I was drawn to the title first and foremost and enjoyed this easy to read and fun book. It is one of those books that you can read easily and quickly and enjoy and have fun with. It has great characters you can relate to and the story flows well and kept me reading.

Abby is most definitely a character we can all relate too which is why I think it appeals to so many people. It is real and it is life. A great read!

Thank you NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

Absolutely loved this book. A perfect mix of addressing the tricky subjects of ageing parents/dementia and self belief/body image, mixed with some good old romance. Enough twists and turns to keep you guessing with a feeling good ending that left me smiling. Well written with beautiful imagery whilst remaining easy to read.

I really like reading about food, whether descriptions of food, or about people who work with food. This was a fun little book, and the plus size rep was good for once!

"Eat Dessert First" by Michelle Paris is a delightful and heartwarming read that invites you to savor the sweetness of life. Paris expertly blends humor, warmth, and wisdom into a narrative that feels like a comforting chat with an old friend. The book's charming characters and uplifting themes of joy, indulgence, and self-love make it a true treat. Each page is a reminder to prioritize happiness and embrace life's little pleasures. Paris' writing is as delightful as the title suggests, making "Eat Dessert First" a must-read for anyone looking to add a little sweetness to their day.

This book was not what I expected. I didn't enjoy it. DNF


*******I received an ARC for my honest opinion from NetGalley.**********

A fun quick read of a plus size girl getting her life and love life together. She has surprising low confidence considering how successful she supposedly is, so I thought that was unreal.

Thank you to the author, BooksGoSocial and NetGalley, for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. My apologies for the delay in posting this review, I had a bit too much going on.

This was a quick read, and had a lot of potential - but I found myself really annoyed with the female main character. Yes, it's realistic in portraying her as a larger-sized woman, without glorifying obesity or offering false affirmations. And while I hated that she put so much emphasis on what she thought other people thought of her, her insecurities were understandable, given how horrible people can be. She gave up a promising career as an architect to move back to the small town where she grew up, to take care of her mother, whose health is failing, and is now working as a baker. Her romantic relationships were torpedoed by her insecurities - but no one ever suggested she go to therapy, which would have been essential to help her work through her issues. And then suddenly a switch is flipped and the perfect man - with whom there is no chemistry at all - enters her life and everything changes. Overall, I ended this frustrated, because this could have been so much better.

Can a plus-sized, big-hearted baker discover the recipe for happiness? Abbey Reilly has heard “you have such a pretty face” enough times to know that it’s code for “if only you’d lose weight.” Giving up her architectural career to care for her ailing mom and working in a bakery to make ends meet, she is convinced no one will ever find her attractive. So she’s stunned when a handsome regular customer not only shows interest but asks her on a date. Devastated when she learns her would-be beau is married, Abbey resigns herself to a lonely future. But the insecure woman can hardly believe her luck when she draws the attention of a dreamy guy at a bachelorette party… until his horrible ex plots revenge. Will Abbey claim the confidence she deserves and find a keeper who recognizes her true beauty? With light humor and loving insight, Michelle Paris weaves a delightful tale of learning to believe in yourself. Juggling elder parent care, tight finances, and hating the image in the mirror, Abbey Reilly will charm any reader fond of rooting for an underdog. Eat Dessert First is a heartwarming work of women’s fiction. If you like relatable heroines, chasing a dream, and finding hope and happiness, then you’ll adore Michelle Paris’ sweet story of fulfillment.

Abbey is definitely the Queen of Relatable Heroines. I really enjoyed this story from start to finish. Cannot wait to read more from the author. Will recommend to others.

Overall: 3.5

This book had the chance to be an amazing story of discovering self-love and the importance of self-esteem, but it felt like the author was more focused on throwing in every self-loathing issue they could find and less on the MC working through it. Just when you thought the MC was fully accepting themselves another issue popped up.

Sweet love story. Abby and Jax lead two different lives but in the end love is sweet. I enjoyed the book although it was a slow start.

Eat Dessert First by Michelle Paris is a warm hearted, witty contemporary romance novel and a joy to read!
Abbey Reilly is the main character in the novel who has to leave her job at an architectural firm in order to care for her ailing mother. She takes a job in a bakery to help with finances. She has low self-esteem due to interactions with people who have made unwelcome comments about her weight. Often hearing, she has "a pretty face" as a backhanded compliment.
Abbey is asked out by a handsome suiter but that ends up in a dead end. She's ready to give up on finding love, but fate has other plans for her.
I loved the light-hearted yet thoughtful story and the message in the novel of loving yourself. I found it a perfect escape from all of the drama in our world right now.
Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read the arc.

EAT DESSERT FIRST by Michelle Paris is a light, fluffy confection for anyone desiring simple, straightforward escape into the life of a large woman with a big heart. Taking care of her ailing mother in a small town, Abbey yearns to return to her rewarding, exciting architecture career rather than occupy herself with her passion for baking at a local bakery and continuing to search for love wherever she can find it. With fits and starts and sudden, shocking stops, Abbey winds her way to believe in herself and in her right to be who she is, exactly as she is and in the art she's found she doesn't want to live without. I received a copy of this book and these thoughts are my own, unbiased opinions.

A quick fun read!

Abbey has moved back to her hometown to take care of her ailing mother - she left a great career as an architect and takes up a position baking at a local bakery, Sweet Caroline's. She's plus sized and has always heard the annoying refrain "you have such a pretty face"....but..... soon she discovers she enjoys baking and Caroline's character is a hoot! The storyline follows Abbey as she's starting to date, first a judge who turns out to be married - and then on a return trip to the city for a wedding, she meets another guy - who seems really interested, then his ex shows up and he ghosts her for a while. Madga is another incredible character, she helps Abbey and it's so great! There is a lot going on in this book, but it's smooth and fast moving and really enjoyable!

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for a temporary, digital ARC in return for my review.

“Eat Dessert First” is a sweet, easy-to-sink-into story. If you’ve ever struggled with insecurity, low self-esteem, or body image issues, you’ll certainly relate to Abbey Reilly, the main character in this charming tale.

I connected with Abbey rather quickly, even though we are very different on many levels. As a caretaker for my mother (in the past) I related to her circumstances and trials, and I was also able to pull from my own esteem issues from younger days to connect with her distorted views of herself. I rooted for her and wanted her to see herself through others’ eyes.

I adore stories with a bakery or café setting. There’s just something universal about these gathering places that transports me to a group of townsfolks that feels like my own. This is a delicious redemption story with elements of romance, acceptance, and selflove.

#CoverLoverBookReview received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions are 100% mine.

An uplifting read, that tackles some real issues such as bullying in social media. It’s an engaging story and I very much enjoyed it.

This book just wasn't exactly what I was looking for. The romance felt lacking and the overall representation of a plus size heroine was nice but fell flat for me because it did not feel like a true resolution in the end.

This is a lovely story about a young woman learning to value her strengths.

Abbey is currently a baker, though still thinks of herself as an architect - a situation triggered by needing to care for her sick mother. She's had limited previous experience with relationships, which she explains to herself as being about her plus-sized curviness. The story covers a short time in her life, some new relationships with potential partners and some solid relationships with friends.

I read it in one sitting on a flight. I liked it well enough, but didn't love it. I'm not sure if it is just that I don't really like romance novels (it was listed as women's fiction, which I do read), or if it felt a bit shallow (it is a short book, so maybe not a lot of room for depth).

I'd recommend it for anyone who wants an easy read, with character growth and a positive ending.

I enjoyed this book. Abbey the main character struggles with her self worth, self esteem, and caregiver strain as she has quit her job to be closer to her mom. She now works in a bakery to make ends meet.
As the book progresses Abbey grows and begins to have more confidence. Through encouragement from friends and love interested. I would have liked to see her gain this confidence from friends and love ones, not potential love interests.
One thing I didn't like is how Abbey jumps from one good conversation with a man to thinking in her head about marriage from that one encounter. I was like, slow down he gave you one complement, one short conversation. I guess I wanted her to guard her heart more.
In the end I was happy that she found her place, her people, and her own strength.
Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher BooksGoSocial for this e galley. All opinions are my own. I was not required to review the book.

Abbey is now a baker who gave up her previous career as an architect to take care of her mother after she suffered a stroke. This was her last promise to her father on his deathbed and one that her sister frequently reminded her of. Abbey struggled with seeing her own worth and was unhappy with her size throughout the book. The cast of supportive side characters (Madga, Caroline) really hammered home the theme of accepting yourself and believing in your worth. I had a hard time connecting with two of Abbey's potential love interests and did feel that the relationship with Jax was wrapped up rather quickly. I would have liked to see more of their relationship develop.

I really enjoyed the end of the book and how Abbey came to accept herself and found her true passion. I loved the idea of Eat Dessert First and how it tied back to her father. I felt that the writing was the strongest in the final few chapters and it showcased the struggle of dealing with an aging parent.

I would recommend this book to someone looking for a fairly quick read with a main character who finds her passion and becomes comfortable with herself.

Thank you NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for this ARC opportunity
#EatDessertFirst #NetGalley

3.75 stars.

This story is as sweet as its title.
Fantastic Plus Size Rep in the FMC. I feel a lot of women will be able to relate to her self love/esteem struggle.

Abbeys journey of finding the strength to stand up for herself while navigating through dealing with a sick parent, and her career was heartwarming. This is at its core a story of finding belief in yourself within, and living up to your own potential.

The touch of both an epilogue & a recipe at the end was chefs kiss!