Strong storytelling and beautifully delicate handling of sensitive topics -- but the romance was "spoiled" from the get with the other love interests presented being two dimensional characters. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the free advance copy.

I was really pleasantly surprised by this title!

I’m fairly picky about contemporary romance and I just really loved the rep in this one. Dealing with fat phobic comments from family members is something I am intimately familiar with unfortunately and it was really cathartic to see the FMC deal with it.

My only complaint is how long it took to figure out one part and it teetered into a “nope trope” for me but thankfully it at least resolves itself so it didn’t go that way.

Danielle Allen is for sure a force and I really want to read more by her as soon as I can

Love books when the plus size woman isn’t embarrass about her body or has no self esteem and will take any man she can get because she’s so desperate to feel desirable. I loved watching her make the MMC earn her. I love when a man grovels.

This book! Oh my gosh! Danielle Allen did her thing with this one. I loved the representation. I've said it once and I'll say it again, I get so attached to books that I can see myself in. This is for the big girls and the black girls. There was so much self love to counter the pure ignorance of some. I flew through this one in a day. Ahmad and Aaliyah had great chemistry from the jump. Strangers to friends to lovers. Absolute chef's kiss. For sure would recommend to all!

I sooo enjoyed this read. A fellow curvy girl looking to have a hot girl summer so this was right on time! Lol I absolutely fell in love with Aaliyah and Ahmad’s dynamic. The tension between them was so good and I enjoyed seeing them hang out outside of Onyx. I love how only Uncle Al and rude dates hyper focused on Aaliyah’s weight. Aaliyah wasn’t insecure about it or worried about what other’s thought. That in turn gave me a boost of confidence as well. Oh man, I couldn’t get enough of how supportive Aaliyah’s friends were and loved how Asia was rooting from the side. Ahmad’s story was told really well too. The sexy scenes were well worth the wait *fans self*. This was a 10 out of 10 read for me. I devoured it in a week!

4.75 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.75 stars! In the opening of the book, Aaliyah has a one night stand with one of her exes and realizes that she cannot do this anymore. She’s about to turn 30, and would like to have a boyfriend to accompany her to her party with her.

She decides to start dating again and agrees to go on a blind date with a co-workers friend, and she gets stood up at the restaurant. While she’s there she starts talking with the bartender, Ahmad and over time they form a friendship.

We follow Aaliyah and Ahmad’s journey and see the growth that they each have throughout this book. This story is about so much more than her dating life. It talks about women’s weight and societal norms, grieving and coping with loss, and dating and kissing so many frogs before you get to your prince. I really enjoyed this book and definitely recommend it.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Hooked from the first pages. Aliyah’s 30th birthday is quickly approaching. With pressures from family about her love life and weight, Aliyah has a plan set to date and find the right guy by her birthday. After a blind date turns out to be a waste of time she decides to download a dating app suggested by her friends and a hilarious bartender, Ahmad.
I loved Ahmad from his first introduction. His lighthearted jabs and his whole interaction with Aliyah was great. Never have two characters just felt like they were so good together for me. The jokes were top tier hilarious and kept me engaged. I was happy Aliyah stood up for herself and realized that her family hadn’t recovered from past trauma and by that they pushed things on to her. Overall this was relatable as ever and a great read.
Thank You Bramble, coloredpagesbt, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this in advance.

This is such a wonderfully relatable story. As a curvy girl myself everything Aaliyah went through in her dating journey is something I’ve experienced and I’ll be doggone if Danielle Allen didn’t capture it with such precision that some of it could’ve been a page from my life. I love how Ahmad and Aaliyah banter with each other. Their chemistry is so apparent from the moment she’s stood up when they first meet. It’s so funny how everyone sees it but they themselves doubt it.

In the audiobook….Wesleigh Siobhan does a helluva job bringing the story to life. I’m glad I started enjoying audiobooks because though I’d read the story already, the audiobook made me love it a different way. One of my favorite reads this year.

I enjoyed this book so much! It was good seeing and reading about a person like me us size. The Author did an amazing job with this book! I absolutely loved the characters.

When I tell you this book was sooo good! Hands down one of the best books that I’ve had the privilege of reading this year! The author does such a good job at capturing not only what it’s like to exist in a bigger body with a very opinionated family , but to navigate the world of dating full of pepole who don’t believe you deserve your Cinderella moment! This book was Incredibly funny real and heartwarming. 5 stars!🌟

Thank you to NetGalley, Tor Publishing Group, and Danielle Allen for the advanced copy of Curvy Girl Summer!

Curvy Girl Summer follows Aaliyah as she navigates trying to find a boyfriend before her 30th birthday, including first dates with some questionable men, conference calls with her best friends Nina and Jazz, and a friend-zoned bartender. I loved the fact that Aaliyah was a plus size main character who acknowledged the rough dating scene for plus size women. We are often hypersexualized or fetishized or expected to deal with disrespect in the name of just having someone. Aaliyah doesn't take that shit, though, and I love that.

As much as I loved Aaliyah, the writing style of Curvy Girl Summer left much to be desired. There was an incredible amount of dialogue, way too much repetitive actions, thoughts, and dialogue, and multiple, multiple, multiple instances where she would do something and then immediately do it again on the next page (ex. taking off Ahmad's pants after they were already off). I think with a heavy edit, it would be a great read, but unfortunately at this point it didn't hit for me.

This book gives me exactly what I’m looking for in a romance with a plus sized main character. She is confident, beautiful and knows her worth. I loved reading how she experienced her dates and how her love interest was pining for her in the background. The story also explored difficult topics but showcases how love can prevail past heartache and grief. Oh, and the spice was spicy! Highly recommend

This review contains spoilers and was submitted in exchange for a free digital advanced reader copy.

As a bigger girl Curvy Girl Summer had my attention from the moment I started reading. Aaliyah is such a relatable character and her sarcasm is chefs kiss. Being someone who has a similar personality and is always ready with a quippy response reading the back and forth between the two main characters caused this book to go by quickly. I found myself speeding thru the rest of the novel to get to the moments where Aaliyah and Ahmed where messing with each other.

I loved reading this book even as Aaliyah's Uncle Al and horrible dates had my cursing and punching the air.

Ms. Allen wrote a beautiful novel about loving yourself first and allowing the right man to find his way into your life.

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.