This novel is hilarious! I laughed so hard that I cried. It reminded me of a Sofia Kinella or Marian Keyes novel. Anything that can go wrong did. Tiffanie Trent is having a rough week--her boyfriend of ten years dumps on their anniversary at the same restaurant that they had their first date and since they lived together at his place--she's now homeless. Tiff has more bad news--her longtime friend and father figure, Frank Blackie dies. Frank was her first bookkeeping client and was a prominent figure throughout her life. To add the icing to her crap-tastic cake--her childhood boyfriend and first love Mike "The Assassin" Fellner returned for Blackie's funeral looking more gorgeous than ever while Tiff has gained a few pounds and feels worse about herself than ever.

At the will reading, Tiff finds out that Blackie has left his most precious gift to her--his boxing gym. Blackie's assistant coach, Ron makes numerous sexist remarks that Tiff isn't cut out to run the gym since she's a woman--and making a remark about her weight. Her ex-boyfriend Gavin tries to talk her into selling it because he think she doesn't have the motivation or business sense to run a business with employees. Tiff is determined to prove them both wrong. With the help of her best friend, Shelby and Natalie, a Blackie customer's wife--the three are determined to upgrade the gym into a full service experience for all genders. Tiff runs into some trouble beginning with the fact that she is secretly living in one of the gym's storage rooms. She is also receiving haunting crack calls, mail with dog poo, and the gym is vandalized. Oh and Blackie's ex-wife and step-son feel that they should have been given the gym. The more Tiff works on the gym the more she comes in contact with Mikey. Mikey keeps coming back to the gym for nostalga or so he says. All of her old feelings for Mikey are starting to resurface especially after the spend the night together. But Mikey is offered a job in LA--a once in a lifetime opportunity. Tiff doesn't want to get in his way. Gavin has returned when he sees that Tiff is turning things around with the gym. What will Tiff do? Will Mike take the offer or move back home?

This book was fun to read as the heroine progressively became more sassy, confident and comfortable with who she was. A great beach read.

When a book is said to be for fans of Sally Thorne (‘The hating game’) you create an expectation. No, it is not like her book at all, but I enjoyed it on it’s own merits.

I believe this is a debut novel and it kept me well entertained. Tiffanie feels lost when her boyfriend of 10 years breaks up with her. She is further upset by the death of one of her friends, Blackie, who leaves her his boxing gym. But soon she finds that this gives her an opportunity to create her own dreams and to take chances.

This book is more chicklit than romance or romcom. Yes, there is her first boyfriend Mike’s return in her life. He is a famous boxer and there is unfinished business between him and Tiffanie. But his role in the story only comes into play well into the second part of the story. Tiffanie herself is the major leading lady.

I thought the writing was engaging and flowing and it kept me engrossed in the storyline. I can’t wait for more books by this author.

Sweatpants at Tiffanie’s is the aforementioned Tiffanie’s journey of enlightenment and maturing. After being dumped ceremoniously on her anniversary, Tiffanie’s world comes to a crashing halt. From here forward Tiffanie must learn to navigate her life by herself (with the help from her quirky friends alongside).

The first half of the novel read as women’s fiction, and the second half of the story is when the romantic interlude took place, so if you are looking for straight romance or straight women’s fiction, know that this story has both.
While I had many moments of incredulity throughout Tiffanie’s personal embarkment due to her lack of confrontation to people in her life (girl needs to learn to stand up for herself!), I realized that her change happens within a 2-month parameter and change is hard, but more-so when that change is forced upon you.

This is a wordy novel, with some moments that tapered off too long. During my reading, I had flashes of thought that perhaps this is book was part of a series and I didn’t read the prior book. I mainly thought this way because the characters’ dialogue would bring up things from the past that the author never touched upon in the novel before that moment.
It would have helped the reader connect better to Tiffanie and even Mike if the book opened up 10 years ago so that we could have seen Tiffanie’s transformation from strong teenager to meek, dependent woman.

*My own personal issue with author’s in general who write death scenes* In the beginning of the book when Blackie died and Tiffanie was in the small room with him for THREE HOURS and did not check on him at all was completely unrealistic. Not only because he was choke/gasping but because in real death situations, the body releases the bowels as well as other fun situations which occur with the body. I.e it would have smelled horrid in that room, and Tiffanie would have definitely investigated the source. I.e. Completely unrealistic portrayal of a death scene.

If you are interested in a quick read of personal growth, past loves come home to roost, and a pinch of death and drama intermixed, pick up Sweatpants at Tiffanie’s for your daily dose of emotional outpouring.

I received an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

While eating dinner on their ten year anniversary at the restaurant of their very first date, Tiffanie Trent is thrown for a loop when her longtime boyfriend breaks it off instead of proposing to her. Her week only gets worse when her boss, and close family friend, unexpectedly passes away, leaving his prize gym to her. To top it off, her handsome first love comes to town, seemingly rubbing in her face his vast success. Realising her dissatisfaction with the way her life is going, she decides to take the opportunity given to her, and make the best of it. Thus begins a wonderful tale of self-growth and mending past mistakes.

Sweatpants at Tiffanie's was one-part women's fiction, one-part romantic comedy, and all heart. Tiffanie's antics never failed to bring a smile to my face, and her story was incredibly fun to follow. She had a ridiculous amount of chemistry with Mike, and I loved the dynamic between the two. Hughes did a great job with character development, making Tiff's growth believable and compelling. Romance fans will rejoice at this fresh, emotional, and sweet novel of second-chances. I would easily recommend this novel, and am eager for more from this author!

5/5