Rian Thompson thought she joined the gym to get healthy. Little did she know she was about to add hundred and ninety pounds of swoonworthy abdominal muscles and arrogance to her life.
Every day in Rians’s life follows a predictable pattern, and she wouldn’t have it any other way. She’s got a nice job, a nice place to live, and a nice family – even if they are a little wedding-zilla-ish at the … wedding-zilla-ish at the moment.
She doesn’t need anything spectacular to be happy. She just needs to get healthy – mentally, physically. . . and maybe spiritually if that happens. But she’ll settle for two out of three until her sister finally gets hitched.
Carlos Davies thought his life was perfect. Little did he know it was about to be turned upside down by a woman who is not his type.
In Carlos’s mind, his life is damn near perfect. He’s got a great job, a great place to live, and a great stash of pick up lines that always work. It has occurred to him that maybe no one actually takes him all that seriously. But with these bulging biceps and thick, dark hair, does that even matter since he’s never sleeping alone?
Welcome to Weight Expectations, where great—and unexpected—things happen.
‘Weight Expectations’ is a full-length contemporary romantic comedy, can be read as a standalone, and is book #1 in the Cipher Office series, Knitting in the City World, Penny Reid Book Universe.
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Weight Expectations (Cipher Office #1) by M.E. Carter is a slow burn, contemporary, workplace romantic comedy told in first person, dual POV. It is book one in Smartypants Romance’s Cipher Office series and can be read as a complete standalone.
I loved this book and these characters! The heroine, Rian, is intelligent, witty, funny, charming, sarcastic, and obese. The hero, Carlos, is smart, handsome, and very fit. He’s also extremely shallow and egotistical (or so he seems). As we get to know him throughout the book we find that there’s more depth to Carlos than what he shows the world. He and Rian both have their own baggage to deal with, and I enjoyed seeing how they were able to come together and how well they fit as a couple when they initially seemed like such an unlikely match.
As a Penny Reid fan, I loved how the author included characters from the Knitting in the City series. The scenes that mentioned Quinn and Janie were so fun. This is the first book that I’ve read by M.E. Carter, and it definitely will not be my last. She had me laughing out loud in chapter one, but not only that – this book gave me all the feels! I rooted for Rian and Carlos through the ups and downs all the way to their happy ending. Funny, quirky, romantic, and sweet, Weight Expectations tells a beautiful story of love and personal acceptance. I highly recommend it!
Yes, yes, yes, yes YES!! This is my very first book from M.E. Carter and I absolutely LOVED IT! One of my favorite things about Weight Expectations was they way health and fitness was portrayed so realistically.
I adored Rian. She was sassy and witty and sharp. But she also had this vulnerability that made her so relatable and easy to root for. Especially as she started to take her life into her own hands. Her health, her job, her mindset, her relationships. If only her new boss would stop giving her mixed messages.
Carlos took me a minute to warm up to. He was friendly one moment, the next looking right through Rian. Except her wasn’t really. He was trying not to look too hard. For some reason he couldn’t get her out of his head.
I loved how these two balanced each other out. Nerves of steel to anxiousness. Confidence to shyness. Compassion to aloofness. And so much more. Carlos lifted her up when she needed it, and she brought him back down a few notches when it was warranted. Carlos and Rian’s opposites attract romance was so much more than learning to love someone else, it was learning to love yourself for all that you are and aren’t.
At the start of the book I had my doubts about the two main characters, but I kept reading, and eventually came to really like the story. Readers you need to be patient and get past the Hero’s superficial value system and all the negative self-talk, (especially about feeling overweight) by the Heroine. Additional red flag: there is also lots of bullying about her weight by her family. The supportive caring of friendships is also a factor in both their lives. Both Hero and Heroine experience a lot of emotional healing and by the end of the story their romance has lots of lovely, heartwarming moments. Looking forward to reading more in this series which is an offshoot of Knitting in the City locations and characters. Final Rating 4.5 stars
4 Smartypants Romance Stars
Weight Expectations by M.E. Carter, my first Smartypants book and my first book by this author. Rian Thompson’s always had issues with her weight. A push from her doctor to take her health seriously and of course her sister’s upcoming wedding she decides to join the gym and eat healthy.
“My eyes widen, both in disbelief and possible terror at what “stretching” might entail. I ate a bean burrito for lunch. Does he not understand the kind of danger “stretching” might put everyone in?”
Rian is so like-ably, She’s witty, funny, smart and very entertaining. She is one kick ass plus-sized heroine. Although I loved Rian and could relate to her in many ways, I disliked Carlos from the get go. Not only was he on love with himself, but some of the things out of his mouth made me want to cringe on the regular
”I don’t know what’s happening to me, but I don’t want the shallow surface-level relationship with you. I want you to know me. And I want to know you. And I don’t know what to do with those feelings.”
I sailed through this book, the writing flowed and kept me intrigued throughout. Something that I was finding hard to get at the moment.
I’ll be looking into more Smartypants Romances in the future.
http://realtastypages.com
Weight Expectations (Cipher Office Book 1)
Characters = 2/5
Plot = 3/5
Romance = 2/5
Mystery = 0/5
Action = 0/5
Darkness = 0/5
Humor = 1/5
Stars = 3
Plot was very boring. Too slow. I give the first half of the book 1 star and the second have 3 stars. You can literally start the book at chapter eighteen and understand what is going on.
Not a fan of the characters. Rian is an insecure procrastinating heroine and Carlos is an overly confident hero who is full of himself. I do believe Rian said that Carlos is pompous and arrogant. 100% correct. But maybe opposites attract…? The two started to become likeable towards the end.
Several spots made me giggle though.
Romance was almost zilch.
Ok, so I love/ hate this book. I really, really disliked the first 35% or so. The hero Carlos, is literally THE WORST. Here are some examples:
“She’s smart and witty and goal oriented. Not at all the kind of woman I want.” (Carlos’ words)
“And Marley, as charming as she was, is someone who needs a strong, self-assured man who thinks she’s dynamic and wants to partner with her to help her succeed.” (Also Carlos’ words, so self admitted to be not strong, nor self assured and doesn’t want to help anyone succeed.)
“Carlos Davies is pompous and arrogant, and not in a good romance novel kind of way. He is selfish and smarmy. I’m kind of surprised I’ve never seen him kiss his own biceps while staring in a mirror longingly at himself.” (Rian, the heroine’s words)
Rian is what prevented me from DNF-ing this book. I really felt like she deserved a happy ending and I wanted to see how the author was going to turn this douche canoe into something worthy of her.
Carlos was so self absorbed. At one point, he basically told Rian that he was God’s gift to women, was excellent at giving women pleasure and found it his purpose in life. *gag me* I literally almost stopped reading after this conversation.
Even though I liked Rian as a person, I also had issues with her. I’ve read plenty of books with heroine’s who are curvy or plus sized and the book is their journey of finding that self confidence. (Best example being Melt For You by J.T. Geissinger. IT’S AMAZING and EVERYTHING this book is not. )
I hold issue with Rian constantly calling herself obese. And that the author never actually told us what size she was. Since her sister is a “curvy size 12” after loosing a bunch of weight, I’m assuming Rian is somewhere around a size 16. Carlos, who is barley 6 feet tall, towers over her, so she must be 5’5″ish. I just really get the feeling that the author is a skinny minnie herself and never actually dealt with any of these self confidence issues because the way she wrote Rian was confusing and rather degrading. I have been plus size by entire adult life but never once called myself obese. I was a size 12 by the time I was 12, but I wasn’t fat or curvy in the way that the author was describing curvy. Obese is a word that is worse than the word fat. And it was used 10 or more times, by the heroine, to describe herself.
NOW, once I got to 63% (I checked), things started to turn around for me and I really enjoyed it from then til the end. Once Carlos got his giant ego out of his ass, he was wonderful. I really got into their budding romance and basically read in all my free time, straight to the end.
I was disappointed that there was no sexy scenes. The first time they have sex, the chapter ends before they start, though it’s implied what they’re gonna do, and then the next chapter is the next morning. It was disappointing. I felt like after waiting til 80% to get to them finally being intimate, and then not get to witness Rian be comfortable in her body while making love was disappointing. There is a moderately intimate scene in bed the next morning, but it’s not the same.
I don’t think I’d read anything again by this author. Not even in the Pennyverse.
I have mixed feelings about this book. I absolutely adore Penny Reid so I was excited to read something in her universe. It was very funny and I can 1000% relate to Rian and her hate for all exercise. Her size and age also made it easier to relate to her, I’m not in my 20’s anymore so it’s nice to see characters who are slightly older, I like to eat, and not salads. The dialogue was funny, where I struggled was conversations between Rian and Carlos felt like the same person talking to themselves. It was difficult on occasion to remember who was who. Overall, this is a funny book with light conflict and a main character that’s easily relatable.
KU. This was a 3.5, but the “cons” were big enough to keep me from rounding to 4.
Rian (pronounced like Ryan) is an almost 40yo woman who is morbidly obese and has been advised by her doctor to lose weight. She is also in her sister’s wedding in a few months and is being hounded by family to “get in shape”.
Carlos is in his early 40s and COO at a security firm. (Those familiar with Penny Reid’s Knitting in the City series, this is Quinn’s company. You don’t have to have read those books to read this, only Quinn has any “page time” and Janie is just mentioned.) Due to his divorced parents’ behavior & views on relationships ~ Carlos is determined to avoid them. He is also obsessed with working out and is at the gym daily.
Pros:
* A book about people in their 40s!
* While weight is talked about a lot, the author does a good job of explaining that weight is not always an indicator of health. That much of the mental anguish fat people experience is heaped on them by judgmental and poorly educated family, friends, coworkers, and strangers.
* Both characters grow a lot during the story. Carlos become downright capable at relationshipping for someone who has avoided it his whole life. Rian is super honest with what she needs to feel secure.
* I actually like seeing them together as a couple.
* Rian doesn’t have to be skinny/toned/achieve the perfect body for the HEA to happen or to attract Carlos.
Cons:
* The MC’s have ONE conversation during the entire first half of the book. It’s like 50% of the book was prologue. I don’t think that much “foundation” would have bothered me if there were more to the rest of the book.
* Part of the above. Carlos is self-centered, judgmental, and specifically, repeatedly hurtful toward Rian, for 60-70% of the book. Again, while he turns it around, we don’t get much time to enjoy that and it doesn’t feel like an solid HEA for either of them.
* We’re told repeatedly how funny Rian is. Yes, she has some quips here and there ~ but it doesn’t hold up to Carlos saying it over and over. She would have been funnier if the jokes/comments/interactions would have just been left to stand on their own.
These were huge for me and made the book feel incomplete. Overall I did like it and can see my self continuing with the series and checking out more by ME Carter.
I enjoyed this book. I loved the witty banter between Rian and her trainer Abel. I’m excited to read his story when it comes out. He is a great character. Carlos was someone who really didn’t know what a real relationship was like. He was satisfied with casual sexual encounters until he happened to meet Rian by chance. Rian was a bigger girl who decided to start working out and the gym and eating healthier. She had some insecurities about her appearance, but don’t we all. She wasn’t his normal type, but he soon realizes that she was the one he was waiting for all of his life. I feel like the two of them really balanced each other out quite well. He builds her up, and she reins in his ego. It’s Code Red at Cipher Security!
3.5 Stars
***********************
I have mixed emotions regarding this book. I had a lot of trouble connecting with Carlos – for most of the book, he came off as a giant a$$hole, even during the moments when he wasn’t trying to be. What makes his personality even worse? He wasn’t always fit and physically attractive, so one would think he would have been a bit more open minded and understanding…and maybe less focused on outward appearance as an indicator of who a person is. The outside package is not always a reflection of what is inside. He, himself, is a prime example of this. I found myself cringing through most of his POV.
I found Rian easier to connect with. Maybe it is because I, too, am overweight and have had similar thoughts and self-confidence issues. Her struggle to become fit in a world that tends to judge others based on body type is one that resonates with me. Personally, I think Rian could have done so much better than Carlos.
Something I did really like about this book is how Carter made sure to include how body type is not indicative of good or poor health. Even those who appear to be physically fit on the outside may be struggling with their own insecurities or health issues.
I enjoyed seeing some of our favorite characters again from the Knitting in the City series. And though this has not been my favorite in the Smartypants Romance world, I will certainly read the rest in the Cipher Office series!
This book wasn’t exactly what I expected. And I wasn’t for sure how I wanted to rate it at first either. So for many reasons I’m not going to give much away at all. I did enjoy this book and all the dynamics in it. And it was well written. And I definitely recommend it. But it is one of those books you just need to read and judge for yourself because I think there will be a lot of different takes on this book. But I really enjoyed reading it. By Tina
My Rating:
4.5
Favorite Quotes:
My eyes widen, both in disbelief and possible terror at what “stretching” might entail. I ate a bean burrito for lunch. Does he not understand the kind of danger “stretching” might put everyone in?
“They’re vultures around here,” she continues which does not make me feel better at all. “And once you get sucked in, you’re stuck for life.” I gasp and throw my hands over my mouth. “Ohmygod. I’ve stumbled into the Hotel California.”
I’ll leave the hacking into national security systems to him. I don’t look good in orange or jumpsuits. The combination of the two would be hideous.
Right on cue, the office essentially stops, every single woman in the room staring at him, jaws agape. Rian included… “Ladies.” He nods in greeting, his British accent ringing out for everyone to hear. Teresa, who just happens to be in the vicinity when the door opens, should be grateful she’s walking by a chair, because her legs literally give out and she collapses into said chair as she watches him walk away… I don’t have a thing for Teresa, but I still don’t appreciate her collapsing dramatically in the office. Quinn needs to stop recommending attractive employees. I have no room in the budget for smelling salts.
I just let them think what they want. I can see now that it’s been biting me in the ass behind my back.” “Well, behind your back is where your ass is located.”
Putting her hands on my chest, Rebecca uses that breathy voice that’s supposed to be sexy, but now it makes me wonder if she has some sort of lung dysfunction.
My Review:
Having struggled with every fad diet verses an unbridled love of food – ALL my life – I totally fell into this story with a plus-sized heroine. M.E. Carter nailed the complications, insecurities, discomforts, and frustrations of living within a curvy and amply proportioned body, and she did so with sparkling wit and cleverly insightful observations. I adored Rian; we could be fun and kickass friends. She was realistically and craftily penned; as were many of the rude reactions, unpleasant comments, and thoughtless behaviors others directed and displayed towards her due to her size, including those of family. M.E. Carter masterfully captured all that noise and still kept me grinning.
The storylines were original and entertaining while the writing was crisp, engaging, and laced with amusing visuals, clever snark, and smirk-worthy levity. The story was character-driven and developed slowly. While I had an instant liking for Rian, Carlos was a piece of work that required a lot more effort for me to fully appreciate, although that grew easier as he began to evolve from the shallow pool of ooze in which he started.
I am totally grooving on these Smartypants Romances.
I am so loving the Smarty Pants Romance collection!!! Rian and Carlos are sweet, funny, touching and oh so unexpected . What begins as a casual friendship soon takes a turn neither one saw coming. Carlos took me a bit to get used too but he grew on me. Rian is strong but also insecure . I enjoyed watching each one grow in their own right!
~~Michele McMullen ~~
One idea that I appreciate about the new releases from Smartypants Romance is the diversity of topics as well as the social issues/concerns that are not only alluded to but addressed in a way that allows for reader contemplation and discussion. And with Weight Expectations’ subject matter, readers will identify with the heroine and hope that the hero knows what’s important in a partner and is not simply attracted to surface level features.
Rian is a heroine who readers will connect with on a number of different levels; it was easy to relate to her struggles with weight, with self-worth, with the reasons she wants and maybe even needs things to change in her life, and I very much appreciated the way M.E. Carter crafted Rian’s personality and developed it over the course of the story.
I do have to admit that I struggled a bit with Carlos; it took me awhile to figure him out and to understand exactly how he viewed his life and what he truly wanted out of it. But once I wrapped my head around the kind of man he is and the fact that even though he may appear to have it all together with the way he carries himself, the flaws are there and are admitted to, at least on some level.
Like in the other stories I’ve read in the Pennyverse, the cameos by characters I’ve loved makes the story that much sweeter; these are characters I will never forget and would love catching up with them as much as possible, so the fact that readers get that throughout the new releases makes my love for all things Penny Reid even bigger.
3.5 Poison Apples
Really enjoyed this fun and sexy adventure filled with interesting charters, fun banter, emotional twists and thrilling turns….. was a really good read. Enjoyed this fun romance.
Falling in love without even realizing it… With somebody who isn’t your normal type… Would you go for it? Weight Expectations tells the charming story of Rian and Carlos, who try to fight the feelings they have for each other, until they have to give in. I love their story.
Rian and Carlos are both members of the same gym; Weight Expectations. But where Carlos is ‘addicted’ to perfecting and maintaining his impressive body, Rian is kind of forced by her doctor to get her body healthier. Rian and Carlos have a very different outlook on life; from the food they eat, to training and to the people they date. But what begins as an easy friendship, slowly changes into something much more. And Carlos and Rian can’t escape it…
Weight Expectations is told from a double POV, giving an insight in the thoughts of Rian and Carlos. We get to see the couple getting to know each other (duh, it’s a romantic story!), but also what has shaped their believes about love and themselves. Although it’s a simple story – man and woman meet but try to keep it just friendly – the storytelling of the author holds your attention. Weight Expectations is an addicting written story with realistic characters you have to love (but sometimes want to shout at).
Rian and Carlos; they are so different, but I love them for each other. Love doesn’t care about ‘your usual choice’, it just happens when it happens, and you can’t do a thing about it. I love Rian, she finally realizes she deserves everything, that she doesn’t have to settle. At first, I wasn’t so sure about Carlos (you vain, shallow man), but when he got his act together… He’s kind of perfect (for Rian). What I love most about this story is that Rian keeps being herself. Yes, she gets a lot healthier, but she doesn’t turn into a size 6. She’s still a big, pretty woman, but she’s confident in her own skin and doesn’t care what other people think.
I love Weight Expectations; I give the story of Rian and Carlos 5 stars.
Weight Expectations is the feel-good RomCom you’ve been waiting for! Fans of Pride and Prejudice will fall in love with this story, as it’s a great example of not judging someone by their looks or gossip. Such wonderful characters and growth for Rian and Carlos throughout the book. It made this such a highly enjoyable start to the series! I loved this story and can’t wait for more in the Cipher series!
“It’s about not loving myself enough because I’ve been too busy internalizing what people said around me.”
Who hasn’t felt this way? Regardless of your body type, social standing, age, gender, ethnicity, and so on, who hasn’t felt the weight of judgmental eyes or snide remarks at some point in their lives? I loved cheering Rian on as she grew in her self-confidence and stopped settling.
Rian and Carlos were such easy characters to love. Rian more so than Carlos at times, but these two compliment each other so well. To put it in the character’s own words, she pulls him off his high horse and he puts her on a pedestal.
This book was a fun waltz back into the world of Penny Reid’s Knitting in the City Series. I enjoyed getting to know Carlos and learning he may not be who he appears on the surface. It was also awesome to see how well Rian handled Quinn Sullivan and his freak-outs caused by Janie’s pregnancy.
This is my first ME Carter romance. I’m a huge fan of Penny Reid and all things in the Pennyverse, so I’m making my way through all of the SmartyPants Romance releases.
Being new to ME Carter, I can say that I did enjoy this book, but I’m not sure how it measures up relative to her other books. Rian is funny, witty and extremely relatable in my opinion. The chapters from Rian’s POV were amazing, and definitely a little better than the chapters in Carlos’ POV, but that could just be me because I am an overweight female myself, so reading BBW female leads always strike a chord.
The romance took quite a while to start in this book. It’s not an insta-love or even insta-like type book. Rian and Carlos sort of circle each other for a good portion of the book, so it’s a really slow start. Carlos is the kind of male lead that has to evolve to grow on you. He starts off seemingly shallow because he doubts his ability to have a real relationship, but he has self-respect issues that he is hiding. In the end, Rian and Carlos do help each other grow and their relationship blooms.
I think this is my first book by this author and I am pleased to say that I really enjoyed it! I really connected with the main character, Rian. Although throughout the book my brain wasn’t sure if I should pronounce her name like “Ryan” or “Ri-ann”. So much though about her made me think of my own life. The sister that is a marathon runner, the sister that will tell you how you should eat. Not to mention her smart-ass reactions to everything, that is so me! There was even a part where she said she wasn’t only “puffing” from exercising, but also just because she wanted to complain, I totally do that as well. Carlos started off though like a total ass. I mean so conceited and arrogant, that it took me a little to start to like him. But once he decided that he was into Rian, I got him a little better as he began to figure things out. Being part of the Knitting in the City world was also so awesome. I loved the Code Pink, and then the Code Red as well. Getting to be in a part of the timeline of the KITC series was so much fun with Janie being pregnant and Quinn being stressed about it. What really stood out for me too though, was how real the characters were, and even though it was about going to the gym and starting to work on losing weight or just getting healthy, we didn’t necessarily get a countdown to how much weight Rian was losing. The nickname “ketozilla” totally made me laugh. As someone who is putting her toe in the pool of keto dieting, I have to say that while I’ve been adamantly disgusted by the thought of cauliflower rice, this story made me think I might actually want to try it. If someone who knew how to make it was the one who made it, and they made it as good as it sounded. Now one thing that I didn’t get, why in the world was she shaving in the shower at the gym? I mean I get the taking a shower after exercising, but why in the world would you not shave BEFORE you go to the gym? Anyway, I really liked all the side characters as well. Even though I’m not planning to read the others in this series in the immediate future because of time constraints, I look forward to reading about all of them finding their HEA.