Thank you NetGalley and Entangled Publishing for the ARC! All opinions are my own.

It has been a mission of mine to read books about characters who don’t fit into the conventional boxes. Diana fits my goal because she was a queer fmc who is a happy plus-size or fat (let’s reclaim the word!) woman. This book could’ve been super heavy vibe, but the author, Lauren Marie Fleming, really approached the main themes of the book with grace and nuance. I didn’t feel like this book was heavy at all even though it touches on grief, family dynamics, being in an industry like Hollywood, and fat shaming. I like Diana as our fmc. While I don’t fully relate to her, I do relate to many different aspects of her character and I think so many people will relate to her. The relationship between Diana and Drew was believable from my perspective, which is important for me in a good book. All of the side characters made me go through the full gambit of my emotions. I would definitely recommend you give this book a try!

I enjoyed this story, but I cant say I loved in

I did love the overall theme of not giving up on yourself and your dreams.

I really wanted to like the mfc, Diana, but there where times she just felt insufferable and immature. Her insecurities at times made me feel more frustrated than connected to her as a character. I also did not enjoy how in your face the prioritization of food and being “hangry” was for a character that is plus size- being plus size myself. She was unreasonably mean at times to the other characters, judgmental and self centered. While her friends and family tried to uplift her, or the MMC Drew was constantly being straight forward with his feelings, non it mattered because of what she felt was true- that she was just too fat or too queer etc to be loved and accepted. I understand the struggles in the communities, the need for representation, and for voices to be heard- but in this case I didnt feel like she was a positive representation.
On the other hand I did love the side characters and Drew the MMC. Her friends , her sister and the male leads constantly accepted her for who she was, trying their best to uplift her when she put herself down constantly. They were supportive and I felt like they pushed the story forward ultimately.
The ending was predictable but was filled with love, found family, friendship, hope and acceptance.

"ᴍʏ ʜᴀᴘᴘʏ ᴇɴᴅɪɴɢ ᴄᴀᴍᴇ ᴇᴠᴇʀʏ ᴛɪᴍᴇ ɪ ʜᴀᴅ ᴛʜᴇ ɢᴜᴛꜱ ᴛᴏ ꜱᴛᴀɴᴅ ᴜᴘ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅᴇᴄʟᴀʀᴇ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴍʏ ꜱᴛᴏʀʏ ᴡᴀꜱ ᴡᴏʀᴛʜ ᴛᴇʟʟɪɴɢ."

First off, I loved Drew from the first moment we meet him. The dialogue with Diana made me laugh. Second, Diana was a strong-minded FMC with flaws like any other person. She was such an advocate for size and gender equality. There were times when I found myself getting frustrated with her though for her own pre-judgements based on what others looked like (when she was fighting against others doing that to her). But then again, is that my own privilege showing? This book made me think about just that. I found myself learning a lot about size biases, gender fluidity & the queer community.

This story was also about pursuing your dreams no matter what. About taking up space and owning it.

The epilogue made me cry happy tears 🥹

🌧One of my favorite scenes is the moment where they're dancing in the rain. It felt like pure joy. It was playing out like a movie scene in my head & it was a beautiful moment.

"𝗙𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗯𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗴𝘂𝘆𝘀, 𝗮𝗹𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀"

Big thanks to Entangled, Netgalley & Lauren Fleming for this arc!

Overall, I did enjoy this book and the ending was very cute and the story was paced well enough that it was a quick read. And as a plus size individual myself I really wanted to love this book. But there were many times it felt like the main character was going on a bit of a diatribe about the issues plus size individuals face, while the statements were true it often pulled me out of the story itself and felt a bit jarring and sometimes like a lecture was being delivered. I also feel like there were a few characters we didn’t get a full explanation on how they really fit in the story and I wanted more (cough cough Simon & Chris’s story).

Thank you to Entangled Publishing for the ARC!

*ARC REVIEW*

So this wasn’t my favorite that I’ve read so far this year but it wasn’t bad at all. Very well written and I love the outlook on body positivity and lgbtq+ 🖤

Because Fat Girl
Author: Lauren Marie Fleming
⭐️ Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This book was a sweet quick read that really dug deep into a number of different issues when you thought you were just getting a surface deep book.

Not only did we see some of the intricacies of Hollywood but the author touched on grief, fat phobia, transphobia, homophobia as well as other topics like depression, self harm and the feeling of self acceptance. There were many pieces to this book and they were all done very well and I enjoyed the overall feel and flow. But on top of that, the relationships and characters were beautiful and believable and I enjoyed reading how it all came together.

A big thank you to NetGalley and Entangled Publishing for allowing me to have an ARC for this book in exchange for an honest review

I was lucky enough to receive an ARC of Because Fat Girl and was thrilled to join a read-along. This was my first time being selected for an ARC, and I didn't even read the description—I was just excited to be part of the experience! I really enjoyed following Diana, the main character, on her journey. I feel this book will resonate with many readers, thanks to its diverse cast of characters who each add something unique to the story. I got so caught up in Diana's story that I read ahead and finished the book early because I just had to know how it would end. I especially loved Janelle, Diana's best friend. We all need someone like Janelle in our lives—someone who encourages us when we doubt ourselves and what we're capable of.

Quick read with a beautiful friend-first romance and a behind the scenes into the complexities of the film industry. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy.

Because Fat Girl was such a delight!! I so needed to read Diana's story of figuring out her exact type of queerness later in life, after she thought her identity was pretty set in stone. I loved her best friend and how Diana fought for her. I loved the backstories of some of the famous actors and how they were so much more than you would guess from their outward appearances (aren't we all?). THIS IS THE KIND OF BOOK AND THE KIND OF STORIES WE ALL NEED!

Full review coming on readingwhilefat.com on publication day!

“Be the kind of person who bids on your own dreams.”

Because Fat Girl is a contemporary romance about a writer and filmmaker, who is queer, fat, and femme, trying to achieve her Hollywood dream of getting her movie made but on her own terms, while also navigating her growing feelings for a cisgender, heterosexual male film star, which makes her question her sexuality and identity in the queer community. However, this story is so much more as it deals with so many important topics:

✨ overcoming grief and crippling depression,
✨ dealing with fatphobia (including internalized fatphobia), biphobia, transphobia, homophobia, and self harm,
✨ navigating the world of Hollywood, which is full of obstacles for queer, fat and BIPOC artists,
✨ dealing with an identity crisis and where you belong,
✨ navigating friendships and complicated sibling relationships,
✨ how to feel comfortable in your own skin through self love and self acceptance, and
✨ most importantly, not giving up on your dreams!

The epilogue made me cry happy tears. 🥹 I highly recommend this book - I devoured it in a day and a half because I couldn’t stop reading!

Thank you, Lauren Marie Fleming for sharing this story, which left me feeling hopeful. 🫶🏻

While I was looking forward to reading this book, I struggled to actually get through it once I started. I love the plot, and was expecting to feel seen/ related to. Instead, I was frustrated. The main character, Diana, is so quick to anger and judgement, to an extreme. I found her to be unlikable. Also, the excessive amount of food comments. I know, I know- "Because fat girl." is a motto and movement. But, this book leaned really hard into the "fat person = always thinking of food/ can get me to do something I didn't want to because food" stereotype and after the first 5 times, I was over it.

Thank you to Netgalley, Entangled Publishing and author, Lauren Marie Fleming.
I am conflicted about this book. I loved the queer and plus-size pieces of the story-mostly- I found some of the dialogue about being hungry and getting angry when she doesn’t eat a bit off. A lot of the book was great. The book overall had a sleepover movie quality to it and I enjoyed the backdrop and overall vibe of the book.
It just had pieces like the hangry aspects and then some pieces felt just too long and was hard to keep my interest at times.
Overall I would award it 3.5 stars.

I was one of the lucky ones that was able to snag this ARC from the publisher. I was supposed to read this arc in a readathon on the publishers Facebook page. I honestly had no clue what I was signing up for because I didn’t read the description ahead of time. Yet, I couldn’t stop reading it. Wow, I was pleasantly surprised. It was that good. I loved the themes in the story. Diana was a plus size ( I personally have a hard time saying the word fat) queer writer/director that wanted a big break in Hollywood. After her brother’s death to cancer she suffered from deep depression. She finally found a big break after meeting actors Chris and Drew at work as a personal clothes shopper. Along the way she would have her new chosen family and friends that supported and loved her for who she was. Her best friend Janelle was probably my favorite character. She was feisty, loyal, funny and supportive, everyone should have a bestie like that. I adored Drew for his compassion, loyalty, kindness and respect. Both of them held her up and helped her overcame insecurities, self doubts, and her lack of self love. Diana, ah, what can I say. I really wanted to like her, which I did eventually. Except she needed a lot of guidance, she had too many insecurities that made her a bit insufferable at time to others. She was unsure how to be bisexual within her own community. She was really mean to her sister and best friend and she went back and forth with her new feelings with Drew. I liked the other characters more than her at times. It took her a long time to love herself. Yet, when she finally did she became a happier and healthier person. The ending was predictable yet filled with hope, love, acceptance, and friendship. Overall, I really enjoyed this beautiful story and the message the author was trying to convey. A huge thank you to the publisher and NetGalley.

This is now one of my favorite books that I read in 2024. Diana has always been happy with both her size and her queerness, but she still has a dream in Hollywood as a Director and screenwriter. She realizes that she is a part of why it’s so hard for her to succeed in Hollywood because of the images that are required there. She has a dream to me a movie that is inclusive and diverse both in front of the camera and behind. It’s really fun and emotional to see Diana on this journey with her friends as she goes and finds herself given a shot at Hollywood, but then having to fight for her vision. I love the fact that we examine how Diane feels when she realizes that she also once again has feelings for a male, but that doesn’t take away from her queerness. This book really addresses topics that could be both emotional and controversial yet is entertaining from start to finish.

I binged the heck out of this book! As a plus size female I love a good book representing. This was a cute romance book with deep levels exploring what it means to be fat or queer or both in today’s society and the dreams for the future. It’s a wonderful story of being yourself in all your fabulousness!

I am still not a fan of the title as even after it was explained I still don’t understand it completely but I hope that it resonates with others. I also thought by the end of the book Diana was a little much and I didn’t 100% believe her and Drew together because up until they have sex she’s hating on cis het men. Definitely needed more at the end to solidify that relationship being believable in the long term.

Overall cannot wait to read more of this author and their writing!!

I liked this one a-lot, i need people to check out entangled publishing books. They have more than red tower books and have underrated gems in their other imprints.
This book follows the fmc who is a fat queer woman in the dressing celebrities/ people business(i don’t know the official name lol). She is a writer and has been trying to get her big break in Hollywood. She dresses a celebrity named chris and by chance gets invited to his party and meets his friend drew. Drew is unlike any other movie star she’s met and they become friends.

I really loved seeing the fmc journey with being queer and fat in a world that doesn’t give positive space for these identities. The fmc deals with fat-phobia and anti queer rhetoric in the workplace and when trying to get far in her writing and movie career. I loved the person journey and commentary on bisexuality and how other queer individuals treat Bi individuals. The romance was so cute i loved the progress and internal struggles the fmc went before she gavr into her feelings. Overall this is a hopeful book that addresses issues in society while exploring different forms of love and friendship. Thank you to Entangled for this arc!

I was not expecting to resonate so much with this story. Yet there I was, binge finishing it during a pre-hurricane pedicure and trying not to cry in my massage chair. Anyone that has ever felt like they just didn't fit in, for whatever reason, be it gender issues, body issues, or just being a bit quirky will find something to love in this book.
Diana definitely has some issues to work through as her dreams begin to come true, and more than once I wanted to smack her, but her journey is a beacon of hope for us all as we struggle to break through whatever ceiling is in our way, even if we put it there ourself.
Put this on your TBR and get ready for a Fabulous read!

So, so good! I couldn’t put this down! I love the diversity of the characters. I know it’s a romcom with a happy ending, but I love how relatable the characters were. I didn’t want it to end. Great writing, wonderful story. I would highly recommend this one. I hope the author writes more!

ARC Review, as always thanks to Entangled Publishing for letting me in their circle of Insiders :)

This book was sent to me exactly when I needed to read it. The story covers so many diverse and relevant topics that you don't have to be fat and/or queer to be able to find something relatable. This book brings forward all kinds of insecurities and prejudices that need to be in the spotlight so we can confront them and fix them. For me it brought things to light that I hadn't thought of or considered before and it will make me a better friend to those around me who are able to relate to the topics in this story. If a fictional book can make me feel like a better person after reading it, EVERYONE needs to read this story and share their story too!

I disliked the dialogue in the book. These characters are much older than the dialogues portrays making them seem young and immature.

As a fellow “fat girl” the over the top portrayal of being hangry is ridiculous. You can be hangry and not let it affect the way you treat and speak to others around you.

I didn’t like the morning conversation with Cecily when Diana keeps trying to steal food and it being known every Sunday she grabs a piece of bacon even though she will burn her mouth each time. Diana being rude continuously trying to steal the food and being slapped with a spatula doesn’t seem cute or endearing but immature, does she not have any table manners because she is fat?

I understand this is a book that the major focus is on the main character being queer but the author overused gender/sexuality terms like cishet, niblings, sapphic, etc.

Diana comes off as really self centered and like she thinks she is above everyone else. She was extremely rude when she met Drew Williams the first time and when he called her about playing golf she immediately tried to get her way out of it and was rude then as well. When she finally goes out to putt putt she keeps thinking Drew is hitting on her and has to keep bringing up the fact that she likes women and hates cishet men and won’t date them. WE. GET. IT. We got it at the first mention no need to keep bringing it up.

Diana allows too much of her personal experiences affect her professional life. The way she overstepped when helping Alex with a suit when the mother clearly wanted a dress. While we can understand her wanting to help the child, “they” were obviously a child. I think the whole pronoun and putting a tux on the child was out of line. The parent should not have left the child alone with a store clerk. In the end, she doesn’t know what will happen to Alex once they leave so it’s wild to try and get into a situation where she doesn’t know the outcome.

Diana comes off as very anti-men and anti-straight/skinny people. Overall, Diana is not a likable main character in my opinion which led to me being unable to force myself to read the remainder of the book.