Release Date: July 9th, 2013
Genre(s): Adult Chick-Lit/Contemporary Romance
My Review: (3.5/5 stars*)
I both loved and hated this book. When I first picked this one up I
instantly thought it was going to be laugh-out-loud funny—it wasn't.
It's part inspirational & motivating, part romance, with witticisms
abound. The main character Holly's self-loathing made me loathe her but
overtime I grew to like her page by page. I've never read anything quite
like Big Girl Panties, it's a unique and surprising story. I liked a
lot of things about Holly, especially how she reclaims her life and
sheds the pounds for herself, and then overcomes the rest of her issues
with inner-strength the size of Texas. She was relatable, likeable, and
quick with the sarcastic remarks. Logan is from another world completely
and sees something in Holly that triggers his need to help her face her
fears and start living again. The connection between them is evident as
both friend and mentor. I didn't think this would be a romantic story
but it was.
I had a difficult time accepting Logan's feelings for Holly as genuine. Logan goes from being repulsed by Holly to being near-obsessively attracted to her. I guess the thing that most irked me was that no matter how fit she got Logan still wanted her to make improvements even when she was finally comfortable in her own skin and other characters thought so too. Somehow by the end of the novel instead of it being Holly's journey of transformation it suddenly became Logans. With little personality development through out he miraculously has a breakthrough and admits to himself and her that despite all odds he loves her. For awhile the very idea of liking Holly in that way makes him ashamed and that's where things got iffy for me. Even though the romance part of Big Girl Panties was a bit unbelievable and Logan was pretentious and half the time a downright jerk I still enjoyed this book.
Holly is an amazing character she's fearless, determined, has unwavering strength, and she's a beautiful and kind person beneath the layers. What drew me to her character was her personality. She's super witty, outgoing, and fun. Logan had his moments of being thoughtful, kind, and considerate so I didn't totally dislike his character. I loved his friends Amanda and Chase Walker although they had a weird fetish that creeped me out just a little. Aside from that they also contributed to Holly reinventing herself, and they both accepted her for who she was and never pushed her to be more. I guess that's where my problem with Logan came in, because he wanted her to fit his own image.
Overall Big Girl Panties has a good story with some great characters. Holly's road to success was a satisfying aspect, as was her comical retorts. It's a slow-moving progression of events but if you liked Holly as much as I did you'll stick to finishing it. There was a mountain of issues to overcome and the main character faced each one with unwavering resolve. The writing was nicely executed for a debut novel, and it had an unconventional love-story that will leave you entertained. If you enjoy wit, strong-minded characters, and opposites attract narratives this book should appeal to you.
I had a difficult time accepting Logan's feelings for Holly as genuine. Logan goes from being repulsed by Holly to being near-obsessively attracted to her. I guess the thing that most irked me was that no matter how fit she got Logan still wanted her to make improvements even when she was finally comfortable in her own skin and other characters thought so too. Somehow by the end of the novel instead of it being Holly's journey of transformation it suddenly became Logans. With little personality development through out he miraculously has a breakthrough and admits to himself and her that despite all odds he loves her. For awhile the very idea of liking Holly in that way makes him ashamed and that's where things got iffy for me. Even though the romance part of Big Girl Panties was a bit unbelievable and Logan was pretentious and half the time a downright jerk I still enjoyed this book.
Holly is an amazing character she's fearless, determined, has unwavering strength, and she's a beautiful and kind person beneath the layers. What drew me to her character was her personality. She's super witty, outgoing, and fun. Logan had his moments of being thoughtful, kind, and considerate so I didn't totally dislike his character. I loved his friends Amanda and Chase Walker although they had a weird fetish that creeped me out just a little. Aside from that they also contributed to Holly reinventing herself, and they both accepted her for who she was and never pushed her to be more. I guess that's where my problem with Logan came in, because he wanted her to fit his own image.
Overall Big Girl Panties has a good story with some great characters. Holly's road to success was a satisfying aspect, as was her comical retorts. It's a slow-moving progression of events but if you liked Holly as much as I did you'll stick to finishing it. There was a mountain of issues to overcome and the main character faced each one with unwavering resolve. The writing was nicely executed for a debut novel, and it had an unconventional love-story that will leave you entertained. If you enjoy wit, strong-minded characters, and opposites attract narratives this book should appeal to you.
Synopsis:
They say that big girls
don't cry. But when the chips are down and the dip is gone, what can you
do? Pull up your BIG GIRL PANTIES and change your life.
Holly Brennan didn't expect to be a widow at thirty-two. She also didn't expect to be so big. Through her husband Bruce's diagnosis and death, food was the one thing she could always count on. Now, those extra pounds make flying coach more than a little mortifying-especially since she's sitting next to Adonis himself, aka Logan Montgomery, a personal trainer to the country's most famous pro athletes.
Though Holly doesn't make the grade on his first-impression meter, Logan finds himself intrigued by her sharp wit and keen insight-a welcome change from the beautiful bubble-headed dolls he usually dates-and impulsively offers to get her back in shape. Ready to make at least one positive change in her life, Holly agrees.
To Logan's (and her own) surprise, Holly turns out to be a natural in the gym. Throwing herself into exercise, the red head with the blazing wit and welcoming smile slims down into a bonafide looker with killer curves-and a new kind of hunger. Soon, the easy intimacy and playful banter of their training sessions lead Logan and Holly into the bedroom where they share their most intense and steamy workouts yet.
I have this on my TBR pile and it's really good to see a review of it by a blogger I follow. Great review! I think I'm going to read it but probably have the same problems you do with Logan. :)
ReplyDeleteI know a lot of people who had just as mixed reviews as me, despite it, it was a different kind of read from a new author. It's good to be aware of what you're getting yourself into from the start :)
DeleteKay, if you read it I'd love to hear your thoughts!
Thanks for stopping by,
-Seirra
I saw this on Goodreads but I didn't pick it up...I'm not sure how I feel but I think I'm going to hate Logan! :))
ReplyDeleteYou just might but you'll probably love Holly! :)
Delete-Seirra
Some sort of corset is really a clothe worn to hold in addition to condition the particular upper body into a preferred condition regarding cosmetic or even medical functions (either through using this particular item, or even having a much more long-term effect). Both ladies and men are seen to wear corsets, however females are definitely more common wearers. Want to be the most charming female using alluring system brand? This manner corset can help you develop a wonderful bust line in addition to slender waistline.
ReplyDelete