That said, experiences vary widely and so do tastes. The important and very good news is that, increasingly, readers who want more diversity in their romantic fiction don’t always have to make a terrible trade-off between romance that ignores fat people and romance that traumatizes them or reproduces traditional social hierarchies about size and gender. To recognize that progress and help folks find what they need, I’ve made a list of must-read recent romances with fat or plus-size main characters. This list blends romance that celebrates and embraces their MCs with those that delve into the challenges of being fat in this world with sensitivity and care. What’s especially nice about the romance genre in this moment is its range. This selection encompasses many different types of diversity: race, gender identity, sexuality, and also sub-genre. There are romcoms, erotic romance, and suspense in the mix.
For More information on Fat Representation in Romance see:
The Troubling Gap Between Fat Representation and Fat Acceptance. Part 1 of this two-part dive. That cracked me up. They were funny, steamy, tender, and soft all at the same time. In conversation, the two acknowledge that society isn’t supportive of Black women no matter how beautiful and brilliant and generally confident they are. And so Brooklyn, the woman at the center of their new triad, is all that, but that outside pressure sometimes takes a toll. It’s realistic yet wonderfully nuanced and balanced. Xeni is great fat representation and great romance for several reasons. First, because the story acknowledges Mason’s size and the way people sometimes fail to accommodate. Second, the text accomplishes that without centering or pathologizing his weight. Moreover, Xeni and Mason have a playful rapport, and are kind and lovely to each other. Though the forced marriage situation adds a touch of unreality, their banter and connection is very genuine. And, last but not least, Xeni stands out for its upfront and matter-of-fact portrait of bisexual lead characters. Meeting a handsome Hollywood star at the Vanity Fair Oscars party and dancing the night away is just the icing on the cake and no more, or at least that’s what she thinks. But Sam Pleasant is more than eye candy, he’s a total sweetheart. Despite their different positions in the world, Sam and Amanda really hit it off. It’s clear they share the same values and tastes and have red hot chemistry. They also have solid banter and a real relationship that we see develop organically on the page. Sam cares about her as a person, and he opens his home, his family, and his heart to her with ease. A caveat: By making its protagonists part of the entertainment industry, it places Amanda in an an environment where she can not be fully insulated from toxic standards. Readers who want romance to explore some of issues that women face in Hollywood, but also want a robust romance that doesn’t let those conflicts overshadow the love story will really appreciate the balance this book strikes. The book may not be a good fit for those who want to steer away from negative tropes surrounding size. It gets even better from there. A wealthy and sheltered young Black British woman has a not-so-near death experience and decides to radically change her life for the better. Chloe Brown doesn’t look or sound like any character I’ve seen before. She’s intelligent, genuinely witty, and she’s also a fuller figured woman living with chronic illness. Her challenges go way beyond the typical negative self talk and stubborn miscommunication and they don’t center on her size. The writing is vivid, full of rich, specific detail, crisp and quotable. The thing I admire the most is that this book doesn’t just tell the reader how special Chloe is; it shows you. As in the passage above, Chloe’s interior monologue is funny, her voice unique. What makes this special is that wonderful blend of froth and depth. Zaf is a cuddly bear, but he has deep emotional scars and anxiety. Dani is cuddly too, to some extent, but prickly as well. She too has scar tissue from past relationships with partners who really didn’t understand her drive. Zaf does too. They both already know and care for each other as friends, plus Zaf has the emotional intelligence and has done the work to know how to be an excellent partner. It’s a pleasure to watch them work it out. This one has real conflict, but none of it revolves around size. In truth, commitment is truly what they both want, but pride and preconceptions keep getting in the way. When Nina takes refuge in James’s home and under his care and protection, forced proximity finally forces them to realize they’ve both been pining for the same thing. Romance lovers will appreciate the skill with which Hibbert deftly weaves together several beloved romantic tropes into one compact package. And those craving a fat leading man will appreciate the way that Nina thinks about James. The writing in those sections is scrumptious. Hibbert delivers sex and body positivity without qualification. The truth is Sol was stuck in his grief for a while. When he sees an adorable, plus-size Disney princess–looking woman in his lobby, he’s intrigued. He thinks Arianna Barrington, AKA “Rain,” just might be the distraction he needs, and he provides the adventure that she didn’t know she was missing. Even after finishing her masters in social work, Rain’s mother still sees her as a pawn to marry off to the most strategic match. Though she’s determined to forge her own path, first what she really needs is a break. The two enter into a short-term relationship that is initially driven by attraction, restlessness, and curiosity. Sol introduces Rain to kink and power play. He becomes her dom and she his submissive. They’re lovely together and soon discover that there’s more to them than chemistry. That sexual exploration is the central driver of the story, but at the same time “His instinct was to take care of her however she needed to be taken care of.” What little conflict there is stems from outside, the unstoppable force of her ambitious momma who is determined to bring her daughter to heel and back into the family fold by any means necessary, even if she has to ruin her daughter’s new boyfriend to do so. The King of Bourbon Street is renowned among some reviewers for its positive and loving representation of its fat heroine. The text neither ignores nor downplays Rain’s shape. We often see her through Sol’s eyes. Though the story is told in the third person, we’re privy to Sol and Rain’s thoughts. While she has a few moments of insecurity, overall she knows who she is and that how he cares for her is how it should be. She’s smart, kind, and beautiful. He relishes every inch of her from her thighs to her bounce and it is glorious to behold. The only thing that doesn’t work is the cover which doesn’t look anything like these characters, but that’s not under the author’s control. Maya is a “cam girl” with a regular client, Kenny, whom she quite enjoys seeing in their weekly sessions. It was never in either of their plans to catch feelings, but here they are: there are real feelings on both sides of the camera. Unfortunately, and unbeknownst to her, Kenny originally started seeing her when he was surveilling her for an operation. That he’s been a client complicates things. The fact that he’s been hiding who he really is makes it far worse. Eventually, he has to come clean. Maya could be the key to finally taking down his true target, and the stakes are high. The guy is an international arms dealer. Their chemistry is even stronger in person than it was online, but the deception is a real barrier between them. Nonetheless, they have to pretend to be a couple for the sake of the mission. It’s a great setup and Jackson executes it well. Private Eye is a real fan favorite. I especially like blogger Jazmen’s description: “Think Fifty Shades of James Bond—but classier and way less misogynistic.” The way Dade writes love scenes between these two is authentic and humane. It’s all the more romantic for acknowledging the awkwardness. Plus, Martin may be rusty, but he gets an A for communication and consent right off the bat. This smart, funny, and steamy book centers a scientist who writes fan fiction of her favorite show and cosplays in her free time, and then ends up dating the star of that show. Marcus looks perfect but has his own pain to deal with. In the beginning it’s April who has a hard time seeing below the surface to the real, intelligent human beneath the shiny facade. It’s a thoughtful, surprising, and emotionally satisfying contemporary romance that does a lot of things incredibly well. This novella exemplifies the concept and significance of own voices. The author wrote about the intricacies of what it’s like to be fat and trans and disabled because they experienced all of those things themselves. They also enjoyed an insider’s understanding of dominance and submission. It’s great representation because it’s just wonderfully humane and specific. Corey Alexander’s Fave Fat Rep I Read In 2019 is a great resource if you’re looking for romance that doesn’t fall into these sorts of negative tropes. [Alexander, also known as Xan West, recently died, but their legacy lives on with their wonderful body of work, much of which focuses on inclusion.] Olivia Dade’s YouTube presentation on fat representation in romance. Book Rioter Jessica Pryde also compiled a list of romance with fat main characters.
