Big Girl Blitz by Danielle Allen

Narrated by Wesleigh Siobhan

Book 3 in The Curve Series. Stands alone easily. Black contemporary romance.

Thank you NetGalley for an early copy of this book for review. This post contains Amazon affiliate links.

Big Girl Blitz is the third book in The Curve Series by Danielle Allen, and I think it might be my favorite of the three. This series follows three mature, successful, curvy best friends as they each find love. The timelines run concurrently, so you can read them out of order without spoilers, which I loved. It was fun seeing scenes from earlier books from a different point of view and already knowing how things would play out. Big Girl Blitz is definitely the most emotional of the three, but it still brings in the humor I’ve come to expect from Danielle Allen.

Jazmyn teaches high school and spends the summer with her Aunt Addy, her favorite person in the world. Addy is dealing with serious health issues and has been in and out of hospice, so Jaz knows this will likely be their last summer together. Unfortunately, that means returning to the town she hates, the one where she grew up and was bullied relentlessly for her weight. She feels confident in her size 16 body now, but being back brings up old insecurities fast.

On her first night back, Jaz heads to a local sports bar for a burger and some football and immediately connects with the gorgeous man sitting next to her. They bond over football right away, and Jaz clearly knows her stuff. I think Lamar falls just as hard for that as he does for her.

There’s strong chemistry between them, but timing works against them. Lamar is busy with football and launching a business, and Jaz wants to focus on Addy. On top of that, while they’d normally live pretty close to each other, her summer with Aunt Addy puts real distance between them. Instead of building a traditional relationship, they communicate through emails and notes tied to the business plan she helps him with. When I say that the romance is SLOW BURN, I mean SLOOOW.

“There was no pressure with Lamar. We clicked organically and we talked easily. He didn’t know about my baggage. He didn’t know about my past. He didn’t know about the heaviness of Aunt Addy’s condition. He just got to know me.”

A big part of the story focuses on Jaz and Addy creating and completing a bucket list together. Their relationship is incredibly special, and I felt lucky to witness it. Jaz’s friendships with the two women from the earlier books are just as meaningful. These women show up for each other in every way, and their phone calls had me laughing out loud.

The romance takes its time, but the story leans heavily on miscommunication and, at times, complete lack of communication. Jaz’s deep insecurities drive many of the issues, and that felt very real and relatable. At one point, she believes being with her could hurt Lamar’s career because of how people view her, and watching her almost sabotage something good because of that was honestly heartbreaking. When the public starts judging Lamar for being with a bigger woman instead of a stereotypical WAG, it hits hard because it feels so true to how people behave online.

Lamar is fantastic. I wish he had been clearer about his feelings earlier, but he is a walking green flag.

“From the moment I met you, I’ve wanted to do everything in my power to make sure you’re good, to protect you, to look out for you, to make you happy.”

The Narration:

The narration of Big Girl Blitz is outstanding. Wesleigh Siobhan absolutely carries this audiobook. I honestly don’t think a second narrator or duet style would have worked better. Her male voice is incredibly sexy, and she gives each character a distinct tone, including the three friends, Aunt Addy, and her nurse. I never once questioned who was speaking. The narration elevated an already emotional story.

Likes:

Jaz and Addy’s relationship.
The friendship between the three women, which felt fun, loyal, and genuinely funny.
Lamar as a true green flag hero.
The balance between self-love and romance.
The emotional depth of the story.
Jazmyn’s personal growth.
Jaz’s evolving relationship with her parents.

Dislikes:

The story runs a little long and loses some romantic focus at times.
Too much miscommunication and lack of communication between the characters.

The Down & Dirty:

Big Girl Blitz was one of my most anticipated spring releases, and it absolutely delivered. I loved the characters, the emotional depth, and Lamar as a standout book boyfriend. This story blends contemporary romance with strong women’s fiction elements, especially through Jaz’s journey with Aunt Addy, but it also brings plenty of heat.

Lamar doesn’t just want Jaz, he fully sees her. He loves her curves, appreciates her confidence, and never once makes her feel like she has to shrink herself to be loved. That physical chemistry paired with the emotional connection made their relationship feel both sexy and meaningful.

This one really hit that sweet spot for me where you get humor, heart, heat, and growth all wrapped together. It’s a slow burn, but the payoff is worth it, and the emotional weight of Jaz’s story made it feel bigger than just a romance.