I adored this book! Aaliyah's journey was very relatable - from the horrors of dating in these ghetto streets to nosey/rude family members saying harmful remarks while "meaning well."

Definitely one of my favorite reads recently and one I've been recommending to all romance lovers!

First Read of this Author and ready to read the book #2. Everyone needs some romance in their life. The cover definitely pulled to this book immediately!

I love this series! I’m so happy to see women of color who are beautiful inside & out while being loved by a black man! It’s everything

This is the first audiobook that I've listened by Danielle Allen, and I'm here for it. When the right narrator is selected for a book, then is makes for an enjoyable experience.

This was a good time,and I enjoyed this book from beginning to end. There were laugh-out-loud moments, heartfelt moments, side eyeing a few characters, and so much more. And I mean so much more.

A few quotes that I loved. There are more, but I will not spoil it for you.
💜"That's their issue, not mine."

💜"And I would love to have met the right man to be my husband, but I haven't. And I'm not willing to settle. There's nothing wrong with that."

💜"My happiness is tied to me living a life that I love and am proud of. My happiness is centered around me and what I want."

💜"But again, I don't want to have kids with just anyone. I'd like to do that with my husband, and I'm not going to marry just anyone. So, it goes back to what I said before-I'm not willing to settle."

My stamp of approval. I am recommending this book to you.

Aaliyah is a curvy woman who searches to find the perfect summer romance. I loved the interactions with her friends and the themes of acceptance told through humor. It was perfectly steamy and brought all the emotions.

🎧What a fun narration! Performed by Wesleigh Siobhan

*many thanks to Macmillan audio and Netgalley for the gifted copy for review

Wesleigh Siobhan continues to prove why she’s the best audiobook narrator in the game. She is the one, not the two. Siobhan is masterful in Curvy Girl Summer and brings Allen’s story to life. One of the best audiobooks of 2024.

Wesleigh Siobhan narrates Curvy Girl Summer by Danielle Allen, in which Aaliyah sets out to find a boyfriend over the summer with whom to celebrate her 30th birthday. The bartender Ahmad at the bar where Aaliyah experiences a failed blind date suggests she try a dating app. Aliyah discovers she’s out of her depth with online dating. Luckily, Aaliyah’s friends have her back, and Ahmad too, surprisingly. Aaliyah focuses on what she wants in a boyfriend, never expecting what she finds.

Siobhan’s husky voice and lyrical and vibrant narration brilliantly draw you into the story from her first spoken words of Allen’s beautifully written multilayered story and the intriguing characters she brings soaring from the pages into your heart and mind. Siobhan inhabits each character, bringing them to life using their quirks, personalities, and details Allen uses to describe them to create an image in the reader’s head, making them three-dimensional. She depicts each character so thoroughly that it’s hard to believe she’s the sole narrator.

Her voices for Aaliyah and Ahmad perfectly match their descriptions and personalities. She uses accents, dialects, pacing, inflection, and emotion to give characters distinct voices, revealing their personalities, feelings, quirks, and states of mind. Her voices/narration for other characters are just as distinctive. Siobhan’s narration during the love scenes is so good that you need a straight face for public listening. She perfectly expresses/portrays the characters’ intimacy, chemistry, sensations, and moods during the novel’s scorching intimate scenes. Complementing Allen’s writing, Siobhan is a magnificent choice to narrate Curvy Girl Summer.

Allen’s writing, storytelling style, and language are lively, accessible, and vibrant, with rich descriptions and details that use the characters’ senses and emotions to contribute to world-building and character development. Her writing has authenticity, realism, honesty, and depth that touches your heart and mind. This is my first book by her, and I was ready to run and read her entire backlist because I love her writing and storytelling that much. I can relate to Aaliyah in so many ways and can only hope to have the confidence and grit that she has to stand up to people with as much strength and resilience in the face of some of the hurtful, fat-phobic things that they say to her.

Ahmad and Aliyah are genuine, likable, relatable, complex, fallible, conflicted characters who you can’t help becoming invested in. Allen transitions their relationship from friends to more through hilarious, sweet, steamy, emotional, and sexy banter, interactions, and sizzling hot and emotionally stirring intimate/love scenes. Their friendship and connection are warm, genuine, and sweet, with an undercurrent of intense sexual attraction and chemistry present from their first meeting, deepening as they get to know each other. I love their humorous, chemistry-filled banter and interactions.

I love Ahmad’s character. He’s a good man, and the dichotomy between him and the guys she meets on her dates couldn’t be any more drastic. Ahmad is intelligent, thoughtful, sweet, funny, sarcastic, loyal, and dependable. Aaliyah and Ahmad’s back-and-forth banter and sizzling chemistry are so fun to read. They become friends and he offers to look out for her at the bar while she’s on her dates.

Allen wonderfully transitions their relationship from friends to more through hilarious, sweet, steamy, emotional, and sexy banter, interactions, and intimate/love scenes. I love Ahmad and Aaliyah’s friendship, banter, interactions, and trash talk. That is one of the book’s best parts. Allen takes the time for them to get to know each other and find themselves after the trauma they’ve experienced before getting involved. Ahmad and Aaliyah are there for each other at important moments. Their intense attraction and connection grow from the friendship they forge as they spend time together at the bar, she has awful dates, and then Aaliyah and Ahmad talk, banter, and trash-talk.

Her friends, their interactions, and their relationship are the best. She has supportive friends who love her unconditionally, offer positive affirmation, push her when she needs it, and help her see/face what she’s afraid of or deal with, especially concerning her summer date and feelings for Ahmad. She needs them because her family is awful to her concerning her career choices, single status, and weight, especially her uncle. Nina is my favorite, though. She keeps it real with Aaliyah, doesn’t let her get away with anything or make it easy for her, keeps her honest, and holds her accountable.

Allen deals with stereotypes about curvy, plus-size women in a straightforward but nuanced way through Aliyah’s dating journeys using humor. Funny, steamy, emotional, and sexy, Curvy Girl Summer is a romantic, and captivating audio listen. It’s one of the best romances I’ve read this year and in a long while.

Macmillan Audio provided an advanced listening copy via Netgalley for review.

CW: PTSD, grief/loss

I enjoyed this one so much. I loved the deep dive into the online dating world as a plus sized black woman, and also how fat phobia can be present in our families.
Our FMC, Aaliyah was confident, self-assured, independent and had her life together. While our MMC was funny, kind, protective and made sure to always validate our girl.
I loved the dynamic between the two of them; their chemistry was great and their banter was top tier. There were definitely some laugh out loud moments that made the story even more fun.
Highly recommend this one.

Had to DNF. The narrator's voice did not match the character for me and it was hard to get past. However, I do like the story enough so I will be trying to read the e-book version of it. For now, giving it a 3 stars because I am enjoying the actual story, but unfortunately, the audiobook is just not for me.

I love the way Daninelle Allen writes Rom-Coms. There is a beauty in her writing and it is really hitting the mark for me. I appreciated the characters and their story and the tropes were hitting for me as well.

Plus-Size Romance with Curvy Girl Summer

Curvy Girl Summer follows the journey of Aaliyah James, a nearly thirty-year-old woman navigating the chaotic world of online dating. After a disastrous one-night stand with her clingy ex, Aaliyah realizes she wants more from her love life. Determined to find a boyfriend before her milestone birthday, she embarks on a series of hilarious and often cringe-worthy dates. Amidst the dating mishaps, she is consoled by Ahmad Williamson, a charming local bartender, leading to an unexpected and heartwarming romance.

Curvy Girl Summer by Danielle Allen is a refreshing and empowering romance novel that celebrates body positivity and the complexities of modern dating. With its relatable characters, witty dialogue, and heartfelt message, it is a perfect summer read that will leave readers both entertained and inspired.

4.5

Fantastic steamy summer romance! This delivered on everything I wanted it to and just made me so happy reading it. Absolutely adored out couple the communication happening and the steam levels.

Audio narration was fantastic

Thank you Net Galley, Danielle Allen, and Macmillion audi for the arc.

I really enjoyed this book! I loved all the dates. The were all realistic and felt like dating in this current time. I loved that throughout all her dates it showed the FMCs unwillingness to compromise. I think alot more women these days are doing so and understanding it's nothing wrong with sticking to your guns.
The book was well written and Wesleigh Siobhan is my absolute favorite female narrator. She always delivers a show and evokes the characters emotions perfectly. I almost laughed and almost cried.
I can't wait for the next book in the series.

I couldn’t handle Aaliyah’s uncle and the way he talked about her weight. I decided to DNF - this is just my own personal stuff and it may be a great book but I’m the wrong reader.

Plus size FMC = an auto read for me.

I loved this book - it was sooooo good. The characters, the banter, the friendships, the spice.
So good.

Reviewed in the United States on June 17, 2024
I enjoyed reading the book. I like the development of the characters. Once I started I didn't put it down it did start a bit spicy but I did enjoy the fact that there was story there and that wasn't the whole focus. I would recommend this book.
I did receive am advance copy which did not affect my opinion of the book.

Danielle Allen's writing in Curvy Girl Summer is STELLAR. The storytelling is EVERYTHING.

Extremely well written, I went on an emotional roller coaster reading this book. Heart wrenching and sizzling, if it's an emotion, I felt it reading and listening to this book.

Danielle Allen tests boundaries and examines the perils and dating dynamics of the 2020's. I enjoyed Aaliyah and Ahmad's journey immensely, because everything isn't always black and white or right and wrong. Bravo!!

Wesleigh Siobhan did an incredible job as the (FMC)...she really captured the essence of Aaliyah's character brillantly.

WOW THIS WAS SUCH A GREAT BOOK!!❤️
this wasn't just a romance, it was a book that touched on how hard it is to navigate the dating world as a bigger woman. I appreciated the real and honest emotion this book discussed and also the beautifully written character that Aaliyah is!

also this was funny as hell! This book had some top-tier banter. Ahmad and Aaliyah are freaking hilarious with each other!! They just GOT each other!! their chemistry was amazing and they had such a fun and HOT connection!🔥❤️

this book was a slow burn done perfectly in my opinion, the friendship, love and trust that grew between Ahmad and Aaliyah was the perfect build up for when they finally confessed their feelings (also this proves that friends lovers is the superior trope!!)

not gonna lie this book triggered me a bit. The comments and conversation on body image was hard to read, but the outcome of how Aaliyah stood up for herself inspired me and I will return to this book whenever I need a little reminder and motivation on self-love.

everything about this was so perfect. i'm gonna need a novella of Aaliyah and Ahmad being happy and in love some more because I seriously can't get enough of them and need more content! giving this book all the stars and all the love because it deserves it!!🤩❤️

The way I was not ready for how this book started, but I was locked in until the very last page. Danielle Allen has done it again with her newest release, "Curvy Girl Summer". This book was for the grown, the sexy, and for the women who are not willing to settle simply because the world thinks we should. Allen has a way of weaving words that leaves the reader enchanted. I enjoyed the pace, the spicy scenes, and the audacity of some of these characters, This book took me through a range of emotions. Nothing was more satisfying than living in Aaliyah's world and I was truly sad to leave it. This book was a winner!

This is the first book I have read from Danielle Allen and it won't be the last. This book was so much fun! I was hooked from page one - the narrators were phenomenal; super engaging and entertaining. I can't wait to read more from Danielle!