User Reviews
Rating: really liked it
4 STARS ★★★★✩ This book is for you if…
⤐ ... a little bit of stereotypes never killed nobody, if made use of tastefully
⤐ ... you need a sweet little intermezzo in your usual reading
⤐ ... do not require your romance novels to involve more than light petting (yes, I know. I wanted more, too)
⤐ ... you like your romantic relationships to be non-toxic and non-fatphobic
⤐ Additionally.Although Kelsie uses all the stereotypes I
hate eye-roll at, this book was incredibly cute. Read it in 3 sittings only interrupted by getting off the train and into my flat, and cooking dinner. It was incredibly sweet and empowering.
It also made me hyperaware of my own internalised fatphobia (thanks, family and friends, for making me feel like being chubby makes you undeserving of love) which came at a good time because one of these days I'd definitely like to start dating again.
⤐ What’s happening. ‘Just because the rest of the school acts like there’s a weight limit on hotness doesn’t mean they’re right. Or that you need to buy into it.’
spoiler alert : Honestly, sometimes you are your own biggest enemy.
_____________________
4 STARS. Would stay up beyond my typical hours to finish it. I found some minor details I didn't like, agree with or lacked in some kind but overall, this was enjoyable and extraordinary.
Rating: really liked it
buddy read with the wonderful Buddy Reads group and my dearest Karen!
ahh i've finished! i read this all in one night, it was so addictive and such fun!!
i really enjoyed this, it was super cute and i loved the messages about fatphobia and accepting yourself. i did think that Beckett and Rory's relationship was a bit rushed at the start, but i loved the way it developed and progressed later on, and i loved the way they both developed as people!
and the friends... the curvy girls club or whatever they called themselves... so cute!! i loved their relationship and their bond, and they were all such sweethearts.
i also really liked how Rory's relationship with her mum developed over time, i found that really realistic and touching. and her brother was simply the best! i loved him.
all in all, i really enjoyed this, so thank you, Karen dearest, for making me read it!
Rating: really liked it
Curvy Girls Can't Date Quaterbacks is OK read. Maybe because it is YA romance, so I got bored a bit in the middle. Miss Stelting putting good moral messages but lack of drama to keep the story interesting.
What I do not like is how immature the characters were. The secondary characters do not support the plot significantly.
Overall this is OK read. Not too exciting nor too bad either.
3 stars
Rating: really liked it
16-year-old me could've used a book like Curvy Girls Can't Date Quarterbacks. It's not squeaky clean (there are a few mild curse words and a makeout session that gets pretty heated), but the message is one that curvy girls need to hear: your worth is not defined by your size.
Rory is a plus size senior who has been bullied because of her weight. She finally snaps and makes a bet with the resident "mean girl": she can get Beckett, the quarterback and most attractive guy in school, to fall for her and take her to Homecoming.
The progression of the story is fairly predictable, but I enjoyed it because I liked both Rory and Beckett so much. Also, I appreciated the focus on PCOS, the medical culprit behind Rory's weight. As a PCOS-er myself, I know how it can wreak havoc on your body!
I really enjoyed reading this book, and I look forward to more in the series!
Rating: really liked it
Get it here:
Amazon US * Amazon UK
If you know me then you know that I do not read YA romances. I'll do a mature YA and fantasy but an actual, pure YA romance? Not for me. So no one was more surprised than I was when I saw some reviews for this book and they had me interested enough to give it a try. And I'm really happy I did because this story was so cute and I actually really enjoyed it. Did it have a lot of the things about YA romances that I normally don't like? Yes. But it was also a story that kept me intrigued enough to keep reading and I even went on to the next in the series right after this one. So I'm glad that I stepped out of my comfort zone and gave this a try. Will definitely be on the look out for all the Curvy Girls stories.
Rating: really liked it
I borrowed this on KU but DNF'd on the first page. Why does her mother, who is a health teacher, not know that teenagers don't get regular periods? Why would she automatically assume because her daughter didn't want BC and didn't have a regular period it was because of pregnancy? Especially when you're kid is saying "I haven't even had sex" ffs.
Sorry, but I have no need for someone so absolutely idiotic that she clearly doesn't understand teenage, female biology. And who would allow her in a school to teach their kids? Not to mention that makes her a pretty horrible mother for not believing her kid and not rushing her to an actual expert to have it looked at before assuming pregnancy. FYI: it's clear it's either endometriosis or PCOS, but sure, let's go with idiotic, "health teacher" mother for $500 Alex.
Rating: really liked it
This book truly hit home for me because I was overweight, had PCOS and endometriosis. My mom was always on me about my eating habits. She made me eat grape fruit, salad, and lots of cabbage soup when I was preteen and up. My mother knew best and was just trying to help even though it was hurting me more. This book is all about self esteem, weight and friendship. I fell in love with all the characters and cannot wait more of the Curvy girl club.
Read this story today and fall in love with Rory and Beckett.
Rating: really liked it
I was hooked at the very first sentence! I positively loved this book! It was so inspirational, and I wish I had read it when I was in middle school or high school. The book has such a positive message for young people who feel as if they aren't good enough or don't fit in. I loved the characters and I can't wait to read the rest of the series. I'm recommending it to everyone I know!
Rating: really liked it
Re-read (March 2021) in the Buddy Reads Group with my lovely Darcey, thanks Girl!
We. Are. Priceless. This was a beautiful story that I didn’t know I needed. By the time I finished the story, read the bonus short story of Beckett’s POV, and then read the author’s note and acknowledgment at the end of the story, I had a few tears.
This story spoke loud and clear to my lonely heart, coming from a girl who also feels subconscious about her body, about what other people, friends and strangers (especially guys) think of her, I knew exactly the thoughts that Rory felt every time she was thrown into an awkward situation.
But to see a 17 year old girl with such passion and determination, makes me wish I had read this book back when I was in high school. But like Rory, we can’t change the mistakes, especially the mistakes we make, but what matters is how we mix these mistakes and look at the future ahead of us, and I am so glad I got to see this journey with Rory and her Curvy Girls Club.
You can bet all your money that I will be reading this whole series and watching how the whole gang falls in love with the man of their dreams and watch how they overcome the problems and obstacles that will be thrown their way.
If you are a curvy girl like the gang, like me, we are worth it, we are worth fighting for because God created us beautiful and strong. We were made to be cherished and loved.
We. Are. Priceless.
Rating: really liked it
A few things to note:
1) Is there anything more right than a middle-aged woman reading a clean high school romance intended for a much younger audience? I felt like a creepy voyeur reading about these adorable kids, but this book does a truly amazing job of being funny, sweet, and accessible for all ages (or at least a good spread of age 14 through delusional middle-aged women)
2) BBW romance within a HS setting
3) This adorable book should be made into a movie
As to the plot, a curvy, witty, book-smart heroine falls for the school’s hot, sweet QB hero. Anyone that reads my reviews knows my angst-addiction to OW trope, and this one has the blonde head cheerleader mean girl (ex gf of H). OW bets h that she can’t land a good-looking man since h is overweight, so h enlists a crew of curvy classmates to secure her man, the H that she has had a crush on for years. Mm, mmm – delish!
It is a shame that the author couldn’t write an R-rated version of this book, would have loved to read beyond some hot make-out scenes. Nevertheless, I don’t normally read squeaky clean books, but this one was a joy to read – funny, sweet, and entertaining. Are there one too many diatribes about loving yourself despite the numbers on the scale? Sure. But considering the target audience of this book, that didn’t bother me at all. And the tension between the h and her mom, a health teacher who lives as she preaches, felt very authentic. The H may have been a bit too perfect, would have loved a bit more character development on him (eg how does such a nice, kind, artsy football player date such a witch of the OW to begin with?) but again, not missing enough to detract from the fun of this book. And H is very devoted to the h, so for those who shy away from OW drama it is a safe read! The equivalent of a box of PG-13 chocolates with no calorie cost!
Rating: really liked it
I wanted to go out in public and not feel like people were judging me for my size, but seeing me as a whole person.
“I like creating something that lasts.”
Now on the screen, Carson shook his head. “What’s with you girls and feeling like you have to be perfect to go out in public?” he asked. “It’s not like it’s a sale barn and they weigh you before you can go in! Just because the rest of the school acts like there's a weight limit on hotness doesn’t mean they’re right. Or that you need to buy into it.”
“Some moments are too perfect for photos. They have to be lived.”
This book was amazing. Most of the books that I read have the female main characters being skinning and thin. It was really refreshing to read about a curvy female main character since I’m a curvy girl and I have always dealt with weight issues. I thought that Kelsie Stelting did an incredible job describing the struggle of being a young and overweight woman, and covering the topic of PCOS. I love Zara, Callie, Ginger, and Jordan, however I felt like they dissed Rory when things started to hit the fan. They didn’t give Rory a chance at all. I love Beckett. He was caring, smart, and kind. I also love Carter. I’m hoping that he will be Callie’s (mostly like) story. I can’t wait to read about Zara, Callie, Ginger, and Jordan’s stories. 4.75 stars!
Rating: really liked it
this was cute and i appreciated the discussions about pcos. however, it was super frustrating that all the issues the protagonist was struggling with wrapped up way too quickly, with much of the resolution taking place off the page.
Rating: really liked it
Stars: 3.5 (rounded up)
Length: Full Length
POV: Single (Heroine)
Series: The Curvy Girl Club Book 1 (stand alone but connected)
Ending: HFN
Re-read? No
I had a genuinely hard time rating this book. I think that it was written really well and was cute but it wasn't for me. I don't want to hold that against it so I rounded up my rating to four stars. I went into this book knowing that I might not enjoy it because it was a YA romance but I liked the idea so I decided to give it a read.
If you like sweet, YA romance then you will probably love this. Again, it just wasn't for me. They did waaay too much inner dialogue about her body issues that just felt reputative but maybe younger girls need that. Also, in the beginning, the guy she wants to date is just so flat. The single POV and the fact that she just wanted to date him because he was cute really didn't give any chance to show off his personality. That does change later in the book but I almost gave up at 25% because I just didn't care about him at all.
Bottom line, not great if you're not a huge fan of YA but I can see that if you enjoy it, you will probably like this book. The friendships she develops are absolutely my favorite part.
Rating: really liked it
This is like a shallower, less realistic version of Dumplin' which every fat kid should read. I've been part of fat liberation groups for +20 years now (thanks Marilyn Wann's groundbreaking and accessible Fat!So?) so I know mom's like this exist. I also have personally witnessed fat bias and shaming by medical professionals. But the idea that an employed health teacher doesn't understand that emotionally abusing her child is worse than being fat is fucked. Also, I get that calling oneself curvy is a choice and often a first step on accepting one's fat body, but also just call it what it is. I also disliked how incredibly rich and privileged these kids were with almost no internal interrogation. There were no POC, just a girl from another culture and even that felt a bit shallow.
Rating: really liked it
I don’t even know how I found this book but I am glad I did. I just finished a seriously heavy fantasy book and needed something a little lighter to listen to.
Now though I enjoyed this book and felt a lot of the same things Rory felt being as I too was a curvy girl in high school. This book does hit close to home and brings up emotions I didn’t think still bothered me but they do.
The mother in this book wasn’t my favorite she was very all about health of the body but not of the mind and as she is a health teacher I thought she would have had a mind to that.
The brother was amazing I loved him!
Overall I enjoyed the book and wish there were more in the series on Audible I would snag them right up. As it is I have book 2 read to go.
I also very much liked the narrator.
