A review by anabelsbrother
If The Dress Fits by Carla de Guzman
3.0
Special shoutout to April for lending me her Kindle copy!
I really like the story and the characters a lot. Martha especially feels like my kindred spirit; I love her thoughts on her fatness and how it's hers and she works it. She's definitely more confident than I was when I was heavy. Her family (especially her Titas, good lord) drives me a little bit crazy, especially when they comment on her fatness (#warflashbacks). I think I've mentioned this before in one of the #romanceclass books I read and reviewed, but the way family is written in #romanceclass books is more relatable to me. Maybe it's a SEA thing, or maybe it's the connection between Filipino and Malay cultures, I dunno. Anyhow, I totally get why Martha held her tongue whenever she got those weight-related comments and why she still did favours for her Titas and cousin no matter how much they annoyed her.
That being said, I wish the romance worked for me. Carla did a great job showcasing Max and Martha's tight friendship, but the transition from BFFs to lovers was a bit off for me. I also felt like the conflict between them was not adequately resolved.
Overall, this book is a good introduction to Carla's writing. I have The Queen's Game on my Kindle that seems to be a fan favourite, and I'll surely be reading that soon.
I really like the story and the characters a lot. Martha especially feels like my kindred spirit; I love her thoughts on her fatness and how it's hers and she works it. She's definitely more confident than I was when I was heavy. Her family (especially her Titas, good lord) drives me a little bit crazy, especially when they comment on her fatness (#warflashbacks). I think I've mentioned this before in one of the #romanceclass books I read and reviewed, but the way family is written in #romanceclass books is more relatable to me. Maybe it's a SEA thing, or maybe it's the connection between Filipino and Malay cultures, I dunno. Anyhow, I totally get why Martha held her tongue whenever she got those weight-related comments and why she still did favours for her Titas and cousin no matter how much they annoyed her.
That being said, I wish the romance worked for me. Carla did a great job showcasing Max and Martha's tight friendship, but the transition from BFFs to lovers was a bit off for me. I also felt like the conflict between them was not adequately resolved.
Overall, this book is a good introduction to Carla's writing. I have The Queen's Game on my Kindle that seems to be a fan favourite, and I'll surely be reading that soon.