My friend Sarah called me last Tuesday in a complete tizzy because she'd just finished reading a book that was "so spicy I almost dropped my Kindle in the bathtub." Naturally, I demanded she send me the title immediately. That's how I discovered Real Men Love Curves, and let me tell you—Sarah wasn't exaggerating about the heat level. But what really got me was the friendship at the heart of the story, because sometimes the person who's been right there all along is exactly who you need.
Plot Summary
Real Men Love Curves by Kat Baxter is the first book in the Curvy Ever After series, published in 2020. Luke and Erin have been best friends for years, but Luke has been secretly harboring feelings for her while watching her date other men. When Erin confides in Luke after yet another disappointing relationship—revealing that she's never actually had an orgasm—Luke sees an opportunity he can't pass up. He offers to help her learn what she's been missing, promising to show her exactly what pleasure should feel like. What starts as a friends-with-benefits arrangement quickly becomes something neither of them expected. As Luke worships every curve of Erin's body and proves that real men love curves, Erin begins to see her best friend in an entirely new light. This steamy novella is a quick read packed with heat, heart, and a hero who makes it clear that Erin is perfect exactly as she is.
Why I Love This Book
I love how Real Men Love Curves delivers exactly what it promises—a steamy, body-positive romance with a hero who genuinely adores the heroine's curves. Luke is patient, attentive, and completely obsessed with Erin in the best possible way. There's no body-shaming, no weight loss journey, just a man who thinks his best friend is perfect. The friends-to-lovers progression feels natural despite the short length, and the chemistry is absolutely scorching. I appreciated how Kat Baxter handles Erin's insecurities with sensitivity while Luke dismantles them with both words and actions. The steam is explicit and detailed, but it's also sweet because of how much Luke cares about Erin's pleasure and comfort. For a novella, it packs an emotional punch alongside the heat.
Who Will Like This Book
If you enjoy steamy contemporary romance with best friends to lovers, plus-size representation, body-positive heroes, and a teaching/discovery element, you'll love this book. It's perfect for readers who want a quick, spicy read that doesn't skimp on the romance or the heat. Fans of novellas, insta-love (though they've been friends for years), and heroes who are completely devoted to their heroines will eat this up. The book is unapologetically steamy and focused on female pleasure, so it's ideal if you want explicit, detailed intimate scenes.
⚠️ Trigger warning: explicit sexual content, discussions of past unsatisfying sexual experiences, mild body image insecurity (addressed positively), sexual inexperience themes.
Tagged As
contemporary romance, novella, Curvy Ever After series Book 1, best friends to lovers, friends with benefits, plus-size heroine, curvy girl romance, body positive hero, teaching trope, sexual discovery, explicit, very steamy, open door, obsessed hero, pining hero, secret feelings revealed, virginity-adjacent themes, female pleasure focused, sweet and spicy, HEA, standalone, 2020 publication, Kat Baxter
Steam Level
This novella is extremely steamy with explicit, detailed intimate scenes that are central to the plot. The focus is heavily on teaching and discovery, with Luke showing Erin what she's been missing. Multiple explicit scenes throughout, all open-door and graphically described. The sexual content is the main driver of the story and takes up a significant portion of the short narrative. Definitely for readers who want high heat.
