Love at Large [Paperback]

Anthology: Elizabeth Angus, Judy Bagshaw, Jennifer Harrington, Nancy Trausch, and Eileen Wilson

A guest review by Jenn Bennett

Heroines: varied

Six generously proportioned ladies find love when they least expect it.

In one story we meet a woman who is buying herself a tattoo for her 30th birthday and winds up gaining more than just the body art. In another we find a gal at the beginning of a new adventure in her life when she moves to an island paradise near Lake Michigan. Let's just say the pilot of her flight plays a key role in her future. Still another interesting tale involves two people who meet in their apartment building laundry room of all places. (I've always heard doing laundry is a great way to meet men, now that idea is truly validated for me.) As the collection continues more romance blossoms between an artist and an admirer not just after her art, and sparks are rekindled between two old friends. The final fable in the book about an office costume party is a delightful surprise because it is a collaboration by all of the authors.

What worked for me:

This anthology was truly a great read. I enjoyed the stories, some more than others, but all were intriguing and inventive.

I loved the fact that the women were strong and independent. When the men came into their lives, it enhanced them but none of the ladies were desperate to meet a man. Moreover, these women were comfortable with themselves and felt worthy of love. That was especially important since most of the women had had previously serious relationships. I felt that the book sent the message that women should be happy with or without a man and when you find love it just enriches what is hopefully an already good and happy life.

Size-wise the women are comfortable in their own skin. The fact that they are fuller figured is a focus point of the book, but not that big of a deal to the women themselves. I, however, was pleased that the women varied in size and shape. All of them were plus-sized but there was diversity within their voluptuousness.

What didn't work for me:

I wanted more. More stories and I wanted to learn more about all of the leading ladies. I thought that many of the tales could certainly be turned into full-length romance novels. Because of the abbreviated length, the love scenes were not as steamy as I like them to be, but nevertheless they were eloquently written and well thought out.

Overall:

"Love at Large" is a must-read. There is something for everyone in this anthology. Each author is talented and brings to us a heart-warming love story. I eagerly await the next collection.

If you liked "Love at Large" you might also enjoy the "Living Large" or "At Long Last, Love!" anthologies.

I couldn't wait to get my copy. I enjoyed the stories but there wasn't enough passion in them, for me. As a full- figured woman I love to read about other women like me getting the man.

I enjoyed reading this book. It's about time that people present stories where the female protagonists are not stick thin but they still have it going on and they're still sexy and feminine. As a woman who was once overweight I know what it's like being "other" in a thin obsessed world. I wish books like these were around when I suffered from low self esteem due to the way I looked and the way society responded. That said, I found this book to be totally unrealistic. I realize that the stories are short and thus, there isn't a lot of room for developement, but still. The male characters with the exception of one were all totally predictable and "devastatingly handsome." None of them were just regular guys. I'm sure there are handsome men who love big beautiful women, but these stories layed it on so thick, it seemed fake and like wishful thinking. Still, I enjoyed reading this book and I enjoyed the message it sends about being comfortable in your own skin, despite your dress size.