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!

4.5 ❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥

Now this is how you write a plus sized woman!! Nina is badass, stunning, kind, generous, stands up for herself and others and takes no shit. Esp from men 🤭

Russ is sexy as hell and if your man doesn’t fire someone who is disrespectful to you on the spot? FIND A NEW MAN.

My only complaint is the fat shaming from so many people. I myself am a plus sized woman and I’m not saying it doesn’t happen(esp on the internet), but I think that is just a trigger for me. It was alot, but I was so proud of how Nina and Russ always handled it.

Thank you NetGalley and Tor Publishing for the ARC!

First, my thanks to Netgalley for granting me early access to this title. I did read "Curvy Girl Summer," which featured Aaliyah, another friend of their group of three. One does not need to read that book before reading this one-both read like standalone titles. I don't recall all of the details of the first book, but I don't remember it being as spicy as this one. That said, Plus Size Player delivers on the spice, the tension of taking a chance and the hope that all will work out in the end. I did struggle with the amount of fatphobia in the book, but ultimately the amount of confidence Nina carried herself with, in addition to the chemistry she shared with Russ offset that a bit. Further, while Nina is well-rounded character, I struggled a bit with knowing Russ-this could be because this book is told from Nina's perspective. I think we would have benefitted from hearing more from him, even if we overheard it from an open door, phone call, etc. But, I did enjoy the book and would recommend it for a buddy read or adult reading group.

I just LOVE this author's writing style! This book was very spicy and I really enjoyed the curvy modeling, fashion, and glimpses into that world. I'm an enemy to lover kind of girlie so a romance between two that feels almost instant-love and slow warm just didn't excite me as much as the chemistry in her other book - Curvy Girl Summer.
I did have a fun time reading this though and thank you, Netgalley for the ARC!

3.75 stars, but rounded up to 4! Plus Sized Player was one of my most anticipated reads of 2025, and it didn't disappoint! I love how Danielle Allen writes unapologetically Black and body-positive characters. I really liked that Nina dated multiple men to match her needs. This isn't something we often see in romance books, but it is realistic in current times. Nina is such a fun character to follow!

This book is also very spicy! The spice scenes were well-written, but most of Nina and Russ' interactions ended with a spice scene. I would have liked to see more of their emotional connection throughout the book. Also, I wasn't a fan of the fat-shaming from random strangers, which was very prominent at the start of the book. It was very over the top and at times unrealistic.

Thank you to Bramble Books for this e-ARC! This was a fun read and is perfect for summer. Read if you enjoy:

-Plus-sized representation
-First Person/Single POV
-Lots of spice
-Forbidden romance

Danielle Allen writes a great romance. I haven’t read a book by her that I have not liked. First, I love how this book keeps the romance going with the friend group. I thought Nina being a mode was really interesting. There were a few points in the book that had me surprised. I didn’t expect some things to happen so I was happy that to me the book was not predictable for the most part. The bracelet Russ gave Nina!! Lovedddd! Overall I enjoyed this story I just loved the love in it. I also loved the way Russ loved her. Perfection

This one had me locked in from the very beginning. Nina was instantly likable and Russ brought the BDE that I love in an MMC. They felt good to me. I was not expecting to be stressed out but I was and I liked it. I just do t have enough good things to say about this book. As a confident plus size woman, I felt seen and it’s just a reminder of how important representation really is!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC!

First of all, I devoured and I mean DEVOURED this book. Y'all - this was so spicy, I literally stopped reading because I couldn't believe this wasn't indie LMAO they were ACTIVE and I LOVE that for my girl!!

This story follows Nina, who is THEE girlboss (in a slay way, not a Hobby Lobby mug way) of all girlbosses. She's goal-oriented, passionate, and has no time for nonsense. She essentially has a roster because she refuses to settle for anything less than everything, which was a great plan until she dissects her feelings for Russ, a member of the team. I loved the banter these two had, the SPICE (again, I was gagged LMAOOOO the audio was giving DIPSEA HELLO ???), and how seen she was! A strong 4.25 for me because 1. I do think we should just punch people that are fatphobic and 2. Russ did pmo bad in one scene, BUT overall, I had no notes for that man.

Can't wait to read the next book in the series - this was so well done!!!

Wow. I just finished "Plus Size Player," I'm completely blown away. Danielle Allen crafted a truly exceptional story that grabbed me from the first page and didn't let go until the end. The characters are richly developed and relatable, and their journeys and vulnerabilities feel incredibly authentic. I laughed, I teared up, and I rooted for them fiercely. The plot is engaging and cleverly woven, with twists and turns to keep things exciting. Allen's writing is simply beautiful – descriptive and evocative, painting vivid pictures in my mind. This book is a genuinely satisfying and memorable read that has earned a permanent spot on my favourite shelf. It's the kind of book you finish and immediately want to recommend to everyone you know. Brilliant.