Review: Dangerous Curves Ahead by Sugar Jamison

This is the first book in the Perfect Fit series by Sugar Jamison.  I received the book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.  I am the first to admit that I do judge a book, at least initially, by its cover. Unless it is an author I know, I am more likely to look at the cover than the genre when browsing for a book. This one intrigued me with a plus sized heroine on the the front, an almost unheard of scenario. Combined with a title like Dangerous Curves, I was quickly clicking on it and reading the blurb.

The books opens with Ellison, or Ellis as she is typically called, standing in line at the Hot Lava Java just wanting to get a black and white cookie.  But instead she gets accosted by her mother's long time friend who also happens to be the aunt of her ex-boyfriend Jack.  Mrs. Agatha Toonmey runs a weight-loss clinic, is rail thin and basically tells Ellis that she needs to lose weight to win back her nephew. Ellis starts out trying to sidetrack her with humor, but when Mrs. Toomey tells Ellis that if the women who read her blog would put down the junk food and do some exercises, they could lose weight and that Ellis was just contributing to the problem by selling them clothes that fit.  The entire conversation, Ellis has been amusing someone in line behind, if his snorts and laughter are anything to go by.  At this comment though, just when Ellis is just about to rip Mrs. Toomey apart, he jumps to her defense and tells Mrs. Toomey off and then flirts with Ellis. When Ellis turns around, she is shocked to see an old crush who once upon a time dated her older and much slimmer sister Dina. The best part is that Michael doesn't recognize Ellis. The more he flirts and tries to figure out who she is, the more snarky and sarcastic Ellis gets. Mike wonders what it says about him that he likes her mouthy ways while Ellis is just determined to keep him at a distance.

This was a wonderful book.  Ellis and Mike make a great couple, when they finally become one.  I really liked that Ellis was trying to really own her own body and be happy in it while Mike was happy with it just the way it was. Of course there were obstacles and roadblocks and the occasional misunderstanding on the way to their HEA.  But overall, Ellis and Mike talked them out as they came. Communication was a very important theme in this book.  We saw a lot more of Ellis' family than we did Mike's, but both had their share of issues, as any real family does.  I fell in love with Ellis's dad Walter and though I wouldn't trade my dad for him, it would be a close call.  As far as I am concerned, Walter stole every scene he was in.

If you have been following my reviews, you know by now, I don't normally like books that I am going to cry in.  And I cried a lot. A LOT. They weren't all sad tears though. There were happy tears, frustrated tears and even I just can't handle this much emotion tears. By the time I finished the book, I felt wrung out and wasted - taken from one end of the emotional spectrum to the other. So much more than I was expecting from a romance novel with a cartoon-ish cover. Will I read the next book in the series? Damn straight.  This is a world full of characters that I can't wait to find out more about. I am going with 5 stars on Goodreads.

Ellis Garrett is dumping her critical boyfriend, opening a plus-size clothing store, and starting a blog—all to spread the word that fashion shouldn’t require a size-two body, and happiness should allow for the occasional cupcake. Or two. But is indulging fantasies about her sister’s long-ago ex, the still-hunky Michael Edwards, biting off more than she can chew?

Mike must be losing his detective’s touch. He doesn’t recognize Ellis when he bumps into her at Size Me Up, and he certainly doesn’t remember his ex-girlfriend’s outspoken sister being so irresistible. Her curves are indeed dangerous—and so is her wit. Could it be that Ellis is his Perfect Fit? One thing’s for sure: Mike will make it his sworn duty to find out…

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