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Big Date Energy
Fran’s done with looking for long-term love.She’s got Big Date Energy…Serial monogamist Fran has waited years for her chance to be single, and now’s her time to shine. She wants to date as much as she can. She’s got Big Date Energy.
But her Mum has other ideas. She’s desperate for Fran to find real love and nominates her for a new TV dating show, Date My mate, which promises to pair people with their perfect match.
And when Fran walks onto the set, hoping for a bit of a laugh and a story to tell, she’s confronted with Ivy. Her first love, her high school romance. And the one that got away…
PRAISE FOR BETHANY RUTTER
‘Fun and life-affirming’ STYLIST
‘This funny, uplifting rom-com is a total treat’ FABULOUS
‘Heart-warming, funny and, and inspiring . . . a joy’ LOUISE O’NEILL
’An uplifting tale about self-care and new beginnings’ WOMAN’S OWN
‘Authentic characters and powerful messages’ MY WEEKLY
‘A meaningful (and funny) journey of self-love. We’ve waited a long time for this’ GLAMOUR
‘An inspiring romcom about being bold and not compromising on the life you really want’ CRESSIDA MCLAUGHLIN
'Original, positive and life affirming’ KATIE FFORDE
But her Mum has other ideas. She’s desperate for Fran to find real love and nominates her for a new TV dating show, Date My mate, which promises to pair people with their perfect match.
And when Fran walks onto the set, hoping for a bit of a laugh and a story to tell, she’s confronted with Ivy. Her first love, her high school romance. And the one that got away…
PRAISE FOR BETHANY RUTTER
‘Fun and life-affirming’ STYLIST
‘This funny, uplifting rom-com is a total treat’ FABULOUS
‘Heart-warming, funny and, and inspiring . . . a joy’ LOUISE O’NEILL
’An uplifting tale about self-care and new beginnings’ WOMAN’S OWN
‘Authentic characters and powerful messages’ MY WEEKLY
‘A meaningful (and funny) journey of self-love. We’ve waited a long time for this’ GLAMOUR
‘An inspiring romcom about being bold and not compromising on the life you really want’ CRESSIDA MCLAUGHLIN
'Original, positive and life affirming’ KATIE FFORDE
370 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 1, 2024
16 people are currently reading
438 people want to read
About the author
Bethany Rutter
10 books192 followersHi! I’m Bethany Rutter. In my day job I am social editor at navabi, a women’s plus size fashion brand. On the side, I am a writer, editor and podcaster, and I still occasionally update my plus size fashion blog.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 60 reviews
April 19, 2024
A fun, lighthearted and easy read for the self appointed fat babe greedy bisexuals in their slag eras (an underrepresented group within the market imo). I personally preferred Rutter's previous adult title, but this was a fun time nevertheless, and I appreciated the cameos from the characters from Welcome To Your Life.
January 2, 2024
Big Date Energy is a novel about a woman who finally has the chance to date as many people as possible, only for her mum to apply for her to take part in a dating show. Fran has been in three long term monogamous relationships, but now she's single, it's time for her to date around and have a good time. When her mum applies for her to be on a new TV dating show, The Meet-Cute, she's not sure, but thinks it might be a laugh. However, she ends up face to face with her school girlfriend, Ivy, who broke her heart, and from then onwards, Fran has to work out what she's actually looking for.
This is a fun romcom about a bisexual woman taking advantage of the chance to date, meet people, have sex, and have a good time, alongside a plotline about the one that got away. The book is overwhelmingly positive, with Fran even seeing the positive side of bad dates or people who seem less interesting, and it's refreshing that the concept of the book isn't matched up with a depiction of funny bad dates or weird people. Instead, there's a lot of no-strings-attached dating and Fran knowing her own mind, alongside the fat positivity you'd expect from Bethany Rutter's work. It's a good book for people looking for a story that embraces dating as a bisexual person and also embraces that people are different and not everyone is looking for the same thing.
The overall narrative was more predictable than I hoped, as I thought the book might explore polyamory or less conventional types of relationships even if not through the protagonist, and the ending was a bit neat. I did like that near the end there was a crisis moment for the protagonist around realising that her fun attitude to herself did mean that she often overlooked checking in with friends and family about their lives, as it added a bit more complexity to Fran's story. I could imagine a sequel that maybe focused on one of Fran's friends or was more of an ensemble story, as it felt like there could be more, for example around Fran's makeup artist career, and there's some good characters.
I don't read many romantic comedies, but I like good queer ones, and as a fan of the dating show that The Meet-Cute is clearly partly based on, I liked that premise as a set up (on that show there are occasional people who do already have a history, making the conceit of the book strangely realistic). This is a book that is easy to get absorbed into and the sort of romcom that is low on stress and high on fun, ideal for people who like that kind of formula.
This is a fun romcom about a bisexual woman taking advantage of the chance to date, meet people, have sex, and have a good time, alongside a plotline about the one that got away. The book is overwhelmingly positive, with Fran even seeing the positive side of bad dates or people who seem less interesting, and it's refreshing that the concept of the book isn't matched up with a depiction of funny bad dates or weird people. Instead, there's a lot of no-strings-attached dating and Fran knowing her own mind, alongside the fat positivity you'd expect from Bethany Rutter's work. It's a good book for people looking for a story that embraces dating as a bisexual person and also embraces that people are different and not everyone is looking for the same thing.
The overall narrative was more predictable than I hoped, as I thought the book might explore polyamory or less conventional types of relationships even if not through the protagonist, and the ending was a bit neat. I did like that near the end there was a crisis moment for the protagonist around realising that her fun attitude to herself did mean that she often overlooked checking in with friends and family about their lives, as it added a bit more complexity to Fran's story. I could imagine a sequel that maybe focused on one of Fran's friends or was more of an ensemble story, as it felt like there could be more, for example around Fran's makeup artist career, and there's some good characters.
I don't read many romantic comedies, but I like good queer ones, and as a fan of the dating show that The Meet-Cute is clearly partly based on, I liked that premise as a set up (on that show there are occasional people who do already have a history, making the conceit of the book strangely realistic). This is a book that is easy to get absorbed into and the sort of romcom that is low on stress and high on fun, ideal for people who like that kind of formula.
June 5, 2024
What a waste of paper
January 9, 2024
I was provided with an eARC for this book by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This book is pure bisexual chaos and I love it! While it was slightly predicable (as soon as the love interest's name as mentioned I knew where it was going), the story in itself was entertaining, well-paced and really enjoyable.
I really appreciated the fact that the story takes place over the course of a full year rather than everything being rammed into a few weeks. It made it more believable and Fran really does go on a believable journey of self-discovery that feels very real.
There is a lot more focus on all the dating rather than the final relationship, but I actually thinks this works as it is important to Fran realising things about herself. It also ensures that equal time is given to her friendships, which are also important relationships.
I'm a big fan of the non-toxic body positivity throughout the book and it's so great to have a plus-size female main character who has no body hang-ups but is also realistic about the way that fat people are viewed and the issues this creates. It was a real breath of fresh air.
All in all, this is a fun read that isn't totally about romance and falling head over heels in love, but is more about accepting that relationships aren't the be-all and end-all and that romantic relationships don't always have to be the only goal.
This book is pure bisexual chaos and I love it! While it was slightly predicable (as soon as the love interest's name as mentioned I knew where it was going), the story in itself was entertaining, well-paced and really enjoyable.
I really appreciated the fact that the story takes place over the course of a full year rather than everything being rammed into a few weeks. It made it more believable and Fran really does go on a believable journey of self-discovery that feels very real.
There is a lot more focus on all the dating rather than the final relationship, but I actually thinks this works as it is important to Fran realising things about herself. It also ensures that equal time is given to her friendships, which are also important relationships.
I'm a big fan of the non-toxic body positivity throughout the book and it's so great to have a plus-size female main character who has no body hang-ups but is also realistic about the way that fat people are viewed and the issues this creates. It was a real breath of fresh air.
All in all, this is a fun read that isn't totally about romance and falling head over heels in love, but is more about accepting that relationships aren't the be-all and end-all and that romantic relationships don't always have to be the only goal.
March 26, 2024
It hurts to give a 1 star rating and I am genuinely gutted about this one because I had high hopes, but I just found it boring. The whole thing felt so disjointed; just descriptions of one date after another with no real flow or story. The main ‘story’ running very, very loosely throughout about Fran and Ivy was completely under-explored and even after nearly 400 pages I felt like I hardly knew any of the characters at all, even Fran really. Even though I didn’t feel like there was any real flow, there were some parts that felt even more random and had me checking I hadn’t missed entire pages - like why did her mate’s boyfriend dress up as a policeman with a hello kitty notebook to go and retrieve a pair of earrings? And what on EARTH was the weird ‘Winnie the Pooh’ half naked character towards the end? I persevered in the hopes there would be a twist or at least a point, but sadly not.
October 30, 2024
‘Maybe that’s my political platform: reclaiming greedy. I think it’s OK to want things. And to want lots of things.’
3.5 stars. This was a lot, a lot of fun! Perfect romcom stuff, very slightly reminiscent of the Bridget Jones model, but taking place in the 2020s. Fran has always been in relationships, so after her last one ends, she's determined to enjoy a long period of dating and living her best bisexual life. A wrench gets thrown into her plans, however, with the reappearance of her first love, the woman who broke her heart.
I did go into this with the wrong expectations; I was expecting a romance, when it's definitely more of a romcom, or comedic general fiction, with Fran's journey as a person taking more page time than any romantic relationship. While she luxuriates in a lot of happy, gleeful casual dating and sex, there's only the one romantic connection. And while I did love how much Fran loved being single, how she dated and slept around and refused to let anyone make her feel bad about it, I did start to find it a tad bit tedious. I love romance a lot, and after 60% of the book concentrated on her no strings attached dating, I kept thinking about how much I really did want and miss the strings, lol. The love interest dips in and out of the story, and has a decent amount of page time, but not a lot.
But the book still worked for me because of the main character. Fran is a fucking delight, and she knows it. It's told with this light, breezy, conversational tone; not quite direct-to-reader, but it feels like you're hanging out with a friend and listening to her dish. Which I loved! Lots of great dry humour and situational humour; this was a book that kept me giggling. It had a great cast of side characters and friends and her family, who all felt really well-realised. I love where the plot went with her friendships, and the lessons Fran had to learn. There was something so refreshing and irrepressible about her as a character. Lots of people trying to make her feel about her sex life or her fatness or her career (beauty and makeup) and she just ignored them and kept living her life. Of course, some things got her down, and she wasn't completely bulletproof, and the book carried off those more serious moments with a lot of grace and gravitas, and it managed to fit in perfectly with the overall light tone. I really liked the conversations about fatphobia in the beauty and fashion industries. Some of the dates and the friends she made were really fun.
And while it wasn't the focus, the romance was really sweet. Ivy was completely dreamy, oh my god. Every time she'd pop up in the narrative, and cause Fran to have a little meltdown, or get really flustered, I loved it. Second chance romances aren't my favourites, but I loved the setup around this one. Really importantly, the narrative never made it seem like Fran's slag era was a mistake, or that relationships are better than dating. Ivy's just different! The very last lines were wonderful; affirming and romantic all at once.
Listened to the audiobook as read by Ell Potter, and I loved it so dearly. Definitely a book that was enhanced by listening to it IMO, because of the style and, especially the humour. There are a lot of jokes that worked specifically because of the delivery and the tone. I've liked this narrator before, but this is the first time I've listened to her narrate something in this style? It was wonderful. This was such a fun little read. Again, I am who I am, and I know I'd have enjoyed it even more it was a romance, but I'd still wholeheartedly recommend this.
She has this hold on my brain like she’s a finite resource, a precious commodity and maybe one day she will be gone for good. I’ve got a scarcity mindset specifically for Ivy Shifford.
April 27, 2024
A fun & breezy read for when you’re feeling the slump
April 16, 2025
cute! had a lot of fun reading this one, really in my romcom lit phase atm
January 9, 2024
Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK for the advance reader copy.
I think I went into this assuming it would be a romance and more about second chance romance than anything else. But there’s not a lot about that and more about the main character Fran dating.
I mainly gave the stars I have for the representation of bodies and sexualities within the story.
I found Fran quite selfish which was addressed in the book and wish this had been more about reconnecting and even the tv show.
I think I went into this assuming it would be a romance and more about second chance romance than anything else. But there’s not a lot about that and more about the main character Fran dating.
I mainly gave the stars I have for the representation of bodies and sexualities within the story.
I found Fran quite selfish which was addressed in the book and wish this had been more about reconnecting and even the tv show.
February 27, 2024
If you're a fan of Welcome to Your Life, you'll really like this, especially because of a few cameos from the gals 😊
October 1, 2024
Literally the most diabolical book I’ve ever read. The main character is infuriating, the romance plot is giving nothing and she mentions that she’s fat maybe every other sentence. I have never gotten so frustrated reading a book in my entire life. It’s getting 2 stars just because I was able to finish the book. I’ve never been more confused in my life about the point of a book. Why does she get back with her ex after meeting up with her like three times when each time they meet basically nothing happens??? I’m so severely bamboozled about why she mentions she’s fat so often. I think it’s wonderful to have fatphobia highlighted but oh my gosh it is just non stop in this book and it takes away from the plot. Also the writer breaks the fourth wall but it doesn’t really work for me. Also all the people in her life are obsessed with her not wanting a relationship even though she just got out of one recently? The book went about topics like fatphobia and being single in your late 20s in a really clumsy way and feels borderline preachy. Maybe I wasn’t the target audience for this book but I just really did not get on with it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 11, 2024
3.5 rounded up
Spanning over a year of Fran's life, this book explores her dating life, friendship, family, and career, alongside a quick hop on a tv show. There are some unrealistic parts of this book - meeting back up with Ivy after the blow up, 99.9999% of her dates going well and them being great in bed, etc. It was all rather predictable but it was an enjoyable read. I found it a little hard to be invested in the end relationship as we didn't see all the much of it nor really hash out how hurt she was, but I think this would be an enjoyable book for a 'mindless' easy read. It had good bi and fat rep.
Also how was she not stressed moving constantly? I'd die. Thank you to netgalley for the arc.
Spanning over a year of Fran's life, this book explores her dating life, friendship, family, and career, alongside a quick hop on a tv show. There are some unrealistic parts of this book - meeting back up with Ivy after the blow up, 99.9999% of her dates going well and them being great in bed, etc. It was all rather predictable but it was an enjoyable read. I found it a little hard to be invested in the end relationship as we didn't see all the much of it nor really hash out how hurt she was, but I think this would be an enjoyable book for a 'mindless' easy read. It had good bi and fat rep.
Also how was she not stressed moving constantly? I'd die. Thank you to netgalley for the arc.
January 7, 2024
This book just wasn’t what I expected at all. I liked the idea, the concept, but I had imagined the book wouldn’t be majorly about the dates and that it would focus on Ivy and Fran’s relationship, which it didn’t, something that kind of ruined it for me. Just not the right book for me, that’s all!
The book is basically all about the dates so if that’s what you’re looking for I’d recommend it but if you’re looking for a romance, I don’t think this book is the right one for it, unfortunately.
Thank you NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this as an arc!
The book is basically all about the dates so if that’s what you’re looking for I’d recommend it but if you’re looking for a romance, I don’t think this book is the right one for it, unfortunately.
Thank you NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this as an arc!
July 30, 2024
I hoped this would end my reading-bad-book-streak. It didn’t. I was so excited to read this but the book’s plain boring. It honestly made me sleepy while reading lol
February 10, 2024
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
💬 "As far back as I can remember, I always wanted to be single. Purely by chance I ended up being a serial monogamist.”
💭 Fran is in her self-proclaimed ‘slag era’, saying yes to every date because literally why not? So when her Mum signs her up for a date on new TV show, The Meet-Cute, she adopts the same attitude. But what begins as a bit of fun ends up with Fran being reunited with Ivy - her ex who she’s not seen since their break up 12 years ago. This throws a whole lot up in the air for Fran because yes, her slag era is fun and yes, the awful dates do make great main character stories, but is it what she really wants?
This was such a fun read. The dates, the drama, and the dating was especially great to hear about in audiobook form; hats off to Ell Potter’s narration which was amazing. I also loved the diversity, bi rep, and body positivity that was at the core of this book, and the message that it’s okay to take time to figure out what you want.
Despite enjoying many aspects, I did feel like something was missing. I think I was expecting the second chance romance to take centre stage, but this wasn’t so much the focus of the book, and the TV show also didn’t feature as prominently as I was expecting from the blurb - it was really just used as a way for Fran to re-meet Ivy. And whilst I did enjoy hearing about the many dates, I did find it got a little repetitive at points. I just wish either the TV show, second chance romance, or dating storyline had taken the lead, with the other elements in the background, rather than equal measures of all three which ultimately left me a little unsatisfied.
Overall, however, I’d recommend BIG DATE ENERGY as a quick, feel-good read with some laugh out loud moments as well as a few deeper messages running throughout.
💬 "As far back as I can remember, I always wanted to be single. Purely by chance I ended up being a serial monogamist.”
💭 Fran is in her self-proclaimed ‘slag era’, saying yes to every date because literally why not? So when her Mum signs her up for a date on new TV show, The Meet-Cute, she adopts the same attitude. But what begins as a bit of fun ends up with Fran being reunited with Ivy - her ex who she’s not seen since their break up 12 years ago. This throws a whole lot up in the air for Fran because yes, her slag era is fun and yes, the awful dates do make great main character stories, but is it what she really wants?
This was such a fun read. The dates, the drama, and the dating was especially great to hear about in audiobook form; hats off to Ell Potter’s narration which was amazing. I also loved the diversity, bi rep, and body positivity that was at the core of this book, and the message that it’s okay to take time to figure out what you want.
Despite enjoying many aspects, I did feel like something was missing. I think I was expecting the second chance romance to take centre stage, but this wasn’t so much the focus of the book, and the TV show also didn’t feature as prominently as I was expecting from the blurb - it was really just used as a way for Fran to re-meet Ivy. And whilst I did enjoy hearing about the many dates, I did find it got a little repetitive at points. I just wish either the TV show, second chance romance, or dating storyline had taken the lead, with the other elements in the background, rather than equal measures of all three which ultimately left me a little unsatisfied.
Overall, however, I’d recommend BIG DATE ENERGY as a quick, feel-good read with some laugh out loud moments as well as a few deeper messages running throughout.
February 21, 2024
⭐⭐⭐⭐
🌶️
❤️🩹💄🍻📱🏳️🌈
Big Date Energy is a great book about an unapologetically Fat, Bisexual woman who is in her "slag" era, after her third break up from serious relationships. Fran is quirky, and confident but also over getting her heart broken. She goes on serial dates, and one-night stands with both men and women and tries to get by in life by doing freelance gigs doing makeup, working at the cafe, and helping her mum be a model for her plus-size wedding dresses. Her life gets turned upside down when her mum puts her forward for a TV Show where she goes on a date called The Meet Cute, and she gets paired up with her first ex and heartbreak, Ivy.
I loved how unapologetically queer and fat Fran was. It was refreshing to read a character like me. Especially because I didn't have my "slag" era until I was 29 as well which was when I first came out as a lesbian. I loved that I could totally relate to both the sexuality side and the size of the character and read a book that didn't make me feel guilty about it.
I thought this book would be more about Fran and Ivy, but it really was more about Fran and how we see her process of overcoming her original heartbreak with Ivy and realizing she still loved her, and her journey to accept that and realise they're both two different people than they were when they were teenagers.
The book was well written, and I highly recommend it to those who love seeing themselves in authentic characters but also to those who just love reading about women being themselves.
Thanks to Netgalley and Harper Collins for the copy of the ebook. This review is left voluntarily.
🌶️
❤️🩹💄🍻📱🏳️🌈
Big Date Energy is a great book about an unapologetically Fat, Bisexual woman who is in her "slag" era, after her third break up from serious relationships. Fran is quirky, and confident but also over getting her heart broken. She goes on serial dates, and one-night stands with both men and women and tries to get by in life by doing freelance gigs doing makeup, working at the cafe, and helping her mum be a model for her plus-size wedding dresses. Her life gets turned upside down when her mum puts her forward for a TV Show where she goes on a date called The Meet Cute, and she gets paired up with her first ex and heartbreak, Ivy.
I loved how unapologetically queer and fat Fran was. It was refreshing to read a character like me. Especially because I didn't have my "slag" era until I was 29 as well which was when I first came out as a lesbian. I loved that I could totally relate to both the sexuality side and the size of the character and read a book that didn't make me feel guilty about it.
I thought this book would be more about Fran and Ivy, but it really was more about Fran and how we see her process of overcoming her original heartbreak with Ivy and realizing she still loved her, and her journey to accept that and realise they're both two different people than they were when they were teenagers.
The book was well written, and I highly recommend it to those who love seeing themselves in authentic characters but also to those who just love reading about women being themselves.
Thanks to Netgalley and Harper Collins for the copy of the ebook. This review is left voluntarily.
January 6, 2026
This is the most millennial book i have ever read and it’s the fastest I have ever finished a book. Reading it was like scrolling on my phone.
I will say I was a little (very) disappointed with the lack of smut in this book. If Fran is supposedly in her ‘slag era’ then I wanna READ IT not have a bunch of PG cuts to characters lying in bed after they smash.
I also found the main character extremely annoying and self-centred as a person and there was way too many settings of pubs and wayyyy too many uses of the word ‘mate’ (im guessing the author was really trying to establish that everyone is bri’ish).
The ending of the book also peed me off as once again there was NO SEX between the two characters who supposedly had this huge passionate connection to each other throughout the whole book - if im being made to read enemies to lovers then at least give me some payoff with freaky lesbian sex.
Despite the many annoyances of Big Date Energy I will say again it is the fastest I have ever chowed down on a book. And tbh it was quite refreshing to read a story with a plus size main character.
There you go
Issy I hope you’re happy
I will say I was a little (very) disappointed with the lack of smut in this book. If Fran is supposedly in her ‘slag era’ then I wanna READ IT not have a bunch of PG cuts to characters lying in bed after they smash.
I also found the main character extremely annoying and self-centred as a person and there was way too many settings of pubs and wayyyy too many uses of the word ‘mate’ (im guessing the author was really trying to establish that everyone is bri’ish).
The ending of the book also peed me off as once again there was NO SEX between the two characters who supposedly had this huge passionate connection to each other throughout the whole book - if im being made to read enemies to lovers then at least give me some payoff with freaky lesbian sex.
Despite the many annoyances of Big Date Energy I will say again it is the fastest I have ever chowed down on a book. And tbh it was quite refreshing to read a story with a plus size main character.
There you go
Issy I hope you’re happy
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 2, 2024
I always love Bethany’s fantastic fat characters and Big Date Energy is no exception. The unapologetic fat babe representation was so beautiful to read and I also really enjoyed the queer and specifically bi representation as well. There’s a diverse range of lovable characters. Fran’s mum was probably one of my favourite characters. She was just so cute. I did however want to punch her brother in the face.
This is a fun beach read that had me laughing along. Fran’s dates were entertaining although I did find they got a bit repetitive towards the end. I wish we had more of the dating show and Fran & Ivy content to focus a bit more on the romance aspect. I found myself not really invested in whether they got together because we didn’t get to see a lot of them. However, I really loved that this showed that you can live without being in a relationship and that the love of friends and family is just as important.
I received a copy of the ebook in exchange for an honest review
This is a fun beach read that had me laughing along. Fran’s dates were entertaining although I did find they got a bit repetitive towards the end. I wish we had more of the dating show and Fran & Ivy content to focus a bit more on the romance aspect. I found myself not really invested in whether they got together because we didn’t get to see a lot of them. However, I really loved that this showed that you can live without being in a relationship and that the love of friends and family is just as important.
I received a copy of the ebook in exchange for an honest review
January 21, 2024
Big Date Energy follows a year of Fran’s slag-era; from dates to friendships to her mum signing her up to a meet-cute dating show!
Fran is a bisexual woman who is finally out of back-to-back relationships and decides she wants to take advantage of her freedom aka her slag era. Deciding to go ahead with the dating show her mum signed her up for, she ends up face to face with the woman who broke her heart in school.
This book is more about Fran and her journey in life, with the second chance romance on the side. Bethany did an amazing job with the realness of a plus sized FMC – there was no mention of a diet or the thought of losing weight! Fran was happy just the way she was!
Overall, I really enjoyed this book. It was fun, quirky and enjoyable!
Pub Date: February 1, 2024
Key Points:
1st person
Single POV
Bi-Rep
Plus sized FMC & side characters
Thank you Harper Fiction for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Fran is a bisexual woman who is finally out of back-to-back relationships and decides she wants to take advantage of her freedom aka her slag era. Deciding to go ahead with the dating show her mum signed her up for, she ends up face to face with the woman who broke her heart in school.
This book is more about Fran and her journey in life, with the second chance romance on the side. Bethany did an amazing job with the realness of a plus sized FMC – there was no mention of a diet or the thought of losing weight! Fran was happy just the way she was!
Overall, I really enjoyed this book. It was fun, quirky and enjoyable!
Pub Date: February 1, 2024
Key Points:
1st person
Single POV
Bi-Rep
Plus sized FMC & side characters
Thank you Harper Fiction for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
January 25, 2024
Big Date Energy is a fun romance novel by Bethany Rutter.
I absolutely love Bethany's books and Big Date energy certainly didn't disappoint.
The novel follows Fran, who is done with looking for love long term and just wants to stay single and date different people.
But Fran's mum has other ideas. She wants Fran to settle down and enters her into a new dating show. When Fran walks on set, she sees her first love Ivy, the one who got away.
I absolutely loved this novel. It was easy to follow and very entertaining. I read the book in two days. I love Bethany's writing and how her characters promote body positivity. A brilliant novel that I highly recommend.
❤️Big Date Energy is released on 1st February.
❤️ Thank you to netgalley, the publisher and author, Bethany Rutter for my arc ebook copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
I absolutely love Bethany's books and Big Date energy certainly didn't disappoint.
The novel follows Fran, who is done with looking for love long term and just wants to stay single and date different people.
But Fran's mum has other ideas. She wants Fran to settle down and enters her into a new dating show. When Fran walks on set, she sees her first love Ivy, the one who got away.
I absolutely loved this novel. It was easy to follow and very entertaining. I read the book in two days. I love Bethany's writing and how her characters promote body positivity. A brilliant novel that I highly recommend.
❤️Big Date Energy is released on 1st February.
❤️ Thank you to netgalley, the publisher and author, Bethany Rutter for my arc ebook copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
April 16, 2024
Well I really really enjoyed this book.
I went in expecting an easy read, a cheesy narrative, and a little bit of cringiness.
But actually, I was pleasantly surprised. I found the book pretty funny (chuckled to myself and looked a bit crazy on the train) and so NICE to read a book about a bisexual character where being bi isn’t the actual plot!
All I’ll say is the book follows the main character in her slag era and its very dialogue led (which I quite enjoy). The characters felt way too real in the way they spoke and reminded me of a couple people I know including my best mate which was always going to make this a pretty comfy read.
It DID have a little bit of cheese towards the end, but I was kind of here for it so I didn’t mind.
Would recommend if you’re up for something quick to read, lighthearted & chill. If only I was on a beach to read it 🤣
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I went in expecting an easy read, a cheesy narrative, and a little bit of cringiness.
But actually, I was pleasantly surprised. I found the book pretty funny (chuckled to myself and looked a bit crazy on the train) and so NICE to read a book about a bisexual character where being bi isn’t the actual plot!
All I’ll say is the book follows the main character in her slag era and its very dialogue led (which I quite enjoy). The characters felt way too real in the way they spoke and reminded me of a couple people I know including my best mate which was always going to make this a pretty comfy read.
It DID have a little bit of cheese towards the end, but I was kind of here for it so I didn’t mind.
Would recommend if you’re up for something quick to read, lighthearted & chill. If only I was on a beach to read it 🤣
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
August 25, 2024
3.5 🌟
A delightful, fun, sexy and positive romance with wonderfully diverse characters!
Fran is the most positive protagonist I think I've ever read! She's a body positive self-proclaimed, fat woman who is single for the first time in her life and very sex and romance positive too!
Fran is loving dating. She's meeting amazing people, having fun, and living her best, main character life! Her mum has other ideas when she signs Fran up for a dating show called the Meet Cute.
Fran decides it might be fun and is in her say yes era so goes on the show. Everything is not as exciting and sexy as expected when Fran walks onto the set to find her ex, Ivy, who broke Fran's heart years ago.
I loved reading from Fran's point of view. She exudes happiness, acceptance, and being comfortable in her body! She goes through a bit of an arch and learns along the way, but mainly has a lot of fun!
A delightful, fun, sexy and positive romance with wonderfully diverse characters!
Fran is the most positive protagonist I think I've ever read! She's a body positive self-proclaimed, fat woman who is single for the first time in her life and very sex and romance positive too!
Fran is loving dating. She's meeting amazing people, having fun, and living her best, main character life! Her mum has other ideas when she signs Fran up for a dating show called the Meet Cute.
Fran decides it might be fun and is in her say yes era so goes on the show. Everything is not as exciting and sexy as expected when Fran walks onto the set to find her ex, Ivy, who broke Fran's heart years ago.
I loved reading from Fran's point of view. She exudes happiness, acceptance, and being comfortable in her body! She goes through a bit of an arch and learns along the way, but mainly has a lot of fun!
January 23, 2024
Ahhh! Firstly I am super happy to have received this ahead of publication and let me tell you, this is such a fun romcom and I cannot wait for people to read it.
I went to an event last year and Bethany Rutter was one of the authors, listening to her chat about writing this book made me so excited after really enjoying Welcome To Your Life.. you’re in for a treat with Big Date Energy.
I had such a fun time reading this, I laughed out loud many times and I have to say, the positivity that came from this story and the main character, Fran, is AMAZING!
Fran is a single, bisexual woman, having the time of her life.. meeting new people, going on dates and just really having fun. Her positivity about literally everything is what made this book for me. Fran’s life is chaos but she really makes it work.
There is a curve ball thrown in when Fran is confronted with her first love Ivy and I felt so sad for Fran as she was clearly hurting and felt as though she had been lied to about this TV Show.
I really loved seeing how Fran learnt so much about herself along the way and what she really wanted. I loved the friendships and also Fran’s relationship with her mum, despite her secretly signing Fran up for the dating show! 🙊
Big Date Energy is such a breath of fresh air, filled with body positivity, laughter, second chance romance, friendships and a real good time. Really enjoyed it!
I went to an event last year and Bethany Rutter was one of the authors, listening to her chat about writing this book made me so excited after really enjoying Welcome To Your Life.. you’re in for a treat with Big Date Energy.
I had such a fun time reading this, I laughed out loud many times and I have to say, the positivity that came from this story and the main character, Fran, is AMAZING!
Fran is a single, bisexual woman, having the time of her life.. meeting new people, going on dates and just really having fun. Her positivity about literally everything is what made this book for me. Fran’s life is chaos but she really makes it work.
There is a curve ball thrown in when Fran is confronted with her first love Ivy and I felt so sad for Fran as she was clearly hurting and felt as though she had been lied to about this TV Show.
I really loved seeing how Fran learnt so much about herself along the way and what she really wanted. I loved the friendships and also Fran’s relationship with her mum, despite her secretly signing Fran up for the dating show! 🙊
Big Date Energy is such a breath of fresh air, filled with body positivity, laughter, second chance romance, friendships and a real good time. Really enjoyed it!
February 28, 2024
What a breath of fresh romance fiction air this book is!!
I’ve read some of the other reviews, and I see there is some criticism/ comments about how *rushed* the main romance part of this book was. I disagree- it felt real. It felt messy and rushed and panicked and sudden, and that meant we didn’t get the 3rd act breakup eye rolling / predictable ‘conflict’.
This is a romance book, yes. But it’s also feels about the power of friendship, to mold us, call us out, hold us, dress up as a police officer!!
I also loved that the novel wasn’t a catalogue of ‘bad’ dates - and that there is no ‘people are trash’ message. It feels hopeful. It feels escapist. And sometimes you need art not to imitate life, you know?
I’ve read some of the other reviews, and I see there is some criticism/ comments about how *rushed* the main romance part of this book was. I disagree- it felt real. It felt messy and rushed and panicked and sudden, and that meant we didn’t get the 3rd act breakup eye rolling / predictable ‘conflict’.
This is a romance book, yes. But it’s also feels about the power of friendship, to mold us, call us out, hold us, dress up as a police officer!!
I also loved that the novel wasn’t a catalogue of ‘bad’ dates - and that there is no ‘people are trash’ message. It feels hopeful. It feels escapist. And sometimes you need art not to imitate life, you know?
June 24, 2024
I didn't love this book, though I really wanted to given the premise. The main character, Fran, didn't speak to me and, honestly, annoyed me most of the time. I'm all for a "slag era," but there was a point where she was out with someone and flirting with another person in front of her date which, even if you're just casually dating, felt a bit weird to me. Overall, Fran had massive pick me girl energy in a way that I just couldn't get behind, and there were quite a lot of exclamation points which took me out of the story.
January 30, 2024
I've read Bethany Rutter's YA books and enjoyed those, and this is my first adult book from her. I had so much fun reading this. The main character and her "slag era" felt really refreshing, but at the same time, I loved the second chance romance. I do wish we got to see maybe a little more of the dating show element and the resulting romance, because reading in depth about the main character's odd jobs didn't always feel super relevant.
April 1, 2024
I desperately wanted to like this book! When I read the blurb I was like that me! I live there ra ra ra
But thankfully I can say this is not me, the main character is the most selfish and egocentric character, a terrible friend, and somehow has heaps of money for constantly going out out.
She makes everything about her and really let’s down everyone.
I want to say she redeems herself but it’s such a halfhearted attempt!
Disappointed
But thankfully I can say this is not me, the main character is the most selfish and egocentric character, a terrible friend, and somehow has heaps of money for constantly going out out.
She makes everything about her and really let’s down everyone.
I want to say she redeems herself but it’s such a halfhearted attempt!
Disappointed
May 18, 2024
It fell a bit flat on me. I don't know why. It is a very modern novel, about dating, gender, and culture. I just felt like it lacked exitement. It was a cute ending, but something was missing. Maybe it was just the fact that it was soo long, and the narrator constantly had to mention her ex, and it was like a constant reread of her thoughts and feelings, just for her to (SPOILER) go back to her ex. It was predictable in a sense.
January 13, 2025
SO FUNNNN!! i loved the internal dialogue, it was so relatable and perky. the character development and conflicts were PERFECT! the ending wrapped up perfectly although i was getting WORRIEDDD there would be some loose ends!! the romance was so spot on without being too graphic (loved) and the flirtatious nature was sweet 🥹🫶🏻🤗 absolutely 10/10 would recommend!! i would really love if this book was a movie or tv show.
February 28, 2024
i would love to read the book that this book turns into for the last twenty pages, where our romance heroine is forced to consider what it means to her friends that she acting like the heroine in a romance novel, but alas, the book spends more time on fran's strangely perfect life than anything else.
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