Wes was another perfectly crafted character. I loved that he was just a good guy.. not the ahole boss, or the grumpy CEO. Just a good guy who cared about people and wanted to see them succeed.

The chemistry between Britta and Wes was apparent from their first interaction. Nothing was forced. It was all organic. I loved their interactions and their text messages. I just smiled the whole time.

I really enjoyed how each chapter started with one of Britta's social media posts. They were inspiring. The entire book was inspiring. This was, hands down, the best book I read in 2021. I couldn't get enough of it and days later, I'm still thinking about it. Bravo!

Britta is writing a column for her job comparing fitness apps with virtual coaches. When Wes gets fed up with the CEO tasks, he decides to go back to what he loves and take on just a few clients. Neither Wes nor Britta expect the friendship that blooms from them working together. Unfortunately, Wes shouldn’t have been texting with a client, let alone meeting up with them, and Britta writing about his app is certainly a conflict of interest….

Ahh Denise Williams I freaking love you! I love that Williams does not shy away from difficult situations for her characters. This book delves into disordered eating, addiction, and over exercising. Those are all very real things people face when they are on a health/weightloss journey, and I think it is so important to talk about. I really loved both Britta and Wes and their relationship was just so perfect! Britta was such a strong female lead, and I loved seeing her confidence in her weight shine through!

Review ⁣
𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘍𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘞𝘢𝘺 𝘛𝘰 𝘍𝘢𝘭𝘭 - 𝘋𝘦𝘯𝘪𝘴𝘦 𝘞𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘢𝘮𝘴 ⁣
5⭐️⁣
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Y’all I usually take a few days to write reviews because I like to process the book and my feels but I just finished this half an hour ago and I couldn’t wait to rave about it. This was AMAZING! And tbh I’m going out on a whim here and calling it my favorite romance of all time! Yep I said it 𝙁𝘼𝙑𝙊𝙍𝙄𝙏𝙀 𝙍𝙊𝙈𝘼𝙉𝘾𝙀 𝙊𝙁 𝘼𝙇𝙇 𝙏𝙄𝙈𝙀.
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As usual this review will be in the form of my many jumbled thoughts so yeah keep reading ☺️⁣
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• If Truth Hurts by Lizzo was a book it would be this 💃🏾⁣
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• The authors note had me screaming COME THROUGH 🥺⁣
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• I loved reading more about Jake and Naya from HTFAF ❤️⁣
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• The slowburn, pining, tension and steam had me blushing ☺️🤪🔥⁣
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• This pulled me out of my nasty reading slump 🙌🏾⁣
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• The romance was top tier but the self love journey was chefs kiss ❤️⁣
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• I loved Britta she reminded me so much of my bff Emily but Wes that is my man, book husband for life. He was EVERYTHING 🥺❤️⁣
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• Man Kelsey better watch her back. She was awful and so many times I was like COME AT ME BRO but I’m glad karma worked everything out 🤢🤬⁣
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• Chapter 54 gave me the chills.⁣
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• The last few chapter choked me up because I related way to hard to Wes and his struggles 😭⁣
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Fav quote - “𝘈𝘯𝘺𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦𝘴 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭 𝘺𝘰𝘶’𝘳𝘦 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘨𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘦𝘯𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘪𝘴𝘯’𝘵 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘩 𝘪𝘵 𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘵𝘰 𝘨𝘰 𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘭”⁣
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TW ❗️- eating disorder, alcohol/drugs abuse

I loved the body positivity in this book! The romance was amazing and the whole center of this book was body image and how we perceive ourselves. I didn't love this one as much as her first book but the romance was super sweet and again the body positivity image was stunning!

Don't let the illustrated cover fool you. While it is a fun, sexy and steamy contemporary romance it also deals with more substantial issues such as alcoholism/substance abuse, parental neglect, disordered eating, eating disorders, fat shaming/ body shaming. I loved that the author included content warnings at the beginning of the book along with resources at the end.

Thumbs Up: slow burn, epistolary element, body acceptance, workplace ethics.
Thumbs Down: Pacing - the middle got a bit bogged down, easily resolved miscommunication

I loved this a lot. It had everything I wanted in a book— wit, swoons vibes, feel good moments and messages, and just the right dose of pick me up.

Fans of Denise’s first will not be disappointed when they meet Britta & Wes! This is a must read for rom com and romance readers alike!

Ethical missteps aside, Britta and Wes's story will surely make you swoon. That said, there were times when I had trouble putting this one down. I'd be remiss not to also add that Britta and Wes' individual struggles will undoubtedly resonate with readers, making the ending of the book that much sweeter. If you were a fan of Williams' How to Fail At Flirting, then you're in for a treat.

Steam Level - 1 open door

This was one of my most anticipated romances of the year (We do briefly see Naya and Jake from How to Fail at Flirting) so I really wanted to love this and for the most part I enjoyed myself but there were a few things that really kept me from loving it. In fact

Overall, I liked Britta. I found her to be such a sweet and relatable person. Her posts were uplifting and honest but I question her research of the company before starting her posts but that’s neither here nor there. I liked Wes a lot as well. Britta’s chemistry with Wes was palpable so I was willing to overlook minor details that irked me.


*spoilers ahead*

Very early on both Wes and Britta knew they were heading into very dangerous territory. Their conversations quickly changed from innocent to flirty and had they both not been lonely and yearning for something - they wouldn’t have continued to be so inappropriate. Around ch15 I felt like Wes was not only overwhelmed with his family life but also very lonely and trying to fill a void. I could tell his family was incredibly important to him, that worrying about his mother and sister weighed heavily on him. He neglected his job and put his company at risk to flirt with a client and while, yes it did become love, I wondered how much of this flirty conversation felt like an escape for him and if it would have gone to this level had his home life been different.

When he professed his love I was both shocked and not at all surprised at the same time (my highlight in the book says “of course”). I wasn’t even really surprised at when he said it. While I love when a character is sure of their feelings and is happy to express them, it felt almost too sudden for me. They’d interacted a bunch, sure, but a lot of their interactions seemed to be off page.

I found the ex-gf storyline weird and I just didn’t care for or about it - no fault of the author. I understood their history but didn’t understand the logic. We don’t get a good sense of her character other than she’s manipulative but I did get the idea that she was a smart woman. From a business perspective it wouldn’t have worked for both parties - bringing on a COO from a failed company facing upcoming legal trouble? For someone to be such a shark and on permanent survival mode, it was odd that the ex would have such a lax approach to her brand and just let her business fail like this.

All in all I do think it was a fun read (maybe a 3.5) and there is a lot to get out of it but I think what it boils down to is the fluff to conflict ratio being off and my view of the characters.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

The author's note begins with a description of where Denise Williams was coming from and how she wrote about fat phobia and disordered eating. As someone who used to be anorexic, I was especially grateful for the note and how she handled such a complex and difficult topic. She includes resources at the end for readers who might benefit from them.

In The Fastest Way to Fall, Britta starts using the FitMi app to feel better and get fit, not to lose weight. Wes started the FitMi app but decides to take on a client to coach and ends up with Britta.

I loved their initial emails to each other. They had great banter that stepped right up to a will they/won't they line. I loved both characters so much. I found this book deeply personal and deeply emotional, so much so that it's hard for me to write a review that captures my feelings. I loved How To Fail At Flirting and was sure this could not love up to the standard it set. But it exceeded it.

Thank you to Berkley for the advanced reader copy. These opinions are my own.

TW: substance abuse, fat shaming

So much swoon for Britta and Wes! Britta embarks on a fitness journey for a writing assignment for work, not knowing that her new coach, Wes is also the CEO of the fitness app she is reviewing. I love how they first got to know each other over email, how supportive Wes is, and Britta's humor. Their romance is a slow burn with adorable moments, delicious tension, and the payoff is worth it.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

The Fastest Way to Fall is one of my favorite reads of the summer. I'm all about plus size representation in fiction, and this book captured that so well. This story is steamy, romantic, personal, honest, and talks about serious topics while being heartwarming and entertaining.

The story is told from two POV's--Britta and Wes. Britta is a journalist and is reviewing a workout app. Wes is her trainer. Over time, they develop a friendship with each other, and Britta starts to enjoy exercising and Wes looks forward to talking to Britta everyday and helping her out. They build a connection with each other, but know they need to keep it professional.

I loved the fitness aspect to this story, and I also love how confident Britta is. The romance fit so perfectly into the plot, and I think this is a story a lot of people will be able to relate to.

Overall, one of my favorite reads of 2021.

As a major wannabe runner, the cover of this book instantly caught my attention. I love it! I hoped the story would live up to my strong feelings for the cover and it did not disappoint. THIS, my friends, is how to do plus size representation. I've read some books where, I'm assuming, the goal was to empower plus-size and they fell completely flat. However, Denise Williams nailed it. This was a great story with a main character who was bold, confident, and sassy. I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a light romance. 3.5 stars from me (rounded up to 4)! Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for my advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review.

THE FASTEST WAY TO FALL by Denise Williams is a diverse contemporary romance. Warning that this isn’t your typical lighthearted romcom - characters deal with eating disorders and drug addiction. But the author handles these serious topics with a lot of skill and sensitivity plus weaves in lots of humor and steam.

Britta’s an assistant with writing aspirations for a lifestyle website. Britta pitches a story about signing up for a fitness app and documenting her experiences. Her boss okays the idea but with a twist, it’s going to be a shared story. Britta’s rival will be signing up for a rival app and documenting her experiences. This assignment will lead to a writing position but only for one of them.

Doing this assignment means that Britta, who’s struggled with her weight all of her life, now has to follow through and face her fears and insecurities.

Wes, the CEO of the FitMi app, is struggling with not being engaged at work, his mom’s addiction issues, and his ex’s work at a rival company. He decides to get back to what he loves which is coaching clients. He assigns himself to Britta unaware that she’s the writer profiling his app.

Britta, unaware of who her coach really is, just knows that she really looks forward to the in-app coaching she’s getting. She looks forward to their exchanges and his advice is making a difference in her eating and exercise habits.

This is a slow burn with a scorchingly hot pay-off. Their sweet meet-cute via texts slowly grows into email/calls and eventually meeting face to face.

Britta is likable with such a fantastic sense of humor. She nicknames Wes Tube Socks. I loved her body positivity. And her insecurities from how others react to her weight is entirely relatable. Down to worrying about farting at the gym.

I loved that Wes encouraged her to be healthier, not thinner, and to listen to her body.

If you hate it when characters’ problems could be avoided by just talking to each other, this will probably drive you mad.

Denise Williams created a strong friend/family network for both Britta and Wes. Come for the witty banter and the heat and stay for the engaging characters. For fans of Jasmine Guillory and Olivia Dade.

This is the second book I've read by Denise Williams and her characters are always so relatable. I love this about her stories. This was beautifully written and tackles a lot of hard but important and relevant topics. Body Positivity, diet culture, self-esteem, and tough family dynamics to name a few. All while incorporating some steamy romance.

4.5 stars rounded up to 5

I am living for the emails/texts exchanged between Tube Socks and Bubbles.

Seriously. I mean it.

thank you to net galley and the publisher for this arc in exchange for an honest review!
dnf at 45%
1.5 stars ⭐️

So Britta is a journalist and she works for this lifestyle website. She proposes an idea for her to join a fitness app that includes personal coaching anonymously and blog her journey and thoughts. Wes just so happens to be the ceo of this app and picks to be her coach. They instantly form a bond with each other. Coaches and clients aren't supposed to meet; everything is online. Until they do meet and gradually fall for each other.

Wasn't a huge fan of either of the main characters. Britta was annoying and Wes was just bland. Neither of them had much depth. It has a pretty interesting plot though and I wish it was just executed better. :/

Britta is an assistant looking for her big break into writing and Wes is the owner of the popular fitness app FitMi. When Britta starts an assignment covering the FitMi app, she doesn't expect to form such an intense bond with her coach and she never expected to learn who she wants to be in the process.

In this book we get a slow burn romance, a fat heroine, a meet cute through emails and chat apps, and the story of two people trying to figure out who they are and where they fit, both apart and together. I'm not sure what held me back from giving this 5 stars, but I think it took me a minute to get into it and maybe that's what it is? I'll be recommending it to everyone anyway because Wes and Britta's story is sweet and entertaining and, yes, sometimes sad, and I really enjoyed it.

I was so incredibly excited to get this ARC on the heels of finishing How to Fail at Flirting, which I absolutely loved! This book leaves you cheering for Britta and a little hot under your collar when it comes to Wes, but in all the best ways! I truly can’t wait to share this with more readers looking for spectacular rom-coms and truly can’t wait to see where Denise goes next!