Thanks to the publisher for an e-ARC!

This was very enjoyable and a cute rom-com that is clear throughout in what it’s intending to do – allow a fat girl to be the main character in a rom-com and more than deserving of a happy ending.

I can’t speak to the accuracy of the representation but the author has included fat and autistic rep (two different characters), as well as mental illness and anxiety rep, and it all feels that it really humanizes this YA story. Heads up for some content warnings related to these: self-body shaming, trauma, flashbacks of childhood bullying.

This is a cutesy story and it’s meant to be and it fully hit the ‘rom-com’ brief. It feels very much like a typical teen movie in book form. I enjoyed the relationship and especially the portrayal of the younger siblings and how the characters could bond over their role as eldest. The inclusion of therapy was also wonderful and so great to see the character’s progression in handling their trauma.

My only complaint was that the narration felt really over the top in the way it almost seemed to reflect someone’s diary (lots of OMGs and cringing reactions). It was very clearly an author writing a character so it was difficult to immerse myself in the story when the main character didn’t feel real.