Review of Size Matters by Stephanie Julian

Stephanie Julian
Size Matters
Ellora’s Cave, 2010

Backblurb:
Carrie Benton’s got the best job in the world working as a reporter for the Weekly News Journal. Chupacabra picnicking at the Jersey Shore? Check. Aliens in the White House? Absolutely. Bigfoot stalking the forests of northern Pennsylvania? Well, okay…but Bigfoot is so Left Coast.
Tim Sattazahn can’t believe his luck. The six-foot redhead who crashed into his forest during a snowstorm is gorgeous, funny and hot for him. Everything would be perfect except for the fact that she’s looking for Bigfoot.
And, unfortunately for Tim, she found him…

Genre & Keywords:
M/F, Paranormal, Shapeshifter, Big Foot

Why I read it:
I received a review copy from the author

My opinion in short:
Size Matters is a fun read, not only is it sexy as hell, it also made me laugh out loud several times. This novella has all the ingredients I love, packed in an incredibly small amount of pages. It has humor, very steamy scenes, a kick-ass heroine, an uber hot and strong male protag, sweetness, magic, a little bit of conflict, an interesting supernatural world and a happy ending. And let’s not forget the easy, compelling and fluent writing that makes you finish the book in one sitting, because you’re engrossed from the first sentence to the last. Of course, things all happen fairly fast, due to the length of the book. The hero and heroine fall in love in only a few days and the heroine accepts the magic quite quickly. But these things were rather logical and explained within the story, so they didn’t make me enjoy this story any less. Size Matters is a wonderful first installment of a series that promises to keep me enthralled.

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Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Heat level: 2.5 out of 3 flames
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What’s more to know about this book:
• Characters
Carrie is by no means afraid; she’s not afraid to do some research in the middle of nowhere, she’s not afraid to take charge in a sexual encounter with a stranger, and she’s not afraid when she sees a man shift to an animal form. That’s basically who she is, a kick-ass chick. And she happens to be tall and beautiful. All characteristics Tim feels very attracted to. He’s not a small man himself, close to seven feet, and rather muscle-bound and strong, which explains the attraction Carrie feels for him. It’s rare for her to encounter a man who's taller than her. What's more, he’s very gentle and ...uhm... naked when they first meet.
The character development in this novella is nominal, the focus is more on the physical attraction between the two protags.
A few of Tim’s friends are introduced as well, Fry and Andy, a fairy and a Yeti, who probably will play a role in one of the future installments of this series, because they are both so-called Fringe.
• POV
The point of view alternates between Carrie and Tim (in third person), starting out with Carrie, who immediately captured my attention with her open, honest and humorous string of thoughts. The switching between the two POVs is done smoothly and keeps the story interesting.
• Plot
Although events progress rather quickly, the plot is well-paced and has a pleasant unity of action. A few twists and turns had me raising my eyebrows in wonder, such as the fact that Tim thought it wise to undress Carrie and himself after he found her in an unconscious state. I did get that he’d stripped them both to warm her better in front of the fire, but why he’d tossed their underwear as well, puzzled me a bit. Another thing that felt a little too convenient was Carrie’s easy acceptance of the Fringe and Tim’s lack of restraint in telling her his secret. But I was willing to suspend my disbelief for the sake of the pace of the story.
• Smexing
M/F. The smexy scenes were excellent and thoroughly enjoyable, partly because they were written as if we were in one of the characters’ heads. The sexiness of the main protags didn’t hurt much either. Especially Tim’s physical characteristics are rather appealing, that is if you like your heroes big! Carrie does like her man oversized and she wholeheartedly thanks “whatever goddess handled huge guys with accessories to match”. She’s definitely one of those women who believe that size does matter. One way or the other, Carrie and Tim’s erotic encounters form an important part of the story and therefore it’s no hardship that they are well-written and scorching hot.
• Writing style
The most eye-catching element of Ms Julian’s writing is her sense of humor and the ability to convey her characters’ thoughts and dialogues in a natural, authentic way, which makes you feel instantly connected to the protags. Her writing style assures you of a light, pleasant read with lots of chuckles and laughter and some very expressive and colorful scenes.

A few favorite quotes:

Sure, she’d come across one or two things she couldn’t explain.
Cold spots, disembodied voices, Lady Gaga.
Unfortunately, Bigfoot was not one of them. (p. 4)

She wished she knew his name but didn’t want to embarrass herself or him by asking for it. Later, after she satisfied this urge to jump his bones, she’d figure it out.
Right now… not caring so much.
Especially when she wrapped one hand around his cock and realized her fingers didn’t meet.
Thank you, Goddess of…well, whatever goddess handled huge guys with accessories to match. (p. 9)

Damn, the guy was sexy as hell. Even his feet turned her on. They were lean and long and… Oh, for chrissakes, she was lusting after his feet. (p. 25)

Linking:
Stephanie Julian’s website | weblog | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads
Buy Size Matters here
Read an excerpt here

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