Dangerous Curves Ahead by Sugar Jamison

Grade: B
Hotness Level: Blaze
Kink Level: No Kink
Genre: Contemporary
Series: Perfect Fit #1
Published: 8/27/13

Reviewed by Anne

246 pages

Ellis Garret is a plus sized woman who has come to terms with her size.  She's not on a huge life changing diet or quest to get skinny.  She's ok with where she is, but she also knows very well that society thinks she's fat.  An ex-boyfriend was very clear about that.  When he pushes Ellis too far, she dumps him, quits her job, and moves back to her home town to start a clothing shop for women who are hard to fit - plus sized, extra tall, extra short.  

Mike Edwards was her college girl crush, but he was only friendly to her - he dated her sister.  He bumps into Ellis at the local coffee shop, and he looks familiar, but he can't remember her.  Ellis could be bothered by his lack of memory, but she' s not.  She finds it funny and teases him, refusing to tell him how she knows him and even knows what kind of underwear he wears.  Mike is used to having women fall at his feet, so he's intrigued by Ellis happily walking away from him after he flirts with her.

I'm not a huge fan of cartoony romance covers, but when I saw this book featured a plus sized heroine, and it DIDN'T sound like it was about dieting, I decided to give it a try. I'm SO glad I did! It was a wonderfully witty story about a woman happy as she is, trying to overcome insecurities she picked up due to past relationships and a man who has never been interested in a long term relationship before. It was funny and sweet and hot. I really enjoyed it.

The dialog is really entertaining.  I especially enjoyed the back and forth between Ellis and Mike.  I love that Ellis doesn't put up with crap or excuses from anyone.  When Mike does her wrong, she calls him out on it and is clear about what he did that hurt her.  The secondary characters are fun to read, too.  Ellis' parents are a hoot!

It did feel like the book was too long. It took too many times hashing through the same relationship problems, and when that happens, it leaves me a little doubtful about their future.  The epilogue absolutely pissed me off, both because it was a change in character and because I thought what happened (and I know it was supposed to be cute) was actually a really crappy way to treat your spouse.

All that said, the good absolutely outweighed the bad for me.  I'll read another book by Sugar Jamison for sure - even if there's a cartoon on the cover!