Take Me

Take Me by Bella Andre was a terrific story that I could not stop reading. The story is about loving yourself for who you are inside and not what you look like on the outside and that you deserve to be loved. Lily is asked by her sister to be a last-minute model in her fashion show and she balks at the thought of displaying her body in front of others due to being overweight. She calls her best friend, Luke to come support her but he's unexpectedly called to ER. Instead, his twin brother, Travis shows up instead and things turn hot and heavy between Lily and Travis despite years of ignoring each other in the past. Travis is a macho ladies' man and felt insecure at expressing or showing his feelings of sorrow when he lost his mother to cancer. He felt Lily could see inside his soul even at age ten, so he pushed her away. Now, as they embark on a passionate affair, Lily still doesn't believe that her relationship with Travis will last and now the one-time ladies' man must get Lily to trust in him to love her as the beautiful woman she is. The character of Lily was so relatable since most of us struggle with our weight and lack of self-confidence. I also enjoyed Travis as he showed his inner insecurities and made him more lovable. I found myself rooting for this couple to get past all their issues and get their happy ending.

I liked Love Me by this author and so was inspired to read Take Me, which preceded it. I think these characters we much more well-developed and convincing and I liked the theme of finding self-acceptance reflected in the Lily character. Like many other reviewers, I had a little trouble with her uninhibited vixen in the bedroom but insecure mess outside of the bedroom routine. I think it unlikely that a woman who feels insecure about her body could masturbate in front of a man who she thinks is physically out of her league. Still, I enjoyed the emotional tug-of-war between them and his gradual realization that his aversion to her was more about being afraid to get in touch with his emotions. And of course, the idea that women who are not the physical ideal can find love and passion without having to endure some kind of Hollywood makeover is always a welcome message. The makeover happened, but it was more about Lily realizing her beauty than becoming someone else entirely on the outside, and that was refreshing. Finally, I liked that Travis was not the stereotypical "emotionally-closed-off-for-reasons-that-are-completely-obscure" romantic hero, but someone who had a little more dimension and depth than that - we actually got to understand the reasons he behaved the way he did, and they were convincing reasons.Oh, and there were great sex scenes as well, did I mention that? :-)

I'm not sure if the book is truly worthy of 5 stars, I like Bella Andre well enough but wouldn't say she's one of my favorite authors, but since I've given other books by her 4 stars that I liked less than this one, I felt it was only right to give it 5. As somebody who has never been and will never be a size 0, I enjoy books that feature a heroine that you can truly believe in and root for (sometimes that perfectly thin, supermodel gorgeous girls that fall in love with the perfectly-toned supermodel gorgeous guy gets a little old). When you read the love story of a girl like Lily, it gives a girl hope that that can be you - that normal, everyday girls, can have a once-in-a-lifetime kind of romance too. That this book had a trip to Italy in it, was only icing on the cake for my Italian heart!

I suppose a good editing job and some more information would have been helpful to really enjoying this one! I am a huge fan of Bella Andre. I have read and re-read the Sullivan Series.This book is a great beginning to an interesting story. The characters are great and likeable. The one thing I wasn't sure of is how quickly they made major changes. I don't know how a woman self conscious of her body suddenly over comes everything, especially the end. How a man so concerned with arm candy, suddenly makes a huge change to going with his gut. The part I found to be the most interesting, and most neglected in this book, was re entry into life upon returning from Italy.I am still a fan, but I didn't think this was quite finished. I want to know more.

Being a BBW myself, I found this book to be supremely evocative! And superbly romantic! And deliciously erotic! What a treat to read! For any woman, large or small, with self-confidence issues, this book will make you laugh and cry. An absolutely wonderful story of love and passion. Lily learns to love herself, which is the most important ingredient in her love for the man she falls for and accidentally marries in Tuscany. And as she discovers who she is, Travis discovers who he needs to be, who he wants to be, for her. Brilliant story, with such erotic lovemaking scenes! Worth whatever you pay for it! Five enthusiastic stars!

This story is many girls dream... Good-looking guy who never paid attention to her, so she thought, because she felt it was her weight. Girl is beautiful inside and out and has a tender and big heart. Guy is detached from people and refuses to allow anyone to get too close, even his own brother. Together they find out who they are and what they want out of life in the process find a special and passionate love. The only complaint I have, which is why I did not give it a five star rating, is how long she wines towards the end about her disbelief that she can be truly loved by this man. He has proven himself repeatedly, but her hand ringing lasts a little bit too long. However, other than that it was a great book. It makes you laugh, a little hot and bothered and even cry a little bit.