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Perfect Fit #3
Gentlemen Prefer Curves
SOMETIMES SIZE DOES MATTER
Belinda Gordon thought she had it all—a great job, wonderful friends, a home of her own. She’s even come to love her voluptuous body. But she still can’t shake the feeling that something is missing. And then Carter Lancaster, aka Her Biggest Mistake, shows up in town, as irresistible as ever, and shakes up her entire world.
WHEN IT COMES TO LOVE
Carter never expected to find Belinda in town, looking as delicious as the day he married her five years ago—before she walked out on him after six weeks and a painful misunderstanding that included his baby daughter, Ruby. A quick divorce is the sensible option—but Carter can’t let Belinda go now, not when he can see the family they could be. Love may be a curveball, but this time he’s going to prove to Belinda that he can hit it out of the park…
Belinda Gordon thought she had it all—a great job, wonderful friends, a home of her own. She’s even come to love her voluptuous body. But she still can’t shake the feeling that something is missing. And then Carter Lancaster, aka Her Biggest Mistake, shows up in town, as irresistible as ever, and shakes up her entire world.
WHEN IT COMES TO LOVE
Carter never expected to find Belinda in town, looking as delicious as the day he married her five years ago—before she walked out on him after six weeks and a painful misunderstanding that included his baby daughter, Ruby. A quick divorce is the sensible option—but Carter can’t let Belinda go now, not when he can see the family they could be. Love may be a curveball, but this time he’s going to prove to Belinda that he can hit it out of the park…
384 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published September 30, 2014
21 people are currently reading
1139 people want to read
About the author
Sugar Jamison
11 books378 followersSugar Jamison is a southern belle trapped in a New Yorker's body. With a love of big hair and high heeled shoes, she spends her day at her very normal day job and night dreaming up sweet but sassy romances.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 103 reviews
November 25, 2019
A cute, lighthearted, enjoyable read that is easily read as a standalone.
August 17, 2014
Let’s rewind back 4 years. Belinda is living in LA and working at a boutique when Carter Lancaster walks in and sets her world on fire. Carter is looking for a gift for his mother, but only walked into the store to talk to Belinda. She was curvy and beautiful and he was fiercely attracted to her. Carter is the most handsome man that Belinda has ever seen and she is instantly infatuated. Carter asks Belinda out and they end up lighting the sheets on fire from the very first date. A month later they’re married and Belinda moves right into Carter’s world – A world of wealth and society events. She feels out of place in Carter’s life and Carter’s family is being less than accepting. In fact, his mother offers Belinda ½ million dollars to leave him. She refuses, but she never tells Carter what happened or how she feels. After they’ve been married for 6 weeks, Carter’s ex-wife –an ex-wife he never told Belinda about – shows up at the door with Carter’s baby – a baby Carter didn’t even know about. That’s the final straw for Belinda and she runs. She heads back home to New York and never even says goodbye.
It’s been 4 years and Carter is now raising his daughter, Ruby, on his own. His ex-wife got into an accident when Ruby was a baby. The ex died and Ruby almost didn’t make it. It was then that Carter realized that Ruby was the most important person in his life. Since then, his life consists of work and his daughter, but he ends up having a conversation with his (very adult-like) daughter and realizes how unhappy she is. He decides it’s time for a change. He quits his job and moves to Durant, New York to work with his best friend from college. It also happens to be Belinda’s hometown. Belinda – the wife that walked out on him when times got tough, that broke his heart and that he’s still married to.
Carter decides it’s time to move on with his life and has his lawyer draw up divorce papers. When he runs into Belinda, it’s a shock to the system for both of them. The intense attraction is still there, but it’s overshadowed by the hurt and anger that they both still feel toward the other.
In the small town of Durant, Carter and Belinda keep running into each other and it’s always explosive. More importantly, Belinda also keeps running into Carter’s daughter, Ruby. Belinda doesn’t want to feel anything toward this child, but can’t stop it. It’s like they’re connected.
This is the story of how Carter and Belinda fall back in love, but also the story of how Belinda and Ruby fall in love too. The big question is can Belinda and Carter forgive each other to forge something again?
I loved this story. All of the characters were great. Belinda is curvy and she loves herself. There are people that comment on her weight, but there are just as many that compliment her figure. It takes very little for Belinda to see pieces of herself in Ruby and she turns into a nurturing momma bear with her very quickly. Ruby is starving for affection from a mother figure and latches on to Belinda very quickly. Now Belinda and Carter are a totally different story. Carter is so angry at Belinda especially when he sees her with Ruby. He feels like Belinda could have been there for Ruby the last 4 years if she wouldn’t have run away. Belinda is jealous and feels like Ruby should have been her child with Carter and feels like she was robbed of that experience with his secrets.
When the truth starts coming about the events that took place 4 years ago, Carter realizes that his relationship with Belinda was never going to last back then. The feelings were there and still are, though, and that is why he’s determined to win her back now. He just needs to get Belinda to agree.
It sounds easy, but what happens when his LA life ends up in Durant? Will Carter and Belinda really be able to let go of the past?
I don’t give 5 star reviews much and I can normally tell you the things that went wrong that prompt me to bump the stars down. This time, though, you get the thing in the story that caused me to bump this up. Ruby! She was the star of this story. Don’t get me wrong - it was good overall, but it was impossible not to connect with Ruby.
Carter was a fantastic imperfect male lead. I loved him 99% of this book, but damn he made some comments that made me want to beat him with a stick. It’s these comments that make me feel like this is a fairly realistic story, because nobody is perfect. Regardless how much I love my husband (and you yours I’m sure), he says some real bonehead things that make me just shake my head. Yep, that’s Carter. He knew when he screwed up though and he wasn’t above groveling and that was admirable.
Belinda was a strong female lead and I loved that. She was bossy and hardheaded, but likeable. She’s got a keen sense of fashion and wants to help other women that struggle to find clothes that fit them just right. Her biggest flaw was her stubborn nature, but she was also forgiving and that made it ok.
Rounding out this crazy bunch of characters were Steven, Carter’s best friend and partner, Belinda’s model mother and pro-baseball player turned coach father, and Belinda’s 2 best friends, Ellis and Cherri. This is actually the 3rd book in the series. Books 1 and 2 were Ellis and Cherri’s story. I haven’t read them. It didn’t detract from this story in any way, but now I want to read them and I will want to read any additional stories in this series….especially if I get more Ruby. I love that kid!
Reviewing on behalf of Fierce and Fabulous Book Diva Blog – check us out at http://www.fierceandfabbookdiva.com/.
Complimentary copy provided for honest review.
It’s been 4 years and Carter is now raising his daughter, Ruby, on his own. His ex-wife got into an accident when Ruby was a baby. The ex died and Ruby almost didn’t make it. It was then that Carter realized that Ruby was the most important person in his life. Since then, his life consists of work and his daughter, but he ends up having a conversation with his (very adult-like) daughter and realizes how unhappy she is. He decides it’s time for a change. He quits his job and moves to Durant, New York to work with his best friend from college. It also happens to be Belinda’s hometown. Belinda – the wife that walked out on him when times got tough, that broke his heart and that he’s still married to.
Carter decides it’s time to move on with his life and has his lawyer draw up divorce papers. When he runs into Belinda, it’s a shock to the system for both of them. The intense attraction is still there, but it’s overshadowed by the hurt and anger that they both still feel toward the other.
In the small town of Durant, Carter and Belinda keep running into each other and it’s always explosive. More importantly, Belinda also keeps running into Carter’s daughter, Ruby. Belinda doesn’t want to feel anything toward this child, but can’t stop it. It’s like they’re connected.
This is the story of how Carter and Belinda fall back in love, but also the story of how Belinda and Ruby fall in love too. The big question is can Belinda and Carter forgive each other to forge something again?
I loved this story. All of the characters were great. Belinda is curvy and she loves herself. There are people that comment on her weight, but there are just as many that compliment her figure. It takes very little for Belinda to see pieces of herself in Ruby and she turns into a nurturing momma bear with her very quickly. Ruby is starving for affection from a mother figure and latches on to Belinda very quickly. Now Belinda and Carter are a totally different story. Carter is so angry at Belinda especially when he sees her with Ruby. He feels like Belinda could have been there for Ruby the last 4 years if she wouldn’t have run away. Belinda is jealous and feels like Ruby should have been her child with Carter and feels like she was robbed of that experience with his secrets.
When the truth starts coming about the events that took place 4 years ago, Carter realizes that his relationship with Belinda was never going to last back then. The feelings were there and still are, though, and that is why he’s determined to win her back now. He just needs to get Belinda to agree.
It sounds easy, but what happens when his LA life ends up in Durant? Will Carter and Belinda really be able to let go of the past?
I don’t give 5 star reviews much and I can normally tell you the things that went wrong that prompt me to bump the stars down. This time, though, you get the thing in the story that caused me to bump this up. Ruby! She was the star of this story. Don’t get me wrong - it was good overall, but it was impossible not to connect with Ruby.
Carter was a fantastic imperfect male lead. I loved him 99% of this book, but damn he made some comments that made me want to beat him with a stick. It’s these comments that make me feel like this is a fairly realistic story, because nobody is perfect. Regardless how much I love my husband (and you yours I’m sure), he says some real bonehead things that make me just shake my head. Yep, that’s Carter. He knew when he screwed up though and he wasn’t above groveling and that was admirable.
Belinda was a strong female lead and I loved that. She was bossy and hardheaded, but likeable. She’s got a keen sense of fashion and wants to help other women that struggle to find clothes that fit them just right. Her biggest flaw was her stubborn nature, but she was also forgiving and that made it ok.
Rounding out this crazy bunch of characters were Steven, Carter’s best friend and partner, Belinda’s model mother and pro-baseball player turned coach father, and Belinda’s 2 best friends, Ellis and Cherri. This is actually the 3rd book in the series. Books 1 and 2 were Ellis and Cherri’s story. I haven’t read them. It didn’t detract from this story in any way, but now I want to read them and I will want to read any additional stories in this series….especially if I get more Ruby. I love that kid!
Reviewing on behalf of Fierce and Fabulous Book Diva Blog – check us out at http://www.fierceandfabbookdiva.com/.
Complimentary copy provided for honest review.
August 10, 2017
When I find a BBW romance, I'm usually eager to read it, because I can closely connect with the heroine in the story, as I am a BBW myself. This one didn't live up to my anticipation of it.
The story really dragged for me, and I really hated some of the secondary characters for all the "fat bashing" that they did. Belinda was a bit of a bitch when it came to defending herself or Ruby after a crass fat remark, and it didn't set well with me. I really hated how both Belinda and Carter didn't fight for their marriage, how Belinda kept running away from the hard parts of life and how Carter kept borderline neglecting Ruby, despite how he kept saying he'd be there for her. It all added up for a mildly dissatisfying read, but since I own the rest of the series, I'll plan on continuing it until I get it finished.
The story really dragged for me, and I really hated some of the secondary characters for all the "fat bashing" that they did. Belinda was a bit of a bitch when it came to defending herself or Ruby after a crass fat remark, and it didn't set well with me. I really hated how both Belinda and Carter didn't fight for their marriage, how Belinda kept running away from the hard parts of life and how Carter kept borderline neglecting Ruby, despite how he kept saying he'd be there for her. It all added up for a mildly dissatisfying read, but since I own the rest of the series, I'll plan on continuing it until I get it finished.
February 2, 2017
I enjoyed this book but not as much as I thought I would.
Mostly because there are so many thing that kind of bothered me in this book; interaction between Belinda and Carter, Carter's daughter, the basic plot.. They're all good but somehow didn't really 'fit' and bothered me a bit. Carter's daughter's attitude is way way too mature for her own age it's not even normal. So yeah, somehow this book didn't really engaging to me just like the previous ones. But overall I enjoyed this book and I can't wait to read more from this series! <3
Mostly because there are so many thing that kind of bothered me in this book; interaction between Belinda and Carter, Carter's daughter, the basic plot.. They're all good but somehow didn't really 'fit' and bothered me a bit. Carter's daughter's attitude is way way too mature for her own age it's not even normal. So yeah, somehow this book didn't really engaging to me just like the previous ones. But overall I enjoyed this book and I can't wait to read more from this series! <3
January 9, 2017
I won this as a giveaway on Goodreads. I was worried when I first got it home because I was picking it up in the middle of a series. Thank goodness it can be read as a standalone. This was a very funny read as she tries to reenter the dating scene. All of it makes for a very good read and reinforces how appreciated my curves are lol.
June 7, 2023
4 stars
They're a really interesting couple who did everything backwards, but the star of the show was definitely the daughter.
The strong child precence reminded me of "Binding Arbitration" tho, so I was really nervous we'd get a depressing asf ending in this one. But Sugar Jamison pulled through !!!!
They're a really interesting couple who did everything backwards, but the star of the show was definitely the daughter.
The strong child precence reminded me of "Binding Arbitration" tho, so I was really nervous we'd get a depressing asf ending in this one. But Sugar Jamison pulled through !!!!
October 6, 2014
Originally published at The Book Pushers
And we’re back to the actual Perfect Fit clothing store for the third book in this series. While seeing Dina get her happy ending slightly offsite in Have Yourself a Curvy Little Christmas: A Perfect Fit Holiday Novella(today’s review at Reading Reality) was a lot of fun, I really love that store. I want one in my town, a place where every woman can get clothing that really fits, whether you wear a perfect size anything or don’t quite fit standard sizing. Since most of us don’t.
Belinda Gordon is one of the partners at Perfect Fit. She runs the clothing store while Ellis ( Dangerous Curves Ahead, reviewed at Reading Reality) creates marvelous wedding dress designs for women who, just like at Perfect Fit, are not a perfect size anything.
It’s not just that Perfect Fit serves curvy women with beautiful fashion, but that the store is there to help every woman find something beautiful.
Belinda would also like to find true love, but she seems to be striking out with every single man in town, but that she is keeping a HUGE secret from everyone. Belinda is already married, and has been for four years. She may have walked out on Carter Lancaster, but she can’t seem to move her life forwards.
And neither can Carter, and it isn’t just because they’ve never gotten a divorce. It’s pretty obvious that they still love each other, but that neither of them can get past the hurt they inflicted on each other at the unceremonious sort-of end of their six-week marriage.
Carter and Belinda are from different worlds. His family is rich, and her dad is a sports coach at the local high school. Carter’s extremely stuck up family only saw Belinda’s more-than-size-6 appearance and didn’t bother to discover that her dad was a famous Major League Baseball player or that her mother was an international model.
So when Carter’s first ex showed up at the door with their baby, Belinda didn’t care that his first marriage, divorce and fatherhood had all occurred before she met him; all she saw was a whopping big secret that he had kept from her. Never mind that she kept his family’s mistreatment of her from him.
And when I say mistreatment, I mean the offers to either pay her off or set her up as mistress to his dad’s rich friends. Serious stuff.
Belinda decided that she and Carter couldn’t work, and ran back home. It takes four years for Carter to finally follow her, with his 5-year-old daughter Ruby in tow.
Belinda falls in love with Ruby first. And hard. But there have been so many secrets, and so much pain, that it takes a lot of story for Belinda and Carter to finally run towards each other, instead of constantly and consistently running away.
Ruby is a delight. She’s such a serious and solemn kid, and she tries so hard to be the best little girl she can be–but she’s still a little girl and is desperately looking for a mother-figure in her life. (Her mother died in a car-crash, and Carter is a single parent). Loving Ruby becomes the glue that finally makes all the adults in this story get their heads out of their collective asses.
Belinda kept her marriage a secret from everyone in her life, and it’s clear in the story that once the secret came out, no one has managed to get past that particular lie of omission. Her friends have mostly forgiven her, because she was in such obvious pain, but her relationship with her parents, especially her mother, still has some seriously rocky bits.
While it was obvious that her parents really love her, Belinda’s relationship with them drove me up the wall. Her mother, especially, is both smothering and completely talking past Belinda. There is love but no connection, and it’s painfully obvious. Mina’s constant flow of words is covering up all the things she doesn’t say.
Belinda’s parents also treat her like a child in some ways. While it’s loving, it’s also crazy-making. There are no boundaries, which sometimes results in hilarity and other times cringe-worthy disasters.
There is an element of Belinda needing to grow up and take responsibility for her own actions. She loves Carter, but she has no belief in herself or the possibility they might have a chance.
Carter is clinging to Ruby too hard. They’ve been alone together in the world for most of Ruby’s life, and he has difficulty seeing anyone else share responsibility, or share Ruby’s love.
However, when the situations all start straightening out, it’s a tremendous amount of fun. Belinda��s relationship with her mother-in-law goes from being awful to awfully funny in the course of one wild afternoon.
Everybody bonds over Ruby, and it’s lovely.
I give Gentlemen Prefer Curves a B
And we’re back to the actual Perfect Fit clothing store for the third book in this series. While seeing Dina get her happy ending slightly offsite in Have Yourself a Curvy Little Christmas: A Perfect Fit Holiday Novella(today’s review at Reading Reality) was a lot of fun, I really love that store. I want one in my town, a place where every woman can get clothing that really fits, whether you wear a perfect size anything or don’t quite fit standard sizing. Since most of us don’t.
Belinda Gordon is one of the partners at Perfect Fit. She runs the clothing store while Ellis ( Dangerous Curves Ahead, reviewed at Reading Reality) creates marvelous wedding dress designs for women who, just like at Perfect Fit, are not a perfect size anything.
It’s not just that Perfect Fit serves curvy women with beautiful fashion, but that the store is there to help every woman find something beautiful.
Belinda would also like to find true love, but she seems to be striking out with every single man in town, but that she is keeping a HUGE secret from everyone. Belinda is already married, and has been for four years. She may have walked out on Carter Lancaster, but she can’t seem to move her life forwards.
And neither can Carter, and it isn’t just because they’ve never gotten a divorce. It’s pretty obvious that they still love each other, but that neither of them can get past the hurt they inflicted on each other at the unceremonious sort-of end of their six-week marriage.
Carter and Belinda are from different worlds. His family is rich, and her dad is a sports coach at the local high school. Carter’s extremely stuck up family only saw Belinda’s more-than-size-6 appearance and didn’t bother to discover that her dad was a famous Major League Baseball player or that her mother was an international model.
So when Carter’s first ex showed up at the door with their baby, Belinda didn’t care that his first marriage, divorce and fatherhood had all occurred before she met him; all she saw was a whopping big secret that he had kept from her. Never mind that she kept his family’s mistreatment of her from him.
And when I say mistreatment, I mean the offers to either pay her off or set her up as mistress to his dad’s rich friends. Serious stuff.
Belinda decided that she and Carter couldn’t work, and ran back home. It takes four years for Carter to finally follow her, with his 5-year-old daughter Ruby in tow.
Belinda falls in love with Ruby first. And hard. But there have been so many secrets, and so much pain, that it takes a lot of story for Belinda and Carter to finally run towards each other, instead of constantly and consistently running away.
Ruby is a delight. She’s such a serious and solemn kid, and she tries so hard to be the best little girl she can be–but she’s still a little girl and is desperately looking for a mother-figure in her life. (Her mother died in a car-crash, and Carter is a single parent). Loving Ruby becomes the glue that finally makes all the adults in this story get their heads out of their collective asses.
Belinda kept her marriage a secret from everyone in her life, and it’s clear in the story that once the secret came out, no one has managed to get past that particular lie of omission. Her friends have mostly forgiven her, because she was in such obvious pain, but her relationship with her parents, especially her mother, still has some seriously rocky bits.
While it was obvious that her parents really love her, Belinda’s relationship with them drove me up the wall. Her mother, especially, is both smothering and completely talking past Belinda. There is love but no connection, and it’s painfully obvious. Mina’s constant flow of words is covering up all the things she doesn’t say.
Belinda’s parents also treat her like a child in some ways. While it’s loving, it’s also crazy-making. There are no boundaries, which sometimes results in hilarity and other times cringe-worthy disasters.
There is an element of Belinda needing to grow up and take responsibility for her own actions. She loves Carter, but she has no belief in herself or the possibility they might have a chance.
Carter is clinging to Ruby too hard. They’ve been alone together in the world for most of Ruby’s life, and he has difficulty seeing anyone else share responsibility, or share Ruby’s love.
However, when the situations all start straightening out, it’s a tremendous amount of fun. Belinda��s relationship with her mother-in-law goes from being awful to awfully funny in the course of one wild afternoon.
Everybody bonds over Ruby, and it’s lovely.
I give Gentlemen Prefer Curves a B
January 2, 2015
Belinda and Carter, are thrown together again after marrying four years ago, then leaving each other when circumstances pulled them apart. Can they overcome their anger and try again?
The Good
I wasn’t sure what to think about Ms. Jamison’s work - I had read the first book in the Perfect Fit series but I never followed up with it because while I always enjoy reading about a BBW heroine, I am not a fan of those who fixate on their weight to the exclusion of (almost) all else, so the first book fell a little flat for me. I was very pleasantly surprised to find that Belinda is curvy but confident and strong, and not willing to put up with crap from anyone - I loved it. She spoke her mind and she stood up for herself.
Best of all, it was never an issue between her and Carter - he adored every inch of her and her body issues with him were mild, which allowed me to see why he loved her, since I genuinely believed she loved herself. That was very refreshing. Instead, their problems stemmed from other issues - their initial attraction was so overwhelming, they never really got to know each other the first time around and I completely bought into why they both let go instead of holding on tight.
I really enjoyed the fact that Ms. Jamison took her time and let their romance unfold, showing me why their marriage fell apart at first, and spreading the blame (more or less) equally between them. But this isn’t a just a romance between two people - while Ruby sometimes played a little too old for a five year old, I enjoyed seeing Belinda’s relationship Ruby blossom on its own, a relationship that was believable and not treated as just a sidenote. The supporting characters like Belinda’s parents and Carter’s mom, were funny, quirky and enhanced the story. The banter between Carter’s mom and Belinda near the end was snarky and fun.
This is part of a series, no cliffhanger, and I didn’t feel as if I missed anything not having read all of the previous books.
The Could Have Been Better
I was frustrated at times by Belinda and Carter’s emotional immaturity, and her need to run away and his need to lash out verbally whenever things got difficult. Once or twice is understandable, but towards the end, I was over it. Belinda’s mom’s babbling was irritating.
The Bottom Line
A enjoyable read that I happily recommend, especially those who are interested in reading about a confident BBW heroine and second chance romances with kids.
The Good
I wasn’t sure what to think about Ms. Jamison’s work - I had read the first book in the Perfect Fit series but I never followed up with it because while I always enjoy reading about a BBW heroine, I am not a fan of those who fixate on their weight to the exclusion of (almost) all else, so the first book fell a little flat for me. I was very pleasantly surprised to find that Belinda is curvy but confident and strong, and not willing to put up with crap from anyone - I loved it. She spoke her mind and she stood up for herself.
Best of all, it was never an issue between her and Carter - he adored every inch of her and her body issues with him were mild, which allowed me to see why he loved her, since I genuinely believed she loved herself. That was very refreshing. Instead, their problems stemmed from other issues - their initial attraction was so overwhelming, they never really got to know each other the first time around and I completely bought into why they both let go instead of holding on tight.
I really enjoyed the fact that Ms. Jamison took her time and let their romance unfold, showing me why their marriage fell apart at first, and spreading the blame (more or less) equally between them. But this isn’t a just a romance between two people - while Ruby sometimes played a little too old for a five year old, I enjoyed seeing Belinda’s relationship Ruby blossom on its own, a relationship that was believable and not treated as just a sidenote. The supporting characters like Belinda’s parents and Carter’s mom, were funny, quirky and enhanced the story. The banter between Carter’s mom and Belinda near the end was snarky and fun.
This is part of a series, no cliffhanger, and I didn’t feel as if I missed anything not having read all of the previous books.
The Could Have Been Better
I was frustrated at times by Belinda and Carter’s emotional immaturity, and her need to run away and his need to lash out verbally whenever things got difficult. Once or twice is understandable, but towards the end, I was over it. Belinda’s mom’s babbling was irritating.
The Bottom Line
A enjoyable read that I happily recommend, especially those who are interested in reading about a confident BBW heroine and second chance romances with kids.
December 25, 2016
ok - plus size
August 7, 2014
Gentlemen Prefer Curves is the third book in the Perfect Fit series but is a completely stand-alone book. So, if you haven’t read the first two, you can still enjoy this one.
Belinda has just turned thirty, is single, and is a curvy girl. Just when she’s decided that she needs to get back on the dating scene, her estranged husband, Carter, shows up in her hometown with a young daughter in tow. With hurt feelings and old resentments, Belinda and Carter have to figure out a way to live in the same town and resolve unfinished business.
Carter’s daughter Ruby really was the star of the show. This 5 year old bundle of sweet humor kept me reading until the end. The story had a very “real” quality to it that I often find lacking in contemporary romances. The characters were well developed, flawed, and endearing. While the story line is predictable, it sure was a heart-warming read.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Belinda has just turned thirty, is single, and is a curvy girl. Just when she’s decided that she needs to get back on the dating scene, her estranged husband, Carter, shows up in her hometown with a young daughter in tow. With hurt feelings and old resentments, Belinda and Carter have to figure out a way to live in the same town and resolve unfinished business.
Carter’s daughter Ruby really was the star of the show. This 5 year old bundle of sweet humor kept me reading until the end. The story had a very “real” quality to it that I often find lacking in contemporary romances. The characters were well developed, flawed, and endearing. While the story line is predictable, it sure was a heart-warming read.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
October 15, 2014
I was really loving it until Belinda decided to make amends before Carter could grovel like he was planning to. Ruined a what could have been a great ending. Belinda making amends felt to me like they just swept an enormous problem under the carpet.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 1, 2015
Love me some big girl books! This was funny and sweet and a bit over the top with all the back and forth at the end, but I still loved it!
May 13, 2022
Not a detailed review, just thoughts I had while reading this:
- This being the 3rd book I've read of Sugar Jamison's Perfect Fit series, I can safely conclude this is an author that tends to go on for too long. I feel like with some much-needed editing, her stories could easily be told in half the pages it takes her to tell them. The couples are always wishy-washy, endlessly going back and forth, with no real believable conflicts or obstacles standing in the way of them being together. All the drama is draggy and unnecessary and reads like filler passages a lot of the time. I think this is probably my last book from this author.
- I intensely dislike Carter, the hero, which of course already spells doom for this romance for me. Carter not being able to express any of his feelings was very frustrating, esp when Belinda has been so open with hers from the get-go. On top of that, he acts like a Neanderthal, constantly manhandling Belinda, feeling her up at inappropriate places when her mother or his daughter is right outside the door. That kind of horny caveman behaviour doesn't read 'hot' to me, it reads 'disrespectful'. He couldn't set his lust aside long enough to actually figure out what kind of relationship he wanted with Belinda, instead he just keeps lying to her abt the divorce papers (which was another angle that was too long drawn out). The second half of the book I thought he would settle down a bit, but he just becomes even more of an asshole the way he speaks to Belinda. One minute he resents her for not wanting to give Ruby a chance, the next minute he wants her to be a mommy for Ruby, and again the next minute he's yelling that Ruby's not her daughter and that she's unfit to be a parent. Christ, he doesn't even know what the hell he wants, he just keeps blaming Belinda for something. I also did not like how many of the side characters like family and friends are trying to convince Belinda that Carter is a good man for her just with the sole reason of "look how much he loves his daughter". Yes, it's clear he does love Ruby, good for him, but I feel like that single reason alone is irrelevant to how capable he would be at loving Belinda.
- Belinda's not without issues too. I thought she was waayyyy too hung up on how Ruby could've been hers, could've been theirs to raise together, how she felt cheated by him etc when she was the one who walked away from the marriage in the first place? Besides the child is only 5 years old, she could very well still raise her together, but she's talking like she missed out on Ruby's entire teenage years or sth. And then there was the fixation on not being the first woman to bear Carter's child, and not having carried a child in her body... like I kept getting this nudge like she's trying to say raising her biological child would be a superior experience to raising her step-child or adopted child (Ruby), which is like, excuse you.... no. Belinda's equally clueless about what she really wants, and her ping-ponging decisions and ideas are all bewildering to read. That whole bit about insisting Carter dates someone new!? Didn't make sense. It's not like Carter never dated anyone but Belinda in his whole life, which i guess could prompt this "check out the other fishes in the sea before you commit" idea, but Carter was literally married once before Belinda. The man KNOWS there are other fishes in the sea, come on, girl!
- Belinda's mother and her ramblings are hella annoying. "Pudge" is a horrible nickname, no one deserves that. The conflict between Belinda and Carter's mother got resolved so quickly at the end with no apparent reason given, felt super rushed and too convenient.
- Ruby is cute, but she reads like a ten or twelve year old. No 5-year-old speaks like that.
- I was gonna give this book 1 star. The only reason I gave it a 2nd star is becoz a lot of the casual fat-shaming done by random people in the book was very relatable, and becoz I enjoyed that Belinda is a big girl who is confident and accepts herself and isn't afraid to put the beat-down on others when they disrespect her or her loved ones. Our society does treat fat people very unkindly, with snide comments or insults barely concealed in everyday conversation as "jokes" or "fake concern", which is atrocious behaviour that nobody really polices. And I just wish more people would shield chubby kids from all that hurt the way Belinda shielded Ruby in the book.
- This being the 3rd book I've read of Sugar Jamison's Perfect Fit series, I can safely conclude this is an author that tends to go on for too long. I feel like with some much-needed editing, her stories could easily be told in half the pages it takes her to tell them. The couples are always wishy-washy, endlessly going back and forth, with no real believable conflicts or obstacles standing in the way of them being together. All the drama is draggy and unnecessary and reads like filler passages a lot of the time. I think this is probably my last book from this author.
- I intensely dislike Carter, the hero, which of course already spells doom for this romance for me. Carter not being able to express any of his feelings was very frustrating, esp when Belinda has been so open with hers from the get-go. On top of that, he acts like a Neanderthal, constantly manhandling Belinda, feeling her up at inappropriate places when her mother or his daughter is right outside the door. That kind of horny caveman behaviour doesn't read 'hot' to me, it reads 'disrespectful'. He couldn't set his lust aside long enough to actually figure out what kind of relationship he wanted with Belinda, instead he just keeps lying to her abt the divorce papers (which was another angle that was too long drawn out). The second half of the book I thought he would settle down a bit, but he just becomes even more of an asshole the way he speaks to Belinda. One minute he resents her for not wanting to give Ruby a chance, the next minute he wants her to be a mommy for Ruby, and again the next minute he's yelling that Ruby's not her daughter and that she's unfit to be a parent. Christ, he doesn't even know what the hell he wants, he just keeps blaming Belinda for something. I also did not like how many of the side characters like family and friends are trying to convince Belinda that Carter is a good man for her just with the sole reason of "look how much he loves his daughter". Yes, it's clear he does love Ruby, good for him, but I feel like that single reason alone is irrelevant to how capable he would be at loving Belinda.
- Belinda's not without issues too. I thought she was waayyyy too hung up on how Ruby could've been hers, could've been theirs to raise together, how she felt cheated by him etc when she was the one who walked away from the marriage in the first place? Besides the child is only 5 years old, she could very well still raise her together, but she's talking like she missed out on Ruby's entire teenage years or sth. And then there was the fixation on not being the first woman to bear Carter's child, and not having carried a child in her body... like I kept getting this nudge like she's trying to say raising her biological child would be a superior experience to raising her step-child or adopted child (Ruby), which is like, excuse you.... no. Belinda's equally clueless about what she really wants, and her ping-ponging decisions and ideas are all bewildering to read. That whole bit about insisting Carter dates someone new!? Didn't make sense. It's not like Carter never dated anyone but Belinda in his whole life, which i guess could prompt this "check out the other fishes in the sea before you commit" idea, but Carter was literally married once before Belinda. The man KNOWS there are other fishes in the sea, come on, girl!
- Belinda's mother and her ramblings are hella annoying. "Pudge" is a horrible nickname, no one deserves that. The conflict between Belinda and Carter's mother got resolved so quickly at the end with no apparent reason given, felt super rushed and too convenient.
- Ruby is cute, but she reads like a ten or twelve year old. No 5-year-old speaks like that.
- I was gonna give this book 1 star. The only reason I gave it a 2nd star is becoz a lot of the casual fat-shaming done by random people in the book was very relatable, and becoz I enjoyed that Belinda is a big girl who is confident and accepts herself and isn't afraid to put the beat-down on others when they disrespect her or her loved ones. Our society does treat fat people very unkindly, with snide comments or insults barely concealed in everyday conversation as "jokes" or "fake concern", which is atrocious behaviour that nobody really polices. And I just wish more people would shield chubby kids from all that hurt the way Belinda shielded Ruby in the book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 1, 2017
This is the third book I have read of Sugar Jamison's, the second I've read of the A Perfect Fit Series
This story is about Belinda, we first met her in Dangerous Curves and this is her story.
After 4 years of not seeing her secret husband he moves to her hometown with his daughter Ruby.
Even though Belinda and Carter are the main characters of this story; the characters from the previous books make appearances.
Belinda who is a strong woman has been through a lot in her life, has run away from her life everytime she gets confused or hurt. We meet her parents, who maybe just a little crazy but do love their daughter. We absolutely fall in love with Ruby, who is precocious, cute and smart as a whip. I started out not liking Carter very much, but as you learn more about his character that changes.
The interactions between Belinda and Carter's mother are absolutely laugh out loud hillarious!
I loved this book. Will be starting the next in the serious.
This story is about Belinda, we first met her in Dangerous Curves and this is her story.
After 4 years of not seeing her secret husband he moves to her hometown with his daughter Ruby.
Even though Belinda and Carter are the main characters of this story; the characters from the previous books make appearances.
Belinda who is a strong woman has been through a lot in her life, has run away from her life everytime she gets confused or hurt. We meet her parents, who maybe just a little crazy but do love their daughter. We absolutely fall in love with Ruby, who is precocious, cute and smart as a whip. I started out not liking Carter very much, but as you learn more about his character that changes.
The interactions between Belinda and Carter's mother are absolutely laugh out loud hillarious!
I loved this book. Will be starting the next in the serious.
September 21, 2019
3.5 Stars
This is my first book that I had read in English and now that I think of it after 7 months after finishing it I found that I had some things that I didn't like about it like how the heroine left the hero without letting him explain the truth and how she had a low confidence in her self at that time and that made her ruin her life for so many years and also there was alot of problems and solving that it made the book a little boring for me ,I think both of them are selfish and the poor kid had to suffer alot until they made their way to happiness, but I admit I laughed at times and cry a little.
This is my first book that I had read in English and now that I think of it after 7 months after finishing it I found that I had some things that I didn't like about it like how the heroine left the hero without letting him explain the truth and how she had a low confidence in her self at that time and that made her ruin her life for so many years and also there was alot of problems and solving that it made the book a little boring for me ,I think both of them are selfish and the poor kid had to suffer alot until they made their way to happiness, but I admit I laughed at times and cry a little.
February 1, 2022
Personally, this book started off pretty strong but my opinion just declined as the story dragged on.
The main male character (Carter) was so hot & cold, his daughter spoke perfect English for 90% of the book even though she's only 4, the majority of side characters were body shaming, and the main female main character (Belinda) was just as hot & cold as Carter. I don't even know why i read the whole thing, think i expected him to get over his short 🍆 attitude and not yell at Belinda for every little thing or use his child against her... That never happened.
The main male character (Carter) was so hot & cold, his daughter spoke perfect English for 90% of the book even though she's only 4, the majority of side characters were body shaming, and the main female main character (Belinda) was just as hot & cold as Carter. I don't even know why i read the whole thing, think i expected him to get over his short 🍆 attitude and not yell at Belinda for every little thing or use his child against her... That never happened.
October 2, 2017
Loved it! Very glad I didn't give up after the last book. I loved Belinda's character. She's a strong independent woman! Carter was kinda meh for me but at least he didn't drive me nuts. The real charmer of this storyline is the 5 year old say it as she sees it, Ruby. I loved this kid! Wise beyond her years and quite honestly I think she is the reason that the story was so enjoyable for me! She seemed smarter than the adults at times. Very fun read.
January 5, 2017
Belinda is an awkward character who gets married to Carter after knowing him for six weeks only. Carter is rich and has already been married and divorced by the time he meets Belinda, and gets married to her, then they both learn that his ex is pregnant and Belinda is shattered and leaves Carter. But then they meet again after 5 years.
October 14, 2018
I am torn between 2 and 3 stars to be honest. It's a wonderful book and I fell in love with ruby. It is really just that there were so many unnecessary pages that it just made the book tedious to finish so why I wanted to put it down to 2 stars. In the end though, I really did enjoy the book and I am looking forward to reading all her books so 3 stars if my final rating! =)
October 13, 2019
Interesting premise, but the MCs - especially the heroine - were a little unlikeable as they couldn't make up their minds on what they wanted. The little girl used language that was grammatically perfect at times, and at other times, spoke the broken English as many five-year-olds would. The heroine's mother was slightly irritating with her rambling; the heroine's father was great.
July 1, 2017
Cute story with a heroine of a fuller figure. Written with humor and a precocious little girl.
August 21, 2017
Good relationship journey but i was annoyed at the stubborn characters and quick ending
August 31, 2017
Cute- light read.
June 6, 2018
It was a lovely, sweet read.
June 14, 2019
Cute Read!
November 10, 2019
Much better than Cherri's book.
March 11, 2021
Good story!
This story has it all, it was definitely a perfect fit! It made me laugh and it brought tears to my eyes. Thank you Sugar for such an amazing story!
This story has it all, it was definitely a perfect fit! It made me laugh and it brought tears to my eyes. Thank you Sugar for such an amazing story!
March 3, 2024
Not her best work. I slogged through this repetition and was disappointed.
April 26, 2025
Great
Funny heroine, Sexy times, adorable kid, new beginnings. Highly recommend! Check out Sugar Jamison's other books in the series too.
Funny heroine, Sexy times, adorable kid, new beginnings. Highly recommend! Check out Sugar Jamison's other books in the series too.
October 9, 2023
I really liked the diversity in it and that he had a child but the fact that they were separated for years is insane and I loved Ruby she is so dear to me I love this book and I do recommend it.
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