~Sweet Memories~

by LaVyrle Spencer

      Heroine: Real-sized, but immensely and uncomfortably endowed

    This story follows the relationship of Theresa Brubaker: a 25 year old music teacher who still lives at home with her parents because she's painfully uncomfortable with her freckled skin, stoplight-red hair, and enormous breasts; and Brian Scanlon: a handsome and kind 23 year old Air force officer who joins the Brubakers for the holidays and tries to prove to Theresa that he is interested in more than the contents of  her blouse. 

      What worked for me:

      Brian is just the sweetest, most patient guy who is very mature despite his young years.   He's definitely someone I'd want to meet if I were still in the market.

     And I can certainly relate to some of Theresa's hang-ups where her breasts are concerned.

What didn't work for me:

     This book was written in 1984, so the references to the latest hits by Air Supply and Journey made me laugh a bit.  (Took me back to Junior High, too!)  The writing style and pacing of novels has clearly changed in the last 17 years.  I think had this story been written now the author and her editor would have moved things along by snipping out certain sugary, hollow-feeling "let's-fill-the-pages" scenes.

     Also, I have a bit of a beef with the size of Theresa's bosom.  She's described as being a dainty size 9 with gargantuan volleyball-sized 34DD breasts.  Now granted the current craze for breast augmentation wasn't prevalent in 1984 so I suppose DD would have turned heads the way HH or more does now.  BUT, regardless of that fact I can speak with absolute authority when I say 34DDs are not volleyball-sized but more in the realm of softballs. (Perhaps Ms. Spencer originally labeled them as HH but her editor down-sized them?) 

      While I think Theresa's feelings about, as well as the male reaction to, her breasts was overdone there was still some truth to the emotional feelings of awkwardness associated with being large-breasted as well as physical troubles like back and shoulder pain.  I've personally experienced some the same situations as Theresa including being groped in the halls of my high school.  And I can really relate to the emotional discomfort of knowing that softball-sized doesn't necessarily mean softball-shaped. (I can't relate to getting breast reduction surgery, though.)

Overall:

     Despite being slow in spots and overly sweet in others this was still a pleasant read and anyone who makes it to the end of the book will be rewarded with a tender and sensuous love scene when Theresa finally allows Brian to be with her.

If you liked "Sweet Memories" you might also enjoy "Love at Large", "The Course of True Love", "More to Love", "His E-mail Order Wife", "His Seductive Revenge", "Carried Away", "Dear Cupid", or "Looking for Laura" .

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