Size Matters

A Perfect Fit #1

by Alison Bliss

The rules of (fake) engagement . . .
Leah Martin has spent her life trying to avoid temptation. But she's sick of low-fat snacks, counting calories, and her hyper-critical mom. Fortunately, her popular new bakery keeps her good and distracted. But there aren't enough éclairs in the world to distract Leah from the hotness that is Sam Cooper - or the fact that he just told her mother that they're engaged . . . which is a big, fat lie.

Sam sometime speaks before he thinks. So what started out as defending Leah's date-ability to her judgmental mother soon turned into having a fiancee! Now the plan is to keep up the fake engagement, stay "just friends," and make Leah's family loathe him enough to just call the whole thing off . But Sam has an insatiable sweet tooth, not only for Leah's decadent desserts but her decadent curves. Her full lips. Her bright green eyes. Yep, things aren't going quite according to plan. Now Sam has to convince Leah that he's for real . . . before their little lie turns into one big, sweet disaster.

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

294 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published November 29, 2016

About the author

Alison Bliss is a best-selling, award-winning author of humorous, contemporary romances. A born and raised Texan, she currently resides in the Midwest with her husband and her two kids. The youngest of five girls, she has never turned down a challenge or been called by the right name. Alison believes the best way to know if someone is your soul mate is by canoeing with them because if you both make it back alive, it's obviously meant to be. She enjoys writing fun, steamy love stories with heart, heat, and laughter. Something she calls, "Romance...with a sense of humor."

Reviews

[Chelsea (chelseadolling reads)]

DNF. I get what the author was trying to do... but it really didn’t work for me. The main character was CONSTANTLY shitting on herself for being fat. Like every other paragraph. It was exhausting. As someone who has struggled with their weight for their entire life and has FINALLY within the last few years made peace with the way I look and started to love my body, this didn’t sit well with me. Just because I’m fat, doesn’t mean I have to hate myself. So with that being said, I’m giving this one a pass.

NOTE: This book wasn’t terrible and I can see how a lot of women can definitely relate to the main character and really enjoy this sassy story. It’s just that for me personally it was doing more harm than good and I’d rather spend my #smutathon reading things that I find to be more lighthearted and fun. Onto the next one!

[Wendy'sThoughts · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Hearing What's Actually Being Said Stars
* * * 1/2 Spoiler Free It's Live!!!
We all have done it...someone says something and because of our own insecurities, we hear the negative from a comment that could be taken another way. People are sensitive... men and women alike.... and if either has heard in the past comments which have been hurtful, it is easy to think the new ones are the same type. In Size Matters by Alison Bliss, it is this clumsy miss communication which starts our gal and guy on their screwball comedy/angsty path.

In a nutshell, Leah Martin is out with her gal pal, Val at a bar to get some well deserved play time. Leah is Val's friend and boss at the new bakery Leah opened. It has been doing extremely well and making a name for it around town in its short life. As the women settle at their table, Val turns to Leah and instructs her to pick a guy for herself just like he was one of the donuts they sell at the bakery. Leah looks at Val and sighs. She then goes into all the reasons it is not possible.

Because even though Val may be full figured too, she carries it differently than Leah... Val is exciting, sometimes loud, always sexy and sure of herself. Where Leah just feels like she is this woman who resembles figure wise... a bulldog...Now no one else would think that to look at her... she has a beautiful full figure with outstanding features...full bosom, stunning green eyes, pouty lips ...all the things men love. Yet when she thinks of herself...it is all negative body image.

It is no surprise...her mother was tortured as a child about her weight so unfortunately, she has carried on the same tradition. Every single word out of the mother's mouth has a dig of some kind....and Leah learned early on if she fought back, her mother would throw guilt at her. Over the years, she just decided to let it all go...But by doing that, it fed into her self doubt. She also had the misfortune of having an ex who would constantly harass her to go to the gym/talk about her weight/what she ate. He recently broke up with her and she has been trying to get over the hurt.

Now Val is aware of all these factors and is very supportive but will not let Leah just sit there at the bar and not look for a guy who makes her heart flutter...
Leah looks around and a strong armed, broad chested man at the bar catches her eye. He is chatting with his guy and breaks out in a hearty laugh. Seeing this makes Leah mention a fella like him. Val, not one to let an opportunity pass, immediately goes to the bar and starts chatting up the friend of the fella. Before you can say two plus two equals four, Val is telling the men to come to the table.

Sam Cooper can't believe his friend Max... After just telling him how he has had it with dating and relationships because of the cray cray woman he just got clear off... he is making him be his wingman with these women... It isn't because he isn't interested in the one who is with this Val person. Sam couldn't keep a clean thought about her...She is just the right type of woman he loves, shapely and built. The things he would like to do with her chest and those pouty lips....but he has sworn off being that type of guy for a while. Needs to clear his head.

Sam brings the beers to the table and before he can even put them down, Val is up and dragging Max to the dance floor. Sam decides to invite the friend and asks but missed hearing her name correctly...and uses something close but not right... Leah corrects him and Sam already knows he has started off on the wrong foot. As they dance, he is fighting urges galore...fighting not to look at her luscious cleavage, can't look into those stunning emerald green eyes...can't hold her too close because then she will know how she is causing a riot in his pants...

Leah is not sure exactly what is happening with his guy... One minute he doesn't even know her correct name...the next he looks like he wants to eat her alive with the desire escaping from his looks at her. Leah can't think he is interested her... they never are...even when they are talking and making nice....The dance continues and then all hell breaks loose with a size 2 blond young girl comes up and starts talking to Sam like Leah isn't even there...Sam is surprised and listens to the girl whose mouth won't stop chattering about the other night when he picked her up...

What the hell...Sam cannot believe what is happening... Yeah he picked up the girl and gave her a ride home because her car was broken on the side of the road...But as he looks at Leah... with all of his parts wanting to take her to his truck and bang the living daylights out of her...His brain is telling him he does not want to start anything... no relationships... so turns to Leah and says...

You don't mind if I dance with Amy....

Oh Hell No...Leah walks off the dance floor and promptly runs through all of the comments told to her over the years by men not just saying You're Fat/ Not Interested. As she thinks of all the disappointments she has had, 5 tequila shots are consumed while Sam looks on getting more and more concerned about the state of Leah. When a handsy guy comes over to Leah's table and starts forcing himself on her no matter how much she pushes back and says no...Sam takes matters into his own hands and knocks the fella out.

This accomplishes a couple of things...
Leah is drunk and now even more pissed at Sam...
The Bar throws them out leaving Leah without a ride home
Sam takes Leah except she passes out in his truck causing her to wake in Sam's bed the next day.

During all of this Sam cannot seem to say anything right when talking with Leah. She is sensitive and the way Sam says things can easily be taken in exactly the wrong way....
Yet Sam is sort of a good guy. A bit dense in the women department and his feelings but actually at his core, good. So like any good guy, after taking Leah home and continuing sticking his foot in his mouth, he returns the next day to the bakery to apologize.

There he sees Leah all dressed in a beautiful gown and upset. Of all times for her car to break....she made the wedding cake for her ex's wedding and now she has no way to get it to affair. Sam hears this and immediately volunteers to take the cake and her to the wedding. Leah tells him brief bits of what an ass her ex was...and follows her into the location.

Sam is amazed by how professional Leah has been... her bakery rocks and the cakes, pies and donuts are amazing. Watching her put this huge cake together takes his breath away. She is so pretty and how she moves around it makes him think of her moving under him. After the intros to the couple, Sam is listening to the ex say another thing to Leah which is a slight and before he knows what has hit him, he steps up and introduces himself as her fiancee.

Well now we are off to the races with this book because Leah cannot believe this almost stranger who doesn't even want her has now put her in the most impossible position...Because here comes her mother all bright eyed and bushy-tailed telling her how she just heard the news and how shocked she was another man would want her....

This book was at some point so funny, I was laughing out loud talking to myself. Ms. Bliss set up situations which lent themselves to howling laughter. Other times you felt the pain Leah was experiencing. Body shaming is a terrible thing... especially when done by those close to us. It is even worse when the individual does it to themselves.

Sam was just a guy who was a bit clueless in his communication style. As soon as he heard any cutting remarks towards Leah, he would address them, though. He was confused with his feelings for most of the story and Leah kept sensing there might be something with this man...and then he would do or say things which threw her back into the negative.

Both characters had growth arcs. The need to be happy in your own skin and not let anyone try to tell you different was the theme. Leah was accomplished in so many things, it was a habit for her to think the worst in how she was considered...Habits can be hard to break... and in the end she did.

Sam was a man who needed to key into his feelings and express himself clearly. He would try himself up in mental knots and then have situations happen and not know how to clear them up. Just a guy with not a bad bone in his body... just not to clear in his thoughts.

This was a very solid and surprise read for me. Overall, I was reading along with a smile on my face...Past the 3/4 mark, though I think there was a bit of back and forth which could have been cut back...but mainly this was a win. Ms. Bliss was a new to me author and I can understand why she has a strong following. She took a subject which all of us deal with in one way or another and placed it front and center in this story. Huge win for us all.

A gifted copy was provided by Forever (Grand Central Publishing) via NetGalley for an honest review.

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[Ivy Deluca · Rating 2 out of 5]

Leah’s hanging out with her friend Valerie at the Rusty Bucket, when she sees gorgeous Sam hanging out with his friend Max. Leah’s fascinated, Sam’s attracted, and yet nothing but miscommunications and misperceptions follow. Before we know it, there's a fake engagement, and eventually, romance.


-The Good: I have a weakness for BBW heroine romances. Whenever I get a chance, I have to add one into my reads because I like being able to relate to the heroine and for the most part, when I get a BBW romance, I can't help but bump it up my review/read list. When I saw this book I was all on it. Basically, a fake engagement mixed in with a big and beautiful woman and the man who loves her? If Sam had been a rock star and/or billionaire, I would have been in trope heaven.

As my first Alison Bliss book, I liked the setup for Leah and Sam’s romance. Leah and Sam had good chemistry, and when Ms. Bliss focused on their dialogue and allowing them to really interact with each other, the story was entertaining and had immense potential. There are some genuinely humorous moments between them and I think Leah’s friendship with Valerie was genuine and fun. I loved that Sam was attracted to Leah from the very beginning and loved all her curves.

-The Bad: Unfortunately, you could also call this Negative Nellie and The Waffler. Leah has an unrelenting negative self-image and especially in the beginning, is obsessed with her weight and sees every comment through the lens of her own self-hatred. Sam is annoying in his own way, as he waffles continuously between wanting to be with Leah and not wanting to want her. He says it to himself (and the reader through his inner monologues), over and over. The negative and self-doubting comments were exhausting and definitely took down alot of my enjoyment of what could have been a very good contemporary. Their personal character arcs suffered from a focus on their foibles early and often, and not enough focus on their journey to acceptance and an HEA.

-Everything In Between: Leah’s negative self-image is clearly tied to her own mother’s constant harping on her, and that mitigated some of my annoyance. I wish more time had been spent earlier on having Leah push back, because the change from constant self-hate to her acceptance of herself occurred all at once, all at the end, and it was distracting. Sam’s knowledge of Leah’s self-worth issues made his personal gaffes all the more painful to read because he could immediately tell she was insecure and yet he repeatedly said the wrong thing at the wrong time. When he protected her it was lovely, I just wished he did it more often. As a result, I wasn’t sure I bought into their love. I could believe they liked each other, but both of them desperately need some time to deal with their own issues before they could be ready to love each other.



It was ok. A book that had its enjoyable moments but was overshadowed by alot of negative inner monologues and uneven pacing.

**ARC provided by publisher via netgalley for review**

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[Carole (Carole's Random Life) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review can also be found at Carole's Random Life.

This was a fun book! I love it when a story can balance humor with romance and this one did it really well. There were plenty of touching moments as well to really tell a satisfying story. I didn't want to put this book down and ended up reading it in a single day. I am so glad that I decided to pick this one up.

Sam and Leah are the focus of this book. Sam is in construction and has sworn off any relationships for the time being after his most recent disaster. Leah owns a local bakery and isn't sure she will ever meet the right guy. Leah also has some body image issues that pop up pretty early in the book. On a whim, Sam tells Leah's ex fiance that they are engaged and soon everyone knows about it. They must now spend some time with family before they can "break up" and make everyone happy.

As soon as I read this book's summary and noted that there would be a fake engagement, I quickly guessed that they would end up falling for each other. I was right but the way it happened was a treat to watch. This pair fit so nicely together and Sam really seemed to become a part of Leah's family almost immediately. The chemistry between the pair was well done and I was really wanting to see them make it work. Everything about their relationship felt genuine to me.

The humor in this book was well done. I didn't find myself laughing out loud but I was rather amused quite a few times. Leah and Sam both had a great sense of humor. I really liked some of the things Sam said to try to make Leah's family dislike him. The only thing that I didn't care for was how much focus was put on Leah's weight both by Leah and her mother. I understand why it was a part of the story but wish it had been scaled back just a bit.

I would recommend this book to fans of contemporary romance. This is the first book by Alison Bliss that I have had a chance to read but I do plan to read more of her work in the future. I am really looking forward to the next book in this series.

I received an advance reader edition of this book from Forever (Grand Central Publishing) via NetGalley.

Initial Thoughts
This was a fun quick read. There were a few funny moments along with a few more touching. I liked both of the characters quite a bit and enjoyed their chemistry.

[Carrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Leah Martin has spent her life fighting her weight and struggling with feeling that she just isn't good enough. Leah's mother is constantly pushing her to diet along with her ex-boyfriend signing her up to a gym so when Leah meets Sam Cooper in a bar she immediately assumes his disinterest is due to her size. Sam however has had his own relationship problems and just doesn't want to date anyone at the moment.

Instead of going their separate ways though Leah and Sam find themselves drawn together by a bit of a predicament. Sam, thinking he was defending Leah to her ex, opened his mouth and announced they were engaged without thinking of the consequences of this announcement. Now the pair just needs to pretend until they can end their fake engagement so as not to upset Leah's family.

Size Matters is the first book in the Perfect Fit series. I'd have to say there were things I really loved about this one but a few that I didn't. The characters and story line were actually pretty good and quite entertaining to read how the pair just continued to get themselves deeper and deeper into their lies which brought about a bit of humor. And they also had their sexier moments as the two grew closer.

However, I will say I did get a bit annoyed with the constant downer Leah was about her own weight and then the constant back and forth Sam was having with himself over actually liking Leah. Yes, both are what make the story but both just seemed to go on and on after a while so perhaps just a bit toning back of the negativity would have brought my rating up a bit more.

Overall though 3.5 stars for Size Matters, some cute and funny moments between this couple that made for a good read.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

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[Anas Attic Book Blog · Rating 4 out of 5]

Size Matters by Alison Bliss
Standalone Romantic Comedy with a Curvy Heroine
4.25-4.5 stars
Before I begin this review, I want to give a little background. I am plus-sized and miserable about it. This post here will tell you a little more about how much I hate my body. I wasn't heavy growing up. My mom and sisters are both gorgeous and thin. My mom brings up my weight constantly, not to insult me, but because she cares, but it gives me a complex anyway. Last year I was away for a weekend with one of my bookish friends, and I totally noticed that all I talked about was my weight. I am obsessively self-conscious. I only wear black and I hide behind long hair. So I want you to understand going in that Leah from Size Matters by Alison Bliss was one of the most relatable characters I have ever encountered.

I don't like books with the "BBW" (Big Beautiful Woman) tagline. Something about having a genre for us bugs the crap out of me. But I will pick up most romances with a curvy heroine that doesn't say BBW. I had one of my only disagreements with an author ever because I had said in my review that I couldn't relate to a plus-sized girl that embraces her curves, thinks she is all that, and wears sequins and leather pants. I know they exist, I would LOVE to have that kind of confidence. But I don't and I can't relate to it. I want to read about a big girl that covers her stomach during sex, who worries that the guy hates her body, because that is relatable to me.

Leah is me. She may be a little too negative and down on herself for a few of you, but I totally got her. I even thought her negative self-talk was a bit much sometimes, but then realized I do the exact same thing. Leah and her best friend Valerie (the heroine in the next book) are both bigger girls, but they have totally different attitudes. Valerie dresses up, flaunts her curves and picks up men right and left. Leah hides out and avoids any chance of rejection, especially after her last boyfriend left her after she didn't shed the pounds he thought she should. Until one night Valerie forces her to go out and tells her to pick a guy.

“Hippy brunettes with body image issues and smudged eyeliner don’t get the luxury of just pick one.”
“Oh, shut up,” Valerie said, rolling her eyes. “Your eyeliner looks fine.”
Yep, that about sums it up. My eyeliner is the only thing that looks decent on me tonight.

Sam and his friend Max are at the same bar. Sam just got out of a bad relationship with a crazy chick and he is swearing off women for a while. So when Max hooks up with Valerie, Sam is left with Leah, who is totally his type. So much, that he has to try not to look directly at her or he wouldn't be able to stop himself from taking her home.

He had never been fond of the anorexic, always-on-a-diet type. And he sure the hell didn’t want to sleep with a bag of bones either. Sam appreciated the sensual rounded curves of a feminine body, a girl with some meat on her hips. The soft contours of a woman’s thighs, large shapely breasts, and a gently rounded ass he could grab on to with his hands—that was what he loved about a womanly figure. All the things Leah possessed.

But of course, he swore off women so he had to hold himself back big-time. And his holding back and doing some assholish stuff by accident totally made Leah think he was blowing her off because of her weight, and she proceeded to get hammered.

The next day, she couldn't understand how he could have carried her in.

“Did you drag me inside by my ankle or something?”
He gave her a puzzled look. “No. I carried you in.”
“You must be pretty strong then.”
Sam frowned. She was dogging her weight again, and it was starting to piss him off. Some jackass had really given her a very unhealthy image of herself.

Leah is a baker. She was also hired to bake a cake for her ex's wedding that day, but when she had car problems, Sam offered to help her out. And when he saw she was in an awkward position with her ex and she was putting herself down again, he popped in to save the day by kissing her and saying he was her fiancee.

Here is where the fun began. Leah's mom found out, and when Sam heard her mom putting her down again he decided to keep up the fake engagement ruse without even asking her. Leah was set to go away with the whole family though, and now Sam was invited! The fake engagement was getting out of hand, and they had to find a way to break up over the weekend.

I was cracking up at some of the antics he pulled to make her family hate him and tell her to dump him. The interactions between the couple were adorable and I loved how he defended her, was obsessed with her sweets and she tried to save him with a pillow. I had a great time watching them get closer, but Sam had a nasty habit of putting his foot in his mouth, and she had a nasty habit of taking everything wrong.

But when they got it right, it was HOT and it was sweet.


Likes:

•One of the most relatable heroines ever.
•I totally relate to the mom comments.
•I laughed out loud a lot.
•Lots of banter.
•Sam was great (but I wanted to kill him sometimes, see dislikes).
•The sex was pretty hot.
•Sam and her younger brother made me laugh.
•I loved the friendship between Leah and Valerie and can't wait for Valerie's book.
•I love how Sam always came to her rescue and stood up for her.
•How the title referred to a few things! LOL

Dislikes:

•3rd person.
•That Sam didn't realize how some things can be taken wrong. He really hurt her.
•The cover makes it look like a wholesome novel.
•It wrapped up a little too quickly.

The Down & Dirty:

Leah was one of the most relatable heroines ever. She is plus-sized and miserable in her own skin, always putting herself down because her mom and ex gave her a complex. Sam was sweet and sexy despite putting his foot in his mouth and hurting her a few too many times. I laughed out loud a lot during Size Matters, and loved the banter and snarky fun. I was rooting and cheering for this couple to get over themselves and get together and I had a blast the whole time. If this was written in first person, it would have been 5 stars for me, but you can bet I will pick up Valerie's book, because I expect that will be crazy funny without the self-loathing that may turn some of you off.

Rating: 4.25-4.5 stars, 4.25 Heat



Purchase Size Matters by Alison Bliss

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[Sarah (is only writing short reviews for now) · Rating 2 out of 5]

Read for the URR 2017 New Year's Reading Challenge prompt 'BBW (Big Beautiful Woman) Romance'.

8/2 - This was just barely average. Leah spent her whole time whining and not communicating with Sam. Sam spent his whole time trying to avoid a new relationship so soon after his previous one ended and not communicating with Leah. The entire book's premise is built on the couple's refusal to communicate with each other. If Sam had just told Leah why he was so reticent about getting into a new relationship she might have understood what was going on in his head. If Leah had just told Sam that his mysterious behaviour made her think he was not interested because of her weight, he might have understood the need to be honest with her.

This book claims to be promoting women with a positive body image, but while Leah hasn't buckled under her mother's cruel comments on what she eats and at the beginning she refuses to let Sam's supposed dislike of her shape get her down, she never stops thinking about her weight. Every time Sam says or does something that makes her think he's not interested she immediately jumps to the conclusion that it must be because of her weight. I applaud Bliss' attempt to include women of different sizes in her books, but Leah wasn't a positive character in the battle of the body image. She may not have been obsessing about counting her calories, but instead she obsessed about her belief that every little slight sent her way was weight related. This may be realistic to what goes through a woman's mind in a similar situation, but that doesn't mean I want to read about a character like that.

The first few chapters of the second book in the series, On the Plus Side, are included at the end of the book and I think I'll still read that one as Valerie seems much more like the kind of character I would want to read about in a body positive romance.

[Pam Nelson · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 Size Matters Stars - ❤ Audible Review HERE ❤

Warning swearing a head:

First I am a CURVY girl so I thought yes a book I can relate too.

UMM NOO not at all. Leah is so up in her own damn head she doesn't see herself. She makes jokes about her size ok now that I understand I do that too, because as a curvy girl it’s expected.
But let’s be real here, she wouldn't have such problem if it wasn't for her FUCKED UP SELF-RIGHTOUS mother.

WHO lets there WIFE, the MOTHER of your children talk to them like that?
AND JUST SITS BACK AND DOES NOTHING!!!!!!!

Thank God for Sam, because he is the only one with a fucking brain in his head and stood up to the SHREWED COW!
Sam saved this book for me, not because he was this outstanding guy but because he got Leah to think of herself better. It wasn't his MAGIC COCK or his wit. It was not letting other bully her. I think that above all else is what Leah needed to stand up to her damn mother.

Hell she should have screamed at her father too for ALLOWING that to go on in his house, IN FRONT OF HIM!

Yes I am a little hot under the collar about this one because come on. This author has a wonderful opportunity to bring curvy girls in to romance but no she went with the generic self-loathing, bullying shit.

WHY can’t we have a curvy girl who owns her shit and finds a man who loves her for HER. Ok Sam did like her how she was I will give you that. But all the self-doubt and put downs. I could have done without all that.

Great narration by the way, very much enjoyed that.

Not a terrible book I enjoyed big chucks of it but hated others as you can see.

*You don't have to like my review but its 100% my opinion, and I am allowed to have it.*

[Stephanie · Rating 1 out of 5]

I received a copy of this title from NetGalley. It does not impact my review.

**My response to this book did not warrant a full review, so behold my unorganized rant.**

A fake relationship story with a cover model that isn’t a size two. I thought this was going to be sweet and relatable and very body positive. I was wrong on all counts. I just disliked this book so much. The characters were awful and really unlikable. Leah was not that overweight, but she was really insecure about it and lashed out a lot because of it. Every time a skinnier person was mentioned (by her or Sam) they were referred to as anorexic. Sam acted like a huge jerk for the majority of the book. Even when he was supposed to be swoony, I despised his behavior. He also bordered on crude a good deal of the time and maybe some readers will be into that, but I’m not. It took way too long for Leah to grow a backbone and stand up to Sam’s treatment of her and her mother who was constantly putting her down, and when it finally happened things were resolved much to easily. The one positive thing I can say about this book is that it was occasionally humorous. I really should have just stopped reading this, but I kept hoping it would get better. Instead, I just disliked it more and more.

Overall Rating (out of 5): 1 Star

[Cheri · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book because it made me laugh out loud so many times. The whit & banter between the H&h and the other characters was very enjoyable. Typical romance, light reading, steamy sex, and humor all rolled into one. I would recommend this series to any fans of JE, CP, or any other author who writes this way! It contains a few pages from #2 in this series. I will be getting that one very soon! :)

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

It feels like eons ago that Ms. Alison Bliss sent me a message asking if I would be interested in reading her first book Rules of Protection. I wasn't disappointed then and I haven't been since. Bliss is just one of those authors that seems to just have "it". Her books are hilarious and romantic and steamy and completely realistic and down to earth. And after reading her latest book, I have a serious case of author love.

First, this book had me ROLLING from the very first page. Talk about hilarious. Our 9yo son kept asking me what I was laughing about and it's not like I could say that I was laughing about testicles. Talk about awkward. So be ready with the, "Nothing" or "Just stuff" answers when you start this one. You've been warned.

I really don't want to delve too much into the book because I'm not very good at keeping secrets and I don't want to give stuff away ... I will say this ... the main character, Leah, is pretty much every girl out there. Leah thinks that she's chunky and that no hot dude could possibly be into her. Basically, every girl I know has had this feeling. It was simultaneously heartbreaking and heartwarming to be invited into Leah's life while she is traversing the rocky road of being attracted to someone who you think couldn't possibly have feelings for you as well. I saw a bit of myself in Leah. I won't lie. I've had these doubts. Actually, I've had them in almost every single relationship that I've been in and even though Leah is a fictional character, it feels like she just "got" me. It's a special thing to connect with a character like that. It doesn't happen very often.

Okay ... onto lighter things ... Alison Bliss has a dirty mind. That's the only possible explanation for the sexy scenes because I don't get shy very often but this book made me blush! For the love of all things fluffy ... some of the scenes in this book were so hot that I felt embarrassed to read them. Not that that kept me from actually reading them. Hello! Ugh. They were gooood.

And of course, I should say something about the plot and the characters and the flow of the book ... here's the deal: I wouldn't change one damn thing. The plot was perfect, just enough stuff going on to keep the book flowing at a great pace without feeling bogged down. The characters were nothing short of perfection and that's that.

Ooh! I almost forgot, Bliss teaches you some good stuff in this book! Like how a dude would give his right testicle to take an adorable toy poodle for a walk. This is the kind of shit you file away because you just KNOW it will come in handy some day. I have it on good authority that this will be a Jeopardy question some day. Not really. But that would be cool. OMG. Maybe Darrell Hammond could do his Sean Connery impression on SNL thing and use this little testicle/poodle tidbit! Swords for $500, Alex!

I CAN NOT wait until the second book comes out which probably won't be until 2019 because life isn't fair. I'll wait impatiently (like I always do) and then I'll read the book in one setting (like I always do) and then I won't fix the kids dinner and they'll get to have whatever they can come up with (which is what always happens when a Bliss book comes out). With Size Matters, they feasted on oatmeal, popcorn and spinach salads. Hey, they chose that weirdo combination. They enjoy Bliss book time as much as I do! I think I'm going to go reread this right now. Dude. Such a great book.

* I received this novel in exchange for an honest review *

Check out more of my reviews at Little Miss Bookmark!

[Anna's Herding Cats · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reviewed for herding cats & burning soup.
Amazon: http://amzn.to/2fwiSCn

Size Matters was my first from Alison Bliss and, yall, it so won't be my last. I couldn't put this book down! It was the perfect combination of hilarious, heartbreaking and toe curling sexy.

Okay, so, Sam. Sam has a tendency to speak before thinking and in a total hero move of defending Leah he manages to tell her mother that he and Leah are...engaged. Problem is they've only just met and she's all 'what the hell, dude?' because, seriously, what the hell, dude? Only way they can figure to safe face and not embarrass Leah completely? Get her family to hate him. Ergs. Yeah. Crazy hilarity ensues.

I really fell for both Sam and Leah. They were a bit of a disaster but kinda a perfect one? She's sweet, gentle, a baking diva and dealing with insecurities about her extra curves. He's got a some alpha male yumminess in him, is good with his hands and loves her sweets--of every varieties. They were a fun pair and woo the sexy bits. Goodness. Yeah. When these two can get on the same page they heat things up and leave a girl panting for more. Noms!

Bliss has a great sense of humor and some of the things her characters said or did just killed me. I went into hysterical giggles at one point and got funny looks from the cats. Had to put the book down because every time I tried to keep reading I'd burst into laughter again and ended up crying I was laughing so hard. It was fantastic.

Now, there were some serious bits, too. Leah struggles with being plus sized and years of enduring subtle--and not so subtle--criticism from her ex-boyfriend and from her mother. I really hurt for Leah and understood some of her insecurities. Got her hurt feelings and how those subtle jabs can do a good bit of damage. I liked how it was handled, though, and how much Sam loved her curves and stood up for her.

All in all, I had a damn good time with Size Matters. I'm excited for more from Bliss. If book two is even half as good as this one it'll be a blast.

[Miranda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this book to be a charming and romantic start to what seems to be a promising new romance series. I was very excited to read a romance novel with a plus-sized lead in it. It is as common to have a plus-sized woman be the main character in a romance book, so I am very glad the author decided to do that. I was happy that this book addressed body image and how it is important to love yourself no matter your size.

The main character, Leah, was hilarious. I found her commentary to be so witty and smile inducing. I thought the author did a great job at making her dialogue funny, yet believable. The main issue I had with Leah was her body shaming. I 100% understood her insecurities. It is not easy to love your body, but I wish Leah wouldn't have been so hard on herself and even other women. She constantly belittled herself and talked about how "fat" she was. It became a bit tiresome and cringe worthy. I wish Leah wouldn't have mentioned it as much and I wish she wouldn't have talked about the weight of other women as much either. However, I am glad Sam was there to help her realize that her size DIDN'T matter, and that she was perfect the way she was.

Sam was a great character. He was charming, funny, and thoughtful. However, his communication skills were pretty terrible, which was frustrating. That being said, I still enjoyed his character. I appreciated way he wanted to help Leah learn to love herself. I thought they made a really cute couple! Their interest in each other seemed a bit sudden in the beginning, but the author managed to make it slow down and become more realistic as the book went on.

I thought this was a witty and fun read. Some of the drama was a bit unnecessary, which slowed the book down at times, but it was still enjoyable overall. I would recommend this to anyone looking for a new romance to pick up!



4 / 5 Fangs

*This ebook was given to me in exchange for an honest review. *

MrsLeif's Two Fangs About It
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[namericanwordcat · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book has all sorts of cat nip for me with a curvy heroine, friends to lovers and a fake engagement.

However, all that fun could not overcome a lack of a body positive point of view and tedious self esteem issues around weight that kept popping me out of the story.

I just couldn't settle in because I was hoping for a book that had a richer understanding of size.

Sigh.

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

Leah Martin is a real woman. She is a sweet, smart bakery owner and she's got curves. And she's got a bit of a self esteem problem due to her weight and her history. She does not hold out much hope that Mr. Right is just waiting for her.

Sam Cooper is sexy, handsome, and charismatic, but a bit confused about what he really wants. He just got out of a relationship that left him really needing a break. He inadvertently plays into all of Leah's insecurities when they meet. He actually likes her and her curves, but everything he says or does seems to be easily misinterpreted.

OMG the words that come out of their mouths and various connotations cracked me up! Innuendo mixed with potential insults with a bit of flirting. Size matters differently for men and women and it all gets mixed in with their interpretations.

Due to circumstances they end up friendly, and in another big mouthed move he announces they are engaged in order to help her save face...not realizing that he just made everything more complicated and now they would have to fake it for it awhile. And it all just ramps up from there. It's a chaotic ride of lies, hidden feelings, and misunderstandings. She is insecure about her appearance, so it's easy to convince herself that he isn't attracted to her and doesn't really like her. And he's scared of moving too fast with a relationship until he's sure he's found the right girl. But their friendship and chemistry keep getting stronger and harder to resist. Problem is his confusion and inability to stick with a decision leads to some crazy mixed signals. And poor Leah just has to go along with it and deal with the fall out.

Things change fast and constantly. They set expiration dates to end the farce, but circumstances or sudden decisions change the plan. There is lots of banter, sparring, innuendo, hidden meanings, and comedic situations to keep it flowing.

I could totally relate to Leah and her fears and insecurities. She has been conditioned to believe she is fat and unattractive so it easy to believe the worst. I got frustrated with Sam at times because he was living in denial land and was scared to admit his feelings even to himself. They had such hot chemistry and he really could understand and appreciate her and he was protective of her--even when he was confusing her and messing with her head. But in order to really move forward she will have to find her own self confidence and take up for herself. He likes her sweets and her sweet self, but if he doesn't get his act together and go after what he really wants, he may lose his chance.

This is fast-paced, funny, feisty, frisky and just plain fun. But underlying it has really good messages about what is really important and what makes someone beautiful. Under the humor, it takes on a sensitive subject and makes some good points. The characters have depth and have opportunities to show growth.

This is book one in a new series and I imagine book two On the Plus Side will be about her vivacious, outgoing friend Valerie. I also liked his best friend, Max, so I hope we see more of him.

I was gifted a copy in exchange for an honest review.
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[bookmarkbelles · Rating 4 out of 5]

I live for Romance books. The dirty kind, if you know what I mean. I typically don't gravitate towards Romance books like this one cause I feel like they would be too fluffy for my liking and I would end up bored and regretting my choice of reading material. That was not the case with Size Matters. Once I read the synopsis, I was drawn in. I couldn't wait to see how I would react to this story and let me tell you, I was pleasantly surprised. I enjoyed this book more than I thought I would. Yes it was fluffy, obviously. But it was also hilarious that I found myself laughing out loud more than any other book I have read. Especially when Sam would make remarks towards Leah's brother's choice of clothing. *dying* Im seriously hooked on this series now and can't wait for the next one. I may need to get a gym membership before I do cause the constant mention of sweets in Size Matters had me gaining 5 lbs. I kid you not! Speaking of sweets..........




I asked Alison Bliss what her Top 5 favourite desserts were.


1. Ice box pies are one of my favorite desserts to make and my go-to treat if I’m looking for something rich and indulgent. There is no baking involved and they are basically a cross between a cream pie and a cheesecake. Win-win, if you ask me.

2. We always used to look forward to my husband’s grandmother visiting and bringing us her special homemade sponge candy. But before she passed away, she gave me the recipe and now I make it in her honor. It brings us wonderful memories.

3. My mother makes these moist pineapple-banana muffins that are out of this world. I love them. My kids love them. My husband hates them. But that only means more for us.

4. Russian teacakes are a longtime favorite of mine. As with anything rolled in powered sugar, they can be a little bit messy at times, but they are super simple to make and taste delicious.

5. Homemade fudge over popcorn is another favorite. Growing up, my mother made this treat on occasion, so it’s great to be able to continue the tradition with my own kids.




Great, now Im hungry again *sigh* off to the bakery, I go.

[Kate Olson]

DNF at 50% but I did skim the last 5 pages. So so so so much self-hatred and self-fat-shaming. I was uncomfortable reading it.

[Andree · Rating 3 out of 5]

Oh how I wish this had been slightly better.

This should have been delightful, but I feel like it showcases one of the pitfalls of fake!engagement! in a modern context. So, basically Sam is incredibly attracted to Leah almost immediately, and she to him, but he's just broken up with someone crazy, and he's wants to take some time to be single and assess what he wants in a relationship. Fine. He's a bit of a jerk to Leah, to try and keep his distance. Not ideal, but semi-understandable. Except than for plot reasons he tells people he's engaged to Leah. Erm, okay, I'll give it to him out of necessity for plot related reasons. Then the thing spirals out of control, and the plan is for him to be such a jerk to her family that they beg Leah to call it off.

Except that he really likes her family, and he and Leah have great chemistry.

Look, I would have been fine with this if it hadn't ended in a proposal, or if Sam's commitment phobia had ended slightly earlier. But he's so gung ho about not getting married/into a serious relationship in the near future, that the abrupt about face 2 chapters from the end felt like whiplash. Seriously, dude was ridiculously commitment-phobic, especially given how clearly into Leah he was, and the fact that he's not opposed to commitment eventually. Add to the fact that they've known each other a matter of weeks and it just... doesn't quite work. I feel like if it had ended with them deciding that they wanted to try a committed relationship, and explaining to their families that they aren't actually engaged, but are in a committed relationship and looking to get there some day (adding the caveat that Sam just said they were to make Leah look awesome in front of her ex and it spiraled out of control), and I think this would have really worked. But that is not what happened.

And it's a shame that this doesn't quite work, plot-wise, because Sam and Leah are great together, and I absolutely believe that they would make a good couple. I just wish it had happened a slightly different way.

[Els · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lovely story

[Amanda · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF @ 18%. I hate to give up on a book so early, but I just couldn't do it. I really wanted to like this book. I'm always looking for "plus size heroines" but it's really triggering for me to read about one who has so much self-hatred. It's not that it isn't realistic--the opposite, really. At least part of the reason I read romance is for the escapism and I can't get that here. I want more books with plus size heroines who love and accept themselves.

[Janja · Rating 3 out of 5]

Liar,liar ,pants on fire!

Well i realy thought that i'll be super entuziastic with this story but sadly i'm not. Nothing new to read about it:fake engagement,friends with benefit and in love at the end.
Sweet,short and funny on the moments.

[Christina (A Reader of Fictions)]

Chapters read: 4, which is roughly 15 percent

So far, it's mostly meh. Not totally terrible (minus one big negative, which I'll be discussing in some amount of detail), but not terribly impressive either. Bliss is going for a miscommunication hate to love, and it's trying really hard but feels pretty artificial. Also, it's hinging really heavily on how attracted they are too each other, and the dude POV is basically just him thinking about his cock which lol. Were that all, I'd finish and it would probably be in the 2.5-3.5 range.

However, there's the issue of the fat rep. For one thing, I struggle with the fact that in Sam's POV, he keeps thinking that she's not fat, and anyone who told her she was is a dick. So I'm not sure if she's fat or has even worse body image than I'm already aware of. I was expecting this to be a book that embraced how sexy fat people can be, but instead the hero's denying that she's fat, which doesn't necessarily seem healthy to me, though I'm not an expert on fat rep.

Partnered with that is Leah's attitude. Lots of women have low self-esteem (myself included) because of the media's/society's standards for how we're "supposed" to look. The number of times a week I look in a mirror and hate what I see is a lot, and I'm working on that. Leah's constantly putting herself down; she outright hates herself, and she makes fat jokes about herself endlessly. Think Fat Amy in Pitch Perfect but without any of the confidence. It's painful to read.

Meanwhile, both Leah and Sam constantly thin-shame. There's a constant assumption that anyone thin must have an eating disorder, which is deeply toxic and potentially triggering. On top of this, the girl hate is real.

Examples of all of the toxic elements of the fat rep will appear in the following excerpts from the ARC. They may have been changed in the final version, but there's no way all of this would be gone.

Excerpt 1:

It was Max who liked his women sleek and thin as a rail, not Sam. In fact, most women his buddy dated were one sandwich shy of being hospitalized for malnutrition. Their bones jutted out of their shoulders, and the majority of them shopped in the kids’ clothing department to find something that fit their tiny frames. To Sam, that wasn’t a sexy woman—it was a prepubescent child.

He had never been fond of the anorexic, always-on-a-diet type. And he sure the hell didn’t want to sleep with a bag of bones either. Sam appreciated the sensual rounded curves of a feminine body, a girl with some meat on her hips. The soft contours of a woman’s thighs, large shapely breasts, and a gently rounded ass he could grab on to with his hands—that was what he loved about a womanly figure. All the things Leah possessed.

But somehow she’d misunderstood. Had he known she pictured him at the helm of a boat with a harpoon in his hands, he would’ve gladly corrected the assumption. Leah was not a whale, by any means, and it was almost laughable she would think of herself in that manner.

Excerpt 2:

Leah grinned but didn’t take the comment negatively. There was no mean-spiritedness in the bride’s tone, just a shallow, gum-popping, valley girl vibe. As Leah started to open her mouth to respond, something caught the bride’s attention. She released another girly squeal and ran off to join a group of girls all wearing the same short red dress. Apparently the bridesmaids were more entertaining than Leah. Thinner too.

Gavin stepped closer and smiled at Leah. “Thanks for not telling her that we used to date. It would’ve upset her.”

She glanced over her shoulder at the bride twirling in circles amid her friends. “Nah. Your bride has the personality of a cocker spaniel and the attention span of a goldfish. She would’ve gotten over it in seconds.” Then she gave him a quick wink to show she was teasing.

Excerpt 3:

It was like seeing Gavin again caused all her insecurities to unleash at once, triggering all the conflict and stress behind her low self-esteem. He obviously hadn’t liked her body when they were dating since he’d repeatedly tried to coerce her to lose weight. And when she hadn’t lost the excess pounds, he’d dumped her, only to turn around and marry Miss Anorexia.

The only bit of confidence Leah can muster comes from putting other women down. It's a sad and realistic way of thinking, but it's not something I want in my head since I struggle with my own body image issues. Read Jennifer Crusie's Bet Me instead.

[Kimi Porkchops · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are authors that you just know that you’re going to like. There are authors that you know you can grab their book and you’ll be so engrossed that you’ll just keep reading until the book is over. Alison Bliss is one of them. When I found out that she was coming out with another series, one that was about a plus size girl I was stoked. Being plus-sized myself, it gets disheartening after awhile reading about main characters who are a size 4 all the time. Size Matters hit me right in the heartstrings and it will forever be one of my favorite books.
This books continues the hilarious humor that her other books hold. I was constantly laughing throughout this book, to the point where I was getting stares. It wouldn’t change it for a minute. This story takes on the trope of a fake engagement. Sometimes I really hate these, but Alison took a different route with it. You would think that guy meets girl, fakes engagement, tries to make the family like him and blah de blah… nope doesn’t happen. I won’t tell you exactly what happens for fear of giving away the humor that ensued, but it was hysterical. Comments and reactions were perfect. Family dynamics were definitely entertaining.
Each of these characters were great. Leah is a down to earth girl, who anyone would want as their best friend. She’s really sweet and seems in control of her life. She’s always there for everyone even if they don’t seem to be there for her. She is sweet and I sympathize with her a lot. I sat there plenty of times thinking… wow… yep that’s my life. It felt really good to really be able to sympathize with a character. I was able to connect well. Sam is a sweety too. He may come off like a jerk sometimes but his heart is there throughout it all. He’s hardworking and loyal, which I loved about him. He puts his foot in his mouth a few times but he always seemed to have a way out of it. He’s smart and caring and hated how Leah saw herself. These two character complimented each other very well. They meshed so well.
Each of the supporting characters were great and I really can’t wait to see more. Everything about these books was amazing and this is definitely going to be a series that I continue to read over and over again. The feeling of really being about to connect with a character was the best part of all. Every insecurity that she felt, I have felt before. This book just hit so many feels for me. All in all, the laugh out loud moments, the romance, and the overall story was amazing and I can’t wait to read the next book.

[Melinda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Size Matters by Alison Bliss
4.5*

This was a great new read from Bliss featuring an insecure, curvy baker, Leah and the foot-in-mouth diseased, builder Sam.

After a disastrous initial meeting and several meetings later, Sam helps Leah deliver her ex-boyfriends wedding cake and winds up as her self-appointed fake fiancé who subsequently moves to spend an entire weekend with her family. In order for Leah to save face, it's decided that Sam will act as unappealing and uncouth as possible in order for Leah's family to be thrilled at the eventual breakup.

At so many points throughout this book, I was literally laughing out loud to the point of scaring my young family. I've found that Bliss and humor go hand-in-hand and she never disappoints on that level. I loved how Sam was so quick to defend Leah, even to herself! He was clearly smitten but I don't think I've come across anyone who is so lacking in communication skills!

I really enjoyed this latest from Bliss although there were a few factors that detracted slightly from me giving it a five star rating. Sam was awesome on the whole, but the way he occasionally treated Leah grated on me a little as did Leah constantly assuming the worst. I understand that she's an insecure person and given her mothers treatment and attitude, I couldn't even blame her for it, but I did get to the point of rolling my eyes a few times because it did get a little old. Overall, I thought this was fantastic and highly recommended.

*arc received from NetGalley in exchange for honest review.

**Reviewed by Melinda for Jo&IsaLoveBooks Blog.

[Brooke Blogs · Rating 4 out of 5]

Size Matters is a book I've had on my shelf for a few years. I finally picked it up yesterday and sailed right through it in a day. I haven't done that with a book for a while. I am a plus-size gal and was really looking forward to seeing a character like me. Leah was sweet and funny. Sam was sexy and spent a good bit of time with his foot in his mouth. I laughed out loud several times reading this. Size Matters had heat, humor, and a whole lot of angst. I'd love to see this as a movie!

I bought this book and am voluntarily sharing my honest review.

[The_Book_Queen]

NOPE NOPE NOPE.

DNF @ 11% (and I was ready to do so at 8%, but I was out walking the pup and didn't pause it until I got home).

Fatphobic, that's-not-consenting and a fuck-no asshole "hero", plus body shaming, a dash of "vague" slut shaming, and just a whole lot of general NO FUCKING WAY.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~


I will be talking about the book on my next Whatcha Reading? podcast which will go up on TBQ's Book Palace Saturday (11/18).

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

The first part of this book is so hard to read. The mom Is horrible. Leah is saying all sorts of terrible things to herself. One bad fat joke and dig after the other.

And then there is Sam. Okay, she talked him into this be my bad fiancée thing, but man. He was rude to Grandma, for Pete's sake.

It finally gets better after a third of the way in.

Read for Popsugar 2023- romance with a fat lead character

[Angie Elle · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars. Review to come.

[Missy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book! Was so able to relate to Leah and all her self-esteem issues. Believable situations and true to life mishaps. I really enjoyed how Ms. Bliss included the family element. The humor was outstanding...literally caught myself laughing aloud every couple of pages. Wonderful story, can't wait for more from this author.

[jenjn79 · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was going to give this 2stars...and then I read the last 30 pages or so and just had to drop it down to 1. I hate rating a book poorly but this one just hit all the wrong buttons for me.

This book features a plus sized heroine named Leah who runs a bakery. She's got serious self esteem issues from an over critical Mom and an ex who tried to change her. Then she meets Sam who through some misunderstandings and her own esteem issues she thinks couldn't possibly be interested in her. Then when he sees her struggling to hold her head high in front of her ex he announces they are engaged. Before they can blink her family knows and now they have to figure out how to get themselves out of this mess of a fake engagement.

Series note: first in a new series.

I really wanted to like this book. I'm a huge fan of atypical heroines - whether they are tattooed, pierced, super geeks, bbw, etc. Being plus sized myself I can relate to a plus sized heroine. So I had high hopes for this story. But unfortunately it didn't meet any of my expectations.

For one, this book has kind of a contrived slapstick comedy feel. The author goes for a light fun feel for chunks of the book with silly self deprecating jokes. Then you have Sam trying to make Leah's family hate him by acting like an ass and going all gutter humor. It just didn't work for me but then I've never been much for slapstick. And it did feel rather contrived at times.

Then there's Leah. She's one of the most unlikable heroines I've read in a while. Girl's got some of the worst self-esteem issues due to a insanely critical mother. Initially you feel bad for her but then it gets seriously annoying. She turns every comment into some perceived slight against her weight. I wanted to bang my head into a wall sometimes. And the way she lets her mom treat her? I don't care who someone is, that just doesn't fly. Plus the way she treated Sam was obnoxious. The guy is just trying to do something nice and she turns into an ungrateful harpy. No matter what the guy does he can't win with her. And what she does at the end when his parents arrive literally made me cringe and was why I dropped my rating down to 1 star. It was ridiculous and her reaction to his plea to her was selfish. It really made me not like her.

Sam was marginally better. He had good intentions but his inability to communicate made me roll my eyes. The story would have been much simpler if the guy could learn to express himself. I thought his commitment issues were blown out of proportion too. I mean his last relationship wasn't that bad at all and he acts like he's scarred for life. I didn't get it.

And I hated the whole thing where he acted like a douche to get her family to dislike him. It just made me wince and wasn't funny to me at all. I don't know how to explain it but I just didn't like that aspect even a little.

The resolution between Leah and her Mom didn't work for me either. There's a lifetime of mistreatment there and Leah makes one comment at the end and suddenly Mom's all contrite and all is well. Umm, no. It was so forced and quick and was another reason this book went down to 1 star. (Side note: her supposedly loving family are assholes for letting her Mom treat her that way FOR YEARS!)

On top of that you really don't feel at all the Leah has resolved any of her body issues - which is kinda what I wanted out of this book.

Plus by the end I just wasn't feeling the romance with these two. I didn't feel like the resolved anything and really I just wanted them to go away.

I was just all around disappointed by this book. There really wasn't anything that worked for me. I don't feel any urge to read the next book in the series so I probably won't.

**warnings: moderately explicit m/f sex, explicit language, gutter humor**