I received an audio copy via Macmillian Audio. All reviews are my own.
I just finished reading Danielle Allen's Curvy Girl Summer, and ya'll! Now, my day-one knows I'm not a romance reader, and the only time I pick up the genre is when I'm in a slump mood, but Curvy Girl Summer is worth the read! After seeing all the stellar reviews, I had to take this journey with Aaliyah and her search for the real thing in the fish pool of pee.
"Aaliyah is determined to celebrate her thirtieth birthday with a boyfriend. And after a failed blind date, the local bartender, Ahmad, suggests she joins a dating app.
Filled with lies, catfish, and fetishizing, the wild world of online dating makes Aaliyah think she’s in over her head.
And she is. But with her two best friends and a protective bartender by her side, what could go wrong?
Everything.
Everything could go wrong.
And that’s the problem.
Because as Aaliyah is set on finding exactly what she’s looking for, she ends up finding something she never expects."
I devoured this story via audio, with Wesleigh Siobhan leading the narration for 12 hours. She's becoming one of my go-to narrators, along with Phillipa Soo, Natalie Naudus, Emily Woo Zeller, and Joniece Abbot-Pratt. Keep it up, girly!
Let's kick off this review by calling out my Bookstagram crew. For all the hype ya'll give this story, ya'll sure didn't prepare anyone for its unexpected start. I was not ready! Thank God for my earbuds! So, now that we've established this isn't your typical closed-door romance, consider yourself warned!
What I loved most about this book was the electric banter between Aaliyah and the bartender, Ahmad. Now, that's how you build a relationship. I've always believed in friendship before romance, and these two had such a natural chemistry and genuine intentions that it was impossible not to root for them. Sure, they each had their moments of doubt, but who doesn't when they're unsure of someone's feelings?
Overall, I rated this book 5-stars. Can you believe this is my first 5-star read of the year? And just in time to order the special edition version from a new black-owned subscription book box company, Cover Snob! FYI, I'm not their spokesperson, but you can grab this book without the subscription. This was a good story! It flowed very well, the banter with the characters was A-1, the chemistry wasn't cheesy, and even though there were heavy mentions of fat-shaming (Uncle Al needs hands, feet, elbows, and that infamous folding chair), I loved how Aaliyah handled all of it. This one is definitely going on my shelves.
Curvy Girl Summer is available now!
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