The rules of (fake) engagement . . .Leah Martin has spent her life trying to avoid temptation. But she’s sick of low-fat snacks, counting calories, and her hyper-critical mom. Fortunately, her popular new bakery keeps her good and distracted. But there aren’t enough eclairs in the world to distract Leah from the hotness that is Sam Cooper – or the fact that he just told her mother that they’re … that they’re engaged . . . which is a big, fat lie.
Sam sometime speaks before he thinks. So what started out as defending Leah’s date-ability to her judgmental mother soon turned into having a fiancee Now the plan is to keep up the fake engagement, stay “just friends,” and make Leah’s family loathe him enough to just call the whole thing off . But Sam has an insatiable sweet tooth, not only for Leah’s decadent desserts but her decadent curves. Her full lips. Her bright green eyes. Yep, things aren’t going quite according to plan. Now Sam has to convince Leah that he’s for real . . . before their little lie turns into one big, sweet disaster.more
A plus-sized heroine makes this one stand out, not to mention the sexiest hero ever.
I gravitate to this author whenever I see she has written a book because of her talent for giving a scrumptious romance sprinkled with humor at times. This one is also on a bit of a different twist then her previous but still lures me in. Being I also work in retail I see all size all kinds with what matters is what is in the inside of a person. Mr perfect could be Mr douche but onward with this one. Leah I would say is just too hard on herself with plenty of programming from others that added fuel to that fire. One of those is her mom with me being one wanting to smack her a time or two myself. Sam now is my kind of guy but he also gets them in a pickle kinda but it goes on what he secretly desires anyways on his feelings. So deception is always fun to read to see who will cave first and who will devour the other one. It would not of started for either one if there wasn’t some chemistry to begin with. It kinds is like the duck that turns into a swan because she denys her own worth with us getting to see her eyes open slowly with both filling with romance and love. Heart warming story with humor and feistiness too. Stellar moments too throughout where you crack up. Of course delivered with a HEA making it a bonus in my books.
The first book in a series. The character’s attraction was instant and the event leading to a happily ever after were super funny.
I loved it and cannot wait to read the next book in the series.
Rules every one seems to forget during every fake engagement:
No attachments
No feelings
NO SEX
Seriously it’s like the duh factor…However, when you get accidentally fake engaged to a virtual stranger the rules can be a little blurred.
Well a lot blurred if Sam is the your fiancee. The problem is that he isn’t interested in more and she can’t stop thinking about it. Or is there another problem?
Sweet and sassy fun with a whole lot of oops! involved. I mean really who announces their engagement to a….nope! You will just have to read it!
Book received in exchange for an honest review. Reviewed on behalf of Once Upon An Alpha
This book started out so strong. The author made me laugh quite a bit, especially when Sam begins his campaign to make Leah’s family root for a broken engagement. I loved the food descriptions and how successful Leah was at a relatively young age with her bakery. The friendships were amusing and I wish they played a larger role.
Unfortunately, there were some series cons to this read that lead to a low rating. The overwhelming negativity from Leah regarding her weight was rough. I understand the insecurities, believe me, and the overwhelming comments internally and in dialogue just was too much. Every comment, no matter how benign was twisted by her to make it negative. When it came time for Leah to be develop some semblance of self-worth, I just didn’t believe it. It was too little in the face of a mountain of negativity and self-hate. Sam’s waffling ended up incredibly old as well. Even with the glimpses into his internal monologue/struggle, I still wanted to slap him.
Ultimately, this was a miss for me. As much as I enjoyed Sam’s outrageous comments to make Leah’s family hate him, I’m not sure I believe in this HEA.
Sadly, nothing about this book worked for me. The premise was good, but I didn’t enjoy how it all unfolded. The connection between the two main characters felt forced, the whole story moved a little fast for me. . . it just wasn’t my cup of tea. I still plan on trying the second book in the series. Hopefully that one will work out better.
3.5 stars!
Enjoyed this book so much! I just finished BBW series from Sugar Jamison and been having some withdrawals, so this book sort of relieving for me. It could use some more drama though. The basic plot is pretty good but the Hero needs to be more, I don’t know, firm.
Could be better but so far I’m loving it. Look forward to read the next installment of the series. ><
Good storyline and I highly recommend this book!
I have been anxiously waiting for this book and it didn’t disappoint! This book has everything I have come to expect from Mrs. Bliss. Hot but frustrating men, sassy woman, sexy times and laughter!! Let this be a warning to you, don’t eat or drink anything while reading this book, you never know when a one liner from Mrs. Bliss will catch you off guard.
I liked the relationship between Leah and Sam. However, there were many times I wanted to hit both of them upside the head and tell them just to talk to one another. I feel like this is a tribute to the writing of Alison Bliss because while you wanted to shake Sam a couple of times, you also couldn’t help rooting for him. Being a plus size woman also helped me relate to Leah in many of the scenarios that she explained to Sam. I got it…I got her! This is why it was really easy to follow this book because in some ways, I feel like she could be me.
Leah’s mother got on my nerves terribly in this book. You could see why Leah responses to most things in her life because of her. Though true to form, I think most plus size girls have that one person that “thinks” they are trying to help but are actually just being mean. I love each and every time Sam stood up for her.
I would highly recommend this book.
*3.5 stars This is a very cute romance involving a sweet guy trying to help a pretty girl by saying they’re engaged. Silliness ensues while they try to figure out how to get out of this ruse of an engagement. Sam, our hero, is very gun-shy about getting involved in any type of relationship. He’s very attracted to our heroine, Leah, but does not want to fall in love. Leah also has issues in the relationship department. Mostly stemming from her own self-consciousness regarding her weight. The story is cute and funny, though I did have a hard time with Leah’s self-esteem issues. At times (to me) she seemed a little too weak to be with Sam, but as the story goes on, she gets stronger. Overall, I enjoyed Size Matters, and will read the second book On The Plus Side.
It feels like eons ago that Ms. Alison Bliss sent me a message asking if I would be interested in reading her first book Rules of Protection. I wasn’t disappointed then and I haven’t been since. Bliss is just one of those authors that seems to just have “it”. Her books are hilarious and romantic and steamy and completely realistic and down to earth. And after reading her latest book, I have a serious case of author love.
First, this book had me ROLLING from the very first page. Talk about hilarious. Our 9yo son kept asking me what I was laughing about and it’s not like I could say that I was laughing about testicles. Talk about awkward. So be ready with the, “Nothing” or “Just stuff” answers when you start this one. You’ve been warned.
I really don’t want to delve too much into the book because I’m not very good at keeping secrets and I don’t want to give stuff away … I will say this … the main character, Leah, is pretty much every girl out there. Leah thinks that she’s chunky and that no hot dude could possibly be into her. Basically, every girl I know has had this feeling. It was simultaneously heartbreaking and heartwarming to be invited into Leah’s life while she is traversing the rocky road of being attracted to someone who you think couldn’t possibly have feelings for you as well. I saw a bit of myself in Leah. I won’t lie. I’ve had these doubts. Actually, I’ve had them in almost every single relationship that I’ve been in and even though Leah is a fictional character, it feels like she just “got” me. It’s a special thing to connect with a character like that. It doesn’t happen very often.
Okay … onto lighter things … Alison Bliss has a dirty mind. That’s the only possible explanation for the sexy scenes because I don’t get shy very often but this book made me blush! For the love of all things fluffy … some of the scenes in this book were so hot that I felt embarrassed to read them. Not that that kept me from actually reading them. Hello! Ugh. They were gooood.
And of course, I should say something about the plot and the characters and the flow of the book … here’s the deal: I wouldn’t change one damn thing. The plot was perfect, just enough stuff going on to keep the book flowing at a great pace without feeling bogged down. The characters were nothing short of perfection and that’s that.
Ooh! I almost forgot, Bliss teaches you some good stuff in this book! Like how a dude would give his right testicle to take an adorable toy poodle for a walk. This is the kind of shit you file away because you just KNOW it will come in handy some day. I have it on good authority that this will be a Jeopardy question some day. Not really. But that would be cool. OMG. Maybe Darrell Hammond could do his Sean Connery impression on SNL thing and use this little testicle/poodle tidbit! Swords for $500, Alex!
I CAN NOT wait until the second book comes out which probably won’t be until 2019 because life isn’t fair. I’ll wait impatiently (like I always do) and then I’ll read the book in one setting (like I always do) and then I won’t fix the kids dinner and they’ll get to have whatever they can come up with (which is what always happens when a Bliss book comes out). With Size Matters, they feasted on oatmeal, popcorn and spinach salads. Hey, they chose that weirdo combination. They enjoy Bliss book time as much as I do! I think I’m going to go reread this right now. Dude. Such a great book.
* I received this novel in exchange for an honest review *
Sam Cooper just went from single and taking a break from dating, to engaged in a matter of minutes and now he is left trying to figure out how in the heck to get himself out of it and quick! His mouth has seriously got him into trouble this time, and he can tell by the look on his new “bride to be’s” face that he just royally screwed up, and it is solely up to him to get them out of this mess. When he met Leah Martin at the bar and they shared a heated moment he instantly knew she could throw a kink into his plans to remain in the date free zone for a while, and so he tried to politely shake her off, but seeing the hurt on her face had him regretting his decision and gravitating back into her direction. And before long he finds himself wrapped up in every facet of her life, and questioning rather or not walking away is really for the best…
Leah Martin is still struggling to pick up the pieces of a failed relationship and get her life back on track, and she knows ultimately the only way to fully get over her ex is to meet someone new, but she doesn’t seem to be getting too many offers. So, her friend Val decides to drag her out for a night on the town. and see if they can find her a new beau, and soon after arriving at the bar she sets her sights on a tall, dark and handsome man, that she is certain is way out of her league. She can’t imagine that a guy like him would like a curvy girl like her, but when he asks her to dance she thinks she may have judge him wrong… that is until he confirms her initial thoughts and leaves her sitting alone at their table to dance with a pencil thin girl. She is ready to chalk the whole experience up to a lesson well learned and walk way, but for some reason Sam keeps finding ways to wander back into her life, and before long she finds herself in a unconventional relationship with the man. And no matter how hard she tries to not fall for Mr. Wrong… he keeps doing things that have her thinking he might just be Mr. Right after all.
The instant I read the synopsis for this book I knew it was one I HAD to read, not only because Ms. Bliss was at the helm, but also because there was something about the heroine that struck a cord with me…and soon after I met her, I was completely enamored with her… and her sexy faux fiance! Once I settled down with this one, I was pulled in deep and knew I was not coming up for air until I had devoured every last page… and boy oh boy was it ever delicious!! The story line grabbed me by the heart, gave me the feels and had me smiling profusely throughout…. not only from the perfectly executed witty banter, but also for the simple fact that it was enjoyable to see a fellow curvy girl find her happily ever after! I loved every single thing about this story and I cannot wait to make a return visit to the series and meet more of ladies of the Size Matters Series and their sexy suitors!!
If there is one read you pick up this year I HIGHLY recommend it be this one, these endearing characters will keep you thoroughly entertained from start to finish and leave an indelible impression on your heart!!!!
Alison Bliss is a new author to me. I enjoyed this read. It was a funny read, I laughed a lot. Made it a refreshing read for me. Can’t wait to track down the next book in this series!
(Read this book because the next book in this series On the Plus Side is Brenda Novak’s book club read for July 2017 since I haven’t been able to find it yet I grabbed this one to read 1st. So glad I did!)