Book Review: Big Girl Panties

Author: Stephanie Evanovich

Publication Date: July 9, 2013
Publisher: William Morrow

They say that big girls don't cry. But when the chips are down and the dip is gone, what can you do? Pull up your BIG GIRL PANTIES and change your life.

Holly Brennan didn't expect to be a widow at thirty-two. She also didn't expect to be so big. Through her husband Bruce's diagnosis and death, food was the one thing she could always count on. Now, those extra pounds make flying coach more than a little mortifying-especially since she's sitting next to Adonis himself, aka Logan Montgomery, a personal trainer to the country's most famous pro athletes.

Though Holly doesn't make the grade on his first-impression meter, Logan finds himself intrigued by her sharp wit and keen insight-a welcome change from the beautiful bubble-headed dolls he usually dates-and impulsively offers to get her back in shape. Ready to make at least one positive change in her life, Holly agrees.

To Logan's (and her own) surprise, Holly turns out to be a natural in the gym. Throwing herself into exercise, the red head with the blazing wit and welcoming smile slims down into a bonafide looker with killer curves-and a new kind of hunger. Soon, the easy intimacy and playful banter of their training sessions lead Logan and Holly into the bedroom where they share their most intense and steamy workouts yet.

But can a man whose whole life depends on looks commit himself to a woman who doesn't fit his image? Now that Holly's turning other men's heads, does she even need Logan anymore? Are they a couple built to last . . . or is this sizzling affair going to burn out fast?

Logan didn’t want Holly to feel he was judging her, so he let her off the hook. “Keeping in shape is an everyday battle,” he said. He also knew the key to learning something about a person was to make them feel safe enough to open up. He wanted to make Holly comfortable, so maybe she’d stop all the jawing and cut to the truth.

 

“Watching somebody die is an everyday battle, too,” she mumbled, her round face scrunching up.

 

Logan came up with a lowball figure and Holly stopped frowning, seeming to consider his offer. It was an offer presented to her by an extremely attractive stranger with dark skin, even darker hair, and big chocolate eyes. Everyone likes chocolate, she thought to her own amusement.

 

“I just wrote a check to a personal trainer. I feel like I’m stepping off a cliff. That’s not a big enough for you?”

 

 



Holly Brennan doesn’t expect to board the plane and be stuck next to an incredibly hot, sexy piece of man named Logan Montgomery, nor does she expect him to be a personal trainer who then offers to help her shed the excess weight she has put on since the death of her husband. But guess what? That is exactly what happens! Holly has been widowed at quite a young age, only being thirty-two, she knows that she has got to find a way to get out to the “funk” that she is currently in. She is severely depressed and has put on quite a few pounds since her husband’s death. Logan sees the prime opportunity to help someone who could really use it, if for nothing more than his own personal gain and a boost to his good karma. He knows that he will not feel attracted to this women in anyway, as this sometimes does present a problem for him, but can he guarantee that he won’t be attracted to her after she has shed the weight and has restored her positive energy? Stay tuned to find out!

 

What I found most appealing about this story was the fact that Holly was better for Logan than Logan was for Holly. At first Logan came off as somewhat of a prick. He knew he was successful, attractive, and could have any woman that he wanted. He usually went for models or women that were out of any normal man’s reach. Holly changed all of that for him. Here comes this slightly overweight woman who is convinced that he will never have feelings for, but she has made him face feelings that no other woman has ever made him experience. I just love the fact that sometimes, even in everyday life, we fall for people that we don’t expect to fall for. Evanovich does a fantastic job of painting this cute, endearing love story between two people that you would never expect to see together!

 

I was very proud of Holly Brennan’s character for all the changes that she made in her life after her husband’s death. I am not used to reading about women that have lost their husbands so young, but I know that it does happen and depression is highly likely I am sure. Holly takes the opportunity presented before her, all women might not, and really jumps on the bandwagon to try and change her life. She starts to become a more positive person, and not to mention ten times healthier. At the start of the book we find Holly piled on her couch with a huge bag of potato chips and a 2 liter soft drink in her hand. Holly is a very inspirational character. There are quite a few tips for creating a healthy lifestyle in the novel, and I am not sure if they were intentional, but they fit well.

 

***A copy of this book was provided to me by the publishers at William Morrow in exchange for my honest review***