Cookie O’Gorman is a new-to-me author, but this was such a great read, I’m looking forward to devouring more from her. Ariel was a great blend of confident yet uncertain. While fairly comfortable in her own skin, she was self-conscious when it came to believing a popular, hot guy could see her for who she was and think she was beautiful to boot. Despite that, she made the most of each situation. Having a best friend who will push you out of your comfort zone is a blessing and a curse, but Toni’s heart was in the right place. And Rhys was the perfect prince for Ariel—tall, dark, handsome, brooding (still waters run deep and all), and down to earth yet searching for a relationship where he could truly be himself. The story was a great mix of funny moments, awkward moments, and plenty of emotion, and even though the ending was a bit predictable, it still kept me turning the pages and not wanting to put the book down until I was at The End. Some of us never really outgrow our love of fairy tales, and this was the perfect bedtime story.

Cupcake by Cookie O’Gorman
Ariel, ‘Cupcake’ to her friends, is an excellent baker, a movie connoisseur, and fat. She’s not big boned. Nope she loves herself and her body just the way they are. When she is elected to homecoming court by her classmates she wonders if this is all a joke. She’s paired with the hottest guy in her grade. Will Ariel make it out of this experience unharmed?

I went into this story really excited for numerous reasons. A) Fat protagonist who loves herself. CHECK. B) Movie references galore and C) Hero is the broody and silent type. And this book definitely met those expectations. I loved Rhys as a hero. He was so sweet without being like creepy or over doing it. He was just so thoughtful and I liked that. I also thought Ariel was very likeable while also having a personality and not being a pushover. The side characters were memorable and deserving of their own storylines. All good right?

My issues with this are with the overall plot. First Ariel assumes that Rhys doesn’t like her and is ‘rude’ for “reasons.” I honestly felt like anyone with ANY people skills, would know that he wasn’t rude so much as not sharing every detail of his life with everyone possible. Like girl, he has never really spoken to you. He does not owe it to you to tell you his secret. And WHY would you jump to the conclusion that he had a secret significant other? That’s some intense gymnastics you’re doing there. The guy is obviously just the stoic type who doesn’t speak just to hear himself talk.

Then during the third act conflict I got even more frustrated with Ariel. All of her (very sudden might I add) mistrust of Rhys and later disdain is from over hearing him chatting with a friend. And she’s not mad that he “called her fat.” (Though he obviously didn’t) Its that he “lied to her” and blah blah. Okay. She is basing ALL OF THIS off of …. Popular rom coms?? Yeah her ONLY negative experience with fatness and comments is her bio dad. Which IS traumatizing. But she even admis that she assumed Rhys was bad because of all the movies she has watched. And I’m sorry but that’s idiotic. I wanted to smack her and tell her to use her friggin words.

I ended up giving this 3.5 stars which I’ve rounded up to 4 on Goodreads and Amazon. Do I recommend it? I mean it was fun, flirty, and overall did make me swoon. But I would tell you to go into it expecting to do the hard eye roll at Ariel.

This is a fun book that touches on all of the tropes that appear in teen movies and books, and makes fun of them while still being essentially a fluffy happy ever after high school romance. Ariel "Cupcake" Duncan has been nominated for her senior homecoming court, but she's not princess material (in her mind). Rhys Castle is the quarterback, resident hot guy, who may or may not be a superhero and is in the running for the homecoming court as well. When they are paired up, do sparks fly or is that just the sprinkles from Ariel's baking?

There are tons of descriptions of the different desserts in this book, and makes the reader crave the tasty sounding food....oh and what's this? There are RECIPES!!!!!

A light-hearted story that is about loving who you are and leaving jumping to conclusions to others.

Sweet, simple romance....as if romance could ever be 'simple' in high school...waltzes from every page in this enjoyable read, which lets sugar and love whirl.

Cupcake is a senior, has a best friend, has some wicked baking skills, and enjoys her life thoroughly. When her best friend nominates her for the Homecoming Court and she's selected, Cupcake isn't sure about the entire thing, since this isn't really her scene. Going along for the ride, she's randomly paired up with the hottest guy in the high school, and worse yet, he acts like he's interested in her. Sure there's a catch somewhere...because she knows she's not the type of girl a guy like that would ever like...she stays friendly and goes along with whatever comes her way. But the last thing she expects is to actually start liking him herself.

I was relieved to see a book, which doesn't throw the main character into the bullied, harboring tons of massive issues, or huge political/social agenda category. Rather, Cupcake is a pretty normal high school girl as are those around her. Yes, she has insecurities, and these hover around her weight but not in the way one might expect...for the most part. It makes her even more natural because this is an extremely normal thought and concern for basically all females, especially in those teen years. She does love herself for who she is and is liked by everyone around her, making this a healthy read in so many ways. So, kudos to the author for this alone.

This is an easy read, where the characters have clear, individual personalities. These aren't over the top but natural, making the high school scene come across pretty realistic. There is a bit of a mean girl vibe, but it's not over the top and has its purpose in the big scheme of things. The character depth swings right along with the plot, keeping this up to a quick-paced read with something happening at every turn. It's a light, easy and fun read, and one that isn't easy to put down.

Romance blooms in these pages and revolves in all of its sweetness. While it's clear right away who is going to get together, it keeps enough space from insta-love to make things interesting. Friendship forms first as Cupcake feels her way into things, and the hero is everything a girl could wish for. For anyone looking for grit and heart-filled, difficultly strived for moments....this won't be your read. But it's great for those who simply want a cute story, which leaves warm and happy feelings bubbling inside.

Thank you NetGalley for sending this arc for an honest review!

Is this your typical high school romance? I wouldn’t say so. I’m some way most definitely. But fun, mysterious, romantic read? Oh yea. The MC who has everything a girl would want, suddenly gets pushed to a boy named Rhys, who’s quiet, dark, and brooding man who seems to have secrets she’s trying to uncover but isn’t able to get enough closure. There’s more to him then what the eye can see it seems.

This was definitely a fun read!

The title of this book is perfect! It is most definitely sweet like a cupcake! I absolutely loved this book. I loved it so much that I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it. I wanted to read it again as soon as I finished reading it.

I love that this book has plus size rep because it made it more relatable. Especially to me! I felt so many “feels” when I was reading this. It makes you think about how you should treat yourself by saying you should love yourself for who you are and you should not care what you look like.

This book is about a girl named Ariel. Aka, Cupcake! She is a high school student who is plus-size. She loves baking and has a best friend named Toni. They love talking about nerdy things and they truly care about each other. Well it is that time of year where people vote for homecoming court and Ariel hears her name. She never expected to her hear her name over the school speaker. She is one of the homecoming court princess choices to become Prom Queen.

She gets paired with none other than Rhys Castle. The quarterback of the football team. He is big and burley and nothing like she expected. Because underneath that hard exterior is something sweet.

As Ariel goes through her high school year she experiences a lot of ridicule saying she shouldn’t be a nominee for homecoming court. She has experienced bullying before and tries to keep herself cool. Rhys stands behind her and backs her up which surprises Ariel.

Rhys also has a secret. He keeps disappearing randomly when they need to be doing homecoming court things. She is suspicions and concerned.

We see the story progress with both of them and learn that they are alike a lot of ways. I love seeing this relationship. I love seeing the big girl coming out on top!

This book really made me think about how the world treats plus size people and how us plus size people should learn to love ourselves.

READ this book! You won’t be disappointed!!


Tigger warnings:
Bullying and anxiety

I received an e-galley of Cupcake by Cookie O’Gorman from Entangled Publishing via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I’d enjoyed reading Adorkable by Cookie O’Gorman so I was interested in reading her newest release, Cupcake, a story about a plus size girl who has just been made into a princess of her high school’s Homecoming court to her surprise. Cupcake is surprised and the surprises keep coming when she’s paired up with Rhys, a prince and also the school’s quarterback who seems like he’s always frowning. Except that there’s more than meets the eye and soon, Cupcake and Rhys find themselves drawn to each other. This was a a wonderful story about finding happiness within yourself and accepting that there are those who will also love and accept us for exactly who we are.

One thing that I didn’t really enjoy - the HP references (not many but still present near the beginning of the story) - I think that there any new books being published from this point on needs to re-consider these references.

So, this was an unexpectedly brilliant high-school romance. Oh, the struggles around homecoming and being nominated to the homecoming court – especially when you most of the time are invisible. Why would someone nominate a “big” girl, who is not among the popular crowd? Ariel is pretty sure that the nomination must be meant as a joke. A princess cannot be fat, right…!?

Firstly – nice touch with all the references to “oldschool” iconic books and movies. The main character, Ariel, is funny and lovable – and you easily feel all her feelings alongside her. And I guess that most plus size women, who went though high school struggling with self-worth, will have no trouble identifying with her.

But the brilliant thing with this book is not just the plus size issue. It is so much more than that… It deals with a lot of the classic high-school stereotypes; from the jock, who secretly reads fantasy and feels insecure, to the evil and ultra-thin queen-bee, who is struggling to live up to her mother’s unrealistic demands.
It is a great YA high-school romance. It is cute, funny, but also pensive. It really makes you think about things.

Cupcake was a laugh out loud, adorable, heartwarming story! With characters that felt real and a story line that was oh so easy to devour, I finished this book in two sittings. Cupcake became an instant favorite and romance lovers will definitely enjoy this book!

“Hi, my name is Ariel,” I said, feeling so embarrassed. “Because my mom loves Disney, I was named after a mermaid who collects forks and talks to fish.” Rhys’s lips twitched at that, but I forged ahead. “Surprisingly, I don’t hate it. I just wish the name fit me better.”
I nodded for him to go.


Ariel Duncan, aka Cupcake, had a heart of gold. She was kind, caring, compassionate and I loved her passion for baking! I connected with her on such a deep level with baking ♥. She not only stress baked too, but I loved how she baked to bring others joy. I desperately wanted to be bestie’s with her!

“Do you enjoy embarrassing me?” I asked.
Rhys pretended to think about it as he handed back my phone. “Honestly? I don’t hate it,” he said with a smirk.
Jerk.


During the announcements for Homecoming court, Ariel was shocked to hear her name listed! She was to be a Princess. Which led to her being paired with a sexy, blue eyed quarterback named Rhys Castle. Rhys was such an unknown. Yes he was gorgeous, but he could come off as cold and grumpy. And Ariel was stuck being his partner for the next three weeks for all of the Homecoming festivities.

“Are you going to put your hand on my shoulder or what?”
I scoffed. “Of course. I was just about to do that.”
It was clear Rhys was laughing internally. His eyes dared me to make the first move. In what seemed to be slow motion, I watched my hand rise and then rest gently on his shoulder. In answer, his hand moved to my waist.
My breath hitched.


Ariel and Rhys had to do everything together from dancing, trust exercises to so much more to prep for homecoming. I loved every minute of it! From getting to know each other to the inevitable dancing where they had to touch, I couldn’t stop smiling. It was adorable watching them try to connect and work together. It felt real how everything played out and I could easily see myself watching their story as a movie! It was a ton of fun!

“Did you like Dirty Dancing?”
“I did.” Rhys lifted a brow. “If that was us, though, you’d be Johnny, and I’d be Baby, aka the one who carries a watermelon.”
I laughed in delight.


I was obsessed anytime Rhys was on the pages! I desperately wanted to know what he was thinking. Because while he came off as quiet and distant, we also got to see moments where he was kind and thoughtful. He seemed so much more than meets the eyes and as the story progressed, he made me fall so hard for him! Sometimes the simplest words from Rhys made my heart melt. But still, I wanted to know exactly where he stood with Ariel and what secret he was keeping too!

“You like him,” she said.
I blinked, not having expected that. “N-no, I don’t.”
“And she stutters on the denial.” Toni stared at my face then shook her head. “You must like him a lot, huh?”
My tongue felt paralyzed for a moment. I was so surprised.


Rounding out this story were side characters I adored. From Ariel’s mom who was loving and caring. To Ariel’s bestie Toni who was her biggest champion! I loved that she had Cupcake's best interest in heart. That she stood by her side and cheered her on every step of the way. She was a true friend. And even the “mean girl” Lana's story turned into more. I’m not saying anything else other then I loved how it didn’t take the typical path, yay!

Feeling a bit funny about it, I placed the tiara on my head, then turned to Rhys.
“Well?” I said. “Is it straight?”
“Almost,” he said. “Here, let me.”
As he reached up, I held my breath. His hands were gentle as he adjusted the tiara. When his eyes met mine, he pushed a stray lock of hair behind my ear.
“You look perfect.”


Warmth, humor and romance splashed across the pages and I loved every minute of it! Cupcake was a feel good story that left me with a smile on my face! If you adore YA and romance, then definitely make sure you have this one on your tbr!

For the first time in my life, I actually felt like a princess.
And it had nothing to do with the tiara. Or even the boy.
It was all me.


PS Even the acknowledgements had heart! Her comment about the cake and princess, oh my heart that made me cry. Hugs!

Thankyou to Netgalley and the author for providing a copy of Cupcake. I have reviewed honestly.

I loved the idea of this book and the general atmosphere was realistic, however the MC fell flat for me. I feel like the author tried too hard to make the plus sized MC relatable, which in turn made her feel unauthentic. The writing was beautiful and the story well thought out, it was just the MC that let it down for me.

What a cute cover! Totally requested this one because of that cover alone and I loved it! It's been nice to read a cute YA romance after a string of contemporary and fantasy books! I've read Adorkable from this author before and I really liked it, so I was quite happy to read this one as well! It centers around Ariel, a plus-sized senior in high school who gets nominated for Homecoming court(much to her surprise)! I love how genuinely nice she is and how confident she is in her body, though there are days when she has doubts about herself. It's also been refreshing to see a YA MC who doesn't whine, but she knows that even though she's comfortable in her body, society might not always like her for it! And who doesn't adore a main character that bakes? I also loved the relationship development with Rhys and all the references to SJM and Mean Girls!
⁣
Thanks to @entangledteen and @netgalley for the ARC!

Thank you so much NetGalley and Entangled Teen for the e-arc!

4/5 stars!

This was a super cute and fluffy ya rom-com. I loved all the different rep that was included throughout this book.

Ariel aka Cupcake is a plus sized high schooler who loves rom com movies and baking. When she gets nominated for homecoming court, she ends up getting paired with the beautiful quarterback Rhys.

I loved the setting of this story so much. I love anything that has to do with dances and beautiful dresses. The characters were incredible. I loved all of them especially Tori. The message behind this story was one I wish I could’ve read when I was a little younger.

Ariel and Rhys are such a sweet and adorable couple. I loved their chemistry and the way Rhys treated Ariel was just heartwarming.

Overall, I really enjoyed my time reading this book. It was the perfect pick me up read. I highly recommend picking this one up when it releases on November 2nd!

Thanks @netgalley for the arc!

Ariel is plus-size girl, who loves the way she looks ―just as she is. She is then voted for Homecoming Princess and is paired with swoon-worthy quaterback, Rhys Castle. As they spend more time together Ariel realizes that there's more to Rhys than meets the eye. And the more the spotlight shines on her, she realizes that there's more to her, too.

This book was amazing! I was immediately drawn into the story with all the lovable characters full of personality. I liked how Ariel was confident and fun. I also really liked her friend Toni, who is Ariel's biggest cheerleader. I loved all the references to popular romcoms and other movies. So much fun! I liked seeing Ariel and Rhys get to know each other and grow closer with all the homecoming activities. I thought they made such a cute couple. I especially enjoyed the swoon-worthy dancing in the kitchen and the confession scenes. So cute! I also enjoyed the baking and I liked how Lana (the mean girl) later defended Ariel. It's always nice to see girls sticking up for each other. Overall, I really liked this book and it's definitely a new favourite.

If you're looking for a super cute, sweet, fun and the perfect YA HEA then definitely read Cupcake by Cookie O'Gorman.

This book was fun and fast-paced and I definitely will be recommending it to some of my friends who enjoy this type of book. Thank you netgalley for the advanced readers copy of the book

Thank you to NetGalley and Entangled Teen for an ARC of this book. All opinions in this review are my own.

This book was absolutely adorable. Ariel has so much confidence, especially as a high school senior, and yet her behavior was still realistic - I truly need to applaud Cookie for creating a character that I wish I could either a) be friends with or b) have been as a senior in high school. This book reminded me of my experience with being nominated to the Homecoming Court my senior year of high school, Ariel just had a much better outcome than I did. While I think I was nominated as a joke (and subsequently removed & replaced without my knowledge even though I had gotten votes), Ariel got to experience the full gambit of Homecoming Court traditions at her school. While she kept doubting whether she had been nominated as a joke or not, people kept showing that she was a loved member of the school, regardless of the negative comments that periodically came up due to her weight.

The relationship that developed between her and Rhys was great as well. Rhys was a wonderfully well-rounded character, breaking stereotypes and I really rooted for him throughout the book. It was fun reading all of the different movie references throughout the book, especially when some of my favorite scenes were mentioned. Heath Ledger in 10 Things I Hate About You Anyone? I would love to read a book about other characters in this universe, because as much as I want more about Ariel & Rhys, this book does something that not many books are good at - it ends in such a way that I am satisfied. I don't have any lingering questions, I don't feel like I need more, and I am happy with what I got. Don't get me wrong, if there is more to their story I would happily read it, but if this is all I get, I would be fine with it. I really enjoyed this book and I am happy I had a chance to read it. 5/5

oh my goodness. i hated this book. i really really really wanted to enjoy it. but man, that part about sarah j maas?? how did anyone let that through editing?? no no no no no no.

Cupcake by Cookie O’Gorman, 320 pages. Entangled Teen (Entangled Publishing), 2021. $9.
Language: PG13 (16 swears, 0 “f”); Mature Content: PG13; Violence: G
BUYING ADVISORY: HS - ADVISABLE
AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE
Cupcake is highly aware that being a plus size girl takes her outside the accepted standards of beauty, which makes her nomination for Homecoming Queen her senior year so suspicious. And then it goes a step further when Cupcake is paired with Rhys, the star quarterback. This has got to be a prank -- right?
If you’re in the mood for a rom-com but can’t decide which of your favorites to watch, read Cupcake instead. This rom-com includes classic tropes and references to all the best rom-coms, since Cupcake and her mom are obsessed. O’Gorman teases readers as Cupcake frequently reminds herself that she is not in one of her favorite rom-coms. The whole book has a fun, cheesy feel that is sure to make you smile. The mature content rating is for innuendo and a reference to male anatomy.
Reviewer: Carolina Herdegen

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of Cupcake in exchange for an honest review!

This book was adorable! It was a fast and easy read, and I enjoyed every minute of it. I've always enjoyed books that center around individuals who are bigger or who are different than the typical characters we follow through YA novels. I absolutely loved Cupcake as a character! I found her to be such a strong female character that both I and other young women can relate to. I really enjoyed the concept of someone being chosen for Homecoming Court that doesn’t fit the standard definition of “beauty”. Cupcake is a plus-sized young woman, who is chosen as one of four princesses to represent her graduating class. She is paired with her prince, Rhys, who is the school's all-star quarterback. This book follows Ariel (Cupcake) through her nomination as a princess, and her journey with Rhys through homecoming. This includes lessons in baking, dancing, and football. This book gave me a chick flick/rom-com vibe, similar to the movies mentioned in the book itself. I thought the author did a great job developing these two characters and provided them with a love story that was extremely relatable.

I'm very happy I was given the opportunity to read Cupcake and I would absolutely recommend this book to anyone who loves rom-coms!

I refuse to read books with ACOTAR references. That series is horrible and is not young adult. That series should not be read, and is the worst series I've read.

I’ve been reading so many edgy things recently, I really needed a break with something sweet, soft, and adorable. With a cover like that, I knew Cupcake was just the thing I needed and honestly, I wish I had a book like this when I was in high school.

Ariel, more commonly referred to as Cupcake because of her obsession with baking, is nominated to her high school’s homecoming court. And in this small Georgia town, that’s a big deal, and not only because she’s fat. For seniors, there are four princesses and princes, so what are the odds that Ariel is going to be paired with super hot, super broody Rhys Castle?

Better than she thinks! Despite being willing to trade princes, Rhys refuses. The pair bond over the homecoming festivities, and as Ariel learns more about Rhys, the more she’s in danger of letting her heart loose.

Cupcake was so cute I actively let out squeals of cuteness overload. O’Gorman referenced many popular things that I just so happen to love dearly myself (I yelled when there was a reference to the musical Hairspray). There was also a shout out to the ACOTAR series which I thought was really cute. Because Ariel is a hopeless romantic, there are also a handful of movie references, rom-coms specifically. It gave the book a very meta feel, like O’Gorman was trying to make us forget it’s a book and more like real life. There’s also a lot of “this kind of thing doesn’t happen in real life” which is a bizarre feeling because, well, we’re reading it in a book- and that’s not real life either.

I think O’Gorman went a little overboard on trying to make this kind of scenario for fat girls- whether it’s getting the hot quarterback or being nominated to court- seem attainable. It’s nice, but doesn’t change the inherent fatphobia a lot of teens face.

I like the characters for the most part, even jf they seemed kind of one dimensional. Ariel’s whole personality is baking, Rhys’ is being mysterious. But, unlike most books I’ve read recently, the dude characters really bring out different parts of the main characters. I especially liked the relationship between Ariel and her mom. Her mom is so sweet and fun and understanding. Not to mention, she’s so obsessed with Disney she named her only daughter after The Little Mermaid. Ariel’s best friend also forces her to be more adventurous and makes her think about how she sees herself. Since the book is told from Ariel’s perspective, it’s hard to get a full read on Rhys. He has a dry sense of humor and is pretty serious for being a high schooler, but he has a soft side he only lets Ariel see.

The plot is fairly surface and straightforward, and O’Gorman didn’t stray far from its premise. From my experience, homecoming is usually only a big deal in the week leading up to the dance because of stuff like spirit week, pep rallies, and the homecoming game, so it was interesting to see what bits she added in to make it a whole month long event.

Despite the warm feeling Cupcake gave me, there were some surface level things that bothered me. One was O’Gorman’s severe overuse of text fillers like “ugh” and “gah.” I’m not a fan of speech onomatopoeia being incorporated into books; it just seems kind of like a lazy approach to me. Also, O’Gorman makes up her own term- “fatist”- to describe Ariel’s experiences with fatphobia. Obviously, there is already a term for microaggressions and hate geared toward people- fatphobia- that her refusal to use it somehow cheapens the experience. She was probably going for a similar term to the other “-ists” out there, but it is wholly unnecessary. O’Gorman also dances around the word “fat.” Fat is an adjective. It is a descriptor and does not inherently mean anything bad. Saying “I am fat” is not a slam to myself- it’s simply a truth.

I get that Ariel is comfortable in her body, but that doesn’t mean she’s immune to the world’s fatphobia. I’m confident, but I still have moments, days, where I hate my body and words carry a little more power. And that’s okay. We don’t have to wear armor 24/7. Ariel’s seeming ignorance as to why she doesn’t feel right or deserving of romance or attention is unrealistic. As a fat person, I’ve spent plenty of time thinking of those same things, and the reasoning is simple: I don’t feel like I deserve it because of my size because of how fat people are generally treated. Despite my comfort or confidence. I find it unbelievable Ariel is totally ignorant of fatphobia.

I have stated before that fat-centric books don’t always have to write about the trauma fat people experience, but O’Gorman starts to talk about it and then refuses to engage, and that’s where my problems lie.

Putting all that aside, Cupcake is an adorable read, and it’ll probably get added to my list of comforting titles. Plus, the chapters are super shirt so it’s a quick read!