The Curvy Girls Club: The hilarious romcom about best friends and muffin tops (Confidence is the New Black Book 1)

Being a somewhat curvy girl myself, I enjoy reading books about women who shockingly manage to live happily and fully even though they are *gasp* overweight. (I know, right? Like that ever happens in "real life"? //eyeroll) While I really loved the premise of this book (group of fluffy girls meet at a weight loss support group, forge friendships over time, decide to learn to love themselves as they are with or without weight loss, form a fun group for fatties that has nothing to do with weight loss and is focused on having fun at any size) (and I use the word "fatties" with nothing but love and respect, before anyone climbs on the PC train and decides to bash me... that's how my chunky girlfriends and I refer to ourselves affectionately) I was disappointed that the heroine had to lose weight during the course of the book to feel normal. I get that there was a point to that... that she was being somewhat hypocritical in starting a group for overweight people and then dropped 40 lbs due to circumstances beyond her control and *SPOILER ALERT* boffed the man of her dreams.I also didn't really care for the other main characters. They were not particularly likeable; Pixie, in particular, was hard to give two craps about because her personality was so abrasive and combative. In general, the only characters that were relatable were Rob and the main character, whose name I can't for the life of me remember right this second. (ACK!!!)It was a fun and easy book to read and there were some really excellent points made regarding the feelings and emotions of overweight people. (However, 30 and 40 lbs overweight isn't exactly heifer-status, contrary to how the book makes it seem. Since when can't a woman carrying 40 extra pounds fit comfortably into an airplane or theater seat? Give me a break. Considering the difference in sizes between men and woman, it would imply that any slightly above average sized male would never be able to fly or watch a movie.)Not sure that I will read other books by this author, however, if she wrote a sequel I might read it, just to see how things turned out for Katie (Katie!! That's the main character's name! Woot!) because she was sympathetic enough to care about. And I also found the character of Rob very likeable.Would I recommend this book?Meh... probably not.

I got this book because it was a free promotion- I make no apologies. Also, I waited a long time to read it. And once I started it, I was kind of wishy-washy about finishing it (I can normally read a book this length in a few hours of effort- it took me a few days). The writing is intriguing and definitely good. I like the way the story flows. And the premise is a joy to someone who feels the stigma of being "curvy" in a world that is not so friendly to those above a size fourteen.It was some of the characterizations that I had issue with. Personally, I despised the character of Pixie. I'm sorry. If I was in a group of 'friends' and one of them was as harsh, abrasive, and obnoxious as Pixie, I would make excuses not to be near her. It didn't feel credible to me that Katie (the narrator) would constantly want to subject herself to someone who was so mean and self-centered all the time. What person wants to be in the company of someone who is so noisily prejudiced? I did kind of enjoy the way the author wrote Pixie out of the picture at the end.I liked the character of Jane. She reminds me of myself. Not the husband-and-kids-and-a-job-in-front-of-a-camera parts (I'm mildly allergic to camera lenses, you see). But I have a particular addiction to fad diets, and yes, there are even some diet pills I've taken. Not to the point of tachycardia, but some. I can relate to those feelings.And really, when it comes to Katie, even though I desperately wanted her and Rob to end up together since he first appeared, I also understand her desire for the attention of a person she considered beautiful. Having been overweight a good portion of my life, I understand the desire to be desired by someone regarded by the non-overweight as a 'beautiful person.'In all, I truly enjoyed the book and wish my review could do it greater justice.

This isn't a romcom, not really. It's more of a drama about learning to love yourself with the smallest dash of romance and about the same amount of comedy.It's not a bad book, but it's marketed completely wrong. If I'd intended to read a book about people struggling with self image and their journey, this is an incredible book. It is not however a romcom.

I loved this book. It is all about being pulled in many directions. Every weight challenged person has wondered what it was to be thin. every too thin person has wondered what it was like to have enough healthy weight. We all want to tweak our bodies (shorter, taller, complexion problems, curly hair, straight hair, etc, etc) in hopes that it will solve all the things we create to keep us from being happy. What IF, we were to accept ourselves just as we are and discover that happiness comes from within.These complex women (and men) take that challenge. They find a purpose in helping others accept themselves as well. However, other personality traits emerge that make for a rough journey. Friendships are tested. Women discover talents in themselves that have long been hidden. Some find the courage to change their lives.When Katie loses weight, it because of disease not desire. She has the opportunity to learn that it is not "thin" that makes her normal, it is her relationship with herself and with the others in the group. It is letting go of old patterns of thought and speech and behavior to embrace, totally, whoever she is at any given moment. Everyone else in the group has an opportunity to discover the same.I loved this book. I have recommended it to many of my friends.

The Curvy Girls Club is formed when friends Katie, Ellie, Pixie and Jane are fed up with slimming clubs and diets that don't work and just want to socialise together and not have to worry about their size. So they start doing more together and focusing on places where it doesn't matter that you are a plus size.Before long it soon becomes apparent that there are lots of like minded people and their outings kept growing in size and it soon becomes a business, with the four friends on the board of directors.However behind the scenes things are not going as great, as each of the friends, have their own problems to contend with.The book focuses mainly on Katie, as its from her point of view, and she is torn between two men, and is the initial driving force behind the club. From Katie we learn about the backgrounds of the other girls, including partly why they have become overweight.The main themes of The Curvy Girls Club are that you should love your body no matter its size, and to comfortable within your own skin. These are issues that everyone should be able to identify with, as they probably affect someone you know if not yourself.There are some absolutely brilliant outings the girls organise for the club, including dining in the dark, where it really doesn't matter what someone looks like, as if you all can't see it is a completely level playing field.There are issues of discrimination touched upon, but not in they way they would expect.This is an inspiring group of ladies who are determined to not let anything get in their ways. This is not a book about dieting and specifically trying to get thin, although all sorts of fad diets are mentioned, those are not the point of the book.I loved this entertaining and refreshing read.

There's only one thing stopping me from giving this book 5 stars - and that's the fact that, by the end of the book, I really didn't like one of the characters.I love Katie, the main protaganist, and the journey she takes the reader on throughout the story. Anyone who's ever been to a slimming class of some description (fat class, as we affectionately called it in our household), will relate to both the characters and the situations in this book. There were some laugh-out-loud funny moments as well as a more serious look at some of the potentially dangerous consequences when you allow your weight to become the only thing that's important to you and are willing to try anything to 'fix' it.What I loved about this book - the loveable characters, the believable situations, the humour and the drama, and, most of all, the friendships between most of the founders of the Curvy Girls Club.What I didn't like about this book - one of the characters I'd loved in the beginning. I won't be go into details as it's a bit spoilerly but one of the characters isn't very likeable, in my opinion, by the books closing pages. I understand there were things going on for that character that may explain some of the things she says/does but, having taken to her in the early stages, I didn't like the person she'd become. Yes, it's probably more realistic to have her change and develop in this way, but it took away a little from my enjoyment of the rest of the book, which up until this point I'd enjoyed as a light-hearted, holiday read.Still, I've recommended it to a few friends - most notably those who used to attend 'fat class' with me - and will definitely be looking into Michele Gorman's other novels.

Katie and her less than happy curvy friends meet weekly at 'Slimming Zone' but no matter what they try the pounds are not shifting and they are becoming more and more miserable. Until it is decided that they will leave the weigh-ins behind to meet weekly to do something fun instead like going to the theatre, out for meals and even as the 'Curvy Girls Club' expands 'Speed Dating' (which I would really have loved to read more about).However things change as Katie becomes ill and the pounds suddenly start to drop off, Jane gets herself into trouble with online slimming fads, Ellie is having trust issues and Pixie is wearing fluffy onsie's to dampen the unwanted advances of her husband. To find out more you really should pick up a copy a little light-hearted read.

This is a moving story of some very curvy girls who become friends through a slimming club. It tells their story as they tackle life with all it's prejudice's against the larger figure and their struggle to see themselves as beautiful whatever their size. It is a fun, yet poignant book, and I loved it from start to finish. Michele has written it with such warmth and understanding, and made it both fun and thought provoking in equal measures. So many woman can associate with the struggles these friends encounter, and for those slimmer readers, it may make them realise what the curvier lady goes through. Both inspirational and fab chick lit in equal quantities.

Charming and thought provoking beautiful,funny,sad,heart warming story. I adored this book and will re read it as I loved the characters and the plot and just the whole concept of the story. All the main characters were interesting and as their own lives unfolded in the book I was hooked and wanted to find out how everything pans out for them all. I love a good old baddy in a story and love to see fate deal them what they deserve. I wanted to be in their club and just think the whole idea is brilliant. I would give this story a million stars if I could. I recommend this story to any woman whatever size and shape she is to read this as under the skin we are all the same.😄😄