Fatty Patty

James Bay #1

by Kathleen Irene Paterka

Small towns, long memories. Everyone in the exclusive summer resort of James Bay, Michigan remembers FATTY PATTY, the chubby little girl with the round face and wild red curls. All grown up now, Patty Perreault teaches at the same elementary school where the painful playground memories still taunt her. She hasn’t forgotten the cruel nickname—plus she still hasn’t lost those extra pounds. Convinced her weight is the biggest reason why she’s a four time loser in the semi-finals for Teacher of the Year, Patty resolves to make some changes in her body and her life.

Sam Curtis, an overweight accountant she meets at the community pool, swims into Patty’s life with romance on his mind. But as their friendship grows, Patty finds it hard to see beyond his extra pounds. She’s torn as Sam refuses to deal with his own overweight issues. Her heart tells her one thing, but her eyes see another. She’s not interested in an overweight boyfriend. When it comes to winning the Grand Prize in life and love, Patty has some hard lessons to learn. Will she be able to confront her fears about the kind of woman she yearns to be? Will she be able to put down the fork and give her heart a try?

Genres: Romance, Chick Lit, Fiction, Contemporary Romance, Adult, Contemporary

382 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 3, 2012

About the author

Kathleen Irene Paterka is a bestselling author of Women's Fiction. New for 2023 and now available: DON'T OPEN THE DOOR, a psychological domestic suspense novel. Kathleen and her husband live in the beautiful north country of Michigan's Lower Peninsula.

Reviews

[Samantha March · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kathleen Irene Paterka is on tour with Fatty Patty and CLP Blog Tours. This is the first in a series of books that will take place in James Bay, Michigan, and the story follows Patty Perreault, an elementary school teacher who has battled with her weight her whole life. To make matters worse, her twin sister has always been slim, only making Patty’s battle with the bulge that much worse. But Patty is determined to slim down, and hope that her body makeover will give her a better chance at winning the Teacher of the Year award at her school. While attempting to swim laps at a local pool, she meets Sam Curtis, an accountant who also happens to be a few pounds too heavy. While a romance appears to be blooming, Patty holds back because Sam is overweight. She knows she is overweight but is trying to do something about it – work out, eat better (minus those binge-eating moments) but she feels Sam doesn’t care about his image. Will she let her own foolishness stand in the way of love?

Every once in a while I worry about not being able to connect with a book because of not being able to connect with the main character. Fatty Patty was one, because I have been underweight the majority of my life and have never struggled with weight or body image. (Though I did still get called nicknames in school, like Chicken Legs and Twiggy!) But it’s great when you find an author that can pull readers in no matter their situation and have them be able to relate to their characters in some way, and Paterka did that for me. I highly enjoyed Patty’s story and her journey for self-love and happiness, so even though we are so different, it didn’t matter to me as a reader. I found a way to connect with her and stay interested in her journey. There was a lot of drama, especially with the other teachers that I loved reading about, and Patty was an all-around fun character to get to know. The only thing that really stuck out to me was the points where she seemed not-so-nice, mainly when it came to Sam being overweight. I tried to understand her point of view, where she thought he didn’t care about his looks, but sometimes I still thought she was being a tad hypocritical in that sense. But overall, a very fun read, and one I [recommend!

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fatty Patty was surely a fun and addictive read. Patty has dealt with being overweight her whole life, and with having a twin sister who is slim and beautiful has always kept her in the shadows, but things start to heat up when Patty starts getting attention from two seperate men; Sam who's quickly becoming her best friend, and Nick who normally would have never paid her any mind, is now showing her a ton of attention.

This was a quick read, and I did find myself picking it up to read it quite frequently, but I had a lot of problems with Patty. I felt like for someone who was overweight she was totally shallow and hypocritical, she constantly judged Sam because of his weight, but yet was overweight herself. I myself am overweight and when I was in the dating world, I never wrote people off for being overweight, because I knew how that felt, and didn't like it. She also was so nieve to the point that I wanted to smack her. Did she honestly really think that Nick was crazy about her? I just found it so far-fetched in that respect. Although I didn't like Patty's character I still enjoyed the story, and found the romance to move the story along for me.

I also like that the story was written about a main character that was overweight, but do wish that it wasn't such a central focus of the story. I feel like the main characters of chick-lit books are usually skinny, and beautiful, and I like that Patty was "flawed" and not perfect. I just wish Patty herself wasn't so judgemental.

If your looking for a light, fun, quick read then Fatty Patty is just that, It dosen't have any deep issues (which is a good thing sometimes) and was hard to put down because I wanted to see what ended up happening with the characters, and although I didn't LOVE Patty's character I was still invested in her relationships enough to want to know who she ended up with and what ended up happening.

[Kara · Rating 3 out of 5]

This kindle freebie has been waiting in my library since 2012. I’m honestly surprised at the quality of the writing and how much I ended up enjoying it. There were lots of funny moments, sweet romance, and lovable characters. Patty drove me a bit crazy with her wishy washy and judgemental issues but I related to her in many ways and loved that she was finally able to figure herself out.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Couldn't put it down...

This one reminded me of my own experiences on the mean playground. Over the years I just learned that those who were the meanies had issues of their own.

[Kathleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

The outward appearance is not what's important ... it's the inner beauty that counts when it comes to achieving self-acceptance and finding love and happiness in your life. This is one woman's journey of self-discovery to overcome her weight issues through self-acceptance, while receiving some hard life lessons along the way.

Patty Perreault is a fifth grade elementary school teacher from James Bay, Michigan, who has dealt with the daily struggles of being overweight since childhood. She now teaches at the very same elementary school, where painful playground memories of being taunted with the cruel nickname Fatty Patty has not been forgotten.

With a new school year starting, Patty is determined to lose weight so that she could finally win the coveted Bay County Teacher of the Year contest that has eluded her for the past four years. Her mantra is: "Brand new school year, brand new body, brand new Patty!" Patty's fraternal twin sister Priscilla is there for her with moral support, but she only adds to Patty's low self-esteem as she was the one born as the thin delicate beauty.

Patty meets Sam Curtis, a beefy overweight accountant, while swimming laps at the community pool. A friendship develops between them, but Sam is interested in more than just a friendship, while Patty can't seem to get past the issue of his weight to let the relationship blossom beyond a friendship. And then there is Nick, Patty's co-worker who she considers the "perfect man."

Will Patty deny herself the chance at a meaningful relationship because of outward appearances? Or will she discover that the only important thing that matters most is the inner beauty of a person?

Fatty Patty is a refreshing and emotional story of one woman's journey to overcome her issues with her weight while learning that self-acceptance and inner beauty is what matters the most. Written in the first person narrative by our protagonist, Patty Perreault, she takes the reader along on her emotional journey as she deals with the issues of her relationship with food, her weight and love, these are universal issues which anyone can easily relate to.The author weaves a thoughtful tale about a touchy subject in a society in which we live in worships the concept that "thin is beautiful," instead of seeing the negative effects that it has on people, especially young girls and women. This story has a lot of depth and emotion, it portrays a brutal and honest insight into a woman's battle with accepting who she really is, no matter if she is thin or overweight. It's a heartwarming story that provides much food for thought.

The author has created a cast of characters who are realistic, believable and easy to relate to. I was intrigued by Patty, she is a woman who has her flaws and issues just like the rest of us. I found her to be quirky, brutally honest, and even a touch superficial and mean at times which I did not like, but haven't we all had moments that we're not proud of in our lives? I really enjoyed the supporting cast of characters: Patty's fraternal twin Priscilla, who I absolutely because of her kindness, love and moral support that she gave to Patty; Sam, Patty's love interest, for being a down-to-earth nice guy who is comfortable in his own skin; and Nick, Patty's fellow fifth grade teacher/co-worker, who is "the perfect guy," but is he really the perfect one for Patty? The romantic love triangle between Patty, Sam and Nick was definitely an entertaining part of the story. As a whole, the character's individuality, dialogue and interactions made this story a thoroughly enjoyable read.

Fatty Patty is a wonderful story of transformation, self-acceptance and finding love and happiness. It is a story that anyone can relate to. This is the debut novel for author Kathleen Irene Paterka. The author does a wonderful job of capturing the true essence of the perception of what is considered "beautiful" in our society today, and addressing the effect that the issue of weight continues to plague so many people.


Disclaimer: I received a copy of the book from the author in exchange for my honest review and participation in a virtual book tour event hosted by Chick Lit Plus Blog Tours.

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[Christi Snow · Rating 3 out of 5]

My Review


This book is the story of fifth grade teacher, Patty. She's not happy with where she's at in her life and thinks that if she gains control of her weight issues that everything else will quietly fall into place in her world. There are a lot of underlying issues in this book: bullying, shallowness, family, romance, and love. But at the heart of all of it, lies Patty's own issues with herself. She doesn't like herself much and that is what is truly hurting all those aspects of her life that she thinks will be fixed by her latest weight loss goals.


There are three main characters which revolve around Patty's life...


1. Her twin sister, Priscilla
Born only minutes apart, Patty and Priscilla are miles apart in appearance. Patty was born lively and healthy, but Priscilla was only 2 lbs when she was born. She's always on the verge of being sick, but Patty sees her as skinny and beautiful. They live together in the rambling Victorian that their mother left them which is a huge money pit. Patty wants to sell, but Priscilla refuses. Priscilla acts as Patty's conscience through a lot of the book. She tries to keep Patty on track with her diet and tries to let Patty know when she's being unreasonable about things. They don't have a happy relationship throughout the second half of the book and that indicative of how bad Patty's behavior descends.


2. Fellow 5th grade teacher, Nick
This guy is the perfect guy. He's a first-year teacher and also the high school basketball coach. He seems like a nice really good looking guy who sees Patty as the catch that she really is, but as you delve deeper and deeper into the book, you get the idea that all isn't as it seems.


3. Sam
If it wasn't for Sam's character, I probably would have DNF'ed this book at some point. Sam is that nice guy that every girl hopes to meet someday. He's completely into Patty and sees her for the beautiful person that she is. But she's so caught up in her own weight issues that she can't see past his even when her heart and body are telling her that he's the guy she truly wants. I ached for his character and how she treats him. It truly did break my heart.


This is a book about transformation...not a physical one, but an emotional one. For probably 85-90% of this book, I did NOT like Patty. She's not a nice person and just because she recognizes and regrets her actions at the time, I personally don't feel any better about her. The fact is...she does some really awful things in this book for all the wrong reasons. She may have regretted them, but she still did them and I have a hard time getting past that.


The book reads really well and easily. I was never bored with it, but I didn't like her or her actions through most of the book and that makes it hard for me to like the book overall. It made me sad to read it and that's not why I like to read books. I don't need everything to be sunshine and roses, but for my personal enjoyment, I need a tiny bit more than this book gave me. I think that I would have been satisfied if the transformation happened a bit earlier in the book, so I could have truly believed and liked the new Patty.


This is one of those books where my issues with it are my own. There was absolutely nothing wrong with the writing in this book. I just personally didn't enjoy reading about this character. But keep in mind, I don't enjoy Oprah's Reading Club books either. I just like books that are a bit more uplifting.


I received a complementary copy of this book in return for an honest review.

[Nicola L · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

This is the first novel in the James Bay series, books set in a small town in Michigan. ‘Fatty Patty’ revolves around fifth grade teacher Patty, who has grown up in the small town, a community where she will always be recognised as a chubby, red-headed little girl and where even now, she is still desperate to lose 30 pounds. Patty feels that her weight is what has presented her from winning a prestigious ‘Teacher of the Year’ award, not to mention put the blinkers on any potential romance. When she meets sweet but overweight Sam at the pool, a spark is there but Patty cannot contemplate ever being with a man who is fat- the painful realisation also forces her to take a long look at herself and her own self-esteem and battles with food.

This was a well-written story but I have to admit that I didn’t enjoy it perhaps as much as I had anticipated.

The reason?

Patty herself is an inherently unlikeable, hypocritical individual.

Patty is negative, not to mention downright mean. I really felt like giving up on this book at the beginning as she was just so awful to read about. Admittedly she undergoes a journey during the course of the novel, but that aside she was just a horrible person. People may perhaps be able to identify with her weight battles (I know I certainly can), but that does not give her the right to be so judgemental and treat people so terribly. There is a difference in reading about flawed characters and awful characters and she was certainly the latter. I am overweight and I certainly have never EVER treated people in the way that she does. Just because you may not like yourself does not give you a license to be nasty to others!

Patty’s twin sister (not identical), Priscilla, also seemed a bit of a pathetic, wet character. I like the people I read about to have some substance to them and she just felt quite poorly developed, unfortunately. She was unable to stand up to her sister or say how she really felt. Ugh.

The one thing that kept me reading this book was Sam. Ah, Sam. He was such a sweet, nicely-written character. Again he was flawed, but he was so lovely and had such depth to him that I enjoyed reading about him. I wanted him to get his happy ending, though personally feel he deserved better than Patty- and certainly not Priscilla either! Also, one of Patty’s colleagues, Nick, was intriguing to read about. There was an element of mystery behind his smooth, handsome persona and I was keen to know what the truth was about him.

Generally this was a sweet, easy to read romance that I think would be appreciated by fans of Debbie Macomber or Brenda Novak, particularly for its happy ending. Whilst I didn’t fall in love with it (Patty’s character made that virtually impossible), it was a solid start to a series that I would consider reading more of in future, though I doubt I would be in any immediate rush to do so.

[Isabella · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well liked, beloved friend, sister and fifth grade teacher, Patty Perreault is up for Teacher of the Year. While her “kids” mean everything to her and she loves her job (with the exception of a certain few kids in her class), she’s set on losing weight because she’s worried they won’t pick her for Teacher of the Year because of her weight. She’s determined and ready to start losing weight, but along the way endures internal and relationship struggles.

First there’s Sam Curtis, who she meets while swimming laps. As their friendship grows when he offers his expertise on her finances. While she thinks he’s a nice guy, she can’t see him as anything more than just a friend — because he’s overweight. Then comes Nick Lamont, a handsome coworker who she’d give up anything for, but there might be more to him than she thinks or wants to admit. What will “Fatty Patty” do? Will she let the handsome man walk all over her, or will she stand her ground and see that it’s what’s on the inside that matters the most?

When I decided to be part of the “Fatty Patty” tour, I took part because I loved the cover. Yes, the cover did sway me, but after reading the first chapter, I was hooked all the way to the end! From the beginning I was a huge fan of Patty. I liked the way she took charge of her weight and began swimming laps. I also liked how her sister stood by her, supporting her in each way, sometimes even hiding food from her when need be. Their relationship swayed a little bit, but that was understood, too. I would’ve liked more between them as far as being honest with each other, especially on Patty’s part. She should’ve said what she thought more, rather than what she thought.

As for her romantic life, I liked both Sam and Nick. Sam was the one with the heart and Nick was the one with the good looks…(No, I’m not going to spoil it for you! Read the book!)

Books about “fat” characters can be a touchy subject, but Kathleen Irene Paterka created “Fatty Patty” in a brilliant way. I loved Patty’s character and think that any woman at any size will, too.

Overall, I think that Kathleen has written a wonderful and heartwarming book about weight, finding yourself and about falling in love.

I give this book 4 out of 5 stars!

[Meg - A Bookish Affair · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think most people can find some common ground in the idea of the struggle to be happy with yourself. It's a very common issue. We're constantly comparing ourselves to other people and it's easy to become sort of trapped in that idea. In "Fatty Patty," Patty is most definitely lost in that trap. She struggles with her weight and is convinced that if she fixes that issue with herself, she will fix the rest of her life.

Not so fast...

Even at the end of the book, Patty is still struggling with herself. She's better but still not happy. To me, I didn't think that Patty was very likeable at all. While she struggles with her weight, she's downright horrible to Sam, an affable guy who also struggles with his weight. Now, believe me, I fully understand wanting to be healthy and wanting others around you to be healthy but there is a diplomatic way to do it and Patty is anything but diplomatic. Sam is awesome and Patty cannot see that at all. I kind of wanted to shake her a couple times throughout the book. She won't give Sam a chance and from the way she talks, it mostly seems to have to do with the way he looks, which is just sad, especially because she should be well aware of how hurtful it is to have someone judge you based on your looks. In fact, Patty basically turns down Sam, the nice guy, because he is fat for Nick, the total cad, because he's hot and very much leads Patty on in a very open way, only Patty is too blinded by her insane crush to see it. Patty just does not seem to get it. Sigh...

I really liked Sam and he kept me reading. I liked some of the side stories. The whole story about how Nick ended up in James Bay was really good and kept me reading to find out the whole story. Even though Patty is ridiculous and sort of mean, I liked the writing of the book. I would definitely read more by Paterka, but Patty was just not my favorite.

[Meredith Schorr · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars
Patty is a school teacher who has always struggled with her weight and she is convinced that the reason she is passed over for "teacher of the year" every year is because she doesn't "look" the part. She is determined to lose the weight and win the award this year with the help of her twin sister, the gorgeous and thin yet delicate Priscilla. When she meets Sam at the county pool, he takes an immediate interest in her but Sam is a "big" man and so despite how wonderful he is and how irresistible his moustache is, Patty refuses to entertain the idea of being romantically involved with him. Especially with Nick, the gorgeous new fifth grade teacher, taking an interest in her. Patty has it all figured out "Brand new school year. Brand new body. Brand new me" but living by her new mantra might cause her to lose everything she loves.

I really, really enjoyed Fatty Patty. Patty was a very relatable character and although I wanted to strangle her on a few occassions for the way she handled the men in her life, I ultimately wanted her to figure things out and have more self-confidence. I felt for her as she compared herself to others unfavorably, ignored what was right in front of her and took a step forward only to take three steps back and I loved watching her finally figure things out and get her life back on track. The love story was very sweet! There was one issue I was surprised that was left a bit open relating to the Teacher of the Year award and I although I hoped something would happen that didn't, it did not ultimately take away from my enjoyment of the book.

I definitely look forward to reading more from this author.

[Andrea Guy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to love this book. When I read the synopsis, I thought Patty would be a bit more like Molly from Mike and Molly, but alas she is not. She's really not all that likable. In fact for the most part, she's a character much like the ones that picked on her as a child for being overweight.

Patty should have inspired sympathy, but in the long run, she made you angry with her, plus her weight issues took control of so much of the story including the happily ever after. That was another bone of contention I had with the book and all books that have an overweight heroine who is dieting to lose weight.

Weight loss = happy.

That is not the case, though the author did make the case for when you are happy with yourself it makes it easier to lose the weight, but that message didn't really make it until the last pages of the book, after learning some pretty hard lessons about one of the people in her life.

Overall, I loved Sam. He was a good guy who really cared about her as did her twin sister Priscilla. There were so many instances where I wanted to pop Patty for her treatment of these two.

Nick is the new 5th grade teacher, who is everything Patty would want in a guy. He's also a creep. Readers can see that early on, which is why it is hard to believe that Patty can't. She's a smart lady, but she's blinded by a good-looking user.

I wish the story would have focused more on Priscilla and Dr. Brown because she was by far the more likable character in the story.

What kept me turning the pages, was waiting to see what it would take to get Patty to open her eyes.

[Willett · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second book I've read by Ms. Paterka and will continue to read this series. I seldom write reviews but felt compelled to do so for this book.

Just a few pages into this book, I found myself disliking Patty and it didn't change the further into the book. In fact, my dislike became more so and I found her whole attitude cringe-worthy. I've read a lot of books in my life and can honestly say I don't recall ever disliking a character the way I felt about Patty. All her talk about Amy being a "mean girl" seemed very "pot calling the kettle". I couldn't help but think that her and Nick were very suited for each other, her and Amy should become friends and Sam & Priscilla should just wash their hands of this horrible woman. I wondered if I was the only one who felt that way while reading it. Half way through the book, I stopped to read some reviews and was relieved to see others thought the same.

Tho I enjoyed Ms. Paterka's For I Have Sinned better, I feel this one did what any good book is suppose to do, make you stop and think and provoke emotion, good or bad. I anxiously look forward to reading more from this author.

[Lisa (lifeinlit) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story definitely hit close to home for me. As a woman who has always struggled with her weight, I really felt myself relating to Patty more and more as the story went on. Fatty Patty is fast-paced, enjoyable, and had me giggling out loud several times, fighting back the tears at others.

I loved watching Patty's journey of learning how to deal with her "inner demons". Everyone has issues they need to work through... and Patty definitely had her work cut out for her. Can she figure out how to love herself, inside and out?

I would definitely recommend this book to others. I do have to say the topic may not be desirable to some, but that's how it is with any book really. I would think particularly people that have struggled with issues such as this throughout their life would have a soft spot for this book, as I did.

The characters were wonderfully developed and Kathleen's writing style was something I really enjoyed. I will definitely look forward to reading more from Kathleen in the future.

[JenniferJ · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story was great but I had a hard time sympathizing with Patty the main character. She has been overweight her whole life and is trying diet after diet and getting nowhere.

She has always been sensitive about her weight and I can understand and sympathize with that but she meets two different guys who "appear" interested in her. One is a "hunk" and the other is overweight but an all around awesome guy.

Well she falls head over heels naturally for the hunk and treats the other guy the same way she thinks she has been treated all her life because she was overweight. She doesn't want him because he is fat no matter what a wonderfully guy he is! And the guy is no fat slob either mind you...he works out and exercises daily swimming laps at the gym. He goes out of his way to try to hook up with her but she is so ignorant.

[Crystal · Rating 3 out of 5]

The main character of this book is sooooo annoying. She falls for the pretty boy, is mean to the guy that really likes her because he's overweight, and is constantly trying to loose a few pounds. Ugh. And she's a teacher! she should know better.
Anyway, I kept reading it to see if she'd redeem herself and she did but I spent most of the book annoyed at her and liking the other characters. I guess that's what a book is supposed to do--create an emotional response (and it did).
The author was overweight in the past, apparently, so this is where her knowledge comes from, but the main character is fretting about gaining 7 pounds or loosing 3. When you're 300 pounds, that's nothing, so obviously "fatty patty" wasn't so fatty to begin with. //rant over. :)

[Terri Tinkel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. It was funny, light-hearted and yet told the story based on how an overweight woman feels. She has a twin sister who is thin and beautiful and everything that Patty would like to be. She tries so hard, so often, to go on a diet and exercise. Everything she thinks she is making some progress; something happens and she goes right back to eating herself sick. She meets a wonderful man at the pool and in spite of her attraction to him; she keeps hoping that the handsome and muscular new male teacher at her school will be the love of her life. Of course, there are problems along the way and she eats her way through most of them. This would make a very delightful movie with Melissa McCarthy or another actress like her as the lead.

[Jackie · Rating 1 out of 5]

It was very hard to get into this story because of the character of Patty. She has all of these goals she wants for herself (to lose weight, become teacher of the year, have a boyfriend, sell the house) but her judgement for her fellow swimmer/accountant made me sick. That and the whining about her weight but then keeping a stash of junk food in the house. I couldn't get more than halfway through this book. I don't recommend it. She reminded me of a spoiled child/someone who plays the victim card.

[Glynis Astie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book! Kathleen Irene Paterka's writing style is so engaging and the story will hook you immediately. Most people have dealt with the need to lose weight at some point in their lives, which makes the plot line extremely relatable. But there is so much more to the story! When you read this book, you have the joy of meeting an endearing cast of characters as well as watching Patty work to improve herself both inside and out. The book leaves you with a smile on your face and a sense of endless possibility in the world. I would definitely read Fatty Patty again!

[Sharon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wasn't even sure I would like this book. I am not too big on self depreciating or dieting so the cover and title were a bit of a put off; but it was such a great read. I had trouble sometimes liking the main character but at the same time relating to some of her struggles.

It is the first time in ages I have started reading a book that had me still sitting up past midnight still reading.

Looking forward to reading more from Kathleen Irene Paterka

[Christy Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Once the main character got her head out of her ass, the book improved. I wish there were more books like this with "heavier" main characters, because we sexy chubby people like love and romance and passion, and have it, too. I just hate that the book ended with both of them losing weight like how they were wasn't good enough, because that them kind of resonated throughout the story... but all in all, it is my only complaint.

[Mim-Is-Reading · Rating 1 out of 5]

As a big girl, I tried to be understanding of Patty's situation, but I simply couldn't.
I know that she was working through self-respect and self-esteem, but through 3/4-way of the book, she's not particularly likeable.
There are experiences that a character goes through that makes you root for them to have that enlightening moment, but unfortunately for Patty, I had nothing but contempt for her.

[G.V.R. Corcillo · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a refreshing, inspirational read! Patty is by no means perfect. She has flaws and foibles but it is empowering to read this story and watch her work her way to being the better, stronger person she wants to be. I was reminded very much of Jane Austen's Emma, as I read this - though I assure you, Patty is not stuck up like Emma! You will come to love Patty and the people in her life, and you will be cheering when you finish this book!

[Christine C · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is supposed to be a very good book. I tried to like it. I really did. But Patty is such an annoying character! I couldn't even get halfway through the book and finally just deleted it. I love flawed main characters, but at least make them likable! I found myself rolling my eyes at her, wishing I could yell at her to grow up, but never once liking her.

[Shawn Thompson · Rating 2 out of 5]

I hoped to fall in love with this book. Didn't happen. There was just nothing wow, or captivating, or even a little exciting, memorable, heart-wrenching......no meat basically. The premise was great, but the characters were dull and predictable. A little more depth and build up of lovable characters no matter their size and a lot less focus on thin=happy, desirable and worthy.

[Amber Brooke · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was a fun entertaining read but not something I would repeat. I found it to be a little too much of a love story for population in the 30s age range. Still a good one time read just for an older generation than myself.

[Lindsay]

Amazon Freebie 11/9/2012

[Kimberly · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun quick read....spent a lot of time yelling at Patty for being mean and for making goo goo eyes at Nick the creep.

[Tera Jenkins · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute book...

[Megan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute story.

[Kathee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good story. Gave me, an obese woman, lots to think about. There were quite a few typos though. :-(