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|| ℙ𝕝𝕦𝕤 𝕊𝕚𝕫𝕖 ℙ𝕝𝕒𝕪𝕖𝕣 by Danielle Allen ||

𝐍𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫: Wesleigh Siobhan
𝐋𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐭𝐡: 12 hrs, 54 mins
𝐏𝐮𝐛 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞: July 16, 2025
𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐞: Contemporary Romance, Black Romance, Body Positivity

Thank you @brambleromance & @macmillan.audio for the gifted audiobook. Here are 8 narrative notes about this bold, sexy, and empowering romance:

𝟭. 𝗛𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗗𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗲 𝗔𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻 𝗯𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲?
- Yes, and she never misses. My first book was Curve. I enjoy Allen’s confident, witty, and sexy heroines.

𝟮. 𝗪𝗵𝗼 𝗱𝗶𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗲𝗿 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁?
- Nina, hands down. She’s magnetic, unapologetic, and layered. But I was rooting for one of her male companions the most, too. One stands out.

𝟯. 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝗱𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗿𝗼𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝘂𝘁?
- Nina’s multi-man lifestyle flips the script on traditional romance tropes. It’s sexy, smart, and refreshingly honest about desire and choice.

𝟰. 𝗗𝗶𝗱 𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝘀𝗰𝗲𝗻𝗲 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗽𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘆?
- Oh yes. The helicopter ride is etched in my brain. No need for a replay. Sign me up for my ride, immediately.

𝟱. 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗱𝗶𝗱 𝗪𝗲𝘀𝗹𝗲𝗶𝗴𝗵 𝗦𝗶𝗼𝗯𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝗲𝗻𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲?
- Wesleigh’s narration is sultry, expressive, and pitch-perfect for Nina’s sass and sensuality. Plus, I forget she also narrates the men’s voices. Such smooth transitions.

𝟲. 𝗪𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗹𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝗴𝗮𝗶𝗻?
- Absolutely, would you breathe air? Wesleigh brings heat and nuance to every scene. I’d follow her voice anywhere.

𝟳. 𝗪𝗮𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝘆𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘄𝗶𝘀𝗵 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗱𝗲𝗲𝗽𝗲𝗿?
- I wanted more of Nina’s career pivot and how it reshaped her identity. Also, a few of her “rotation” guys deserved more page time!

𝟴. 𝗪𝗵𝗼 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘆 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀?
- Listeners who love confident heroines, steamy tension, and stories that celebrate body positivity and emotional growth.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

🏷 #DanielleAllen #PlusSizePlayer #BrambleRomance #MacmillanAudio #8NarrativeNotes #BlackRomance #ContemporaryRomance #CandiceReads #HaleYeahBooks #blackgirlsread #wellreadblackgirl #bookreview

Thanks to #NetGalley and #Macmillan Audio for my advance audio copy!

Nina is convinced that one man could never be everything she needs and check all of her boxes. So she keeps attracting couple of options on standby, the funny one, the smart one, the sweet one and the fun one. But each one starts to want more than just a date every few weeks. As Nina's career starts to take off, she questions whether she even has time to make more of a commitment. She soon realizes that she also has a favorite, Russell, the fun one. But should she risk it all and put all her eggs in one basket?

Danielle Allen delivers another steamy, fun novel about taking risks and finding romance. The characters are lovable and pull you into the story. Nina is so confident and focused on excelling in her career no matter what obstacles are thrown her way. I really enjoyed this book and would definitely recommend it if you are looking for fun romance with all the spice!

Holy moley! This book is SPICYYYY and I am here for it.
It was so close to perfection but the beginning was a bit slow for me.

The narrator did a fabulous job.
Highly highly recommend this book/series

Hearts: 5
Review: This book was so HOT! Well written with interesting characters and realistic storyline.

Danielle Allen did it again! I absolutely adored Curvy Girl Summer, so I was so ready for Plus Size Player—and it did NOT disappoint. The little callbacks to the first book were everything. I felt like I was in on a secret, and I loved every second of it.

This book had me laughing, blushing, and full-on smiling like a goof. The banter was top-tier, the chemistry was 🔥, and Nina felt real, confident, and sexy. I love how Allen writes women who take up space unapologetically, and look amazing doing it.

If you’re here for a romance that’s flirty, funny, and full of heart (with just the right amount of spice), Plus Size Player is exactly what you need.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC. Danielle Allen did not disappoint with PSP!!! Nina is powerful and lays the blueprint out for dating in today’s society! Russ is chef’s kiss, men get out your pen and notepad!

Absolutely loved this one! Enjoyed this one much more than curvy girl summer that’s for sure! From the first chapter Nina had me sat okay! The romance, the spice, Nina’s self empowerment was everything!

My Review of Plus Size Player (Audio)

Listen… Nina Ford? That girl. From the moment I pressed play, I was locked in. Wesleigh Siobhan snapped on this narration like, I already knew she was the queen, but she bodied this role. Brought Nina to life with so much flavor, sass, and heat, and when she said “Ninahhh”? I felt that. She gave every character their own vibe. I legit forgot it was one person narrating.

Now, let’s talk about Nina. She a whole force. Confident, sexy, and just out here living her best damn life on her own terms. She had her roster, and wasn’t apologizing for it. I respect the hell outta that. She wasn’t waiting for some man to complete her she was the full package already. But babyyyy… when Russ showed up? It was game over.

Russ? Man. That man is him. Grown, intentional, and smooth without doing too much. He wasn’t loud with it he just moved like somebody who knew what he wanted. He gave protector energy without tryna control her, and the way he poured into Nina? Yeah. He earned every bit of her love. The balance between them was everything.

The story itself? Fire. Steamy where it needed to be. Emotional where it mattered. Funny, relatable, and real as hell. Danielle Allen did what needed to be done with this one. I love how she didn’t turn Nina into a “lesson” or make her journey about shrinking she celebrated her. This was body-positive without being preachy, romantic without being corny, and sexy without losing depth

Wesleigh Siobhan narrates Danielle Allen’s Plus Size Player. At 30, Nina Ford still hasn’t found the one man with all the qualities she’s seeking. She wants someone fun, exciting, confident, funny, intelligent, ambitious, passionate, and romantic. The ultimate multitasker in life and love, she works multiple jobs, dates four men simultaneously with the qualities she’s seeking, and enjoys her many hobbies. Nina doesn’t waste her time. She does what she wants, spending time with people she enjoys being around, and being intimate with men who satisfy her needs. Nina reaches a crossroads, though, when a career opportunity of her dreams conflicts with her being the man who is everything she’s ever wanted in a partner, just as she finds him.

Siobhan drew me in from the first scene with her vivacious narration/voices, which breathe life into each character. Once I started listening, I couldn’t stop, and before I knew it, the audiobook had flown by. She excels at narration for a diverse range of characters, regardless of their age, gender, character type, or personality. Siobhan’s expressive narration differentiates the characters with dialects, pacing, tone, inflection, and emotion that give them distinct voices, revealing their emotion, personalities, feelings, quirks, and state of mind. I love her deep, gruff narration for Russell, making you believe there are multiple narrators. Siobhan’s narration/voice makes it easy to visualize his character. She captures the characters’ emotional highs/lows—the intensity of Russell and Nina’s love, scorching desire, deep connection, and the depth of their emotions and passion for each other in their love scenes. Siobhan’s narration complements Allen’s vibrant, descriptive, and down-to-earth writing, and colorful dialogue, which is authentic to her fascinating characters, multilayered story, and rich world-building.

A plus size, Black woman, Nina is straightforward, confident, and authentic, keeping parts of herself private from the men she dates and her best friends. She’s an internet model and content creator, showcasing outfit combinations, setting trends, and recreating outfits. A few days a week, Nina also works for an online clothing boutique storefront. While she believes in love (because of her parents), she feels it’s unrealistic to believe one man can fulfill all her needs. Nina’s rationale for dating multiple men simultaneously fits her character. Initially, she’s dating Terrell, Russell, Drew, and James and we read about her dates with them. But as the novel progresses, Nina spends more time with Russ.

Russell Long is a business executive who travels a lot, but Nina doesn’t know the specifics of his job because they don’t talk about it. He’s honest, fearless, well-adjusted, thoughtful, and funny with a strong sense of self. While he’s creative, lately it’s not his focus. Honesty is important to him.

Allen makes Nina and Russ likable and relatable, transitioning their relationship through funny, sweet, sexy, snarky, steamy, intimate, and emotional banter, conversations, and love scenes. I love Nina and Russell’s characters, their interactions, and the development/transition of their relationship as they fall deeper for one another. When I like both the hero and heroine, it makes me like/love a novel a lot more. Russ and Nina are an excellent pair that brings balance to each other’s lives. Nina finds the love/life partner who gives her everything she’s longed for in Russ, even if she couldn’t believe it existed for her.

I love how Russ takes care of Nina and thinks about her needs and desires. She brings Russ peace—a place he can be himself. I love how they share their dreams and talk about everything, even silly things, laugh, and have so much fun together. Nine and Russ’ chemistry and connection are intense, scorching hot, but there’s so much more between them. They’ve found what we dream about. Russ is a hero you can’t help loving because of how much he adores and loves Nina. He expresses this through his respect and care for her, putting her first. And Nina deserves no less.

Allen dives even deeper into how negatively and cruelly plus-sized Black women are treated, particularly in the dating, fashion, and online spheres, exploring their erasure, abuse, and fat shaming with nuance and care.

It’s different reading a Black romance where the player is a woman instead of a man. I enjoyed things being flipped around. I don’t know why I’m surprised I loved this book, because I was so excited about Nina’s story after reading Book 1. But I ended up loving it so much more than I even imagined. I’m so enthusiastic for the Big Girl Blitz’s release early next year.

Taking place simultaneously with Book 1, Plus Size Player is a fast-paced, deeply romantic, incredibly steamy and sexy novel, with a wonderful balance of humor, romance, and angst. I highly recommend this audiobook for fans of plus-sized heroines, Black love, heroes who fall hard, fashion, and reverse reformed players.

CW: Fat shaming

Macmillan Audio provided an advanced listening copy via Netgalley for review.

WHEN I TELL YOU THIS WAS AMAZING!!!! I enjoyed the 2nd installment pf the curve series sooo much! Nina is such a boss and stayed true to her wants and needs. I loved her as a strong FMC. Now for that MMC... man RUSS was THAT GUY! He IS EVERYTHING!!!!! I loved it and everything about this story! OMG the helicopter scene... whew!!!

Thank you to Danielle Allen, McMillan Audio, and NetGalley for the ALC of Plus Size Player!

Our girl Nina is a force. She proves that plus size is anything but boring. As a confident influencer making waves in the fashion world, she uses her platform to empower others while keeping her personal life separate from her public persona. She’s dubbed the “player” in this story, but honestly, she just knows her worth and keeps her options open. That is until one of those options becomes the choice.

I absolutely loved Nina and Russ together. Russ was so intentional and thoughtful, planning dates that showed he genuinely cared and wanted to impress her. Their chemistry was undeniable, and while they faced challenges that forced them to proceed with caution, it only added to the tension and steam. If you’re looking for a hot, steamy summer romance to pack for your beach or poolside reading, this is the one.

And let’s talk about the audiobook, pure fire with a favorite narrator Wesleigh Siobhan. Hearing Russ draw out “Ninahhhh” had me melting every single time. The narration was spot-on, bringing even more heat to the story. No matter how you consume this is, audio, ebook, or paperback, the story absolutely shines.

If you are an audio book lover, Wesleigh Siobhan brings this story to life with class and grace in her narration.

She brings so much character and flair to Nina's story and is the perfect choice for this book.

Danielle Allen delivers a confident, sexy, and emotionally layered romance in Plus Size Player—a must-read for fans of body-positive, empowering stories that don’t play by the rules.

Our heroine, Nina Ford, is the moment. She’s a plus-size influencer and model who radiates confidence and owns every inch of who she is. Nina isn’t here to shrink herself or apologize. She’s open, honest, and thriving—personally, professionally, and even romantically, thanks to her unapologetic “rotation” of men. Yes, that’s right. Nina dates on her terms, and she’s not afraid to say it.

When a modeling opportunity comes her way, it could be a game-changer for her brand and visibility. But with success comes pressures she has to navigate. And just as the spotlight starts to burn brighter, so does her connection with one of the men in her rotation: Russ Long.
Russ isn’t flashy. He’s steady, real, and unexpectedly perfect for Nina. What begins as part of her no-strings roster quickly turns into something deeper. But navigating that shift isn’t without its bumps. Nina and Russ are forced to confront what it really means to choose someone—not because you want them, but because you need them in your life.

What makes Plus Size Player shine is how grounded and authentic it feels. Danielle Allen never turns Nina’s confidence into a gimmick. Instead, she gives us a heroine who embraces the word fat without shame, who celebrates her curves, and who refuses to be boxed in by society’s expectations. Nina is a powerhouse, and watching her fall in love without losing herself is the kind of narrative we need more of in romance.

And Russ? He’s that quiet kind of hero who sneaks up on you—until you realize he’s exactly the kind of man who deserves a woman like Nina.

If you’re looking for a steamy, emotionally satisfying romance with a body-positive heroine, Plus Size Player belongs on your TBR. It’s empowering, swoony, and refreshingly real.

Danielle Allen’s witty and steamy story really comes alive with the narrator’s vibrant performance. The voice perfectly captures Nina’s confident, fun-loving spirit and the sizzling chemistry between her and Russell. The pacing keeps you hooked, and the narrator’s tone adds just the right amount of humor and heat. Listening to Nina’s journey through juggling multiple relationships and finding something real feels effortless and engaging. If you love smart, sexy romance with a fun, relatable heroine, this audiobook will make you smile and maybe swoon a little. Perfect for anyone who enjoys a story that’s as lively as it is heartfelt.

Danielle Allen the queen of banter has taken over my summer. From the moment I started listening I couldn’t stop. Nina and Russ were everything you could want. I loved Plus Size Player. Also, Wesleigh Siobhan my favorite narrator brought Nina and Russ to life.

Loved this story. I orginally wasn’t too sure what type of story this would be but I enjoyed the journey. I loved that Nina wasn’t the typical plus size women I loved that she she gave herself a certain standard and allowed everyone around her to fall in line. She had amazing support and her chemistry with Russell was top tier

Danielle Allen's romance novels are just plain FUN. After the first two novels in the Curve series, I am solidly a fan. A bonus: these books take place concurrently, so you can easily read them out of order without any spoilers!

Plus Size Player refers to Nina Ford, who's not going to rely on a man to be everything to her. Instead, she's dating the fun one, the smart one, the funny one, and the romantic one. Put together, they meet her needs. She's also working on growing her career.

Wesleigh Siobhan is an excellent narrator. She helped bring Nina Ford's story to life. While I think Allen's writing is strong enough to hold up via physical copy, I think Siobhan added to the reading experience for me.

If I have a criticism, it's that I'd have enjoyed more scenes with her parents and friends (or love interest!) and less on the work drama. I do really like a focus on a woman's career! But I loved the opening scene with her parents, and her interactions with her friends are so great too. Overall, a romance I'd definitely recommend - if you're not reading Danielle Allen, you're missing out!

4.5 ⭐️
Nina does not think one man can provide for all her needs so she has a few and each fills a specific need but Russ "the fun one" seems to be different. I loved seeing the relationship between Nina and Russ grow and the way he took care of her and all their fun dates. As their relationship start evolving they both realize they are in the same line of business and it may be the thing that breaks them apart.

I don't usually like stories that has any aspect of social media but I really think this was done well.
I also appreciated how the third act conflict was handled.

This was such a fun read and a great addition to the series.

Narration Review: Wesleigh Siobhan is one of my favorite narrators and she did a fantastic job of bring Nina's story to life.

Thank you Macmillan for the ALC.

I really enjoyed listening to this book. The representation of a larger women of color who is adored and respected is refreshing. Portraying Nina as "the player" is cute and a interesting twist of gender stereotypes. Russ and Nina both needed to win through making peace with themselves night they could accept the love that they found.

As if a Danielle Allen book could get any better…but then MACMILLIAN AUDIO SAID BETTTT!!!! I will forever read a D.ALLEN book physically and then listen to it via audio every time

I wanted to love this one, but it just didn’t click for me. The pacing felt slow, and I struggled to connect with the romance. The intimacy ramped up too quickly, leaving little room for the characters to build meaningful chemistry. Nina and Russ never quite sparked for me, and the repeated focus on her body image started to feel overdone. Compared to last year’s book, this one lacked the same heart and emotional depth. By the halfway point, I found myself losing interest.