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Lightweight
When Isla Greenwood discovers a nude photo of herself online, she immediately knows her ex-boyfriend is to blame. Worried that her family and work colleagues will discover its existence, she withdraws from everyone and turns to food to suppress her emotions.
Twenty-five kilos later, Isla has hit rock bottom and realises she needs the help of her fitness model cousin, Grace, to help get her back on track. But when Grace is injured, Isla finds she lacks the skills and motivation to continue her fitness regime on her own.
Fortunately, another saviour arrives in the form of Wes, a cute local personal trainer who convinces Isla to check out his gym.
Before long, Isla is rocking her new lifestyle and on the road to getting her old self back. But nothing worthwhile ever comes easy, and she soon finds herself battling a whole new set of challenges, including a rival at a competing gym, an increasingly stressful job, and her deepening feelings for an unpredictable Wes.
Will Isla ever resolve the chaos in her life and come out the other end healthy, happy and sane?
She sure hopes so.
Twenty-five kilos later, Isla has hit rock bottom and realises she needs the help of her fitness model cousin, Grace, to help get her back on track. But when Grace is injured, Isla finds she lacks the skills and motivation to continue her fitness regime on her own.
Fortunately, another saviour arrives in the form of Wes, a cute local personal trainer who convinces Isla to check out his gym.
Before long, Isla is rocking her new lifestyle and on the road to getting her old self back. But nothing worthwhile ever comes easy, and she soon finds herself battling a whole new set of challenges, including a rival at a competing gym, an increasingly stressful job, and her deepening feelings for an unpredictable Wes.
Will Isla ever resolve the chaos in her life and come out the other end healthy, happy and sane?
She sure hopes so.
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First published October 23, 2017
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 55 reviews
May 4, 2018
This book was motivating in some ways and disappointing in others. I love the real life battle with overeating and the emotions involved in trying to overcome this addiction and I admired Isla’s courage and determination. my first thoughts of Isla were she’s laidback, witty, a little neurotic (in a good way), funny and good natured. However as the story develops Isla becomes a little uptight, judgmental, dramatic and a little preachy. Her reasoning for dumping Wes was a little over the top and unrealistic yet afterwards she’s willing to visit her ex who posted nudity shots of her???? I didn’t get it. Looks like Wes will have to forever walk on eggshells around Isla and that’s not a HEA.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 4, 2018
WOW, so 90% of this book was amazing but the last 10% was offensive. I know the standard chick lit formula and love it. So I expected a misunderstanding to put a bump in the road to romance, but this "misunderstanding" was misogynistic and completely out of character and totally ruined the book for me. It made both characters completely unlikable. I won't spoil it, but I also recommend not bothering reading this at all. So disappointing.
June 16, 2018
Originally posted on Tales to Tide You Over
I don’t recall why I picked this title in the first place–those who know me are aware I’m actively against the “thin is beautiful” pressure in modern society–but something caught my eye and I’m ever so glad it did.
Lightweight is anything but light in everything it touches on. It has the traditional romance beats, and when things fall apart, it’s huge. There are many light, fun, and encouraging moments, too. At points, it read as a women’s fiction because of the close focus on Isla, the main character, along with her cousin Grace. The first person narrative is where a lot of the deeper issues come in, but if anything, they made the book more well-rounded.
The tone is both self-aware and humorous as Isla wakes up to the consequences of how she chose to handle a bad breakup. She’s still shying away from recognizing it was abusive, but the glimpses she shares are telling. While her specific obsession is food and the book is about losing weight, amazingly, it has little to do with an unhealthy body image. Even better, that same point of view appears in Isla’s outside world. Her distaste for both fat- and skinny-shaming tabloid assignments along with Grace’s balanced perspective toward body differences are just a few of the examples. The overarching message is anti-obsession more than anything else.
Isla’s journey is one of self-acceptance and finding the willpower to stop drowning life’s pains in food. Sure, she doesn’t recognize her own attractiveness any more than she sees her true value at the tabloid, but she’s not afraid to ask for help when she needs it. Isla surrounds herself with supportive people and actively works to change what she doesn’t like about her behavior. Her narrative also gives insight into the internal messages underlying a food obsession while demonstrating the long-term impact an abusive relationship can have on sense of self and the ability to trust new relationships.
You might think the book is one preachy message after the other, but that couldn’t be farther from the truth.
We get to know Isla as the creative, competent, and positive person she is. She models these behaviors for us in context, or confronts the flaws in our society in the course of her life and work. I am drawn to positivity, and this novel is full of it from how Isla sees the best in people, even if it makes her vulnerable, to how she’s kind as a first reaction. She’s also willing to forgive if forgiveness is earned. Isla makes a difference not by stepping outside herself but by living up to her own values even when it appears to be the risky path rather than the sure one. I could go on, but bottom line is she’s the type of person I’d love to be in the orbit of.
From that description, you’re probably not surprised to hear me say the characters are well drawn, or that they’re struggling with serious issues. This is a clean read in that the coupling occurs behind doors, but there’s no question of both love and passion growing between Isla and Wes. Grace is another wonderful character, and Isla’s wacky boss Portia turns out to be surprisingly intuitive and conscious of how her business runs.
The book is set in Australia and so uses Australian English, but I had no trouble following everything that was going on…with one slight exception. It took far too long to figure out who Poldark was (pop culture doesn’t translate as well as life stuff), but the reference wasn’t critical.
This story is very much Isla’s. Wes never gets his own point of view, but we come to know him well enough through her eyes for the dark moment to be a kick in the face. It even had me wondering, along with Isla, if she’d been seeing him through rose-colored glasses this whole time. I started to doubt the novel was a romance rather than pure women’s fiction. It’s a tough spot, but the resolution, when it comes, is solid and worth the wait.
So, yes, this wasn’t what I was expecting when I picked Lightweight for a light read, but I got what I wanted in characters I could connect with, a strong story, and so much more.
I don’t recall why I picked this title in the first place–those who know me are aware I’m actively against the “thin is beautiful” pressure in modern society–but something caught my eye and I’m ever so glad it did.
Lightweight is anything but light in everything it touches on. It has the traditional romance beats, and when things fall apart, it’s huge. There are many light, fun, and encouraging moments, too. At points, it read as a women’s fiction because of the close focus on Isla, the main character, along with her cousin Grace. The first person narrative is where a lot of the deeper issues come in, but if anything, they made the book more well-rounded.
The tone is both self-aware and humorous as Isla wakes up to the consequences of how she chose to handle a bad breakup. She’s still shying away from recognizing it was abusive, but the glimpses she shares are telling. While her specific obsession is food and the book is about losing weight, amazingly, it has little to do with an unhealthy body image. Even better, that same point of view appears in Isla’s outside world. Her distaste for both fat- and skinny-shaming tabloid assignments along with Grace’s balanced perspective toward body differences are just a few of the examples. The overarching message is anti-obsession more than anything else.
Isla’s journey is one of self-acceptance and finding the willpower to stop drowning life’s pains in food. Sure, she doesn’t recognize her own attractiveness any more than she sees her true value at the tabloid, but she’s not afraid to ask for help when she needs it. Isla surrounds herself with supportive people and actively works to change what she doesn’t like about her behavior. Her narrative also gives insight into the internal messages underlying a food obsession while demonstrating the long-term impact an abusive relationship can have on sense of self and the ability to trust new relationships.
You might think the book is one preachy message after the other, but that couldn’t be farther from the truth.
We get to know Isla as the creative, competent, and positive person she is. She models these behaviors for us in context, or confronts the flaws in our society in the course of her life and work. I am drawn to positivity, and this novel is full of it from how Isla sees the best in people, even if it makes her vulnerable, to how she’s kind as a first reaction. She’s also willing to forgive if forgiveness is earned. Isla makes a difference not by stepping outside herself but by living up to her own values even when it appears to be the risky path rather than the sure one. I could go on, but bottom line is she’s the type of person I’d love to be in the orbit of.
From that description, you’re probably not surprised to hear me say the characters are well drawn, or that they’re struggling with serious issues. This is a clean read in that the coupling occurs behind doors, but there’s no question of both love and passion growing between Isla and Wes. Grace is another wonderful character, and Isla’s wacky boss Portia turns out to be surprisingly intuitive and conscious of how her business runs.
The book is set in Australia and so uses Australian English, but I had no trouble following everything that was going on…with one slight exception. It took far too long to figure out who Poldark was (pop culture doesn’t translate as well as life stuff), but the reference wasn’t critical.
This story is very much Isla’s. Wes never gets his own point of view, but we come to know him well enough through her eyes for the dark moment to be a kick in the face. It even had me wondering, along with Isla, if she’d been seeing him through rose-colored glasses this whole time. I started to doubt the novel was a romance rather than pure women’s fiction. It’s a tough spot, but the resolution, when it comes, is solid and worth the wait.
So, yes, this wasn’t what I was expecting when I picked Lightweight for a light read, but I got what I wanted in characters I could connect with, a strong story, and so much more.
January 26, 2018
Decent, had some added drama that didn't need to be there.
This is a story of a girl whose ex posted revenge porn, causing her to spiral into self destructive eating habits. When she realizes how bad things have gotten, she changes her ways with help from her cousin.
I like that her transformation isn't instant or easy, it's more realistic. Stress still makes her want to revert back to her old ways. There's plenty of stress - work, romance both old and new, and intrigue between gyms.
Overall a good book with a HEA that had more tension than it needed to get there. The writing was sound, and the characters seemed realistic.
This is a story of a girl whose ex posted revenge porn, causing her to spiral into self destructive eating habits. When she realizes how bad things have gotten, she changes her ways with help from her cousin.
I like that her transformation isn't instant or easy, it's more realistic. Stress still makes her want to revert back to her old ways. There's plenty of stress - work, romance both old and new, and intrigue between gyms.
Overall a good book with a HEA that had more tension than it needed to get there. The writing was sound, and the characters seemed realistic.
January 4, 2019
An Australian chick-lit title about Isla, a 20-something who put on a bunch of kilos (how many lbs? I'd have to google- in my head I pictured 30ish ) after breaking up with a creepy, kinky boyfriend who later leaked photos of her on a revenge porn site. She ate to deal, and with the help of her fitness model cousin, loses the weight while kicking ass at work and falling for a local personal trainer who has poor parents. There is also a bizarre subplot about a competing gym and the seedy characters who work there. Despite being kind of a formulaic mess, I enjoyed the story- I'm a sucker for Aussie chick lit, when it's not purely terrible. 2.5 stars rounded up.
October 30, 2017
Talented author Kirsty McManus has done it again with this wonderful, heart-warming, fun and engaging read. Isla is a thoroughly likeable and relatable character, who you simply can't help but root for as she works to overcome past adversity and create a new, positive future for herself. You will fall in love with this book!
September 27, 2018
2.75 The ending was rushed and there was no epilogue, which I found disappointing.
October 29, 2017
I think the blurb for this book describes it very well so I don't need to recap the plot in my review. This romance has what I call a "real-life" feel, meaning it is the kind of thing that can happen to a real person vs. the fairy-tale, billionaire, etc. tropes out there. Throughout the beginning I was impressed with how perfectly the real thoughts, emotions and actions an emotional eater has are shown in the heroine, Isla (love her name, by the way).
The romance is sweet and clean and takes a far backseat to Isla's journey of physical improvement/ self-confidence regaining. I like a lot of the secondary characters, especially the one's at Silva's Gym. There was a final conflict that seemed blown out of proportion to me (and yes, I understood why we were supposed to get Isla in particular being upset by it) but I guess Wes was so perfect I can see it being difficult to manufacture a really good conflict at that point.
All-in-all, the book is well-written, but I found myself getting bored at times. And some things hit a little to close to my real life, including the long unfairness of how she was treated at work and how she just took it for so long, that despite the happy ending I guess I was just yearning for that fairy tale escape instead.
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.
The romance is sweet and clean and takes a far backseat to Isla's journey of physical improvement/ self-confidence regaining. I like a lot of the secondary characters, especially the one's at Silva's Gym. There was a final conflict that seemed blown out of proportion to me (and yes, I understood why we were supposed to get Isla in particular being upset by it) but I guess Wes was so perfect I can see it being difficult to manufacture a really good conflict at that point.
All-in-all, the book is well-written, but I found myself getting bored at times. And some things hit a little to close to my real life, including the long unfairness of how she was treated at work and how she just took it for so long, that despite the happy ending I guess I was just yearning for that fairy tale escape instead.
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.
October 29, 2017
This novel had me thoroughly hooked by the end of chapter one. McManus starts with a powerful premise: Isla, upon being humiliated by an ex-boyfriend, numbs her wounded self-esteem with food. When a shop clerk mistakenly assumes she is pregnant, Isla turns her shame into the motivation to rise above the damage inflicted by her ex. With carrot (hunky Wes, her trainer) and stick (her best friend/cousin Grace, a model) keeping her focused on her goals, Isla uncovers both her physical and inner strength on her difficult journey toward healing. Showing sensitivity to others and a positive attitude through it all, she also navigates a challenging work environment, earning respect from her odd, tyrannical boss.
Isla is an incredibly likable and relatable character. Just as she gives herself the occasional pep talk, you’ll be rooting for her, perhaps even out loud. McManus deftly intersperses the weightier messages of the novel with lightness and humor. "Lightweight" is another great read from this author.
I voluntarily reviewed this book after receiving an ARC.
Isla is an incredibly likable and relatable character. Just as she gives herself the occasional pep talk, you’ll be rooting for her, perhaps even out loud. McManus deftly intersperses the weightier messages of the novel with lightness and humor. "Lightweight" is another great read from this author.
I voluntarily reviewed this book after receiving an ARC.
October 29, 2017
The plot of the story was pretty good. I liked most of the characters. I was a little wishy washy with the lead character. At some points she was smart and strong, but other times she acted like a teenager. (Like the way she dumped her new boyfriend... that seemed undeservingly harsh, despite what he did.) I did appreciate that she finally got the credit she deserved at her work. I also felt the story dragged on longer than it needed to. Some things could have been left out without compromising the story. While the writing wasn't bad, there was something about it that made it hard to keep my attention. I took a lot more breaks while reading than I typically do. (Though I did want to read to the end to find out how it all ended.) While there is mention of sex, it is not detailed. There is also some mention of drug use, but nothing graphic. The whole book is pretty clean and suitable for teens an up.
*I volunteered to review a ARC of this book.
*I volunteered to review a ARC of this book.
November 2, 2017
What a fabulous story!! Isla, the main character, is sweet and goes gaga over sugary treats and fatty fast food due to some trauma inflicted by her ex boyfriend. After realizing her self destructive behavior is out of control, she turns to her fitness-mad cousin and a handsome personal trainer for help. This story struck me as so real and, despite the lack of recognition at work and her body image issues, this heroine somehow remains positive (most of the time). She's a better person in some bad situations than I could ever be, anyway. I loved the story of her transformation and the love and friendship she gives and receives. Karma is working big time throughout this book and provides the basis for a truly satisfying read. I was a big fan of Kirsty McManus' previous novel (Perfume Therapy) but I think this one was even better!
I received a complimentary advance copy of this book; this is my voluntary and honest review.
I received a complimentary advance copy of this book; this is my voluntary and honest review.
May 2, 2018
Fun book, our main character has issues that plague a lot of us - weight gain, emotional eating, issues with finding a real life partner, struggling to exercise, a job that is not fulfilling. The author manages them with humor and the story is entertaining. I would have given it 4 stars except, primarily: There wasn't really an ending, it felt unfinished. Maybe there's a sequel I'm unaware of but there was no satisfying conclusion to the story. I'm not sure I was invested enough in the characters to get or read a sequel, anyway. Maybe.
Also, although it is a romance novel and that's not real life, I found it a little unbelievable that fitness, work and love life were resolved in a few months and in such an astonishing positive way.
But, a quick and fun read - especially the first half of the book.
Also, although it is a romance novel and that's not real life, I found it a little unbelievable that fitness, work and love life were resolved in a few months and in such an astonishing positive way.
But, a quick and fun read - especially the first half of the book.
June 26, 2018
Sweet tale set in Australia about a woman whose ex-bf posted a naked picture of her on the Internet after they broke up. Her reaction was to eat herself into a coma until she gains about 50 lbs. Her journey to find herself after being hurt so badly includes joining a gym (to be trained by her best friend, a model who offers to train her), find some professional fulfillment in working at a tabloid publication run by narcissists, and learning to love herself, and letting go of the mistrust she holds because of her ex's revenge. Isla is a sweetheart who deserves to find happiness, and her friends and relatives are very likeable (okay, with the exception of Grace's parents). The book is amusing and the dialog is witty and it's an easy and enjoyable read. The end is a tiny bit forced, but it's a HEA that you can root for.
August 22, 2019
This is another great book by this author.
I loved the storyline and I felt that, although some of the specifics of the story might not happen to everyone, everyone can relate to being disappointed or betrayed by someone. I think this story actually had a little more of a serious undertone than most of the other books I have read from this author, but I think that made it even more compelling. I also love that the MC was a female who started out at war with herself and was able to grow so much throughout the story to become strong and in control of her life.
I am a sucker for underdog stories and this one was wonderfully written with drama, romance, and of course humor. I would definitely recommend this book!
I loved the storyline and I felt that, although some of the specifics of the story might not happen to everyone, everyone can relate to being disappointed or betrayed by someone. I think this story actually had a little more of a serious undertone than most of the other books I have read from this author, but I think that made it even more compelling. I also love that the MC was a female who started out at war with herself and was able to grow so much throughout the story to become strong and in control of her life.
I am a sucker for underdog stories and this one was wonderfully written with drama, romance, and of course humor. I would definitely recommend this book!
November 20, 2017
Isla dealt with a lot of self esteem issues after being dumped by her boyfriend. She took comfort in junk food to the tune of an extra 25 kilos. She knew she needed to take charge of herself when someone asked her when the baby was due. Lots of surprises and twists in this book. Isla joins a gym and hires Wes as hr personal trainer. Some chemistry and attraction there. We are able to follow along with her as she embarks on her journey of self emprovement. I received an arc copy and voluntarily chose to review.
May 6, 2018
Disclaimer - I love stories where the woman gets addicted to sugar and then realizes what it means. One second on the lips and 5 years on the hips!
The Good
A fun quirky read where you grow with Isla. She sees a naked picture of herself online, gets fat and then gets fit!
The Bad
A little bit LOOONNNGGG. No offense to the author but I did find myself speed reading a bit in the middle. I wanted to know how it ended but got a bit samey.
The Ugly
Self-destructiveness, social media, nakedness.. all of this could happen.
4 Stars
The Good
A fun quirky read where you grow with Isla. She sees a naked picture of herself online, gets fat and then gets fit!
The Bad
A little bit LOOONNNGGG. No offense to the author but I did find myself speed reading a bit in the middle. I wanted to know how it ended but got a bit samey.
The Ugly
Self-destructiveness, social media, nakedness.. all of this could happen.
4 Stars
May 4, 2018
Enjoyable light, fluffy read.
Enjoyable light read. Rated it a 3 because 5 is for Jane Austen and 4 is for really good books. This is well-written, cute, and fun. The heroine is self-doubting, but just as well, or you'd hate her for all the luck in her life. Characters are believable, but at the same time, 1.5-dimensional.
Enjoyable light read. Rated it a 3 because 5 is for Jane Austen and 4 is for really good books. This is well-written, cute, and fun. The heroine is self-doubting, but just as well, or you'd hate her for all the luck in her life. Characters are believable, but at the same time, 1.5-dimensional.
June 4, 2018
This was a light, enjoyable read but it dragged at times. Several revelations and things that came out in the last 20% just seemed out-of-character, didn’t make a lot of sense, or just came out of nowhere and almost appeared to be chucked in for the sake of wrapping up the story. Put differently, there was a tonne of foreshadowing throughout the book that didn’t really amount to anything.
July 29, 2018
I was only going to give this novel 3 stars but that wouldn't have been fair considering I am almost 60 and this novel is surely targeted at a much younger age group. I'd say late teens or early 20's and the girls in this book would be the perfect roll models. They are sensible, fun, independent and have both got a job. Look I did enjoy it for what it was but it was just a bit 'young'.
April 15, 2019
Wow Kirsty McManus has done it again. Another fab read which I couldn’t put down. This is the story of Isla, a woman determined to change after a rubbish break up. The characters are relatable, perfect amount of twists. I was rooting for Isla from the very start. This is a wonderful, heart-warming, fun and engaging read that I will definitely recommend to others.
July 26, 2019
Average
Quick read, quirky characters that are easily relatable.
Losing weight is never easy, but it is very easy to be depressed about it. Same thing applies to cheating boyfriends.
I read the first book sometime ago so it was easy to pick up on the characters in this one. Definitely enjoy this author.
Quick read, quirky characters that are easily relatable.
Losing weight is never easy, but it is very easy to be depressed about it. Same thing applies to cheating boyfriends.
I read the first book sometime ago so it was easy to pick up on the characters in this one. Definitely enjoy this author.
April 30, 2021
Hm, I don't know how to feel about this one. It was rather triggering, so if you've ever had an eating disorder or relationship trauma, I would steer clear.
It was a nice quick read but some of the characters need to be a bit more fleshed out and there was a lot of sketchy miscommunication. Other than that, it wasn't a bad story.
It was a nice quick read but some of the characters need to be a bit more fleshed out and there was a lot of sketchy miscommunication. Other than that, it wasn't a bad story.
October 26, 2017
A sweet story. Well written with likable characters and I enjoyed the secondary ones as well. It did feel like the story dragged on longer than it needed to and while the romance was believable, it was rather lukewarm.
I voluntarily read an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review.
I voluntarily read an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review.
January 28, 2018
Funny yet delightful. This book gives you a chance to put yourself into Isla's shoes. If you ever distrusted someone based on your last and need to get over it.......this book will help you laugh your way in through it.
May 3, 2018
Fun Read and Real Issues
Appreciate the author's handling of the issues women (and sometimes men) face with online exposure, vulnerability, trust and the challenges of developing intimate relationships.
Appreciate the author's handling of the issues women (and sometimes men) face with online exposure, vulnerability, trust and the challenges of developing intimate relationships.
July 14, 2018
This was the perfect light and funny book I wanted in between the thrillers I normally read. This was an entertaining story about a young woman looking to improve her fitness while getting over her ex. This was a quick book to get through and a great, fun read!
October 31, 2018
Good entertaining easy read
I enjoyed reading this book. It was a nice light easy read. Entertaining. The characters were believable and not over the top. I liked the message that it portrayed as well.
I enjoyed reading this book. It was a nice light easy read. Entertaining. The characters were believable and not over the top. I liked the message that it portrayed as well.
April 19, 2019
Slow and mundane read
In my opinion, just not a compelling story. It was very hard to get into. The dialogue often had me rolling my eyes. It’s cute and simple, just not what I typically read. A good way to mix things up I suppose.
In my opinion, just not a compelling story. It was very hard to get into. The dialogue often had me rolling my eyes. It’s cute and simple, just not what I typically read. A good way to mix things up I suppose.
August 27, 2019
I really enjoyed this book! The main character was likeable from the beginning. There were a few twists and turns I didn't see coming, which I liked! I was very pleased that Isla got her happy ending. I will definitely be revisiting this author again soon when I need a feel good read! 👏
January 5, 2020
Lightweight
Another well told story by Kirsty McManus. I did have trouble feeling for Isla, she kept digging her own grave. An enjoyable read that kept me the ing pages and I liked the HEA.
Another well told story by Kirsty McManus. I did have trouble feeling for Isla, she kept digging her own grave. An enjoyable read that kept me the ing pages and I liked the HEA.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 55 reviews