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He Loves Lucy

3.86 of 5 stars 3.86 · rating details · 4,220 ratings · 167 reviews

Marketing exec Lucy Cunningham is thrilled when her firm lands The Palm Club account. The campaign concept for Miami's hottest fitness club was Lucy's idea: take one fitness-challenged woman, put her in front of TV cameras, and into the hands of the club's top personal trainer, Theo Redmond. And there's a big cash reward for each pound shed. It seems like a brilliant idea-...more

Paperback, 335 pages

Published April 5th 2005 by St. Martin's Paperbacks

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Nov 08, 2012 Jennifer Wardrip rated it 5 of 5 stars

Can a romance book get any better than Susan Donovan's HE LOVES LUCY? I think not! From true-to-life characters, deep emotion, witty dialogue, and red-hot sexual tension, this book has the one thing that contemporary romances should have-everything!

Lucy Cunningham is a marketing executive for the advertising firm of Sherrod & Thoms. And she's hit upon the absolutely perfect idea for a gimmick for the Palm Club of Miami Beach, Florida-bring in an overweight woman, throw her into the capable...more Can a romance book get any better than Susan Donovan's HE LOVES LUCY? I think not! From true-to-life characters, deep emotion, witty dialogue, and red-hot sexual tension, this book has the one thing that contemporary romances should have-everything!

Lucy Cunningham is a marketing executive for the advertising firm of Sherrod & Thoms. And she's hit upon the absolutely perfect idea for a gimmick for the Palm Club of Miami Beach, Florida-bring in an overweight woman, throw her into the capable hands of a personal trainer, vow to lose one hundred pounds in a year, and let the television show WakeUp Miami detail each achievement and setback. It was an excellent idea, until the powers-that-be decided that Lucy-and her two hundred and thirty some pounds-be the human guinea pig in this marketing campaign.

Threatened by the fact that she'll have to give up Milk Duds, extra-cheese pizza, and butter brickle ice cream, Lucy is overwhelmed by the task ahead of her. Sure, ever since the debacle of being the slump buster for Pitt State's football team, she's been eating herself into oblivion, and something obviously needs to change. But working with a Ken look-a-like named Theodore Redmond was never part of the deal!

From the first time Theo is forced to perform CPR on a candy-choking, overweight loudmouth by the name of Lucy, he's smitten by her courageous attitude and brave strength in the face of adversity. As for Lucy, being in the presence of Theo's male perfection is taking a toll on her already fragile hormones.

As Stephan Sherrod, her boss, comes close to having a mental breakdown over Lucy's sudden stardom and weight loss; as Theo's rebuffed coworker Lola DiPaolo attempts to bring down the Palm Club; as Lucy's brother, Dan, falls in lust with her new model friend, Gia Altamonte; as Lucy's sister, Mary Fran, goes through a marital crisis, you just know that HE LOVES LUCY is heading toward one heck of an ending!

Susan Donovan has taken a premise that might have failed, and turned it into a funny, poignant, truly romantic story. I love romance books that feature real-sized characters, and Lucy is definitely that. I have to admit that I was at first worried about Theo's feelings for Lucy-was he only going to fall head-over-heels once Lucy was a stick-thin version of her former self? As I learned, there was nothing to fear! At the end of the story, Lucy is still not a beanpole, and Theo shows that behind his gorgeous exterior lies a heart of gold.

Theo is the kind of hero I love the best, a mix of alpha male. Theo dropped out of medical school to care for his brother Buddy. Sixteen years old and born with Downs Syndrome, Buddy, is the kind of brother anyone would want. An athlete in the Special Olympics, his antics and no-holds-barred advice to his older brother are not to be missed.

The supporting cast of characters only adds to the charm of Lucy and Theo's story. An excellent book by an excellent author, HE LOVES LUCY goes onto my keeper shelf, in the to-be-read-again category. (less)

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Dec 24, 2009 Adrienne rated it 3 of 5 stars

Recommended to Adrienne by: shawna

Shelves: library-loan

I'm giving this 5 as it was a nice sweet romantic story. Theo and Lucys' relationship blossoms and develops over a period of 12 months so everything makes sense and nothing about their relationship was forced as they went from Personal trainer and client, to friends, to lovers.

In brief, Lucy works for an advertising agency and after hitting on the marketing idea of loosing weight, getting fit and at the same time promoting Palm Club gym she meets up with Theo-dorable a good looking, kind guy who...more

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Mar 21, 2010 FlibBityFLooB rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: chick-lit, read-in-2010, zaftig-heroine, contemporary, witty-i-am-not

I had a lot of mixed feelings about this one. On one hand, I loved the character of Theo and his flirty behavior when motivating Lucy. On the other hand, I found the entire story to be very unrealistic. Lucy was losing weight way too fast, and I missed some of the realism that could come with the tale. Yes, I wanted a happy ending, but I wanted a more realistic one. It was a bit too sappy for me in the end. I think it would have been cool if she stalled at 165 pounds or something like that...

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Dec 18, 2009 Tammy rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2009-reads, contemporary-romance, books-with-nookie, keepers

From the author's website:

"Lucy Cunningham is a smart-mouthed couch potato hooked on Milk Duds. Theo Redmond is a hottie personal trainer to the stars. When they team up for a makeover publicity stunt that could make them both rich, they learn that nobody's perfect, beauty is more than skin deep, and true loves lies somewhere between pizza and Pilates."

Lucy is full of sass and sizzle. She is my kinda girl. I couldn't help but admire her when she agreed to do monthly weigh-ins on a live morning...more From the author's website:

"Lucy Cunningham is a smart-mouthed couch potato hooked on Milk Duds. Theo Redmond is a hottie personal trainer to the stars. When they team up for a makeover publicity stunt that could make them both rich, they learn that nobody's perfect, beauty is more than skin deep, and true loves lies somewhere between pizza and Pilates."

Lucy is full of sass and sizzle. She is my kinda girl. I couldn't help but admire her when she agreed to do monthly weigh-ins on a live morning TV show. I admired her even more when she put on a swimsuit in front of Theo so that he could measure and track her true body-fat index. Lucy is not your typical chick lit heroine - a size 12 who needs to lose a couple of pounds. No, Lucy is a size 22. A swimsuit is not exactly her best friend. Snaps to the author for giving us a true, plus-sized heroine with a can-do attitude and geniune self-esteem issues! I felt myself relating to this character over and over again.

Lucy's goal is to give up the Milk Duds, cheese pizzas and Butter Brickle ice cream and exercise like crazy until she reaches a healthy size. Earning a thousand dollars for every pound that she loses is her incentive. Her ultimate plan is to leave her psycho boss and open her own marketing firm with her share of the money.

Theo melts more than pounds. Oh my! It is so easy to see why Lucy fell in love with Theo. The man is a super buff, totally tan exercising machine who is adored by all. He has a great personality. Lucy's first impression of Theo, however, is not a good one and leaves her nicknaming him "Trainer Ken". Other's call him "Theo-dorable". But there is so much more to Theo than the stereo-typical dumb jock persona. He is a drop-out med school student, struggling to raise his 16-year-old brother, Buddy, after their parent's death. (Buddy has Down's Syndrome. Theo coaches him in the Special Olympics in addition to his job as a personal trainer.) If Theo can help Lucy achieve her weight-loss goal, he plans to take his share of the winnings and re-enroll in medical school.

I have to say that I probably enjoyed Buddy's character more than any other character in this book. He was so sweet and innocent, yet still acted like your average teenager. Wouldn't it be awesome to see Buddy get his own story? I'm not sure that any romance author has ever undertaken a story like that before ...

And big snaps (again!) to the author on her male dialogue. The man-to-man dialogue that I usually read leaves me scratching my head and wondering what the heck the author was thinking. Do most romance authors even spend time around real men? This author knew what she was doing.

My only gripe about this book was Lucy's big hang-up, also a point of conflict between her and Theo. Lucy suffered public humiliation back in her college days because of her weight. Lucy held onto that and couldn't get over it, which didn't quite jive with me. She was supposed to be a smart, sassy character who didn't care what people thought of her. She had a witty comeback for every smart ass comment thrown her direction. Yet she hangs onto a nasty joke that happened almost 11 years prior? The result was that Lucy blew hot and cold with Theo. Annoying as hell! Some of the secondary characters were pretty much useless too, but didn't affect my overall opinion of this book.

(less)

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Aug 14, 2008 Colleen rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: library-has-it, contemporary-romance, favorites, 2008

I don't think I have ever laughed so hard while reading a book. It was hilarious throughout the entire book. I loved Lucy's sarcasm and quick wit - even when she was large. I completely related with her self esteem issues when it came to her body. I think anyone who has ever been overweight (whether it be 20lbs or a 100lbs) would be able to relate to what she was going through. Watching her relationship with Theo change was definitely a pleasure to read. I wish Ms. Donovan would write a story ab...more

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Jul 11, 2008 Whittney Mahle rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Adults

Lucy is funny and smart, but she has spent several years loathing her body since being the target of a college prank. It was bad enough when Lucy's boss talked her into losing weight for a publicity stunt, but then she met her trainer. Theo is hot and Lucy finds it harder and harder to keep the relationship professional, especially when she finally gets it through her head that Theo is into her too. The situation gets really complicated after Lucy's boss makes some shady deals that could mean da...more

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Jan 31, 2013 Bookswithbenefits rated it 3 of 5 stars

Donovan scores with a sexy, silly novel about losing weight and finding love.

Synopsis: Creating a marketing plan for her new client, a Palm Springs Health club, Lucy gets dragged in to being the publicity guinea pig. She has to lose 100 lbs. in a year. The upside is that she gets $1,000 for every pound she loses. No, wait, the upside is getting to look at her trainer Theo's backside. The downside is that she hates sweating and exercising and admitting to her hunky coach everything that goes int...more

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Sep 07, 2012 VaultOfBooks rated it 1 of 5 stars

By Susan Donovan. Grade: F
Waste of paper and ink! I am not someone who often leaves book half-read but I put this one down after fifty pages.
Marketing exec Lucy Cunningham is thrilled when her firm lands The Palm Club account. The campaign concept for Miami’s hottest fitness club was Lucy’s idea: take one fitness-challenged woman, put her in front of TV cameras, and into the hands of the club’s top personal trainer, Theo Redmond. And there’s a big cash reward for each pound shed. It seems like a...more By Susan Donovan. Grade: F
Waste of paper and ink! I am not someone who often leaves book half-read but I put this one down after fifty pages.
Marketing exec Lucy Cunningham is thrilled when her firm lands The Palm Club account. The campaign concept for Miami’s hottest fitness club was Lucy’s idea: take one fitness-challenged woman, put her in front of TV cameras, and into the hands of the club’s top personal trainer, Theo Redmond. And there’s a big cash reward for each pound shed. It seems like a brilliant idea-until Lucy gets picked to be the guinea pig. It’s obvious she needs to drop the pounds, but the idea of letting it all hang out in front of some Malibu Ken jock has her choking on her Milk Duds before she even begins!
After one meeting, Theo knows Lucy will be his toughest client and one of the most unforgettable women he’ll ever meet. Smart-mouthed and stubborn, it’s clear she isn’t fond of marching to anyone’s drumbeat but her own. But she shocks Theo by rising to the challenge like a pro. And he finds his heart in jeopardy long before Lucy starts to slim down and turn heads.
As Lucy sweats her way into a whole new life, things start to heat up between her and Theo. But trust doesn’t come easy for either of them. They’ve both been burned by romance in the past. Now Lucy and Theo are about to discover that appearances can be deceiving-and in the end, true love lies somewhere between pizza and Pilates…

I couldn’t finish this book. I don’t know why. Maybe it was my mood during the couple of days I wasted on this. I was looking for something new, something different, something good, but it was just another book in the list of Turn-the-last-page-and-forget-’em.
I liked the beginning. Lucy’s first impression of Theo is not a good one and leaves her nicknaming him “Trainer Ken”. Other’s call him “Theo-dorable”. But there is so much more to Theo than the stereo-typical dumb jock persona. He is a drop-out med school student, struggling to raise his 16-year-old brother, Buddy, after their parent’s death. (Buddy has Down’s Syndrome. Theo coaches him in the Special Olympics in addition to his job as a personal trainer.) If Theo can help Lucy achieve her weight-loss goal, he plans to take his share of the winnings and re-enroll in medical school.
I learned that Theo was much deeper than he appeared but for some reason, I just didn’t buy into him. He was really the perfect man. Maybe too perfect?
Even though I found Theo’s description over the top and too fancy for my taste, he seemed like an okay man. But what I couldn’t tolerate was the weight issue. Theo has no interest whatsoever in Lucy until she starts dropping weight. Hello, Superficial much? And the hero’s best friend, one of the main secondary character says, “As soon as she drops twenty more pounds, I am asking her out.”
Well, I could have slammed the stupid book shut right there and then. I am not exactly living in the fifteenth century and do like good visuals, but how the whole story was centered around her weight…that didn’t sit too well with me. The irony is the dedication, “To every woman who has had problems with her weight.” Or something like that. I don’t remember exactly.
And yes, Lucy’s big hang-up, also a point of conflict between her and Theo. Lucy suffered public humiliation back in her college days because of her weight. Lucy held onto that and couldn’t get over it, which didn’t quite jive with me. She was supposed to be a smart, sassy character who didn’t care what people thought of her. She had a witty comeback for every smart ass comment thrown her direction. Yet she hangs onto a nasty joke that happened almost 11 years prior? The result was that Lucy blew hot and cold with Theo. Annoying as hell! I couldn’t relate to her hanging on to a past incident that colored her life for a decade! Shit happens, deal with it and move on already!
If you want a real treat with book that deals with the same topic, then go for Jennifer Crusie’s Bet Me. That one is NOT to be missed, and Ms Donovan could sure use the tips.

Originally reviewed at www.vaultofbooks.com (less)

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Jul 13, 2012 Kimmy rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: boring-characters

I can merely, or at most, partially empathize with the book being hailed as another one of "the rise of the underdogs". More specifically, "the rise of the temper of the underdogs". Or even more accurately, the plot can be summarized as "the rise of the temper and the ego and the ass-ness of the underdogs". Frankly, I think "the rise of the asses/should be bitchy prom queen and popular cheerleader in pretend underdog's clothing into (what else) bitchy prom queen and popular cheerleader" sums up...more I can merely, or at most, partially empathize with the book being hailed as another one of "the rise of the underdogs". More specifically, "the rise of the temper of the underdogs". Or even more accurately, the plot can be summarized as "the rise of the temper and the ego and the ass-ness of the underdogs". Frankly, I think "the rise of the asses/should be bitchy prom queen and popular cheerleader in pretend underdog's clothing into (what else) bitchy prom queen and popular cheerleader" sums up the book best.

I am feeling a bit bad-tempered and daring today. Please forgive my language and meanness, which will be exhibited throughout the review, which shall be entitled "I Despise Lucy".

Smart-mouthed? Stubborn? Stoic? Tough? Unforgettable? More like dumb, clingy, needy, weak and one-dimensional. Lucy is totally overrated. Or should I say underrated. Underrated in terms of her ego. Just because you initially were an underdog doesn't mean that you get to parade around and expecting every guy to attend to your petty desires. Ironic, but I feel that nowadays underdoggity is celebrated because underdogs evoke a sense of empathy and support of the commons. But Lucy herself does not inspire any form of, well, model inspiration whatsoever.

And I absolutely loathe how Lucy becomes a celebrity just because she looses weight. How unrealistic is that? Sure, maybe one would check up on Lucy's progress every month when her show airs, but other than that, how can anyone remember Lucy beyond that, let alone celebrate her? Frankly, (please forgive this very snarky evaluation her if you don't happen to agree with me), Lucy reminds me of Kim Kardishian. Why? Because she is just like her, celebrated for no talent at all.

Dear author, please don't use all the flowery adjectives to describe Lucy's qualities in the blurb. Please let the readers discover for themselves what a (supposedly) smart-mouthed, stubborn, stoic, tough and unforgettable person Lucy is. This means of trying to convince readers of Lucy's qualities even before readers start the book, betrays an insecurity of the author that Lucy may be inadequately portrayed in the book, who hopes we can have a positive impression of Lucy so we may come to like the book just as readers may have been unwittingly doped into liking Lucy.

Well, it didn't work.

I hope my evil temper does not infect those who read this review. Honestly, I can go on and on about how much I dislike Theo because of his unwarranted sappiness, and the predictability of the romance. But what annoyed me the most is Lucy's character. I would be more ok if the title went Theo Loves Her. Or better yet, He Loves Her. Boring and weird, yes, but at least not irksome. But then again, given that the romance in He Loves Lucy is so flat, I'm not even sure if love is what you'll call the feeling between Lucy and Theo. Hmm. He Lusts After Her, anyone? Hell yeah. A much, much more precise title.
(less)

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Sep 19, 2011 Micah rated it 3 of 5 stars

I'm someone who loves reading a good story about how the chubby girl gets the ridiculously attractive guy (maybe because they're always written in a slightly underdog kind of way), but at the same time the heroine isn't this completely wet rag of a character - chubby girls need to have some spunk!

This book did a decent job of making sure the heroine, Lucy, had her insecurities but was also a strong individual. The story was formulaic and Theo was predictable in the "insanely hot guy who is more...more

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Jun 22, 2011 Zahu rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 1951-current, laugh-out-loud, overweight-heroines, sweet-reads, ultra-yummy-heroes

A charming tale of the quintessential ugly duckling, I enjoyed this book thoroughly since admittedly, I have a thing for the under-dog who undergoes a major transformation to razzle and dazzle theme.

This is my first Susan Donovan book and I loved the heartwarming emotion, the outrageous humor and the inspiring life lesson she incorporated into this typical story of the fat girl falling for the golden boy.

Theo Redmond is the sweetest and most endearing hero ever! All throughout the book, I wante...more

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Feb 18, 2011 Tracy rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: light-comedic-romance, non-series-stand-alone-novels

~* 4.5 Stars *~
The challenge may be a marketing scheme intended to promote The Palm Club, a Miami fitness club that marketing executive Lucy Cunningham landed for her firm, but the benefits could be life changing. If she allows herself to be turned into the next local television reality star and willingly puts herself through a year of dieting and training while under public scrutiny, both she and the fitness club's best trainer will be awarded $1,000 for every pound she loses, and with a goal o...more

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Feb 07, 2011 Cindi rated it 2 of 5 stars

There was really no good reason not to like this book more; this is a sweet but predictable story about Lucy, a chubby professional girl who falls for her Adonis of a trainer and after a year of hard work losing weight - publically, as a marketing scheme - she gets her guy. As Lucy would say, the fat girl wins. She also learns several life lessons along the way, including her own appearance biases since she's fallen for trainer Theo based on his golden boy looks. Oops, Lucy!

Lucy is a strong and...more

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Mar 27, 2011 Karla rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites

Fantastic! From the first hilarious chapter to the wonderful ending and all the good stuff in between, this book will leave you satisfied, and feeling warm and fuzzy inside. Sigh!! It’s filled with lessons to be learned and perceptions that are shattered. Good looks do not always relate to a perfect life…not all is as it seems. Lucy is such a relatable character whose self esteem has been shattered. On her journey to regain that part of herself and lose the pounds she’s been hiding under, you’ll...more

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Jan 31, 2011 Katrina rated it 3 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Well, this book started out with a four, but by the end I dropped it down one. The only reason I didn't drop it down two was because of how much I like the heroine, Lucy.

Basically, Lucy is a marketing consultant who decided her firm needed to hop on the reality t.v. band wagon and promote their newest and biggest client, Palm Beach Health Club. They decide to nominate her (as she was currently at a size 22) to be the guinea pig. And that cues good looking personal trainer for the health club, T...more

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Jul 20, 2011 Stephanie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: chick-flicks

This was a cute, easy to read book. We are told, often, that these are two quite attractive main characters, so it's understandable why there is instant attraction (at least, on Lucy's side, but Theo was already 'charmed' by her even when she was fat, so...). The author does a good job, though, of still showing the build-up to the relationship. Though sometimes the lavish compliments we had to listen to going through Theo's head: "Oh, Lucy's awesome neck, legs, shoulders, ankles (he mentions the...more

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Dec 10, 2010 ~Megan~ rated it 5 of 5 stars

I was in the mood for something light and fun today, and this book just really hit the spot. It's my first by this author, and I really really enjoyed it!

The whole premise of the book was one I knew I would enjoy because I'm a bigger girl, and Lucy is my people, ya know? It's the first book in a long time where I have actually connected so personally with the main character. I loved Lucy to death! Most romance novel heroines annoy me at some point in the book, but this was never the case with Lu...more

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Jun 22, 2012 Chris rated it 5 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Feb 15, 2011 Iola rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: library

Lucy is a PR executive who is 100 pounds overweight. She signs up a new client, a gym, and as part of the promotion plan, she is volunteered for a challenge - work with our personal trainer to lose 100 pounds in a year. As an added incentive, they are offering to pay her (and the trainer) $1,000 for each pound she loses.

Cue in overweight, under-confident Lucy, an exceedingly good-looking (and nice) personal trainer, a crush, a boss who is completely losing it and a budding friendship with a supe...more

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Feb 29, 2012 rainyfeathers rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: to-get-rid-of

I thought I would enjoy this book. It started out wonderful. The preview was witty and fun.

Lucy is 5'7 and 100lbs over weight? What does that mean? The weight range for a female who is that tall (that is tall because the avg height for a female in the US is 5' 3") is 127 to 158lbs. Which means Lucy can be anywhere from 227 to 258lbs. Now if she is 227 she really might be only 60lbs overweight not 100.

The second problem I had was when they were doing Lucy's fitness eval. It feels like the author...more

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Dec 05, 2009 Shawna rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: All my fabulous women friends here on GR!

Shelves: contemporary-romance, susan-donovan, 2009-reads, best-top-favorites, favorite-romance-couple-hh-pairings, favorites, friends-to-lovers, hero-beta, hero-i-wanna-marry, hero-im-gaga-over, hero-stud-mantel-hall-of-fame, heroine-abused-traumatic-past-rape, heroine-i-adore, heroine-naïve-virgin-like-a-virgin, humorous-at-times-or-fluffy-fun, i-read-own-faves-keepers, made-me-cry, sports-romance-hot-jocks, chick-lit, heroine-curvy-plump-not-stick-thin, sweet-romance-left-smile-on-my-face, heroine-plain-jane-ugly-duckling, heroine-odd-spinster-wallflower, 5-stars-or-higher, feel-good-read-pick-me-upper, hero-too-yummy-perfect-to-be-true, best-wittiest-banter-dialogue, best-endings-epilogues, hero-nice-guy-gets-the-girl, best-snarkasm-humor, a-all-time-fave-hero, tearjerker-tugs-at-heartstrings, heartwarming, a-all-time-best-of-best-fave-dik, heroine-makeover, kids-cute-faves-prominent-in-story, humor-fall-off-the-couch-funny, a-all-time-best-top-50-fave-dik

5+ stars – Contemporary Romance

WOW...there just aren’t sufficient words to express how much I loooved this book! This is one of those books where everything just clicked and came alive for me and makes 5 stars seem wholly inadequate. I loved absolutely everything about this: the heartwarming emotion, the laugh out loud, sometimes sarcastic humor, the fantastic, relatable characters, the witty, honest dialogue, and the inspirational life lessons imparted. It made me fall off the couch with laught...more

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Dec 17, 2007 Ummi rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: chic-lit

Another chick lit, another happy moment. Though this book doesn't really satisfy my need for a really fun read. It makes me smile at certain point but that's just about it. The story is pretty forgettable, as well as the characters. A rather good read, nevertheless, while lounging around with a cuppa.

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Feb 12, 2012 Bookcetera rated it 2 of 5 stars

The book was okay. Not amazing but it had some witty moments and made me smile off and on, so it kept me going. The story follows "fat girl Lucy", who works for an advertising firm. She lands an account for a local gym and in a twist of events ends up being the guinea pig for their new ad campaign and must lose weight with (of course) some hot studly trainer, Theo, who she inadvertently falls in love with.

While the plotline was easy to get (and groan worthy in spots) at some points the wit and...more

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Nov 18, 2009 Karschtl rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: bc, chick-lit, read-in-2009

100 pounds in one year. That's what I call a 'large-scale' target. And I'm surprised how easily Lucy can stick to her plan and lose several pounds each week. Of course she has a strict dieting plan and workout every morning. Still, it's a lot.
And isn't it surprising that at some point loves comes into play. With her fitness coach, who even likes her when she still has some pounds more on her hips. Why certainly, otherwise he would be a superficial jerk. Instead he is a nice young man studying me...more

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Jan 08, 2013 Tina rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: kobo, favorites

This was a well-written and easy-to-read book. It was funny and romantic with just the right amount of heat and Sexual tension. The way the author dealt with Lucy's weight and weight loss seems very realistic to me. There were moments written where I could truly relate to this character that had me crying. I think any person who has or does struggle with their weight, would be touched by the issues that are addressed in this book. The fact that the author addresses that our weight has a direct l...more

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Jun 04, 2012 Michelle [Helen Geek] rated it 2 of 5 stars Recommends it for: No one really.

Recommended to Michelle by: Reviews and my lovely daughter ..

Shelves: nook-tbr, ntm_authors_2012, less-than-3, not-finished, not-my-cup-of-tea

2 Stars - Maybe. A big DID NOT FINISH for me.

I was looking for light and fluffy and have almost completely exhausted my "go to" authors; Gibson, Shalvis, James, etc. I've heard quite a bit about this author; fairly good reviews, my daughter reads and likes her ... The book blurbs never really attracted me, but what the hay, I'll give it a go. Yuck. The boredom factor got to me. It was only a little over 200 pages, but by the 60th page, nothing much had happened and I had to let it go. Just yuck....more

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Apr 26, 2008 Erin rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: brain-candy

This book is the epitome of "beach read", and maybe I should be ashamed to say this - but I loved it. It was sweet, short and sassy and exactly what I needed for a quick, fun read. 2 thumbs up!

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Feb 28, 2013 Darla rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: chick-lit-and-beach-reads

This was a very cute Chic Lit read. A quick read - finished it in two days, the story centers on Lucy, who has offered herself as guinea pig for a year long quest to get in shape and lose 100 lbs as part of her firm's marketing campaign for a high end Miami gym. Theo is the "Ken-doll" trainer who is going to whip Lucy into shape. Having been terribly humiliated a decade earlier by a "golden boy", Lucy, though attracted to Theo, keeps her distance because she knows that fat girls don't get the pr...more

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Aug 02, 2012 Lisa rated it 1 of 5 stars

I can't say I really liked this book. Something about Lucy just irritated me til the point I wanted to start popping Benadryl. She was very... shallow. I expected a little more depth from someone who'd been so completely traumatized and she didn't live up to my expectations.

Theo was also missing something. He wasn't very charming and seemed to have more emotional baggage than Lucy. The only aspect I enjoyed was his relationship with his brother, though, it was really just another thing to add to...more

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Jun 25, 2010 Jolene rated it 5 of 5 stars

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this book was a really cute inspiring read. This is the first book I've read from this author and I can't wait to check in to others she has written. Lucy isn't your typical heroine, she is overweight and insecure. To read a romance book, with an overweight character was refreshing. She struggles with who she is and trying to loose weight. To have her character find love is heartwarming and to know the guy accepts who she is before she loses the weight brings more light to the book and his broth...more

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New Anthology Features Brand New Stories By Lori Foster, Susan Donovan and Victorial Dahl	1	10	Feb 15, 2011 08:52am

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About Susan Donovan

The Author is Born
I grew up in the Cincinnati suburb of Milford, Ohio and spent my formative years in the cineplex, the mall, the drive-in, and the convertible MG of some guy named Gary. My mother claims I was destined to be a writer. As a kindergartner, I reported that I’d just seen a giraffe, elephant and rhinoceros at the bus stop. When Mom told me I was a good storyteller, I assured her that...more The Author is Born
I grew up in the Cincinnati suburb of Milford, Ohio and spent my formative years in the cineplex, the mall, the drive-in, and the convertible MG of some guy named Gary. My mother claims I was destined to be a writer. As a kindergartner, I reported that I’d just seen a giraffe, elephant and rhinoceros at the bus stop. When Mom told me I was a good storyteller, I assured her that it was not a story, but the absolute truth! (See mediocre journalism career summary below…)

The Author Is Catapulted Into the World
I wrote for the school newspaper in high school, but never made it into a position of authority – the journalism adviser told me I was "too spasmodic" to be editor. I also starred in drama club plays and hosted excellent cast parties. I earned a scholarship to be a summer foreign exchange student in Japan, then headed off to college at Northwestern University, events that forced me to conclude that there was, in fact, life outside Southwestern Ohio. Why wasn’t I informed? I look back upon my college years in Chicago and marvel that I was able to graduate and still have such a fine time. In 1983, I walked away with a degree in journalism and a minor in Japanese language and sociology, just in time for the recession. Because the only job I could find was at a Chicago phone sex service, I decided to go back for my master’s degree. I know, I know. Hindsight is 20/20.

Very Odd Jobs
My first job out of grad school was as a staff reporter at The Daily Southtown, on Chicago’s Southwest Side. I was a somewhat snobbish, ridiculously enthusiastic young woman promptly put in my place by the mean streets of Bridgeport and Burbank. My sincere thanks go out to the Southtown boys who teased me mercilessly, gave me a nickname that should have resulted in legal action, and showed me how to get along with cops, politicians and city editors – in other words, generally ruined me for polite society thereafter. Thanks guys. I owe you. Next, I did an internship at the Chicago Tribune, where I learned the nasty truth about gender politics and static electricity. I then packed up my red Dodge Omni and my cat and drove cross-country to work for two years at the Albuquerque Tribune. New Mexico is the most beautiful place I’ve ever seen, and it will always be special to me. But I missed my boyfriend, and moved back to Chicago. (I’m a romantic at heart, right?) I spent the next year working in corporate public relations for a company that has since, shall we say, hit the skids. It was not entirely my fault. When my boyfriend finished medical school, we moved together to Indianapolis for his residency and my job at the now-defunct Indianapolis News (also not my fault.) We got married in September 1989. Unfortunately, Hurricane Hugo destroyed our honeymoon hotel in the Virgin Islands, our luggage got lost somewhere between the US mainland and Puerto Rico, and we spent our wedding night in fleabag motel near the Atlanta airport that housed the overflow from a nearby Army base. This made us pause and ask, "Mmm…is this some kind of omen?" It was.

The Author’s Family Life
My husband joined a small-town medical practice in Maryland about an hour from Baltimore/Washington and I went to work for a member of Congress. In my opinion, there are some things a person simply does not need to know in order to lead a happy life, such as: what really goes on behind closed doors at the U.S. Capitol? I ran from that job before delivering my first child. (Okay – I waddled.) My kids – now ages thirteen and eleven – are the most important part of my life. However, I am not strong enough to be a full-time mom and have resorted to a variety of part-time jobs in an effort to stay somewhat sane. These jobs have included fund-raiser for a symphony orchestra, communications consultant, free-lance journalist and painted furniture artist – a creative pursuit I still enjoy.

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Ain't Too Proud to Beg (Dog Walkers, #1)

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Trivia About He Loves Lucy

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Quotes from He Loves Lucy

“She'd even violated the only sensible rule of dieting she'd ever run across, the sage advice of the Muppets' Miss Piggy, who recommended never eating anything bigger than your head.” — 23 people liked it

“Have you ever met a man who looked so damn delicious that you wanted to sop him up with a hot buttermilk biscuit and inhale him in one gulp?”

“Why, yes, I have,” Doris said.

That was a shocker. “Really? What happened?”

“I married him.” — 11 people liked it

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BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/73093.He_Loves_Lucy?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1316636252l/73093.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/73093.He_Loves_Lucy?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]He Loves Lucy by Susan Donovan[/url]

He Loves Lucy

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