We need more books like this. Oh mhm sorry. *stands on soap box* WE NEED MORE BOOKS LIKE THIS!!! The INCLUSIVITY!! People who hold fat and/or queer and/or POC identities so rarely get to see themselves in art. Whether it’s books or, as is the center of this story, visual media, it’s so rare to see minority identities thrive. I can and will shout from the rooftops until the book market is saturated with representation. A book like this is an excellent inclusion. The writing was great and the story was well paced, it kept you entertained without rushing anything. I looooved the characters. Every single one. The power of feminism coursed throughout the characters in the book in such a vibrant way you couldn’t help but love them. Even when I wanted to shake Diana to get out of her own way, I loved her! They were all so relatable and so personable, I just wanted to join them at a weekend hang at Chris’ house. I loved how it balanced the realistic with the dream, anchoring the reader strongly in the present with Diana as she navigated whatever came next. The end was wonderful and such a great way to wrap up the story.

Do you enjoy queer literature, slow-burn romances, and strong female protagonists? How about a big softie hero who supports his partner's dreams? If you answered yes, you'll adore “Because Fat Girl” by Lauren Marie Fleming.

I devoured this book! The protagonist, Diana, is a plus-sized queer woman navigating her bisexuality while grappling with societal expectations. Her journey resonates deeply, especially as she fears losing her queer community while dating the charming action star, Drew Williams.

Interestingly, the author was inspired by a dream in which Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson asked her out, and she turned him down “because fat girl.” Knowing this made the book even more enjoyable for me, as I love The Rock! Diana's aspiration to be an award-winning director is challenged by personal tragedy, yet she bravely returns to Hollywood. This novel delivers all the feels—perfect for a cozy reading session!

Terrific, complex, and soul-filling romance. A truly exceptional story about representation, the complexities of identity & sexuality, the film industry, and showing up authentically for those you love. The MCs are well-developed, relatable, and complicated characters. Narrative structure is unfussy, allowing mental space for readers to feel their way through the emotionally-charged issues throughout the book. A glorious HEA. Highly recommend.

I have a lot to say on this one unfortunately. I think this is objectively a good book - it's very engaging, really easy to read, and has some fun characters and plot lines - however, I actually think I maybe hated it a bit? I think this teeters into the overtly PC culture where everything, every injustice ever, must be brought up, used as a plot point, and explained into the ground and I think that as a reader I have moved on from the need of these books. I'm so happy (and relieved) to finally see fat, queer, trans, and a myriad of other characters that have been underrepresented in media forever get their moments but I think when you define a character as their label you completely lose me. I found it really hard to see so many of these characters outside of the tropes they were getting forced into; Diana is a fat, queer woman who consistently explains how much she loves food and hates exercise and like yes woo power to you girl I love the representation (for me!!) but I am not defined by these things, I actually exist beyond that and while I understand that was, to an extent, the point of the book it's actually slightly disheartening to read that that maybe is all I exist as: a trope. I don't know, I read it and the plot was fine but it's left quite a bitter taste in my mouth that other stories centring fat women or queer women haven't.

4.5⭐️

"To anyone who has ever been told you were too much, I beg you to stand tall in your greatness. I beg you to expand and grow. I beg you to never shrink away."

All I knew going into this book was that the main character was plus size, and that's all I needed to hear as a plus-size woman. This book was about so much more. Diana's journey in Hollywood as a plus size, queer woman was not easy, but she wasn't about to shrink herself into something that was more easily accepted. She was loud & proud. She was like stained glass: full of color and made up of pieces of all the people that she surrounds herself with. Janelle: who is a fierce & loyal friend, Cecily: who has always been there for her, Drew: who accepts her for who she is, & so many more.

Lauren crafted a beautiful book that poignantly tells the story of acceptance, resilience, & pursuing your dreams in a world that's not always on your side. Xe found the words that perfectly describe the complexity of life & remaining true to yourself as you evolve. This made me laugh, cry, and gave me hope. Thank you, Lauren. Your radical inclusivity is much needed in this world.

Overall I really enjoyed reading this book. It was a quick read that kept my attention throughout. As a plus size woman, it was nice to see this repped in a book and be able to relate to the struggles Diana had with body image, finding clothing she felt confident in, and how others perceive her. I also really loved how inclusive this book was with queer representation.

The only drawback for me is that some of the “fat girl” stereotypes really seemed to be emphasized multiple times (always being hangry, eating tons of bacon and fries with cheese, hating fitness). I think that took away from the main character because it reiterated those negative stereotypes of plus size people, which I think is the opposite of what the author was intending. Also, by the end of the book it began feeling more like a lecture on queer inequality as Diana didn’t seem to be able to do anything without her over emphasizing these things to the reader. I do think it’s important to emphasize inequalities and I am an ally, but it felt a bit overdone.

I loved the HEA!

Thank you to Entangled Amara for my advance electronic copy via NetGalley. My opinions are my own.

Diana Smith was so close to reaching her dream of directing important movies in Hollywood, but when tragedy struck she closed in on herself and her world became small. She is proudly queer and plus-sized, but she can't seem to get out of her own way or catch a break. But when an A-list action star won't take no for an answer, she finds herself finally getting her chance to write and direct an impactful feature film. But does finally living her dream mean that she will have to make some tough choices about what cost she is willing to pay?

I struggled so much through the first part of this book: Diana was so self-destructive, sabotaging herself at every turn and pushing away her opportunities left and right (often by being hurtful to those who honestly cared), and then pitying herself for not getting farther in life. Her trauma and mental health struggles were real and had a real impact on her ability to thrive. But ultimately I cheered on Diana's healing journey, along with all the body- and LGBTQ-positivity. As the story progressed, we see a broader picture of what's happening even as Diana allows her world to broaden. When you stop putting limits on yourself and stop getting in your own way, it's amazing what opportunities you can make in life. I found this to be a very uplifting, redemptive story with serious psychological undertones.

And, as always, kudos to Entangled for once again nailing the content warning!

Diana is a queer plus size personal shopper in a Hollywood upscale store for celebrities and A listers, living with her sister in the suburbs, but she really wants to be a writer, director, and actor. Diana is invited to a celebrity thrown charity event held by famous action star Chris Stanson. She and her best friend show up hoping to do some networking and end up meeting Chris's famous actor best friend, Drew (Andy) Williams. Andy starts to pursue her, but Diana thwarts his advances and tries to keep him in the friend zone, insisting she's only into women. As Chris and Drew invest in Diana's script for a film and they start working closer together, Diana begins to question the feelings she has for Drew and if she, as a fat queer woman, can have a relationship with a hot movie star and be accepted and taken seriously in both Hollywood and Queer societies.

This was an emotional self-discovery journey and showed so much character development for Diana. She needed to learn to trust in the people who love her and herself. It's okay to be different and pursue your dreams outside the norm of what's expected. I loved every bit of Drew's character and his determination to never give up on Diana. This was such a great story theme to never give up on your dreams or love no matter what size you or they are... because fat girl!

This book is the perfect book for a book club. It has that feel good spirit and loveable characters.

An inspiring quick read story about believing in yourself and your community.

Because Fat Girl is about a plus size queer woman, Diana, who lives in Arcadia with a dream to win an Oscar. The story is told from the POV of Diana who has a lot of preconceived notions about people and the industry. Some of it based on experiences and the world and some of it just not based on reality. When her reality is challenged Diana struggles to understand and is at times I found annoying. She gets in her own way of happiness and crates unneeded hurdles to her success. The supporting characters are strong and enjoyable to read about. Diana, in my opinion, makes the book a 3 star book but her supporting cast really elevate the story to 4 stars. Lauren Marie Fleming promises you’ll cry by the end of the story, and she delivers.

My thoughts:
A beautiful, inspiring story about fighting for what you want for your life. Something you have dreamed about since you were a young child.
Can dreams really come true?
Will Hollywood be achieved?
Is it possible to stay true to yourself and others?
The characters were engaging.
I loved the growth and chemistry felt throughout the story.
Because Fat Girl was a heartfelt, feel good read.

All opinions expressed are my own.
Thank you NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read this book for my honest review.

Diane Smith is fat. She acknowledges this, and knows this. She also knows the Hollywood doesn’t see any value in women like her,that she will probably never be in front of the camera, but that’s ok. .She wants to write stories and get them made, and while it would be nice to be in these stories, that isn’t as important, and getting them out.

And when she first got out of college, it looked as though she was on her way, until her brother died, which made her fall into depression,and she lost all her opportunities. She resorts to moving in with her sister, and working at a high end clothing store.

Then, through a series of coincidences, she gets the attention of someone who knows who she is, and wants to help her make her film.
At first I wasn’t sure if I could finish this book, because, like Oliver Twist, I could see bad things happening to Diane, things that would distroy her dream, and I wans’t sure if I wanted to go through that. I did not feel like seeing Hollywood stomp on her.

But, I plowed through it, after all, because I wanted to see how it all turned out, and ended up loving it. I love how she names her production company “Because Fat Girl”. (Which is often the excuse she gives for why things don’t work the way they do for straight, white men.

Great story. Kept me trying to guess what would happen next.

All the stars.

Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review. This book is coming out the 22nd of October 2024.

I’d really recommend Because Fat Girl when it comes out. It’s such an inspiring book and the author is really cool. I honestly had no idea what that book was when I signed up to be an ARC reader and was a little skeptical after reading the the blurb, but once I started it, I couldn’t stop reading and I feel like it was eye-opening.

I was given the opportunity to read this as an Advanced Reader Copy. I really loved this book. There were some difficult topics discussed in the book, and the author did a beautiful job of including them in the story. The characters were very well written and so easy to get invested in. This story is beautiful and I cannot wait to add the physical copy to my “trophy shelf” since I read this book on my kindle.

I loved Because Fat Girl so much. Diana wants to make movies and she wants respect. And she’s fat, she’s queer, she has biological and chosen family who love her, and she is the kind of person with whom I really want to be friends!
I happen to know and love the author of this book, Lauren Marie Fleming, but fyi, if I hated the book I just wouldn’t review it. I loved it and want everyone else to read it, too.

Ok, I'm going to be really honest, I wasn't sure I was going to like this book when I first started reading it. I was starting to think that I just really wasn't the target audience for this story but I had agreed to read it and give a review so I pushed through. I'm so glad I did! Once I got a little further into the book I couldn't put it down! I had to know what happened to these characters! The author has an amazing way of really making you care about the characters and pulling you into their story, even if it's not realistic or relatable at all. The setting is Hollywood and many of the characters are celebrities and uber rich, or on their way to being celebrities and uber rich. But the feelings and insecurities that are revealed are so relatable to us normal people that you can't help but care about them and root for them to succeed. This is a fairy tale, complete with a happily ever after, but I'm not even mad about the unrealistic nature of that. I grew up loving a good fairy tale and I still love a happily ever after. It's nice to have hope that dreams really do come true and that love conquers all.
So, pick up this book, grab your drink of choice and a comfy blanket and settle in. You're not going to want to stop reading once you start!
Thank you so much to NetGalley and Entangled Publishing for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Excellent book! The characters were engaging. The development of relationships were well done. Diana the main character was someone I could relate to and seeing her overcome hurdles and pushing herself was great. Book had so many message but to me the important ones, were loyalty and standing up for yourself.

Because Fat Girl was a fun read that was filled with diverse characters. I laughed a lot. The side characters are wonderful…especially Jaqueline. It’s a great story that reminds you that you’re exactly who you’re supposed to be and to always bet on your dreams.

The epilogue was so good and worth the wait. Although it was also a little bittersweet.

Thanks to Netgalley and Entangled Publishing for a copy of Because Fat Girl in exchange of an honest review.

This was An ARC review of a "new to me" author. The FMC, Diana was funny and very likeable. I love that she chose her family and Janelle is definately the type of friend that every person should have. The storyline was great and I think this is the 1st book that I didn't read the synopsis 1st. Had I read it, not sure if I would have chosen the book. I also enjoyed Diana's connection with Drew. Overall a good read and I highly recommend it.

LIGHTS! CAMERA! ACTION STAR DREW WILLIAMS TURNED ME, A CERTIFIED MAN CYNIC, INTO A MELTED TUB OF MOVIE THEATER BUTTER.

I’m not even sorry for how cheesy that starter is. I loved this book, and I’m drunk on all the feel-goods it left me with. This book is idealistic and maybe even oversimplifies a lot of really important problems but I don’t care. Important issues are being addressed in a fun setting. Not every book about hates and phobias and isms has to be heavy and hard to read (although there absolutely is a place for that). This author covered a lot of really difficult topics in a way that was digestible and it came out as a celebration of diversity and life!

Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest rating and review.