"Magic and wishes and all that, they don't do shit. These last few days with you, though - that's magic I can believe in."

The romance in this book was SO. STINKING. CUTE. This is a master-class in how YA romance should be written; a little bit of awkwardness, a dose of trauma that they need to overcome, and growth on their own without the partner. Jenny L. Howe does such a wonderful job of establishing both MCs and side characters, and it was so easy to root for Lia and Mason. As with any Jenny L. Howe novel, the exploration of the world from a plus-sized protagonist was well-written. Lia is unapologetically plus-sized (how lovely it is to see her enjoy food), but she also shows how the world is not made for her. Mason finds her fat AND beautiful, it's not a "but" situation, and that was so refreshing to read. The romance is pure magic.

You may be thinking, "Lauren, this is a glowing review. Why is this four stars and not five?" Well, that comes down to the theme park itself. I spent the entire time reading this book texting my best friend, who is a Project Coordinator for a theme park contractor. Jessica is a diehard thoosie who knows everything there is to know about this industry. So when she says that this book is a 3/10 on theme park accuracy, I believe her. Many of the rides described are simply NOT physically possible (things like having "wings" depicted that would break off, drop rides being indoors, etc.).

For the romance fans, this is a perfect novel. They will be kicking their feet and squealing happily. But for a book advertised as being a love letter to fandom, that part falls flat. Never doubt the thoosie, especially the teenage or early-20 thoosie. The theme park itself may take them out of the story entirely.

Thank you to NetGalley and Delacorte for an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

A wonderful read!
This novel drew me in from the very first page and kept me hooked until the end. The characters were vibrant and relatable, the writing was engaging, and the story had just the right balance of heart and humor. Highly recommend!
Many thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

I was pleasantly surprised with how much I liked this book. A lot of times especially with books that border the edge of the age range on YA (in terms of character age), I find the characters to be whiney or set in something so unrealistic that it takes me right out of the joy of the reading. But this book was honestly so real that it felt like I was back at 18, graduating high school and trying to figure everything out because it felt like maybe the world was too big for me and I wasn't ready for it. Jenny L. Howe described this as "the book she needed as a plus sized teen" and I'm so glad she wrote it because I would 100% agree. As a person who was plus size all throughout high school, I did so much to keep my self esteem up, and having a book like this would have been so reassuring and it feels like a warm hug from a supportive friend.
The magic of Fableland was captured so well it this book that it felt like you were truly there with Lia and Mason, the romance between the two felt soft in all the best ways. I can't recommend this enough to people in the target audience and even to people out of the target audience, I feel like there's something for everyone in here!

I've marinated on this review for almost a month.

I need you to know I don't like YA books. I don't like 16-year-olds parenting themselves, I don't like teenagers thinking they've got it all figured out, and I really don't like when they try to act like adults because, sweetie, your frontal lobe ain't done cookin' yet.

None of that will be found in these pages.

Instead, what we get is a visceral and raw look into the uncertainty and fear and excitement and pressure that it is to be 18, freshly graduated, and on the precipice of the great unknown. Instead, we get strong emotions and the occasional outburst and the moderately tempered self-awareness of, "Eh, I probably shouldn't have done that, but they were an asshole, so I'll still be able to sleep at night." We revisit what it's like to be unsure of ourselves, and to not know where we fit in when everything is changing. We get to relive the unlimited potential of everything that our lives could be, if only we could just... go to school, or find the funds to get away, or speak up for ourselves and what we really want, or score a prestigious internship, or accept who we really are.

It's so, so real.

Reading this instantly transported me back to when I was 17 and freshly graduated. I had secured a partial scholarship, but didn't qualify for grants, couldn't get a loan, and because of that, any kind of further education was explicitly off the table. So I, much like FMC Lia, felt stuck. I'm reminded of some lyrics by Elton John's seemingly forgotten musical, Aida:

We are free to have it all / We are what we want to be / It's in ourselves to rise or fall /
This is easy to believe / When distant places call to me / It's harder from the palace yard / Fortune favors the free...

The individual singing is in a gilded cage, unable to leave the confines of the palace, and has had to forsake all dreams of adventure and exploration. Lia, also, is in a gilded cage of sorts. Lia was a miracle baby, and her parents are, understandably (if a little misguidedly) overprotective of her. They also want to give her everything, including a legacy of working at the family furniture store so she can be secure and have steady, if modest, income. Lia, like anyone, teenaged or otherwise, chafes at having her future predetermined for her.

And that's why she wants to enter the contest at Fableland and win the cash prize: so she can have the means to chase her dreams. Don't we all wish we could do that? Lia's realistic; she's not a plucky young thing who thinks a can-do attitude and a winning smile will get her where she wants to go.

And that's why I love her so much.

She's still 18 and acts like an 18 year old (i.e. sees a pretty boy and her brain vacates for a minute, sometimes lies, sometimes holds grudges, sometimes sneaks around) but she's the most realistic 18 year old I've ever read.

The plot itself is fantastic. It follows a predictable but comforting cadence over the course of a week while Lia competes in the event at Fableland. The stakes get higher and higher until the climax of the story, and she has to figure out what comes next. I will say while I expected her to lose the contest, I didn't expect the manner in which she lost. I was raging right alongside her. The injustice of it all! Lia makes some mistakes, and has to scramble to deal with the consequences of those mistakes, while juggling all the other mental and emotional burdens she's being crushed under. And she does it with her friends alongside her, which is beautiful.

But because life is messy, there's a cute boy thrown into the mix too. Long distance relationships never work out... right? Imagine flirting and trying to steal a kiss or two, knowing there's an expiration date on your stay in Florida. Ugh, to be young!

And I haven't even mentioned the inclusion and representation yet! I tagged this as "lgbtq-awakening" because, it is, but also... Lia's still figuring things out. Hell, at 32, I'm still figuring it out, too. There's some really honest and vulnerable conversations that take place, and while a lot of people are enjoying this book because it's the plus-size rep their teenaged self needed to see, I'm enjoying it because it's all of the rep my curvy and some-flavor-of-not-straight and PMDD teenaged self needed to see. PMDD thoughts/healthcare rant behind the spoiler tag: Seriously: PMDD rep is rare and not a lot of people know what it is! Seeing a character have it, like me, had me all up in my feels! I was diagnosed at 16, which is pretty young and many women don't know they have it until they're older or meet someone who has it and they can be "peer-reviewed". I've been on hormonal birth control ever since I was diagnosed because I was unbearable to be around. And yes, that means I've been on some kind of hormonal BC for half my life, boy that's fun. There's very few studies on PMDD and it's a problem that not enough people are talking about. Living with PMDD is hell; I feel like a hostage in my own body. Awareness and representation are VITAL! And there's still so much we don't know about it, how it's caused, how to treat it, how it can manifest, if it's genetic... If you google it, you'll see "may", "possibly", "suggest", and other qualifiers sprinkled around various articles. We just don't know much about it and I get so happy when I see other people talking about it and spreading awareness.

It might seem like there's a lot going on, and there is. But it's done well, and its immersive, and I fell in love with Lia and her friends and even her overbearing parents and Fableland and Mason and every letter of every word of every sentence of this book.

And remember... I don't even like YA books. Buy it, read it, cry at the end like I did, make it your entire personality like I did, and recommend it to everyone with a pulse... like I am.

I don’t know how that happened, but I ended up reading two YA contemporaries about fandoms back to back. This one was set in a Disney World inspired theme park (it’s even set in Orlando!) so Disney fans would definitely enjoy the depictions of the different attractions in the park. I liked following Lia through the park and I also enjoyed the contest aspects of it. Lia and her two best friends, Tess and Issy are also in a major time of transition so they are dealing with that. I liked the friendship between the three of them but I also found it frustrating because Lia kind of used them? Like they were supposed to always be there for her and somehow know when she needed them and she would be mad at them when they weren’t there at the moment she needed them to be. The idea of friendship after high school is an interesting theme to explore, especially since two of the girls are going away to college and one is not. The romance was cute enough. Overall it was a fine read

As an avid-Disney parks fan who visited both domestic parks when I was eighteen and secretly harbored a desire for someone to fall in love with me while in line (and as a fan of scavenger hunts!) this book should've been right up my alley. Unfortunately it fell a little flat for me. While Lia's emotional connection to Fableland and it's magic was relatable, I found myself wishing I knew more about the fictional park. It's hard to get swept up in nostalgia for a place you're just learning all the lore about. Plus, my puzzle-loving brain wanted to solve the clues, but that's not possible when the pertinent information is only being told to the reader after the clue has been introduced. I almost wish this had been a second book, and that I'd had the chance to be introduced to the park and its lore in a previous story. I also did not find the grand gesture at the end as romantic as it was supposed to be because OMG that's SO MUCH MONEY. One thing I did love was the much-needed commentary on size-inclusiveness in the theme park industry!

Love at Full Tilt was such a fun and heartwarming read! It was especially refreshing to see a plus-size heroine like Lia confidently take center stage and find her own love story. Watching her relationship with Mason unfold was full of swoony moments and genuine chemistry that made it hard to put the book down. Lia’s friendship with Issy and Tess was another highlight—they were supportive, hilarious, and brought so much warmth to the story. The dynamic between all three women felt real and empowering. The scavenger hunt through the theme park added a playful, whimsical layer to the romance, and it was easy to imagine yourself running from clue to clue alongside the characters. Following along with Lia and Mason’s journey was such a joy, and the setting made everything feel magical. I’d absolutely recommend this to anyone looking for a feel-good, inclusive romance!

𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: ★★★★☆
𝐬𝐦𝐮𝐭/𝐬𝐩𝐢𝐜𝐞: 0/5
𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐬: scavenger hunt ~ ya romance ~ forced proximity
𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐞: ya romance

*DISCLAIMER: Thank you to the publisher, Random House Children's, for the ARC in exchange for an honest review*

OVERVIEW
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I really enjoyed this book. Its one of the best arcs Ive read in a while. Its cute and makes for a good summer read. I would totally recommend it if you want a light teen romance. The vibes were super fun, and it had a very creative plot. I really liked both of the characters and would say this was solid read!

CHARACTER REVIEW
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The main character was a good fmc. I liked her. The mmc was also good. I thought they were cute together and had lots of chemistry. The side characters, her best friends were also sweet, and made for a fun friend group. I also liked how the book touched on the main characters experience as a plus size woman, and think it adds extra depth to the novel.

PLOT REVIEW
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I liked the plot, it was really interesting and fresh. The setting of it taking place in a theme park was cool and all the adventures they went on were fun to read about. I thought the scavenger hunt plot added a fun element and was well done. The romance between the two characters was so cute! A well done ya romance, that felt realistic. The vibes felt like summer and vacations.

WRITING REVIEW
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I really liked the writing, the author did a really great job of making it realistic, and it felt like the main character was actually a teenager. This was fun to read and I dont have any complaints about the writing style, well done and well thought out. The author also did a good job of writing the characters feelings. The main character had a clinically anxious and overprotective mother, which put a big burden on her. her feelings about the matter were explained well and made sense.

ENDING THOUGHTS
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I really enjoyed this book. I would definitely recommend it, I enjoyed it and think its very creative and well written.

Thanks! Ellie,

I can’t even begin to tell you what a privilege it was to get an ARC of Jenny’s debut YA novel, a book she describes as “the book she needed as a plus size teen.” It was abundantly clear from this page forward that Lia’s story was a love note to her former self, and I don’t think I realized exactly how much both me now and me as a teen needed this book, as well. Love at Full Tilt is full of whimsy, magic, courage, and empowerment to not be afraid to take up space and to show up proudly exactly as you are. This is a story about love and friendship and the power in figuring out who you are and how you want to live your life, and with every word I was transported back to this same time in my life—the summer before college—when everything was exciting and scary and full of promise. Jenny is incredible at plus-size representation and creates characters that you can really relate to and that you can’t help but root for, and sweet Lia is no different. I am so glad to live in a world where this book exists and am so incredibly proud of our friend for putting this amazing work out there for other people to have burrow between their ribs and take up space in their hearts. While YA, at the end of day this is a book that can genuinely be enjoyed by readers of all ages. We love you, Jenny—thank you for this gift!

I love that we always get to read @jennylhowe ARCs! This is her YA debut and it did NOT disappoint! It has a plus-sized female main character who is simply trying to exist in a world made for smaller people-without drawing too much attention to herself. And there is also one of the sweetest of young men in the character of Mason. My heart has a special place for Mason. I also loved how this was a love story between friends. With friends leaving for college and wondering if the friendship will last, this felt so real and true and I loved how it was handled over the course of the book. There was also the relationship with Lia and her parents which, truth be told, stressed me out but also was handled wonderfully over the course of the book. And while I’ve only been to Disney once in my 43 years, the fictional world of Fableland that Jenny created was wonderful! All the magic and wonder…it really was impressive. Jenny, my friend, you have earned your place in the genre of YA.

In a word: Adorable

My review: The two MC’s are adorable! Lia is earnest and clever, Mason is sweet and charming. Loved their banter and journey. The back drop of a Universal/Disney styled theme park was very inventive and the world building was impressive. As someone with severe ADD, I had some trouble following the theme park storyline at times and had to avoid overthinking it. Would love to get a paper copy and re-read/highlight the crap out of it to keep better track of that aspect. But that is a me-thing not an author issue.

As usual, in this YA debut, Jenny Howe delivers the wit, the charm, and characters to cheer for. Would absolutely recommend this book!
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Please note, I did receive this ARC for free; I am writing this honest review voluntarily and appreciate the opportunity provided by the author to review this book. Thank you to the author, Delacorte Romance and NetGalley for the opportunity to review this book.

**Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC**

Maybe YA is no longer appealing to me, but this was not my cup of tea. I seriously love the plus-size rep, however... The story just didn't hold me. I got bored.

I adored this sweet YA romance. It felt like taking a trip to the most magical place on earth, and reminded me of being that age when anything felt possible.

This book was a sugary (complimentary) combo of coming of age, scavenger hunt adventure, and young love. I devoured it like amusement park cotton candy.

Loved the fat positivity and representation. It inspires both empathy and self-acceptance, which I feel like we could all use a little more of!

Overall, it’s a yes from me. And I can’t wait to read more from Jenny L. Howe!

Thanks to NetGalley & Random House Children's | Delacorte Romance for access to the ARC!

#LoveatFullTilt #NetGalley

Really enjoyed this YA rom-com! It's perfect if you're in the mood for a fun adventure in a theme park. It's perfect if you're in the mood for a story featuring friendships in high school. It's perfect if you want a slow-burn YA romance. Highly recommended!

A big thanks to the publisher for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review:

Love at Full Tilt follows Mason and Lia, two contestants (and rivals) in Fableland's scavenger hunt contest. After the two agree to enter an alliance with each other, sparks fly as they run about the park in an effort to solve clues for a chance to win a huge cash prize that could make both of their dreams come true. But, not everything is as magical as it seems, with Lia struggling to balance Mason, her friends, and her mom, all while rethinking what she wants her own life to look like. What ensues is an incredibly heartwarming journey of self-discovery and romance that is bound to end up as one of your favorite reads.

I thought this book was absolutely incredible, and is absolutely something I needed to read when I was younger. I found the storyline between Lia and her friends to be incredibly compelling. Both Tess and Issy were entirely distinct characters with well-fleshed out backstories, and I loved how their part in Lia's story was woven in throughout the book and not treated as something insignificant. I also see Lia's relationship with her mom in a similar light: you can truly see how it has shaped how she sees the world and how it impacts the way she changes her perspective throughout the book. And don't even get me started about the world-building! I expected the made-up Fableland to be difficult to get into, but the way it's described throughout the book is so well-done I felt as if I had grown up on the same films as Lia! It also allowed for so many unique environments to be placed throughout the book, and the author did an excellent job of balancing the hunt and Fableland's lore with Lia's personal goals and story.

In terms of the main romance, if I could describe it in two words, it would be soft and dreamy. I adore Mason's character, and found his characterization to be so unique compared to most MMC's that I read about. The two of them are so cute together, and I love how you can see how they each help each other grow and learn throughout the book, even with issues they may not be directly involved in. The way Mason cares for Lia, in his own way, is just so adorable and romantic!

Overall, this book was an amazing read and I hope that others will enjoy it as much as I do!

Jenny is a favorite of mine and I appreciate her discussion in this one.

I love a good theme park setting and then add in the game/ scavenger part and I was sold. The complexity with the friendships is something I could relate to a lot. The insecurity in the change and the next step and then sort of pushing your friends away but also wanting to not let them ago is such a real scenario as you get ready for post high school.

The mom having anxiety and how much it impacted Lia was honestly something that hit so hard. I have a mom who has untreated anxiety that really impacted me and I also am a mom and have anxiety. I saw so much of myself in Lia and also found myself freaking out to ensure I don’t become her mom to my own kids.

I think the only part that was a little lacking in the book was the romance. I felt like there was some clear build but also kinda seemed secondary to everything else which I’m fine with but I was a bit confused given the cover and synopsis. It read more coming of age with a romance than a YA romance.

In Love at Full Tilt we follow Lia, a plus-sized Fableland superfan who has qualified for a major scavenger hunt competition at the parks. This trip is major in many ways for Lia. It's her last hurrah with her best girlfriends before they head off to college, maybe her only chance to ever see the parks in person, and possibly her ticket out from under the well-meaning but controlling grip of her anxiety-ridden mother. With so much riding on this trip it's only right that there are also so many things that could go wrong, especially once you factor the super-hot competitor Mason who just won't stop following Lia around.
Love at Full Tilt is infused with magic, and leaves the reader so full of hope. Descriptions of the parks are vivid and delightful, and the friendships are very heartfelt and nuanced. Jenny L. Howe does a great job at exploring generalized anxiety and how our mental health can affect our family and friends in ways we may not mean to. Lia's story is oh-so-relatable and readers will really resonate with her story of just trying to find her place in the world and spread some magic. I will be recommending this novel to teens and romance readers in my library, and especially to Disney lovers!

I love Jenny Howe's writing so much, this book was so cool! There's an amazing balance of coming-of-age/discovering what you wanna do, friendship, romance and adventure in this book. So many emotions were dealt with in a well-rounded manner, like the friendship between the MC and her bffs (their fears of drifting away, their individual character growths), the romance between the MC and the new boy she meets at Fableland (it's a slow-burn packed into one single week, it's amazing), and the MC having discussions with her parents about her troubles and her future plans. I definitely recommend this book to anyone who reads contemporary YA!

TWs - parent with high anxiety (MC, present), death of parent and grandparent (MC's partner, past), emotionally distant parent (MC's partner, and bff, present)

-- ty to the author, the publisher and Netgalley for an advanced copy!

I just finished Love at Full Tilt by Jenny L. Howe, and I am completely in love with this book! From start to finish, it was an absolute rollercoaster of emotions, and I couldn’t put it down. The characters were so relatable and real, and their chemistry was electric. The way the story explored love, loss, and finding yourself was so beautifully done—I honestly felt like I was living through their journey right alongside them.

The writing was amazing—sharp, witty, and full of heart. The pacing was perfect, and there were so many heartfelt moments that had me grinning one minute and tearing up the next. I loved how the romance was deep and meaningful, yet had moments of lightness and humor that balanced everything out so well.

This book left me with all the feels, and I’ll definitely be thinking about it for a long time. If you haven’t read Love at Full Tilt yet, you are seriously missing out. Jenny L. Howe has won me over, and I can’t wait to read more from her!

📚✨Book Review✨📚

Love at Full Tilt
Author: Jenny L. Howe

Rating:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Notes: I received a copy of this book as an advanced reader, but all thoughts and opinions are my own.

What I Liked:
✨ If you don’t know me personally,
I am a HUGE Disney girlie! We probably go about 5 times a year and have been annual passholders for a over decade even though we live in NJ. Needless to say, I was engrossed in the lore and theme park details IMMEDIATELY!

✨I love a contest in a book! To me, it is one of the best plot devices because it always drives the story forward and gives the characters motivation. This was an exceptionally well written and thought out contest!

What I Didn’t Like:
✨My biggest issue with the story was that it was just a bit too young for me. I do read young adult and new adult from time to time but I think this is my limit.

Final Thoughts:
✨While the style might be young for me, I would definitely pick up a Jenny L.Howe book in the future. Looking forward to more!


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