August 2, 2021
Williams’s empowering, body-positive sophomore rom-com (after How to Fail at Flirting) follows plus-sized heroine Britta Colby as she works on an article about her experience with FitMi, a fitness app centered around body confidence that pairs its users with coaches. Britta hopes the piece will secure her a promotion at Best Life, the lifestyle magazine where she works as an editorial assistant. Wes Lawson, FitMi’s CEO, may be professionally successful, but his personal life is in shambles: his mother struggles with drug addiction, his estranged sister will only communicate via texts, and his ex recently launched a rival fitness app. In an attempt to distract himself, Wes personally becomes coach for two new clients, Britta among them. Their coaching relationship is supposed to stay strictly virtual, but as weeks pass and the pair grow closer, they break the rules to bond over in-person workouts—but their relationship risks FitMi and Wes’s credibility and could jeopardize Britta’s article and her promotion. Williams has mastered writing cinnamon-roll heroes, and expertly balances Wes’s sweetness with Britta’s admirable strength. The plot is emotionally weighty, but the romance is just as cute as in her debut. This is sure to please. Agent: Sharon Pelletier, Dystel, Goderich & Bourret.
Starred review from September 1, 2021
Blogger Britta Colby hopes her new reporting assignment, an essay about her experiences trying a hot new fitness app, will earn her a features writer position and maybe help her feel more comfortable in her own skin. The FitMe app promises a body-positive, individualized experience, and Britta is surprised at how much she enjoys the fitness challenges the program offers and at how great she's beginning to feel. Even more enjoyable are her daily online chats with her trainer Wes Lawson, who happens to be FitMe's CEO. He's been feeling unfulfilled in the corporate role and thought that getting back to fitness coaching might pull him out of his professional funk. When he starts having less than professional feelings for his newest client, things get complicated. Will Wes and Britta have to choose between their careers and love? VERDICT Williams's sophomore effort (after How To Fail at Flirting) is a body-positive, feel-good romance with highly relatable protagonists.--Rebecca Moe, Alden Ewell Free Lib., NY
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September 15, 2021
An unexpected romance kicks off between a writer and her latest subject in this body-positive romance. Desperate for a promotion after working as an editorial assistant for the last four years, Britta Colby needs a home run on her next assignment for Best Life, a website for millennials. She and a co-worker have agreed to anonymously try out two different fitness apps with similar principles--to help users feel good in their bodies--but with different approaches. FitMi Fitness, the app Britta is reviewing, pairs its users with personal trainers using a matchmaking algorithm. The mix of on-the-go technology with one-on-one communication has been a hit, and CEO Christopher "Wes" Lawson is struggling to keep up with demand. It's not all bad, though, as the interest has enabled Wes to get out from behind his desk and get back into training, which is a wonderful distraction from how much of a nose dive his personal life has taken. Though the FitMi team is aware Best Life has sent in a covert user for an upcoming piece, Wes doesn't know it's Britta, his charming new client, and Britta doesn't know she's been set up with the company's founder. Their email and in-app correspondence slowly grow into an adorable flirtation. Since they're both local to Chicago, Wes suggests some in-person training sessions. Britta and Wes fit well together, and their banter flows effortlessly, but Wes shouldn't be dating a client, and Britta's assignment will undoubtedly get nixed should people find out she became intimate with her subject. There's a lot to like in this romance with its supportive leading man, delightful heroine, and dynamic secondary cast. There's more than just romance going on, and Williams excels at juggling all the parts. Wes' former girlfriend and business partner now runs his biggest rival, fitness app HottrYou, which coincidentally is the one being reviewed by Britta's co-worker in their joint article. Williams also takes great care in providing a content warning for diet culture and disordered eating. An emotionally resonant and thoughtful novel.
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September 15, 2021
Britta agrees to blog about the FitMi fitness app as an audition for a writer position. Wes had lost interest in his successful FitMi business until his partner suggests that he start coaching clients again, which he used to love. Britta doesn't tell her new coach, Wes, that she's reviewing the app, and he breaks the rules as they start to spend time together outside their coaching sessions. They grow closer, and each has to sort out their feelings about their past relationships. Britta learns to like herself as her confidence in her fitness and health grows. Wes discovers which aspects of his work he likes and how he can do more of what inspires him. Both character arcs are as satisfying as the story of their relationship. Williams follows How to Fail at Flirting (2020) with another delightfully engaging romance full of humor and surprises. Fans of Jennifer Weiner may like this one.
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