Member Reviews

Preslee is a young curvaceous woman who helps her father run their family antique store in the town. She has a love of live, antiques, family and adventure. She recently received a diagnosis of prediabetes and decides to go to the new gym in town to work out.

While at the gym she catches the attention of the gym owner Adam, his manager/BFF, and a few gym jerks. She also makes a video which accidentally gets posted to her antique store blog page. Adam ends up reaching out to Preslee with an offer to personally train her to reach her health goals after the video goes viral.

The novel tells the story of Preslee and Adams training experience, Preslee's dating and love life, and her growth and development as a person and business owner. It also shares the story of the growth of Adam's gym a few side characters as well.

This is a sweet, fun, beautiful story that is well written and easy to read. The characters are realistic, fun, and relatable. I only want to read more about their story or the world of these characters. Alison Bliss has written a beautiful size-inclusive novel that involves the world of the gym which is never easy, yet she has done so in such a perfect way! I loved this novel!

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I've been wanting to read Alison's books for years. I truly appreciated the author's note at the beginning stating this was a health journey and not a weigh loss journey book. Unfortunately, this book is a DNF for me as it brings up issues with weight loss that I thought I was prepared to handle, but alas, I am not.

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Thank you to Grand Central Pub and NetGalley for this review copy.

First of all I loved all the body positivity and mental transformation that surrounded Presley in this book. Both Adam and Presley were great characters and the sexual tension between them was funny in an awkward kind of way. I loved how we see that people of all shapes and sizes struggle in many ways.

Also the sexual build up was great, the actual sex scene in the book was a little awkward for me. Haha. But I’m guessing true to life for many.

Overall I recommend this book!!

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This book was so relatable and funny! I think a lot of us can see ourselves in Preslee and really understand her struggles regarding weight and weightloss, which makes for an enjoyable, fun read. If you're a fan of rom-coms, then you will really enjoy this book. Adam and Preslee's relationship is so cute and I love that he is genuinely attracted to her.

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I liked this book a lot! The plot was good with all the right ups and downs, and I loved the characters, they were very real. I feel like I’d be comfortable in their small town meeting them for a drink.

Adam is a hunky personal trainer who owns a gym, The Body Shop, that has a lot of weight lifters and regular townspeople. Preslee is a curvy local who’s doctor told her she was pre diabetic, so she decides to go to the gym and exercise. She has a blog for her family’s antique store, and makes a video while she’s on the stair climber. When she can’t figure out how to turn the climber off, Adam steps in and saves her. The video goes viral, and brings customers into the gym.

Adam is very attracted to Preslee, but knows she needs a trainer to meet her health goals, and he doesn’t date clients. He makes a bet with his partner Kurt that she’ll meet her goals and then trains her for free, hoping she’ll make more videos. Preslee has a crush on Adam, but she thinks he can’t possibly be attracted to her.

They start training together and Preslee decides to do a mud run with Adam and his brother Michael. She finishes, barely, and passes out at the end. She ends up at Adam’s house, and they finally act on their attraction.
Preslee doesn’t know about the bet or the videos, and Adam knows she’s going to be angry and feel betrayed, especially since they’ve spent the night together.

I loved how honestly attracted Adam was to Preslee, and I thought it was great that Preslee gets in shape for her health not just for her weight. I recommend this book, 4 stars.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

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It is so refreshing to read a novel about a woman who is like so many of us-not the “perfect” size or weight. The struggles of Preslee are relatable and believable. Plus, there is a lot of fun in the story with all the misunderstandings scheming going on.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

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Out of the Blue
Preslee has hit a milestone. It's time for her to get her health in order (in her eyes). Preslee goes to a local gym with no knowledge of what she's doing but the goal is to do something. Adam owns the local gym after dropping out of medical school and is trying to find ways to make the business succeed.

It all started on a stairmaster, and blossomed from there. Out of the Blue is a love story for those not normally included in love stories. Preslee not only starts working out with Adam but also starts dating him.

In realisticness yes, i feel the author perfectly portrayed the in and out thoughts of someone who is plus size. The oblivious to their own beauty and power, the other see them better than they see themselves and a need to be close lol or smells someones hair on IG Live is real. I appreciated the realiness of this story and the job in witnessing their love blossom.

Hearing how Adams business partner pushed him to do something about his lust of Preslee made me cringe, cause of course you know how things like that blow up in others face. I love that Preslee story started one way but ended with more than just a number but true full circle of her self worth and confidence.

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I thought this was cute, and I loved the relationship between Preslee and Adam.
I also enjoyed Adam’s friendship with Kurt.
The cover grabbed me and made me want to pick this up!
I do think that there were some unaddressed mental health issues that really went along with the weight loss aspect of this book.
Overall though, this was an easy read.

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This book was cute if you’re looking for a light, rom-com story! The main character, Preslee, joins a gym to lose some weight after a health scare and after a hilarious video she makes goes viral, Adam (the gym owner) agrees to be her personal trainer. Even though, Preslee is still pining after her crush, Josh — Adam agrees to be her boyfriend which ensues in some seriously funny moments which will make you laugh out loud while reading. I enjoyed this book, Preslee’s character was likable and quirky and the story itself was fun. Thank you to Netgalley to allowing me to read and review this book in return for my honest opinion.

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What a disappointment. The characters were pitiful and "The Body Shop" is a terrible name for a gym. Thank you to NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for an e-ARC of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

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You are going to fall in love with the characters! The author does an awesome job, showing the struggles and insecurities of being overweight. A story about self-love and acceptance, this contemporary romance is funny, sexy and sweet.

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First off- I LOVED the body positivity aspect of this book. It was incredibly well done and written very delicately. The book starts with a gym visit that had me physically pulling into myself and cringing. I loved the characters and found them to be easy to root for. However, this book had way too much internal dialogue! It was overdone to the point that it detracted from the story. Inner dialogue is good- pages and pages… and pages… of it are not. Overall, a fun read and an important topic! My thanks to the publisher for the advance reader in exchange for my honest review!

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I really liked this sweet story. It reminded me of two gym themed romances I read recently. I guess its a trend now in romance! I thought it worked really well as a stand alone. I didn't think I was missing out on any background information at all. Adam was so incredibly kind and a great book boyfriend. I like how he supported her in her lifestyle change decision. The only think I didn't like was that she was still pretty hung up on Josh. At one point I was ready for her to move on because she clearly had a better dude in the picture! Her continued feelings seemed out of place that far into the book/relationship.

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What a fun read! YAY for plus sized rep in romance! Going into Out of the Blue by Alison Bliss, I didn't know what to expect. Romance novels about health and fitness can be hit or miss for me sometimes, however I really enjoyed this book! I thought Preslee and Adam were well-written, dynamic characters. They both felt real to life. Preslee was so relateable, as I have facing my own wellness journey. And Adam was the absolute sweetest. He was just the person Preslee needed in her life. And who doesn't love a hot trainer?? The third act conflict was a little frustrating, but overall I loved this book and liked how the book ended. One of my favorite parts of this book was the community. And I am glad to see it is part of a series. I will have to go back and read the other three.

I recommend this book! Though I will add a CW for discussions of weight, weight loss, and fitness. I thought these topics were handled well. However, I know for some this topic is a no, regardless of how well the topic is handled. It is definitely a centerpiece of the story. Read the author's note for the why of the this book. And feel free to reach out if you have a question.

The course of true love was never supposed to start on a stair climber…

Preslee Owens has never worked out in a gym before. Like truly never. Until today. As she struggles to stay upright on the stair climber, she accidentally broadcasts a vlog that lets complete strangers—and even worse, people in her own small town--witness the hilarious start to her fitness journey. To her surprise and mortification, viewers love it.

The positive reaction leaves Preslee with no choice but to return—and the discovery that her unrequited crush, Josh, works out in the same gym is a big bonus. It also helps that her new personal trainer is making sure she doesn’t kill herself in the process. In fact, Adam has even offered to pretend to be her boyfriend to help make Josh a little jealous.

Having Adam cheering her on brings out a strength and confidence Preslee barely recognizes in herself. And soon she’s enjoying being his fake girlfriend waaay too much. But will her newfound courage allow her to face her biggest fear yet and seize the life she truly wants?

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This was a very cute lighthearted story with some very funny moments. Preslee’s character was very relatable and I actually really love her name. The cover of this book was really what drew me in, and I didn’t realize that this was the 4th in the series. I give this story a 3-3.5 stars, but if I read the other books the rating could be different. Thank you NetGalley for the book ARC. All the opinions are my own.

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This book is cute. When Preslee has a health scare, she heads to the gym to try and get fit and lose some weight. She reluctantly agrees to work with personal trainer, Adam, in the hopes of reaching her goals. She also hopes that she will finally get the attention of her crush at work, Josh. Adam agrees he will help Preslee work out and get Josh's attention while she helps promote his gym through her vlog. I loved how encouraging and respectful Adam is of Preslee and that he is genuinely attracted to her and the person she is. I could relate to some of Preslee's struggles but would have liked to see more with this. The balance between her personal journey and the romance brewing between Preslee and Adam was definitely there. I would have loved to see a bit more depth on either end. That being said, I think the discussion of weight and body positivity was done well and in a respectful way. The book made me laugh at times and had that light, easy beach read feel. I would recommend this to anyone looking for a fun, light rom-com read.

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3.5 stars - Preslee is trying to lose weight for health reasons & when a video she makes at the gym goes viral Adam approaches her offering to be her personal trainer for free to increase his gym membership & asks her to post her weight loss journey. I enjoyed the writing & storyline (for the most part), and while I did enjoy the characters, neither character were honest with each other & it went on & on. Overall, it was a fun, quick, and enjoyable read.

I received this ARC on Netgalley in return for my honest review.

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This starts out cute thanks to Preslee, whom is also the hook. She goes to the gym for basically the first time. She also accidentally videos it with it becomes a surprise hit. She also finds out Josh a long timer who gives her heart a workout also. Then there is Adam who is such a pal and plays a part with her. Good adventure that turns into something else. Turn the pages to see where her road takes her.

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I love this series & this book was a great addition to it. I loved Preslee and her hilarious antics! I felt she was very relatable with her quirkiness. When an embarrassing vlog gets posted when she uses a gym for the first time she has no intentions of going back until the gym owner Adam tells her that he'll train her & pretend to be her boyfriend. Such a fun read!

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After I started this book, I realized this is book #4 in a series and I’ve never read any of the previous books but it still read just fine as a stand alone novel.
This book was soooo cute! What really drew me in was the pastel, cartoon cover., but what made me stay was the characters. I really liked Preslee’s character and found her very relatable.The storyline was interesting and it had some funny, laugh out loud parts which I enjoyed. This book was an easy, light hearted, quick read.

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