"interesting chick lit tale"

In Memphis Hood & Geddlefinger PR associate Kat Larson has met Nick Applby of London over the Internet. He believes that she is a size 4, but the 5'6" woman is well over 200 pounds. Desperate to lose weight before she meets her English hunk, Kat applies for a reality TV show, From Fat to Fabulous, in which the obese participants will be helped in losing weight. To her surprise Kat makes the show that has quite a prize for the winner.

As Kat and a few other women live under the lights of reality TV, the show's host Jagger is attracted to her and even kisses her; breaking the no fraternization rule. Kat feels pretty good and comes across upbeat until Nick learns what she is doing and joins her in a surprise visit to the show. Instead of a happy union, Kat is mortified with only Jagger providing her comfort and soon learns what a shallow soul Nick truly is.

Gender bending the Big Loss, THE NEXT BIG THING is an interesting chick lit tale starring a delightful TV host, a wonderful female protagonist, and several full sized competitors. The on and off romance between Jagger and Kat seems secondary as the tale provides the audience insight into the feelings and thoughts of the female contestants who like the heroine believes that a size 4 will solve their problems. Fans of contemporary women's issues will want to read Johanna's Edwards' insightful tale in which the grass is not always greener on the other side, but it is easier to dream that it is.

Harriet Klausner

Reviewed by Harriet Klausner
Posted March 5, 2005

Summary

In this funny, poignant debut, a plus-size heroine becomes a reality TV show contestant and discovers she's already beautiful enough to be the next big thing.

Kat Larson figured she had nothing to lose by becoming a contestant on the new reality show From Fat to Fabulous-except maybe a few dozen pounds. Then she'd finally be able to arrange a face-to-face meeting with Nick, the British hunk she met online, who still thinks she's a size four. She'd finally be confident and graceful and thin-and there's that big cash prize, too, to pay for all those slinky new clothes she'd need. She'd finally have the perfect life.