I really enjoyed this book! I read it and one day and literally couldn't put it down. Both main characters were great and felt relatable as a person who is pushing 30 herself lol. I love the banter. Everything just flowed really naturally and never felt corny or cringy. There were times when the FMC did frustrate me a bit, but shoutout to her friends for getting her together during those times with love. I also appreciated Aaliyah and Ahmad's friends throughout the book. Of course they liked each other, but for the most part there were platonic with mild flirtations. The friendship seemed genuine which I believe is was made going something more even more scary. This was a slow burn. More of a slow burn than I usually like, but this still worked for me. I was shocked when they didn't get together at an earlier part of this story, but I feel like I understood why it made sense for Danielle Allen to pace it the way she did. This was my first novel by her and I can wait to read more going forward!

Curvy Girl Summer is some of Danielle’s best work!! Gah! It was amazing!! The steam, the banter, the humor, the writing! It’s all I’ve come to love from Danielle taken up a notch. Aaliyah and Ahmed have the best chemistry and their story was SO enjoyable!! I LOVE IT!!

Go one click!

An arc was provided for an honest review.

Summary:
Aliyah just wants a shortcut. No dating no long getting to know you periods or casual hookups, she just wants to find her person and start their life.
Whew but with her family on her back hounding her about the husband she has yet to find and the weight they think she has is just too much. Time is ticking away and wants to step into her Dirty 30 with a man who is all about her and her curves. But with only 7 weeks until her birthday and a first date gone bad Aaliyah starts wonder if this will be an impossible feat. Enter bartender Ahmad. He is as charming as he is funny and about her terrible dating choices he’s got jokes. Convincing her to join an online dating app will she find Mr perfect in her DMs or will it be a match made in a bar?

The Tea:
Cue audible Growl of frustrated anticipation. This is a slow burn! The slowest of burns that has ever had the audacity to burn. Aaliyah is determined not to let her family be right about her but also wants her self worth to not be defined by who she is or isn’t dating. This book made me feel. The swirl of emotions that I went through while reading this book was crazy. Her family at one point was crazy talking and she held her tongue I was so upset “like friend don’t let them talk to you like that.” I was giddy every time she went on a promising date. Then angry at the way some of the dates treated her. Furious when she was getting in her own way by being stubborn then found myself cracking up at the back and forth jabs they made. Furthermore the Author did an excellent job with the slow romance but also the friendship that was created between the characters first. The banter and dialogue between them was so good and natural. The burn on this was deliciously devastatingly slow and enticing! Every time I thought they were close I was reeled back and when they finally got together the spice was enough to curl your toes!!!

Wickedly delicious and thoroughly satisfying, not only is this THE summer read of 2024, for me it’s on my top favorite reads of 2024!

This is my first read by this author and what a treasure did I just discover!

When we meet our heroine Aliyah, it starts with a bang!Literally a hot, sexy hold on to the kitchen counter smoldering bang. Oh that introduction to our heroine Aliyah sets the tone for a well paced, highly entertaining story I could not put down.

This read offered a refreshing and brutally honest look at the trials and tribulations of dating.
Aliyah’s story was a smart touching story that resonated with me as I remember similar conversations with my family when I reached 30, just like our heroine. She’s about to celebrate 30, and her family has things to say about it. The “fat-shaming” that is so prevalent in our society, even with our families all in the name of “we’re concerned” was cleverly plotted and executed.

Well… Aliyah had something to say about that and creates a plan to deal with her family and all shamers. Except, her plan has other plans and the result was pure sizzling slow burn magic!
To say anything else would spoil the fun of discovering what happens with this magnificent goddess and her friends.
The author was so on point creating these characters. The plot was so well thought out and the characters so relatable and realistic. What they said, how they acted, the one liners were priceless.

I loved everything about this book especially how inspirational and thought provoking it was for all of us big girls with curves!

Curvy Girl Summer by Danielle Allen

Thank you so much Bramble + NetGalley for the eARC

✨My thoughts:
Geezus this book is everything and it’s so hot for summer! Honestly, there’s not a single thing I didn’t love about this book! It’s spicy, the friendships are the best, and the message is chefs kiss. Starting with the female friendships, Nina and Jas were the best friends anyone could ever wish for. Sweet, sassy, and not afraid to tell you the truth, the kind of friends everyone needs in their lives. The romance was so so good. The tension between Aaliyah and Ahmad was so thick, in the best way, the banter was to die for, and I loved that they were friends first. But really… when Ahmad asked “Can I have that? Can I have what I want?” I’m pretty sure I died and went to heaven. My goodness I forgot I was reading a book for a second. And lastly, the messages were outstanding, I definitely got teary eyed. To the parents who have lost a child & have other children… your child may not understand what it’s like to list a child of their own but they do know what it’s like to lose a sibling and both hurt, both are different, & both come with it’s own difficulties. Be gentle with each other and cognizant of the trauma it brings to each of you. And also, love yourself & live the life that aligns with you. Other people’s expectations are not your responsibility. You know what’s best for you, so do that. Always always stand your ground. There’s so much more I could add but I should wrap it up! Curvy Girl Summer is one of my favorites of 2024 and it’s a must read for the summer. Happy pub day!! It’s out today 6/11/24!

Happy reading 📖

In Curvy Girl Summer we follow Aliyah a curvy girl who is tired of dating. She wants a steady relationship for her birthday because she is going to turn thirty soon. Down on her luck she goes to a bat and starts conversation with bartender Ahmad after a blind date fails to work out, and he encourages her to try dating apps while keeping a watch on her. This starts a run of dates that go from ok to awful, but throughout it all, their relationship develops into something more.

This book was so interesting as I had never read a roamnce like this one. I loved seeing Aliyah on all of the dates she went on and how they would be bad, mediocre, or great but something was still missing. Which is extremely realistic. IT also had the perfect pacing and the best amount of romance and plot. ALSO, the banter was top teir. This book was also narrated by one of my favorite audiobook narrators Weisghly Siobhan which made the experience all the better.

Thank you to Netgalley and MacMillan Audio for the eARC/eALC in exchange for an honest review. #macaudio2024.

We love a curvy girl heroine. This book was everything you would expect - sweet, spicy, and oddly hilarious. The banter between the two characters was top notch and I found myself laughing out loud more than once. The slow burn is slowwwwwww and that was a little frustrating (but let's be honest, it's because we all want to get to that HEA, especially when we love the characters).

Overall, this was a great summer read and I would recommend it to my friends.

I enjoyed reading Aaliyah’s journey to finding a date for her 30th birthday to prove a point to her family that she can get a man instead of them setting one up for her. I also enjoyed the funny banter between her and the bartender it made this book that much enjoyable.

Sometimes you come across a book that leaves a deep remark right in your heart and mind, well this one was kinda book for me.

This is my very first read from the author's work ❤️

This one talks about so many issues, all together yet it's not a messy but a beautiful combination of several topics that the 21st century girl is facing.

Body Positivity 💫 a stable relationship ✨ and accepting one own self and being happy with the life 🤌

The characters were so relatable and the protagonist 🤌✨💫 i love her..!!

This was definitely a slow burn, but overall enjoyable. If you know the struggles of being single and dating, you will definitely enjoy this read. I enjoyed the chemistry between the two main characters. I loved that the main female lead was a plus size character. I really felt connected to the story and connected to the characters. If you want something fun, I would give this a try.

Thank you NetGalley for the free Arc

Rating: 3.75

From the first chapter I was thrown off because it was giving erotica 😭.. I didn’t anticipate this to be a slow burn but that also took away for me. I also may have missed the tw about the fat phobia that would be in the book.

There were a lot of cons that kinda took away for me but I pushed on and I loved Aaliyah and her take no mess attitude and how she still made it through. The development was really good as well.

I loved these two so much. They were so cute together. Their bantering was top notch, chemistry was sizzling but the slow burn damn nearly killed me. I was screaming at every page for them to get together. So frustrating!! But the pay off was worth it in the end.

Overall, this was a really enjoyable read. It was sweet, spicy and hilarious. Highly recommended!!

Thanks to Danielle Allen, Bramble and Netgalley for the ARC!

Curvy Girl Summer was such a fun read overall! I definitely want to give a trigger warning for extremely blatant fatphobia from both Aaliyah's family and her dates. Personally, I loved the fat rep and thought it felt authentic AND I adored Aaliyah's take no sh*t attitude. She loved herself and demanded that from others, it just didn't shy away from what life is like when you are fat. Was it the only thing about Aaliyah? Absolutely not, but it shows how it's often the only thing someone else sees. This book was filled with personal growth (and I love good character development) for both main characters with Aaliyah's specifically having nothing to do with her weight. In that was it was WONDERFUL. Truly.

Now for the romance, since it's central to the plot! Danielle Allen gives us one hell of a slow burn - the tension is off the charts from the beginning. I didn't know if I'd like Aaliyah going on dates with other people, but it allowed the spectacular banter to be showcased and their friendship to set the stage for what is sure to be an epic relationship. I loved Ahmad, the FMC, and think he's prime book boyfriend material. He had his own development ARC and it helped with Aaliyah's as well. They just complimented eachother wonderfully.

My only issue with the book is that it probably could be 50 pages shorter due to some unnecessary repetition. That made the pacing drag a bit when I was ready for the plot to advance. Other than that it's a great read!

Thank you Netgalley, publisher Bramble, and author Danielle Allen for providing this ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
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If you read my reviews, you know I am immediately suspicious of a book with an average rating over 4 stars, and even more suspicious of a book that has absolutely no one- or two-star reviews. After all, 3 is average, right? Not every book is for every one, of course.

Bullshit.

Enter CURVY GIRL SUMMER.

This book is [screams incoherently]. The characters! The family dynamics! The plot! The premise! The secrets! The stakes! The MOTHER of all slow burns (but goddamn when the sparks turn into flames, it's an inferno)! And even though this is a sloooow burn, there's just enough little sparks sprinkled throughout like sexy confetti to keep the reader from getting impatient and thinking "God, will y'all hurry up and bang already?" and instead, will have you squealing in giddy delight as they inch closer, and closer together.

FMC Aaliyah is an incredibly relatable character: she's curvy (at a size 20, she's not just a "little thicc"), she's a careerwoman, she's independent and has her own car and apartment, she's got goals, she's got dreams, and she's not here to settle for sub-par men. She comes from a moderately wealthy background, since, after all, her uncle owns a (small) yacht (but still, a yacht's a yacht). She's got her ride or die besties that call her on her bullshit when it needs calling, and she's got family that meddles but means well but the meddling is still unnecessary and unwelcome, and she has to balance family love/duty/honor with her self respect. My god. The complexity. Chef's kiss.

MMC Ahmad is going down in history as one of the best book boyfriends ever. In fact, he is the reason I had to stop reading, open Goodreads, and create a best-book-boyfriend shelf. This man can stand up next to the romantasy girlies' coveted Rhysand. Yes, really. Ahmad's non-spoiler best-book-boyfriend credentials are: the man has boundaries and enforces them, he loves his family, he has his day job and his bartending gig (so we love a man who can hustle), he watches out for the ladies at his bar, he's not ashamed to admit he's gone to therapy, and when his boys are "being boys" he will straighten them out if needed. Ahmad's SPOILER-FULL best-book-boyfriend credentials are: [he eats wink-wink-nudge-nudge like he's starving and makes sure she gets hers first, sometimes multiple times, before he gets his. We stan a gentleman. He's thoughtful, and shows his affection with multiple Love Languages including acts of services, quality time, gift giving. Words of affirmation isn't his primary style, since his default setting is sarcastic jokester, but when a situation is serious, he can verbalize. (hide spoiler)] And the biggest spoiler on why he's god-tier man is [he faces his trauma/phobia for our girl, yes he does. (hide spoiler)] The way I hollered, omg.

In the interest of fairness, it's worth mentioning I *did* rush through this read. I usually take 4-7 days to read a book of this length, but when I got the ARC approval late on the 6th and I saw this book was publishing on the 11th, I wanted to make sure I read it and had my review ready to go before publishing day. I did spend the majority of my Saturday reading, but also, it wasn't a difficult choice and I didn't have to force myself, in any way, shape, form, or fashion, to sit and read all day.

The story was intriguing and kept me guessing on when they were going to realize their feelings (and after realizing, when were they going to do something about them-- helloooo), and to see what new shenanigans this dating app was going to bring for Aaliyah. I've read a few "woes of dating"-esque books before, and my disappointment with those was not enough bad dates were shown on page! Those books usually show two bad dates and then there's a time skip with a Spongebob-narrator type of situation, "Many bad dates laterrrr" but not here. We actually get to see all the first dates in all their glory, for better or worse. I honestly loved that. It was endlessly entertaining, but also a little emotionally heavier in the sense we as readers of different backgrounds and different bodies get to peek behind the curtain of what it's like to date as a 30 year old fat Black woman. Sometimes, we get to see what's it's like to just be a 30 year old fat Black woman existing in a bar. The catcallers, man. The catcallers.

Because this is a slow burn, and because we get to see all the dates happen at the bar where Ahmad works, we get a front row view to Ahmad and Aaliyah's blossoming friendship. Their banter and sarcasm and nickname-giving was so real. They both give it as good as they get though, which makes for wildly amusing on-page interactions while they roast each other. Ahmad's nicknames for Aaliyah vary from day to day, based on what she's wearing: a yellow dress, black and white stripes, a pink romper... Aaliyah routinely probes at Ahamd's "child size" or "smedium" shirts that he can barely squeeze over his "fat head". This dialog, y'all. This perfectly captures the way people really talk to each other, right down to the affectionate but snarky "I can't stand your ass! See you next Friday."

This book is moderately spicy, with three partnered scenes and one solo scene. Like I mentioned earlier in this review, this is a slow burn, but when it finally ignites, it is a veritable inferno.

If you're looking for a strong independent woman who don't need no man, but wants a partner, this is that book. If you're looking for a confident and capable woman who tolerates no shit from nobody, not even her loudmouth uncle, this is that book. If you're looking for a tender story about vulnerability and healing after the death of a loved one, that's this book, too. If you're looking for summer vibes with lakes and boats and brunches, that's also this book.

Honestly, I think this book healed something in me that I didn't know needed healing.

This was definitely a ride. This story takes you through disaster dates like no other. The main character goes through so many battles with people who are closest to her and even strangers who criticize her constantly. I was annoyed with all of the excessive criticism but the execution of the story was worth finishing.

Wow!!! I had a blast reading this book and listening to the Audio book. Firstly, thank you to Netgalley and TOR publishing for granting me the ARC of this story. This author has been on my radar for a while, but this book out did all my expectations! I can't wait to put a physical copy on my shelves.

This is a perfect-burn romance, fun, easy to read, and absolutely hilarious! The chemistry between Aaliyah and Ahmad, the FMC and MMC was perfect, and the spice scenes were chiefs kiss. I'm ready to find Ahmad and become sister wife because I know he's about to be the book bae of the summer. This book had my blushing, talking out loud at my screen, and cackling at the banter between our characters.

In this story, we meet Aaliyah, who is dealing with grief while also learning to accept herself and her own journey through life. She is simultaneously entering the dating game and playing all the reindeer games that come along with it. Here enters Ahmad, a sexy bartender and IT professional, who offers to look out for her and eventually becomes her friend/ wingman. While all of this is happening, we get to see Ahmad address his own grief, and Aaliyah navigate societal and family pressure about her life and future. I loved seeing her express her emotional intelligence in the dating scene and stand her ground with her family. Ahmad was super funny, very attentive and aware of Aaliyah, and sexy as hell. Did I mention that the few spicy scenes were aptly placed and gave the most wonderful visuals🌶🌶🌶. The audio narrators did a fantastic job and definitely added to my enjoyment of the story.

I definitely recommend this book if you like romance, to laugh with your books, just the right amount of spice, friendships, and a FMC that sticks up for herself.

Aaliyah is preparing for her 30th birthday party. This birthday is a big deal for her and she is planning a wonderful celebration. The problem is she does not want to enter into another decade of life without a man/boyfriend.

After learning the hard truth of what her uncle and and family members believed about her and what they believed the reason there is no man in her life, the pressure was on for her to prove her family wrong. Starting a quest to meet someone through an online dating app, Aaliyah experienced a murky, tainted and ridiculously disappointing dates with men from the app. Thankfully she had her friend Ahmad, to tell her the truth and to have her back! Will her confidence and self-love be enough for her or will she meet her person as she enters her new decade.

I truly enjoyed this book and loved the way the author developed Aaliyah's character. I enjoyed most of the characters except the uncle. It seemed his excessive body shaming did not align with the overall personality of the rest of the family members and friends. I loved the confidence Aaliyah had even while navigating through a world where people were mean and overly concerned about the woman's body size.

Thank you NetGalley, Danielle Allen, Macmillan Audio, and Tor Publishing Group for providing an ARC for me to review. I loved everything about this book. I can't wait to read the. next book from Danielle Allen.

Thank you Negalley, the publisher, and Ms. Allen for this ebook arc. When I tell you I was praying to the Netgalley God's for this arc!
Ms. Allen... you did not tell me this was going to be the slow burn of all slow burns! The tension was sooo good I was yelling at my kindle at midnight like "THIS MAN IS IN LOOOOVE GIRL".
Curvy girl is filled with friendship, love, trauma, growth and of course.. some good smutt. This was definitely a 5 star read and I could not stop laughing and kicking my feet. I am so excited for the world to get their hands on Aaliyah and Ahmad's story!

I got both the audio and the ebook of this book, It was sexy, funny. and even frustrating. I loved it so much. Danielle Allen is writing some great stuff and for this to her her trad debut, I am so shocked. She is a force in the indie romance world.

This was my first time reading a book by Danielle Allen, and I have to say, it was awesome. I tried to guess how the story would unfold as I read, and I eventually figured it out, but that didn't take away from my enjoyment. The friendship between Aaliyah and Ahmad was the best part of the book. If you're into a sweet romance for a chill weekend read, this book is perfect for you.