This book start off with a bang … literary. It pulled me in from chapter one and kept me in a choke hold through the entire book. The character development was superb. I could see each character in my head. I laughed so much reading this book, felt all the emotions, cheered for and screamed at the couple. And let’s not forget about the narrator. Wesleigh Siobhan brought Curvy Girl Summer to life. Her narrator range is impeccable.

The combination of Danielle Allen’s writing and Wesleigh’s narration made for a fully enjoyable experience. I would highly recommend this story. It’s a solid five-star read.

Thank you Danielle Allen, NetGalley, and Macmillan Audio for the opportunity to review this title.

I’ve already read this one already but I had to listen to the ALC version to see how it came
To life. I truly enjoyed the Wesleigh Siobhan bringing these characters to life. She did an awesome job. I loved it as much as I loved the ebook.
Thank you for the opportunity to listen to this awesome work.

I’ve been reading Danielle for years, and have loved many of her books. This one is different though. It doesn’t read like the others, and that’s not a bad thing.

I loved Aliyah’s friends are awesome. I do wish that she and Ahmad had better communication, given that they called each other friends and was holding so much back. They definitely need to do better.

All the married men getting at Aliyah really be how it is though. Too many married men do not respect their vows. Also, the men who fetishized her was disgusting.

Both Ahmad and Aliyah were disrespectful for their little bathroom rendezvous when she was on a date.

I think this was just okay.

I really, really enjoyed this book.
Well, this is a story about Aaliyah a beautiful full-figured black professional woman who is getting ready for her upcoming 30th birthday party celebration. Aaliyah, feels the pressure from her family, friends and also the need to find someone who makes her feel special. One of her best friends recommend that Aaliyah uses a dating app, so she starts making a profile on a dating app. She receives support from her besties and also befriends Ahmed a bartender at the new bar in her neighborhood. Ahmed and Aaliyah's best friend Nina and Jazmine help her through her various date from the Tinder fish app in hope of finding a date her upcoming birthday party. I enjoyed how the author wrote about Aaliyah's various dates, and the funny commentary of her friends and Ahmed on the men she dated.
I loved the dialogue between Aaliyah, and her two best friends. I found myself chuckling out load quite often, especially when Nina said you're smiling so hard I can see your wisdom tooth molars. lol

Also, this author writes the best romance scenes. If you like it hot and spicy this is your book.
Once, I started this book I did not want to put it down. The audiobook just grabbed my attention from the start. I highly recommend for lovers of romance and romantic comedy.
Thank you so very much Net galley and Macmillian audio for the opportunity to review this arc. This book left me with a huge smile on my face.

Hot hot take on romance tropes. Fun Rollercoaster. Love the inclusion of family and body judgment and standing up for yourself. Also normalizing self pleasure.

4 stars' adorable characters plot and side characters were just as strong as the main two characters. It had good drama trauma recovery for both main characters and I highly recommend this!

When I say Danielle Allen and Wesleigh Siobhan are fire with this book I mean it. When it releases run, don't walk, skip or stroll.,.,RUN to get this book. Wesleigh took her narration to another level with this one. And Danielle's writing...one word...SUPERB!

Ba-byyyyyyy! Okay so lets start with the fact that for me romance has been harder and harder to like. It never really feels relatable for me. So when I picked up this book (audiobook) I was like, wait this sounds like me and my friends. I was immediately drawn in.

After her family went IN on her for not having a serious boyfriend or family at a memorial, Aaliyah lies to her parents that she is involved with someone to get them off her back. We go on a journey with Aaliyah, trying to find a serious boyfriend by her 30th birthday. Only thing is Aaliyah realizes it is going to be harder than she thought after being stood up on her first blind date. The bartender, Ahmad notices her and signs himself up to help her through her find a boyfriend for her party by the end of summer, giving advice and looking out for her. Through this journey, the characters navigate grief, ignorance, guilt, shame, love and empowerment. Wesleigh Siobhan narrated the heck out of this story! I loved every minute of it. The realistic scenarios and banter. I was cracking up most of the book with the banter that the characters had with one another.

I literally could not put this book down. I absolutely will be buying a pre-order physical copy because not only do I love the cover but I loved the book.

Thank you to NetGalley, Bramble, and Danielle Allen for an opportunity to review an advanced copy of this book. I received an audio review copy of this book for an honest review, all opinions are my own.

Wow! "Curvy Girl Summer" is an absolute must-read! This book has everything—spice, romance, and a storyline that’s incredibly relatable. The narrative sizzles with sensuality, and I was thrilled to see a Black woman cherished and adored just as she deserves! The character development is exquisitely crafted, making it impossible not to fall in love with the cast.

What truly stood out was how the author tackled issues of fatphobia within society and the Black family, shedding light on the damaging belief that it prevents women from experiencing true love. This story is a powerhouse, and I'd rate it a thousand out of ten!

The audiobook is a standout too, with Wesleigh’s narration bringing each character to life flawlessly. I was completely captivated and will definitely be diving into this book again.

Huge thanks to NetGalley, Danielle Allen, MacMillan Audio, and Bramble Books for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was my first book by this author, but it most definitely will not be my last!

I really enjoyed how the author weaved the themes of grief, fat phobia, self-love, and romance throughout this story as follow the FMC on her summer journey to find a boyfriend (spoiler: it’s about so much more than finding a boyfriend!). These topics are often so cringy in storylines, but I felt the author handled them well and wrote the characters with intention.

This book had the right level of sweetness and spice for my taste and I can’t wait to read more from this author! I was provided an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Love the representation of fatness in this.
The opening line sets a playful and steamy tone and the rest of the story builds layers and brings us right into a snapshot of these lives in progress.
This book has a great example of the family member who can’t see how his comments are harmful but it also has good examples of support and living happily in a larger body despite the constant pressure to change.
Outside of the themes of fatness, this is a great story about opening yourself up and finding love even when it seems impossible. I really enjoyed Aaliyah and her friends and family. Their relationships feel real and genuine and not forced for the sake of the plot. Ahmad and Aaliyah have such fun banter and I like that she has him to watch her back even if she can handle herself.
Generally I lean toward disliking the miscommunication trope but this was mild enough that it didn’t make me want to throw my book.
Overall this book is more complex than it seems and has something for everyone. It is another great addition to the growing list of books with fat representation and adds the spice many have been missing.

When I saw the cover of this book and read the title, I knew I was in for an enjoyable read. And as predicted this one did not disappoint. From the very beginning, I was laughing and I was completely invested in the main character.

Curvy Girl Summer by Danielle Allen, is a hilarious, hot girl summer/online dating story that sweeps you up into the life of Aaliyah, our main character.

Aaliyah has it all, a great job, a great apartment, wonderful friends, and a loving family. But on the heels of her thirtieth birthday, she wants to finally find a man of her own, and get to the next phase of her life. With a push from her family, and also the memory of her departed sister, she jumps into the world of online dating.

After being stood up the first time she meets a handsome bartender Ahmad, who promises to watch out for her as she brings her first dates to the bar on Fridays, when he’s working, and just like that a friendship is formed. As Aaliyah goes on bad date after bad date she begins to build a connection with Ahmad, the only problem is, that he’s married.

This story was so good, I loved the big girl love and representation, something you don’t see too much of. I loved Aaliyah, she was real and I felt that her voice, thoughts, and actions were very believable.

I adored it!

Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for providing me with an advanced audio copy of this book!

The audio was Narrated by Wesleigh Siobhan and it was perfect.

Let me start by saying, the cover is gorgeous! I mean - that is what drew me in.

I received an audio arc from the publisher.

I went into this without reading the summary. One of my coworkers really loves another book from the author “Instalove,” so I figured I would check out some of her other titles.

I am a little surprised to see fatphobia centered in a book in this way. It reminds me of a lot of the rom com tropes from the late 90s or early 2000s. The FMC deals with a lot of fatphobia from her uncle, who thinks it is preventing her from finding a good man (chile, this is tired) and even men she goes on dates with from apps.

It kinda reminds me of one of those Tyler Perry/Steve Harvey dating advice movies where the MMC teaches the FMC how to find love.

It is true that a good book makes you feel things. And this book did that, but also left me feeling very uncomfortable.

Spoilers:
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The FMC literally lusting after a man she believes to be married just rubbed me the wrong way. He ends up not being married… long story.

I would check out another book from Danielle Allen, but I personally can’t recommend this one.

Thank you NetGalley, MacMillan Audio, Danielle Allen for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Im not a huge romance fan but I liked this read. Even though Aaliyah's family especially her uncle made me want to fight. I liked the characters in this book. This book also felt relatable.

4⭐️
Thank you NetGalley for this wonderful arc.
This book was so damn romantic. It was funny yet vulnerable at the same time. I really liked the characters in this book, they all had so much personality. I liked Aaliyah as a character; she’s confident, funny, and knows what she wants. I also liked Ahmad; he’s protective and romanticccc and jealoussss. The pining in this book was perfect, and OOOO that first kiss was so cute and worth the wait! I loved the slow burn cause it really helped develope the relationship between Aaliyah and Ahmad. I liked the character development and the plot! Very fun audiobook, and the narrator was great.

This was my first book by Danielle Allen and it won't be my last. I'm so pleasantly surprised by how funny yet genuinely emotional it was. I absolutely loved it. Both Aaliyah and Ahmad were such endearing characters, and all of the other characters were as well. I loved the way Ms. Allen told the story and how it was in no way predictable (at least not for me) and I was there for it all. And then there's the romance: messy and raw and real and oh, I simply adored it! The sexual tension is great also. You get to see these two characters with their quirks, insecurities, charm, and flaws come together to build each other up. There was just enough angst and sadness to offset the silliness and humor that I enjoyed so much. It made me laugh out loud, cry, and forget my responsibilities for a little while. Curvy Girl Summer was perfect for me. It delivered on all fronts, the book I didn’t know I needed. It made me swoon, made me sigh....and made me smile.
Last but not least, I listened to an audio version and the performance of the audiobook was marvelous. All in all a very satisfactory reading experience! HUGE Recommend.

This book was spicy and sweet! I loved the characters and her journey through dating, because it’s giving reality! It left me wanting more and wanting to know what happens next!

For Aaliyah 's family, the clock is ticking—after all, she’s almost thirty. And when they imply that her personality (and her body) might be too big to land a man, she lets them know they’ve gone too far—and her (nonexistent) man loves her curves, thank you very much. Now, she has seven weeks to find the perfect boyfriend to rub in their faces at the big, fancy birthday celebration she’s been planning.

After her first blind date goes wrong, charming local bartender Ahmad Williamson consoles her with a drink and some playful banter. Aaliyah takes him up on his suggestion to use a dating app—but the more she sees of his warm, funny, and easygoing nature, the less she wants to check her DMs.

5⭐ (audio) Definite winner for me! I listen to lots of audiobooks, and this narrator was excellent. She brought the story alive!

5⭐ (story) I love Ahmad—the perfect book swoon worthy book boyfriend. I love the representation in this book. I love Aaliya and her sass. Overall great fun, great spice, this is a must-read for the summer!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced audio copy (ARC) in exchange for an honest review!

Thanks to NetGalley for an audiobook arc. I suppose I should stay away from things labeled romance because they’re really not my thing. I almost stopped listening immediately because the opening scene was too graphic for me. But I kept going, and mostly enjoyed the story. Are romances supposed to be entirely predictable? I suppose they are, or at least this one was anyway. And another thing I didn’t love was I like when a book SHOWS instead of tells, but I think this one over explained things that didn’t need to be explained. Or maybe it was because the narrator did such a good job conveying tone, and it wouldn’t have felt as unnecessary in print? Idk. I’m really torn on this on so many levels.

Thank You to @netgalley for this ARC Review of Curvy Girl Summer Audiobook!

I absolutely LOVED Curvy Girl Summer!!! I have been in a book haze for a couple of weeks and this was just what I needed!

Aaliyah’s Uncle is 🗑️! Now that we’ve got that out the way…Aaliyah is a plus-size baddie! And I love her!

Aaliyah is determined to find her “person” and with her 30th birthday approaching she is feeling the pressure from herself and her family to settle down!

In a quest to find Mr. Right she agrees to a blind date! While waiting for her date she meets Ahmad, he’s the very handsome “married” bartender. She and Ahmad click as friends and he joins in this mission (with Aaliyah’s Best-friends) to help her find her person, however what they all don’t see is that he may be right in her face the entire time!

The banter and the chemistry with the main characters is EVERYTHING!! I literally LOL’d in a store while listening to this book while shopping! And I got choked up at different parts!

There was some miscommunication with the characters that made me want to scream! But that back of the bar scene…sheesh!!!! 🌶️🥵

Curvy Girl Summer is available June 11, 2024 so go preorder NOW!!! Can’t wait until mine comes!!!