This book was absolutely gorgeous! I adored Lily and her journey to discovering who she really is. Oozing with body positivity, lush relationships, a wonderful single Mum and so much more. Lily's story had everything I needed!

Can we talk about how great it is to see big girls properly represented?!

Bethany has done it again with this one. Brilliant written. Wonderfully funny. Totally heartwarming.

This was a gorgeous YA read and the leading female was plus-size which was very admirable to see, as this isn't a regular occurrence in books, although it is progressing and we love to see it.

I loved the main character in this. She’s got a larger figure and loves the way she looks. This seems to be so rare for ya books and it was refreshing to see her get the attention over her, as she quotes ‘gorgeous twin sister’.

Thank you to the publisher for my eARC copy of this book. This was a nice read with likeable characters and a good story.

I loved Bethany’s first book, No Big Deal, and I think that left high expectations for this book which unfortunately wasn’t as good. It’s a great easy read but it just lacked a bit of substance. Nothing much really seemed to happen but we also didn’t really get to know the characters that well. However, we love a fat babe who loves herself and calls people out on their fatphobia.

I think it is a great book for teens to read to see that uni isn’t the only option for them. This book also covers important topics like racism and homophobia and yay for some Bi representation. I did think the ending was predictable and a bit rushed but it was cute in the end. However, the middle part was kinda awkward.

All in all, I’d say it’s a nice quick and easy body positive read for teens in that in between stage who are maybe figuring out their sexuality or what they want to do after school. Also if you haven’t already, check out No Big Deal for a great body positive read.

I received a copy of the ebook via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

SO CUTE and heartwarming. I loved this book and the characters felt so fleshed out and real. Perfect summer read, and really took me back to those long summer days between school and college and university, waiting for something exciting to happen or a change to come. Lovely representation that didn’t feel like tokenism either. Great book!

Melt My Heart by Bethany Rutter was my personal YA Book Prize winner. This book tells the story of Lily Rose, a girl who isn’t ashamed of the fact that she’s fat and wishes society would stop judging her for her size when she’s happy as she is. This isn’t helped by the fact that her skinny identical twin Daisy is constantly commenting on her own weight. How is Lily meant to ignore Daisy’s comments when they’re identical in everything but size?

Lily accidentally gets into a relationship with the boy Daisy’s been crushing on all summer. However, her relationship with Cal doesn’t give her the intense butterflies and swooning feelings she’d been expecting. Is that just because she’s hyped up the idea of a relationship in her mind, or because Cal might not be the one for her after all?

The bisexual representation in Melt My Heart is stunning. I also loved the discussions surrounding higher education: whether you should go to university just because it’s what everyone else is doing, or whether you should take a risk and forge a path which will suit you better. It’s so nice to have a character turn around and say, “Hey, actually, university might not be right for me!”, especially after reading Loveless (which is set at a university) and Good Girl, Bad Blood (as Pip discusses heading off to university in September). Not going to university is a legitimate choice, and it’s the choice which I made. If I’d read this book when I was younger, I would have felt a lot more confident about my decision!

Melt My Heart is a new favourite of mine, and I’m looking forward to reading Bethany Rutter’s No Big Deal soon.

After reading Bethany's first novel, when i found out about this one i HAD to read it, and it didn't disappoint.

Such a great book to get you into the summer days, dreaming of the warm weather getting excited for the months to come. I loved the characters within the book, and the topics which Bethany covered. Fat & Bi rep!

It was such a heartwarming book which was I was hooked from the first page, It was filled with body positivity and I loved it!

Bethany always writes great body positive fiction and this one was as usual fabulous again. Lily faces a lot and the relationship with her boyfriend shows how a lot of girls can feel about why a boy likes them despite their looks as we see her compare herself to her twin a lot throughout the book. The sisters relationship was very realistic as they face years apart at uni separately and struggle to adapt to the thought. Overall it was a serious but still fab positive read!

Bethany Rutter always, without fail, is a banger for me. I loved No Big Deal and this was no different. I love that Bethany writes plus size characters so well, I wish I'd read it when I was a chubby teen. Both this and NBD would've made me feel a lot better back then!
Would love to see Rutter tackle a non YA novel in future.

Lily Rose definitely did melt my heart a wee bit in this delightful story about discovering who you want to be and who with. There are lots of great relationships in this book; Lily and her twin Daisy, the girls and their mum, friends, boyfriends, lovers... each are realistic and believable; the fractured relationship between Lily and Daisy as they grow apart, the excitement of first love and the horror of realising that you might have just ruined the best thing that's ever happened to you. Lily’s positive attitude to her plus sized body is a breath of fresh air and will resonate with many teenagers and adults who are fed up with being judged about how they look.

Everything about this book is phenomenal - a body positive, LGBTQ+ coming of age tale is always going to be something I want to read! I really found myself relating with Lily, getting to see her journey resonated with me on a personal level.
Also as a twin I can sometimes find it hard reading books that feature them - however that wasn't an issue at all for me with this book! Though I read the book as autumn has arrived it definetly would make a fantastic summer read, one I could envison sitting beside a pool in the sun with.
This wholeheartedly deserves a five star review!

I loved Bethany Rutter's debut, and this follow up lived up to my expectations. Melt My Heart explored lots of important themes such as sexuality, racism and comparison, but there was enough humour and fun to keep it engaging and relatable.

A great summer read, with a main character who is both strong and vulnerable. I loved Lily's positive body confidence, and the fact that we get to see her being loved and desired by others (even in the face of potential competition from her 'perfect' sister Daisy!). Her fears about change and what the future might hold surely ring true for every reader, and I think the book passes on an important message to young people about being able to change the path you're on if it isn't the right one for you.
'Melt My Heart' also has a strong social conscience, with the main characters challenging acts of racism and homophobia, and worrying about the future of their small coastal town. We're all living in a world where sometimes the bigotry and hatred can seem overwhelming and ever-present, so it was great to see young people taking a stand and fighting back. Family themes are important here too, and despite their difference and disagreements I really loved the relationship between the two sisters, who are able to work together when it really counts.
This book always felt light and enjoyable, even when tackling some of the darker issues, and the romantic elements were wonderfully positive, even the ones that don't end up as a 'happy ever after'.
Overall, this is a book about figuring out who you are and what you want, and then being brave enough to let yourself have it!!

Oh, Bethany Rutter has done it again! Bethany is amazing at capturing the feelings, thoughts and CHAOS going through the brain of a teenage girl, making Lily into an amazing main character. Dealing with issues like body image, LGBT, and even going to uni whilst being tied up with a little summer romance makes Melt My Heart a must read!

A perfect summer read. I enjoyed the book and it's focus on a whole host of important issues. I especially loved the body positivity in this book and wish we saw more of it in books targeted at young adults

This book deals with a lot of important topics in YA. Things have talked about the need for in past reviews. Even not have the exact same story, it reminds me of what I think 'Read Me like a book' by Liz Kesser wanted to be but does it so much better.

The romance is nice. Also this now the second YA books that I know of that involves working at Ice Cream stand during the summer. Maybe it should be a common setting despite me having never seen one outside a shopping centre in the UK. A lot are also sweet shops or cafes here. This is definitely an odd tangent to go on when I should be talking about the relationships.

The built-up of chemistry was done well. This book is in first person so we're in Lily's head as she figuring things out, so its really handled well and subtely.

A big part of this book is about subtle bodyshaming and fatphobia. Lilly is identical to her sister Daisy but "fat" as she calls herself. It doesn't go into specific body details. This has caused a small wedge between the sisters, as when Daisy talks about needing to go on a diet, Lily feels like that a dig at her. Lily is already positive about her body at the start of the novel, there's a few times where she feels insecure but I think that's normal for anyone to feel sometimes, especially experiencing a lot of romantic firsts. It nice to show that body positive is a process, not a resolution.

This book does involves sexual activity for the first time. I'm so glad to read a YA book that doesn't spread the myth your first time should be bad. It can be awkward and sore since you don't know what you're doing but it shouldn't be actively painful and you should stop if it is.

Lily is having concerns whether she made the right decision in her uni course and not sure whether she ready to leave home. This is handled well for the most part. Uni is stressful process and Lily not having a plan for her future is pretty relatable.

Overall, I give this book 4/5 stars for Mango Sorbet. There's a lot going on in this book but manages to touch on everything pretty well. I would definitely recommend this as a summer read. I will definitely reading Rutter's other book.

I love YA books and this is a prime example of why. I find them more fast paced with a lot going on and with an extra edge of excitement. All of those things are true of this book and I thoroughly enjoyed it

I was scared going into this book as I loved No Big Deal so much but honestly Bethany Rutter has done it again.

Melt My Heart is an adorable coming of age story that is perfect for YA readers. It didn’t take long for me to love Lily Rose and how in love she is with her body. What I loved the most is that she’s unapologetically human and she has her own flaws. She’s struggling with the idea of going to university, leaving her best friend behind and the feeling that she will never be on the same level as her twin sister Daisy. Lily makes mistakes in this book and she is rightfully called out for them which helped her grow as a character.

I found myself absolutely loving her friendship with Carrie and how creative she was! She had Lily’s back and helped her feel more comfortable in her own skin. Carrie is the best friend we all deserve. I also really liked Cal’s character and honestly, he was adorable and one of the most genuine male characters I’ve seen in YA for a while.

The family dynamic was a big focus in this book and I loved how even when Lily and Daisy aren’t getting along they come together to support their mother, who is hands down one of the best characters in this book! Daisy and Lily are both trying to come to terms with the fact that they’ll be separated whilst also wanting to be their own person.

I could sit here for hours telling you about this book but I want you to read this for yourself. I want you to follow Lily on her journey of balancing her summer, her fears for the future and her life in general.

This book is so much more than about Lily’s weight. Melt My Heart is a story about family, friendship, coming to terms with who you are as a person and loving yourself no matter what. This is a book about body positivity that everyone needs to read!

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Children’s Books for providing me with a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.