Curvy Girl Summer

💬: He pointed at my drink.

"What are you drinking?"

"Malibu Sunrise, it's delicious"

'It looks good but I can't be seen drinking that."

I blinked rapidly, "Oh?"

Allen, Danielle. Curvy Girl Summer (Chapter 6, p.?). Bramble. NetGalley Advanced Reader's Copy.

📖Genres: romance, contemporary, contemporary romance

📚Page Count: 210

🎧Audiobook Length: 12h 23min

👩🏾‍🏫My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ - 5/5

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TW - <spoiler>Infidelity, Car accident, Cursing, Alcohol, Grief, Death, and Misogyny</spoiler>

Curvy Girl Summer by Danielle Allen is about Aaliyah James a plus sized 29 year old who wants to find a boyfriend for her 30th birthday celebration. Aaliyah's family members think that she's getting older and her time find a boyfriend, get married, and have children is running out. Annoyed with her family's comments, she lets them know that she does have a boyfriend and that he'll be at her 30th birthday celebration. She doesn't have a boyfriend yet but with online dating, how hard could finding one be? When the first date goes not as planned, the local bartender, at the bar where the date took place seems to be kind and funny enough to make Aaliyah feel hopeful about finding more people to date. The more she spends time with Ahmad the closer she feels to him. Will she find a boyfriend in time for her birthday and will he be from the online dating app "Tinderfish" or will he be the funny, handsome, and caring bartender?

Reading this book was such a great reading experience. This is my first slow burn romance novel and now I still why people like this trope so much. There's so much built up sexual an romantic tension and it feels as if everything will erupt during the climax of the book. I loved how Aaliyah and Ahmad teased each other relentlessly, it was so cute. It was so nice that they both loved concerts, live shows, and music in general. The miscommunication trope was in there and it was so annoying, like the situation was very obvious but the main character was just not getting it. That was annoying but the book was so good overall that I'm not going to change my rating because of that annoyance. Something the author did a really good job of including is what it feels like to be a plus size woman dating with dating apps and websites in the real world.

The audio book narrator was really good, I enjoyed their voice for all the characters. Sometimes when an author voices several or many characters some of the voices sound off but that was NOT the case with Wesleigh Siobhan and their narration. All of the words are clear and concise and the individual voices they use for each character fits so well with the story.

Talk about a slow burn! There are two spicy scenes and let me be honest, the spicy scenes don't start happening until well over 80% through the book. The scenes come late in the book but I honestly think it was worth it. I don't really like spicy scenes with unprotected sex with almost strangers or first time lovers, though I did like the scenes in general. I'm giving the spicy scenes four chilies 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️out of five chilies

This book was a pleasant surprise! I really enjoyed myself while listening to this audiobook. It was fantastic. I'm giving this 5 out of 5 stars.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ - 5/5 Stars

Thank you [NetGalley.com], Danielle Allen (the author), and Macmillan Audio (publisher) for the arc (advanced reader's copy) of the audiobook.

4.25/5 - This was a good book! Almost DNF'd because I didn't like the way her family treated her when it came to being plus sized and not being married with kids by 30. And it was even more annoying because she refused to stand up for herself. Thankfully I pushed through and it was worth the read. The banter between Aaliyah and Raheem was hilarious! I loved their chemistry!

“I want you to know that my happiness isn't tied to being with a man or racing to the altar or having children. My happiness is tied to me living a life that I love and am proud of. My happiness is centered around me and what I want."

I don't think I've laughed so hard at a book like this one! Danielle Allen could honestly be a comedian on the side! Every Character had personality and humor. Ahmad had me cackling in the depths of the night, he did not spare Aaliyah from any roasts. He ate her up (in more ways than one)! 
Curvy Girl Summer was honestly an effortless read. It is a slow-burn romance, which I don't normally like, BUT while you reading there's so much more to be worried about that the end goal of Ahmad and Aaliyah working out in the end felt like the cherry on top to bring the entire story together. 
Outside of the romance, we have Aaliyah struggling with the dating scene, and the turmoil she has with her family worried that she will not find love soon enough since she is about to turn 30. I loved that we got to see her confront her family on their misconceptions of her as a whole, and the subconscious comparisons they have been making between her and her older sister that passed. It got addressed in a very mature and admirable way. It was one of my favorite scenes in the book! 
I will definitely be reading some more Danielle Allen in the future!