There were so many things to like about this book. At the very top of the list is Rose, a sweet, kind, but very lonely woman, who has so much to offer but so far in life has had nothing but difficult circumstances. She was raised by a teen mom/single parent who had no way to improve her own situation and then was mercilessly bullied in high school due to her weight to the point that she dropped out of school at 16, got her GED, but works as a waitress and is caught in the same cycle of poverty that her mom was. When she unexpectedly wins the lottery, she is suddenly hounded by everyone who ignored or bullied her and flees her small town to start over where no one knows her or her financial circumstances.

Rose finds herself in a small town in NC and quickly starts to form friendships, something she’s never had, while trying to figure out how to use her money to help people. There’s also Angus, the big, grumpy local guy contractor recommended to her to renovate the Victorian house she buys. Angus and Rose got off on the wrong foot, but as they work together, they both start to see through the surface layer to the person underneath and both love what they see…

Rose is like a person reborn, as the strong, determined woman that she has always been inside embraces her curves, signs up for college, and tackles every challenge thrown her way. Angus is a caretaker to his core, a veteran who treats other vets with PTSD, but who also believes that he has nothing worthy to offer other than his ability to help others with their problems. In Rose, he finally finds a partner who can draw out his laughter and playfulness and gives him hope for the future.

Of course, there’s a third act breakup, in this case due to the secret Rose has been keeping regarding her financial circumstances and Angus’s out of proportion reaction and feeling of unworthiness when he learns how little she “needs” him financially. This was the one weak spot in the book for me. Angus was so caring and so supportive with Rose that his reaction really made me dislike him. It was like he could only like her if she had some big flaw that he could fix. I get how this was driven by his own background but I still didn’t like it. Still, I adored Rose enough to overlook it and feel happy with the book overall. My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions in this review are my own.

That was such a delight! I loved how realistic the characters were and how they dealt with their problems in mature ways! Rosie and Angus came together as a couple well and I enjoyed seeing how their relationship developed along with their own character development. Rosie was also SUPER relatable for how I viewed myself as a bigger girl and it was good to see that represented in fiction. Looking forward to the next one in the series!

Curvacious and kind Rose Barnes has recently moved to Galway, NC and is determined to start anew, finally living life on her terms after a traumatic past that involved a lot of cruelty towards her because of her weight. She won the lottery (literally millions) and when too many people from her former life all of a sudden wanted to be in her life, she hightailed it out of there and bought a big, old house far away in Galway where she is going to happily renovate it and live her life contentedly, never telling anyone about her fortune. Enter Angus, the grumpy and surly contractor who she had a not-so-meet-cute with on her way into town. Angus hates the way Rose charms him and gets under his skin despite his determination to NOT be attracted to her. He’s also a veteran and therapist for those who served in the military, dedicated to helping others. He shows up every day ready to work on Rose’s house and slowly the two form a friendship that is pure and simple. As their romance begins to spark to life, will protective Angus feel differently about Rose when he finds out she has all the money in the world?

—--------------

I wanted to like this one but it fell a bit flat for me. I didn’t love Angus that much as a character and found that his protectiveness and concern for Rose was a bit overboard. He didn’t seem all that empathetic towards Rose when she told him about her past traumas, despite him being a therapist. Rose I liked a bit better, but found her to be ultimately a bit too naive and saccharine for my liking. Her heart was big and her desire to help others with her money was so absolutely beautiful. The way she observed people in the town and listened to others' concerns for the explicit reason of using her newfound wealth for good was admirable. The plot was great and the setting was charming but Rose and Angus unfortunately didn’t bring this story to life for me.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Curves for Days by Laura Moher is the first book in the Big Love from Galway series and is currently scheduled for release on August 22 2023. Rose Barnes feels best when she's invisible—so when she wins the lottery and is suddenly thrust into the spotlight where everyone wants something, hiding out in a small town in North Carolina makes perfect sense. Rose has got curves for days—and to Angus, the big, burly, bearded contractor working on her new house, she's just plum perfect. Rose is surprised to learn that Angus has a sense of humor and a soft heart beneath that gruff exterior. Angus can't help noticing that wacky Rose is smart, funny, and has a sexy underwear stash that leads him to some very unprofessional fantasies. As their unlikely friendship becomes love, Angus becomes determined to help Rose overcome what he believes are financial troubles. But with Angus's need to always give more than he receives, Rose's multi-million secrets could mean the end of a beautiful relationship.

Curves for Days is a engaging read that treats hard topics, like sexual assault and PTSD, with honesty and respect. I understood, sympathized with, and connected with Rose's character. I thought she was realistically written, and while she did not always say or do what I wanted her to she always was true to her history and personality. Similarly, Agnus did not always do what I was hoping for- but always was in character. I really enjoyed the small town and the characters in it, even thought there were some moments when I thought some of the secondary characters were from other books or stories that apparently do not exist since this is the author's debut book. I thought the slow burn and introduction of the characters, town, and everything was well paced and enjoyable to read. I will be looking for the next book in the series.

This book took me a bit to get into, but I was fully sold on it once I reached the middle. Angus is such a sweet grumpus and I fell in love with him when we saw how much he cared for women and consent. I loved that about him. The scoreboard thing he does irritates me, but I mean...I think that was the point. Sweet and sassy Rose was an excellent addition to the world of body positivity in romance novels. She thinks she's broken, but we get to see her shine.

I do feel like something was missing in the character development of the old lady with the pearls. The book and other characters mention her so much but we learn so little and it left me feeling like something was missing. I kind of felt the same about July and Meg/David. Like there were too many bites shared and I started to want to focus on them instead of Angus and Rose.

I would give this book a solid 3.5 stars and I would read more by this author.

Thank you, NetGalley, for the advanced copy of this book.

Rose (Alice) has won the lottery, however, it has caused nothing but trouble. She is alone in Indianapolis with no friends or family to share the burden. Rose decides that she might as well leave, strike out and see where she can start up a new life as just Rose and not 'Alice who won 80 million dollars'. When she stumbles across Galway after she is stuck in a snow storm, it all starts to feel right. Like she can settle down and be just Rose.

Angus is gruff and rude, but is a great contractor. He is tall and built, just like a mountain man. Rose hires Angus to undertake renovations on her new house, and she starts to uncover the real, ex-army, PTSD guy that just needs a hug. Someone warm to come home to.

However, having that much money is not all it's cracked up to be and keeping it a secret is even harder. What will happen when Rose's new friends, and Angus, find out about the money. Will she have to move again or will Galway become the home she has been yearning for?

I really enjoyed the way the author slowly developed each character and unveiled them to the reader. The growth of each of the main characters is just beautiful to read. They both have to overcome a number of physical and mental challenges that made reading this book really delightful. While this wasn't the most riveting read, the characters really kept me going. If you like beautiful, sweet romances with some angst, this novel is definitely for you!

RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
SPICE: 🔥🔥🔥
Having the winning lottery ticket is not quite what the hype promises. Or so Rose Barnes thinks. The curvy, recently unemployed lottery winner has locked herself in her tiny apartment to block herself from the media and practically strangers looking for a piece of the $80 million payout. Having had enough, she runs away in the middle of the night and lands in Galway, NC with a brand-new identity and attitude on life and a $80M secret from everyone in town.

The only problem is that Angus Drummond, the man she hired to fix up her new home, seems to be the only person immune to her charm. (Well, there is Miss Ames in the local diner, too, but a hearty scowl from Rose usually addresses that situation.) The gruff and massive handyman always seems to rebuff any kind gesture Rose offers, but as they spend more time together fixing up Rose's home, her sunny disposition melts away Angus' broody exterior.

As they get closer, will Rose be able to share the $80M-sized secret from him?

I loved the premise and delivery of this story. I mean, I came for the enemies-to-lovers, close proximity romance, and Laura Moher gives us the pleasant surprise of two main characters coming into their own.

Rose was fantastic as a FMC. I love her transition from a locked-in, down-on-her-luck waitress to a self-assured, ambitious go-getter. There is fantastic body-positive representation in this read that does not shy away from engaging the important aspects of navigating life as a fat person.

Angus stole the show from me, though. He certainly had his baggage, and I love how he turned into helping others like him navigate through those mental and emotional issues. A burly, broody man who is a jack of all fixing trades AND a licensed therapist? YES PLEASE.

We also get a fun tug-of-war as our two main characters grapple with their attraction to one another and their inability to communicate this due to their respective hang-ups. I also love that when we got to the spicy parts, Angus stayed true to his character, exercising impeccable thoughtfulness around Rose's insecurities.

As much as I wanted to focus on how wonderful the main characters are (because they absolutely are), I also wanted to give a shout-out to a charming ensemble of supporting characters. Their warm charisma and unique but kind personalities -- yes, even you, Miss Ames -- made me want to relocate to Galway as well.

This is the first of the series, and I cannot wait for what Laura Moher has in store for us for the rest of it.

** I am voluntarily reviewing an advance copy of this book. Thank you to Laura Moher, Sourcebooks Casablanca, and NetGalley for providing an ARC. **

As a larger sized woman myself, I loved this book. Though the premise is a bit wild, with Rosie hitting it big despite never playing the lottery, I was all in. I like that both "big and tall" Angus (the male protagonist) and Rosie help each other overcome past trauma. Angus served in Iraq and suffered from PTSD as a result. After a divorce, he turned his life around and now offers counseling services to other vets. These two have a slow-burn of romance that builds as Angus remodels Rosie's house. I appreciated that their larger size is celebrated. Neither character allows this to limit their life and their love. Alternating POV chapters (and sometimes in the middle of a chapter) allow readers to glimpse the full growth of their relationship. Fans of Olivia Dade and Julie Murphy will appreciate this body positive romance as well.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks for the complimentary digital copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions shared are my own. This book is available on August 22, 2023.

I liked this story however I also felt there was a bit too much going on. In an effort to resolve all situations, I feel the romance was a little overshadowed. When the romance was spoken about, I didn't feel much chemistry between the characters. In the end, I also didn't appreciate the reason for the miscommunication at the end, considering our male lead expected less and not more of what our female lead had (trying to say less here to avoid spoilers).

After winning the lottery, Rose Barnes has set out to finally live her life. Through a twist of fate (or rather, a twist of bad weather) she ends up in Galway, North Carolina. The welcoming town feels like the home she’s always wanted and the cute little Victorian fixer-upper is the house of her dreams. Or at least, it can be with the help of a good contractor.

Angus Drummond is a veteran who is always looking to give back. When he’s not helping vets, he’s a contractor. He’s big, bearded, and grumpy, and has no chance against the sunshiny Rose. Her curves make his mouth water and she constantly surprises him. But for a man who always feels like has to give more than he takes, what will happen when he learns her secret?

Curves for Days is sweet, fun, and tugs on the heartstrings at unexpected moments. Laura Moher’s debut romance packs a lot of heart and has me hoping she’s got plenty of stories planned in her Big Love from Galway series.

It was easy for me to love Rose. She absolutely broke my heart at the beginning with how lonely she was. She was hurt badly in the past and has struggled for so long that I wanted to see nothing but good things in her life. Winning the lottery gives her a shot to live a life and give back to others, which she grabs with both hands. I loved watching her try and find ways to do good wherever she could. I also loved watching her become confident in her body. She’s sweet, kind, and never stops learning. She’s easy to root for because she’s the kind of person you’d want in your life if she were real. Angus, in turn, is a veteran who carries scars both internal and external. He can be set in his ways and Rose shakes things up. I loved that he couldn’t stop himself from falling for her and the two of them just slide into love so sweetly.

Curves for Days is fast-paced for the most part and I liked watching Angus and Rose build a life together, sometimes without them realizing it. The story did feel like it was spinning its wheels a bit in the middle, but everything came together in the end. I loved the town of Galway and the friends Rose makes along the way. Almost everyone is warm and welcoming and those who are not have a story of their own to tell. It’s a lovely story with good people and a kind heart. I finished it looking forward to more Big Love from Galway books.

✨ Review ✨ Curves for Days by Laura Moher

Rose Barnes is on the run from her previous life after being hassled and harassed after recently winning the lottery. She stumbles into a small town where she quickly finds friends, winning a fresh start. After bumping into Angus on her way into town, he's recommended to do contracting work on her new home. As both deal with their past traumas, they find a cozy friendship and a salve for their pain.

This was a really lovely read and I enjoyed both characters -- though I'm not sure I found them wholly believable as humans (though I found myself not caring). I found Angus's POV to be a little jarring because it was partially written in choppy sentence fragments, presumably to mimic his abrupt gruffness. I enjoyed watching Rose find a new life throughout the book and it was a nice romance read!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Genre: contemporary f/m romance, women's fiction
Setting: small town
Pub Date: August 22, 2023

Read this if you like:
⭕️ small-town romance
⭕️ characters working together to soothe their past traumas
⭕️ generous $$ giving and community support

Thanks to Sourcebooks Casablanca and #netgalley for an advanced e-copy of this book!

Thank you Netgalley and publishers for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I was really happy with the description. The representation non skinny women but this book wasn't for me. The storyline seemed so flag and I couldn't stand Angus.

If you have been bullied due to your weight be ready because the first pages are a bit hard and could trigger unconfortable memories.
That said they made me love Alice/Rose and I loved Angus. It's an excellent story that feature characters that are not Hollywood kind of beauty but are well rounded and lovely.
It's a good story full of original ideas: entertaining, poignant, well written.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Unfortunately, this was not for me. I did not like the writing style, which needed refinement. There was too much telling and not enough showing and the writing style did not allow me to imagine a scene. The characters also seemed one-dimensional and I didn't love the main male lead. I generally read every romance with fat main characters, so I did like that there is now another addition to the list, I just wish it had been better.

Curves For Days by Laura Moher 🌷

Rose ends up in a small town after wanting a change of scenery after winning the lottery. Finally being in a position to create a home for herself, she decides to buy a fixer upper and hires the town's grumpy, bearded contractor to help work on her new house. Little does she know that Angus is perturbed on a daily basis by his attraction to this cheery, smart-ass woman with her sunshiny enthusiasm, her kindness, and her beautiful body. Angus is the type of guy that doesn't want to feel like he owes anyone anything and thinks it's best to keep his hands to himself. But the more Rose and Angus spend time together, the more they want each other.

I really, really enjoyed this one! It was fun to see Rose move to a small town and get to know all the quirky personalities that come with it. Both Rose and Angus had so much to them and you keep learning more and more about who they are as you read from their POVs. Both of them are lonely and I loved seeing them become comfortable around each other and develop their little routines.

As someone who isn't plus sized I don't feel like I can properly comment on the representation, but I think it was really well done! Yes, Rose is plus sized but that's not her only character trait or focus. She's also sweet, caring, snarky, likes to have fun, and stands up for herself.

The romance between Rose and Angus is definitely a slow burn. They go from strangers who think the other doesn't like them, to being used to each others company due to him helping fix up her house, to becoming friends, and finally to something more. I was definitely rooting for them the whole way. I didn't really like the third act breakup, however I did like the conversation they had after they realized they really shouldn't have broken up.

Overall, a super heartwarming and sweet romance with very important messages and topics addressed throughout. I'm excited to see what this author writes next!

Tropes:
🫶🏼 plus size heroine
🌤️ grumpy (him) / sunshine (her)
🏘️ small town romance
👥 forced proximity
🥰 found family
❤️‍🔥 slow burn

dual POV
4/5 stars ⭐️
1/5 spice level 🌶️

After winning the lottery, Rose moves to a new town for a fresh start where no one knows she won. Part of that fresh start includes renovating her new house with the help of Angus, a local man. While they seem like complete opposites at first, as Rose and Angus get to know each other, and spend time together, they become friends and then even more. But Rose is still keeping a huge secret, and that might be enough to tear them apart just as they are starting to build a life together.

If you enjoy sweet small-town Hallmark movie vibes, this is the book for you. This book has all the tropes to make you smile - a little grumpy vs. sunshine, a little home renovation partnership, two plus size main characters, and the cutest small town that I want to visit immediately. Add in some heavier topics like sexual assault, death, PTSD and mental health resources and we’ve got a winner here. To make it even better we have two reasonable and kind main characters and the conflict is realistic and not-overly dramatic. I loved the dual POV so the reader could really understand both characters. To make it even better, there were multiple narrators of the audiobook making it easy to follow!

Thanks to Sourcebooks Casablanca, Dreamscape Media, and NetGalley for the advance copies.

I really enjoyed this book! Rose runs away from her hometown after winning the lottery. Rose didn't have many friends but people were coming out of the woodwork and would not leave her alone. She escapes to Galway, North Carolina. She buys her first home that needs major renovations and this is where we meet Angus. She hires him to help with renovations. His first impression of her was not good at all. This was a sweet, forced proximity grumpy/sunshine with a plus size FMC which I was super excited about because we don't see that a lot in books! I definitely recommend others read this book!

I 100% requested this book because of the cover featuring a plus size character! Rosie the main character has had a rough life and after surprisingly coming into a large amount of money she leaves her town and hits the road to find a new town to start over in.

It’s a pretty standard small town romance imo. Grumpy x sunshine vibes. Home renovation. The heroine Rosie used to be a waitress before she started over. Angus is a therapist / contractor, he is a vet and works with other vets. Tbh when I read he was a vet before I started the book I thought it meant veterinarian not veteran, oops.

If I’d known that ahead of time or paid better attention I might not have picked this up. Main characters that have been in the military just isn’t my jam. If you’re on the fence about that I’d say that this book doesn’t get specifically political. The only discussion of the military is that veterans don’t have the support they need when they come home and discussions of PTSD.

I dropped this from 4⭐️ to 3.5⭐️ because of the conflict. I didn’t like it. They both made mistakes but his POV just made me mad. The male ego of it all just annoyed me. Happy to discuss further if anyone wants to chat but I don’t want to spoil anything by saying too much.

If you told me I would love a romance novel with dual POV first-person, present-tense narration, I would have laughed in disbelief. Every time I’ve tried a romance sample in first-person present tense, I’ve deleted its mannered, self-conscious prose. But it goes to show that a good writer, and Moher is good, can convert the most contemptuous of readers. Does this mean I’ll read another? Not likely. But I’ll gladly read Moher again.

Before proceeding with the wherefores, the blurb to orient us:

Rose Barnes feels best when she’s invisible—so when she wins the lottery and is suddenly thrust into the spotlight where everyone wants something, hiding out in a small town in North Carolina makes perfect sense.

Rose has got curves for days—and to Angus, the big, burly, bearded contractor working on her new house, she’s just plum perfect. Rose is surprised to learn that Angus has a sense of humor and a soft heart beneath that gruff exterior. Angus can’t help noticing that wacky Rose is smart, funny, and has a sexy underwear stash that leads him to some very unprofessional fantasies.

As their unlikely friendship becomes love, Angus becomes determined to help Rose overcome what he believes are financial troubles. But with Angus’s need to always give more than he receives, Rose’s multi-million secrets could mean the end of a beautiful relationship.

So much of what makes great romance is the author’s ability to take us on her hero and heroine’s journey. This is more complex than evident in many romance novels and often way harder to pull off than romance novelists assume. Moher does this super-well, with some blips along the way, but overall the ship is steered to its final HEA-destination with a sure hand. Rose and Angus grow in understanding themselves; they also grow together, make mistakes and work them out. Moher builds her Rose and Angus narrative with humour and pathos. She creates vibrant, believable, likeable characters who would make great neighbours and friends. I loved that their HEA is not only about being together, loving each other, seeing the best in each other, and being committed, but about building community. Again, Regis’s “society redefined” is beautifully expressed in a romance novel.

Moher’s opening chapters were terrific. They grabbed and kept and left me wanting to read more which, given my shudders and cringes over first-person present-tense POV, had to be good. The blip in my reader-bliss came with Moher’s saggy middle: the idyllic Rose and Angus we’re-falling-in-love chapters, before the dark moment I saw coming like a runaway train. This is not a criticism: the reader “in the know” about the dark moment is exactly how a romance narrative should be structured; nothing like that dready feeling to make a romance novel great. In this case, the saggy-middle pathos, Angus repeating how Rose is “soft” and “sweet” was tiresome. Personally, I liked funny, snappy, mouthy Rose and sarcastic Angus, so I’ll give Moher credit for lightening the pathos.

Who were Rose and Angus beyond-blurb to make Moher’s romance good? Fully-formed, flawed, funny, quite adorable. But Rose and Angus’s fears and vulnerabilities elevated the narrative in interesting ways while the humour buoyed it. Evidence of the latter was the meet-cute. Despite the 80million$, Rose arrives in Galway, NC, in a dilapidated, creaky Honda and is stuck in a snow bank. Grumpy, burly, ice-encrusted-beard Angus gets her out, noting how cute she is. In thanks, Rose nearly brains Angus by tossing a frozen Snickers at him by way of thanks. When Rose and Angus next meet, in the local diner, Angus calls Rose “Snickers” and she retorts by calling him “Cranky Samaritan.” They’re lovely and delightful, but the serious tones are good too.

What I most appreciated about Moher’s theme was Rose and Angus coming to recognize their worth. While Rose’s eighty-mill makes for a good premise to get the story going, the idea of value, how much we attribute to ourselves, how we “count’ and “measure” our worth is Moher’s theme. Angus and Rose don’t recognize their worth even while their goodness recognizes worth in others. The heart of Moher’s awesome dark moment lies in this idea; as for how Rose and Angus work things out, so good…but I won’t spoil. I loved Moher’s début romance and am looking forward to the second book in the series. Miss Austen agrees, Curves For Days offers “a mind lively and at ease,” Emma.

Laura Moher’s Curves For Days is published by Sourcebooks Casablanca and was released on August 22nd. I received an e-galley from Sourcebooks Casablanca, via Netgalley. This does not impede the free expression of my opinion.

This was such a great book! I loved that there was great body acceptance and representation. I loved the cute storyline, the small town, the grumpy love interest - just everything. A cute and fun book that I thoroughly enjoyed reading.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a digital ARC of Curves for Days.