2.5 Stars
Content Warning: PTSD, Sexaul Assault, Bullying (doesn't happen on page but is discussed)

Rose is amazing, let's just start there. She's a good person and she deserves every happiness. Rose is a plus size woman struggling through life nearly alone. She has some acquaintances. One of whom is an old man, Mr. Brown, who owns a bookstore. In a twist of fate, he dies at her side and in the process turns over a winning lottery ticket to Rose. Of course this leads to a lot of scum coming out of the woodwork trying to be Rose's friend now, so she decides to take off and see where else she can find to live and start her new life. She ends up in a small NC town where she makes so many new friends and meets Angus. Angus...ugh. I really had trouble with Angus and also the way the narrator spoke. He sounded more like a Christmas story narrator and I just couldn't get into it.

It was so frustrating how Angus assumed she had money problems and kept trying to get her to tell him about them. I get that she was reluctant to tell him about her money but FFS anything she made up would have been better than just stringing him along without any information at all. She never worked, she spent freely on her house, what was he supposed to think? I would not have assumed she was wealthy. All that said, Angus just really has this fixation on money and being a savior. I understand it's probably part of his PTSD and the things he sees during therapy sessions but OMG It's so annoying. Plus to then hold the fact that she has money against her?! UGH!

Spoiler: Angus is a little b. He really let the fact that she had money bother him so much that he left her and hurt her just like everyone else. He took such a fucking leap in every single one of his assumptions it was embarrassing. It's so freaking ridiculous. She should have NEVER forgiven him for such a baby reaction.

Overall the idea of the book was good but the execution could have been better.

4 Stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐🎧

Ok, I was intrigued by 4% into this book. I hated that she felt she had to leave but I am glad she gets away from the negative. I really like that she didn't let that part of her story become her whole story, she still choose kindness. I liked that she did things to help and not for the accolades. Now anytime we are talking about a plus size woman, they are usually insecure, or they think about their bodies 99% of the time, and I am so glad this was not the case. We have a character who has been scared in the past, but she doesn't let it take over her life.

She struggles with it, sure, but she also knows herself, and I like that she embraces herself. She finds a community and the love of her life. Now was mad that she kept this big secret from him. Yes and no, I think she should have talked to him once they were involved. But he also assumed too much, and he could have opened his mouth and asked some questions, and he never did.

Overall, I liked the book I was rooting for them.
The narration was great, I felt like both gave us a performance that was worthy of the story.

What if you’d had a traumatic experience at 15 that so profoundly changed your life that you thought yourself ugly and unloveable? What if, at 32 your only friend bequeaths you a lottery ticket and you win $80 million dollars? Rose is at a turning point in her life. Everybody now wants something from her and she’s hounded out of her hometown to escape. With her newfound wealth, she can do things that she’s always wanted to do….get a passport and travel, buy a house, go to college. But the most importantly, she can escape and find a place to call home. She does and meets Angus, a wonderful man who, as a Army veteran has lived through traumas of his own. Their growing attraction is sweet and sexy and charming. Rosie and Angus’ story will draw you in and you’ll route for them to be together always.

The narrators did a fabulous job on this audiobook.

The character development was fairly strong. I loved all the body positivity. I could also see the foreshadowing of a second book about July.

The inciting incident of winning the lottery is good. Who hasn’t dreamed of what their life would be like if they came into a bunch of money.

The lack of conflict up until Angus figures out Rose’s secret made it difficult to keep listening. A truly good book will is like amazing sex, you are brought right to the edge time and time and time again before you fall. The lack of actual foreplay for sex in the book follows those same lines.

I really enjoyed this one! It was really cute, and super fun. Rose was so relatable to me. A plus sizes FMC, who just wants to be as friendly and helpful as she possibly can. She has lists, for all things, and is so determined to do great things. I loved her inner thoughts on the lingerie store. As a plus sized woman, I can appreciate Roses thoughts that not all places carry pieces that fit all sizes. To have a shop owner tell you in no uncertain terms that she wouldn’t carry anything from a company that doesn’t accommodate all sizes would be such a wonderful thing to experience.
Angus was such a giant softy. Grumpy man, but so much heart he had to scowl to dim his glow ♥️ i loved the work he did with veterans, and really enjoyed hearing about his efforts. The relationship between the two of them was just so sweet, and I couldn’t get enough of it. The third act breakup though, I was screaming mad at the situation. I wanted to throttle them both for how things went down. The biggest difference between this one and a lot of other romances, was the amount of communication between Angus and Rose. Now, obviously, there wasn’t enough for the issue to not happen towards the end, but there was so much more than usual. It was lovely. Cute, funny, a little childish in places, but enjoyable.

3.5 stars. The romance novel covers topics such as body shame, rape, and PTDS very well. Rose is overweight and very beautiful. The hunky Angus goes from irritated with her to love. It’s a slow burn romance with some steamy love scenes., but not too steamy. The story is somewhat predictable. She has a secret, he finds out about secret, it rocks their relationship and everyone is holding their breath to see if they can survive the lies and mistrust. If you love romance you will like this book.

I wanted to enjoy this one - positive fat rep, ptsd rep, small town - it was really checking the boxes for me. The execution just fell flat.

My big issue with this is that it was SO much heavier than the blurb or cover would lead you to believe due to the PTSD, family issues, bullying, rape, etc. Like there was a LOT of trauma here. I don't have triggers, but some of this was difficult to get through. I don't fault the book for telling that story, only the marketing of it that has you expecting something more along the lines of a rom-com. I think if I'd had realistic expectations of what I was getting, I could have enjoyed this more.

This COVER 😍 love a story with a curvy heroine that does not disappoint!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️

After losing a dear friend, and winning the lottery, Alice Rose Barnes is struggling - everyone wants something from her, and no one did before she was rich.

She packs up her stuff, and ends up in the small town of Galway, and decides to go by Rose now. Rose quickly realizes this place is a perfect fit for her, and buys a home - a fixer upper.

Rose asks for a contractor she can trust, and is sent Angus Drummond, a big, bearded man she encountered on her way into town (in a meet-disaster).

These two “enemies” quickly become friends as they get to know one another, and slowly become more.

I loved the (mostly) open communication between Rose & Angus - about their pasts, their doubts, and their insecurities. This showed a mature, adult relationship, which was refreshing!

As for the audiobook - the female narrator totally hit it out of the park! I wasn’t as much of a fan of the male narrator, he didn’t seem to fit with the character.

What you’ll find in Curves for Days:
⭐️ Grumpy sunshine
⭐️ Forced proximity
⭐️ Curvy heroine
⭐️ Starting over
⭐️ Hidden wealth
⭐️ Found family
⭐️ Small town
⭐️ Dual POV/first person

Thank you to NetGalley, Sourcebooks Casablanca, and Dreamscape Media for advanced ebook and audio copies. All opinions are my own.

Curves for Days was such a cute and fat positive book. I loved the story and the premise of the book. I can't wait for others to read this.

2.5 stars.

"Curves for Days" by Laura Moher contains a mix of good and bad. I appreciated the fat representation here, not just where the main female character, Rose, is concerned, but also for the main male character, Angus. Rose has a vast, incredible heart. She truly cares about other people, no questions asked. She is a real ray of sunshine, and I loved her as a character. Unfortunately, she is so down on herself and critical of every little thing, including her looks and her weight at times. It turned me off quite a bit. As a fat person, I understand that not every larger-bodied person has good self-esteem about themselves, but it felt like a "have your cake and eat it, too" situation on the part of the author. I also loved the small-town vibe of Galway. If only all small towns were as friendly and fat-accepting as Galway (minus the nasty, crusty, musty old diner bitty who fat-shames Rose every single time she sees her)! I think Rose and Angus have a fantastic start to their relationship. I enjoyed reading about their growing friendship-come-relationship as Angus comes out of his grumpy shell to help her fix up her house, and as Rose lets her guarded walls down to accept love and affection.

Apart from some slight spice, the main character's penchant for cursing, and some heavy trauma-dumping in the name of moving the plot, "Curves for Days" could pass for a young adult novel in the way that it is written. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but it all feels a little juvenile and slow to unfold. Some of the dialogue in this book is really bad. I absolutely detested the third act and solidified my disdain for Angus as a main character. He is such a toxicly masculine, misogynistic character that it turned me off of him completely. It's not just one of those "brooding, possessive alpha male grump" types of books, it's cringeworthy and reductive and caveman-esque in the most derogatory way possible. The worst offense of all: there is a moment in the third act that made me mark this book down by an entire point. After Angus finds out Rose's secret, he spirals, questioning anything and everything about their relationship. At one point, he says, "For all I know, I'm the second worst s3x she's ever had." Now, this would be a bad/cringe statement anyway, BUT HE IS COMPARING HIMSELF TO ROSE'S R-PIST. THE WAY I GASPED IN HORROR. My jaw *literally* dropped when that line was said over the audiobook. I even backed it up to make sure I heard it right. How could a woman write such a potentially triggering line?! Angus *clearly* knows the difference between r-pe and s3x because he repeatedly condemns her r-pist's actions throughout the book... so there is no need for this line to exist. I have no doubt that before meeting Rose, Angus would sit in his work truck listening to Joe Rogan, Ben Shapiro, and Andrew Tate spew their garbage on his lunch breaks. He strikes me as the type. Finally, I really enjoyed Michelle Prices' audiobook narration, but I wasn't sold on Paul Bellantoni's narration.

Thank you to NetGalley, Laura Moher, and SOURCEBOOKS Casablanca for the complimentary ARC of this book. All opinions are my own. I was not compensated for my review.

Rose is a delight and her journey is engaging, but the audio narration made this one tough to finish. (I know this is probably just a me issue, but no matter how I adjusted speed, I couldn't get Angus' chapters to flow right). Still, a recommended purchase for collections where romance is popular.

Curves for Days by Laura Moher
Narrated by Michelle Price and Paul Bellantoni
CW,
PTSD, sexual assault, bullying
I enjoyed this romance between a curvy girl and a big guy. Rosie has some deeply ingrained self esteem issues but she is working on them successfully. Angus has a mental balance sheet that leads him to feel he has to pay back everything ever done for him but he gets better about that too. There are some serious issues but the story is also laugh out loud funny and also touching in parts. There are interesting secondary characters who are mostly good folks. The sex scenes are mildly steamy.
The narration is excellent and I would like to see more work from the author and both narrators.

Thank you Netgalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for this ALC!

- I really struggled with this one. There were small parts that were good, but there was a ton that took me out of the story or rubbed me the wrong way.
- This book addresses some intense trauma (rape, death, and suicide) in a way that doesn't feel quite appropriate. There's a thought the MMC has late in the book about possibly being the second worst person she's had sex with, subtly referencing that the only other person she'd been with who had raped her. That really felt so uncalled for, especially since he's a therapist and really should know better. There are no trigger warnings and the summary doesn't communicate that this book will cover more serious topics, so a lot of the trauma felt like it came out of the blue.
- I really did not like the MMC, especially once the third act break up/conflict set in. He has big issues with feeling needed, but I felt like he really devalued their relationship and didn't seem to change his mind enough at the end.
- The pacing felt off throughout, and time was really strange. It feels like Rosie applies to college, gets in, and then starts classes within a week or so.
- I did like the NC Mountains small town setting, and I loved the references to Asheville and Boone.
- There were some small details that felt unbelievable. At one point, Rosie mentions that she just figured out how to check her grades after the semester ends, even though it's really well established that she's very dedicated to her classes. This felt incredibly implausible, and it was such a small detail that really didn't need to be there.

I absolutely adored this! I am a sucker for any book with a plus sized main character and this book was just so much fun. I went into this not knowing anything about it except it was a romance with a fat main character and I kinda liked it better that way. I got to be surprised by everything as it unfolded. I got to fall in love with the story and the characters as it happened.
I absolutely adored the characters as well. Everyone in this book was so sweet and wholesome. I would give both kidneys to move to Galway!
This book is definitely one to give a shot! It was to sweet and sexy. You are going to love Rose and everyone else from Galway.

You know that friend that is just so amazing, you think they deserve the earth, moon, stars, whole universe? But, they just get maybe the state of South Carolina (no offense SC love you xoxo) when they start dating someone? That’s kind of how I felt about Rose with Angus. I loved Rose. LOVED. She was just so kind and helpful and spirited. Angus just didn’t click for me. I tried audio, I tried reading, but it just wasn’t there for me. Regardless, Rose is a winner (not just talking lottery) and I enjoyed a majority of her new friends in town.

Our girl Rose ends up with a winning lottery ticket. She has no family, so she’s looking for home. She finds it in Galway at a b&b with Sabina, then at July’s and decides let’s fix this house up. Along the way Angus, our PTSD, solider crisis counselor and fixer upper, helps with the home. Along the way, Rose does not tell a soul about the money, and finds a way to navigate her new life.

Curves for Days has great representation for body positivity and PTSD. It barrels into the norm instead of shying away as a taboo topic. I truly enjoyed that aspect. Also, Michelle Price, who read Rose’s POV was spot on. I loved listening to those chapters.

Overall, a good read, but just didn’t really enjoy the love interest. I see this is a series and I’m excited to see who gets their story next! Out 8/22.

Curves for Days was one of my most anticipated releases of the year and it did not disappoint! This book was fun, a bit emotional and super sweet! I cannot wait to read more from Laura Moher.

I loved both of the main characters so much! Rose was so kind & generous. She has been through so much in her life and I just wanted to give her a big hug. As a plus size woman, I thought the fat rep was wonderful and so relatable. Angus was a total cinnamon roll. He is a veteran who now works as a therapist. He does everything within his power to make sure other veterans get the help that they need.

The romance was adorable! Rose & Angus were so sweet to each other. I really enjoyed seeing their relationship progress. I loved that Angus always made sure Rose felt safe. It made my heart so happy.

I wasn’t a huge fan of the conflict towards the end. Angus’s reaction was very odd and immature. It didn’t really make sense to me. Thank goodness things were resolved pretty quick.

While this book is a cute romance, it also discusses heavy topics like fatphobia, rape, PTSD and suicide. The author handles each with respect & honesty.

I usually love audiobooks with dual narration but this one wasn’t for me. I really loved listening to Michelle Price’s chapters! She did fantastic and her voice is exactly what I think Rose would sound like. I struggled with Paul Bellantoni’s chapters though. He kind of made Angus sound like an old man and it caught me off gourd. It wasn’t my favorite but I got used to it. I definitely preferred Michelle’s voice for Angus!

I quickly became fond of the characters in this book.
Rosie at first seemed a little naive to me, but I quickly fell in love with her, she does everything she commits to and doesn't restrict herself to anything. She is a super strong character that will stay in my memory.
Angus is a character who, despite not seeming like the nicest person, is someone who connects with others and seeks to help.
I really like them both and their interactions and conversations. I think they're super adorable. And the contrast of them, both in personality and physique, is super sweet. And it's fantastic to find the little things they are alike.
A treat.

I was just a little disappointed with Angus towards the end, but then he explained himself and went deeper, talking about relationships and their balance, and giving to each other. I was surprised.

I really liked the environment created, and the secondary characters that appear.

I really enjoyed listening to the audiobook and I find myself not wanting to put it down.
Narrated by two voices that fit the characters perfectly and that extended the book beyond words, giving it emotion and making us feel with the character.

NOTE: There is a character who has suffered sexual abuse, and I think that part of the emotions and apprehensions that come with that, is very well portrayed, connecting us with the character.

TW: Description of rape

Rose Barnes won the lottery & every relationship in her life turned upside down. Determined to not let herself get hurt again she moves to a small town in North Carolina and purchases a house that is the definition of a fixer-upper. Enter our soon-to be love interest Angus, and there our story begins.

I loved Rose. I completely understood her. I’ve seen some people complain about her weight constantly being mentioned but I personally didn’t mind it. I’ve read other books with a “plus size” main character who has her weight mentioned once or twice & just dropped as if the writer was like, “i did our part mentioned she’s fat, that’s enough.” But in real life, despite how happy we are with our bodies, the plus size community can’t just fade in with everyone else.

Angus was the perfect love interest, until he discovers Rose’s secret about her lottery winnings. He works with people who have traumas, but apparently he cannot think of a single reason why Rose would keep her winnings a secret.

I love that the audiobook had two voice actors for the different POV’s. It made listening so much more enjoyable.

I would definitely recommend this book to people who like the grumpy/sunshine trope & a medium amount of spice in their books.

Such an addictive story! It’s so smoothly written, I was able to finish it quickly. It’s a life journey for Rose, and a reemergence for Angus. And it’s a joy to listen to them end up exactly where they’re supposed to. Both narrators did a fantastic job of portraying the MCs every little nuance.

I received a copy of this eaudio from the publisher through NetGalley.

Thank you, Dreamscape Media, for an Advanced Listeners Copy.

Winning the lottery changes lives, but it also changes people. In ‘Curves for Days,’ Rose Barnes has her life turned upside down when she wins a life-changing amount of money and soon finds that all the people who made her life a living hell want a piece of it. So, what does Rose do? She moves out and starts over in a small town, meeting (and falling for) Angus Drummond, the grumpy contractor working on her house, who also run mental health counselling for veterans.

Filled with all the fan-favourite qualities of a good romcom, Curves for Days has small-town vibes, a grumpy-sunshine relationship, and a dual POV. And while it had me giddily kicking my feet in public, it also thoughtfully touched on some heavier topics. These include fatphobia and PTSD.

I could not put this one down. This book was so cute, the narration was perfect, and both Rose and Angus were such loveable characters. You couldn’t help but root for them both. These characters are well-developed. They have unique insecurities and motivations, so even when you’re side-eyeing some of their choices, you understand why they’re choosing to make them, and both the fallout and resolution make sense to who these characters are, and that’s just a testament to good writing.

Laura Moher does an incredible job of illustrating the struggles that come along when growing up fat and some of the trauma that can come with that. But then she also makes it a point to show Rose having very healthy experiences that help her feel comfortable in her body, like having a positive shopping experience and having an understanding partner willing to meet her where she’s at.

Highly recommend this for fans of Olivia Dade and Talia Hibbert. I’m excited to read more from Laura Moher!