Anas Attic 's Updates

Anas Attic added 'Plus Size Player'

Wed, 30 Apr 2025 14:10:13 -0700

Anas Attic gave 5 stars to Plus Size Player (Curve, #2) by Danielle Allen
bookshelves: audiobook, audio

Plus Size Player by Danielle Allen
Narrated by Wesleigh Siobhan
Second in a concurrent series. Stands alone easily.
Thank you to Net Galley and Macmillan Audio for the opportunity to review this title early. My review is 100% my honest opinion and does contain affiliate links.��Quotes are transcribed from audio and may be a little different than the book.

I absolutely loved (the first in Danielle Allen's Curve Series) when I read it last year, partly because I found it so relatable—especially the way her family was constantly on her case about her weight. So I was excited (and a little nervous) to dive into . This time, Danielle Allen gives us an uber-confident, plus-sized Black fashion influencer in a sizzling, empowering, and refreshingly modern romance that celebrates confidence, passion, humor, and living life on your own terms. Honestly, because I have such a lack of confidence myself, I thought I might have a harder time connecting with this book, but I’m so happy to say I was wrong. I LOVED Plus Size Player!

Nina is pure sass and self-assurance. She’s dating multiple men who each satisfy different needs—a fun one, a smart one, a funny one, a passionate one�� she has a full roster and keeps her boundaries firm. If any of them get too serious, she replaces them without hesitation. She keeps relationships surface-level, never even discussing work as a rule. They’re all great guys, but one stands out as just a little more special—and he’s starting to check all the boxes.

When Nina is approached by the owner of a big streetwear company and asked to represent them as a model, it’s the break she’s been dreaming of. But it’s also a major risk: the contract is exclusive (and Nina doesn’t like exclusive in anything), and she’d have to pull back from the other brands she’s worked with. I loved the modern setting. As someone who follows a lot of plus-sized influencers, it was so fun to peek behind the curtain�� and sad too, because competitive mean girls are everywhere. But Nina knew exactly how to put them in their place.

“This body positivity bullshit messed everything up for hard-working ‘real�� models.��

“When you’re ugly on the inside, that shit starts to seep through your pores.�� (Nina’s epic reply.)

Nina’s big break is everything she could hope for—being the one plus-sized model/influencer on the team, finally representing the girls who never get to see themselves in cool clothes. But right after she signs the contract, a huge problem is revealed. That guy who checked all the boxes? He’s now officially off-limits, or they could both lose everything.

Let me tell you…the simmering tension between these two? WOW. HOT. Try as they might, they couldn’t keep their hands off each other, and I was on edge the whole time worrying they’d get caught! Plus Size Player delivers all the heat, heart, and badass confidence you want in a summer romance—unapologetic, sexy, and impossible to put down.

“Nina, I was never running away from work and life, I was only ever running toward you.��

Likes:

•It was spicy—and the spice wasn’t cheesy.
•It runs concurrently with Curvy Girl Summer; it’s fun seeing some scenes from different eyes, but you don’t need to read that first.
•Nina’s confidence was through the roof, and I loved how she teased him: “I think you like me!��
•All of the influencer stuff felt so modern and trendy.
•It had a unique storyline, which is getting harder and harder to find.
•Nina was unapologetic about dating multiple guys.
•Nina was proud of her sexy full figure.
•The humor that was naturally woven through the story without it feeling like a romcom.
•I loved the friend group.
•Her love interest (not naming him to avoid spoilers) is hot AF, I loved him SO much.
•He was SO ROMANTIC. The dates he planned? Swoon.

Dislikes:

•I wish there had been better descriptions of the other characters, especially the models. I had a hard time picturing everyone. Were they all Black? Were they all skinny and waif-like except for her?
•I wasn’t completely happy with the outcome for them at work.
•I wanted a little more epilogue, but if the series is continuing, it makes sense.

The Narration:
Wesleigh Siobhan was AMAZING. I’m so glad it wasn’t dual narration, because her male voice might be sexier than any man they could have cast. Her narration absolutely added to my enjoyment of the book, I rarely give 5 stars narration to a single narrated book but she was that good.

The Down & Dirty:
I loved Plus Size Player! Nina’s journey was empowering, sexy, funny, and completely inspiring.��Plus Size Player is a love letter to confidence, self-worth, and the magic of finding someone who sees you—and loves you—exactly as you are. I loved how Nina lived boldly, unapologetically, and refused to settle for anything less than what she deserved. The book brought the heat without ever losing the heart or humor of the story—every scene built the relationship and tension perfectly. I highly recommend Plus Size Player if you’re looking for a fresh, spicy, funny and feel-good summer romance that will leave you smiling.

Rating: 4.5 Stars, 4 Heat, 5 Narration

Preorder Plus Size Player by Danielle Allen

Releases Jun 10th, 2025

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Plus Size Player releases 6/10/25
Big Girl Blitz releases 4/14/26

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Anas Attic wants to read 'Linked'

Mon, 28 Apr 2025 12:12:28 -0700

Anas Attic wants to read Linked by Rachel Rener

Anas Attic wants to read 'Synced'

Mon, 28 Apr 2025 12:12:26 -0700

Anas Attic wants to read Synced by Rachel Rener

Anas Attic is currently reading 'Jinxed'

Mon, 28 Apr 2025 12:12:19 -0700

Anas Attic is currently reading Jinxed by Rachel Rener

Anas Attic added 'My Big Fat Fake Marriage'

Mon, 28 Apr 2025 12:03:21 -0700

Anas Attic gave 4 stars to My Big Fat Fake Marriage (Audible Audio) by Charlotte Stein
bookshelves: audio, audiobook

My Big Fat Fake Marriage by Charlotte Stein
Narrated by Imogen Wilde
Standalone Fake Marriage RomCom
Thank you Macmillan Audio for an early copy of this for review

I didn’t read that long ago, but my menopause brain strikes again because I forgot I even read it. Once I saw the blurb and skimmed a few reviews, it all came back—this was the one with the painfully shy virgin hero who says “golly�� and “oh fudge�� but also has a surprisingly filthy mind once things heat up.

Beck is a cardigan-wearing, bow-tie-rocking sweetheart with no self-esteem and zero experience. He panics during a workplace confrontation and lies about being married, so Connie, his curvy, confident neighbor, steps in and insists on pretending to be his wife at an out-of-town writers�� retreat. They barely know each other, and now they’re sharing a room and faking forever.

“Life is too short to live it based on someone else’s idea of cool.��

The book is told in first person, present tense, which isn’t my usual preference, and I definitely noticed it early on. It added a raw, introspective feel that worked for the story, though it took a bit to get used to. I also noted some word repetition, but I honestly can’t say if it was in the writing or just the way it was narrated.

There’s not a lot of plot here. The focus is on the characters, the slow burn, and the emotional development. Beck might not be your typical swoony book boyfriend, but the way his filthy thoughts contrast with his sweet, nerdy awkwardness really worked for me. It was weird, hot, and endearing all at once. But I will say, once they started doing the deed, the book veered into more sex than story territory.
The Narration:
Imogen Wilde’s performance was pleasant, especially for Connie’s dry humor, but Beck’s intense awkwardness didn’t always come through the way I imagined. I had to rewind more than normal because I spaced out. It wasn’t bad—it just didn’t elevate the story the way I’d hoped.

Likes:

•Nerdy virgin hero who surprises you.
•Curvy, body-positive heroine.
•Fake marriage with forced proximity.
•Slow burn with lots of sexual tension.
•Quirky, tender, and steamy.
•Opposites attract.
•They both had good character growth.
•It was really a fun read.

Dislikes:

•Despite it being unique in that he's the nerdy shy one, I still really struggle to remember it 2 weeks later.
•His nerdiness was over-exaggerated.
•First-person present tense might not be for everyone.
•Some word repetition.
•I would have liked to hear his POV.

The Down & Dirty:
A slow-burning, spicy, fake marriage romance featuring a nerdy virgin hero with a dirty mind and a confident, curvy heroine who takes charge. It’s awkward and steamy in equal parts, and somehow, that combo worked for me while reading it, but I forgot the story as soon as I finished.

Rating: 3.75 Stars, 3.75 Heat, 3.5 Narration

Purchase My Big Fat Fake Marriage by Charlotte Stein
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Anas Attic added 'Not So Fast'

Mon, 28 Apr 2025 11:06:33 -0700

Anas Attic gave 4 stars to Not So Fast (Paperback) by Karen Booth
bookshelves: f1-romance, audiobook, audio

Not So Fast by Karen Booth
Narrated by Talon David
3.5 stars rounded up

As a huge fan of F1 romance (), I was really excited to dive into . I received the ARC through NetGalley but ended up listening on Hoopla when I saw the audiobook was available. I follow a lot of female F1 creators, so I was especially intrigued by the premise of a curvy female F1 podcaster as the heroine.

This season, Mia has been hard on her favorite driver, Xander Bishop, who’s been underperforming. One of her hot takes goes viral, and suddenly, her podcast is taking off. Xander’s teammate/enemy invites her to a race just to mess with him—and it works at first. But then Xander and Mia talk, and he ends up inviting her to the next race himself, all expenses paid.

Mia, a podcaster from Austin, Texas, prides herself on being objective. Her rise came from her sharp commentary, especially about Xander. But once she’s around him and starts seeing the bigger picture—including the team dynamics—it becomes harder to keep up the same tone. As her world shifts, she’s faced with tough decisions about how much of her personal and professional life she’s willing to blur.

I loved the premise. It’s marketed as a romcom, but it leans more toward light romance with a sprinkle of humor. I appreciated Mia’s mental health focus—she journals daily, and each chapter begins with a journal entry in first person, though the rest of the narrative is in third person. I personally found the third person made it harder to connect with the characters emotionally.

Now let’s talk spice. There’s plenty of it, but the sex scenes were oddly generic. I've never noticed something like this, but it felt off. ��Honestly, it had me wondering if AI had touched those sections (not accusing anyone—just saying that’s how bland they felt), or if the sex scenes were taken from a book she wrote 15 years ago. Once I felt that I had a harder time enjoying the book.

“He raised her hand to his lips and kissed it softly. ‘This sport gave me so much, but the best thing it gave me is you.’��

Likes:

•Curvy heroine
•Mental health rep
•MS rep
•Lots of accurate racing info
•Hot, famous race car driver + relatable podcaster dynamic
•Xander’s support of Mia’s career
•Mia’s constant overthinking
•Fun, witty banter

Dislikes:

•Sex scenes felt cringy and out of place
•No sexual tension or slow-burn build-up
•Switching between journal-style first person and third person in the same chapter
•POV-hopping mid-chapter
•The relationship felt surface level—something was missing
•Weird epilogue.

The Narration:
Talon David did a solid job, but the third person perspective didn’t give the performance much room to shine. The shifting tenses may make it an easier read than listen.

The Down & Dirty:
I loved the F1 angle in Not So Fast. Karen Booth clearly knows the sport beyond just Netflix’s Drive to Survive. But I struggled with the romance—it moved too fast with no real tension, and the sex scenes felt like they came from a totally different book. Still, the podcasting and F1 content were strong enough to keep me engaged. I’d probably try the next in the series if there is one, but I’d be hoping for more emotional connection and less of that oddly bland spice.

Rating: 3.5 Stars, 3 Heat, 4 Narration

Purchase Not So Fast by Karen Booth
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Anas Attic is currently reading 'Inked'

Sun, 27 Apr 2025 21:19:19 -0700

Anas Attic is currently reading Inked by Rachel Rener

Anas Attic finished reading 'North'

Sun, 27 Apr 2025 21:18:05 -0700

Anas Attic finished reading North by Sawyer Bennett

Anas Attic is currently reading 'Jilted'

Sun, 20 Apr 2025 22:48:39 -0700

Anas Attic is currently reading Jilted by Vi Keeland

Anas Attic added 'Say You'll Remember Me'

Sun, 20 Apr 2025 22:35:13 -0700

Anas Attic gave 4 stars to Say You'll Remember Me (Say You'll Remember Me, #1) by Abby Jimenez
bookshelves: audiobook, audio, auto-buy-author

Say You’ll Remember Me by Abby Jimenez
Narrated by Christine Lakin and Matt Lanter
Emotional Romance. Stands Alone.
affiliate links

Before I wrote my review, I wanted to sit with . I needed the emotions to settle a bit before I felt like I could be objective. It didn’t help. I am still as torn on this book as I was when I finished. I loved it and kind of hated it at the same time. Check out my or to see my reaction right after finishing.

Say You’ll Remember Me was a super difficult read for me, and it wasn’t just the emotions about her mom’s dementia that made it so hard to read, it was the impossibility of the situation they were in. There may be some minor spoilers in this review because I don’t think I can write it without them.

Samantha and Xavier had an amazing meet-cute and first date. I was swooning and completely in love with the couple. She’s an online brand manager (I loved her job), and he’s a grumpy veterinarian with a tragic past. But after one perfect (well, kind of) first date, Samantha lets him know she’s moving for good the next day to care for her mother with advanced dementia.

I believe that love can develop after one date; I met my husband on vacation and we continued a long-distance relationship until he quit his job and moved to me. I enjoyed the way the romance mostly developed long distance. Nowadays with Facetime and busy lives, I don’t think long distance is as hard as it used to be. But their individual lives were hard to read about. Honestly, they spent more time apart, living their own lives in misery, than they did together.

Samantha’s family dealing with her mom’s advanced dementia was so difficult to read. It hit so hard that I’ve been looking into long-term care policies just in case this ever happens to me. I never want to burden my kids when I wouldn’t even know the difference. I think that she needed professional care and her family wasn’t equipped to handle it, and the day-to-day care was depressing and difficult to read about, especially how Samantha’s father dealt with it.

Xavier’s story wasn’t any easier. He was killing himself working multiple jobs to make ends meet and still be able to visit Samantha. Their situation seemed so hopeless and impossible the whole time that it just started getting me depressed, the exact opposite of the feel-good romances that made me fall in love with Abby’s writing.

I had a love/hate relationship with Say You’ll Remember Me. It was so good in so many ways, but the balance tipped a little too far into heavy for me. The emotional weight overshadowed the romance and made the story feel depressing overall. While I can see the rest of the family possibly getting their own books, I’m not sure I’ll be able to read them if the dementia storyline continues as a backdrop.

I usually work favorite quotes throughout my review, but I think I will let them stand alone here:

"None of the fear and worry I had was because I didn’t think it would work. The fear and worry was because I knew it would. I was going to fall in love with this man."

"But the small memories are the fabric of your life, the ones so inconsequential that you don’t even remember them. You just remember how you felt when you were making them."

"That there is nothing more beautiful than being a witness to someone’s life. To know them inside and out and be with them through everything, share the same memories. Memories are everything."

"But she still knew what love was. Maybe that’s the last thing we forget. Or we never forget it at all. Not really. We lose the words to say it. We lose the ability to show it. But we never lose the ability to feel it or recognize it when we see it. Love is the brightest color in a gray world."

Likes:

•I loved the main characters so much.
•The meet-cute and first date were perfect.
•The funny stuff lightened the heavy a little.
•The natural caretaker in Xavier. Her entire family needed him.
•I like Abby’s writing. It sucked me in and never let go.
•I bookmarked so many amazing quotes.
•The ending.

Dislikes:

•Most of the book was depressing AF.
•Too much booktok trendiness (he was compared to Rhysand from ACOTAR at least 5 times, once would have been fine).
•The way the father handled his wife’s dementia. While I agree the man needed a life, the way he got one was unacceptable.
•I felt the hopelessness the whole time. I like a book that makes me have hope, not lose it.
•There was a little more telling than showing, especially with the romance.

The Narration:

Christine Lakin and Matt Lanter were both absolutely incredible. The duet style narration made this book even better. They added even more emotional depth to the story.

The Down & Dirty:

I loved Say You’ll Remember Me by Abby Jimenez when I finished it. But I can’t say I truly enjoyed the ride. I bought the book without reading the blurb or triggers (I don’t really have triggers) so I expected a romcom with some heavier backstories like Abby’s other books. Instead, I’d call this sad women’s fiction with light elements and a romance thread. It was written beautifully and never lost my attention, but it didn’t give me the warm fuzzies I’ve come to expect. It just felt so hopeless. I was almost a little mad while listening because I felt tricked into buying a sad book that opened a new fear for me (dementia). I adored the couple and rooted so hard for them, which is why I can say I loved the beginning and the end, and why I’m giving it 4 stars. Abby’s writing always hooks me, but this time, there were just too many obstacles to happiness for me to call it amazing.

Rating: 4 Stars, 0 Heat, 4.5 Narration

Purchase Say You’ll Remember Me by Abby Jimenez
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