I knew I wanted to read this when I saw a curvy lady on the front cover. I was hopeful that the book would be good because normally books with plus sized women aren't written well. Safe to say, I thoroughly enjoyed this book! I thought it was a perfect summertime read. The romance was cute, and the body positivity in the book blew me away! I definitely think everyone should read this book. I picked this book up and had a hard time putting it down. I think I've found my new insta-buy author! I love the way Laura Moher wrote the book.

Definitely recommend!

Cute and sweet. Angus and Rose had wonderful chemistry and are perfect for each other. It was a little too "goody-goody" for me. There's no way Angus and Rose would be real people because there was not one selfish cell in either person. It was like an over-the-top Hallmark movie in book form filled with philanthropy. Obviously, helping people and being a good person is important, but you still have to be human... humans make mistakes and they want things. Like, Rose never once thought of buying something outrageous for herself? I doubt it. Definitely a cute book, but lacks substance.

I'm always looking for plus size representation in the books that I read and recommend to patrons. I think it is very important for everyone to be able to see themselves in books and this book does just that. As a plus size reader, I loved reading this book and felt very connected to the main character. I highly recommend this book to anyone!

This was a nice little Southern romance about a curvy girl that wants to start life anew and afresh! The story starts off with Rose, a waitress inheriting a fortune from one of her regular customers, Mr. Brown. Just before he dies, he gives Rose a bag with a winning ticket. With her fortune Rose heads to a small town in North Carolina where she makes new friends, buys a house, reinvents herself and meets the grumpy big burly Angus, who has been contracted to work on her new house. Angus is a man of all trades and does many odd jobs, fixer uppers and counseling on the side. The story is told both from Rose and Angus point of view which I really appreciated. I also liked the fact that they were an interracial couple that everyone accepted and never did this small-town object or have any issues with them being a couple. I pictured Angus looking a lot like John Coffee from The Green Mile.

I think the book failed on further exploring the relationship.between Rose and Mr. Brown, who is at the forefront of this story since essentially creates Rose's new life. We do not know how Mr. Brown died, the extent of his relationship with his family and kids and just what happened to him on the day of question. I think the readers would have loved to see more about Rose and Mr. Brown's relationship. We only have Rose's Pov, so we have no idea if Mr. Brown gave her the winning lottery ticket or if she stole it. Did she cause his accident? Also, I thought the character of Mrs. Ames character was could have been utilized more, perhaps as a twist. They had Mrs. Ames leave a letter for Rose; I thought maybe she would turn out to be a family member of Mr. Brown. To me Mrs. Ames could have just spoken with Rose and given her the message instead of the mysterious letter. It is nice that she wishes the best for Rose, but we the reader do not know what happened to Mr. Brown. One would assume that the family would contest or put a claim to the lottery winnings. Of course, Rose never told the family about the ticket, which really leaves the reader to speculate whether or not Rose killed Mr. Brown.

At any rate I enjoyed this quick read romance story and I absolutely love the cover. It is the reason I chose this book. The cover is gorgeous and stands out and the story is a really nice romance. It gave us a lot of insight into Rose's character and why she would want to start fresh some place new. I really love second chances and this one told a great story and loved that it was in a small town.

This was amazing!!! I loved this so much. I devoured this quickly because it was so good. Love it!!
I just reviewed Curves for Days by Laura Moher. #NetGalley
[NetGalley URL]

𝟐.𝟓 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐬

This book is a small town romance, that follows a woman, Rose, who’s trying to find someplace she can call home. Rose hasn’t had a good life, she was bullied very badly in high school because of her weight and then something huge happens in her life - she wins the lottery - and suddenly everyone wants to be her friend. Tired of all the attention and lack of privacy, Rose decides to leave and find somewhere else to stay and start building the life of her dreams. And then she meets Angus, this big grumpy man, and sparks fly and they fall in love. That’s the gist of it.

I was enjoying this book up until the 50% mark. I had some issues, I felt like everything was too perfect, but it was making me laugh and put a smile on my face. But then the couple gets together and my enjoyment vanished.

The good

- The small town vibes were great, I’m a fan of this type of romance, because i think it’s cute to read about small towns were everyone knows each other and become a family.

- I loved the plus size rep, because it’s not something I see in a lot of romances.

- I liked the main character, she had some depth, and I enjoyed her journey throughout the book.

The bad

Where do I start?

- Angus is not grumpy, he’s more of an asshole. Then he gets better and is actually very respectful and kind towards Rose. But, in the third act drama, the man turns into a huge sexist. First of all, the drama is so ridiculous and the fruit of unnecessary miscommunication. Rose is hiding a secret and she doesn't want to say anything to Angus, because she fears he’ll look at her different. But of course he finds out and instead of being upset because she lied, he’s upset because he realizes she doesn't need him to play white knight and save her. The sexist bullshit made me so angry, he’s mad at her because she doesn't need him, because she's an independent woman? WTF? Get me out of here, please!

- The romance. It was just too cheesy for me, there’s not much development in their relationship and they behave like two teenagers, I’m just not a fan of this type of romance. It made me cringe and the pet names and the cheesy lines were too much for me.

- During most of the book, everything is just too perfect, the MC’s dreams all come true, one after the other. I like a little struggle, a little bit of realism. Even her issues with her body image, everything's just surface level. The author tried to delve into a lot of themes, like sexual assault, PTSD, fatphobia. But nothing was talked about in depth, for me it seemed like she put this things in the story to make it more serious and emotional and not seem too perfect, but it didn't work. She barely addresses these topics and they’re just swept under the carpet.

- The writing. I don’t like it and it’s my main issue with the book. It’s very basic and at times it felt like I was reading a YA romance. And there’s abrupt scene and pov changes that just make no sense.

- To wrap it up, the plot of this book, the main conflict the MC has, is that she’s won the lottery and doesn't want the money. Let me repeat this, all the drama happens because Rose does not want to be rich. I honestly have no words.

I don’t think it’s a terrible book, and I thought about giving it 3 stars, because I enjoyed some parts, but the second half of the book and the third act conflict infuriated me and I can’t give it a higher rating. I think it’s one of those cases where the book just didn't work for me, but I believe other people might enjoy it.

Thank you NetGalley for the e-arc.

Book boyfriend - check, cute funny moments - check, love story you wish would happen to you - check. Romantic comedy perfection - check check! Where is my Angus?... and my lottery win...?

This was an utter delight! I didn't know what to expect, but I dove right in and was not disappointed.

The book starts with Alice, having just won a ridiculous amount of money on a gifted lottery ticket shaking off her old life and starting on an adventure! She finds herself snowed in in a small town in North Carolina and as she started to meet new people, including the grumpy, bearded Angus who helps her when she first arrives. Alice starts to go by her middle name, Rose, decides she likes the new town, and starts to settle in and try to make a new life for herself. Including a romance with the gruff and complicated Angus.

What I absolutely love is with a reinvention story, you often have to work through several chapters of people being jerks before you get to watch the line get drawn, and this one skips all that and skips straight to the good bit! Meanwhile she makes friends, finds a home and we slowly start to watch her heal..... Obliviously not saying anything about the money, especially as things heat up with Angus points to problems, but the pacing works and Rosie and her development of her self and relationships just really worked for me.

I actually found myself slowing down to savor this one. I love an internally motivated self reinvention story and this hit alot of major notes for me. I feel like I should mention her size, because that is referenced in the title and a significant part of how people treated her before, her money and after.... but it was just another part about her, and that was also beautiful to see.

I am happy. That is all.

Woah. Curves for Days is a beautiful love story. The characters and town are so well-built and loveable. I love how much attention was clearly paid to creating detailed histories for the characters. Sebina and July, who become Rose's closest friends in her new town, were incredible and I loved the perspective they provided for her. It felt like they had a purpose in the story and town besides just furthering Rose's plot. I'm so so excited about July's book and will definitely be seeking it out.

Similarly, it was so interesting seeing the town become more fleshed out. As someone who lives in North Carolina, albeit in a town that is almost nothing like Galway, I loved the little references to NC and even the mention of a local college. All the loveable side characters and mentions of the library and Rose's house made me love Galway too, making me even more immersed and invested.

In my opinion, the dual-pov writing worked exceptionally well and wasn't repetitive. This was so effective as Rose and Agnus fell in love and even during the classic "third act breakup," which I normally hate. Though I would have liked to see this resolved a little differently, seeing the issue from both perspectives helped the situation be a little more understandable.

The book also touched on many other important topics, like fatphobia, veteran services, assault, and even birth control. Through some interesting side characters (cough... Pearl) and discussions of her past, Rose confronts so many forms of hurtful judgment of her body and weight. This is so beautifully contrasted with Angus' description of her and how he loves her body. I would have liked to see Angus confront his internalized sexist views, though minor, a little more. However, this didn't seem to show through in his actions and words toward Rose, as he always appreciated her and communicated his love.

If you're looking for incredible characters, a good laugh, a truly loveable love story, and more, I'd certainly recommend picking up this book when it comes out in August!

This was a cute, fun read. I loved that it was told in dual POV's. The plus size representation was well done. I had several laugh out loud moments. Overall an enjoyable read.

Book Releases August 22, 2023

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for the E-ARC

All thoughts and opinions are honest and my own.

Grumpy sunshine romance novel set in a small town. Loved the plus size representation. Loved the small town feel. Would recommend to those who like small town romance.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC.
This book was to be fun - a cute cover....but it fell short because of the heavy topics. It was too much. I somewhat liked the main character - but I find sometimes the plus sized characters are always characterized as loud - cussing and in your face. And that kind of ruined it for me. I did love the small town setting. Hopefully some aspects can be 'fixed' for her next book.

<i>I received this title as an ARC on Net-galley in exchange for a honest review. Thank you publisher for the copy!</i>

<b>The Good</b>
I like small town romances where everyone knows everyone. They all have a special charm to them that allow side characters to shine. Rose is awesome. I really liked her journey and her new found drive (or well money) to do what she's always wanted. Rose and Angus grew on me. Once Angus got over his prejudices against her they developed a sweet relationship the bloomed from friendship and understanding. Their domestic era was great to read.

<b>The Bad</b>
Angus is meh. His "grumpy" was very much leaning asshole which made it hard to believe in his chemistry with Rose at first as my brain fixated on his stubborn attitude. I also had mixed feelings about how he felt about the big revel. I understood being upset about being lied to but it also felt like he felt emasculated because she was no longer the poor girl who he could build with anymore. It dropped with sexism and made me dislike him again after I started to like him. The way the conflict was handled didn't satisfy me either.

<b>Format:</b>
Ebook — Netgalley

<b>The Rating</b>
I give this book a <b>2/5🌟 rating.</b> I debated between 2 and 3 stars a lot for this book but settled on a 2. This book had good moments but it left me really unsatisfied.

Check out my socials <a href="https://beacons.ai/buffyreads"> here</a> for more reviews!

From the shelves of dark romance lover – OMG!!! You have to pick up this cute, quirky, and laugh-out-loud – not dark romance – read! I love a good curvy girl story, and this one did not disappoint.

Such a cute premise – a gal in a real bind wins the lotto by cashing in the ticket of a dead guy – yep you read that correctly. She not just wins the lotto, but she wins BIG! (Pun intended.) Well, this curves for days gal meets a grumpy gorgeous man with his own struggles. I mean, who doesn’t love a grumpy man love story? Wait…that’s me! I don’t like these stories – we’ll at least not unusually.

I love the dark, dangerous, burn the world down kind of book boyfriend, but Angus snatched my heart anyway.
And Rose – wow! What a believably written character. From the happiness of purchasing new undies to the struggle with buying and wearing a bathing suit to the loss of privacy after striking it rich! Not to mention all the trigger worthy baggage she brings to the table. Well done, Moher! Well, done!

This is a total must read! A light, easy read with a touch of angst, body-positive vibes, and tons of book club worthy themes. I’ll be recommending this one to all my romance reading buds.

Thanks Netgalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for putting this awesome book in the READ NOW section – and my honest review is…GET THIS BOOK! Available now for pre-order and releases on August 22, 2023!

A big thank you to Laura Moher, Sourcebooks Casablanca, and NetGalley for an eARC in exchnage for my honest opinion. Curves for Days comes out August 22, 2023.

Curves for Days was an incredibly cute read about love, trust and forgiveness, with a heavy emphasis in learning to love yourself. After winning the lottery Rose needs to leave the town where she grew up and look for a place that feels like home. Angus is a grumpy construction worker and counselor hired to fix up Rose's new home. During this time the two started to develop feelings for each other, and both of them need to learn about trust and self-worth to make a future for themselves. I loved both main characters, I thought that both went through great emotional and personal growth. Their relationship developed so gently and beautifully. I loved the sense of found family that was in the book. I recommend people to read this book is they are looking for a cute book filled with humor and heart.

Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Laura Moher, this book was exactly what I needed to read and it is full of heart!

I absolutely love the plus size representation as well as not shying away from difficult topics (but done so in such a genuine, heartfelt and honest manner). It also made me snort laugh on several occasions. The humor is on point.

Curves for Days is a must read for all rom-com lovers when it releases this summer.

Does money buy everything? Our female protagonist learns when good fortune is thrown her way, it is the noble cause that reaps the greatest return, along with the most loyal of friends - and love. A fine debut novel.

Review: Curves for Days
Author: Laura Moher

Rating: ⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🌶️🌶️

Rose is officially my new book best friend. As a plus size women myself, I loved this romance so much. Rose is so relatable, real, funny and lovable. I always find it so difficult to root for a story when I don’t fall for the MCs. This was not the case in this book AT ALL.

I loved Angus and Rose’s dynamic.
I love home complicated each of the characters were so multifaceted and so interesting.

Can’t wait to recommend this book to all my friends!

Really enjoyed this book and can't wait to read more from this author! Rose and Angus are both relatable characters (except for the millions, haha) and I was rooting for them! This would be a cute Hallmark movie, too.

Thanks to NetGalley and #SourcebooksCasablanca for the arc of #CurvesForDays. I really enjoyed this book! It was a fun, small town romance but it felt like a "fresh" story with the overarching storyline. The characters were fun to read about and had a good amount of backstory included that I felt like I really knew them. You could really tell how each of their backgrounds impacted them. I thought it was very well written but there was an excessive use of apostrophes and I hope they get edited out, it was almost distracting how it was written in some parts. There was a lot of adding 'd to the ends of words when it would have flowed better to just say "July caught me" rather than "July'd caught me". I will say I feel like the apostrophes happened a lot in the beginning of the book and tapered off towards the end.

Overall, the story and characters were enjoyable! I loved the setting and if this turned into a series and featured more people from the town I would definitely read it. There were really good side stories to the book with enough depth that it wasn't distracting and added to the overall story. For me, this was a 5 star read!