[76] Because Fat Girl by Lauren Marie Fleming
Fiction / Romance / Romantic Comedy, saw at airport bookstore, Kindle

Synopsis: Diana moved to LA to support her sister and pursue her dreams of acting, writing, and directing. After making a name for herself as a film festival darling, her world spiraled with the unexpected death of her brother. The past few years have found her working as a personal shopper, with only a tenuous connection to the film industry – dressing the stars instead of being one. But when an unexpected opportunity arises to share her latest script with a major star looking to branch into producing, Diana finds herself torn – not only by the career chance, but by developing feelings for him, even though she’s always identified as 100% queer and only interested in women.

Review: This cover and story intrigued me at the airport bookstore and I was excited to see it immediately available on Libby, but it was a let down. Diana seemed like such an interesting character – a fat queer woman fighting for more representation of people like herself in film – but there wasn’t enough depth to her. She writes a brilliant (???) script based on her and her sister’s experiences, yet we get very little detail about it. We hear about her brother dying from cancer, her parents’ struggles with alcoholism, and how Diana feels her sister, Cecily, had it easier because she’s thin and straight, but I wanted more of the backstory. What was this movie they were making? It was a disservice not to share more of her past. I also struggled to connect with Diana and Drew’s (the major star/producer) relationship – it felt rushed, and I didn’t fully understand why they were so in love.

Recommend? No

[77] All by My Elf (Under The Mistletoe Collection #3) by Olivia Dade
Holiday / Romance, saw collection on Kindle Unlimited, Kindle

Synopsis: Three adjunct professors (or something like that) are spending the month driving a refurbished wienermobile around, selling mincemeat pies. Two of them are crushing on each other, though neither seems to realize it (gasp!). When the third is away for the night, the other two get caught in a snowstorm, and you can guess what happens in the WIENERMOBILE.

Review: Do you ever finish a book (in this instance, short story) then go onto Goodreads to see if anyone else thought it was as bad as you? This one is not even worth writing up. Don’t read it. Or do, so we can talk about how bad it is! That sounds fun.

Recommend? Hell no

[78] The Paradise Problem by Christina Lauren
Fiction / Romance / Romantic Comedy, saw in “Available Now” on Libby, audio

Synopsis: Anna and West got married in college – not for love, but to qualify for subsidized family housing. Four years have passed and Anna has all but forgotten about the arrangement. That is, until West’s ultra-wealthy grocery empire family insist she attend a family wedding on a remote island. To her shock, she discovers they’re still technically married. Now, Anna must play the role of (ultrarich) devoted wife to help West avoid losing his inheritance.

Review: I enjoyed this book right from the start – Anna’s humor made her instantly endearing, and West is incredibly likable, sincere, and just a genuinely good guy. The story gave Crazy Rich Asians vibes (the movie—I haven’t read the book), and I was all in for the over-the-top family dynamics and watching Anna and West truly get to know each other and fall in love.

Recommend? Yes!