Challenge Corner discussion

A gym nemesis pushes a fitness influencer to the max in Amy Lea's steamy debut romantic comedy.

Curvy fitness influencer Crystal Chen built her career shattering gym stereotypes and mostly ignoring the trolls. After her recent breakup, she has little stamina left for men, instead finding solace in the gym - her place of power and positivity.

Enter firefighter Scott Ritchie, the smug new gym patron who routinely steals her favorite squat rack. Sparks fly as these ultra-competitive foes battle for gym domination. But after a series of escalating jabs, the last thing they expect is to run into each other at their grandparents' engagement party.

In the lead up to their grandparents' wedding, Crystal discovers there's a soft heart under Scott's muscled exterior. Bonding over family, fitness, and cheesy pick-up lines, she just might have found her swolemate. But when a photo of them goes viral, savage internet trolls put their budding relationship to the ultimate test of strength.

Chapters 1-9 (view spoiler)[I know the cover has them working out, but I didn't realize that that's pretty much all this was about. I wish I could make money from my bookstagram like her roommate. I like some of her Instagram posts and think they are good, but other ones I don't love. And why did they have to steal each others phones? That just seems silly. (hide spoiler)]

Chapters 10-18 (view spoiler)[She has valid reasons for not wanting to go a date with him. But the raisin/date pick up line was really funny. I liked that they went to IKEA together and actually had a serious conversation. Some of those IG comments were so mean though. I can’t believe people do that. (hide spoiler)]

Chapters 19-24 (view spoiler)[The no touching rule seems a little extreme. I get not wanting to have sex, but no kissing or touching seem to take it too far. But what was even the point of them in the first place if they weren’t going to follow them at all?

I understand why Scot’s grandpa didn’t want anyone to know. (hide spoiler)]


Finished (view spoiler)[Tara spilling the soup on the guy outside of Whole Foods was hilarious. Scott’s comment to that person was so sweet though. I’m glad she decided to change the message on her IG though. The ending was really cute too how they got engaged. (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 1-7: (view spoiler)[I am not in love with these characters so far honestly, some of their actions are downright childish and immature which has me rolling my eyes. I liked Tara more than Crystal with her bookstagram lol. There is definitely some chemistry between the two leads which is a good thing but I don't know how I feel about a romance between people whose grandparents are dating? (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 8-14: (view spoiler)[Still not feeling the love tbh, I am just finding it really hypocritical of Crystal to call Scott arogant and a prick when she herself isn't any better towards him. Also not liking Grandma Flo meddling so much and setting up all these random run ins. They called a truce atleast and the sorbet "not date" was kinda fun. People are so mean to her on her page, I really like how she's able to look past those and continue her work (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 15-20: (view spoiler)[It looks like Scott didn't share the whole truth about the call he got at midnight, I really don't believe it was Trevor. The IKEA date was nice but the whole drama with the ex is kinda getting old, I don't know how many books I have read that have used this exact device to make the ex jealous and it's just not that appealing anymore. Dating without touching AT ALL seems a bit much to me, I don't think they are gonna follow it tbh (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 21-27: (view spoiler)[Dang it was awful finding out about Martin's tumor but Scott really should have been honest with Crystal. Their rule didn't stay intact for a single day just like I suspected and it honestly annoyed me a little considering they put so much emphasis on it earlier. The wedding was okay but I am not feeling very excited about the prospect of them now dating exclusively (hide spoiler)]

Finished: (view spoiler)[The amount of negative and hate comments Crystal got just for posting a picture with Scott was unreal. I can't believe the audacity to judge someone's relationship like that. Crystal being so hurt and reclusive was kinda warranted after that but I wish she had not reprimanded Scott so harshly for defending her. I liked the ending with the engagement announcement and it was the sweetest proposal tbh (hide spoiler)]

I'm starting this now - hope it's not too late to count for buddy read points! Only read one chapter but promising so far :)

Kira wrote: "Chapter 1-7: [spoilers removed]"

Chapters 1 -10
This is not usually my type of book (I think both of you know I'm not into romance but I liked the cover for some reason and since you were buddying it I thought I'd join lol. Not a spoiler - it ISN'T not my kind of book! (view spoiler)[ Having said that, it's nice to read something so light and easy (having just read a big fat historical novel).
However, I agree with you Kira - I'm not particularly liking these characters because of their immaturity! For goodness sake, how old are they?? And I definitely like the bookstagram reference with Tara - are either of you on bookstagram? I was SUPER active for a few years but my account is kind of dead now... it just became a chore tbh. It does make me want to revive my account a bit... but I know I'll soon feel that pressure gah.

Also agree that it seems weird to have characters dating whose grandparents are engaged. There's nothing really wrong with it, it's just... odd. And, as Crystal said, if it went wrong then things would be mega awkward.

Also, she writes SUPER long instagram posts - most people won't read that much! (hide spoiler)]

Ashlyn wrote: "Chapters 1-9 [spoilers removed]"

Sorry, just read your comment Ashylnn - I wish I could paid for being a bookstagrammer too! And I didn't think that working out would be QUITE so central...

I’m on bookstagram and it was getting exhausting, so I’ve been more laid back about it and been so much better. I don’t try to post every day or keep up with anything if I don’t feel like it. The community is amazing though.

Kira wrote: "Chapter 8-14: [spoilers removed]"

Chapters 8 -14 (view spoiler)[

Yeah, I agree. Waaaay too much about the gym, and I just felt like - for all her body positivity stuff - Crystal was ultimately really shallow. I wonder if I'd be more interested if the MC was a bookstagrammer? I may found out if I read the second one, but Tara seems just as appearance obsessed as her sister (from reading a chapter one excerpt from the sequel).

I did like how she was able to face down the haters on her page, but still - NO ONE reads an instagram post that long!! (hide spoiler)]

Ashlyn wrote: "Chapters 10-18 [spoilers removed]"

(view spoiler)[ I believe the hate comments. I've been on the receiving end on bookstagram - which I thought was going to be the loveliest community ever.

The IKEA date/not date thing was kind of cute but just a bit... meh? I mean, I didn't feel like I was that interested I guess. (hide spoiler)]

Kira wrote: "Chapter 15-20: [spoilers removed]"

Chapters 15-20
(view spoiler)[
Yeah, NO ONE was believing the call in the middle of the night was from Trevor. He could have at least come up with a halfway decent excuse... I don't think I'd be as patient/trusting as Crystal.

Dating without touching? Yeah, never gonna work. The ex thing did feel pretty tired (hide spoiler)]

Kira wrote: "Chapter 21-27: [spoilers removed]"

Chapters 21-27 (view spoiler)[

Honestly? I don't even felt like I really cared that much about Martin's tumor. We found out about it, hardly had time to take it in, and then found out it was benign - there could have been SO much more dramatic tension. It was just over too quick.

The wedding was pretty blah, wasn't it? (hide spoiler)]

Ellen-Arwen wrote: "Ashlyn wrote: "Chapters 10-18 [spoilers removed]"

I believe the hate comments. I've been on the receiving end on bookstagram - which I thought was going to be the loveliest community ever.

The I..."

The only time I've seen hate comments on bookstagram is directed at an author specifically. Other than that, I've never seen it towards another bookstagrammer.

Kira wrote: "Finished: [spoilers removed]"

Finished (view spoiler)[

Yeah, that amount of hate seemed... unlikely, although not impossible. The engagement and wedding proposal was sweet but... I dunno. Just fell really flat for me all over. Scott was meant to be this unbelievably likeable guy but I just found him pretty one-dimensional. And the date he takes her on to look through people's windows? That just felt really fake; I don't even know why! I think I was just getting fed up of both of them by this point.

Thankfully, there was quite a lot of 'fade to black' in the sex scenes but it was more than enough for my liking lol.

... why do I read romance books? I often ask myself! I think they will be easy feel good reads, but they usually leave me feeling a bit icky and kind of annoyed at generic characters, devices, and reruns of basically the same story. It's like eating sweets or junk food almost - you let yourself have an 'easy fun' read but I don't actually enjoy it and don't feel any better afterwards... (hide spoiler)]

Ashlyn wrote: "Chapters 19-24 The no touching rule seems a little extreme. I get not wanting to have sex, but no kissing or touching seem to take it too far. But what was even the point of them in the first place..."

(view spoiler)[

I'm glad she changed her message on her IG too, but I don't think she ever actually said you need to feel like this 100% of the time; she was only holding herself to that high standard.

And yeah, the proposal was cute but I was ready for it to have ended about 50 pages earlier lol (hide spoiler)]

Ashlyn wrote: "Ellen-Arwen wrote: "Ashlyn wrote: "Chapters 10-18 [spoilers removed]"

I believe the hate comments. I've been on the receiving end on bookstagram - which I thought was going to be the loveliest co..."

I have sadly :( To be fair, the individual was possibly mentally ill... but I don't know. And, yes, it happens to authors far too often.