Fat

Labels #1

by Sara Wylde

“You’re pretty, for a fat girl.” That’s nothing Claire Howard hasn’t heard before, and there’s part of her that doesn’t care, that thinks it’s okay to love herself just the way she is. Then there’s that other voice in her head, the one that plays on a constant loop that gets louder whenever people scrutinize her dinner order, snicker when she needs a belt extender on a plane, and outright laugh when they see her with her the kind of man they don’t think fat girls deserve. It reminds her that existing while fat is the worst thing in the world. It’s worse than being ignorant, bigoted or cruel—at least according to society’s standards. Even when she has the attentions of two men who are the embodiment of fantasy. But it’s not their love that matters, it’s her own. Fat is a brand that’s been seared into every aspect of her life—even her heart. Can Claire love herself enough to reach past the labels for her own happiness?

Genres: Romance, Contemporary Romance, Contemporary

316 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 2014

About the author

Sara (Saranna) Wylde is the crackfic! contemporary pen name for PNR/UF author Saranna DeWylde. She rather imagines that all the pen names live in the same dorm in her head and frequently have discussions that look and sound something like an episode of Herman's Head.



other profile:
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...

Reviews

[Kate Sherwood · Rating 2 out of 5]

A quick, easy read, but not really all that satisfying.

First off, I never liked Keiran - I mean, his ONE good quality is that he cares about the heroine, as far as I could tell. Oh, he's gorgeous, of course, but if the theme of the book is that we should be able to get past appearances to see the person within (and I'm pretty damn sure that IS the theme, since I was beaten over the head with it throughout the book), then his good looks shouldn't really count as a quality, should they? So other than that? He cares about the heroine.

Except she's given him ONE RULE as a friend/roommate - he's not to sleep with her friends. And as the book opens we find that he's agreed to do just that, without any consultation or even warning. So the one thing that makes him an okay guy? He's ruining it.

He's also a prostitute who gets upset when the woman he claims to love asks him to stop being a prostitute. She's not upset about the stripping, but she'd prefer he didn't actually turn tricks. Nope. He insists that he will. He's just... a mental case. Like, I'm all for a flawed hero, but what the hell? Why would any woman sign up for HIM?

The heroine was fine. Made a lot of decisions that I never would have made. (The threesome felt a bit tacked-on, to me. And kind of made me feel like she was a possession, one man handing her off to another. And the lack of condoms, when she KNOWS at least one of her partners sleeps around a lot AND is a prostitute made me think less of her and WAY less of the partner, if it was even possible for me to think less of him at that stage.) But, whatever.

The setting was weird. A bunch of women who are friends because they hang out at the same strip joint? Is that what I was reading? I couldn't figure out how the women knew each other or why they were friends, or why the hell the were HANGING OUT at a strip joint. Is that a thing, now? I've always thought strippers were just a sort of joke, where you go for bachelorette's or whatever. But are there really women who just go there and hang out?

I don't know. I liked the body-positive message, although it was pretty heavy-handed. (and, of course, the MC is still beautiful. And she's not one of those women who's let herself go or something. And she's fat b/c of a medical condition, not because she's one of those WEAK fatties who just eats too much and doesn't exercise enough... etc. etc.)

I don't know. I originally thought three stars, but as I was writing the comments I went back and made it two stars.

I really like the idea of a fat woman finding love. But this book didn't totally work for me.

ETA: If there's a sequel, and it has the heroine being pregnant with one of the men from the threesome, but she doesn't know which one? I'm not down with that. It felt too set up.

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a hard review for me to write. Not because I didn't love it because I totally and completely loved it. This book is fiction but I'm sure I'm not the only one that wondered when Saranna started following me around and listening into my brain. From the first line "you're pretty for a fat girl" all the way through the end I was back and forth emotionally. I only wish I was as brave as Claire, she'd been knocked down so many times yet she never truly gave up. What an amazingly strong character. I was expecting a happy ending and while not traditional we got our happy ending. She stood strong and found herself while losing important parts of her life. I hated the way things ended with Keiren, the romantic in me wanted them to fix each other but that's not reality. If this book is anything it's gritty and real. We don't want to hear it but the reality is that society has put labels on us all. While it's not PC to admit to it, labels are a fact of life and how we deal with them, how we choose to handle them is what makes us who we are. Claire spent most of her life allowing the labels to direct her, make her decisions for her, limit her life but in the end she found the strength to get rid of most of the negative in her life and move on with the positive. The way it was written it wasn't implausibly written as WHAM! she found the truth, no, she went through all the pain that growing forces us to experience and she came out of it stronger. She's not "fixed", she still has a ways to go but she found the path and she started heading down it. I am really looking forward to seeing more of the characters that started to come forward at the end of the book, this is definitely going to be a series to follow and look forward to.

[Virginia Nelson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Saranna DeWylde managed to write a romance novel that is in turns the sexiest and most relatable romance that I, as a plus size gal, have ever read. Somehow, she managed to do all that while being poignant and profound. Truly a gifted author writing a story that any woman--fat, skinny, slutty, stupid--who has ever been marked with a label needs to read. I give this my very highest recommendation. Some books change the way you look at the world. DeWylde writes ones even more important, they change the way we look at ourselves.

[Paige Prince]

Loved

It's 2:45am. I have to be up at 5:00am. But I'm just now finishing Fat because I couldn't put it down. Thank you, Sara, for writing it. Every. Single. Thought. she had, I've had in my head. On repeat. For YEARS. I'm still not to a place where I'm in love with my body, but I'm far more accepting of who I am.

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was pleasantly surprised by this. It isn't so much a romance or love story, in the traditional sense. Claire is "pretty, for a fat girl". She's 5'10" and a size 26. She's opening a business designing her own clothing line called "Chubbalicious". She owns a house (her childhood home) and has a room mate, Kieran. He is her best friend and a stripper. He's loves the ladies and freely spreads the love. The only thing she's asked of him is not to do her friends. The story opens at a birthday bash for her friend, April. April has requested, as her birthday present, a night with Kieran (Finn McCool is his stage name/alter ego) and Kieran agrees. This causes Claire to realize she's feeling/wanting more than friendship from Kieran. Kieran is pushing Claire to date another male stripper, Brant. He's 5'6" and has asked Claire out multiple times, but she's refused. After Kieran points out that her not wanting to date Brant because he's shorter than she is and that makes her kind of an asshole, she agrees to go out with him. And, so it begins.

There isn't anything really unpredictable about this story. I knew what was going to happen and hoped for how it would turn out. But, at the same time, I like a romance with the build up of first touches - the excitement of new love. There wasn't much of that. And there isn't a happily ever after. Or even a happily for now, really. Yet, it ended as I wanted. So, I'm conflicted about that. But, this is labeled as "volume 1", so I'm guessing there will be a follow up. I just hope Claire keeps moving forward, if that's the case.

There is a menage scene, but it isn't a multiple partner relationship. I found myself doubting a lot of Claire's realizations, but that's my own issue because I have experience with it - I enjoyed Claire's journey. Also, I totally do not get the whole male stripper thing and when I first realized a lot of this was going to involve "heros" who do that, I wondered if I was going to have to stop reading. But, somehow, it just didn't bother me that much.

I'm not super knowledgeable about sentence structure and that sort of thing. I can't always pinpoint what's technically wrong, but I notice oddly phrased sentences and things like that. Spelling errors and missing words are VERY obvious to me. I didn't see much of that at all. I thought this was a well written book. This is the first by Saranna DeWylde (or any of her pen names), that I've read. I have already started looking for other books she's written.

[HC · Rating 5 out of 5]

Claire is a woman that everyone can identify with.
We all have our insecurities and we all have been labeled at one point or another. And we all are our own worst critic.

I have been the "fat girl". People used to say hurtful things and just like Claire, I learned to push them down and pretend that I was unaffected. I have lost weight but I still see the fat girl in the mirror if I don't focus on the positives.
Reading Claire's story struck a chord in me. I felt like I was reading my own story and also reading my new best friend's story. I wanted to be there to give her a hug when she was upset and I wanted to smack the people who hurt her casually. I was thrilled that she examined her life and made some changes as well as letting go of her negative inner voice.
I will admit that at first I was a little angry with her roomate Kiernan but then I realized that he has issues and self esteem problems too. and then, mostly I felt pity for him.
Actually many of the characters in this story struggle with labels. It doesn't matter if they are male or female, fat or thin, beautiful or plain. They each have their own demons they struggle with.
Claire is fortunate that she got a wake up call and started addressing her problems. Many of the others aren't even close.
I cannot wait to read more from this series.
I know that they will be just as equally, strong, blunt, heart rending and funny. I know that I will sit down and think about myself and others and how labels affect us long after I turn the last page.
As always, Saranna Grabbed me by the heart and pulled me along for a thought provoking ride.

[Deborah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I-loved-this! Saranna DeWylde has written a story that will resonate with a lot of people, people who are larger than some or smaller than some, too short, too tall. You know, the ones people try to label like they are produce. Well, words can hurt just as much as those proverbial sticks and stones and should be used with care.
"I decided then that words should be licensed the same as firearms because they were just as deadly."
Fat is ultimately a love story but not in the traditional sense. It is a story that stresses the importance of loving yourself over other's opinions of you and that happiness and contentment can be found when you stop trying to achieve the unachievable - perfection.
"I didn't have to change my outside to get my happy ending, I had to change my insides"
Great words to live by!

[Sheila · Rating 5 out of 5]

You're pretty for a fat girl. Claire is dealing with that tape from her past as well as the present while trying to launch a clothing line for fat girls. She also is feeling more drawn to her roommate Kieran who keeps pushing her to dating his co-worker Brant. Claire's friend, April, wants Kieran. He and Brant are strippers. Can any of this work out?

I liked Claire. I could identify with her. She is not perfect. She has her flaw especially of listening to the tape in her mind but she pushes it out and is successful. She has her dreams. Some of which don't work out as she planned. She has her prejudices which she learns could mean she loses out on something good. She is strong and resourceful. When she decides to let go of the past, a path opens for her. I hope it works out for her.

I look forward to reading the next story in the LABELS series.

[Michael Fagen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I couldn't stop smiling

I've done something when I read Fat that I never did before. I intentionally stopped myself during my reading times so I would get more enjoyable times from the read. Saranna writes in such a way you can't stop laughing at "oh no he didn't just say that" and all the while you have these hopes where the story might wind up going but I was totally surprised with how Saranna chose to end this installment...SO looking forward to the next ones. Amazing read, hot sex, funny...

[Tracey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't know if I can properly explain how wonderful I thought this story was, but I will try. It was a beautiful, emotionally poignant tale of a woman coming to grips with her demons, getting what she thought she wanted and finding out it was no good for her, and, then, rising like a Phoenix from the ashes, brilliant and more powerful than ever. Amazing writing! So well-done that I cannot wait to read it again and recommend it to all of my friends, my family and my daughter!

[Audra · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book. it was new adultish but not in a way that wasn't relevant as a thirty something. the author manages to tackle the issues at hand and leave the character able to continue to grow in the next book. I loved watching Claire celebrate even little accomplishments and I applauded irl the major ones.

[Calila · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this more than I did.

[Anas Attic Book Blog · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fat (Labels #1) by Saranna Dewylde
Erotic Chick Lit (kind of). Stand Alone.

"You're Pretty. For a fat girl."

Immediately I was able to relate to the heroine in Fat (Labels #1) by Saranna DeWylde . I can't count how many times I've been told what a beautiful face I have (thanks, I know, the rest of me is hideous). Growing up with a gorgeous, skinny mom and two gorgeous skinny sisters don't help things.

I enjoy a book with a heavy heroine, though for some reason, I just can't stand a book that is labeled BBW (this isn't). I mean, why does it have to be a genre? Can't it just be a romance with an average heroine? Aah, but I'm getting off track here. Saranna has written a book that she says will make women feel better about themselves. Well no, it didn't do that for me, but it was nice to read about a character I could relate to.

I have read other books with curvy heroines that I just couldn't relate to, no matter how good the book was. These were confident women. Women who embraced their curves and wore leather and sparkles. I'm a fat girl who hides. I love fashion, but it looks awful on me (though I still try). I've tried to be a confident woman but I can't. I have eyes.

Claire Howard is 5'10" and a size 26. She is a big girl, but apparently she's still pretty damn sexy! Maybe it's the bodacious tatas she has poking out of her clothes. Maybe it's the great line of clothes she is wearing from her website Chubbalicious. Or maybe it's because Kieran, her roommate, is a male stripper. But to me, I think it's because of her outward confidence. I know a few women that size who just come off totally hot to me. Partially because they are, but partially because their confidence makes them that way. Claire is confident on the outside, but inside her body negativity was like reading the post I wrote for Starting on Monday but thought it was too much of a downer to post for weeks.

"I had him fooled, I had most of them fooled. There were days I even had myself fooled and I believed everything I said about thinking I was beautiful and sexy at any size."

Claire and Kieran are roommates and best friends. She spend a lot of time at the male strip club he works at and kind of has an extended family with the guys. She has always been attracted to Kieran, but never acted on it. He has a steady stream of woman and she's just fat.

"They'd all wonder if I was his sugar mama, if I was paying his bills, or what exactly I had over him that might explain why a guy like him would ever date a woman like me."

But when Kieran suggests she date Brant, a fellow stripper, who has been attracted to her a long time, Claire says no. Why? Because he is 5'6". Pot, meet kettle. But after she hears Kieran giving her friend a 'birthday gift', Claire decides to give in and go out with Brant. I loved Brant. He was confident (he's a stripper!), sexy (again, he's a stripper!), tender, warm, funny and smart. And dirty...giving Claire a big O in public on their first date. (I have a major Brant crush!)

"I'm going to make you come so hard and long you'll beg me to stop."

But when it came right down to it, I was totally able to relate to Claire. I was able to relate so much it made me cry at the same time Claire wanted to cry.

"I didn't want to be bare in front of him, my body exposed--all of my fat out there for him to see."
"He still wanted me. But I didn't want myself. So I didn't understand how he could want me."

But when Kieran realizes that Brant is with the woman he's wanted...he joins in.





Though I'm focusing on the sexy stuff,  this isn't really an erotica book, nor is it a romance, though it has elements of both. There isn't a run off into the sunset happy ending. It was a book about labels. And living and loving your life despite them. Claire is fat, Kieran is gorgeous, Brant is short, Bex is a slut. We all have labels to overcome.

Likes:

•I was so able to relate to the heroine! Though I'm not as big, every drop of negative self talk has been in my head on a loop for the past 20 years.
•Hot sex.
•Menage with two male strippers, no complaints.
•I liked all of the side characters.

Dislikes:

•I found it a little depressing, despite the fact that the fat girl got two gorgeous strippers.
•All of the negative self talk got a bit too repetitive after a while (though it never shuts off in my own head).
•The book was about learning to love one's self and becoming comfortable in your own skin. Well hello? If I had two gorgeous male strippers who wanted me I think I would be able to feel a whole lot better about myself too!
•What exactly is Chubbalicious? Who is the designer? At first I thought she designed the clothes. There wasn't enough elaboration on the business that was such a great part of the book. So little in fact, that when it launched, what happened made no sense at all.

Rating: 3.5-3.75 stars, 4.5 heat.





Fat by Saranna DeWylde is a very different book. Since it is more about a woman's journey to overcome her own labels than a romance, it left me a bit melancholy. The heroine was so relatable it was like reading my own thoughts on paper. There was a very strong message in the story, and it's almost too bad that the author felt the need to push it so much with male strippers. Maybe if the guys were a little more average I would have bought the whole thing. Maybe it would have more easily convinced me to join her in her journey to love herself. Send those two strippers here and I'll start feeling good about myself too! The book was well written though, and I think I would enjoy reading the author's other books.


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[Elle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was pleasantly surprised by this book: it was steamy, had more depth than I expected, and even included some steamy sex!

I appreciated that this book featured an ACTUAL plus-sized heroine (not the typical "size 14," which I'm not sure I'd classify as a BBW) I also liked that a couple of hot men UNAPOLOGETICALLY found her desirable. The way she worked through everything felt true to life, and I appreciated her growth (and acknowledgement of how she'd internalized so much growing up). I saw myself in her in more than a few moments, and it was empowering to see her breakthrough. I'll admit that the men's characters were a bit flat, but that wasn't really the point, so I'm letting that go. I highly recommend this book for anyone who likes steamy romance...the three-way was a bit of a

[Maddie Pine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Decent

Not what I thought the book would be. It's more of a message book about self esteem and things bringing you up or down. I struggle with weight myself, so it was nice to see a plus size women make her dreams come true. But when the read the description of the book, I thought it was gonna be about a BBW with two hot guys going at each other. So different from what I thought, but still a decent book.

[Meg Ledbetter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fabulous read!

Checks all the boxes but especially the "I'm worthy!" one. Wylde writes a good love scene but the character's inner dialogue is what makes this book worth reading. You won't be disappointed!

[Leo01 · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is really good! The cover fooled me. I read so many book about plus size heroine, and this one, I highly approve. The ending was nicely done, Love it!!

[Marsha · Rating 2 out of 5]

I actually really enjoyed this!!! the love triangle was interesting, the characters had depth and behaved maturely - I liked it!

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

not the best writing, but a decent story, and kind of erotic in some places (which i may have known when i bought it but had forgotten about by the time i read it!)

[Jaclyn Roche · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wish I could give this more than 5 stars.

Sara Wylde has fast become one of my favorite authors. Her voice is so unique and genuine. The labels series is ingenious, and the characters are so authentic and believable. This is the first book of the series that I have read and after reading this one, I cannot wait to read Slut. I sincerely hope Ms. DeWylde publishes more in this series.

I love Claire and how real and brutally honest she is. Written in the first person, we’re really able to get into her head and being “Chubbalicious” myself I totally understand this character. I would like to say that Claire could’ve been me in my 20’s, but I was never quite that confident or outgoing. So I guess I will have to relive my 20’s vicariously through her. And living life is just what she does.

Claire doesn’t let, “You’re pretty for a fat girl,” stop her from getting what she wants. You’re going to be cheering for her, crying with her, and loving every minute of it. I have to say there is a male or two I would like to smack upside their head. How could they let a catch like Claire get away!!

This book was actually refreshing. Honest, real, and unlike any other I have read in a long, long time. Ms. Wylde really outdid herself with this book, and I look forward to reading Slut for another raw, honest, believable portrayal.

[Jeni · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was "sold" this book with the comment "that it would inspire all larger ladies to feel great about themselves", as a bigger lady myself I don't tend to find books like this, but I respected the person who said this, so I brought the book and read it.

The first third had me depressed, it was like the author was in my head, not that I hang out at a male strip club, but her self-depreciating thoughts and inner voice was just like mine. The middle section was seriously unrealistic and made me want to just stop reading, but I only had 90mins left so I continued and the final section was a bit inspiring.

However I don't believe that this book inspires larger ladies to love the skin they're in, but maybe it'll remind me that other people have their own demons.

[Kathryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fat is a love story, but ultimately not the one you'd expect. There is romance and more than a few moments of sizzling sex. Claire yearns for her roommate Kieran, who insists on pairing her with Brant. Claire's friend April has a thing for Kieran that's more than a passing fancy, and you watch the entanglements and sniping wear down on friendships and Claire's already battered self-esteem. This is a love story mainly because Claire takes the journey to loving herself - rolls, dimples, and all. It's one thing to talk a good game, she learns, and another to play.

I loved the story.

[Lori Meehan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I saw this book on a blog and was very intrigued. I thought it was a ménage love story but it's more a love triangle with ménage sex scene. Its more about Claire learning to love the person she is with the help of her best friend Kieran and Brant the man who sees her for the beautiful women she is. It's a painful journey but one she is thankful for in the end.
I like my books to be wrapped up at the end with a HEA but it's more of what might be possible at the end.
I enjoyed the book it was my first book by Saranna DeWylde and I'm looking to read more.

[Karla Medeiros · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting

It certainly didn't end like I thought it would. But I'm glad for it. The character development was great, very realistic in that it shows the struggle people go through to learn to love themselves, no matter the weight/height/size. To try to get past the labels placed on us by society, other people, and even ourselves. It was also a little graphic in parts but that can be flipped by. I was expecting humor but was not too disappointed when the story turned out to be more serious. I still find it ironic that Kieran turned out to be exactly as self-advertised.

[Tammy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! Claire was such a strong woman, and to feel like she was 'less' simply because of her size, well, it made me sad and angry. No one should have to feel like their choices are limited because of how much they weigh...or how tall they are. I liked that Claire realized how she herself was guilty of forming prejudices based on a persons physical aspects. I will most definitely be reading more from this author.

[Ivy Deluca · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Bottom Line
While not a real romance, unless you count the heroine learning to love herself, it was still a very touching novel. Surprisingly well drawn characters, and some hot chemistry between Claire, Kieran and Brant. Difficult to read due to the constant negativity in Claire’s inner monologue, but ultimately satisfying because it was about her journey to accepting herself as she is.

[Mo_Better · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars
Finally a heroine that doesn't let the hero walk all over her and treat her like shit, even in the face of all her insecurities. Really liked that this book focused on the journey to loving herself first. There were things I didn't like and in the end the story itself was only okay. But Claire is a heroine I didn't want to smack,,who I could relate to, and actually like.

[Charlotte Skibicki · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best BBW novel I have read!

Claire is a true BBW! I love that she truly comes to realize her success and happiness is not dependent on her size, though she realizes she will have to remind herself of that on a regular basis. I also loved that her happy ending was not dependent on a man and a relationship! Best BBW story I have read!

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was a little concerned that this book would be poorly written and trashy. Now to be fair I was looking for trashy. I found this to be a book that I could understand align with and yet also transported me to different kind of life.A nice little erotica/romance novel and I look forward to reading the second in the Labels series -- it was quick and worth my time.

[Ruth Fabiano · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fun read! A lot of issues that normally aren't written about- like people having mantras and faking confidence without actually absorbing it...especially about weight. Also liked who Claire kept in her life at the end without it being cliché. Brava Saranna!