The Shape of You Kindle Edition

awesome

This book is an eye-opener. As a person with struggled with weight on my life I envy the people of the string beans and the beanpole types. You know that when an overweight person eats people stare and call them names, yet when someone who is a thin person nibbles on a salad they are commended.

This book allows the reader which ever side you're on to see the other person view person. The characters are likeable and relatable the writing is easy to follow and there aren't too many unexpected twists. What I like about this book is that there was no unreasonable gratuitous violence or sex.

It would be great if there was a follow up to see what was happening in their lives that they maintain everybody knows his ups and downs how are the deal with those as a couple as men struggling with their own issues.

This book does a great job of showing both sides of the weight struggle that many deal with. Corey and Eric's insecurities are relatable and believable. The love story is a slow burn and makes for an intriguing read. Highly recommend.

Sweet with a happy ending. Characterization a little weaker and softer drawn than other books by this author. (As compared to others I have read.) But story was satisfying. I did like that the weight problems were described as rooted in issues of self image. It gives a perspective many people would not have considered.

An emotional journey of two men battling their own situations and falling in love. Told in dual pov's and no cliffhanger. Always a heartfelt read from this author.

This was a fantastic read from Felice Stevens. I really enjoyed reading this book; it was well paced and had me thinking of what was to come in the pages ahead.

Felice Stevens introduces us to two amazing main characters Eric Sontag and Corey DeSantis; she took me on a journey with both characters and I connected with these characters right from the start. As the story progressed I hoped the growing friendship would blossom and that their separate demons would not ruin something on the brink of being a once in a lifetime connection.

Whilst a couple of scenes did feel a little rushed to me and I would have liked more details, the overall flow of the book kept me intrigued as to whether they would fall back into old habits. . Both characters have some very heavy baggage but carry it very differently.

If you are reading this m/m for hot, passionate sex scenes, there are a few scenes scattered throughout the book; however the strength of this book is the way the author builds the friendship of these two men, culminating in an amazing connection between the two. I will definitely be reading more by this author.

A Book Lover’s Emporium

This is the second time I’ve listened to this audiobook by Felice Stevens, narrated by Nick J. Russo. They are two of my favourites and together they have created a great book.

This story joins N.R. Walker’s ‘The Weight of it All’ and Cardeno C’s ‘Not a Game’ as one of the great books that use humour to address a fairly serious topic—weight.

Women have struggled, pretty much since…I don’t know…sugar and chocolate being introduced? The Industrial Revolution? All time? Weight shaming has also been around forever as well. In fact, in some instances, it is still considered acceptable to ridicule a fat person (often under the guise of ‘encouraging’ them to lose weight and become healthy).

Men also face these issues, but their battles are often ignored or minimized. Many of the psychological issues that drive women to seek comfort in food are the same for men – depression, loneliness, family drama, stress, pain, too little time to eat healthy, and more.

One scene in particular spoke to me. Eric has to get on a busy subway during rush hour. He is harangued by a guy for taking up too much space. I’ve been there. Less of the verbal abuse, but more of the ‘Oh, God, please don’t let that fat woman sit next to me’ looks. Or even worse, when I sit next to someone and the other person sighs heavily, snickers, or even gets up and moves. For the record, the subway seats are so small that even the smallest and thinnest people have to touch – but often I’m treated like I have a contagious disease. In my mind, I say ‘you think this is bad? You should have seen me when I was 125lbs heavier – you’re getting off easy…’ Then I deride myself for still being fat. Not as fat as I was, but still not what most people would see as ‘acceptable’.

So I understand why Eric is so upset that when he sees fresh-baked crullers, he reaches for one or two. As so often happens, the guilt that follows is overwhelming and the temporary comfort is gone, leaving acute shame.

However…

Eric gets a buddy in his journey to learn better eating habits. He meets Corey on the first day of a nutrition class. He’s surprised and wary when Corey proposes they be partners because the only thing Eric sees they have in common is being gay.

Corey is gorgeous. Thin, attractive, and perfect. Eric knows that Corey is out of his league and can’t figure out why the other man is even in the class.

Eric has the same blind spot that many people do – you can never be too thin or too rich. Well, Corey might not be rich, but he is too thin. In fact, his job is on the line if he doesn’t start taking care of his health, eat nutritiously, and gain weight. There are people who fight with being underweight. They may be anorexic, have an illness, a psychological issue with food, or even just be unable to gain weight (yes, this is a thing – I have a friend who struggled to gain weight for years).

Corey’s history, slowly revealed, shows why he battles with food. Eric’s relationship with food and its associations is also addressed, evoking strong emotions from me as I could relate to his pain.

Eric and Corey bond over the need to get healthy. They become a duo in both the mission and in romance. And although the sex – when they finally are willing to admit to the attraction – is hot and the men are physically attracted to each other, it was the emotional intimacy that gave me that warm and fuzzy feeling. To be loved and accepted is powerful. To be with someone willing to support you through a painful period of transformation is amazing. These men want each other to succeed yet both have moments of doubt—that they are capable of change as well as whether the other man really loves him. The end result is a happy couple who have beaten the odds.

Sometimes it’s not the number on the scale, but the happiness in your heart. Both men will always have food issues, but each now has a partner who will support and love him through all of life’s up and downs.

I did note that although Corey’s past was confronted, there was room for another story about Eric dealing with his. (Short story, anyone?)

There were moments of levity in the book, for sure, but it was the poignant moment at the end, when Corey gave Eric a special gift, that really cemented the book and the men in my life.

Loved it.