Ashish got dumped and now he's in a funk.  So, he asks his parents to set him up with a girl they think he would be compatible with.  See, ever since the break-up, his game has been off and he needs it back since he's one of the star basketball players.  He wants his mojo back dammit!

Sweetie is a track star, a good student, and is not so bad at carrying a tune.  She also happens to be on the plus size.  Guys have not been interested in her.

I was pleasantly surprised at how much I liked this!  Yes it's on the angsty side.  And shockingly, I think most of that was from Ashish.  Sweetie was the bomb.  There wasn't anything I didn't like about her.  She really grew throughout the book; expressing her opinions and recognizing her worth.  Her relationship with her mom sucked.  Imagine constantly being criticized because of your weight.  Nothing else matters, but what the number on the scale is and what other people think.  There are things that happen as the book progresses, and by the end?  Her mom has a change in attitude.

I loved this quote:  "She was power.  She was grace.  She was beauty.  She was totally kicking his ass."

Ripped Bodice Bingo:  Prom square  

 
Dimple and Rishi, Book 2

I Picked Up This Book Because: Continue the series

The Characters:

Sweetie Nair:
Ashish Patel:
Parents, various friends and cousins

The Story:

After yet another flop with his love life Ashish asks his mother to set him up like she did for his brother Rishi. Being the wise woman that she is she chooses Sweetie, but Sweetie’s mother does not see her daughter as a part of this couple. After deciding that maybe mama does not know best Sweetie and Ashish meet behind their parents backs and start dating.

Sweetie’s mom pissed me off from page one. I fully understand she loves her daughter but her insecurities are her own and should not be passed off for Sweetie to carry. I even thought Sweetie did a wonderful job putting up with her mom’s mess but you could tell at times it really took a toll on her confidence. Their relationship and her mother herself needs a lot of healing and I hope they get it. Now that that huge rant is over, let's talk about the actual stars of this book, Sweetie and Ashish. SO CUTE TOGETHER! Yes, Ashish had some growing up to do and Sweetie has some insecurities to overcome but I think on the whole Mrs. Patel could not have picked a more perfect pair. I honestly would like to have her set me up. A & S had very simple and traditional dates but they were still somehow magical. I smiled through most of this book. It was young love like you see in the movies or hear in a song and it was perfect.


The Random Thoughts:



The Score Card:



4 Stars

"The Chicken Squad", by Doreen Cronin, is just hilarious. This book has 10 chapters of comedy due to a scared squirrel named, Tail. The actual chicken squad consists of four short, yellow, and fuzzy chicks that are trying to figure out what the squirrel is so scared of. Eventually, Tail convinces them that there is something lurking outside the coop and the chickens think it is after them! It is up to the squad to figure it out and save the day! If you want a book to engage your students or children and have them laughing, this is a book you want to read. I just recently read "The Chicken Squad" to a second grade class, and they loved every second. This book could be used as an end of the day read after they are packed up, or snack time read as they have a moment to recharge. This book could also be used for a narrative writing prompt about some "misadventures" they have been on and what happened in the end. This is an all around great, hilarious book that I think any elementary grade would enjoy. 

 

Lexile: 560L

ATOS Reading Level: 3.3

Guided Reading: N

"Soft Serve Sweetie: (Plus Size Romance #2)" by Lynn Cooper is another great love story in this extremely likeable and hugely enjoyable series about plus sized women. Romance is best when it comes unexpected and rocks your world and this happens when our heroine crashes into a police car. Officer Zane to her rescue as she is with an undeserving man who reinforces her self-doubts rather than makes her feel sexy. Enter Zane and you have a hot and feel-good romance par excellence.
Explicit but more romantic than erotic this is great stuff that really hits home a few truth about love and sex while keeping you pleasantly entertained. A wonderful series for fans of romance, in all shapes and sizes. I don't often read romance but this is not to be missed.

Shy, stuttering Melissa meets the wild Sweetie in school, and the two girls fast become friends. Sweetie's wild ways infuse Melissa with confidence, but not everyone is enchanted with Sweetie. Set in an Appalachian town in the 1970s, others see Sweetie as an outcast.Magendie has written a beautiful novel of friendship that should appeal to readers of all ages. Melissa is the soul of reason and Sweetie is the wild wind from the mountain. Magendie takes the reader into their lives with her poetic prose. She captures what it means to live in a rural North Carolina town in the 1970s as she takes on prejudices and bullies. She also shows you the lives of two beautiful girls, who are as different as night and day.A good story well told.