Humor, angst, and authentic characters, what’s not to love?

I’m a huge fan of the romantic comedy. Whether it’s in books or movies, I want to laugh and feel good. Especially now, with a treasonous racist, rapist, mentally diminished fuck in the White House during a pandemic, I need some damn laughs! KD Williamson delivered and then some.

Big Girl Pill centers on the on-going relationship between Maya and Nina, close friends in college who were much less close after a drunken night of sex. A couple years later, Maya is heading home to be in Nina’s wedding. To a dude. Yes, Nina is struggling with denial regarding her bisexuality and a host of other issues, too.

Besides the humor and gaming references (bonus points for that), there’s also plenty of angst surrounding Nina’s mother (boo!), her job (yay Allie, boo co-workers!), and her growing sense of self and confidence (yay!).

When I mentioned on Goodreads that I was reading this book, someone replied that, while she enjoyed Williamson’s writing, her prolific use of profanity was too much for her. I can understand that. Profanity isn’t something that bothers me. I’m a USMC veteran raised in a household headed by a USMC veteran so the word fuck was a frequently dropped by me as “the” until we had a kid and learned quickly that he’ll repeat things we don’t want him to.

With that said, there were a couple of times while reading Big Girl Pill where I was pulled from an emotionally charged scene (both were during inner monologues) because of a “fuck” that seemed completely out of place. I still was able to relate to the character and get the emotional connection I was supposed to have but it was jarring. But, again, the overall use of forms of fuck didn’t bother me but if it bothers you, you’ve been warned.

The flow and pacing of the book was well done and the characters and dialogue felt authentic. The main characters were flawed but loving and caring and grew throughout the journey. I cheered several times for Nina as she grew and found her strength. I ended the book with a big smile on my face and that feeling that you get when you really connect with the characters. I’m going to miss them.

Thanks to Dirt Road Books for the ARC of Big Girl Pill! Yes, I know this book came out last year… I am legit the worst advanced reader in the world.