Curvy Girls Read Romance on Celebrating Plus-Size Love Stories

Fatphobia and fat shaming are so deeply entrenched in society that traditionally, only a narrow set of beauty standards were represented in romance. Luckily, more and more authors, seeing how unrealistic this is, are transforming the literary landscape by writing curvy, confident, and complex characters that more closely represent their readers. In this episode of the podcast, Alesia sits down with Aimee from Curvy Girls Read Romance as they take a deep dive into body representation in romance books, specifically, celebrating authors who write real, authentic love stories with plus-sized characters. Aimee has been a romance reader for a few years now and, in the last year, has been solely focused on plus-sized protagonists. She wanted to see more realistic body types reflected, to see herself in the stories she spent so much time reading. Now Aimee has built a small community on Instagram and surrounded herself with people looking for the same thing. Sharing book recs, trope recs, and author recs and hoping to normalize body positivity.In this episode, we're discussing:Finding books with plus-sized representation, both on the cover and within the pages. Be cautious when using the word “curvy,” as it can often be misconstrued.  Ways in which plus-size romances go beyond the weight of the character, giving more representation to multifaceted people. Representation has evolved significantly in the last 10 years, with authors being more conscientious of how they write these characters.  Indie authors are the ones leading the charge in body-positive storytelling. Whether you're a size 2 or 22, romance is about connection, passion, and seeing yourself reflected in stories that celebrate every curve, every stretch mark, and every beautiful, complex human experience. Today's conversation isn't just about books—it's about breaking down barriers and expanding what love looks like.CONNECT WITH CURVY GIRLS READ ROMANCE:InstagramGood ReadsBOOKS/AUTHORS MENTIONED:CC Monroe (Amazon)Sloane Spencer (Amazon)Sleet Kitten by S.J. Tilly  (Amazon)Kat Baxter (Amazon)Mia Brody (Amazon)Anna P. (Amazon)Nicola Davidson (Amazon)Running list of books mentioned (Doc)Support the showJoin the After Dark Substack CommunityConnect with Alesia:StorygraphInstagramThis podcast was produced by Galati Media.Proud member of the Feminist Podcasters Collective.