Big Girl Blitz by Danielle Allen: A Spoiler-Free Review of the Curves Series Finale

Hi Librarygoer!

It’s been a minute … mostly because my reading has taken a backseat to querying!

Smoochpit provided great exposure and I’m even more invigorated to get Leela & Braxton’s story on the shelves. I’m in the waiting period right now so please send me all of your good wishes, good vibes, and if you know any agents into a second-chance Black romance where an heiress returns to her small town of billionaires to cut her parental puppet strings and win her way back into the good graces of the man from the other side of the tracks she was forced to leave behind—please send them my way!

In addition to all things revisions and querying, I took some time to build a website that embodies Aleia Bennett and my writing journey so far. Namely, it chat’s Leela & Braxton’s story along with my current WIP.

If you want to hear more about my writing, let me know below! I’m thinking more about what I want this space to look like (and some really cool things coming up with Double Booked) but for now, let’s talk about an AMAZING book releasing today.

Big Girl Blitz by Danielle Allen

I had the honor of snagging a physical arc from Bramble at Love Y’all and have been savoring it the last few weeks. I have a love/hate relationship with the last book in a series because I never want it to end but I’m so ready to learn the story of the friend that’s been patiently waiting in the wings for their love story.

This did NOT disappoint. I enjoyed celebrating this release at her Atlanta tour stop and feel like this book will be my personality for the longest time.

Happy Reading!

-Aleia

CW: Fatphobia, high school mean girls that never grew up, illness/passing of a loved one

Jazmyn Payne fled her hometown—and the fatphobes who made her life hell– the minute she graduated high school. Growing up, her haven was her Aunt Addison, and when her health takes a drastic turn, she insists that Jazz should spice up her life. Emphasis on spice.

But dating is the last thing Jazz had on her mind.

Until Lamar Anderson sits next to her at the local sports bar. He is sexy, fun, and refreshingly drama free. With him she’s able to pretend that everything is alright. But as real life intrudes, Jazz has to decide if she can leave the past where it belongs…for a love that she deserves.

There are girl groups that you’re sad to let go. The ladies of the Curves series are absolutely that for me.

If you’re new to the Curves series, each book is about one of three plus-size friends and the stories all overlap. So I’ve been wondering about Jazz and her mystery man since 2024 and now that I got to meet him? Whew! I’m pretty sure my Kindle would have exploded if I hadn’t had the pleasure of reading a physical copy.

I love so much about this couple. They meet at a bar back home while visiting their neighboring small towns which they both escaped for different reasons and in a few minutes time they click over watching a rerun of a football game. They laugh, they flirt, they talk maximum amounts of shit and you feel every ounce of their immediate chemistry.

It’s palpable and it’s also the kind of moment that every person exasperated by app life wishes they could have for themselves. And when Jazz’s past shows up to try to take every bit of her sunshine from her, Lamar doesn’t back down. He stands in the gap to protect her and he does it over and over.

He does it without asking, without recognition, and because making her life easier brings him joy.

I LOVE that for her.

While he’s out and about taking care of her emotional, and physical (whewwwwww again!) needs, she’s feeding him spiritually too. She spoke so much life into him! When they meet they are both going through major transitions in their lives. Jazz’s favorite aunt is succumbing to a long illness and he’s having a major breakthrough in his career. It’s a very inconvenient time to fall in love but they do. Lamar works hard to balance his career and showing her how important she is to him and Jazz is stepping fully into the fact that she gets to live life, not let it happen to her.

Now, there were a couple times I wanted to shake Jazz and say “that man loves you, stop tripping!” but she had a lot to overcome from the perfectionist spirit her parents raised her to embody.

Another reason I loved this? The spice was top, top tier! They were long distance for much of the book but that didn’t stop them from putting in work every time they saw each other. The scenes also felt palpable, almost like you were intruding on their intimacy but also they wouldn’t have realized you were there because they were so wrapped up in each other.

Voyeurism would never actually enter their would never actually happen because Lamar is so respectful of Jazz. Early on you see him try not to touch her or kiss her because he’s afraid of passing a boundary. It’s so adorable. Jazz does not want adorable.

Jazz and Lamar’s love is very central to the story but we also get great glimpses into the life of Aaliyah and Nina (and their partners) and a lot of healing within Jazz’s family unit.

It was a phenomenal end to the series and worth every page turn and then some (no, really, because I want more!)

Aaliyah needs a date to her 30th birthday party and decides to enter her dating app era to find said date. She has a relatively easy time finding people to date once—but never has a good enough reason to date them a second time. This is something that Ahmad, the bartender at the restaurant where the dates take place. Pretty soon he’s her dating coach and their banter is the best part of her date nights.

Nina is the homie for real. I LOVE an FMC without a filter and a lot of well-earned audacity. She’s a plus-size fashion and lifestyle influencer with a roster of men she keeps around to collectively meet her needs. Russ is on the roster as “The Fun One” and he catches Nina off-guard when she finds herself ready to commit to just one man. Which is strange enough for Nina … and then enter some very delicious chaos.

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Today is a gorgeous release day in Black romance.

In addition to Big Girl Blitz, today is the release day for The Art of Loving You by Natasha Bishop, and the trad debut of Revive Me: Part One by J.L. Seegars.

A few other recent and upcoming releases I have my eye on:

• (Available Now) The Bridge Back to You by Riss M. Neilson - a delicious amount of forearm porn featuring a chef and the woman who literally ran away from him.

• (Available Now) Elizabeth Stephens newest, A Monstrous Need, book is available instantly when you back the Bonkers Romance Bluebeard fairy tale project.

• (Today, April 14th) Chrysalis by B.B. Reid - I got sucked into book one of this very, very dark Goldilocks retelling and will be getting my hands or eyeballs on a copy ASAP.

• (April 21st) Wild Darlin’ (A Cowboy Omegaverse) by Amy Oliveira - this is a new to me author but I’m always here for small town, why choose, omegaverse stories IN COLOR!

• (April 28th) Struck Speechless by Tati Richardson - I never skip a Tati or T.M. Richardson book and cannot because I love reading about grown-ups living a little whimsy!

Checkout more 2026 releases below ↓

Is this rocketing to the top of your TBR? Tell me if Sports Romance or instant chemistry are doing it for you!

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