14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A wonderful book., March 20, 2000
By A Customer
This review is from: Whole Lot Of Love (Silhouette Desire, 1281) (Paperback)
This is a lovely story that makes use of a common plot line: a less-than-physically-perfect woman falls for an incredibly handsome man, who slowly convinces her of her worth. The best thing about this book was that the female protagonist is not a pushover; she did not spend the entire book wallowing in self-misery or "poor, plain little me" sentiments. Another thing I also liked was the fact that she did not "magically" lose weight by the end, like several other books making use of the same premise (Jude Devereux's "Wishes", for example). This is a great, real, warm read that I highly recommend!
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16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Another RITA award for Justine Davis?, May 17, 2000
This review is from: Whole Lot Of Love (Silhouette Desire, 1281) (Paperback)
Layla Laraway telephones Ethan Winslow asking if he'd be willing to be auctioned off at a date auction fundraiser for Alzheimer's research. Ethan is captivated by Layla's silky, sensual voice and her equally smooth, friendly but persuasive manner.
Layla knows how it will be when Ethan sees her in person, though; it happens every time. His face will register his shock and disappointment that her body doesn't match her sexy voice. After all, she is a big woman--5' 10" and not at all thin. I picked this book up at the recommendation of Mona and others on Romance Readers Anonymous--I was so glad to finally find a romance with a large size heroine!
However, at first, I felt kind of gyped that this large size heroine was probably only a size 14, maybe 16 (numbers aren't given). To me, a size 28, that's almost as alien as a size 8! At first I felt like, "What the hell is she bitching about, she probably doesn't weigh more than 160 or maybe 175 at most!" But then I remembered how I felt back in the days when I was that size--I thought I was huge, and everyone else thought I was too, and didn't hesitate to tell me. I had boyfriends just like the jerk Layla dated, Wayne. So I got to be okay with Layla being big but not super size. However, I still feel kind of sold out that her physical fitness was so emphasized. Yes, being fit is A Very Good Thing, and certainly one needs to be fit to sail (as she and Ethan do)... but it made me feel like, okay, she's fit so that makes her being large acceptable--if she wasn't fit, she wouldn't be acceptable.
Overall I'm VERY pleased that Justine wrote this and that it got published. I know that a few years ago editors and agents felt that the market wasn't ready for a queen size heroine. I'm glad that someone big (different kind of big ;) and respected in the genre (Justine has won a few RITAs) could start pushing at the market limits and show that yes, we readers want some characters like this! It's a step in the right direction, just not as big a step as I had hoped.
I am also impressed by the cover. I usually ignore covers as best I can because the artist's renderings rarely match up with the picture I have of the characters in my mind's eye. On this one, the heroine is actually shown as described--black dress, blond hair up (tho I hope she did the front of it better than the artist did), and--gasp!--not thin! Not fat by any means, but very curvy and well-rounded. Yay!
A WHOLE LOT OF LOVE isn't just for big women, of course--it's for anyone who likes a touching story of real people, told by a master who not only gives her characters growth, but teaches the reader more about herself. I enjoyed Layla and Ethan's banter and the way they *talked* to each other (and listened!) and had a good time together. The Alzheimer's part (both Layla and Ethan work in different aspects of Alzheimer's research) was VERY well done--one scene near the end brought tears to my eyes--and I think could serve well as a guidebook of how to act and not act around people afflicted by Alzheimer's and similar conditions.
Thanks to the folks on RRA-L for the heads up on this book. Thanks to Silhouette for publishing it. And very very big thanks to Justine Davis for writing it--I think for this one you deserve another RITA.
Kimberly Borrowdale, Under the Covers Book Reviews
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17 of 20 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
I feel a glom coming on!, May 27, 2000
This review is from: Whole Lot Of Love (Silhouette Desire, 1281) (Paperback)
I read mostly historical romance, with a smattering of contemporary and series romance. Most often, a series romance is like snack food for me, and not a true meal. Sorry about the food references in regards to this book, but the analogy is generally fitting. However, Justine Davis' A Whole Lot of Love, which features a handsome and brilliant executive who just so happens to be kind as well, and a woman who's been told all her life that she has "such a pretty face!", is definitely more than snack food.
This is my first book by this author, and I've already decided she's worth a glom, because she managed to create real people in this book. There's no hero who does hurtful things in a fit of pique, there's no heroine who behaves in accordance with the story as opposed to the story progressing naturally because of the characters. And, thank goodness, there's no villain or suspense sub-plot.
No, there's just two people who are more than their appearances would lead you to believe - two people who have to work through painful issues that are holding them back.
I recommend this book strongly, and hope author Davis will write a story for the heroine's best friend and another for the hero's sister. They deserve to find love too!
TTFN, Laurie Likes Books
Publisher, All About Romance
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