שלום, פיתוי

Hello #3

by Kelsie Hoss, קלסי הוס (Author's Hebrew Name), יעל צוק (Translator)

הוא הגבר החדש בעבודה שלי, עם לב זהב ומראה חיצוני שיכול להרוג. ואני? טוב, אני כזו רווקה נצחית, עד כדי כך שסבתא שלי מסדרת לי דייטים עם בחורים שהיא פוגשת במכולת.

בגיל שלושים, את כבר אמורה להיות בעלת בית, כלב, בן זוג, או לפחות שרשרת של מאהבים מהעבר. במקום זאת, אני בתולה בת עשרים ושמונה, שגרה עם ההורים כדי לחסוך כסף. העבודה שלי כמנהלת מתחם דירות, היא הדבר היחיד שאני גאה בו, ולא רק מפני שחתיך מושלם נכנס זה עתה בדלת.

טיילר גריפין הגיע לכאן כדי לעבוד על פרויקט בנייה במשך תשעה חודשים, מה שאומר שאנחנו נראה זה את זה הרבה, וממש לא אכפת לי אם זה אומר להשיג זמן צפייה נוסף בזרועות המקועקעות והשריריות האלה ובחיוך ממיס הלבבות שלו.

כשהבוסית שלי קובעת כלל שאסור לעמיתים לעבודה לצאת זה עם זה, אני כמעט צוחקת. טיילר ואני לא יכולנו להיות הפכים גדולים יותר, גם אם היינו מנסים, אבל העניין הוא... שאני חושבת שהוא די מחבב אותי. הוא תמיד עוזר לי עם הבעיות שיש לי עם המכונית הגרוטה שלי, מציל אותי מהבליינד דייט הנורא ביותר, ואפילו ממלא את משאלתה של סבתא שלי ובא למסיבת יום ההולדת של האחיין שלי.

מה תעשי כשתיזרקי מתפקיד החברה השמנה והמצחיקה אל תפקיד הדמות הראשית בקומדיה רומנטית לוהטת, שמעולם לא ציפית לה?

וחשוב עוד יותר, איך תתמודדי עם שיברון הלב כשהוא יעזוב?

דגש פופולרי לספר זה:

וידוי: אני כבר כל כך הרבה זמן בלי מערכת יחסים, עד שלפעמים אני מתקשה להאמין שמישהו ירצה לצאת איתי.

*ספר זה הינו חלק מסדרה, כל ספר על זוג אחר וניתן לקריאה כבודד.

Genres: Romance, Audiobook, Contemporary, Plus Size, Contemporary Romance, Fiction, Friends To Lovers

382 pages, ebook

Published November 1, 2025

About the author

My favorite stories are the ones that make you laugh, cry, and feel. In all of my books, you’ll find amazing curvy women, heartwarming moments, and plenty of laughter.

I currently live in Colorado where I watch way too many rom coms, chase my three boys up the mountains (huffing and puffing), and write books for lovely readers like you.

Reviews

[Nerdyviv · Rating 1 out of 5]

Did I miss the funny? Miss girl was lame as hell! Maybe I didn’t get far enough but I kept waiting for her to be funny! Because oh boy did she talk about being FAT!it honestly it was annoying how down on herself she was constantly. Also I’ve never heard somebody being described as a shit brick house, only a brick house which is a woman who has a BANGING ASS BODY! Maybe the book got better as it went on but I couldn’t bother to find out.

[SheR Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Falling in love can happen

When I first read the synopsis of this book before it was released, I knew I had to have it! And my instincts were right! I couldn't put it down and finished it in less than a day. As a plus size black woman (I'm clinically morbidly obese, but I'm learning to change my language), I have never felt more seen by any character than Henrietta. I have been her in every area. The story especially hits home for me since I've lost both my paternal grandparents (grandfather just a couple months ago), and my living maternal grandparents are getting to the point health wise where they need to go to a home. I felt so in tune with Hen in every way. Even the virgin part (31 and SUFFERING lol).

Tyler is my dream come true. I want to believe men like him exist, and that one will someday be mine, but until then a girl can dream. The sparks between these two were so bright they might as well had been fireworks. I loved the buildup of their romance, I loved even the moments where they doubted the other's attraction only to be hit with swells of confirmation that there was something magical there. The spice was small and sweet. Less than what I usually read, but somehow JUST PERFECT for this story. This novel gave me hope, laughs, heartbreak, and joy in a Happily Ever After that I desperately needed.

May all us plus size Queens find a love as strong, pure, enduring, and unimaginable as Hen and Tyler.

[Kelsie Hoss · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had so much fun writing Hen and Tyler's story! I hope you absolutely love it!

[Candace Rich · Rating 5 out of 5]

Superb!

I won’t write a book like I normally do. I will just say that I was pleasantly surprised by the story and by this author. Didn’t know if she could do Hen any justice because she was obviously black and the author was white. I was worried to be honest, but I should not have been. She did a great job.

The story was amazing. I, as the fat black hilarious friend can totally relate to Henrietta. Tyler was a whole swoon. I at times WAS ready to choke Henrietta out but I persisted and saw her get it together. I loved the story especially the three years later bonus chapter.

Please read this book. Don’t listen to people that are saying she wasn’t funny or whatever other ridiculously asinine thing they are saying about the book. I took the title to mean that Henrietta saw herself as just nothing but a funny fat friend. She didn’t see herself as anything else. It didn’t mean that she’d crack jokes on every page. I mean people, come on stop it. Some people are just stupid. There’s no other way to say it. Some of y’all are just stupid. Stop. You had to look deeper at the title. Henrietta had a very low sense of self. She had low self-esteem. This is what the story was about. It was about Henrietta learning to love herself and learning to accept love. It’s not always easy to do. I’m so glad she got her sh*t together and got her man. Buy the book; you won’t regret it. See y’all next time.

[Mark G. Hunter · Rating 2 out of 5]

Cute but missed the mark

A poor imitation of a main character as a POC'S. Being a person of color was purely a plot point, poorly written in.

[millie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Listen i think I just had high standards for books…and DONT check my recently read….but this just kinda felt forced and felt like corny. It was giving “you’re not fat you’re beautiful <3” and that just does not belong in the same society as Talia Hibbert’s writing sorry

[Christina Rod · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoy Kelsie’s work but this was another hard one to get through for me. The storyline was great but I felt like there was too much filler details which made this read longer than it needed to be. Tyler of course was a sweetheart and made the book worth the read.

[Christina Rivera · Rating 2 out of 5]

I tried. The main character wasn’t funny at all.
Like she was just the fat insecure friend.
Overall corny and very long. Super long for no reason.
Also on the cover she looks like she could be a size 10 like not really fat!

[Felicia · Rating 2 out of 5]

A lot going on here

The story has soooo many characters that at times it becomes difficult to focus on Hen and Tyler. I understand that it was done to show the giant circle of family and friends that the two of them have, but honestly it felt overwhelming and annoying to slug through stuff they were all saying and what was happening to them.

I don't think you get much depth to Tyler and Hen so as a result they come off as underdeveloped characted who seem to be charactures of people and not real. The story was so cheesy so if you're looking for lots of cheese this is the one!

I also didn't find Hen to be much of a funny person at all. I laughed at some of the situations surrounding her,, but she didn't come across as very funny at all.

I HATED that we had to witness a story of a woman with such low self-esteem. I loathed like that she only found confidence through men providing her validation. This seems to be a mondern day romance so I don't get why Hen wasn't on any dating sites...she could have easily been dating and likely found someone before Tyler who would have dated her. It seemed like she should have been from somewhere other than California. A lot of the details here struk me as strange and kind of dumb.

[Elise · Rating 1 out of 5]

We get it. She's fat. Me too.

[TacoFan · Rating 1 out of 5]

I don't know how the average rating is so high. It's too long, which normally I like! But she had such low self esteem and kept putting herself down all the time. It got to be very tiring after a while. Also I felt like the mmc was just too perfect. Like someone sat and wrote down a list of the perfect man. You can only go with the flow so many times before it's starts to come off as insincere. I just stopped believing him after a while. I am hoping I can remember something positive about the book. If I remember I will update this review.

[Brooke Goldberg · Rating 3 out of 5]

great story! but had some questions

I LOVED this story. Tyler and Hen warmed my heart and I stayed up way too late reading it. However, based o n the title, I thought Hen would be funnier - sharp, witty, sarcastic. Instead she seems to get in her own way and be content with mediocrity. Also, I needed more context about what a “big girl” meant. Was she a chunky size 14-16 but could rock a pair or jeans like no one’s business? Was she more like a Lizzo-esque queen? Had a hard time imagining. I did really love the story line and the narration though!

[suonnahbooks · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hello temptation by Kelsie Hoss
-This was a cute read I related a lot with Henrietta.
-OMG I love Tyler, I want a man like him. He rented a yacht for a date 🥹
-the spice was chef kiss
-this was a cute read
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

[Seri · Rating 3 out of 5]

*2.9
Appreciated that it tackled fatness and familial obligation, but the following made it less enjoyable personally:
1) All the “not like other girls” comments
2) Deference to the patriarch (e.g. asking for father’s permission to marry his daughter) might be charming to some, but really just wasn’t for me
3) The resolution between familial obligation vs. self desire was kind of hasty
4) Toward the end, the plot had unnecessary details that I don’t think added to the story or the characters

[Sabrina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Get it here:
Amazon US * Amazon UK

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am struggling with how to word this review. I found the book enjoyable. I like the plot, I liked the characters. I was invested. However, "Funny" is not a word I would use to describe Hen. Yes, all her friends and Tyler described her as funny or with "sharp wit" but I don't think I laughed once when reading this book. Also, I love diverse characters. One of the reasons I chose the book was because the heroine was a black woman. However, Hen could have easily been a white woman. I commend Ms. Hoss for having diverse characters, however besides talking skin color and racism, Hen did not feel authentic. I am not black. I am a white woman, but I do have black friends. There are lots of little things that could have been added to make it more authentic. For example, hair is a big part of black culture, especially for women. Hen would not wash her hair at his apartment (I believe I remember this correctly?), as washing hair or doing hair is a process. Often black women wear bonnets to bed to protect their hair. There were a lot of little things (like the part where Hen used coconut oil) that could have been added regarding black culture in the US. I feel like the author did not research black women before writing this book.

[Amy Reierson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow just wow.
I've been contemplating this review for far too long, I just don't know how to put how I feel into words. Kelsie always does such an amazing job really expressing the characters feelings in a way that for me I can't help but feel as if they are my own.
Hen is a big curvy beautiful woman, but like many she just can't see it.
Enter Tyler, the down to Earth, hard working, genuine, very attractive contractor now working at Hen's job site to do some expanding. Now Tyler is pretty amazing but his absolute best feature is his kindness. Right from the beginning he sees her not just her physical person but all of her and he likes her, all of her.
But it's not a heavy story, so much of their relationship is easy and part of that throws Hen off because she assumes her size should make things hard. It's really beautiful to read their adventure and I hope everyone adores it as much as I have.
I have voluntarily left this review.

[Reagan · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was some of the most unskilled writing I've seen since I got back into reading. This book had so much potential but the author unfortunately has a Wattpad style of explain everything outright that I do not enjoy. The amount of times something akin to "Why would he ever like me, a fat 28 year old tomboy Virgin?" was used was enough to make me want to quit but I stuck it out. This was way too long and did not touch on things I would have liked to see, like a fat character with self worth because fat girls do exist that love themselves. Also, I did not know she was black until halfway through the book because I didn't look at the cover when I clicked on the audiobook. With all the info dump in the first few chapters, I did not hear any mention of that and I would have liked that to be touched on more than just a fear of racism that gets brushed aside. Existing as a Black woman could have been explored more.

[Vickie Frazier · Rating 1 out of 5]

I saw the high rating on Amazon and had to read this. After reading I am not sure how it has the rating it does. Did she have an editor? There is so much wrong with this. Sweet tea in California? These characters talk like they are from Georgia not California. I'm from Georgia and I've never heard anyone outside of the south use the term "brick shit house." A little bit of research would have done a lot here. She needed someone to fact check and edit this. The fat shaming was obnoxious. Did she even consult one POC before writing this? I didn't even know the character was black until several chapters in!

[Karina]

I want to read this a second time before I rate 🫡

[Ashley Polo · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Hen. I related to her on like every level. She was confident yet insecure, outgoing yet shy, funny yet serious. She was such a good FMC. I did get mad at her when she pushed Tyler away, like come on men like that don’t come around often. Speaking of Tyler, where do I get one? He was perfect, a proper southern gentleman. I wish he was real. Their relationship was so sweet and spicy when necessary *wink wink*. This might be my favorite in the series so far. Can’t wait for more.

[Capriana Flowers · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was so good! I loved the chemistry between Henrietta & Tyler. I loved that Hen was a soft spoken character but fierce when it came to family and the people she loved. She was relatable especially for those that do feel like “the fat funny friend.” Tyler was such a sweetheart and lovable but hot damn was a dom in the sheets. I loved how he loved and valued Hen for who she was and accepted all of her. I highly suggest that you give this book and the Author a chance. Also check out Confessions of a High School Guidance Counselor & Confessions of Smutty Romance Author before this. Those books with help you get to know the characters in Hen & Tyler’s story.

[Kayla Davis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute book and an easy read once you get over the fact that it’s almost 500 pages. A lot of details were drawn out which is probably the main culprit for the unnecessary length but the story was still enjoyable. A couple abrupt endings and continuity errors at the end but I’m just a stickler.

[Kim · Rating 1 out of 5]

Confession: this book pissed me right off

So much unnecessary filler which made it SO LONG but also predictable

I think my quest to get out of my reading slump by reading bad books has reached its end with this

[Katharine · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF. How can you be built like a brick shit house?

[Lo✨ · Rating 3 out of 5]

I feel bad for giving this one a three but ughhhh
This book while the storyline was great. It was long and a little unrealistic for me.
I love Henrietta and as a current Fat Friend, I understand but sheesh! When does it end?
Loved her grandma tho!
I’m glad she got her happily ever after too!
But I didn’t really bond with it like I wanted to.

Hello Billionaire reigns supreme!

And I won’t even talk about the audio to this 🤦🏾‍♀️
I’m just sad. 😔

[Anna Hukema · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really validating. A lot of the experiences I also go through and it is great to have a book written from my perspective. Of course not everything is realistic as a lot of the reviews point out but is that not the whole point of it being fiction?

And if there is some kind of god on this earth, please sent me a Tyler

In any case I ordered 4 more of the series ♥️

[Jessica Pfeil · Rating 3 out of 5]

So cute.

[C.L. · Rating 2 out of 5]

(actually 2.5 stars)

This book was a massive disappointment and a drag. It took me four days to finish it. That's double, nearly triple, how long it takes me to read books normally.

Complaints: one, the subtle sexism, low-key fetishizing and toxic masculinity from Tyler. Two, why are they so fucking scared to say fat, like they'll use literally any other word despite the book title having fat in it unless they're saying the name title. Also the author references stuff constantly without fully explaining it for AGES, like Gage's falling out with their dad or his job and it's really annoying. I also DEEPLY dislike that pretty much from moment one Tyler was planning on how to convince Hen to move to Texas and uproot her life (quote from his inner narrative: "Would you give up everything you have here so we can build a life together there?") rather than considering maybe he should be the one that moves. It was extremely disappointing.

I also found the Griffen family honestly really unhealthy. Stuff like how the mom always prioritizes her marriage over the kids and how their best was always expected no matter what. Plus forcing Tyler on dates and then threatening to institutionalize him was really fucked up.

Overall this book was...okay. Just okay. It was primarily boring and there was no real intrigue for me. It just was. Everyone else seemed to love Tyler but I found him to be a sexist man child. I'm from the South. No respectful Southern woman raises her son to baby and treat women like they're that fucking incapable.

[Sadia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have to admit out of the 3 books. Confessions of the funny fat friend is my favourite💕. I can relate to a lot of the things Henrietta feels.

I loved Tyler he was so kind and understanding towards her. I think the aspect I could relate to most was the love for family both Henrietta and Tyler possess. They both want the same things in that sense which you can see from the beginning of the relationship. I like how they start off as friends straight away and there’s no tension between them (like they don’t pretend to hate each other etc). They’re mature and nice towards each other before they even get together. It was nice to see how through Tyler, Henrietta begins to see herself as more than the friend watching from the sidelines. She realised she is the main character of her own story! 🥹


It’s bittersweet that the journey of the 3 friends we started off with has now ended but, I’m excited to see where the author takes her next books ☺️


Once again a huge thank you to the lovely Kelsie for the advanced reader copy for my honest review💜