A review by alyanthea
His Curvy Rejected Mate by Cate C. Wells

emotional medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

this was the first book I read after an almost 2-year long reading slump, and I needed something to break me out of it. well, it definitely did! there is something so compulsively readable and engaging about cate c wells' books, even when they make me so mad sometimes.

the fatphobia in this book was a lot, and the author did put a warning up at the beginning of the book. I'm not a fan of how this was handled, and the dramatic contrast between
the two packs and how they treated her was a little over the top. I wasn't a fan of how flora being sexually objectified by groups of men ogling her while she works (but in a ~~respectful~~ way so it's okay) was highlighted not only as a way to boost her self-esteem and self-image, but a way to highlight how this pack was better than the other one. I wasn't a fan of how pivotal external sexual validation was to her own self-image and self-worth, although I can understand it, I felt that it drove a lot of flora's character development in the latter half.
ymmv on whether or not this will resonate, but it was rough to read.

as for their relationship, I'm not entirely sold on alec's character development, as there was just so big of a gap between their history and how he treated her vs. how he treated her after he found out she was his mate. his POV chapters were very compelling to read, and I loved that version of him, the one who actually gave a shit, but he's got a rough history to overcome.  I'm not sure that Wells pulls that off for me this time, personally.
their sexual relationship for example--even though it's revealed he's very inexperienced, the fact that all their sexual history is for his own gratification in the past doesn't quite connect with how he suddenly gives a shit about her pleasure in the present, only when they're mated. it was certainly a choice to make him that much of an inconsiderate asshole, and I'm not sure that disconnect was bridged through his character development.


overall though, I did give this 2.5 stars because it did make me cry and I am a sucker for what is, essentially, a book-long grovel. I'm here for the angst and Wells does deliver on that fairly consistently.
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