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Elsa Quinn has been bullied for being fat all her life. On the start of her new year of school, she makes a decision. She is going to lose weight. Elsa joins a gym out of town to ensure it's top secret.
Noah Stewart lives for exercise. When he wants to relax, he works out, pumps weights, and runs to clear his head. After an embarrassing scene by his crazed ex, Noah decides to exercise in a gym a town over. When he meets Elsa, it seems too good to be true. He can’t let her out of his life when he knows he can help her—even though she's already perfect to him. Striking up a deal, he'll help Elsa get in shape, and in return she will keep his new gym a secret.
Day after day, week after week, it’s hard for Noah to not see how beautiful Elsa is. He’s struggling to keep his hands to himself, and when he finally claims her, he doesn’t want to keep it a secret. Noah wants the world to know Elsa belongs to him.
What will happen when their peers find out? Will Elsa be too scared to stay with Noah? Will he let her go when he sees what his ex does to her?
Noah Stewart lives for exercise. When he wants to relax, he works out, pumps weights, and runs to clear his head. After an embarrassing scene by his crazed ex, Noah decides to exercise in a gym a town over. When he meets Elsa, it seems too good to be true. He can’t let her out of his life when he knows he can help her—even though she's already perfect to him. Striking up a deal, he'll help Elsa get in shape, and in return she will keep his new gym a secret.
Day after day, week after week, it’s hard for Noah to not see how beautiful Elsa is. He’s struggling to keep his hands to himself, and when he finally claims her, he doesn’t want to keep it a secret. Noah wants the world to know Elsa belongs to him.
What will happen when their peers find out? Will Elsa be too scared to stay with Noah? Will he let her go when he sees what his ex does to her?
110 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 6, 2016
140 people are currently reading
696 people want to read
About the author
Sam Crescent
551 books5,504 followersSam Crescent is passionate about fiction. She loves a good erotic romance and so it only made sense for her to spread her wings and start writing. She began writing in 2009 and finally got that first acceptance in 2011 by Total-E-Bound.
She loved creating new characters and delving into the worlds that she creates. When she’s not panicking about a story or arguing with a character, she can be found in her kitchen creating all kinds of havoc. Like her stories the creations in the kitchen can be just as dubious but sometimes things turn out great.
She loved creating new characters and delving into the worlds that she creates. When she’s not panicking about a story or arguing with a character, she can be found in her kitchen creating all kinds of havoc. Like her stories the creations in the kitchen can be just as dubious but sometimes things turn out great.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 122 reviews
June 8, 2016
Negative Stars...
OK, shit was this book BAD. The characters were 18 year olds, but spoke like a bunch of 14 year olds. Which made the one lackluster sex scene rather awkward. Not to mention Noah at just 18 was a man-whore, sleeping with girls AND women?? When Elsa and him go to have sex for the first time he mentions it's been awhile since he had sex with anyone. So I guess he started man-whoring at an early age??
Everything about this book was awful, the writing, the plot, the stupid mean girl characters. The whole "I LOVE YOU will you MARRY ME" at 18, and the epilogue was eye roll worthy.
BAD BAD BAD did I mention it was BAD.
Side Note: I assume costume is British for bathingsuit, otherwise I am ALL sorts of confused on why he wanted her dressed like a clown for swimming. *lol*
OK, shit was this book BAD. The characters were 18 year olds, but spoke like a bunch of 14 year olds. Which made the one lackluster sex scene rather awkward. Not to mention Noah at just 18 was a man-whore, sleeping with girls AND women?? When Elsa and him go to have sex for the first time he mentions it's been awhile since he had sex with anyone. So I guess he started man-whoring at an early age??
Everything about this book was awful, the writing, the plot, the stupid mean girl characters. The whole "I LOVE YOU will you MARRY ME" at 18, and the epilogue was eye roll worthy.
BAD BAD BAD did I mention it was BAD.
Side Note: I assume costume is British for bathingsuit, otherwise I am ALL sorts of confused on why he wanted her dressed like a clown for swimming. *lol*
August 23, 2016
The story could have been really good, but the writing was just full of typos and so choppy that it ended up irritating me a lot.
June 16, 2016
Honestly this book has a nice message and I imagine a lot of people can relate to the heroine. But it could really do without the body shaming and the typical "guys like real women", "curvy girls are real" narrative. Seriously. It's getting old.
June 11, 2016
This was a uplifting and cute YA story about a popular jock named Noah who helped a classmate, Elsa lose weight at a gym across town. But on both parts, it must be kept a secret--- the gym they both attended in another suburb and Elsa weight loss really to please her mother.
I enjoyed the banter and flirty overtones Noah used on smart but sometimes shy Elsa to get her to open up on some subjects. Also, I liked that Noah didn't see Elsa as "fat" as his classmates did... the kid honestly loved her look excluding the big clothes.
Really looking forward in reading Elsa and Noah's friends (Kim and Kurt) story too.
I enjoyed the banter and flirty overtones Noah used on smart but sometimes shy Elsa to get her to open up on some subjects. Also, I liked that Noah didn't see Elsa as "fat" as his classmates did... the kid honestly loved her look excluding the big clothes.
Really looking forward in reading Elsa and Noah's friends (Kim and Kurt) story too.
June 15, 2016
Such an awesome read. I loved it so much I think I will share it with my teen age daughter. It give a positive spin on overweight girls that I hope it will bring some silver lining into my daughter's life.
July 16, 2023
3 stars
I am surprised at how cute this story ended up being. I know the author and I did expect the somewhat lightish quality of the plot but for once, I must say that even the cringey-ness of certain dialogues kind of fit this YA/NA romance. There were still many eye roll worthy moments, but I could live with it.
Nowadays, I am not into YA/NA novels, but for this one, the theme interested me. I think the fat shaming trope was handled okay, with little drama. I also liked that the romance between Elsa and Noah took its natural time to build. No insta thing. They were really sweet and open together (though ofc, I do have to suspend my disbelief that real teens would ever act, reason or talk like that 🙄😅). I liked that there was no drama to separate them. There was some very short OW drama but it was really a tiny blip. My only rant is that this OW would have deserved greater public payback for what she did to Elsa in that very short lapse of time.
As a bonus, we got to see some of the buildup for the next pairing in this series. And their own story surely looks interesting as well. I am tempted.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 10, 2016
immature writing and immature plot...
March 3, 2018
I shed a few tears! yes I did , I hate bullying , glad she found love ♡
July 12, 2016
Really loved this one! I was sure I would like it because I like everything I read by Sam Crescent, but I wasn't expecting to absolutely love it! First of all, love the title! It just so there, makes you take notice! Second, actually it's still first, I absolutely loved the message of this book! Even if the subject here is about people with more weight, the message it's not only for them. This message is for every single person that has body issues, being it about weight (fat or skinny), or shape, or height or beauty. It's about learning to love yourself, learning to love your body. If you feel good and healthy in your skin then go ahead and love your body, don't change it because others tell you you should change it. They don't live in your body, they're not under your skin so they can't tell you what to do when it comes to your own body. If you don't feel good in it then go ahead and change it, but don't do it because family, friends or society tells you so, do it because you want it, do what makes you feel good. Don't you ever put yourself down if you want to change, do it, if you don't them don't, you're beautiful either way. Also don't you ever think that you won't meet your other half just because you look one way or another, because you will and it will happen if it has to happen.
Strong message aside, this book is a cute, light, steamy romance that will leave you with a smile on your face, it'll brighten up your day. Yeah, maybe this book is cliché, maybe the subject is overdone, maybe this is not an epic book at all, but you know what, I liked this one, I liked because it was a drama free, HEA, short, sweet romance with a good overall message.
I am not ashamed of reading, loving and high star-ing this because I am not that type of reader that compares a light, cute romance with an epic fantasy, of course they're not on the same level. They're in opposing genres. When I give a rating I am always comparing books in their own genre, so I've compared this book with others by the same author and other books in the same category. I wanted to clear this because some of my reading buddies told me that I can't rate high a book that is not epic. Yep, I know, they're not my reading buddies anymore.
Loved the hero, adored the heroine, loved all the other characters and OMG I WANT KIM AND KURT's STORY ASAP!!!!!
Sam Crescent thank you again for an awesome story! You rock!!
Strong message aside, this book is a cute, light, steamy romance that will leave you with a smile on your face, it'll brighten up your day. Yeah, maybe this book is cliché, maybe the subject is overdone, maybe this is not an epic book at all, but you know what, I liked this one, I liked because it was a drama free, HEA, short, sweet romance with a good overall message.
I am not ashamed of reading, loving and high star-ing this because I am not that type of reader that compares a light, cute romance with an epic fantasy, of course they're not on the same level. They're in opposing genres. When I give a rating I am always comparing books in their own genre, so I've compared this book with others by the same author and other books in the same category. I wanted to clear this because some of my reading buddies told me that I can't rate high a book that is not epic. Yep, I know, they're not my reading buddies anymore.
Loved the hero, adored the heroine, loved all the other characters and OMG I WANT KIM AND KURT's STORY ASAP!!!!!
Sam Crescent thank you again for an awesome story! You rock!!
June 12, 2016
Elsa Quinn has been bullied her whole life, not just the kids at school but her mothers constant harping on weight loss has finally reached a boiling point. Deciding to take matters into her own hands, Elsa joins a gym preparing to exercise the weight off.
Noah Stewart drives to another town to workout, as a football jock at school he gets inundated with his friends wanting to hang out while at the gym and he just wants to focus on working out. When he sees Elsa, he wants to know why she is there, sure he has seen her at school but he wonders if she will tell people he is here. Elsa though surprises him and realizing she has no plan, he offers to help her out. At first Elsa questions Noah's intentions but realizes he has never been part of the bullying she accepts. Noah doesn't plan on falling for Elsa though and he does, Elsa though is afraid of what going public will do.
I liked this a lot. Noah's view on why Elsa is trying to lose weight is not what you would think. Elsa is vulnerable, her mother is a class act and I can understand Elsa's choices. Great read.
Noah Stewart drives to another town to workout, as a football jock at school he gets inundated with his friends wanting to hang out while at the gym and he just wants to focus on working out. When he sees Elsa, he wants to know why she is there, sure he has seen her at school but he wonders if she will tell people he is here. Elsa though surprises him and realizing she has no plan, he offers to help her out. At first Elsa questions Noah's intentions but realizes he has never been part of the bullying she accepts. Noah doesn't plan on falling for Elsa though and he does, Elsa though is afraid of what going public will do.
I liked this a lot. Noah's view on why Elsa is trying to lose weight is not what you would think. Elsa is vulnerable, her mother is a class act and I can understand Elsa's choices. Great read.
June 8, 2016
I so couldn't wait for this book. I love this type of stories. And this one didn't disappointed.
I love Noah. He was amazing in general. But the most I loved him for the way he was with Elsa. He was sexy, sweet, and supportive.
I liked Elsa too. I just wish she was in fighting spirit more. That she would stand up for herself when she was bullied. But I'm glad that her fears didn’t controled her much and she didn't let the chance given to her to slip from her hands.
I really hope there will be book about Elsa and Noahs friends, Kim and Kurt. I was curious about them through the book. And snippet at the ending got me so excited.
I love Noah. He was amazing in general. But the most I loved him for the way he was with Elsa. He was sexy, sweet, and supportive.
I liked Elsa too. I just wish she was in fighting spirit more. That she would stand up for herself when she was bullied. But I'm glad that her fears didn’t controled her much and she didn't let the chance given to her to slip from her hands.
I really hope there will be book about Elsa and Noahs friends, Kim and Kurt. I was curious about them through the book. And snippet at the ending got me so excited.
June 24, 2019
2.5✯
°Virgin heroine/manwhore hero
°Both MCs are 18 y/o
°Switching POVs
°Hero: alpha, sweet, immature
°Heroine: insecure, annoying, childish
°Hero faithful after having sex with the heroine
°No cheating
°No separation
°No OM drama
°OW drama (hero's ex)
°Intimate scenes only between hero and heroine
°Fat shaming
°Epilogue: 10 years later
°Virgin heroine/manwhore hero
°Both MCs are 18 y/o
°Switching POVs
°Hero: alpha, sweet, immature
°Heroine: insecure, annoying, childish
°Hero faithful after having sex with the heroine
°No cheating
°No separation
°No OM drama
°OW drama (hero's ex)
°Intimate scenes only between hero and heroine
°Fat shaming
°Epilogue: 10 years later
June 8, 2016
YA.....
I liked the story very much. It was sweet.
I liked the story very much. It was sweet.
June 17, 2016
Characters are in high school but there are some sex scenes, so I wouldn't really recommend to young-adults/ teens.
Story is cute though. I thoroughly enjoyed this book :)
Story is cute though. I thoroughly enjoyed this book :)
June 18, 2016
This is a love story, a young woman who was bullied all through school and even her mother was always on her about her weight. Finding the person who thinks your perfect the way you are.
May 15, 2021
Parts of this story are great. I loved the relationship between Noah and Elsa. I also thought the parts about bullying in high school were realistic. Plus, the relationship between Elsa's friend Kim and her bully-turned-wannabe-boyfriend was very realistic -- she didn't just forgive him because he changed his mind about how he felt.
That being said, the writing is mediocre at best, and the ending is so completely unrealistic and out of the blue, that it really ruined the whole book. Such wasted potential.
That being said, the writing is mediocre at best, and the ending is so completely unrealistic and out of the blue, that it really ruined the whole book. Such wasted potential.
March 12, 2019
I LOVE THIS STORY!!
I loved the plus sized female lead. She was smart, hard working, sincere and sweet! The male lead was a true man. Smart, kind, open minded and gorgeous. Lol
I loved all the day to day, getting to know you, falling in love plotting of this book. I loved the gradual lead into the intimacy of the characters. I wish it had been a little dirtier actually. But it was still wonderful.
I loved the angsty drama and how thoughtful it was on both characters part. I loved the side story of Kurt and Kim. I can’t wait to read that book!
A respectful romance for once. Where the female lead isn’t a dingbat who needs a man to help her survive in everything. I will be reading this one forever! Thank you Sam Crescent!!
Enjoy.
I loved the plus sized female lead. She was smart, hard working, sincere and sweet! The male lead was a true man. Smart, kind, open minded and gorgeous. Lol
I loved all the day to day, getting to know you, falling in love plotting of this book. I loved the gradual lead into the intimacy of the characters. I wish it had been a little dirtier actually. But it was still wonderful.
I loved the angsty drama and how thoughtful it was on both characters part. I loved the side story of Kurt and Kim. I can’t wait to read that book!
A respectful romance for once. Where the female lead isn’t a dingbat who needs a man to help her survive in everything. I will be reading this one forever! Thank you Sam Crescent!!
Enjoy.
January 19, 2021
For All The Curvy Gals Out There... This Is For You!
Talk about an uplifting storyline of positivity... Sam Crescent really big it outta the ball park with this one.
It's just one of the things I love about Sam's writing~ her positive messages about self image & lov'n yourself as you are, especially if you've got a Curvy, Smexxy body... Because everyone knows Alpha guys like gals with some meat on their bones.
Sam Crescent delivers delicious Fantasies that always culminate in HEA's packed with all the HEAT, Drama, Hunky Characters (Ohhh Yes, Bring on the Alpha Males!), & all the feels we need in Smexxy RoMANce~ Sigh, Cry, Pant, & Always, ALWAYS Beg & Plead 4 More!
Talk about an uplifting storyline of positivity... Sam Crescent really big it outta the ball park with this one.
It's just one of the things I love about Sam's writing~ her positive messages about self image & lov'n yourself as you are, especially if you've got a Curvy, Smexxy body... Because everyone knows Alpha guys like gals with some meat on their bones.
Sam Crescent delivers delicious Fantasies that always culminate in HEA's packed with all the HEAT, Drama, Hunky Characters (Ohhh Yes, Bring on the Alpha Males!), & all the feels we need in Smexxy RoMANce~ Sigh, Cry, Pant, & Always, ALWAYS Beg & Plead 4 More!
June 21, 2016
Great Love Story
So love this story and it really goes to show that no matter what our body type there are still real men out there who appreciate beautiful women with curves, even when we have doubts and ignore negativity. My mum always says to me: We are women of worth, if a man can't see all the love that we can give them, then they aren't worth your love. Love this story of Noah and Elsa, and can't wait for Kurt and Kim's book and hope it'll be just as good.
So love this story and it really goes to show that no matter what our body type there are still real men out there who appreciate beautiful women with curves, even when we have doubts and ignore negativity. My mum always says to me: We are women of worth, if a man can't see all the love that we can give them, then they aren't worth your love. Love this story of Noah and Elsa, and can't wait for Kurt and Kim's book and hope it'll be just as good.
July 7, 2016
I'm so not impressed.
May 28, 2017
I can't believe that ending... contemporaries are meant to be realistic. I didn't not enjoy reading it; it wasn't bad writing, it was just not unique content in that I've read the type of dialogue and flat characters before. considering I paid for this and the amount of five star reviews out there I was expecting more. the story could've been fleshed out so much more and the characters developed, which is the main worry I had from the small amount of pages. like I said, it wasn't bad writing, though there were a few typos. i feel like it should've been first person dual pov for this type of story to really develop the characters. overall I wouldn't say it's worth buying
March 15, 2021
Eu acho que a culpa por não ter gostado do livro é minha mesmo. Eu sei que não gosto de ler romances que se passam na escola, mas mesmo assim dei uma chance porque queria um livro com um(a) MC gordo(a). O desenvolvimento do romance é legal, mas eu não gostei nem um pouco do mocinho e achei o final super exagerado. Eu já tenho dificuldade com contos e novellas pelo tamanho e minha dificuldade de me conectar com a história, mas acho que eu poderia realmente ter gostado se não fosse pelos motivos já citados.
November 26, 2021
After reading the synopsis I was expecting this to be a cute quick read. Sadly, I did not like this once I started reading. The writing was choppy and juvenile and I didn't care for any of the characters.
May 30, 2024
I really enjoyed this book. It was a really uplifting story of love.
November 20, 2019
Elsa is a high school senior who‘s always been overweight. She‘s used to the teasing and the name-calling and the bullying her peers subject her to, but the one thing she can‘t reconcile herself with is the fact that her weight seems to be making her mother miserable. Her mum is very status-oriented, a country club-going woman who wants the best for her daughter, regardless of what ‘the best‘ may actually look like. Her dad, on the other hand, is very chill and believes Elsa is perfect the way she is. Her exact weight is never specified, but the reader is led to believe she isn‘t unhealthy or too obese, simply a bit chubby and that her chubbiness gets blown out of proportion by a fit-obsessed society. Her best friend Kim is also overweight and serves as her source of comfort and advice. Fed up with being a constant disappointment to her mother, Elsa decides to join the gym and exercise the excess weight away. However, she wants it to be a surprise/secret, so she joins a gym a town over.
Noah is one of Elsa‘s schoolmates. At eighteen, he‘s already ripped and lives for exercise. He hangs around with a group of people who at times bully the likes of Elsa and Kim, namely his best friend Kurt. Noah‘s ex is a crazy bully. After he broke up with her, she put him through a number of humiliating experiences, including an unspecified scene at his last gym, so Noah decided to find himself a new gym and, yes, you guessed it correctly – the very same gym Elsa has started going to.
Noah and Elsa meet properly there and, even though he believes she‘s perfect the way she is, further reinforcing the notion that she‘s not too overweight in the reader‘s mind and thus – too unhealthy, he offers to help her lose the weight as part of the documentation he wants to submit to his college of choice to convince them he‘s really into health and fitness. Elsa agrees and Noah starts training her and tweaking her diet a bit. Naturally, they start getting to know each other better and grow closer. The sexual tension between them grows as well, until one evening when Noah pays Elsa a visit at her house, where she just so happens to be alone, since her parents are out at the country club, and they confess their mutual attraction for one another. Elsa disrobes and goes on to lose her virginity to Noah.
Noah wants them to be official, however Elsa fears the backlash they may suffer from their peers and convinces him to keep the relationship secret. Meanwhile, Noah‘s friend Kurt has begun to develop a crush on Elsa‘s friend Kim and starts pursuing her. Kim is understandably very suspicious of his intentions and keeps him at arm‘s length. However, upon seeing how comfortable and nice Noah and Kurt have become around the overweight girls, their classmates, namely Noah‘s crazy ex, intensify their bullying, causing Noah to publicly put his ex in her place and make his relationship with Elsa known. Shortly after graduation, Noah proposes to Elsa. Even though they‘re only eighteen, he says he wants them to be the crazy kids who get married young and who actually manage to stay together. Fast forward ten years and Noah and Elsa really are still together, still in love and still going strong. Oh and Elsa‘s mum comes to see the error of her ways and stops putting so much pressure on her, prompting Elsa to accept and love herself the way she is.
And that‘s about it. Now, the book is not bad. The characters are not bad and the plot is not bad. However, and this is a giant however, the whole thing gets ruined by the protagonists‘ ages. I mean, they‘re freaking eighteen-year-olds! I don’t think there‘s anything unbelievable about someone falling for someone overweight, it happens every single day. It may seem unbelievable to teenagers, what with their obsession with perfection, but it isn‘t. However, what I do find hard to believe is that two eighteen-year-olds such as Elsa and Noah behave and think and speak the way they do.
We‘re supposed to believe that, at eighteen, Noah is this mature man who‘s already aware of good lifestyle habits and able to differentiate between sex and love. He is healthy, ripped, handsome, is not a bully, doesn’t conform to social standards that dictate the lives of 95% of his peers, is already a great lover capable of satisfying a woman, falls for a chubby girl and proposes to her? Sure, maybe some of these traits may be embodied by a single guy his age, but not all of them. The treatment Elsa receives at the hands of the author is even worse. First of all, I don’t think the author quite understands the psyche of an overweight girl, especially one so young. It is completely unfeasible that such a girl would ever agree to become a ‘project‘ of a handsome boy she fancies, let him measure and weigh her, run alongside him on a treadmill, talk so honestly and openly about her body and body-image issues and disrobe in front of him, before proceeding to have sex with him.
Now, I don’t know if you‘ve seen or talked to an actual eighteen-year-old recently, but I have, not just one, but plenty of them. I‘ve seen the way they talk and act in front of professors, parents and other parental figures and the way they do when in the company of their peers. At twenty-six, I‘m just barely young enough for them to be able to be somewhat comfortable around me, even though I can sense them becoming stiff and unnatural at times in presence of someone they consider ‘almost too adult‘ for them to be able to behave naturally around. My conclusion is that they‘re nothing like Noah and Elsa. They‘re insecure, chronically terrified of not fitting in and prone to exaggerating the little experience they do have in order to appear ‘cooler‘. They‘ve drunk all the drinks under the Sun and done all the drugs available to mankind and had dozens of formal and informal relationships and sexual partners. Most of the time, I just sit quietly on the margins, barely restraining myself from crying out – “Sure you have!”
If you‘re looking for a dose of something a bit more realistic, then I suggest you turn your attention away from Elsa and Noah and focus on Kim and Kurt instead. Kurt has teased and bullied Kim for years and, now that he‘s realised he actually fancies her, is actively trying to atone for everything bad he ever did to her – he‘s helpful, supportive and thoughtful, but also tries to get her to like him back. Despite all his efforts however, Kim is not budging. That‘s understandable. That‘s realistic. She‘s an insecure, chubby teenager. All of a sudden, the boy‘s who‘s been bullying her for quite some time starts acting all nice and even hints at wanting more than just friendship from her. You can‘t blame the girl for being suspicious and having a few trust issues. Eventually, she comes to see that his efforts are earnest and that he‘s really changed his ways however, by that time, the damage has already been done. Quite understandably, she rejects his advances, whether out of fear, uncertainty, self-doubt, pride or all of the above, and assures him there can be nothing but friendship between them. However, in the epilogue, they‘re about ten years older and their paths come colliding together again. This is such a more satisfying story. The insecurity, the bullying, the self-doubt, all of those are scars that take time to heal. However, now that both Kim and Kurt are older and more mature, they can work through those issues and toward establishing a healthy, functional relationship, which to me is so much more satisfying than reading about two teens getting hitched straight out of high school and is the reason I‘m looking forward to reading Bully No More next, a sequel that focuses on Kim and Kurt.
Noah is one of Elsa‘s schoolmates. At eighteen, he‘s already ripped and lives for exercise. He hangs around with a group of people who at times bully the likes of Elsa and Kim, namely his best friend Kurt. Noah‘s ex is a crazy bully. After he broke up with her, she put him through a number of humiliating experiences, including an unspecified scene at his last gym, so Noah decided to find himself a new gym and, yes, you guessed it correctly – the very same gym Elsa has started going to.
Noah and Elsa meet properly there and, even though he believes she‘s perfect the way she is, further reinforcing the notion that she‘s not too overweight in the reader‘s mind and thus – too unhealthy, he offers to help her lose the weight as part of the documentation he wants to submit to his college of choice to convince them he‘s really into health and fitness. Elsa agrees and Noah starts training her and tweaking her diet a bit. Naturally, they start getting to know each other better and grow closer. The sexual tension between them grows as well, until one evening when Noah pays Elsa a visit at her house, where she just so happens to be alone, since her parents are out at the country club, and they confess their mutual attraction for one another. Elsa disrobes and goes on to lose her virginity to Noah.
Noah wants them to be official, however Elsa fears the backlash they may suffer from their peers and convinces him to keep the relationship secret. Meanwhile, Noah‘s friend Kurt has begun to develop a crush on Elsa‘s friend Kim and starts pursuing her. Kim is understandably very suspicious of his intentions and keeps him at arm‘s length. However, upon seeing how comfortable and nice Noah and Kurt have become around the overweight girls, their classmates, namely Noah‘s crazy ex, intensify their bullying, causing Noah to publicly put his ex in her place and make his relationship with Elsa known. Shortly after graduation, Noah proposes to Elsa. Even though they‘re only eighteen, he says he wants them to be the crazy kids who get married young and who actually manage to stay together. Fast forward ten years and Noah and Elsa really are still together, still in love and still going strong. Oh and Elsa‘s mum comes to see the error of her ways and stops putting so much pressure on her, prompting Elsa to accept and love herself the way she is.
And that‘s about it. Now, the book is not bad. The characters are not bad and the plot is not bad. However, and this is a giant however, the whole thing gets ruined by the protagonists‘ ages. I mean, they‘re freaking eighteen-year-olds! I don’t think there‘s anything unbelievable about someone falling for someone overweight, it happens every single day. It may seem unbelievable to teenagers, what with their obsession with perfection, but it isn‘t. However, what I do find hard to believe is that two eighteen-year-olds such as Elsa and Noah behave and think and speak the way they do.
We‘re supposed to believe that, at eighteen, Noah is this mature man who‘s already aware of good lifestyle habits and able to differentiate between sex and love. He is healthy, ripped, handsome, is not a bully, doesn’t conform to social standards that dictate the lives of 95% of his peers, is already a great lover capable of satisfying a woman, falls for a chubby girl and proposes to her? Sure, maybe some of these traits may be embodied by a single guy his age, but not all of them. The treatment Elsa receives at the hands of the author is even worse. First of all, I don’t think the author quite understands the psyche of an overweight girl, especially one so young. It is completely unfeasible that such a girl would ever agree to become a ‘project‘ of a handsome boy she fancies, let him measure and weigh her, run alongside him on a treadmill, talk so honestly and openly about her body and body-image issues and disrobe in front of him, before proceeding to have sex with him.
Now, I don’t know if you‘ve seen or talked to an actual eighteen-year-old recently, but I have, not just one, but plenty of them. I‘ve seen the way they talk and act in front of professors, parents and other parental figures and the way they do when in the company of their peers. At twenty-six, I‘m just barely young enough for them to be able to be somewhat comfortable around me, even though I can sense them becoming stiff and unnatural at times in presence of someone they consider ‘almost too adult‘ for them to be able to behave naturally around. My conclusion is that they‘re nothing like Noah and Elsa. They‘re insecure, chronically terrified of not fitting in and prone to exaggerating the little experience they do have in order to appear ‘cooler‘. They‘ve drunk all the drinks under the Sun and done all the drugs available to mankind and had dozens of formal and informal relationships and sexual partners. Most of the time, I just sit quietly on the margins, barely restraining myself from crying out – “Sure you have!”
If you‘re looking for a dose of something a bit more realistic, then I suggest you turn your attention away from Elsa and Noah and focus on Kim and Kurt instead. Kurt has teased and bullied Kim for years and, now that he‘s realised he actually fancies her, is actively trying to atone for everything bad he ever did to her – he‘s helpful, supportive and thoughtful, but also tries to get her to like him back. Despite all his efforts however, Kim is not budging. That‘s understandable. That‘s realistic. She‘s an insecure, chubby teenager. All of a sudden, the boy‘s who‘s been bullying her for quite some time starts acting all nice and even hints at wanting more than just friendship from her. You can‘t blame the girl for being suspicious and having a few trust issues. Eventually, she comes to see that his efforts are earnest and that he‘s really changed his ways however, by that time, the damage has already been done. Quite understandably, she rejects his advances, whether out of fear, uncertainty, self-doubt, pride or all of the above, and assures him there can be nothing but friendship between them. However, in the epilogue, they‘re about ten years older and their paths come colliding together again. This is such a more satisfying story. The insecurity, the bullying, the self-doubt, all of those are scars that take time to heal. However, now that both Kim and Kurt are older and more mature, they can work through those issues and toward establishing a healthy, functional relationship, which to me is so much more satisfying than reading about two teens getting hitched straight out of high school and is the reason I‘m looking forward to reading Bully No More next, a sequel that focuses on Kim and Kurt.
February 1, 2017
MAYBE 2.5 stars.
If I didn't enjoy the actual story it would have been 1 star from the writing alone. I enjoyed what was happening, minus the mean girl shit because it was SO extreme. I was GLAD it wasn't any longer which hasn't ever been the case for me with these short reads. No one felt their age, not because of the sex and such but just how people interacted. I also don't get how he didn't get fed up with her calling herself fat when I kept picturing her as a little pudgy from the descriptions. She ended up slightly toned with some back fat, isn't that normal? I'm only 23, so highschool only ended 5 years ago for me, and I'm confused because by our final year everyone kind of just accepted everyone else but most definitely no one acted like those popular girls. I mean we weren't a huge school, but this school didn't sound that big if everyone knows each other like these guys seemed to. It just felt off and ruined the experience. I also personally don't think alpha males (like this) really works with high schoolers. And the ending was just.... no.
If I didn't enjoy the actual story it would have been 1 star from the writing alone. I enjoyed what was happening, minus the mean girl shit because it was SO extreme. I was GLAD it wasn't any longer which hasn't ever been the case for me with these short reads. No one felt their age, not because of the sex and such but just how people interacted. I also don't get how he didn't get fed up with her calling herself fat when I kept picturing her as a little pudgy from the descriptions. She ended up slightly toned with some back fat, isn't that normal? I'm only 23, so highschool only ended 5 years ago for me, and I'm confused because by our final year everyone kind of just accepted everyone else but most definitely no one acted like those popular girls. I mean we weren't a huge school, but this school didn't sound that big if everyone knows each other like these guys seemed to. It just felt off and ruined the experience. I also personally don't think alpha males (like this) really works with high schoolers. And the ending was just.... no.
September 28, 2016
Goodness what an experience. I was, at first, put off by the title and I still believe the title would be more apt if it was titled “P.H.A.T.” I could feel the pain of a boy who was forever labeled by most of the great girls in his school as unattainable. I understood the fears of the young girl whose mother has her convinced the only happiness is found in the body society considers perfect. The author superbly handles a sensitive topic which is found in school halls across the world and through her writing shows true love may be the answer to it all. I highly recommend the story of Noah and Elsa for all but especially those who fail to see the beauty in those society labels as imperfect. I hope this is only the first of many.
Delane
Reviewer for Coffee Time Romance & More
Official Review @ Coffee Time Romance & More
Delane
Reviewer for Coffee Time Romance & More
Official Review @ Coffee Time Romance & More
June 29, 2016
I was intrigued about this novella as soon as I've read its blurb. I liked the more current theme because fat-shaming had become rampant of late. So I was really looking forward to reading this one.
Unfortunately, I did not get the full satisfaction I had expected after the reading it. I did not know where to lean on because I was distracted by a lot of things. The most glaring one being that even if the main characters were both high schoolers, the narration did not sound like they were. They sounded too adult to the point that there were instances when I would forget that I was reading a high school romance.
I am still in the lookout for that memorable book with this same theme. Any recommendations are welcome.
Unfortunately, I did not get the full satisfaction I had expected after the reading it. I did not know where to lean on because I was distracted by a lot of things. The most glaring one being that even if the main characters were both high schoolers, the narration did not sound like they were. They sounded too adult to the point that there were instances when I would forget that I was reading a high school romance.
I am still in the lookout for that memorable book with this same theme. Any recommendations are welcome.
June 17, 2016
ARC received from author
This book was so good. Elsa went through all this just to have her mother's approval so she can look like all the model types.
Noah was so sweet and kept on telling her there was nothing wrong with her and she shouldn't do this to please her mother but she should do it for herself
This book was sweet and totally what I think most kids go through in high school. Wanting to fit in with everyone else
Sam this was another winner for me
Short and sweet!
This book was so good. Elsa went through all this just to have her mother's approval so she can look like all the model types.
Noah was so sweet and kept on telling her there was nothing wrong with her and she shouldn't do this to please her mother but she should do it for herself
This book was sweet and totally what I think most kids go through in high school. Wanting to fit in with everyone else
Sam this was another winner for me
Short and sweet!
October 27, 2018
I like this story. The author successfully writes a story of body shaming but in a well witty package. I love the banter between h and H. Sweet, refreshing, and oh so witty. The story flows naturally and flawlessly. Despite some may say that this is an insta-love story, I beg to differ. Both character paths unexpectedly cross. With unlikely circumstances, both find love and more. A beautiful story on how to get to know yourself by getting to know your other half.
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