Rachel Simon is about as content with her life as she can be: she's intelligent, funny and successful but Rachel struggles with her self-esteem due to being "plus size". As a result, Rachel has given up on finding love and fitting in - and happily plods along, aided by her sharp wit and plenty of snacks.
However, all this is set to change when a fashion blog she has been penning on the side, catches the eye of a major fashion magazine. Rachel is thrilled to find she has won an award and offered a role as a columnist but the only problem is that she has used her best friend Lisa's picture on her biography. As Rachel in no way resembles her tall, blonde beautiful friend, the cat is about to be let out of the bag...
Rachel strikes a deal with Lisa to act as her at the awards night in exchange for going on yet another one of Lisa's disastrous arranged blind dates with her latest man's "friend", thinking that no one will be wiser about her true identity. Then a spanner is thrown into the works when Rachel meets Nathan.
Instantly attracted to him, she consigns herself to friendship only as she is convinced he won't ask her out because of her size. Thus begins Rachel's a journey - one which means finding love, acceptance of the person she really is and the importance of being true to yourself. But as she navigates her way through, the question arises. Do men really make passes at girls who wear glasses?
This was a really insightful and well written read. The author has a sharp, witty and engaging style. Her protagonist, Rachel, is a brilliant character and as a reader, I found myself warming to her immensely. She is a strong woman although plagued by self-doubt and her journey to self-acceptance was highlighted with Rachel's epiphany that in order to be happy, she needs to be true to herself rather than bowing to the pressure that society puts on women. With an array of wonderfully drawn characters, the book was a delight to read and filled with some hilarious moments which made me laugh out loud. (LP)
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