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Downsizing
Maxine Small is invisible in a crowded room because no one can see through all the extraneous layers of fat to the sensitive girl lurking beneath. No one except local heartthrob Noah Fenwick. But he too lets her down when he ups and marries Maxine’s best friend—he pretty, skinny best friend whom he always pretended to hate.
Maxine runs away to university and doesn’t see Noah again for ten years. Slim now, she returns to her home town as a successful lawyer, hoping to lay the ghost that’s Noah to rest.
With three children, Noah is trapped in a loveless marriage with no escape clause. Drawn toward him as strongly as ever, Maxine learns the true reasons behind his marriage to Cassie but, with the children being used as human bargaining tools, there’s nothing Noah and Maxine can do about their feelings, is there?
Maxine runs away to university and doesn’t see Noah again for ten years. Slim now, she returns to her home town as a successful lawyer, hoping to lay the ghost that’s Noah to rest.
With three children, Noah is trapped in a loveless marriage with no escape clause. Drawn toward him as strongly as ever, Maxine learns the true reasons behind his marriage to Cassie but, with the children being used as human bargaining tools, there’s nothing Noah and Maxine can do about their feelings, is there?
266 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 2, 2011
1 person is currently reading
34 people want to read
About the author
Wendy Soliman
153 books81 followersWendy is an English author now dividing her time between Andorra and West Florida. She grew up on the Isle of Wight but now lives with her husband Andre and a rescued dog of indeterminate pedigree. She writes Regency romance, contemporary romance and a series of marine crime mysteries.
When not writing Wendy enjoys reading other people's books, walking miles with her dog, drinking decent wine and generally making the most of life.
When not writing Wendy enjoys reading other people's books, walking miles with her dog, drinking decent wine and generally making the most of life.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
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June 18, 2012I have absolutely no idea how to rate this book.
When I finished reading it, I was left speechlessly standing over the train wreck that happened in it.
I have read ‘hero gets other woman pregnant before professing his love for the heroine’ stories. But this is the first story that I read where the hero continued to knock up the other lady with gusto over the years. Heck, when the story opens, the hero just had a baby!
I could have, maybe lived down the fact that the hero was still married. And that the whole drama…pardon me…love, not drama…with the hero an heroine was happening while the man was married, BUT there is something seriously unattractive about a hero that continued to bang his wife while all the time thinking of leaving her. No, wait! There is something MORE unattractive than this – a hero thinking about leaving his horrible wife, while nevert heless banging her AND MAKING HER CONSTANLTY PREGNANT.
Sure, there was 200+ pages worth of plot in this book, but I am unable to make any other point. My mind is just stuck on his wife carting a baby all over the book.
When I finished reading it, I was left speechlessly standing over the train wreck that happened in it.
I have read ‘hero gets other woman pregnant before professing his love for the heroine’ stories. But this is the first story that I read where the hero continued to knock up the other lady with gusto over the years. Heck, when the story opens, the hero just had a baby!
I could have, maybe lived down the fact that the hero was still married. And that the whole drama…pardon me…love, not drama…with the hero an heroine was happening while the man was married, BUT there is something seriously unattractive about a hero that continued to bang his wife while all the time thinking of leaving her. No, wait! There is something MORE unattractive than this – a hero thinking about leaving his horrible wife, while nevert heless banging her AND MAKING HER CONSTANLTY PREGNANT.
Sure, there was 200+ pages worth of plot in this book, but I am unable to make any other point. My mind is just stuck on his wife carting a baby all over the book.
April 16, 2012
Maxine Small is a girl who gets teased a lot for her size, except by one boy – Noah Fenwick. He’s her best friend and the love of her life all rolled into one, but he doesn’t know about the love part. The day she receives the results from her final high school tests, her so-called female best friend, Cassie, drops by with some heartbreaking news. She and Noah are getting married because Cassie is pregnant by him. Max is truly astonished and deeply hurt since Noah always professed his dislike for Cassie – especially regarding the way she treated Max. Noah and Max never spoke again, until…
12 years later, now a lawyer, Max returns to town after a job offer makes its way to her. But Max’s vocation isn’t the only thing different about her – she is no longer the insecure, wishy-washy, overweight, and shy girl she used to be. Will everyone’s truths begin to resurface now that Max has made her comeback?
Downsizing is a touching and emotionally wrenching novel about love and image. I felt as if I had a lot in common with Max by looking back at some of the regrets I have from my childhood. This is definitely the type of book where you are rooting for the ‘underdog’ and for a happily ever after. A great and quick read which fully captures your attention, Downsizing is a book I highly recommend!
12 years later, now a lawyer, Max returns to town after a job offer makes its way to her. But Max’s vocation isn’t the only thing different about her – she is no longer the insecure, wishy-washy, overweight, and shy girl she used to be. Will everyone’s truths begin to resurface now that Max has made her comeback?
Downsizing is a touching and emotionally wrenching novel about love and image. I felt as if I had a lot in common with Max by looking back at some of the regrets I have from my childhood. This is definitely the type of book where you are rooting for the ‘underdog’ and for a happily ever after. A great and quick read which fully captures your attention, Downsizing is a book I highly recommend!
January 13, 2012
Very few books keep me up late reading them. I had this one done in 2 nights. I had to keep going to find out what would happen next. Every character pulls you in. I loved Noah, hated Cassie & of course my heart went out to Maxine. I’m not one to let any spoilers go; all I can do is say give this book a try. You’re sure to love it, too!
January 30, 2012
Originally posted at: http://www.longandshortreviews.blogsp...
Life is never easy, especially when you are the nerdy heavy girl in love with the town hunk. Maxine’s love for Noah has nothing to do with his looks and more to do with the man he is when only she is around. With her tender heart Maxine fell hard for Noah, but kept her feelings to herself waiting for the fall out that she knew was bound to happen.
After life pulls her away from all she knows for thirteen years, she is finally coming back to bury the ghosts of her past. What she finds, though, could be her undoing. Will Noah catch her before she falls again?
Noah knew he would never love anyone like he had Max. She knew him in a way that no one else ever really could, and her leaving torn him apart. He never really got over her. When he hears Max is back in town, Noah knows this is last chance to finally tell her just how much she means to him, and he is willing to fight so the ugly duckling can see just how beautiful she is to this prince. When life comes crashing in on him and Max, will everything he wants slip through his fingers again?
This was a great story that really pulled me in from the first It was wonderful to watch Max grow from the shy girl in love with the popular boy to the powerful woman coming home to find her place in the world. Ms. Soliman really hooked me in as a reader, and made her characters so believable it was hard to see the story end.
I’ve never read anything from her in the past, so I wasn’t sure what to expect, but this book really set the bar high for me. The deep emotion, the three-dimensional characters and the well-written plot really left me wanting more from Ms. Soliman and I can’t wait to read more of her works in the future. She would make a great addition to anyone’s reading list.
Life is never easy, especially when you are the nerdy heavy girl in love with the town hunk. Maxine’s love for Noah has nothing to do with his looks and more to do with the man he is when only she is around. With her tender heart Maxine fell hard for Noah, but kept her feelings to herself waiting for the fall out that she knew was bound to happen.
After life pulls her away from all she knows for thirteen years, she is finally coming back to bury the ghosts of her past. What she finds, though, could be her undoing. Will Noah catch her before she falls again?
Noah knew he would never love anyone like he had Max. She knew him in a way that no one else ever really could, and her leaving torn him apart. He never really got over her. When he hears Max is back in town, Noah knows this is last chance to finally tell her just how much she means to him, and he is willing to fight so the ugly duckling can see just how beautiful she is to this prince. When life comes crashing in on him and Max, will everything he wants slip through his fingers again?
This was a great story that really pulled me in from the first It was wonderful to watch Max grow from the shy girl in love with the popular boy to the powerful woman coming home to find her place in the world. Ms. Soliman really hooked me in as a reader, and made her characters so believable it was hard to see the story end.
I’ve never read anything from her in the past, so I wasn’t sure what to expect, but this book really set the bar high for me. The deep emotion, the three-dimensional characters and the well-written plot really left me wanting more from Ms. Soliman and I can’t wait to read more of her works in the future. She would make a great addition to anyone’s reading list.
March 17, 2015
This looked cute and the other (all 4 of them) reviewers seemed to like it so, after hating a couple of her other books and being attacked by her, I decided to check out this one.
Fail.
Every. Single. Aspect. of this book almost feels stolen. Bullied girl has that best friend who is also the love of her life... they come together again years later... I mean you do not need me to go on unless you live under a rock because this is the age-old, dull, non-original tale from a million other books, movies and TV show episodes.
Looking at the author, she bangs out many books per year and from what I've read not one has an original story. Perhaps I'll begin re-telling other people's stories so I can call myself an author (not really).
Seriously though - the book appears unedited making it hard to follow. The characters are not developed at all. The plot has completely been done before and is a snoozefest. Continuity has a lot of holes. A very sad attempt.
Fail.
Every. Single. Aspect. of this book almost feels stolen. Bullied girl has that best friend who is also the love of her life... they come together again years later... I mean you do not need me to go on unless you live under a rock because this is the age-old, dull, non-original tale from a million other books, movies and TV show episodes.
Looking at the author, she bangs out many books per year and from what I've read not one has an original story. Perhaps I'll begin re-telling other people's stories so I can call myself an author (not really).
Seriously though - the book appears unedited making it hard to follow. The characters are not developed at all. The plot has completely been done before and is a snoozefest. Continuity has a lot of holes. A very sad attempt.
April 12, 2012
I actually thought all together this book was very plausible. Being a mother myself I don't understand how you can abandon your children or could even want them hurt. The book was a good read for sure and it made me think about a lot of other things.
When the hero and heroine fell in love, they were just teenagers. However the hero got the villain pregnant or so he thought, so he married her. The heroine finding all this out, ran away and didn't return to her home town for thirty years. Now she is a gorgeous accomplished lawyer and ready to kick some butt. The villain is still causing mischief and now it looks like the her and heroine will never get together but the villain's father has other plans..
All together quite a story, worth the read!
When the hero and heroine fell in love, they were just teenagers. However the hero got the villain pregnant or so he thought, so he married her. The heroine finding all this out, ran away and didn't return to her home town for thirty years. Now she is a gorgeous accomplished lawyer and ready to kick some butt. The villain is still causing mischief and now it looks like the her and heroine will never get together but the villain's father has other plans..
All together quite a story, worth the read!
November 6, 2011
I loved this book, there were times were I was in tears reading it and then there where time when I just wanted to scream at the characters, But it's a story that proves love really can weather anything including time. And true love sees you through what's outside to who we are deep inside.
December 26, 2014
I really wanted to love this book, but honestly it was just bad. Cassie is an annoying self centered bitch. Noah is a complete dumbass. Max and Greg I did like, but the rest no! I almost stopped reading a few chapters in, but had to see how it ended. This was just not my cup of tea at all.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews