It’s a big world, and MJ is a big girl trying to find her place in it. Can she handle a secret romance with the hottest rock star in the world?MJ Jassemolada is a big girl, and has been a big girl her whole life. She’s been called all the hurtful names: Hefty heifer, dump truck, fat, porky pig, she’s heard them all. Living in LA all her life, she feels like she’s surrounded by the thin and … surrounded by the thin and beautiful of the world, and having a widower father who tells her she’s beautiful every day just doesn’t help. She can see her reflection in the mirror, after all, loud and clear.
After graduation from UCLA, she gets a coveted job as personal assistant to superstar singer Meredith Renner, who’s leaving for a world tour with Heath Spencer, who’s even more popular than Meredith, if such a thing is possible. Meredith is as awful as MJ expected her to be, but Heath turns out to be nice. And smart. And funny. And—attracted to her? MJ? The big girl? Could such a thing be possible? He’s only interested in being her friend, right?
But as the tour progresses across the globe, and MJ and Heath spend more and more time together, MJ is forced to admit what just couldn’t be: Heath Spencer likes her. In that way. So, though she’s scared out of her wits, MJ, who’s never had a boyfriend, who’s never even kissed anyone, throws herself into an exciting, secret, and very sexy romance with one of the most handsome and sought after men on the planet.
Come travel with our couple, through such romantic locales as Sydney, Tokyo, Prague, Paris, Rio, and New York, as they discover love and each other, the good and the bad that can exist in the glamorous world of touring, and the romantic world of becoming a couple.
Meet the Characters
Meadow Rain “MJ” Jassemolada
THE BIG GIRL
MJ has heard every name in the book. She’s been the tallest, the largest, the loudest girl in her class since Kindergarten, and she’s hated every minute of it. She has feelings like any other girl, and of course she has a massive crush on heartthrob singer Heath Spencer when she gets a job as a PA on his tour, but she could never act on it. Finding out he might have a crush on her, too, is a crazy thing to know, and it changes MJ’s life, sending her down a path of self discovery, of realizing that some men find women who don’t look like stick bugs very sexy and desirable.
Heath Spencer
THE TEEN HEARTTHROB
Heath, formerly of the boyband The Jacks, is just beautiful, a singer who has somehow managed to remain relatively unchanged and uncynical despite years in a business that chews people up and destroys their souls. He’s very taken by MJ the moment he sees her, and his feelings, both physical and emotional, only grow as he gets to know her.
Meredith Renner
THE TREACHEROUS EX
She’s beautiful, rich, popular, thin; in short, Meredith has everything. Except she no longer has Heath, who was, she believes, the love of her life. She watches in disbelief as Heath and her oversized PA, MJ, become closer and closer. They couldn’t possibly be falling in love, could they? No way. Meredith can’t let that happen.
Archie Spencer
THE ADORABLE BROTHER
Archie looks so much like Heath it’s astonishing. He’s younger, and skinnier, but just as charming, if a little more loquacious, and a bit more clumsy. A big-hearted, animal loving version of Heath, he’s always there in a pinch for moral support, or just to make a person laugh.
What Readers Are Saying
“It’s a wonderful thing then you find a book that celebrates the atypical heroine. I love MJ! She is a product of society’s biased ways, but she shines like the star she really is! An adorable love story!”
“I laughed, cried, got angry and so very sleepy since I could not put this down!”
“I truly loved this book couldn’t put it down. I totally fell in love with Heath and MJ. The story was so sweet, funny and sexy.”
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A superb BBW novel! Definitely worth the purchase!
I’m not sure how I was introduced to this book. All I can say is however it happened, I was extremely fortunate! It’s been a long time since I’ve come across such an enjoyable book to read, one that wasn’t going to cheap-out by taking advantage of overused plot complications I’ve read way too many times. What would had been predictable never happened. In fact, story lines I haven’t ever read, nor would I have expected to had been used because of the apparent reader expectation. (That’s when a writer uses a way-too predictable plot complication because s/he assumes the readership wants something when another option, though not that over-the-top glamorous therefore never chosen, is actually used, much to my surprise!) Wow! I was thrown off my reading bench! Since when did a writer do something like this????
Apparently Ms. Hanes did.
She also dared to include what would technically be a sexual abuse scene (though nothing involving a penis) which I have RARELY seen. But it was something I know had to be done to promote the storyline. Now I’m sure there are those out there that would angrily disagree that anything like this would be necessary, but I am sick and tired of writers chickening out on what reality would dictate because of readers that would object to reality. Sorry, but you can read another book. And I do appreciate the fact that Ms. Hanes did understand the fallout and emotional consequences she just couldn’t dismiss and not deal with. The brain doesn’t allow that to happen, either. And I also appreciate the fact that guys, too, having helplessly witnessed such an event happening to their loved ones would equally have their brains f*cked up. I appreciate that recognition. Guys, too, will suffer in such circumstances as if they themselves had been molested.
At least the monster involved got his comeuppance even though he couldn’t believe he actually did anything wrong. It’s wonderful to see the full brunt of the law and other collateral punishment be meted out to such evil jerks. (Yes, there is such a creature.)
You know those romance novels that feel they must include the evil femme fatale villain who is out there to ruin their ex-love interests? Yeah, this novel does include one, but I love how Tani Hanes stretches that story line to what should had been done in so many other novels I’ve read with similar obligatory crazy ex-lovers. (I had to laugh at the so-called similarity between this woman’s “my boyfriend was stolen from me!!” and one former presidential figurehead’s continued lament. Nice touch.)
I loved Heath and MJ. I loved MJ’s father and uncles!! I loved Heath’s foulmouthed yet hysterically funny family!!!! And I could spot every single one of them in a huge crowd of holiday shoppers! Guaranteed! That’s how good these folks’ characterizations were. They were not barely adequate characters. They were very real. Ms. Hanes certainly took advantage of her 500+ page count to devote to character development and exposition. (Though I’m STILL disappointed that she didn’t research her Japanese demographics. There are NO parking lots in Tokyo!! There is no room for such wastes of space. If anything, they’re underground. This almost killed my suspension of disbelief for the entire book and I came VERY CLOSE to making it a did-not-finish because this mistake was an extremely obvious one.
For those who ever want to know what happened after “THE END”, no trouble here. BUT… I loved these characters so much and had seen them go through such hell, I don’t think I can read the next book. I’m just not in the head space to see my favorite characters of 2021 to desecrate themselves. I don’t know if I should had been happy I had read the blurb to Book Two (which would had made me happy I didn’t purchase it) or feel that I had been the one who had been raped when I discovered that these two drifted apart despite such a fantastic epilogue! Maybe I’ll have to wait until my brain is of a mindset to tolerate such stress. (That might be a few. years or more though.) If you think you can deal with it, please read the next book because this is a very talented writer (but needs an editor to pick up the obvious errors because I am totally pissed at the paragraph construction in this book which totally messed up my usual reading speed).
Would I spend $$$ to buy this novel? YES YES YES YES YES!!!!!!! It’s a great book and one worthy of at least five rereads!!!!
Ratings (out of possible 5)
Character building:
World building:
Relationship building:
Romance:
Heat/steam:
Drama:
Action:
Suspense:
Dark:
Triggers: Rape of any kind of penetration, no matter how minimal. Emotional rape, including publication of one’s recorded rape onto the internet. (I consider any revenge depiction of a sexual act without the other’s permission social rape.) Bullying by anyone but especially bosses because you can’t punch out your boss and still have a job.
POV: Multiple (2)
Ending: HEA
Length: Approximately 586 pages
Recommend: YESYESYESYESYES
Thank you, Liz K, a reviewer on Amazon!