The Curvy Girls Club by Michele Gorman

Blurb: Pixie, Ellie, Katie and Jane have been best friends since meeting at Slimming Zone. Tired of being judged on the number of calories they consume, they decide to form a different kind of club. The fun evenings they spend together, not worrying about their size, make them happier than they’ve been for years!

But the club doesn’t stop real life from getting in the way and together the girls have to address some much bigger issues than just their weight…

Will Pixie ever be brave enough to leave her abusive husband Trevor? Can Jane ever regain her confidence and go back to work as a TV presenter? Will Katie always carry a torch for the office lothario? And what if Ellie lets her all-consuming jealousy destroy her relationship with ‘The One’?

*First of all I would like to thank both publishers, Avon and Notting Hill Press, for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.*

Review: I loved the idea of this book. In nowadays society it sometimes feels like if you are not slim, beautiful, wear the latest fashion and have perfect hair every day, you have no chances to get to places. So it's important to remember that size is not everything, happiness is. And that's Michele's clear message with this story: we have to learn to love ourselves and be happy within our bodies. Which unfortunately is easier said than done. So any reminder is welcomed.

In the novel, four curvy women who met in the Slimming Zone decide that they are tired of constantly talking about their weight and quit their sessions to start organizing outings and events that they can enjoy with no too narrow seats, too small room problems. Soon, their idea attracts quite a lot of attention, because we must not forget that the majority of the population is not in the model/Hollywood size zone. And the Curvy Girls Club takes shapes.

But the life of these four women does not only revolve around their weight, each one of them has their own problems, an abusive husband, jealousies, passionate affairs that don't turn out as expected, health problems... and they try their best to support each other. Sometimes though, the pressure they are under and their own internal demons make them take irresponsible decisions and their friendship is affected, which is the only part of the story I didn't like that much. I wanted them to stick together and support each other no matter what, but just as in real life, some people are there to support you all your life and some play their part during a period of time and then carry on with their lives.

The Curvy Girls is a face-paced story that you won't want to put down. Michele handles this topic with a good balance between humour and seriousness that will make you giggle more than once but will also make you think a lot.


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