Disclaimer: I received an eARC through HTP Book Tours and NetGalley in exchange for a spotlight post and review consideration. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This is a tougher one for me to review. I loved the premise and storyline and I loved most of the characters, but I did have some issues with the main character, Poppy.

Poppy is very defeatist, she feels that nothing will ever happen for her because of her size. And she continues to blame every negative thing that comes up, whether it is a true problem or not, on her weight. She catastrophizes constantly, and has a very negative attitude. Even when I thought she had shown growth and was coming to understand her own value, one small issue set her off again in a very big way.

I loved the writer’s retreat and everyone involved in it, and I loved the relationship that Poppy had with aunt Margot before she passed away.

Poppy’s relationship with her family is very complicated, and a lot of her image problems can be laid right at her mother’s feet. But Poppy internalized them so much they grew tenfold. Her older brother didn’t understand the tension between them and her father was pretty much completely absent.

Ultimately there is growth and Poppy does learn her value, but not before almost burning everything to the ground, including her relationship with Oliver. The ending is hopeful and optimistic. And I wish that I could climb into the pages to attend the writing retreat in the South of France.