3.5 Stars!

I liked this one, though I will say that Curvy Girl Summer is still my fave of hers. This cover is absolutely to die for, the story was fun, and our girl Nina was so interesting. I like that she's not afraid to be herself and that we get this depiction of a fat woman who knows her worth and makes sure people treat her accordingly (and if they don’t she lets them friggin know). I will say there was a lot of we did this, this, and this instead of us seeing her do things on the page, and I generally like more show than tell so that’s why my rating is lower. However definitely rounding up bc Nina- the woman you are *heart hands*

Plus Size Player was so good, my god. Curvy Girl Summer was ok to me, but this second book knocked it out of the park. I loved how smart and real Nina’s character was, and having read the first book added extra color to her. Russell Long, however, is officially in my top 5 favorite love interests. Nina deserved all of the love he had for her. This was such a good combination of fun, sexy, funny, enjoyable romance for a fat, black female main character. Would highly recommend and will likely read again.

There was no chemistry between Nina and Russ. While the sex was hot, there was a lack of relationship development. I don't understand why, at 60% into the story, these two characters didn't know what the other did for a living. This created an unnecessary issue that, in my opinion, pulled me out of the narrative.

Additionally, the fatphobia was excessively aggressive. Although there were some insightful discussions regarding the confrontations Nina experienced throughout the book, they felt forced.

In my view, the pacing is what ultimately ruined the story. We were given a lot of words, but there was no progression in the plot—if there even was one—or any growth in the characters.

Ultimately, Plus Size Player did not work for me, and that's unfortunate since I am a fan of Ms. Allen's work.

*Thank you to Bramble Romance for the opportunity to read and review.

I loved Curvy Girl Summer and have been highly anticipating Nina’s story in Plus Size Player and I was NOT disappointed! This was equal parts sweet and steamy turnt all the way up!

Nina Ford doesn't like to put all her eggs in one basket. She works multiple jobs, she enjoys multiple hobbies, she dates multiple men. In her thirty years of life, Nina has never come across a man who has all the things she's looking for. She's always been content rotating a few men in and out of her life to get her needs met.
But when an opportunity presents itself, Nina finds herself in a bit of a predicament. Because if everything she's ever wanted in a partner collides with everything she's ever wanted in a career, her eggs are bound to get cracked.

Nina’s character felt so genuine. She was confident and ambitious. I loved her character and was rooting for her the entire time! I liked how passionate Nina and Russ were about it their careers. They both respected each other it was so refreshing to read.

In the book Nina faces different types of fat phobia from people in her industry and I loved how Nina stood up for herself in the book. And I equally loved the way Russ stood up for her also 🥰

Nina and Russ’ chemistry was SIZZLING!! These two were burning my kindle up! Danielle knows how to write some good spicy scenes like the one in the changing room?! HELLO?! I loved their relationship journey it felt authentic.

I devoured this book and had the absolute best time reading it. Now I’ll just have to patiently wait for Jasmine’s book!

4.5⭐️

I loved how confident Nina was in herself and what she deserved. Her roster of potential partners was impressive. It was refreshing to see a woman be the "player," especially since Nina was always upfront with her dates about her desires and boundaries.
Her roster was top-tier, but Russell?? This man!! THIS MAN!! He was so swoon-worthy that I felt like I was the one on the date! From the start, you could see how much he not only wanted her but also needed her, and we loved to see it.Her attempts to fight her deeper feelings for him were honestly hilarious because, girl, who are you fooling?

Weisleigh Shoban on the narration 👏🏾 She never disappoints.

Thank you NetGalley for the ALC.

I absolutely loved it! Nina is everything. I love the way she goes for what she wants and needs and is a boss about her business!

Her roster was top tier and honestly it was refreshing to see the fmc having several men at her beck and call but Russell? He was special and their chemistry is out of this world!

My flabber was gasted when I found out about Rus' "title" and I sorta crashed out lol

Plus Size Player is everything you'd expect from a Danielle Allen story....addictive, adventurous, sexy and amazing writing.

Oh my goodness! I flew through this book! I’ve absolutely loved Nina as the heroine. She is a woman who knows who she is and what she wants and isn’t ashamed to demand the things she is worthy of. Russ as the love interest was perfect! Him and Nina are a match made in heaven and you could feel their chemistry. I’m so excited for the third book!

𝐏𝐥𝐮𝐬 𝐒𝐢𝐳𝐞 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐲𝐞𝐫 𝐛𝐲 𝐃𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐞 𝐀𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐧 ♡

✰✰✰✰.75 sᴛᴀʀs

"𝑌𝑜𝑢 𝑎𝑟𝑒 𝑚𝑦 𝑒𝑠𝑐𝑎𝑝𝑒 . . . 𝑚𝑦 𝑓𝑎𝑛𝑡𝑎𝑠𝑦 . . . 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑤𝑜𝑚𝑎𝑛 𝑜𝑓 𝑚𝑦 𝑓𝑢𝑐𝑘𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑑𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑚𝑠."

my first book by Danielle Allen and definitely not my last! this one was such a fun and delicious read! 😮‍💨🙌🏻

who doesn't love a plus size, confident baddie? that was Nina and my gosh the way i wanna be her when i grow up(shush, ik i'm already grown up) but seriously this girl was a literal ICON. a player until she finally found the perfect man🤭 also, she had me cracking up a lot🤣🙌🏻

Russ was so dreamy. this man!! THIS MAN!! He was so SWOONYYY!! the way he literally worshipped the ground Nina walked on was everything!! he's the standard, okay? 🗣️

these two together were straight-up FIRE and holy— they had the hottest s*x ISTG!!! 😮‍💨 i need to read Aaliyah's book cause seriously Danielle really knows how to write hot AF spicy scenes🔥

thank you @authordanielleallen @netgalley for the arc! 💖

𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐉𝐮𝐧𝐞 𝟏𝟎𝐭𝐡! ✨

#plussizeplayer #danielleallen

Wow, this book was EVERYTHING. Danielle Allen has done it again, and honestly, this series just keeps getting better and better. One of my favorite parts was how the timeline overlapped with the first book, giving us Aaliyah’s story from a totally fresh POV. Watching her navigate those same dates through her lens was such a clever and satisfying touch.

Now let’s talk about Nina. She is bold, confident, and unapologetically herself. A true girl’s girl with main character energy. Her self-assurance was such a breath of fresh air. Watching a heroine so comfortable in her skin, especially in a romance, felt empowering and healing. We need more characters like Nina.

And Russ? Whew. Book boyfriend of ALL book boyfriends. He’s fun, thoughtful, protective, sexy. Their chemistry was off the charts. Those intimate scenes? SPICY. I caught myself blushing more than once.

This was such an enjoyable, feel-good, grown-and-sexy read. I already can’t wait to see what Danielle Allen gives us next.

The plot, characters, and setting are all so wonderfully written with clear intentions and a beautiful character arc. I love seeing Fat women empowered in their bodies and taking no shit from anyone. I wish books like this were written when I started dating in my early 20's so I, too, could learn to carry my plus-sized self with the same confidence and grace that Nina carries herself with. Writing revolutionary romance where the FMC knows what she wants will save this generation, I truly believe it.

Thank you, Danielle Allen, for writing books that make people like me feel seen!

thank you Macmillan Audio for this ARC!

I knew veryyyyy early on that this would be a 5 star read!⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I loved Curvy Girl Summer last year and Plus Size Player did not disappoint!👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾

Danielle Allen knows how to write romance and make it fun and sexy! I love how she explores the dating scene with her FMCs. The banter between characters is perfect and never cringy! I’m not a huge fan of spice in romance books but again, Danielle Allen knows what she’s doing!

Nina was such a force of a woman and character! I loved every bit of her and sassy comebacks for all the haters!❤️👏🏾

Russ, one of many in Nina’s dating lineup was THEE man in my opinion! This man had me cheesed up like I was the one on the date!

With all that being said, I think this will stand as my favorite romance read of the year! Yes I’m aware it’s only May. I’m calling it!

Genre: Adult | Romance

One of my anticipated releases of 2025 and it didn't disappoint.

Plus-Size Player is a spicy, emotionally satisfying glimpse into Nina’s summer of fostering men so she can be happy but not tied down. Nina's story blends body-positive romance, career struggles, and slow-burn tension with just the right amount of heat.

What worked here for me was the balance—this book gave me character growth and page-stealing intimacy that didn't feel repetitive. Nina and Russ had electric chemistry, but so the rest of her roster and I loved that for her. Although those moments are often shown, thought about, or talked about, the story wasn't just about that—I thought it was about learning to trust again, making hard decisions, and finding your place (and people). I loved (and ate up in a different way from [redacted]) callbacks to book one. They were well-handled without spoiling anything, and the pacing kept things moving even as the characters worked through real emotional roadblocks.

Russ was… a lot (in the best way), and Nina continued to be a relatable powerhouse. Overall, reading this made me want to get the audiobook too! The ending had one of my favorite quotes in the entire series and wrapped up the emotional Ferris wheel we were on for most of the book. I loved that this was overall, technically a slow burn but was done so uniquely that I wasn't upset at the events that happened in the last half of the book.

Highly recommended for readers who want a romance with weight—without sacrificing fun, sexiness, or a little drama.

Nina😍. I loved her. She was so confident in her skin. She knew her self-worth. She ain’t give af what anybody thought of her. She spoke her mind. She was so fierce. Nina had options. She was the prize 🏆.

Russ. Big Russ 🥰. He was so charming. He was so passionate about what he wanted. He was such a BOSS. The chemistry between the two was so raw and intense. They really complemented each other and don’t get me started on the spice. It was caliente 🌶️🔥🥵 (fans self).

I enjoyed this book so much. This was such a fun, thrilling read. I do wish there was an epilogue, but it doesn’t take away from the story.

Thank you, Netgalley and Bramble Books, for this arc. All thoughts are my own.

Nina Nina Nina Nina 🙌🏾 I loved this FMC the story was so cute and captivating! I love this author’s writing style confident and happy in their own skin! I love that
The chemistry between the FMC & MMC 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
GET THE BOOK!! I had butterflies reading some scenes

Loved this book from beginning to end! The cover is amazing. I love the fact Nina knew what she wanted in a guy even though she felt she couldn’t find it all in one guy until Russell showed her wrong.

Read This Book If…you love the song Juice by Lizzo!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Plus-Size Player by Danielle Allen

Genre: romance
Series: Curve # 2
Spice Level: 4/5🌶, 3-4 explicit scenes
Setting: Richland, Virginia
POV: single, 1st person, past tense
Tropes: reformed playboy (but she’s the player), boss/employee, secret, forbidden

My Thoughts:
These two had such great chemistry and connection! I loved how secure Nina was in herself and what she deserved and her roster sounded pretty great. It was very fun to have the girl be the “player,” although Nina was always up front with her dates about what she did and did not want!

These two are both very career-focused and I feel like at times they spent too much time apart. I did get a little annoyed with how Russ handled everything and the ending felt rushed, but overall I really enjoyed this read!

This book takes place at the same time as Curvy Girl Summer, but they are true standalones! I can’t wait to see what Jasmine has been up to in the third book!

Memorable Quote: “What if I’m not looking to be in a relationship?” “What if you found one anyway?”

Thank you to the publisher for my advance copy!

Plus Size Player is a refreshing, empowering romance that had me rooting for Nina Ford from the very start. She’s confident, independent, and fully in charge of her love life—until Russell Long throws her perfectly balanced world into chaos. Danielle Allen’s writing is sharp, witty, and emotionally engaging, making Nina’s journey feel real and deeply relatable. The chemistry crackles, the banter is on point, and the exploration of self-worth and love is beautifully done. If you love stories that celebrate bold, unapologetic women and undeniable attraction, this one’s a must-read.

Overall: 3.75
Spice: 2
Plus Size Player delivers a sizzling, heartfelt romance that begins with a casual friends-with-benefits arrangement between Nina and Russell. What starts as fun slowly deepens into something more, and just as they decide to take their relationship seriously, their professional lives begin to take off—only to reveal that they're entangled in each other’s careers in ways neither of them expected.

Danielle Allen skillfully balances the heat of the romance with compelling real-world challenges. As Nina navigates the fashion industry as a plus-size model and Russell finds himself in a powerful position connected to her work, the story thoughtfully explores themes like body positivity, representation in media, and the complexities of dating a boss. The chemistry is undeniable, the dialogue is sharp, and the emotional stakes feel authentic.

This is more than just a romance—it's a story about ambition, self-worth, and making space for love without compromising personal dreams. A great read for fans of contemporary romance with strong, multidimensional characters.

We meet Nina, a confident woman, who is confident no singular man can satisfy every need of hers, having a roster of men that creates a perfect man. Nina is plus-sized, and knows she’s a catch, but she’s struggling with accepting that one of these men is perfect for her, beyond what she wants to admit. Nina and Russell’s chemistry is on fire. You are rooting for both of these characters, and you get caught up in their journey, and Nina’s journey. Their love is strong and their pull towards each other is magnetic.

Danielle Allen always gives us a love story that feels sexy and affirming! This read was flirty, fun, and full of heart—Plus Size Player is a win for the girls who love love (like me) and want to feel like the prize we already are. Highly recommend!