Fat Girl (Romance in Rehoboth)

The point is being healthy, happy, and above all, yourself. Not making yourself crazy trying to be someone else's idealized version of yourself." Can i just say Whoa. Not in a horrible sense no the complete opposite of that. Though the main character is in her late 30s i definitely could relate her even though I am in my early 20s. I also liked her humor and her self confidence and appreciated that it was a long journey for her to get there. I also appreciated that there was a message in between all the fluffy parts of the story but in my case was not fast paced enough to fly through in one sitting which is great for most people but if you want a quick beachy read its not this one. This one is powerful and a journey which is great :) so because of these points and overall feelings i give this book a 4 out of 5 stars really enjoyable and worth the ride thank you so much K.L Montgomery for writing this book and giving me the opportunity to read it on Kindle you guys should check it out if you can!!!

I have read and enjoyed KL Montgomery’s other work, “Green Castles”, as well as some of her romance fiction, and have found her novels easily relatable, engaging, and well developed throughout. Her characters feel like real people you may know. I was offered an advance copy of “Fat Girl” in exchange for a fair and honest review.I honestly didn’t believe that I was going to like this story upon learning of its premise. Maybe it was because Claire initially sounded a little too cynical to me. Maybe it was because I’m a whole generation older than Claire. Maybe it was because I can’t ever see me embracing the word “fat”. But maybe it was because I have always been THAT fat girl.Back in my youth, the label given that was most “kind” was “big boned”. That worked fine until I starved myself at college freshman year to get down to a size 9 and found that my bones are actually small and dainty and not “big” at all. Other than hating to go clothes shopping with my mom, my worse memory during my growing up years was being forced to participate in a weight loss group that required weekly meetings and weigh ins along with a requirement to consume liver at least once a week. Many unhappy hours spent at the dinner table on liver night trying to choke that down.While I didn’t have all of the struggles that Claire overcame in this story during her process of reinvention, I can well identify with all of them.I didn’t want to like this story. I felt that it was going to hit a little too close to home for me. Probably because of that reluctance it did take me a few chapters to become fully engaged in the story, and further, to become engaged with Claire. But then when I became involved in the storyline, I couldn’t put the book down, and finished the entire novel in less than 24 hours.That’s the kind of writer Ms. Montgomery is. She captures you into the story, and once caught, you are helpless to get away. I was disappointed when the story ended – not because anything was missing or because the ending wasn’t perfect – but because in reaching the end of the story, I had to say goodbye to the characters. I would have liked to visit with Claire again the very next day.Claire’s story has some predictable moments but even more unexpected surprises. I literally couldn’t turn the pages fast enough to see what would happen next. Ms. Montgomery has a unique talent as a storyteller who puts excellence in insuring her characters are fully fleshed out. It makes you feel like you could recognize these people if you met them on the street, like as old friends.I recommend “Fat Girl” to anyone who has gone through any struggle that made them doubt themselves in their self-worth, abilities, and their self-acceptance. Anyone who has ever felt “less than” definitely NEEDS to read this novel. This is a masterpiece novel that will make you both laugh and cry, and ultimately end up with a smile on your face.

While the lead character in this story has a name, she calls herself Fat Girl so much that I'm just going to go with that.Fat Girl goes out of her way to explain that she is a healthy fat girl, then decides to spend a year reinventing herself after her husband cheats on her and she moves back in with her parents. She's self employed, writing blogs and columns, which make up a significant portion of the book.A disproportionate, disappointing amount of the book fixates on her lifelong weight problems and resulting eating disorder. Another fixation is her online dating efforts, and openly mocking most of the people who contact her, while lamenting not finding anyone. Could be a link. The remainder of the book is her relationships with family, friends, and her rare decent dates.While the writing was ok, I really couldn't find reason to like the Fat Girl (not due to her size, but her attitude) and had difficulty forcing myself to go back and finish the book, hoping for some sort of redemption. (Semi-spoiler: it's there, but weak). While I enjoy some level of snark and dramatic revelations, this was too much of both.An example of the writing:"I certainly mean no disrespect to Fat People. We are all on the same team. That team just doesn’t meet at the gym. "

A very open and honest book about the struggles of Fat Girl.Bless her, her self-loathing really has climaxed. And she's faced with having to deal with her issues.But her therapy sessions go deeper and further than she expected.I really liked Claire; a very flawed MC.I'm British, so self-deprecation kinda goes with the territory, and I respected that aspect of her character.It is not an easy read. As Claire punishes herself with her strict starvation and harsh exercise regime I was screaming, and almost throwing my Kindle across the room! "What are you doing?" I asked her. Strangely, the character didn't respond ;-)Dating fiascos and family troubles run riot in this sombre yet funny novel.And it is funny. There's a wry humour running throughout.This is a great journey through self-discovery, taking the scenic road, bumpy hills included.

Where do I start with this book? It’s part romance, but a large part of it is about Claire’s life journey, as she approaches the pivotal age of 40.She examines her life: she’s facing divorce, living with her parents (temporarily), expanding her career, dipping her toe back into the dating pool, and examining her lifelong relationship/battle with food.I can only surmise that the author has a personal knowledge of this love/hate affair with food; either that or she has done meticulous research because it is. Spot. On. As a fellow Fat Girl, I identified with so much of what Claire had to say.So much of it struck a chord with me. This particular response from Claire’s Body Image coach, when telling Claire what she saw when she looked at her, brought me to tears:“I see a woman with curves and ample flesh, a mother, who has a softness and fullness to her, with comforting and nurturing arms and a sturdy lap. I see strong legs and feet that can bear a lot of weight or walk a long distance if needed. I see a goddess of fertility and motherhood and feminine empowerment. I see the embodiment of a serene wisdom and empathetic spirit that make you a blessing to all around you. I see a survivor, a woman who has battled inner demons, but who is taking back control over her mind and body and can be a shining example to others who are battling the same demons.”This book is so much more than I thought it would be. Just amazing. Inspiring. Humorous. Real. Brilliant.

This was such a surprise. I was intrigued by the title and initially downloaded a sample thinking it would be about losing weight and the journey the main character had to change but it was so much more. Although my weight has never varied in the same way that the main character Claire describes, her relationship with her mother and sister who are both slim was so familiar. The way she tackles the challenge of divorce and how to get back out into dating after so many years had me laughing so much. I say and read all the way through in one sitting. Great book, you'll love the descriptions of online dating.

The story is about Claire and her battles with her fluctuating weight and her inability to understand who she is. Parts of it are funny like when she describes her offers of a date when she tries online dating and parts feel quite sad when she discovers her husband's infidelity. She's a writer and lots of people follow her through her series in the paper and through her blog. Thought it was a lovely piece of writing.

The read is about a woman who can laugh at herself and bring that laughter to the reader while taking on issues that she has hidden within herself for half of her lifetime and finally ' come out' and open up, not only for her own mental well being, but showing others it's ok to do so. Feeling good about herself is the ultimate goal and she achieved it, finding her own personal happiness along the way. Well written and laugh out loud. Very good combination.