Review: He Loves Lucy

Title: He Loves Lucy
Author: Susan Donovan
Pages: 338
Rating: 3.5/5

WHEN A JUNK FOOD ADDICT WITH A HEART OF GOLD...
Marketing exec Lucy Cunningham is thrilled when her firm lands The Palm Club account. The campaign concept for Miami's hottest fitness club was Lucy's idea: take one fitness-challenged woman, put her in front of TV cameras, and into the hands of the club's top personal trainer, Theo Redmond. And there's a big cash reward for each pound shed. It seems like a brilliant idea-until Lucy gets picked to be the guinea pig. It's obvious she needs to drop the pounds, but the idea of letting it all hang out in front of some Malibu Ken jock has her choking on her Milk Duds before she even begins!

MEETS A FITNESS BUFF WITH BUNS OF STEEL...
After one meeting, Theo knows Lucy will be his toughest client and one of the most unforgettable women he'll ever meet. Smart-mouthed and stubborn, it's clear she isn't fond of marching to anyone's drumbeat but her own. But she shocks Theo by rising to the challenge like a pro. And he finds his heart in jeopardy long before Lucy starts to slim down and turn heads.

THEY FIND THE PERFECT RECIPE TO FALL IN LOVE!
As Lucy sweats her way into a whole new life, things start to heat up between her and Theo. But trust doesn't come easy for either of them. They've both been burned by romance in the past. Now Lucy and Theo are about to discover that appearances can be deceiving-and in the end, true love lies somewhere between pizza and Pilates...(Cover Blurb)

Susan Donovan was a new to me author. I've hear a lot of talk about her most recent book The Girl Most Likely Too, and I was looking forward to reading it. However, I've yet to get it and He Loves Lucy was on my shelf, so I read this one instead. I really loved the concept of this story. I really like stories with "larger" heroines considering the fact that I am not a size 2 myself. However, I guess I get irritated with them always losing weight and getting skinny when they are getting the guy. Can't a big girl stay big and still get the girl?

I really like the heroine of the story, Lucy. I thought she was down to earth and spunky and had a lot of great characteristics. Theo, the hero, wasn't bad but he kinda reminded me of my elementary school gym teacher, which I think ruined the moment for me. However, their love story is strong and could really happen in everyday life. One thing I really enjoy in a book is strong secondary characters and I felt like they were really lacking in this one. I never felt like a made a connection at all with any of them, except for Theo's brother Buddy.

Lastly, I had to rate this book just a tad lower because there were some major editing mistakes. Take this for example:

Theo tossed his clipboard on the reception counter and cupped Lucy's elbow, turning her toward the elevators as he chuckled...As they walked down the three flights of stairs to the lobby on Washington Ave, Lucy checked out her trainer from the corner of her eye and, as she always did, wondered how much more she weighed than the person next to her..."Are you originally from Miami Lucy?" The elevator doors opened and they headed for the street and into the pleasant, saltwater-scented city air (Page 9)

I didn't type out the full passage, but hopefully you get my drift. I must have read this section three times trying to figure out if they took the stairs or if they took the elevator. I'm still not quite sure :)