Big Girl Panties by Stephanie Evanovich

Big Girl Panties by Stephanie Evanovich is a rollicking and poignant romantic comedy about a young widow who decides to get in shape...and winds up getting her groove back--and a whole lot more! Holly Brennan used food to comfort herself through her husband's illness and death. Now she's alone at age thirty-two. And she weighs more than she ever has. When fate throws her in the path of Logan Montgomery, personal trainer to pro athletes, and he offers to train her, Holly concludes it must be a sign. Much as she dreads the thought of working out, Holly knows she needs to put on her big girl panties and see if she can sweat out some of her grief. Soon, the easy intimacy and playful banter of their training sessions lead Logan and Holly to most intense and steamy workouts. But can Holly and Logan go the distance as a couple now that she's met her goals--and other men are noticing?Holly, an overweight loner, decides to make a change and hits the gym hard.  All the while also falling hard for her trainer Logan- who has a thing for ugly ducklings.Seriously, why does this guy get so turned on by her and then disgusted by her cellulite?  It was mentioned a million times and it got old.  I didn't like how disgusted Logan was by her- and he was.  There are so many instances I could bring up- but I don't want to allow for any spoilers, but basically he fat shames her the whole book. I will say that I wasn't rooting for him in the end.  Which is obviously an issue in a romance novel read.The spanking storyline- there were two side characters who were in the book quite a bit and actually had their perspective in a few chapters - Amanda and Chase.  I got to read all about their sexual preferences- specifically spanking.  Why was that even in the book and why was it brought up so many times? It was weird. I didn't like it at all.  And it's kind of a shame because Chase was a pretty fun character but EVERY time he was in the book there was a reference to him spanking his wife.Towards the climax of the book Holly realizes that she molded her life to Logan's.  Then there is more in the storyline and the book ends.  But this is a loose end.  She doesn't ever take that realization back but it isn't ever mentioned.  Reading the story- I 100% agreed that she made her day all about Logan and was all about pleasing him.  So that was a big way to fall short - by not addressing that in the end.This book painted a setting of celebrities and celebrity trainers.  There wasn't a lot in their lives that I could identify with. They were super rich, and judged fat people, and only dated Barbie models.  I didn't leave the book bummed that I wouldn't be seeing the characters at my next party.  If I had a party, no one in this book would be invited.I did like reading the workouts in the book.  Logan was a good trainer and believable- I liked that he prided himself in having a masters degree and really judged the trainers at the big box stores for having zero expertise in the field of personal training.  It's a little rivalry I never would have thought of and I enjoyed glimpsing into that a bit.  It also made me wanna work out while I read it.  Let me be clear, I didn't work out while I read this. But I did think about it, and that counts for something right?Do: renew your gym membershipEat: some ice cream - you deserve it for renewing that gym membershipTake: breaks from reading this book to do a few sets of lungesWatch: baseball (and by that, I mean have it in the background while you're reading... maybe that's even too far. okay, watch Fever Pitch with Jimmy Fallon.  It's kind of about baseball, anyways).Click here.