I was just recording my session for Chicago Spring Fling about fat rep in romance. One thing I say in that talk is that I wish there were more romances with fat MCs where fatness isn't actually a significant part of the story.

And that's what I do for most of my books. BUT.

SPOILER ALERT is an exception, and I want to explain why.

I had things I wanted to say about fat-shaming. On a societal level, yes, but also how it can manifest in personal relationships and within families.

Specifically, I wanted to show that particular type of fat-shaming being countered on-page and not excused because people "meant well" or cared about the person they were hurting.

Too many times in fat romance, it seems as if the MCs are expected to learn to love themselves despite how friends and family members may harm them--and also expected to accept that harm as inevitable and the necessary price of having family/friends.

April, my fat MC, doesn't need to learn to love herself. She already does. She does, however, need to draw boundaries to protect herself, because she DOES love herself. And (SPOILER ALERT, haha) she does indeed draw those boundaries.

So, yes, fatness is a significant part of the story. But any fat-shaming is NOT self-directed, it's NOT coming from April's love interest, and it IS countered in various ways.

I hope you'll love the story. And no matter what, it was a story I wanted to tell, and I'm so very glad I have a place to tell it.