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The Influencer #1
Set on You
A gym nemesis pushes a fitness influencer to the max in Amy Lea’s steamy debut romantic comedy. Curvy fitness influencer Crystal Chen built her career shattering gym stereotypes and mostly ignoring the trolls. After her recent breakup, she has little stamina left for men, instead finding solace in the gym – her place of power and positivity. Enter firefighter Scott Ritchie, the smug new gym patron who routinely steals her favorite squat rack. Sparks fly as these ultra-competitive foes battle for gym domination. But after a series of escalating jabs, the last thing they expect is to run into each other at their grandparents' engagement party. In the lead up to their grandparents' wedding, Crystal discovers there’s a soft heart under Scott’s muscled exterior. Bonding over family, fitness, and cheesy pick-up lines, they just might have found her swolemate. But when a photo of them goes viral, savage internet trolls put their budding relationship to the ultimate test of strength.
384 pages, Paperback
First published May 10, 2022
About the author
Amy Lea
6 books2,625 followersAmy Lea is the international bestselling author of romantic comedies for adults and teens, including Set on You, Exes and O’s, and Mindy Kaling’s Book Studio selection Woke Up Like This.
Her acclaimed works have been featured in USA Today, Entertainment Weekly, Cosmopolitan, Elle Magazine and has been long listed as a CBC Canada Reads finalist. They have also been optioned for film and sold to over a dozen foreign territories.
When Amy is not writing, she can be found fan-girling over other romance books on Instagram (@amyleabooks), eating potato chips with reckless abandon, and snuggling with her husband and two goldendoodles in Ottawa, Canada.
Amy is represented by Kim Lionetti at BookEnds Literary Agency.
Her acclaimed works have been featured in USA Today, Entertainment Weekly, Cosmopolitan, Elle Magazine and has been long listed as a CBC Canada Reads finalist. They have also been optioned for film and sold to over a dozen foreign territories.
When Amy is not writing, she can be found fan-girling over other romance books on Instagram (@amyleabooks), eating potato chips with reckless abandon, and snuggling with her husband and two goldendoodles in Ottawa, Canada.
Amy is represented by Kim Lionetti at BookEnds Literary Agency.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 6,443 reviews
June 8, 2022
Reading books about working out counts as exercise, I'm pretty sure.
If it doesn't, do not tell me otherwise. This is all I have.
Prepare yourselves, because this is going to sound familiar. I wish I knew anything about exercise, so that I could make a comparison that would be on theme. But then again, I don't really, because to know about exercise implies doing it, and that sounds horrible.
So, anyway, here it is, what has become basically my catchphrase:
My least favorite part of this romance novel was the romance.
I honestly loved these characters and their family (yes, family singular, their grandparents get married in what is a very normal and not at all uncomfortable and insane thing, apparently), and the body positivity plot, but I didn't care about the actual reason we all found ourselves gathered here like at all.
I don't think Crystal (our protagonist, an Instagram influencer) and Scott (our love interest, a firefighter) ARE that compatible. They are constantly doing stuff like calling each other boring, and not enjoying time they spend together, and also not really spending time together in general. Or if they are, we do not see it!
If I want to get into pacing things and sound smart (or as smart as it's currently possible for me to sound), instead of just saying the love story Wasn't For Me like usual: The first kiss came really early and I felt there were unresolved trust issues.
Also, a love interest whose tragic backstory is being kinda bullied one time in middle school...no.
Especially if his girlfriend is being doxxed and ruthlessly mocked on Instagram by hundreds of people, and he's like "this is the same as that one time 20 years ago."
Classic men stuff.
Bottom line: Can we get more contemporaries with like...100% family, 0% romance? Maybe that's what I need.
(thanks to the publisher for the e-arc)
------------
reading books by asian authors for aapi month!
book 1: kim jiyoung, born 1982
book 2: siren queen
book 3: the heart principle
book 4: n.p.
book 5: the hole
book 6: set on you
If it doesn't, do not tell me otherwise. This is all I have.
Prepare yourselves, because this is going to sound familiar. I wish I knew anything about exercise, so that I could make a comparison that would be on theme. But then again, I don't really, because to know about exercise implies doing it, and that sounds horrible.
So, anyway, here it is, what has become basically my catchphrase:
My least favorite part of this romance novel was the romance.
I honestly loved these characters and their family (yes, family singular, their grandparents get married in what is a very normal and not at all uncomfortable and insane thing, apparently), and the body positivity plot, but I didn't care about the actual reason we all found ourselves gathered here like at all.
I don't think Crystal (our protagonist, an Instagram influencer) and Scott (our love interest, a firefighter) ARE that compatible. They are constantly doing stuff like calling each other boring, and not enjoying time they spend together, and also not really spending time together in general. Or if they are, we do not see it!
If I want to get into pacing things and sound smart (or as smart as it's currently possible for me to sound), instead of just saying the love story Wasn't For Me like usual: The first kiss came really early and I felt there were unresolved trust issues.
Also, a love interest whose tragic backstory is being kinda bullied one time in middle school...no.
Especially if his girlfriend is being doxxed and ruthlessly mocked on Instagram by hundreds of people, and he's like "this is the same as that one time 20 years ago."
Classic men stuff.
Bottom line: Can we get more contemporaries with like...100% family, 0% romance? Maybe that's what I need.
(thanks to the publisher for the e-arc)
------------
reading books by asian authors for aapi month!
book 1: kim jiyoung, born 1982
book 2: siren queen
book 3: the heart principle
book 4: n.p.
book 5: the hole
book 6: set on you
August 17, 2021
ONE OF MY FAVE ROMCOM EVER. I AM IN LOVE WITH SCOTT AND WITH CRYSTAL AND I CANNOT WAIT FOR TARA'S STORY. 90/10, A+.
Set On You delivers on every front: it has a relatable heroine who’s impossible not to love, all the humor and hilarious situations a reader’s heart desires, and just the right dose of delicious steam. Amy Lea has crafted an ode to all of us who struggle with self-acceptance while remaining determined to love ourselves. Set On You is the perfect combination of scorching hot attraction, enemies to lovers, slow burn, and romcom shenanigans. I am in love with Amy Lea’s voice, and I cannot wait to read what she writes next!
Disclosure: I share a publisher with Amy Lea and I received an ARC for free!
Set On You delivers on every front: it has a relatable heroine who’s impossible not to love, all the humor and hilarious situations a reader’s heart desires, and just the right dose of delicious steam. Amy Lea has crafted an ode to all of us who struggle with self-acceptance while remaining determined to love ourselves. Set On You is the perfect combination of scorching hot attraction, enemies to lovers, slow burn, and romcom shenanigans. I am in love with Amy Lea’s voice, and I cannot wait to read what she writes next!
Disclosure: I share a publisher with Amy Lea and I received an ARC for free!
July 3, 2022
Hurray 🌈Happy pub day 🥳💖
Sending my virtual hugs and kisses to the author of this book who injected so much inspiration and happiness into my dark mood! I’m absolutely feeling lighter, more exhilarated, joyful after reading Crystal and Scott’s enemies to lovers troupe with the widest smile on my face!
Curvy Crystal is definitely pure inspiration, a talented gymstagrammer/ fitness influencer who creates such brilliant videos emphasizing the importance of self-love and acceptance! She promotes fitness! You don’t have to look skinny for feeling hotter! Atta girl! I liked you since the beginning of the story. Such a honest, genuine, relatable character!
When Scott meets Crystal at gym : their hate at first sight relationship eventually starts because Scott decides to steal prized piece of equipment belongs to Crystal! That smug gym patron who is also fireman gets into her nerves.
The sweet-smart-sexy banters and slow burn romance between them were the most adorable parts of the book!
I was afraid of hating Scott at first when he kept stealing dumbbells and workspace of our lovely heroine even though I never say no to sunshine meets the grump troupe. But when we learn more about the characteristics of Scott, we realize he’s also genuine, caring, gold hearted man who can easily empathize with.
The grandparents of the characters were chapter stealers : they were so lovely. I wanted to give them long hugs and beg them to adopt me!
I wish we may also read the perspective of Scott. I’d love to see the events from his POV!
Overall: this is fast, easy to read, enjoyable debut! Absolutely I’d love to read the author’s future works!
Special thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for sharing this amazing digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest opinions.
Sending my virtual hugs and kisses to the author of this book who injected so much inspiration and happiness into my dark mood! I’m absolutely feeling lighter, more exhilarated, joyful after reading Crystal and Scott’s enemies to lovers troupe with the widest smile on my face!
Curvy Crystal is definitely pure inspiration, a talented gymstagrammer/ fitness influencer who creates such brilliant videos emphasizing the importance of self-love and acceptance! She promotes fitness! You don’t have to look skinny for feeling hotter! Atta girl! I liked you since the beginning of the story. Such a honest, genuine, relatable character!
When Scott meets Crystal at gym : their hate at first sight relationship eventually starts because Scott decides to steal prized piece of equipment belongs to Crystal! That smug gym patron who is also fireman gets into her nerves.
The sweet-smart-sexy banters and slow burn romance between them were the most adorable parts of the book!
I was afraid of hating Scott at first when he kept stealing dumbbells and workspace of our lovely heroine even though I never say no to sunshine meets the grump troupe. But when we learn more about the characteristics of Scott, we realize he’s also genuine, caring, gold hearted man who can easily empathize with.
The grandparents of the characters were chapter stealers : they were so lovely. I wanted to give them long hugs and beg them to adopt me!
I wish we may also read the perspective of Scott. I’d love to see the events from his POV!
Overall: this is fast, easy to read, enjoyable debut! Absolutely I’d love to read the author’s future works!
Special thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for sharing this amazing digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest opinions.
May 13, 2022
I had big expectations for this book and...well, this was simply pathetic, to be honest (and I say that meaning no disrespect).
**SPOILERS AHEAD**
When I started this book I was hoping to fall in love with both main characters and yet I finished the book not caring about any of them (even if Scott gets a pass). Crystal was an insanely annoying main character, extremely prejudiced (how are you going to advocate for self-love and fight against stereotypes and the minute you meet a hot man your first instinct is to make him feel bad because oBvIoUSlY he's a manwh*re who's conceited when he showed you literally 0 signs of such a thing?). I'm aware she acknowledges this issue but it was constant for more than half of it and I just found it extremely hypocritical. And look, I'm not saying I want characters to be perfect (quite the contrary in fact) but all Crystal did the entire book was be prejudice, stubborn (when it wasn't even justified? stand up???) and acting like she was on a path to self-love when all she did was be a selfish, hypocrite who thinks she's gets a pass because she's curvy? And like... how many times do I have to read about Crystal f*cking up only to realize she f*cked up 2 minutes later? AND STILL NOT CHANGING SH*T?
Scott wasn't a bad character per say, but it was very clear the author wanted this man to be as perfect as they come without actually giving him a personality. His biggest flaw was letting Crystal degrade him constantly and not doing anything about it to not make her feel bad. i would've dropped her ass the minute she judged me without giving me a chance and being a constant b*tch about it.
Anyway, I really thought I was in for a cute little book about a strong main character who accepted her body even if she had her bad days and how she would fall for a cute firefighter and yet....I got nothing.
Maybe my expectations were too high but this book was a disappointment.
**SPOILERS AHEAD**
When I started this book I was hoping to fall in love with both main characters and yet I finished the book not caring about any of them (even if Scott gets a pass). Crystal was an insanely annoying main character, extremely prejudiced (how are you going to advocate for self-love and fight against stereotypes and the minute you meet a hot man your first instinct is to make him feel bad because oBvIoUSlY he's a manwh*re who's conceited when he showed you literally 0 signs of such a thing?). I'm aware she acknowledges this issue but it was constant for more than half of it and I just found it extremely hypocritical. And look, I'm not saying I want characters to be perfect (quite the contrary in fact) but all Crystal did the entire book was be prejudice, stubborn (when it wasn't even justified? stand up???) and acting like she was on a path to self-love when all she did was be a selfish, hypocrite who thinks she's gets a pass because she's curvy? And like... how many times do I have to read about Crystal f*cking up only to realize she f*cked up 2 minutes later? AND STILL NOT CHANGING SH*T?
Scott wasn't a bad character per say, but it was very clear the author wanted this man to be as perfect as they come without actually giving him a personality. His biggest flaw was letting Crystal degrade him constantly and not doing anything about it to not make her feel bad. i would've dropped her ass the minute she judged me without giving me a chance and being a constant b*tch about it.
Anyway, I really thought I was in for a cute little book about a strong main character who accepted her body even if she had her bad days and how she would fall for a cute firefighter and yet....I got nothing.
Maybe my expectations were too high but this book was a disappointment.
June 29, 2022
OH MY GOSH!!!! Set on You by Amy Lea was so cute!!!! The banter between our two main characters was absolutely the best and just so hilarious. This book was so fun to read, I loved every minute of it. This rom-com was an enemies to lovers trope. I was hooked from the very first page, and couldn't put it down. I went into this book completely blind, which I highly recommend doing because it gives you so much to look forward to. I loved the reference to sobbing to a Taylor Swift playlist, but I was a little bit disappointed because the playlist/songs weren't mentioned in the book. Please do yourself a favor and pick up this book, but don't get mad at me when your stomach hurts so much from laughing, because that's exactly how I feel right now. All in all this book was so much fun to read, I devoured this book from start to finish.
First off, I want to thank Callie for buddy reading this with me💓!!!
In Set on You we follow the journey of Crystal Chen. Crystal is a curvy fitness influencer on instagram. Crystal has built her career shattering gym stereotypes and ignoring the trolls. Crystal posts a lot of work out tutorials and a bunch of helpful tips in being successful with your workout. Crystal teaches her followers about body positivity and loving yourself. Although, Crystal has a lot of supporters, she also has a bunch of haters who comment on her posts. After her recent break up, Crystal has little stamina left for men, instead she finds solace in the gym. The gym is her place of power and positivity. One day when Crystal is working out at the squat rack, a new gym patron comes in and steals the squat rack, Crystal has no clue who this person is and what his name is, so she calls him Squat Rack Thief. Let me just say that the cover is absolutely the cutest.
Scott Ritchie is known as the Squat Rack Thief. Scott has no clue how to start up a conversation with Crystal, so he just starts getting in the way of her workout routines, and starts taking over the gym equipment Crystal uses. From the moment Scott notices Crystal, he thinks she's insanely gorgeous. As sparks start to fly these two competitive foes battle for gym domination. But, the last thing these two expect is to run into each other at their grandparent's engagement party. Crystal's grandma, Flo is getting engaged to Martin. At this dinner party, Crystal knows the person she is sitting next to is Scott, but he arrives late. Crystal has no clue who Scott is. So, as the party goes on, Crystal finds out that Scott is her gym nemesis and is also Martin's grandson. Scott is also a firefighter.
Crystal soon discovers there's a soft heart under Scott's muscled exterior. Bonding over family, fitness, and cheesy pick up lines, Crystal might just have found her soulmate. Scott and Crystal decide to take things slow leading up to their grandparents wedding because they don't want anything to be weird at the wedding. Scott respects Crystal's choice, and Crystal respects Scott's choice in taking things slow. Scott is so sweet, and so caring towards Crystal. Scott and Crystal have a beach date one day, when Crystal's best friend Mel, takes pictures of these two love birds. One day, Crystal decides to post a picture of her and Scott on her instagram. But, things get out of hand, Crystal gets so much hate on this post saying Scott can do better, why would anyone want to be seen with a curvy person, but then again Crystal receives so much love and support from her followers.
First off, I want to thank Callie for buddy reading this with me💓!!!
In Set on You we follow the journey of Crystal Chen. Crystal is a curvy fitness influencer on instagram. Crystal has built her career shattering gym stereotypes and ignoring the trolls. Crystal posts a lot of work out tutorials and a bunch of helpful tips in being successful with your workout. Crystal teaches her followers about body positivity and loving yourself. Although, Crystal has a lot of supporters, she also has a bunch of haters who comment on her posts. After her recent break up, Crystal has little stamina left for men, instead she finds solace in the gym. The gym is her place of power and positivity. One day when Crystal is working out at the squat rack, a new gym patron comes in and steals the squat rack, Crystal has no clue who this person is and what his name is, so she calls him Squat Rack Thief. Let me just say that the cover is absolutely the cutest.
Scott Ritchie is known as the Squat Rack Thief. Scott has no clue how to start up a conversation with Crystal, so he just starts getting in the way of her workout routines, and starts taking over the gym equipment Crystal uses. From the moment Scott notices Crystal, he thinks she's insanely gorgeous. As sparks start to fly these two competitive foes battle for gym domination. But, the last thing these two expect is to run into each other at their grandparent's engagement party. Crystal's grandma, Flo is getting engaged to Martin. At this dinner party, Crystal knows the person she is sitting next to is Scott, but he arrives late. Crystal has no clue who Scott is. So, as the party goes on, Crystal finds out that Scott is her gym nemesis and is also Martin's grandson. Scott is also a firefighter.
Crystal soon discovers there's a soft heart under Scott's muscled exterior. Bonding over family, fitness, and cheesy pick up lines, Crystal might just have found her soulmate. Scott and Crystal decide to take things slow leading up to their grandparents wedding because they don't want anything to be weird at the wedding. Scott respects Crystal's choice, and Crystal respects Scott's choice in taking things slow. Scott is so sweet, and so caring towards Crystal. Scott and Crystal have a beach date one day, when Crystal's best friend Mel, takes pictures of these two love birds. One day, Crystal decides to post a picture of her and Scott on her instagram. But, things get out of hand, Crystal gets so much hate on this post saying Scott can do better, why would anyone want to be seen with a curvy person, but then again Crystal receives so much love and support from her followers.
April 29, 2023
•| ⊱✿⊰ |• 4 Stars •| ⊱✿⊰ |•
Crystal Chen é influenciadora fitness no Instagram.
Não só é meio-chinesa, como também é um bocadinho cheinha, então promove o amar o corpo acima de tudo.
Por que não andar no ginásio e ter um tamanho acima?
Nem todos nascem com estrutura óssea perfeita, nem todos têm de se “matar” com dietas.
Então Crystal ensina os seus clientes a aceitar o corpo que têm.
Até Scott, um bombeiro com tudo no sítio, começa a frequentar o ginásio, e não será apenas isso que eles irão ter em comum.
Gostei da abordagem, apesar deste livro ter umas misturas daqueles livros de autoajuda, mas não em excesso.
Poderia ser melhor, mas é uma leitura agradável, em que, alguma parte, todos nós nos identificaremos com algumas situações.
O Scott é tão fofinho que se torna numa personagem irreal, e isso é uma incongruência para a mensagem que este livro quer passar.
Também aborda uma situação bastante frequente (infelizmente) no nosso dia a dia.
Bullying nas redes sociais, e não só.
As pessoas tornaram-se malignas e cobardes, escondem-se atrás de um computador, ou de um telefone, tudo menos frente a frente, para ofender, minimizar, magoar os outros.
E isso é preocupante na nossa sociedade atual.
Por que não aceitar os outros como são?
Porquê tanta inveja e desejo de destruir a felicidade alheia?
Críticas são aceites, caso sejam construtivas.
Críticas com intuito de ofender, sem finalidade positiva, não podem ser aceites!
════ ⋆ ★ ⋆ ════ ⋆ ��� ⋆ ════ ⋆ ★ ⋆ ════ ⋆ ★ ⋆ ════
Crystal Chen is a fitness influencer on Instagram.
Not only is she half-Chinese, but she's also a little chubby, so she promotes body loving above all else.
Why not going to the gym though having a size up?
Not everyone is born with perfect bone structure, not everyone has to “kill” themselves with diets.
So Crystal teaches her clients to accept the body they have.
Until Scott, a firefighter with everything in place, starts going to the gym, and that's not all they'll have in common.
I liked the approach, although this book has some mixtures of those self-help books, but not in excess.
It could be better, but it is an enjoyable read, in which, at some point, we will all identify with some situations.
Scott is so cute that he becomes an unrealistic character, and that is incongruous with the message this book wants to convey.
It also addresses a very frequent situation (unfortunately) in our daily lives.
Bullying on social media, and beyond.
People have become evil and cowardly, hiding behind a computer, or a telephone, anything but face to face, to offend, minimize, hurt others.
And this is worrying in our current society.
Why not accept others as they are?
Why so much envy and desire to destroy other people's happiness?
Criticisms are accepted if they are constructive.
Criticism intended to offend, without a positive purpose, cannot be accepted!
════ ⋆ ★ ⋆ ════ ⋆ ★ ⋆ ════ ⋆ ★ ⋆ ════ ⋆ ★ ⋆ ════
May 3, 2022
Set on You
by Amy Lea is a contemporary romantic comedy. This one combines romance and humor in an engaging and fun story. It features curvy biracial fitness influencer and personal trainer Chrystal Chen who uses social media to promote a healthy life and a positive body image no matter how you look. After a recent break-up, she finds solace in her daily gym workouts. When firefighter Scott Ritchie shows up and steals her favorite squat rack, the sparks fly.
Chrystal and Scott are both well-developed characters with a lot of depth. Both also have flaws which make them seem even more realistic. Chrystal is confident, kind, strong-willed, competitive, and challenging with trust issues. Scott is arrogant, competitive, thoughtful, and protective. The secondary characters have varying degrees of depth that is applicable for their roles in this story line.
The author provides a look at a love that blooms slowly between the two main characters. The prose is well-written, touching at times, and humorous at other times. There is a lot of focus on family, friendship, hard work, and communication with a few romantic scenes in the last third of the novel. While there is an immediate attraction, they start out as antagonists. This romance takes time to develop and flourish. Several serious themes play a role in this story as well. These include trust, cyberbullying, racism, fitness, self-control, forgiveness, anxiety, self-doubt, respecting yourself, acceptance, beauty standards, and more. My one quibble was that it was a little too predictable.
Overall, this was an entertaining, appealing, and delightful novel with some humor and laugh out-loud moments as well as some pivotal stressful and emotional times. I am looking forward to reading more from this author.
Berkley Publishing Group and Amy Lea provided a complimentary digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley. This is my honest review. Opinions are mine alone and are not biased in any way. Publication date is currently set for May 10, 2022.
----------------------------------------------------------
RTC one week prior to publication per publisher approval guidelines.
Chrystal and Scott are both well-developed characters with a lot of depth. Both also have flaws which make them seem even more realistic. Chrystal is confident, kind, strong-willed, competitive, and challenging with trust issues. Scott is arrogant, competitive, thoughtful, and protective. The secondary characters have varying degrees of depth that is applicable for their roles in this story line.
The author provides a look at a love that blooms slowly between the two main characters. The prose is well-written, touching at times, and humorous at other times. There is a lot of focus on family, friendship, hard work, and communication with a few romantic scenes in the last third of the novel. While there is an immediate attraction, they start out as antagonists. This romance takes time to develop and flourish. Several serious themes play a role in this story as well. These include trust, cyberbullying, racism, fitness, self-control, forgiveness, anxiety, self-doubt, respecting yourself, acceptance, beauty standards, and more. My one quibble was that it was a little too predictable.
Overall, this was an entertaining, appealing, and delightful novel with some humor and laugh out-loud moments as well as some pivotal stressful and emotional times. I am looking forward to reading more from this author.
Berkley Publishing Group and Amy Lea provided a complimentary digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley. This is my honest review. Opinions are mine alone and are not biased in any way. Publication date is currently set for May 10, 2022.
----------------------------------------------------------
RTC one week prior to publication per publisher approval guidelines.
May 15, 2022
crystal was the most annoying person ever, she RUINED this for me
March 31, 2022
This is about curvy biracial fitness influencer Crystal Chen who gets into it with firefighter Scott Ritchie at the gym when he steals her favored window squat rack. He seems to be everywhere she is and they begin their relationship by infuriating each other.
Then, one day, she loses her phone at the gym and she thinks he’s the one who stole it, bc hello they’re trying to annoy each other. AND THEN IT LEADS TO A HOT MAKEOUT. 😋 it does make for one awkward run-in with their family members when they “officially” meet for the first time 😉
I haven’t read a ton of gym based romances, so this was a fun first time! I really liked the body positivity and self love message in the book. It does play a huge role in the story.
This is a romcom, and the bits and pieces were there, but I didn’t personally feel like there was a large WOW factor in their romance for me. I finished the book because it read quickly, but I wouldn’t say that it captured my interest indefinitely. The writing was good, but I thought I was going to be more in love with it than I was.
Overall, it was light and fluffy and a quick and easy book to get through. If you like insta-love, this is a good book to check out.
Then, one day, she loses her phone at the gym and she thinks he’s the one who stole it, bc hello they’re trying to annoy each other. AND THEN IT LEADS TO A HOT MAKEOUT. 😋 it does make for one awkward run-in with their family members when they “officially” meet for the first time 😉
I haven’t read a ton of gym based romances, so this was a fun first time! I really liked the body positivity and self love message in the book. It does play a huge role in the story.
This is a romcom, and the bits and pieces were there, but I didn’t personally feel like there was a large WOW factor in their romance for me. I finished the book because it read quickly, but I wouldn’t say that it captured my interest indefinitely. The writing was good, but I thought I was going to be more in love with it than I was.
Overall, it was light and fluffy and a quick and easy book to get through. If you like insta-love, this is a good book to check out.
September 10, 2022
“Suddenly it’s not socially acceptable to feel bad about yourself.”
I love this redefinition of what it means to love yourself. This book was so needed, especially in this current day and age we live in. Being on this journey with Crystal was inspiring. I love that I thought this book was going to be all about "how we should love ourselves no matter what, and fuck all the haters." In a sense that is what we got but not in the delivery that I expected.
“How can he be in love with me if I’m not even sure I’m in love with me anymore ?”
Scott and Crystal were really cute together. I would describe their relationship as almost a slow burn but not quite there because they weren’t shy to admit to each other their attraction early on. Their relationship illustrates how personal insecurities can be detrimental to relationships. I found these parts of the book very realistic. I also like that their relationship didn’t overpower Crystal’s own personal story where she is still learning what it means to love herself, help people with their own journeys, and navigate the world of social media.
I love this redefinition of what it means to love yourself. This book was so needed, especially in this current day and age we live in. Being on this journey with Crystal was inspiring. I love that I thought this book was going to be all about "how we should love ourselves no matter what, and fuck all the haters." In a sense that is what we got but not in the delivery that I expected.
“How can he be in love with me if I’m not even sure I’m in love with me anymore ?”
Scott and Crystal were really cute together. I would describe their relationship as almost a slow burn but not quite there because they weren’t shy to admit to each other their attraction early on. Their relationship illustrates how personal insecurities can be detrimental to relationships. I found these parts of the book very realistic. I also like that their relationship didn’t overpower Crystal’s own personal story where she is still learning what it means to love herself, help people with their own journeys, and navigate the world of social media.
December 23, 2023
ˋ°•*⁀➷ 3 "Cute but not enough" 💫🚒🌸👨🏼🚒
❞𝙀𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙙𝙤𝙪𝙗𝙩𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙢𝙨𝙚𝙡𝙫𝙚𝙨 𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚𝙨. 𝙄𝙩’𝙨 𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙩 𝙤𝙛 𝙗𝙚𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙝𝙪𝙢𝙖𝙣.❞
This book was cute but somehow it wasn't a really good book eitheras I expected 😔. To be honest, the story began very well. The enemies to lovers, the vibes, and everything was perfect. But then the worst thing we all readers fear happened 💁🏻♀️⚰️. They kissed @14% of the book! Bro what about hello? How are you? What's your name? Who are you? 😭😭 As some of you know, insta lust isn't my trope. Why does this trope even exist? And yup of course there was a third-act break up 😃
❞𝙗𝙤𝙙𝙮 𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙘𝙩’ 𝙖𝙣𝙙 ‘𝙨𝙚𝙡𝙛-𝙖𝙘𝙘𝙚𝙥𝙩𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚.’ 𝙒𝙝𝙮? 𝘽𝙚𝙘𝙖𝙪𝙨𝙚 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙨𝙚𝙡𝙛 𝘼𝙇𝙇 𝙏𝙃𝙀 𝙏𝙄𝙈𝙀 𝙞𝙨 𝙪𝙣𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙡𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙘. 𝙒𝙚 𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙙𝙖𝙮𝙨 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙬𝙚 𝙙𝙤𝙪𝙗𝙩 𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙨𝙚𝙡𝙫𝙚𝙨. 𝘼𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩’𝙨 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙬𝙚 𝙣𝙚𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙛𝙤𝙘𝙪𝙨 𝙤𝙣 𝙖𝙘𝙘𝙚𝙥𝙩𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙘𝙩 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙨𝙚𝙡𝙫𝙚𝙨, 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙝𝙖𝙩𝙚 𝙤𝙧 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚. 𝙄 𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚 𝙢𝙮 𝙗𝙤𝙙𝙮 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙢𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝙙𝙤𝙪𝙗𝙩 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙛𝙚𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙜𝙪𝙞𝙡𝙩𝙮 𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙞𝙩.❞
Ok, enough said about the flaws. What I like about this book is the writing. It was easy to read and it wasn't a tedious read. Ok, it took me long to finish it but it wasn't because of the book itself. It was because I was so busy and I had barely time to read. The story also contains important topics. I loved to read about an FMC who isn't skinny or that type of "perfect". It was something new and I really liked the idea.
❞𝘽𝙚𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙡𝙩𝙝𝙮 𝙞𝙨 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙨𝙞𝙯𝙚 𝙤𝙧 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙬𝙚𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩, 𝙗𝙪𝙩 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙙𝙨𝙚𝙩 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙖𝙡 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙡𝙩𝙝 𝙩𝙤𝙤.❞
╰┈➤ CrystalScott: I really liked this couple. Ok I hated the insta lust and so but their chemistry was really fire. Scott was cute and I adore the way he loves Crys. Scott and Crys were a perfect couple. I really liked that Scott didn't give up on Crys although she had trust issues. This couple is one of the fluffy book couples. Crys was sometimes a little annoying although it was kinda understandable but still. But I loved her confidence and that she encouraged other people to feel that confidence too.
❞𝙇𝙤𝙫𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙢𝙮𝙨𝙚𝙡𝙛 𝙞𝙨𝙣’𝙩 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙡𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙘 𝙖𝙩 𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚𝙨. 𝙄’𝙢 𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙤𝙬𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙛𝙚𝙚𝙡 𝙨𝙚𝙡𝙛-𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙨𝙘𝙞𝙤𝙪𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙨𝙖𝙙 𝙖𝙩 𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚𝙨, 𝙗𝙪𝙩 𝙖𝙡𝙨𝙤 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙛𝙞𝙙𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙥𝙮 𝙖𝙩 𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚𝙨, 𝙖𝙨 𝙡𝙤𝙣𝙜 𝙖𝙨 𝙄’𝙢 𝙖𝙘𝙘𝙚𝙥𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙢𝙮𝙨𝙚𝙡𝙛. 𝘼𝙣𝙙 𝙄 𝙬𝙖𝙣𝙩 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙤𝙣 𝙢𝙮 𝙩𝙚𝙖𝙢.❞
To sum up, it was a good read but not something special. If you don't read it you haven't missed something important.
❞𝙀𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙨𝙚𝙚𝙨 𝙗𝙚𝙖𝙪𝙩𝙮 𝙙𝙞𝙛𝙛𝙚𝙧𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙡𝙮. 𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩’𝙨 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙨𝙚, 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙨𝙖𝙢𝙚 𝙨𝙤𝙘𝙞𝙚𝙩𝙮 𝙩𝙖𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙪𝙨 𝙖𝙨 𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙩𝙡𝙚 𝙜𝙞𝙧𝙡𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙬𝙚’𝙧𝙚 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙗𝙚𝙖𝙪𝙩𝙞𝙛𝙪𝙡 𝙗𝙚𝙘𝙖𝙪𝙨𝙚 𝙬𝙚’𝙧𝙚 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙬𝙝𝙞𝙩𝙚 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙨𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙣𝙮.❞
╰┈➤ Just random:
I'm not sure if I should read the second book soon...
Thanks NetGalley and the publisher of this book for the arc in exchange for an honest review!
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So excited 😩
❞𝙀𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙙𝙤𝙪𝙗𝙩𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙢𝙨𝙚𝙡𝙫𝙚𝙨 𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚𝙨. 𝙄𝙩’𝙨 𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙩 𝙤𝙛 𝙗𝙚𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙝𝙪𝙢𝙖𝙣.❞
This book was cute but somehow it wasn't a really good book either
❞𝙗𝙤𝙙𝙮 𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙘𝙩’ 𝙖𝙣𝙙 ‘𝙨𝙚𝙡𝙛-𝙖𝙘𝙘𝙚𝙥𝙩𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚.’ 𝙒𝙝𝙮? 𝘽𝙚𝙘𝙖𝙪𝙨𝙚 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙨𝙚𝙡𝙛 𝘼𝙇𝙇 𝙏𝙃𝙀 𝙏𝙄𝙈𝙀 𝙞𝙨 𝙪𝙣𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙡𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙘. 𝙒𝙚 𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙙𝙖𝙮𝙨 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙬𝙚 𝙙𝙤𝙪𝙗𝙩 𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙨𝙚𝙡𝙫𝙚𝙨. 𝘼𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩’𝙨 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙬𝙚 𝙣𝙚𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙛𝙤𝙘𝙪𝙨 𝙤𝙣 𝙖𝙘𝙘𝙚𝙥𝙩𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙘𝙩 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙨𝙚𝙡𝙫𝙚𝙨, 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙝𝙖𝙩𝙚 𝙤𝙧 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚. 𝙄 𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚 𝙢𝙮 𝙗𝙤𝙙𝙮 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙢𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝙙𝙤𝙪𝙗𝙩 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙛𝙚𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙜𝙪𝙞𝙡𝙩𝙮 𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙞𝙩.❞
Ok, enough said about the flaws. What I like about this book is the writing. It was easy to read and it wasn't a tedious read. Ok, it took me long to finish it but it wasn't because of the book itself. It was because I was so busy and I had barely time to read. The story also contains important topics. I loved to read about an FMC who isn't skinny or that type of "perfect". It was something new and I really liked the idea.
❞𝘽𝙚𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙡𝙩𝙝𝙮 𝙞𝙨 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙨𝙞𝙯𝙚 𝙤𝙧 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙬𝙚𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩, 𝙗𝙪𝙩 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙙𝙨𝙚𝙩 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙖𝙡 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙡𝙩𝙝 𝙩𝙤𝙤.❞
╰┈➤ CrystalScott: I really liked this couple. Ok I hated the insta lust and so but their chemistry was really fire. Scott was cute and I adore the way he loves Crys. Scott and Crys were a perfect couple. I really liked that Scott didn't give up on Crys although she had trust issues. This couple is one of the fluffy book couples. Crys was sometimes a little annoying although it was kinda understandable but still. But I loved her confidence and that she encouraged other people to feel that confidence too.
❞𝙇𝙤𝙫𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙢𝙮𝙨𝙚𝙡𝙛 𝙞𝙨𝙣’𝙩 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙡𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙘 𝙖𝙩 𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚𝙨. 𝙄’𝙢 𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙤𝙬𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙛𝙚𝙚𝙡 𝙨𝙚𝙡𝙛-𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙨𝙘𝙞𝙤𝙪𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙨𝙖𝙙 𝙖𝙩 𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚𝙨, 𝙗𝙪𝙩 𝙖𝙡𝙨𝙤 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙛𝙞𝙙𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙥𝙮 𝙖𝙩 𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚𝙨, 𝙖𝙨 𝙡𝙤𝙣𝙜 𝙖𝙨 𝙄’𝙢 𝙖𝙘𝙘𝙚𝙥𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙢𝙮𝙨𝙚𝙡𝙛. 𝘼𝙣𝙙 𝙄 𝙬𝙖𝙣𝙩 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙤𝙣 𝙢𝙮 𝙩𝙚𝙖𝙢.❞
To sum up, it was a good read but not something special. If you don't read it you haven't missed something important.
❞𝙀𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙨𝙚𝙚𝙨 𝙗𝙚𝙖𝙪𝙩𝙮 𝙙𝙞𝙛𝙛𝙚𝙧𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙡𝙮. 𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩’𝙨 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙨𝙚, 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙨𝙖𝙢𝙚 𝙨𝙤𝙘𝙞𝙚𝙩𝙮 𝙩𝙖𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙪𝙨 𝙖𝙨 𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙩𝙡𝙚 𝙜𝙞𝙧𝙡𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙬𝙚’𝙧𝙚 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙗𝙚𝙖𝙪𝙩𝙞𝙛𝙪𝙡 𝙗𝙚𝙘𝙖𝙪𝙨𝙚 𝙬𝙚’𝙧𝙚 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙬𝙝𝙞𝙩𝙚 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙨𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙣𝙮.❞
╰┈➤ Just random:
I'm not sure if I should read the second book soon...
Thanks NetGalley and the publisher of this book for the arc in exchange for an honest review!
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So excited 😩
June 10, 2022
So, this was pretty unremarkable.
I was expecting to laugh my ass off and swoon like a true damsel in distress, but instead I just… smiled. Slightly. Like, twice.
The plot is actually very cute: Crystal Chen is a fitness influencer who’s all about body positivity and embracing your curves, which, yes, please. Like a true gym rat, she has a gym nemesis - a giant, blond menace with tons of muscles who steals her equipment and cuts the water fountain line.
After a steamy, angry make-out session in the locker room, the Gym Viking disappears, leaving Crystal strangely disappointed (she’s supposed to hate him, not lust after him, remember?).
A few days later, she begrudgingly attends her grandmother’s engagement dinner, only to discover that Gym Viking is actually Scott Ritchie, the grandson of her new step-grandfather (this is definitely not a word). And he’s a fireman, which, HOT.
This coincidence does stand in the way of Crystal’s plan to never see him again, but, now, it looks like they’re going to be spending plenty of time together… 😏💃🏻
Crystal was the best part of this book. She was truly funny and witty and felt like someone I wanted to be best friends with. I loved her!
Scott, on the other hand, felt incredibly bland to me. He was supposed to be somewhat mean and annoying in the beggining, but I just couldn’t feel whatever sexual tension that was supposed to be creating. He was literally a viking fireman and I still couldn’t see the appeal.
By the time Crystal and Scott become friends and decide to wait for the right time to be together (for Romance Reasons), I completely lost interest. I just needed a little fire and I wasn’t getting any.
Anyway. Lots of people seem to like this one, so I’m glad my experience wasn’t the norm! 🙃
I was expecting to laugh my ass off and swoon like a true damsel in distress, but instead I just… smiled. Slightly. Like, twice.
The plot is actually very cute: Crystal Chen is a fitness influencer who’s all about body positivity and embracing your curves, which, yes, please. Like a true gym rat, she has a gym nemesis - a giant, blond menace with tons of muscles who steals her equipment and cuts the water fountain line.
After a steamy, angry make-out session in the locker room, the Gym Viking disappears, leaving Crystal strangely disappointed (she’s supposed to hate him, not lust after him, remember?).
A few days later, she begrudgingly attends her grandmother’s engagement dinner, only to discover that Gym Viking is actually Scott Ritchie, the grandson of her new step-grandfather (this is definitely not a word). And he’s a fireman, which, HOT.
This coincidence does stand in the way of Crystal’s plan to never see him again, but, now, it looks like they’re going to be spending plenty of time together… 😏💃🏻
Crystal was the best part of this book. She was truly funny and witty and felt like someone I wanted to be best friends with. I loved her!
Scott, on the other hand, felt incredibly bland to me. He was supposed to be somewhat mean and annoying in the beggining, but I just couldn’t feel whatever sexual tension that was supposed to be creating. He was literally a viking fireman and I still couldn’t see the appeal.
By the time Crystal and Scott become friends and decide to wait for the right time to be together (for Romance Reasons), I completely lost interest. I just needed a little fire and I wasn’t getting any.
Anyway. Lots of people seem to like this one, so I’m glad my experience wasn’t the norm! 🙃
October 25, 2022
i am just tired of romances being so copy paste
June 6, 2022
3.5 stars. Not a perfect book for me, but I really liked Crystal and Scott and I am very excited to read Tara and Trevor's book when it comes out next year!!
CW: fatphobia, cyber bullying, diet/fitness culture, racism, terminal illness (cancer)
CW: fatphobia, cyber bullying, diet/fitness culture, racism, terminal illness (cancer)
April 26, 2022
romcom-style romances really haven’t done it for me in the past.
but this? 🤌🏻���🏻🤌🏻 *chef’s kiss*
the romcom tropes and cliches were just the right amount. nothing awkwardly OTT that makes you shudder with second hand embarrassment. too many romcoms go full throttle with the cringe and it stifles the authenticity of the book bcos most people don’t act or talk like that (you know, the overly klutzy heroine, for example). so that was the first win of this book for me.
but we follow Chinese-American plus-sized Crystal Chen. a fitness instructor and a Instagram influencer, promoting having a healthy relationship with your body no matter your size. who falls for her gym nemesis, Scott Ritchie, the sexy af swoony. firefighter.
from the get go, i found Crystal incredibly endearing and funny. she felt real to me with her own quirks, hobbies and interests that were personal, and didn’t feel bland or manufactured to fit a certain type of character the author wanted to project. she just felt like an actual fleshed-out person, rather than a stilted or generic fictional character.
she was stubborn but knows when she’s in the wrong and isn’t afraid to admit it. she was flawed and human. she can act impulsively in the moment but is really good at reflecting, self-aware of her actions and how to fix them. i just admired her a lot. i did have an issue with her during the end conflict... but we’ll get to that.
honestly, the humour of all of the characters was stellar. within the first 10% of this, id laughed out loud a handful of times. the banter between Crustal and Scott was top-tier. it was so natural and easy-going, i was giggling right along with them. while the side characters were just as funny and endearing— and i did some digging, praying Tara was gonna have a romance and it be with Trevor (even tho they have never interacted lmao) Exes and O’s release right now please!!
while Scotty?👀
the perfect man doesn’t exis—
everything he said was just a sexual innuendo dripping with sarcasm and i was a whore. the man is my newest book bf. i mean, the moment i found out his dog was called Albus Doodledore, i was a goner for this man.
the way i wish i could articulate how fine this man was. this man was so scrumdiddlyumptious. everything about him had me giggling and blushing and kicking my feet, i have zero shame.
he was a simp from day one. literally the perfect man. outgoing introvert with golden retriever energy but also sexy, cocky firefighter... gimme🤲🏻
everything he did was ASTRONOMICAL. their first date resulting in the bathtub scene ???????? I PASSED AWAY. the clementines. the locker-room altercations. “screw the 6th August”. i truly don’t think i can articulate how much i love this man. and just the way he loved Crystal had me by the throat.
they executed “we know we have feelings for each other but can’t do anything about it” soooo fucking well. the tension was palpable, it was intensely drawn out but not too much that you got bored and lost interest. the pacing was satisfying and i devoured this book in less than twenty-four hours— it was easy to consume and soooo addictive.
the body politics of this book were amazing. oh my god. im usually really wary of romances that have a theme of fitness/weight/gym life, etc bcos the portrayals can be problematic and send the wrong kind of message. i felt like Amy Lea handled the delicate topic with tact and care. it was greatly approached and im glad that it wasn’t the driving force of the book, but it worked alongside the romance and Crystal’s individual journey.
but, this was gonna be a five star read until the end conflict... i understood the sentiments but i just hated how Crystal reacted to Scott. he didn’t deserve that. it bugged me a lot tbh, and waned my enjoyment. i just wish it hadn’t been as severe, maybe? i guess. idk the right word, but it just resulted in me feeling a little bummed bcos all of my cute butterfly feelings withered a bit. i think that’s when the body politics of the book did take over more than id have liked, unfortunately.
her big grand gesture was heartwarming though. it was incredibly sweet. i was giddy he whole time, so it redeemed her actions for me.
and how could i not love this when Crystal has a Geordie client who she claims has an “amazing accent”😌 most of the time, people say we sound dumb af and unintelligible... so thank u Amy Lea. the slang was also *chef’s kiss*
so, this was just spectacular, especially for a debut novel. wow. i had the best time reading it with a big silly smile on my face. i am so hyped for Tara and Trevor, i didn’t actually think they’d be getting a romance together so i can’t wait!!
thank you to NetGalley and Penguin General for the arc in exchange for an honest review!
but this? 🤌🏻���🏻🤌🏻 *chef’s kiss*
the romcom tropes and cliches were just the right amount. nothing awkwardly OTT that makes you shudder with second hand embarrassment. too many romcoms go full throttle with the cringe and it stifles the authenticity of the book bcos most people don’t act or talk like that (you know, the overly klutzy heroine, for example). so that was the first win of this book for me.
but we follow Chinese-American plus-sized Crystal Chen. a fitness instructor and a Instagram influencer, promoting having a healthy relationship with your body no matter your size. who falls for her gym nemesis, Scott Ritchie, the sexy af swoony. firefighter.
from the get go, i found Crystal incredibly endearing and funny. she felt real to me with her own quirks, hobbies and interests that were personal, and didn’t feel bland or manufactured to fit a certain type of character the author wanted to project. she just felt like an actual fleshed-out person, rather than a stilted or generic fictional character.
she was stubborn but knows when she’s in the wrong and isn’t afraid to admit it. she was flawed and human. she can act impulsively in the moment but is really good at reflecting, self-aware of her actions and how to fix them. i just admired her a lot. i did have an issue with her during the end conflict... but we’ll get to that.
He bumps my shoulder. “Hush. I’ll even let you sit in the fire truck.”
Kevin whistles. “Only special ladies get to go in the fire truck.”
Scott’s cheeks flush. “It’s true.”
honestly, the humour of all of the characters was stellar. within the first 10% of this, id laughed out loud a handful of times. the banter between Crustal and Scott was top-tier. it was so natural and easy-going, i was giggling right along with them. while the side characters were just as funny and endearing— and i did some digging, praying Tara was gonna have a romance and it be with Trevor (even tho they have never interacted lmao) Exes and O’s release right now please!!
while Scotty?👀
the perfect man doesn’t exis—
everything he said was just a sexual innuendo dripping with sarcasm and i was a whore. the man is my newest book bf. i mean, the moment i found out his dog was called Albus Doodledore, i was a goner for this man.
the way i wish i could articulate how fine this man was. this man was so scrumdiddlyumptious. everything about him had me giggling and blushing and kicking my feet, i have zero shame.
”I have a confession,” he says.
I gulp, bracing myself for the worst. “What?”
“If I don’t kiss you in five seconds, I’m gonna lose it,” he tells me in a low whisper.
he was a simp from day one. literally the perfect man. outgoing introvert with golden retriever energy but also sexy, cocky firefighter... gimme🤲🏻
everything he did was ASTRONOMICAL. their first date resulting in the bathtub scene ???????? I PASSED AWAY. the clementines. the locker-room altercations. “screw the 6th August”. i truly don’t think i can articulate how much i love this man. and just the way he loved Crystal had me by the throat.
“Right when I was about to pay, I saw you. You were cooling down on the treadmill and you were so fucking stunning. I was all flustered like a kid. Pretty sure I tried to tap the credit card machine with my driver’s license. Not my finest moment.”
they executed “we know we have feelings for each other but can’t do anything about it” soooo fucking well. the tension was palpable, it was intensely drawn out but not too much that you got bored and lost interest. the pacing was satisfying and i devoured this book in less than twenty-four hours— it was easy to consume and soooo addictive.
His kiss is a revival. It’s full of life, relieving me of all the chaos and noise spiraling around my mind, crippling me for far too long. It all just stops when he touches me, settling into perfect serenity.
the body politics of this book were amazing. oh my god. im usually really wary of romances that have a theme of fitness/weight/gym life, etc bcos the portrayals can be problematic and send the wrong kind of message. i felt like Amy Lea handled the delicate topic with tact and care. it was greatly approached and im glad that it wasn’t the driving force of the book, but it worked alongside the romance and Crystal’s individual journey.
but, this was gonna be a five star read until the end conflict... i understood the sentiments but i just hated how Crystal reacted to Scott. he didn’t deserve that. it bugged me a lot tbh, and waned my enjoyment. i just wish it hadn’t been as severe, maybe? i guess. idk the right word, but it just resulted in me feeling a little bummed bcos all of my cute butterfly feelings withered a bit. i think that’s when the body politics of the book did take over more than id have liked, unfortunately.
her big grand gesture was heartwarming though. it was incredibly sweet. i was giddy he whole time, so it redeemed her actions for me.
and how could i not love this when Crystal has a Geordie client who she claims has an “amazing accent”😌 most of the time, people say we sound dumb af and unintelligible... so thank u Amy Lea. the slang was also *chef’s kiss*
so, this was just spectacular, especially for a debut novel. wow. i had the best time reading it with a big silly smile on my face. i am so hyped for Tara and Trevor, i didn’t actually think they’d be getting a romance together so i can’t wait!!
thank you to NetGalley and Penguin General for the arc in exchange for an honest review!
April 27, 2022
Tropes: Enemies to lovers, forced proximity, wedding.
WHAT A FUN BOOK! If you liked The Love Hypothesis, you will definitely enjoy this! It is a super tropey (in the best way), slightly chaotic romance with a lot of heart.
Crystal is a fitness influencer on Instagram who is throwing herself into her work after a break up. When a grouchy man steals her equipment mid work out, the gym becomes a battleground for the pettiest back and forth ever seen. But when her gym-nemesis is introduced as her grandmother’s fiancé’s grandson, they are forced to spend more time together, and they find out that there is a very thin line between love and hate.
To be perfectly honest, I am not normally a fan of influencer-based romances. I don’t know why, but they never seem to work for me. This was definitely an exception! Crystal feels sincere and I loved how much she championed other women, from her close friends to those who followed her online. That is such a huge focus in this book – body positivity, neutrality and self-belief. Lea handles these topics, alongside the fatphobia and online abuse that comes with them, really well.
Scott is a fire fighter (which is an instant swoon from me) with a grumpy exterior but is really gentle underneath it. I’ve seen a few comments that this book is insta-love, but I would disagree. I think there is a lot of lust at the beginning (the chemistry between them is SO HIGH) as is often the case with enemies to lovers, but we then see that lust change over time to love. I really believed in their romance, and them as a couple. The spice was on point, but the fact there was no scene with the fire pole?? Missed opportunity.
As well as the romance, there are really strong friendship and family bonds in this story that I just LOVED! I wish we got to read more about the fire station (a duel POV would have been really good here), but I loved the wedding sub-plot between Crystal’s grandma and Scott’s Grandpa – teeth achingly sweet.
Just to add, I did have a few concerns about some of the language used (there was an occasion where PTSD was used as an adjective, for example). I reached out to the author and was told that if these were not cut in the final edit, they would be before the next batch of printing. It was obvious that it wasn’t intended negatively at all – just something to bear in mind if you get a copy from the first printing.
Overall, this was a really fun time. I demolished it in one sitting. Solid 4.5 rounded up!
Thank you to Net Galley, Penguin and Amy Lea for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review!
WHAT A FUN BOOK! If you liked The Love Hypothesis, you will definitely enjoy this! It is a super tropey (in the best way), slightly chaotic romance with a lot of heart.
Crystal is a fitness influencer on Instagram who is throwing herself into her work after a break up. When a grouchy man steals her equipment mid work out, the gym becomes a battleground for the pettiest back and forth ever seen. But when her gym-nemesis is introduced as her grandmother’s fiancé’s grandson, they are forced to spend more time together, and they find out that there is a very thin line between love and hate.
To be perfectly honest, I am not normally a fan of influencer-based romances. I don’t know why, but they never seem to work for me. This was definitely an exception! Crystal feels sincere and I loved how much she championed other women, from her close friends to those who followed her online. That is such a huge focus in this book – body positivity, neutrality and self-belief. Lea handles these topics, alongside the fatphobia and online abuse that comes with them, really well.
Scott is a fire fighter (which is an instant swoon from me) with a grumpy exterior but is really gentle underneath it. I’ve seen a few comments that this book is insta-love, but I would disagree. I think there is a lot of lust at the beginning (the chemistry between them is SO HIGH) as is often the case with enemies to lovers, but we then see that lust change over time to love. I really believed in their romance, and them as a couple. The spice was on point, but the fact there was no scene with the fire pole?? Missed opportunity.
As well as the romance, there are really strong friendship and family bonds in this story that I just LOVED! I wish we got to read more about the fire station (a duel POV would have been really good here), but I loved the wedding sub-plot between Crystal’s grandma and Scott’s Grandpa – teeth achingly sweet.
Just to add, I did have a few concerns about some of the language used (there was an occasion where PTSD was used as an adjective, for example). I reached out to the author and was told that if these were not cut in the final edit, they would be before the next batch of printing. It was obvious that it wasn’t intended negatively at all – just something to bear in mind if you get a copy from the first printing.
Overall, this was a really fun time. I demolished it in one sitting. Solid 4.5 rounded up!
Thank you to Net Galley, Penguin and Amy Lea for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review!
Shelved as 'dnf'
January 23, 2022millennial core
September 13, 2022
overall rating: ✰ ✰ ✰
[ i didn’t hate this book but i didn’t love it. ]
what a lovely debut novel. this is a sweet and fun romcom, with great banter, it was very easy to read.
i really love how this book incorporated body positivity and the overall message of self acceptance.
— i wish the enemies to lovers trope played out a bit longer! i really wanted more angst between these characters — they started dating quick and the book got boring bc you just know there will be third act conflict around the 80% mark.
scott ritchie i cannot explain how fine this man is. a hot firefighter who can be cocky at times but also has the biggest golden retriever personality.
tropes:
enemies to lovers
forced proximity
plus size rep
self acceptance
witty banter
[ i didn’t hate this book but i didn’t love it. ]
what a lovely debut novel. this is a sweet and fun romcom, with great banter, it was very easy to read.
i really love how this book incorporated body positivity and the overall message of self acceptance.
— i wish the enemies to lovers trope played out a bit longer! i really wanted more angst between these characters — they started dating quick and the book got boring bc you just know there will be third act conflict around the 80% mark.
scott ritchie i cannot explain how fine this man is. a hot firefighter who can be cocky at times but also has the biggest golden retriever personality.
“i knew i’d be a goner the
moment i first talked to you. and i was.”
tropes:
enemies to lovers
forced proximity
plus size rep
self acceptance
witty banter
February 12, 2023
what utter garbage
I was rooting for this book. I was looking forward to the body-positive element, hoping it would be inspiring and just a good bloody time but alas, I was let down.
Harsh review ahead.
warning - major Crystal rant ahead
I've never hated a protagonist in a rom-com as much as Crystal, goddamn. For someone who preaches about self-love and stereotypes, she is one judgy bitch. I don't want to talk about this book too much because it doesn't deserve anymore of my time but she put Scott down constantly and continues to put herself on a pedestal. Horrible, horrible woman.
She judges him because he's good looking, thinking he's instantly a player and a cheater - which is mentioned on almost every line - even when Scott says he's single, she doesn't believe him and continues to slag him off and belittle him. He even says 'um, I broke up with my gf' and she just goes on and on for pages about not wanting to be associated with a cheater. HE IS SINGLE. It was the author trying to add unnecessary drama but it didn't work because it's just not true.
She also makes fun of him for having a phobia of needles and says things like 'um, do you have something to help a grown man who feels faint?' BITCH shut the fuck up, are men not allowed to have fears? I genuinely think she just hates men at this point.
She even says 'why am I attracted to him when he's vulnerable and needs medical attention'
um what. That's slightly worrying.
AND she thirsts for him and hates that she does so she just continues to make comments about him to make herself feel better. She calls him a player but honestly, she acted more like one than he did.
Crystal was in a relationship, he cheated, so she has rebounds with lots of men. Scott was also in a relationship and they broke up, he does nothing.
Crystal: I bet he's a player and sleeps around, I ain't being a rebound, he's a whore, I'm better than him.
??????
Girl, didn't you rebound? Why can she do things and nobody else can?
^ footage of me throwing Set On You at her.
She's so fucking judgy of everyone, even her own family, and acts like her shit don't stink. Just because she's curvy, she feel like she has a free pass to judge other people and uses that in defence if it backfires.
I also find the whole 'being an influencer and getting a full-time salary' on what she does a little hard to believe, I'm no influencer but I feel like she doesn't have enough followers or even do enough to make this a career and have sponsors from fucking NIKE. This book felt like a huge product placement for many brands so I'm suspicious.
And the gym ain't yours, people can use what they want.
/rant.
Anyway, moving away from her because I'm done, the writing is just not good. It's unnecessarily long and took forever for me to even get to 30% before I DNF'd it.
One thing I hated - too many pop culture references.
Why is Amy Lea uncapable of describing what a person looks like without comparing them to a celebrity? We get no descriptions of anyone.
"He looks like Chris Evans. My boyfriend looks like Henry Golding. That guy looks like Dev Patel. Don't you think he looks like Liam Hemsworth."
Seriously, that's just lazy. And some references felt like they were catering to the TikTok fans, others felt like they were for people who were older, it wasn't cohesive. Are 18 year olds going to get if someone 'goes Robert DeNiro' on someone? That's a Meet the Parents ref, in case you're not aware, a film that came out in 2000.
On top of that, this book is just boring. Just endless gym scenes of her working out, thinking she's better than everyone, conversations with her grandma and treating Scott like shit.
He didn't have much personality but he deserves better
Also, Crystal, babe, it's physically impossible for your sister to read 1,500 books a day. That bookstagram reference is to cater for the bookstagrammers - i.e. me - and I couldn't care less.
And the humour in this book is also so juvenile. Like, calling your golden doodle 'Albus Doodledore' is just... ugh not my humour at all. I would have found it funny 10 years a go maybe but it's such an overused joke.
Also, if you're going to create drama, don't put the "twist" on the back of the book then make us wait 100 pages for the protag to get there.
I'm done. I cannot. Harsh review, I know, but I'm so sick of paying for books with lazy writing that is clearly to cater to TikTok and to make a quick buck because this has every trope ever, every reference, and is obviously written for the new crazes of romance books.
I may be losing my patience with them. I want my money back to the honest.
This had a similar vibe to Spanish Love Deception, another TikTok book I DNF'd.
Apologies if you're reading this and you love the book, or if you're Amy Lea, but I'm just fed up. And I've not done a harsh review like this in a while, it's nice to be back. I believe that was for Book Lovers :)
I was intending to read Exes and O's because Tara isn't too bad and that sounds more like my cup of tea but I'm not so sure now.
June 16, 2022
3.5 stars
I haven't read many books where the main character is an influencer so this book was definitely refreshing and fun to read. I really liked how the authors molded this story, especially how she showed the toxic parts as well as the benefits of sharing yourself on social media as part of your profession. The body-positivity and self-acceptance messages were a great throughout the book without being overly repetitive or annoying.
Crystal and Scott had really great chemistry — their DM banter and flirting was so good and their scenes in the gym were hilarious, sweet, with just the perfect amount of steamy. I did want more enemies before they went to the lovers part, but still I really enjoyed the early tension.
Overall, this is a promising debut novel by Amy Lea and I look forward to spinoffs of some of the side characters that I enjoyed seeing :)
I haven't read many books where the main character is an influencer so this book was definitely refreshing and fun to read. I really liked how the authors molded this story, especially how she showed the toxic parts as well as the benefits of sharing yourself on social media as part of your profession. The body-positivity and self-acceptance messages were a great throughout the book without being overly repetitive or annoying.
Crystal and Scott had really great chemistry — their DM banter and flirting was so good and their scenes in the gym were hilarious, sweet, with just the perfect amount of steamy. I did want more enemies before they went to the lovers part, but still I really enjoyed the early tension.
Overall, this is a promising debut novel by Amy Lea and I look forward to spinoffs of some of the side characters that I enjoyed seeing :)
April 2, 2022
Thank you to Berkley Publishing for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review
I was really excited about this title, especially since the discussion around how fitness and body neutrality fit together is something I am still trying to tease out for myself. From the opening author's notes, I was anticipating something spectacular. Unfortunately, this wasn't what I was hoping for. I didn't care for either Crystal or Scott, both characters felt flat and I personally don't care for the insta-love trope. I did like the conclusions Crystal came to on body positivity and self love, but I do wish the book dug a little bit deeper. Perhaps because this is a topic I've mediated on a lot, I didn't feel like it offered me anything new, but I can see how meaningful this discussion will be for someone just beginning their journey into body neutrality. Overall, didn't quite care for the romance or the discussion that was attempted in this book. We need more books with biracial plus size women, and I know there is an audience that will resonate with this, unfortunately it just was not for me.
I was really excited about this title, especially since the discussion around how fitness and body neutrality fit together is something I am still trying to tease out for myself. From the opening author's notes, I was anticipating something spectacular. Unfortunately, this wasn't what I was hoping for. I didn't care for either Crystal or Scott, both characters felt flat and I personally don't care for the insta-love trope. I did like the conclusions Crystal came to on body positivity and self love, but I do wish the book dug a little bit deeper. Perhaps because this is a topic I've mediated on a lot, I didn't feel like it offered me anything new, but I can see how meaningful this discussion will be for someone just beginning their journey into body neutrality. Overall, didn't quite care for the romance or the discussion that was attempted in this book. We need more books with biracial plus size women, and I know there is an audience that will resonate with this, unfortunately it just was not for me.
December 17, 2022
unfortunately, this one just didn’t work out for me
April 20, 2022
4 stars
This was such a fun debut novel! I love a good enemies to lovers romance and Scott and Crystal's story was great.
Crystal is a personal trainer and fitness influencer. She spends a lot of time in the gym and as a curvy woman sometimes she gets some pushback, especially on-line. When a new guy blatantly takes her spot at the gym, naturally she's peeved. This is how she meets Scott. He steals her window spot. You can feel the tension between these two from the start.
Fast forward a few weeks and more run ins later, Crystal is at her wits end. Then she finds out she knows Scott another way. Her grandmother is marrying Scott's grandpa. She starts giving him a chance after that, as friends of course. But their friendship turns into so much more. Of course there are a few bumps along the way, but that's per the course.
I loved Crystal as a character. She was strong and self reflective. She had a great attitude but real struggles she had to deal with as well. Scott was one of those characters that really had to grow on me. I can't say it was love at first sight, but by the half way mark I adored him. This was a fantastic debut romance and I'm excited to read more from this author in the future.
I've officially designated him my gym-nemesis.
This was such a fun debut novel! I love a good enemies to lovers romance and Scott and Crystal's story was great.
Crystal is a personal trainer and fitness influencer. She spends a lot of time in the gym and as a curvy woman sometimes she gets some pushback, especially on-line. When a new guy blatantly takes her spot at the gym, naturally she's peeved. This is how she meets Scott. He steals her window spot. You can feel the tension between these two from the start.
Fast forward a few weeks and more run ins later, Crystal is at her wits end. Then she finds out she knows Scott another way. Her grandmother is marrying Scott's grandpa. She starts giving him a chance after that, as friends of course. But their friendship turns into so much more. Of course there are a few bumps along the way, but that's per the course.
I loved Crystal as a character. She was strong and self reflective. She had a great attitude but real struggles she had to deal with as well. Scott was one of those characters that really had to grow on me. I can't say it was love at first sight, but by the half way mark I adored him. This was a fantastic debut romance and I'm excited to read more from this author in the future.
"You're perfect. Every part of you."
May 13, 2022
✨Do I want to go buy matching workout sets I’ll never use? Yes.✨
I really loved the first half of this one and was pretty okay with the second! The fight scene wasn’t for me (although it rarely is) but overall I had a good time. There was a bit of steam (yay!!) and I liked the side characters and their support system (while also not afraid to call bullshit).
I liked Crystal and Scott and how their relationship began. Their interactions at the gym were enjoyable to witness and the revelations at the end were pretty cute. It was definitely a mild enemies to lovers moment which quickly progressed into friends-to-lovers-trying-not-to-be-lovers-but-gave-up-on-trying-pretty-quickly situation. I also loved the connection they had through their grandparents. (I didn’t read the summary so it was fun to watch that play out in real time.) I read through this super quickly and it kept me engaged and the author’s voice was strong and clever. There was also a sizable number of pop-culture references.
This was only a single POV from Crystal’s perspective which I didn’t mind. I do like when a book (especially contemporary) is kept to single POV because it just ups the tension and angst for me. However, since Scott was very clear with his intentions pretty much from page 60, I would’ve liked his POV so it could add a little extra depth to his character. This was a pretty low angst, low tension book and fairly slow burn. It may be a stretch to call this a rom-com (idk we all have different definitions at this point) but I did laugh a few times (mostly when he gave his bad pickup line puns).
✨
The steam was actually pretty good! Most notably, there was a hot bathtub (sans water) moment and steamy shower (with water) scene. The former happens before sex and the latter happens after that initial scene. Their first *intercourse* scene wasn’t my favorite compared to those other two moments which does say a bit. It was pretty short but still nice (of course the book summarizes the second time they had sex that night).
Do I think this is “extremely sexy” like Helen Hoang said? Uh no. Especially when comparing to the extremely sexy Kiss Quotient lmao. The author is a bookstagrammer and I think she understands that steamy is a great selling point. It’s in the summary and a lot of marketing promo. While that’s exactly what I’d do, I think making the book steamier would help with expectations lol.
All of the scenes ended before he orgasmed? Idk if that’s a category of its own? It didn’t feel closed door but it wasn’t incredibly detailed nor was there explicit language except like one time. You did know what was happening to you whom and with what body part still. Overall, I’m pretty happy with the steam in relation to the vibes of the book as a whole. It didn’t promise anything crazy so I think it ultimately held up the promises it did make.
✨
This did feel like a debut in terms of writing style and presentation though. A lot of their relationship happened off the page and has been randomly told to us. It’s written kinda weird… You blink and she’s like oh yeah I’ve been to his apartment a million times and knows all this stuff about him that we weren’t privy to and I’m Iike…what now? It was still a pretty good time but I ultimately was not very invested in the two. The break up scene (before the actual breakup scene) felt very forced and random and the whole plot thing it introduced was also done and gone in a blink of the eye. The actual breakup scene wasn’t much better. It didn’t make a lot of sense and I was very confused why Crystal did what she did. It was explained but even then I’m not quite sure.
As for the Instagram posts, comments, and articles…I’m just generally not a fan of that format. Same as what happened in Fastest Way to Fall, I kinda tapped out when it came to focusing on them. A lot of times they were just rehashing stuff we’d already learned and felt like posts that I just…wouldn’t read in real life. The epilogue was completely article/post and I was like!?? Again with the telling not showing. She recapped her engagement for us but I would’ve just rather seen the real thing. That happened quite a bit throughout the book like I said, random details about Scott and Crystal’s relationship were just tossed at us (so sorry but I have terrible reflexes). This writing style was more mildly distracting than irritating though.
✨
It took me most of the book to really see what the actual message of it was, but in the end it was a nice bow on the book as a whole. (Message how I understood it: body positivity all the time is actually not positive at all and it’s very harmful. It can make you think your feelings toward your body aren’t valid if they’re not always positive. Crystal went down this spiral of thinking she needed to feel 100% all the time and realized it wasn’t sustainable. She also realized that was a HUGE part of her platform.) Would I reread this one? No probably not but I had a good time. I will probs read the next book by the author because I’m assuming it’s about her bookstagrammer sister… and I think I need that. Although, is that the healthiest thing for me to read? Idk.
⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5 🌶🌶.75/5
*For those curious, the word plus-size is never written in this book. It’s either curvy or full-figured.
**This is very much a *me* thing, but this book really didn’t make me feel great about myself? I don’t know I just think this is gonna definitely be the last gym romance I read. I don’t follow fitness influencers for various reasons, and this book kinda exacerbated the issues I personally have with them. Lack of detail in places made it a little hard to connect with, while also made me project a bit more? Idk this is as far as I’m gonna go. There’s a very clear content warning letter before the book, but I didn’t really know how I’d feel until I read the book I guess.
I really loved the first half of this one and was pretty okay with the second! The fight scene wasn’t for me (although it rarely is) but overall I had a good time. There was a bit of steam (yay!!) and I liked the side characters and their support system (while also not afraid to call bullshit).
I liked Crystal and Scott and how their relationship began. Their interactions at the gym were enjoyable to witness and the revelations at the end were pretty cute. It was definitely a mild enemies to lovers moment which quickly progressed into friends-to-lovers-trying-not-to-be-lovers-but-gave-up-on-trying-pretty-quickly situation. I also loved the connection they had through their grandparents. (I didn’t read the summary so it was fun to watch that play out in real time.) I read through this super quickly and it kept me engaged and the author’s voice was strong and clever. There was also a sizable number of pop-culture references.
This was only a single POV from Crystal’s perspective which I didn’t mind. I do like when a book (especially contemporary) is kept to single POV because it just ups the tension and angst for me. However, since Scott was very clear with his intentions pretty much from page 60, I would’ve liked his POV so it could add a little extra depth to his character. This was a pretty low angst, low tension book and fairly slow burn. It may be a stretch to call this a rom-com (idk we all have different definitions at this point) but I did laugh a few times (mostly when he gave his bad pickup line puns).
✨
The steam was actually pretty good! Most notably, there was a hot bathtub (sans water) moment and steamy shower (with water) scene. The former happens before sex and the latter happens after that initial scene. Their first *intercourse* scene wasn’t my favorite compared to those other two moments which does say a bit. It was pretty short but still nice (of course the book summarizes the second time they had sex that night).
Do I think this is “extremely sexy” like Helen Hoang said? Uh no. Especially when comparing to the extremely sexy Kiss Quotient lmao. The author is a bookstagrammer and I think she understands that steamy is a great selling point. It’s in the summary and a lot of marketing promo. While that’s exactly what I’d do, I think making the book steamier would help with expectations lol.
All of the scenes ended before he orgasmed? Idk if that’s a category of its own? It didn’t feel closed door but it wasn’t incredibly detailed nor was there explicit language except like one time. You did know what was happening to you whom and with what body part still. Overall, I’m pretty happy with the steam in relation to the vibes of the book as a whole. It didn’t promise anything crazy so I think it ultimately held up the promises it did make.
✨
This did feel like a debut in terms of writing style and presentation though. A lot of their relationship happened off the page and has been randomly told to us. It’s written kinda weird… You blink and she’s like oh yeah I’ve been to his apartment a million times and knows all this stuff about him that we weren’t privy to and I’m Iike…what now? It was still a pretty good time but I ultimately was not very invested in the two. The break up scene (before the actual breakup scene) felt very forced and random and the whole plot thing it introduced was also done and gone in a blink of the eye. The actual breakup scene wasn’t much better. It didn’t make a lot of sense and I was very confused why Crystal did what she did. It was explained but even then I’m not quite sure.
As for the Instagram posts, comments, and articles…I’m just generally not a fan of that format. Same as what happened in Fastest Way to Fall, I kinda tapped out when it came to focusing on them. A lot of times they were just rehashing stuff we’d already learned and felt like posts that I just…wouldn’t read in real life. The epilogue was completely article/post and I was like!?? Again with the telling not showing. She recapped her engagement for us but I would’ve just rather seen the real thing. That happened quite a bit throughout the book like I said, random details about Scott and Crystal’s relationship were just tossed at us (so sorry but I have terrible reflexes). This writing style was more mildly distracting than irritating though.
✨
It took me most of the book to really see what the actual message of it was, but in the end it was a nice bow on the book as a whole. (Message how I understood it: body positivity all the time is actually not positive at all and it’s very harmful. It can make you think your feelings toward your body aren’t valid if they’re not always positive. Crystal went down this spiral of thinking she needed to feel 100% all the time and realized it wasn’t sustainable. She also realized that was a HUGE part of her platform.) Would I reread this one? No probably not but I had a good time. I will probs read the next book by the author because I’m assuming it’s about her bookstagrammer sister… and I think I need that. Although, is that the healthiest thing for me to read? Idk.
⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5 🌶🌶.75/5
*For those curious, the word plus-size is never written in this book. It’s either curvy or full-figured.
**This is very much a *me* thing, but this book really didn’t make me feel great about myself? I don’t know I just think this is gonna definitely be the last gym romance I read. I don’t follow fitness influencers for various reasons, and this book kinda exacerbated the issues I personally have with them. Lack of detail in places made it a little hard to connect with, while also made me project a bit more? Idk this is as far as I’m gonna go. There’s a very clear content warning letter before the book, but I didn’t really know how I’d feel until I read the book I guess.
August 9, 2022
This is a slight enemies-to-lovers romance that starts off with a not-so-cute meet-cute at the gym. Crystal is a curvy fitness influencer who meets a cute guy at her local gym who's unfortunately curt and rude and keeps stealing the equipment she wants to use. Week after week, Crystal and Scott argue and sparks fly until they finally run into each other outside of the gym – and it’s at their grandparents engagement party. Weird, but we’ll go with it.
Since they’re forced together thanks to their grandparents, Crystal finds out there’s a lot more to Scott than just the jerk he is. He CAN actually be sweet, caring, and genuine. The romance was slow but nice, and I loved both of their families, who are so fun to read. The book is very body positive too, since Crystal takes physical and mental health very seriously.
I will say I was pretty disappointed when the steam was more fade to black than anything. There's a flicker of heat, so it's not nothing, but when the blurb itself calls the book steamy, I expected a lot more than what I got. But besides that, it’s solid for a debut from Amy Lea!
Since they’re forced together thanks to their grandparents, Crystal finds out there’s a lot more to Scott than just the jerk he is. He CAN actually be sweet, caring, and genuine. The romance was slow but nice, and I loved both of their families, who are so fun to read. The book is very body positive too, since Crystal takes physical and mental health very seriously.
I will say I was pretty disappointed when the steam was more fade to black than anything. There's a flicker of heat, so it's not nothing, but when the blurb itself calls the book steamy, I expected a lot more than what I got. But besides that, it’s solid for a debut from Amy Lea!
February 18, 2024
4⭑
Tropes;
- enemies to friends to lovers
- gym influencer x firefighter
- plus size rep
- single POV
This was such a fun read and one I definitely recommend.
I loved everything about this from the two love interests bickering and bantering to the excellent portrayal of a plus size woman who is happy and confident with the way she looks!!
All around feel good book 🫶🏼
Tropes;
- enemies to friends to lovers
- gym influencer x firefighter
- plus size rep
- single POV
This was such a fun read and one I definitely recommend.
I loved everything about this from the two love interests bickering and bantering to the excellent portrayal of a plus size woman who is happy and confident with the way she looks!!
All around feel good book 🫶🏼
February 26, 2022
THIS BOOK!!!! I loved Hot Scott the Firefighter so very much, and Crystal was amazing. It was fresh and fun and I immediately wanted to read it again. I cannot wait to read more from Amy Lea, because this book was such a delight.
August 26, 2022
Wow, that gym make out session was so hot I'm melting (I mean the first one, because the second one....let me just say UNSANITARY).
My rating would have been higher if it weren't for Crystal's inconsistency. I liked her character, I even loved Scott's character (he's such a sweetheart, seriously), but it wasn't fun when she would invent the dumbest excuses to stay apart. That undecidedness was there just to make the pining longer and it showed. Crystal kept refusing Scott for one reason or another and then still think about his body or about how people on the street would look at them and think they were a couple. It was annoying, not gonna lie. She would also treat Scott badly just because, when he was nothing but kind to her.
I loved the concept of this book and its execution (them arguing over gym equipment) and especially how it went even further with the inclusion of the grandparents. The grandma was their biggest fangirl and she killed me with every attempt she made at getting them together. To be honest I don't care about gym stuff as I'm one who absolutely hates all kinds of workout, and this book didn't change my mind, but reading about Scott and Crystal sparring in the gym was super fun even for me lol. However, the social media posts in between chapters were just okay. Most of the time, I had the urge to skip them because they were so on the nose about body positivity and haters. I loved that this book had a plus-sized main character but I also wanted to read a book where size isn't that important, you know? I would have liked it better if Crystal being plus-sized was only a little part of her, not her entire personality.
This book had the tendency to do time skips, so instead of showing important happy romantic plot points it would summarize them in a couple of sentences. An example of this is when Crystal goes for the first time to Scott's house, meets his dog and spends time with him there. That whole time is glossed over, while other moments when they're apart or when things don't go to plan are really drawn out. At the end of it, it seems like you don't get to see them together when they're happy very often, and I was bummed that this romcom novel showed this amount of negativity compared to happy moments.
Overall, though, I actually liked this book well enough. It was a fast and enjoyable read. There were times where I wanted to skip ahead or where I was sick of the pop culture references, but this didn't stop me from having fun. Crystal and Scott were super cute when they were together. I think my doubts stem mostly from the fact that I believe Amy Lea still needs to find her personal voice in the genre, without trying to insert all the tropes and smut that some book community we won't be talking about has been trying to push into literally everything for a couple of years now. For sure I'm going to pick up her next book because it's about Tara, who's a NICU nurse and loves to read + Trevor is the love interest (!) *chefs kiss* It won't be long before you'll see me read the arc. Believe me, this author is onto something.
My rating would have been higher if it weren't for Crystal's inconsistency. I liked her character, I even loved Scott's character (he's such a sweetheart, seriously), but it wasn't fun when she would invent the dumbest excuses to stay apart. That undecidedness was there just to make the pining longer and it showed. Crystal kept refusing Scott for one reason or another and then still think about his body or about how people on the street would look at them and think they were a couple. It was annoying, not gonna lie. She would also treat Scott badly just because, when he was nothing but kind to her.
I loved the concept of this book and its execution (them arguing over gym equipment) and especially how it went even further with the inclusion of the grandparents. The grandma was their biggest fangirl and she killed me with every attempt she made at getting them together. To be honest I don't care about gym stuff as I'm one who absolutely hates all kinds of workout, and this book didn't change my mind, but reading about Scott and Crystal sparring in the gym was super fun even for me lol. However, the social media posts in between chapters were just okay. Most of the time, I had the urge to skip them because they were so on the nose about body positivity and haters. I loved that this book had a plus-sized main character but I also wanted to read a book where size isn't that important, you know? I would have liked it better if Crystal being plus-sized was only a little part of her, not her entire personality.
This book had the tendency to do time skips, so instead of showing important happy romantic plot points it would summarize them in a couple of sentences. An example of this is when Crystal goes for the first time to Scott's house, meets his dog and spends time with him there. That whole time is glossed over, while other moments when they're apart or when things don't go to plan are really drawn out. At the end of it, it seems like you don't get to see them together when they're happy very often, and I was bummed that this romcom novel showed this amount of negativity compared to happy moments.
Overall, though, I actually liked this book well enough. It was a fast and enjoyable read. There were times where I wanted to skip ahead or where I was sick of the pop culture references, but this didn't stop me from having fun. Crystal and Scott were super cute when they were together. I think my doubts stem mostly from the fact that I believe Amy Lea still needs to find her personal voice in the genre, without trying to insert all the tropes and smut that some book community we won't be talking about has been trying to push into literally everything for a couple of years now. For sure I'm going to pick up her next book because it's about Tara, who's a NICU nurse and loves to read + Trevor is the love interest (!) *chefs kiss* It won't be long before you'll see me read the arc. Believe me, this author is onto something.
May 22, 2022
my fault for giving this shit a chance
July 12, 2023
a cute lil read, but I cared more about the grandma’s relationship than the romance between the main characters & the third-act breakup was awful
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