Muffin Top by Avery Flynn

​ROMANTIC COMEDY

Publication date: 10/29/2018
Kindle Unlimited: No
Cliffhanger: No

Can I just take this opportunity to talk about how much I LOVE reading about heroines who are normal? Heroines who aren’t a perfect size 2, don’t always say the right thing, don’t always react well in a crisis? I hate heroines who are perfect in every way, and there are just WAY too many of them in romance land. Real women have flaws and quirks and insecurities and that is PERFECTLY FINE! Those of us who aren’t perfect are just as deserving of our HEA as all the paragons of virtue out there.

(*clears throat and steps down off of soapbox*)

There are lots of things to adore about Muffin Top, not the least of which are:

Lucy, the heroine
Lucy is a woman I think everyone can relate to. She’s strong and confident and great at her job. She’s happy with her life and in no way under the impression that she needs a man to fulfill her. She’s also completely in touch with her sexuality, not all all sexually repressed or shy, and lacks a filter between her brain and mouth (which is a trait that some people don’t care for, but that I find completely charming in novels AND in real life). But that doesn’t mean that she’s without insecurities. Some readers will no doubt get irritated with Lucy at times because it’s hard for her to accept love and because she’s insecure about her weight at times. But it’s those little things that made Lucy so relatable. We ALL have things about ourselves that we don’t like, and if we’d gone through what Lucy went through in school, we’d probably have the same insecurities.  

Frankie, the hero
Frankie is a quintessential “good guy” hero. He’s alpha without being a jerk, and he’s always completely respectful to women (all women, but especially to Lucy). I liked that when a past fling called him out for his flirty ways and not being a “forever” kind of guy it triggered an existential crisis in Frankie that led him to analyze his life choices. A lesser hero might have just blown off the woman’s criticism and kept manwhoring around town, but Frankie, being the good guy that he is, took it to heart and eventually realized he did want to be a forever kind of guy (which worked out REALLY well for Lucy).

Slow burn
This isn’t a case of instalove or even instalust, really. Frankie and Lucy get to know each other before they fall into bed, and I enjoyed reading about how these two became friends before they even considered becoming lovers.   

True plus-size heroine
I can’t even tell you how many romances I’ve read about a heroine who considered herself to be plus-sized, then it turned out that she’s actually a size 8 or 10. Lucy is a genuine plus-sized heroine, and she’s GORGEOUS. I’d love to read about more plus-sized heroines finding their HEAs.

Banter
Avery Flynn is master of witty, snappy banter, and this book displayed that talent to the fullest. Lucy and Frankie’s banter was EVERYTHING.                  
 
So, long-story-short, Muffin Top was a fun, sexy, sometimes hilarious read that I can’t recommend highly enough. It’s highly 1-clickable.  

Does this book contribute to or help crush the romance stigma?
It’s stigma free. No rehab needed!

Other reading suggestions
Check out Butter Face, which is also all-kinds-of awesome.

We also have a list of reads about plain Jane heroines getting their sexy studs.

And if you STILL need more, check out this list about deliciously imperfect heroes and heroines.

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