The full review can be found on Goodreads.

I adored this book! It was such an easy read, with both great main and side characters. I especially loved Mimi and Lilah, who were both pretty much crazy, but amazing. I loved the little sayings by Mimi above each chapter, and I also liked the fact that the chapters weren't too long. I loved Nate and Perci's chemistry, and I enjoyed reading about the development of their relationship. However, I disliked Perci for a bit at the end because of her actions and how unnecessary they were, and although I feel like some things were convenient – just a means of progressing the story – I did really like the book. I mostly listened to the audiobook, but I read along at a few points in the story. I thus cannot say anything in particular about mistakes in writing in the ebook, since I mostly used the ebook for quotes and not for the general reading. I definitely recommend this book if you’re in for an easy but very lovely read!

Main characters

Perci, aka Persephone, is facing some difficulties. She has a job that doesn't make her happy, her boyfriend dumps her for concert tickets during a radio stunt, and her mother seems to disapprove of her on all fronts.
To please her mother, she accidentally says she is dating her neighbor Nate. Nate comes across as a bad boy with a lot of secrets. When they start fake dating, the two find out that the other might be more fun than they thought at first.

Atmosphere

The atmosphere was very friendly. Of course, Perci's insecurities aren't fun to read and it is also distressing to read how her mother disapproves of her. You want to give her so much more in those moments.
Ultimately, the moments she experiences with Nate are very enjoyable to read. Here Perci enjoys life. Perci is slowly learning to love each herself and you notice that in the atmosphere. The storyline becomes more cheerful.

Writing style

Peterson writes very quickly and makes the story easy to follow. All the characters get a character development that I'm very happy with. Often characters remain a bit the same throughout a story, but you could clearly notice a difference here.
I also think that Peterson has made a very nice character of Perci. The way Perci talks is hilarious to read and it is very recognizable. In addition, it is also nice that the main character is plus size and that this is also well represented.
In short, a very nice book to fly through and it shows that it is good to change your view on the world, and especially on yourself.

Thank you for the ARC! I absolutely loved this book. I’ll admit that the adorable skirt on the cover may have played a part in my desire to read this book but the content was excellent. Honestly I liked it so much I’m going to have to get a paper copy once it’s released 💗

One of the things I loved most were the Mimi-isms at the start of each chapter. Mimi is such a great character sharing wisdom like “Perfection is boring. Be imperfect. All my favourite people are.” and “Silence may be golden, but duct tape is silver and it’s real cheap.”.

I could really empathize with Perci. As an overweight girl that’s never good enough for her parents, I saw myself reflected in her character. Even though it’s not referred to as a proud moment, I was cheering for Perci so much during the food fight.

If you love rom-coms, single parent trope, neighbors to lovers trope, body positive storylines; then I definitely recommend this one.

This book was like a warm hug. I loved the protagonist Perci. Major brownie points for the fake dating trope 😍

The story was heartwarming, funny & so genuine that it was bound to touch my heart. I adored Perci’s cute awkwardness & the things she unwittingly blurted out. Mimi is a person I'd definitely want in my side. Her collection of quotes (Mimi-ism) were hilarious but inspiring at the same time.

Sharon’s writing style drew me in & the best part is that the book is relatable at so many levels. Also, the MMC is described as un-handsome which is something really different from the usual description of a love interest & yet Perci falls in love with him. It is something which makes their love feel more real.

It has got the ingredients for a book I'd definitely want to read anyday hands down!
Looking forward to reading more books from the author. Thank you NetGalley, Bookouture & the author for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest reveiw.

How unbelievable harsh and heartless do you have to be to break up with someone over the radio, all for the chance to win tickets to see a cover band? Not even a real band, a cover band!

The Do-Over is the story of Persephone, Perci, and covers a year of her life. From New Year after, just after being dumped by her asshat boyfriend, over the radio no less, to a year from then. It journeys through the transformation Perci takes within the year while trying to follow her anti-New Year’s resolutions.

1. She will not try to lose weight
2. She will not try to be more confident
3. She will not put any more effort into her job
4. She will not date
5. She will not try to be a better daughter or sister

I was thrilled that I enjoyed this book. I saw a lot of myself in Perci and sympathised with her. I was also happy to cheer her on when she started living her life for herself, instead of her mother. She got a new job which she loved, working with children. She stopped worrying about her weight and calorie intake and just let her body tell her what it needed, and she met her new neighbour, the steely-jawed construction worker, single dad/uncle whom she managed to rope into a little bit of fake dating.

This book was serious but fun, sweet but also heartbreaking, I swooned a few times and grinned like a fool; I also didn’t put it down once I got into the meat of it. It really is a page-turner and a feel-good romcom, but it's also finding yourself, living your life to the fullest and family.

'The Do-over' is such a fun, mostly feel good book ! Perci just lives her life to keep everyone around her happy, except she is absolutely miserable and gets humiliated in the worse possible way. I loved reading how Perci broke free of everyone else's opinions and ideas on who she should be as a person and loved how she started living for herself. This book involves a bit of fake dating, close proximity which helps with the storyline.  
 
I would of given this book 5 stars, but there was constant body shaming involved which I kind of understand why it's in there but after awhile it got annoying. This book I consumed within a day it was that good !

Many thanks to Netgalley, Bookouture and the author for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The book follows the story of Persephone 'perci' Amelia Mayfield who wanted to grow up and live life to the fullest just like her Mimi. But growing up is funny business, especially when you have a helicopter parent like Roberta aka Bobbie Jo, her mom who doesn't just think she knows whats best for her daughter, but knows, moulds and changes their lives actively into what she deems perfect. What this leads to 27 year old Perci still living as per her mom's script. But when she gets dumped by her boyfriend over a radio gameshow, Perci knows and decides she has had enough. The story then progresses to Perci taking active steps to defy her mom and the way she thinks to try and be happy.

Let me confess, adult romcoms are not really my genre of choice, but this book made me laugh out loud, giggle all while feeling all the emotions. The romance is there, is a big element and yet not the fundamental element. I would like to call this book a story of mothers and daughters, because that's what it is. The romance is really cute, and not completely cingey (except for the obvious fairytale moments) which worked perfectly for the plot. The best part of this book is active character growth and progression we can see in the characters across the span of an year. Inspite of all this I feel absolutely no compassion for Perci's mother, I could absolutely not excuse her for her actions whatsoever her reasons, because they were outrageous, priviledged and selfish and I felt like amends were made too soon and too quickly. And don't even get me started on Brent (read pr**ck) and Joel Allen (read a**h*le). I also have to admit I struggled with representation (IYKYK!)

Things I absolutely adored in this books include Mimi, she is a force of nature, the quotes from her at the beginning of each chapter was a total knockout. Nate, our love interest mainly because he is described as not handsome and he is one of the most healthy book boy friends I have read about with just some drawbacks!! Perci and Mathias's friendship, Perci and Phee reconnecting and becoming the sisters they have always wanted to be. The whole discussion regarding body image and weight and diet was really well-handled and I loved the moment when Perci decided to chuck the diets and spanx and live her life her way. Also the food fight had me chortling even though it was also a very serious point in the story!!

In conclusion, The do-over was everything it promised funny, feel-good, thought provoking yet light!

TW: Hypercontrolling 'helicopter'parenting, Body shaming, Sexism, Toxic relationships rep

I chose this book for the plus size representation and for the promise of “a totally laugh out loud feel good romantic comedy”, including fake dating & learning to love yourself. I have quite a few thoughts now that I’ve completed this book.

First, the good—this book delivered quite a bit of witty, laugh out loud dialogue particularly in the form of the grandmother Mimi and her “quotes to live by”. These were featured at the start of every chapter & were usually hilarious. The overall pacing & dialogue of the book made this a very quick and easy read. You can tell the author worked hard to get you into the head of her main character Perci, with a variety of opportunities for internal dialogue and emotional scenes that had you rooting for her success and crying over her failures. The entire book was a journey of self discovery for Perci while she learned to love herself and the skin she was in. This is a prevalent theme throughout the book. I appreciated the decision for Perci to find joy and contentment in her final career choice within a daycare working with children, despite the stigmas that often come with choosing the education field. I love that she chose a profession that is often under appreciated and always underpaid. My favorite thing about the book was definitely the characters of Nate and Lilah, who I’m sad to say weren’t in the book as much as I would have liked. Nate was a very likable love interest who had a healthy respect and appreciation for Perci even when she demonstrated time and again that she was struggling with loving herself.

Now for the things I wish I had known prior to requesting this book:
This book has clearly been advertised as romance in the synopsis, as well as the cover with the subtitle even calling it a “romantic comedy”. However, this is not a comedy and in my opinion shouldn’t fall in the romance genre. The entirety of the romantic plot could’ve been removed from the story easily w/ little editing and the overall theme and plot would remain. The story was primarily a journey of self discovery and fell firmly in contemporary fiction. To be honest, if I had known this, I would have passed on requesting this particular book.

My main concern as a reader, especially a plus size reader is that I don’t believe a sensitivity reader was utilized when publishing this book. The fat shaming & fat phobia was rampant throughout each chapter from both external characters and within the internal dialogue of the main character herself. While I began to understand why this was the case throughout the course of this book, I feel a content & trigger warning would be useful for this novel, especially in the case of people who struggle w/ their self image and/ or eating disorders. The calorie counting happened often and hit me very hard, especially when the main character said that losing weight was “not rocket science” and that she could lose it, but just didn’t want to. I felt like this is a damaging and unrealistic statement for most people. While I appreciated the growth the main character displayed by the end of the novel, the main antagonist of the story did not show much remorse or growth but rather basically learned to keep her mouth shut with unhelpful comments rather than change her mindset, and yet she was praised for this.

All in all, this was not the book for me as it hit on several sensitive areas that again, I would not have chosen to read had the book been advertised more clearly.

Trigger & content warnings listed below:
fat shaming, fat phobia, eating disorders, diet culture, toxic parents, gaslighting, brief reference to cheating, allergic reaction, cancer, death

*Thank you to NetGalley & Bookouture for this ARC to review*

4.25/5
Thank you Bookouture and Netgalley for the ARC!

The Do-Over is a "rom-com" about a young woman deciding to change herself and her life after her boyfriend bumps her over the radio.

Why did I put "rom-com" between quotation marks? Because this was SO MUCH more than a rom-com, and I wouldn't even describe has a rom-com, but has a novel about finding your true self and living the life YOU want, and not the life others want for you, which was surprising but well welcomed.

So here comes basically my major (and probably only) issues of the book: it was not a romance. The love story starts at more than 50% in the book, and I didn't particularly like it. There weren't well done bases or moments that made me feel butterflies in the stomach or root for them. I found it just "being thrown in it for the sake of having a love story". So yeah I expected completely otherwise and honestly a better developmented relationship.

About the whole rest: I LOVED IT. Percy's journey was soo good and lovely, I loved all the messages, I love how everyone had their reasons and no one was completely good or completely bad, I loved Mimi, I loved the personal growth.

This book definitely did tell me something and, for being a debut, it was very good and solid. If you want a light hearted (but even not that light hearted, I mean the funny moments were definitely funny but it calls you out) about self growth and living for yourself, this book is for you

🍉 The Do-Over 🍉

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5

This was so much fun! Thank you @netgalley @stone4031 @bookouture for letting me read a proof of this is was brilliant and I highly recommend people to get their hands on this when it’s out next month!

The story follows Perci, a woman a little lost in life. She has an incredibly over-bearing, insufferable mother, a job she hates and to top it all off she gets outrageously dumped on live radio! With the help of her friend, Perci makes the ultimate anti New Years Resolutions with surprising results!

Here’s what I loved (they could be considered mini spoilers):

* How uplifting and inspiring it was! There is the scene where Perci threw out all her diet related stuff! I totally whooped out loud and it made me punch the air!
I love how as the story went on she became more confident in being herself!

* At the start of each chapter it begins with a hilarious or inspiring quote from her grandmother Mimi. One of my favourites (and there were lots to choose from); “Perfection is boring. Be imperfect. All my favourite people are.”

* I adore the love interest, Nate. He was described as being ‘not handsome’ to start with and I think what I love most about that is Perci falls in love with his character first. I also think it’s refreshing moving away from the popular tradition of the love interest being this dark, brooding hunk. Their romance felt more real!

Finally, I think the real testament to how much I enjoyed this book is I devoured it in two days!!

This is a storyline that I think most people can relate to because at the heart of the book is family, family dynamics and family issues. What family doesn't have it's fair share of that. This book is well written and fun. I enjoyed it.

I would give this books a 3.5 ⭐️ 0 🌶

Tropes: single parent, forced proximity (neighbors), fake dating, slow burn romance

CW: alcohol, fatphobia, fat shaming, toxic relationships, emotional abuse by a parent/ controlling parent, diet culture, medical event

I’m this book Perci has always been the non adventurous, overweight people pleaser with a very controlling mom. We see her trying to figure out herself and what she wants out of life. We get to see her confidence improve and some self love. Her neighbor is a single dad and he trying to navigate raising his daughter and is afraid to open up. I did enjoy the build to their relationship and the dynamics with the little girl.

Where I struggled with this book was with how easy the mom had it with being forgiven. She controlled so much of her daughters life from what she wore, where she worked, who she was dating, and about what she ate that honestly I don’t think Perci was hard enough on her and the make up made it seem like she tried her hardest and loved them so much and because she cared and loved them so much she controlled them. That didn’t sit well with me, Perci immediately felt awful for how she handled communicating and the fight but her mom just ghosted her and probably would have forced Perci to come to her if it had not been the meddling Mimi to intervene.

I also struggled with the fat representation. It was trying to be ambiguous in the beginning by calling her curvy which as a fat person is code for good fat or acceptable fat. So honestly, I’m unsure if she is fat or if she just had more curves and would be medium sized representation. A lot of the fat community really does not want it to be ambiguous. We want to know if they are or are not because we have been erased for years.

So I have some mixed feelings on this book as a whole. It has some funny moments and cuteness in it but also just a lot of toxicity with the relationship with the mom so please be mindful of that.

I am so thankful for the opportunity to read the ARC of The Do-Over, written by Sharon M. Peterson. I loved this book and couldn’t put it down, I finished it within 3 hours. The family dynamic and relationships that were depicted in this book were highly relatable and real. Everyone’s family story is different, but everyone family goes through things at one point or another, and this was a story of their families struggles… told using humor and witty banter. I also enjoyed the self-discovery plot for the main character that took place throughout the whole book. The main theme of celebrating yourself and never changing for anyone was very apparent and appreciated throughout the whole story, even through the youngest (and most adorable) character, Lilah. I think it might be time for me to try out some non-new years resolutions! I would definitely recommend this book and can’t wait for Sharon’s next one!

I am absolutely blown away by the debut novel by Sharon M Peterson and I'm so very grateful to Bookouture for not only giving her a deal (which I am hoping is a great big one with a lot more to come), but for letting me read it prior to release via NetGalley.

It's a rom-com in the best sense of the phrase. There is a lot of coffee-spurting-through-the-nose "com" (I so want to be like Perci's grandmother when I grow up), and a sweet little swoony "rom" ... but the greatest "rom" of all is the self-rom Perci finds.

It was difficult to pick the Teaser part of today's post. My notebook is full of quotes, my ebook is full of highlights, and I am most definitely full of awe. Each chapter starts with a "Mimi-ism" -- words of wisdom from Perci's grandmother -- and each one is worthy of a teaser post all of their own. Rather than do that, though, here are some of my favorites and the rest you will just have to read for yourself when you buy this book:

* "One day, you'll need to be the bigger person. Eat all the cake you can no to prepare yourself."
* "Always choose kindness. Unless the other person's a jackass. Then all bets are off."
* "Hell hath no fury like a woman who is pissed off at her man."
* "Drinkin' your sorrows away only works till the beer runs out."
* "All a woman needs is a man who treats her like an angel and kisses like the Devil."
* "An ending is just the beginning of something new."


Full teaser review at http://wellreadpiratequeen.blogspot.com/2022/07/the-do-over-by-sharon-m-peterson.html

Four deserving stars.

Okay, so first this is the most feel-good book I have ever read. There is just something about it that made me keep flipping the pages, it is an easy read and you would love the characters so much--well except Perci's mother (SHE REALLY GOT ON MY NERVES.)
Mimi--Perci's grandmother is the character I loved so much. Her little sayings in every chapter just made me smile and they were so relatable.
I liked the character development of Perci, she started out really insecure but she grew into her skin and that is just what most people need in their lives.
Growth and confidence.
I didn't really get a lot of romance from this book but the little I got gave me feels. If you're looking for a book that would show you just how much loving yourself can go a long way, then you should read this book.
New year anti resolutions....lol. Read and find out.

Ps. I love when the character is plus size and the cover of the book actually depicts a real plus size lady.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for a copy of this ARC. All thoughts are my own.

Perci is starting her year off in a rough patch. Her ex dumped her over the radio for concert tickets (to a cover band??? What!?), her mother won't lay off, and she has quit her role in the family business. When her friend sets her up with a set of anti-resolutions that she won't be able to fail, including not trying to be a better daughter, and not trying to be more confident or lose weight, it might just set her on a path to starting over. When she meets the scary-looking but attractive single-father that is her new neighbor - her no-dating resolution might be in danger.

This was a slow-burn romance, with a heroine more focused on finding her own way than on finding the perfect man. I found Perci to be a relatable, fleshed out character. I loved that she was plus-sized, and was able to find confidence in who she was. The book gave me a sense of hopefulness, and I wanted to cheer as she fought through her struggles with work and family. Nate was a nice foil to Perci - coming into the story with a clear idea of what he was doing and what he was aiming for. He was also ready to stand up for her before she was ready to stand up for herself.

I thoroughly enjoyed this novel - it transported me away and had me caught up in Perci's world. A quick read - but definitely one I would recommend.

Can't wait for the next work that Sharon M. Peterson decides to write.

"I will not try to lose weight. I will not try to be more confident. I will not put more effort into my job. I will not date. I will not try to be a better daughter and sister."

When this book is released on 1st of August l, do yourself a favour and get your hands on it!!

The Do Over felt like Bridget Jones type rom-com (more emphasis on the ‘com’ than the ‘rom’) that reads like a Christina Lauren Novel with a little bit of the fake dating trope sprinkled in there.

So needless to say I really loved it!

The story follows our main character Perci who is kind of going through it. Her boyfriend dumped her on the radio, her mother can’t stop commenting on her weight and her sister seems to outshine her in every area of her life. So on New Years Eve, she makes some anti resolutions and vows not to lose weight, work harder, be a better daughter or date anyone.

Perci was a great main character with a lot of substance. I loved watching her learn to stick up for herself against her family who were truly horrible to her (except Mimi of course) and I was genuinely rooting for her the whole way through.

The only reason I knock a star off it because I wish the author had delved into Nate’s character some more. I felt like I didn’t really know him that well and even though this is labelled as ‘romance’, Perci’s relationship with Nate was probably the least exciting part of this story - her relationship with his daughter Lilah however was really fun.

So if you’re looking for a spicy romcom that’s heavy on the romance, this one probably isn’t going to be for you. But if you’re looking for a story about growth, self development and learning to stand up for yourself with romantic subplot, this is the book for you.

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After an embarrassing public dumping, Perci Mayfield has decided to re-invent herself. New Perci is focused on loving herself and not being dragged down by her difficult mother. However not being dragged by said difficult mother is harder than she thinks so she may fib just a little about a new (fake) real estate developer (construction) boyfriend (neighbor). With the help of her best friend, sister, beta fish, and hunky fake boyfriend, Perci learns how to unlearn bad habits and embrace her best self. Overall a quick, fun read, with some laugh out loud moments.

Really cute story. I liked the characters, the writing and the story. It's also kinda funny. They're all sweet and nice. A feel good story with good morality.

The romance is definitely secondary in this story about how one woman is going to help redfine herself with anti new years resolutions. Resolutions to stop doing things, sounds easy and it is mostly to ensure she lives her life for her.
You follow this story seeing how life evolves and through these changes life is getting better. Nate is the love interest and provides some very sweet moments but not nearly enough in the story for this to be a true romance book.