Measuring Up by Nyrae Dawn

Title: Measuring Up
Author: Nyrae Dawn
Blurb:
 Seventeen-year-old Annabel Conway is tired of the Hillcrest High School elite making her life miserable because she’s not a size two. This summer, she's hiring a personal trainer to help her lose weight.

Annabel doesn’t expect her trainer to be a gorgeous guy around her age. Boys like Tegan are jerks. They pretend to like girls like her so they can make an idiot out of them. Been there, done that. Totally not going there again. She kind of hates him on principal. Blond. Muscular. Funny. It doesn’t help that he knows her measurements!

Soon, Tegan's so much more than that. He’s the boy who teaches her to box when she has a bad day. Who jogs with her and lets her set the pace. Who kisses her until she melts. He makes her feel beautiful regardless of what the scale says. Unlike her mom, he doesn’t expect perfection, and he doesn't try to shield her from the world like her dad and best friend. Tegan likes her the way she is.

But what happens when he’s not there? He can’t always be there…

Will Annabel be able to stand on her own and learn that she already measures up? That her worth doesn’t lie in what the world thinks, the scale says, or even what Tegan tells her—but in herself? 

Links:

Measuring Up on Goodreads

Measuring Up on Amazon

Nyrae Dawn's website
 
 Kala's Review:

I really liked this book! I wasn't sure what to expect, especially with an author willing to tackle an overweight heroine and I was pleasantly surprised.

Annabel was a great character. The author did an amazing job of fleshing her out (no pun intended) and as someone who has struggled with weight issues, I could 10000% understand exactly how Annabel was feeling. The author really was spot on with the insecurity and the bullying and the struggle to make the right choices and the even harder struggle to walk in to that gym every day... I was really impressed.

Tegan was also a well thought out character, though I'll admit I hated his name. He was smart and funny, but also flawed. He had some major issues he had to work out and I think for awhile Annabel had him up on the 'perfect pedestal' which caused some major issues in their relationship when his flaws finally came to light.

I LOVED the progression of their relationship. It seemed very natural and real and believable. They fell in love quickly, but not instantly. They got to know each other some first and I liked that a lot.

The parents in this book were also great. While Annabel gets bullied at school in an obvious way, she gets it worse at home in a much more subtle way. Her parents aren't trying to be cruel to her, but in the ways they try to help her, they end up hurting her self esteem even more. I like how Annabel eventually comes to terms with this and gains self confidence on her own without the author having her parents do a sudden personality switch and become perfect.

Overall, great story. I'm definitely going to be checking out more books by this author.

4 of 5 stars. :)

Link to Kala's review on Goodreads:
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/409164285