Book Review: Out of the Blue by Alison Bliss

About the Book:

Title: Out of the BLue

Author: Alison Bliss

Series: A Perfect Fit #4

Page Length: 368

Publication Date: Feb. 1, 2022

Publisher: Forever

Synopsis: The course of true love was never supposed to start on a stair climber…
 
Preslee Owens has never worked out in a gym before. Like truly never. Until today. As she struggles to stay upright on the stair climber, she accidentally broadcasts a vlog that lets complete strangers—and even worse, people in her own small town–witness the hilarious start to her fitness journey. To her surprise and mortification, viewers love it.
 
The positive reaction leaves Preslee with no choice but to return—and the discovery that her unrequited crush, Josh, works out in the same gym is a big bonus. It also helps that her new personal trainer is making sure she doesn’t kill herself in the process. In fact, Adam has even offered to pretend to be her boyfriend to help make Josh a little jealous.
 
Having Adam cheering her on brings out a strength and confidence Preslee barely recognizes in herself. And soon she’s enjoying being his fake girlfriend waaay too much. But will her newfound courage allow her to face her biggest fear yet and seize the life she truly wants?   

LINKS:   Goodreads   |    Amazon

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My Review:

Out of the Blue is the fourth book in Alison Bliss’s A Perfect Fit series. The story is told from two perspectives, Preslee’s and Adam’s, which I liked because you get to understand the thoughts, feelings, and motivations of both characters. Preslee Owens is a new client at a local gym where Adam is the owner and personal trainer. After a terrible first-time experience at the gym, complete with a viral vlog of her stair master mishap, Preslee has no intention of going back and reliving the mortifying experience. But her viewers loved the video, and when handsome Adam offers to train her and pretend to be her boyfriend to get her crush jealous, Preslee agrees. As the pair grows closer, Preslee and Adam can’t deny their growing feelings and must decide if they want to take a chance on a love that came out of the blue.

I thought Preslee was a dynamically developed protagonist and so relatable. As a plus-size woman, I understood her fears and insecurities, as well as her struggles. She doesn’t always make the best choices, and her road to wellness isn’t smooth, which made her all the more relatable. She is a bold and confident woman, yet she is also vulnerable and sensitive. There are many layers to her character, and I love that she takes this journey for herself. She’s not trying to impress a man or lose weight for someone else. She’s trying to change her habits and live a healthier lifestyle for herself and no one else.

Preslee also realizes that she must face some issues that attributed to her weight gain in order to really get healthy and have a fuller life, which was important to her growth. The story definitely addresses some tough subjects about health, weight, past trauma, and more, but it’s balanced nicely with the romance and more light-hearted scenes.

Adam is an amazing love interest, and he was fantastic from the start. He is so supportive and sweet, and the perfect person to help Preslee on her journey. As the owner and personal trainer of the gym, Adam is dedicated to his job and helpful to his clients. And the way he treats Preslee is wonderful. Preslee can’t believe that a gorgeous man like Adam would ever find a bigger girl like her attractive, but she is so wrong!! Adam thinks she is beautiful from their first meeting, and he admires her curves. He is so patient and thoughtful, and it’s clear that Preslee’s weight loss goals are her goals, not his. He doesn’t want to change her and appreciates and likes her as she is. Of course, Adam is also motivated by a bet he made with his best friend to get Preslee to train with him at the gym, which pushes him and Preslee together even more, and their witty banter, sexually charged interactions, and budding romance are lovely.

I enjoyed this story. It’s fun and funny, and there are some great laugh-out-loud moments. Preslee and Adam are great protagonists, and their romance is amazing!!! I also thought there were some strong messages about wellness, healthy living, societal pressures, self-esteem, and more. Though this is the fourth book in the series, it can easily be read as a standalone, and I would definitely recommend it to readers of rom-coms or contemporary romance. Special thanks to Forever Publishing for sending me a copy of the book. All thoughts are my own.

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Rating:

Favorite Parts:

• The romance.

• The strong messages.

• The character development.

Recommendations:

I would recommend Out of the Blue to readers who enjoy contemporary romance.