Jump to Author List

A B C D
E F G H
I J K L
M N O P
Q R S T
U V W X
  Y Z  
 

Genre notes:

B Biography
C Contemporary
E Erotica
F Futuristic/Fantasy
G/F General Fiction
H Historical
I Inspirational
M Medieval
My Mystery
N/F Non-Fiction
P Paranormal
R Regency
T Time-Travel
W Western
Y/A Young Adult
e also an e-book 
   
Reading Lists
Genres not shown above
   

Can't access the review pages?

 

Then read the reviews at Amazon.com!

   
   

Does your manuscript need an overhaul? Click here for an evaluation.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

~The Bridesmaid's Reward~

by Liz Fielding

Synopsis   Jen's opinion   Opinion #2   Rec'd reads   Buy this book

      Heroine:  pleasingly plump/voluptuous

    Textile artist Dodie Layton is under orders from her mother to drop 2 dress sizes in six weeks, or risk losing the chance of being Maid of Honor at her sister's celebrity-studded wedding.  Desperate for a workable weight-loss scheme, Dodie will do anything to metamorphose from a dumpy dowd into a voluptuous vixen.  Even if it means living on nothing but her mother's cabbage soup, she'll do whatever it takes for her philandering ex to see her looking devastatingly gorgeous on the arm of sexy actor and best man Charles Grey in the celebrity magazine photos of the wedding. 

    Realizing she can't pull this miracle off on her own, Dodie makes a panic-stricken call to her best friend Gina, a gym manager, and begs her to whip her into shape.  The two cut a deal: artwork for the spa's reception area in exchange for a healthier body in a hurry.

     Pro-rugby-player-turned CEO Brad Morgan is always hungry for a challenge, whether it's developing a new sports and leisure center or just pushing his injured body to maintain its professional level of fitness.  Deciding to check up on his latest and most expensive project, Lake Spa, he's prepared to finally take a well-deserved working vacation.  But while there, Brad crosses paths with a frumpy artist-type who has a rush need for a personal trainer.  When the health club worker assigned to her falls ill, he jumps at the chance to take on the job. 

     Brad is supposed to be whittling Dodie down in time for the big day, but he finds he likes her generous curves, her softness.  He's drawn to them, to her dimpled smile, and her deep dark eyes.  Theirs is supposed to be a short-term business relationship, yet he wants so much more.  How can Brad make Dodie believe that he wants her as she is, when she doesn't even know the truth about who he is?

What worked for me:

     I really appreciated the quiet humor throughout the story, and found that Dodie and Brad were very likeable people with a terrific chemistry between them. I hated to leave them at the end of the book.

       Size-wise Dodie was a bit plump and thought she needed to lose some weight, but all she truly needed was to bolster her self-esteem and gain some self-respect.  (In the end, she toned up some, but she didn't drop the dress sizes like she'd originally planned.)

What didn't work for me:

     We didn't see much of them, but the mum and the ex-boyfriend were easy to hate.  I know it's a petty wish on my part, but I would have loved to have had more time dedicated to Dodie's newfound happiness being rubbed in their faces!

Overall:

     This charming, well-written story was as delicious as the chocolate Dodie craved!  Anyone who delights in contemporary romances with a British flavor should enjoy this one.

~Another Opinion~

from guest reviewer Danielle Hill

What worked for me:

 

     The thing I really liked about this book was that Brad was focused not on Dodie losing weight but having a healthier lifestyle, regaining her self-esteem, and breaking free from the bondage of comfort eating when she really should have been dealing with her emotions. He tells her right out that she doesn’t need to change her body at all.

      I also like the fact that Dodie is very down to earth and realistic. Depending on the point of view, Dodie is described as short and plump, or pretty in a Rubenesque fashion.

  

What didn't work for me:    

 

     Hopefully readers won’t take this book as a wholesale portrayal of overweight women. Not all of us are binge-comfort eaters who never exercise. This is just one woman’s story.
 

Overall:

 

     The Bridesmaid’s Reward was an enjoyable read, if rather short, that shows that loving yourself is more important than how well you fit into a dress, and for that I really enjoyed it.

If you liked "The Bridesmaid's Reward" you might also enjoy "Love at Large", "Coffee and Kung Fu", "The Independent Bride", "The Librarian's Passionate Knight", "Suite Seduction", "The Course of True Love", "Born to be Wild", "More to Love""Runaway Bay", "Blushing Pink", "His Seductive Revenge", "Carried Away", "His E-mail Order Wife", "Dear Cupid", "Plum Girl", "Spellbound", "It Had to be You", or  "This Heart of Mine".

Have you read this book and have a comment to make on it? Join a discussion about the book at the Dangerous Curves forum or submit a review to this website

 

Good-bye, Mom.

I love you and will miss you forever.

 

Have the new reviews

delivered to you in the

monthly newsletter. Click here for sample.

 

Support this site! 

Buy your books through these DCN Associates:

Search:
Keywords:
In Association
with Amazon.com
eBay

Free Shipping

 

 

Women's Top 100 Sites

 

 

Int'l Woman

 

 

Top 100 Women