3.21.2023 | Tuesday

Give It a Whirl

Item: Give It a Whirl
Rating: 5
Author: Kim

category: Book Reviews
tag(s): adult
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title: Give It a Whirl
author: Kayt Miller
published: 23 February 2023
publisher: self-published
genre(s): romance
pages: 295
source: client
format: manuscript
buy/shelve it: Amazon | Goodreads

rating:

the blurb

Matilda Conklin is always a personal attendant, never a bride. Even in her favorite cousin's wedding, she's been relegated to errand running. No matter, Matilda is able to see the bright side of things. Not because she's an eternal optimist, although, that helps.

Nope. It's because she understands how short life is and that there's no use whining about stupid stuff like terrible maids-of-honor or how she has to learn the waltz to please her cousin.

Matilda knows there's always a silver lining. This one just happens to be a muscled, six-feet-tall plus kind of silver lining.

Alec Marchesani can't dance. Nor does he want to. Ever. But, here he is, forced by his stupid brother to learn the waltz.

The waltz! The only bright spot in this entire sh*t show is the quirky girl next to him. She's a bit too sunshiny for Alec––you know, too optimistic—but that's okay. She's funny, and if there's one thing Alec Marchesani needs in his life, it's some funny.

Maybe learning to dance the waltz won't be so bad.

a few notes

keywords/phrases: friends-to-lovers, family dysfunction, slow burn
mood reading: romance with real-world obstacles

my review

What I love most about a Kayt Miller book are the characters, whether you love them or hate them. They feel like people we know, people we’ve had to deal with in our own lives. She creates characters that I love and adore, and she creates characters I want to throat-punch. And both come together to create stories that feel real and relatable. The author truly captures the realistic inner dialogue and self-sabotage that comes with many plus-size women, including myself. It’s nice to see such a realistic portrayal of how I myself sometimes approach the world, the way I have too often allowed others to treat me.

There is a slow burn to this novel, as Matilda and Alec come together, first as friends and then later as loves. Both of them are navigating this new path from very different places, with very different experiences, and I think that’s what made their story so wonderful to read. There are some obstacles to their journey together, ones that were things I definitely could relate to. With the exception of her father, much of her family was utterly vile to her. They underappreciated her, based her worth upon her weight. I felt as if I were living my truth during these side storylines. People can be cruel to those who don’t fall under the traditional beauty standards, whether it’s weight-based or some other attribute. I hated that she went through that, with her own family as well as Alec’s brothers, but that felt real. That’s not an exaggeration of the situation, and I appreciated the author’s unwillingness to shy away from the less-than-pleasant parts. It made the romance that much sweeter!

Truly a great read!

About Kayt Miller

Kayt grew up in the midwest surrounded by a loving family which included three brothers, one sister, and parents who always fostered her creative side.

Kayt wrote her first book when she couldn’t find a story about a certain type of a woman and a specific kind of man. She called it Game Changer and it couldn’t have been a more appropriate title. It changed her life in many ways.

Her goal, as a writer, is to write stories that relate to all of us, to make readers laugh and maybe cry sometimes. Kayt hopes her readers can escape into a fantasy, one that’s actually possible. Sure, some of the stories are dubbed “Insta-love” but that’s okay.