The Big Girl's Guide to Buying Lingerie

Upon reading the last page of THE BIG GIRL'S GUIDE TO BUYING LINGERIE, I clutched my iPad to my chest and sighed. I wanted to read it all over again. It was that good.

Jade Ballard is a big, beautiful woman. Even though 50 lbs. have snuck up on her over the last three years, she's still much happier with her current life. Being jilted at the altar may have been mortifying at the time but, considering she didn't love the sleaze ball, it was a huge relief. Of course Jade's mother, the Honorable Judge, was none too happy that her hand picked choice of a hubby for Jade bailed. Humiliation be damned, it gave Jade the perfect excuse to leave town and get out from under the domineering clutches of mommy dearest. Let me tell you, Judge Trudy is a nightmare with a stick up her hiney. It's obvious where Jade's insecurities and poor self image originated. Without a backward glance, Jade hightails it to San Antonio and starts a new life. If she could just get a handle on her overeating. What began as a way to soothe her humiliation is now a hard-to-kick habit. I think Jade personifies many women. She feels the pressure of family and society to be thin and look fit. She's come to believe she's not attractive, even though she IS beautiful. Jade is shy and self conscious, afraid of being judged. The armor she wears is intended to keep everyone away, especially men. So when Jade discovers an online email loop for her favorite country music star, Chris Cagle, she's ecstatic. She can hang out and chat with other fans as Skyebaby, (Skye being her middle name) eat mint Milanos to her heart's content and no one will be the wiser of her overly padded figure.

It's just...for seven months she's been private messaging with Robbie, aka ShyCowboy, on the Chris Cagle site. The freedom that comes with not talking face to face makes it easy to share everything with each other. Isn't that the truth? Their friendship is full of teasing and flirting and sexy innuendos. As Skyebaby, Jade's self doubt and insecurities are gone. She lets loose the personality her mother has stomped on for years. The real Jade is amazing. She's smart, funny, and doesn't take herself too seriously. She's even confided in Robbie about being jilted. And she feels Robbie has been reciprocating. The one little detail Jade hasn't mentioned is the fact she's overweight. She's frightened it will be a deal breaker. Now he wants to take her out to dinner for her birthday. Ack! So far she's successfully side stepped hints about meeting but she can't put him off any longer. Besides, she wants desperately to meet this man she may be falling for.

Robbie "Rowdy" Yates finally has a date with his Skyebaby! After months of online chatting, flirting, and quite a few cases of blue balls, ShyCowboy has convinced Skye to meet him for dinner. He's nervous, which is unusual for the guy who, up until a few months ago, played the field hard. He's given up his "wife-for-a-night" routine and, if you can believe it, he's been...*shh* celibate for three months. Rowdy's attraction to Skybaby is so strong he's certain the sparks will fly when they finally meet. But is he good enough for her? Rowdy has a few demons in his closet he hasn't shared with Skye. Rowdy puts on a good front as a cocky, carefree flirt. But seeing him with his large group of family and friends, we know better. He's a good guy who cares about the people in his life. I liked Rowdy even when he was being a jerk. It's all a show. Like Jade, he doesn't want to get hurt, nor does he want to hurt anyone else.

Oh boy, when these two meet the sparks do fly! Just not in the way you'd think. Turns out Jade and Rowdy already know each other. She's the liquor rep for Bluebonnet Dancehall where his band plays. She's exchanged barbs with the arrogant, cocky jerk more times than she cares to count. Rowdy is stunned to discover that his sweet, sexy, funny Skye is the uptight chick he calls Miss Snooty Pants.

I knew it was coming but was still unprepared when Jade and Rowdy come face to face outside the restaurant. Poor Jade is stunned, horrified, and embarrassed. Ms. Stuart did a masterful job writing this heartbreaking scene. I experienced every emotion Jade felt as it washed over her. It's also a turning point for both characters. A good turning point.

Rowdy's a smart guy. Smart enough to know the Miss Snooty Pants routine is not the real Jade, his Skyebaby. He's proven right when Jade lets down her guard because she needs Rowdy's help. Seems Judge Trudy thinks they're engaged. Which works perfectly for Rowdy's plan to win Jade over and convince her he really is her ShyCowboy. And his convincing is mighty hot.

THE BIG GIRL'S GUIDE TO BUYING LINGERIE gives us just enough angst to keep us on our toes but not frustrated. It's one of the things I love most about Ms. Stuart's writing. The pace is fast, the scenes flow, and there's rarely anything stuffed in for filler. Rowdy's extended family, characters from previous Bluebonnet books, bring lots of humor and good advice, as do Jade's brother and dad. The secondary characters are carefully created gems that bring sparkle and richness to the story.

Bottom line...Amie Stuart has done it again. Not that I'm surprised, because I love Ms. Stuart's books. Full of quirky humor, down-to-earth characters, often times hilarious situations, and steamy sex, what's not to love? She also creates wonderful stories that are truly from the heart. Her characters aren't perfect. They are real people whose lives we can relate to because they are like us in so many ways. But no matter what, they get their HEA, and that's why I keep coming back for more.

This was my first time reading Ms. Stuart's work so I wasn't sure what to expect. And, I wasn't aware it was part of a series. So, this novel can definitely be read as a stand alone. However, I enjoyed this one so much I think I may have to read the other three also. Anyway, on with the review!

This is a fun, quick, interesting read that proves things aren't always what they seem. The characters, basically, have two persona's, one they show to the world and another online. Perception plays a big role in the storyline. This book is well written and the characters are very likable. I highly recommend this novel.

ARC received from the author in exchange for an honest review.

I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my review.

This was a lot of fun to read!

I like book with lots of family and strong friendships, and Amie Stuart delivers promptly.

Jade is self-conscious for more than one reason; hiding from her family and herself, so she doesn't understand why Rowdy seems to see all of her and still be pleased with the picture.

From enemies to fiancees to lovers, Jade and Rowdy each give as good as they get, with realistic secondary characters to add to the entertainment along the way. I found myself wishing I had started at the beginning of the series more than once throughout the book, but it wasn't because I was lost. I wished I hadn't missed out on all the fun.