Hi, I’m Taylor… TCF’s resident Chief Story Stylist and your guide inside our plus size book club.
I’m leading the conversation, the content, and the reads that center and celebrate plus size people, love, and the kind of stories we deserve to see ourselves in. Around here, we’re not just reading books… we’re building a bookshelf that reflects us: our lives, our desires, and our main character energy.
And let me tell you… we are off to a start and keeping it going with Big Girl Blitz, by Danielle Allen. But, before we hop right on into it, let’s catch you up on what you missed with Only for the Week!
We officially kicked off our very first TCF Book Club meeting with Only for the Week by Natasha Bishop, and when I say we had a time? I mean laughter, passion, real talk about representation, and a whole lot of love for seeing a curvy Black woman centered in a story that is equal parts soft, spicy, and self-discovering.
It was everything this space is meant to be and somehow, it already feels bigger than us.
Now, as we close the chapter on our very first read, it’s time to turn the page.
The TCF Book Club: First Month, First Read, First Impressions
The conversations that came out of our first read were layered, honest, and deeply personal.
We talked about body image. About boundaries. About the quiet ways we’ve all been taught to shrink ourselves… and what it looks like to finally stop.
There was something powerful about being in a space with women who share similar lived experiences, yet bring completely different perspectives. We unpacked what we loved, what frustrated us, and yes, everything that had us blushing a little while reading.
Only for the Week didn’t just give us a story, it gave us a starting point. And we ran with it.
Janelle, Boundaries, and the Chaos We Couldn’t Look Away From
April’s Book of the Month took us on a full emotional rollercoaster.
Janelle, our plus size main character, finds herself at her sister’s destination wedding in Tulum… where said sister is marrying Janelle’s ex-boyfriend. Yes. That ex-boyfriend.
Naturally, the dynamic raised eyebrows. But what surprised us most was Janelle herself. She wasn’t heartbroken. She wasn’t clinging to the past. She was clear… this relationship no longer served her.
What did unfold, though, was something deeper. A pattern of imbalance. A sister who took endlessly. A family dynamic that lacked boundaries. And a woman who had spent far too long overgiving.
As one of our favorite takeaways goes: givers have to set limits, because takers rarely do.
Watching Janelle come into that realization in real time was both frustrating and deeply relatable.
Chemistry, Courage, and Choosing Yourself
Then there was Rome.
From the moment he stepped in, the chemistry was undeniable. The kind you can feel through the pages. What started as a “just for the week” situation quickly became something more layered, more intentional, and honestly, more healing than either of them expected.
But what we really connected with wasn’t just the romance. It was Janelle’s evolution.
She allowed herself pleasure without guilt.
She started setting boundaries that protected her peace.
She began stepping into the life she actually wanted… including pursuing her purpose as an OBGYN serving Black and POC women.
That kind of growth? We’re always going to root for it.
The Critiques We Had to Talk About
Of course, in our virtual meetings, we didn’t hold back.
Janelle’s hesitation to advocate for herself tested our patience. The male-centered moments raised valid side-eyes. And yes, we wanted more balance when it came to how she showed up for her friendships.
But what we landed on was this: growth isn’t linear, and it rarely happens perfectly.
If anything, Janelle’s journey reminded us that learning to choose yourself, especially after years of not doing so, can feel messy, uneven, and overdue.
And still, it’s worth it every time.
What We’re Taking With Us
Only for the Week gave us more than a storyline. It gave us language.
Language around boundaries.
Around self-worth.
Around the reality that loving someone does not mean tolerating mistreatment.
It reminded us that our needs deserve urgency. That advocating for ourselves is not optional. And that our lives belong to us… fully.
Let’s Blitz: May’s Book of the Month is BIG GIRL BLITZ by Danielle Allen
Now… let’s talk about what’s next!
May’s Book of the Month is Big Girl Blitz by Danielle Allen. This book is the third installment in the Curve Series, and one we already know is about to deliver.
This time, we’re following Jazmyn Payne, who is navigating one of the most difficult seasons of her life as someone she loves deeply faces illness.
But even in the heaviness, there’s softness.
There’s friendship, Aaliyah and Nina showing up the way real ones do.
There’s history, Jazmyn’s past experiences with fatphobia shaping how she moves through the world.
And then… there’s Lamar Anderson.
What begins as something unexpected might turn into something she isn’t quite prepared for. And the real question becomes: will she allow herself to receive it?
If you’ve read Danielle Allen before, you already know… she is intentional about the stories she tells and the women she centers. Her work consistently delivers layered characters, undeniable chemistry, and narratives that allow plus size women to exist fully in desire, complexity, and care.
With Big Girl Blitz, she continues to build on a world that has already resonated deeply with readers, expanding the Curve Series in a way that feels both timely and necessary. There’s a confidence in her storytelling; a trust that these characters deserve softness, passion, and depth without compromise.
And the response to Big Girl Blitz has only affirmed what many of us already know! Danielle Allen is building something meaningful with this series.
Early readers are praising the depth, the emotional honesty, and the way she continues to center plus size Black women in stories that allow them to be fully seen, desired, and complex. This isn’t just a new release, it’s a continuation of work that matters.
And as plus size readers, that kind of storytelling doesn’t just entertain… it affirms. It reminds us that we are worthy of being centered, desired, and fully seen on the page.
Join Us for Our Next TCF Book Club Meeting!
We’re officially stepping into our book of the month for May: Big Girl Blitz, a new conversation, and a new layer of this community… and YOU are invited.
Whether you’ve been reading along from the beginning or you’re just joining us, this is your moment to tap in.
We’ll be meeting inside the Lit Lounge, our TCF Style Society community, to break it all down. The themes. The characters. The moments that hit a little too close to home. All of it.
Next Meeting:
Saturday, May 16
10:30 AM PST / 1:30 PM EST
Hosted virtually via Zoom inside the Lit Lounge
Come ready to discuss, react, and fully settle into your reader era with us.
RSVP + Join the Lit Lounge →
Free to join. Good vibes required.
Here in the TCF Book Club, we are eager to experience the chemistry, tension, and spice of it all, because we know as plus size readers, Danielle Allen does not come to play, ok!
Bring your thoughts, opinions, theories, and notes to the next Book Club meeting Saturday, May 16th at 1:30pm EST/ 10:30am PST. We are going to discuss it all
