The Lightening Round

LOCAL AUTHOR

Hannah More has dubbed herself ’round and sassy’. She has a thriving baking business with her sister and a son she adores. Things aren’t perfect with her boyfriend, but they have been together for a long time, and Hannah is positive Luke is ready to take their relationship to the next level when he invites her to dinner at one of San Francisco’s swankiest restaurants. Life however has other plans and her dinner with Luke will send her down a path she never could have predicted or would have chosen otherwise.

Ultimate Level is the newest fitness craze; it’s a ‘health and fitness experience,’ not a gym. Levreece, Hannah’s best friend, drags her along when he decides to go check it out to see what all the hype is about. Hannah tries to avoid walking through the door, but once she does, she gets sucked into the alternate reality that exists within the walls of Ultimate Level. During her trials and tribulations at the gym, Hannah finds love and disappointment. She takes a really good look at herself and discovers exactly what she wants and takes nothing less.

Parts of the book give the impression that this was meant to be a romantic comedy but it fell a little flat in that category. The pace of the plot is a little awkward and at times it is difficult to tell which character is speaking. However, on the bright side, this is a solid contemporary romance. The characters are likable, in spite of being a little eccentric in some cases. There is no angst or suspense, just the right amount of drama to make the characters seems more realistic.

Overall the story has a bit of an inspirational aspect. Hannah is a woman who had issues with her body and a bit of denial about her current weight. She eventually challenges herself to get healthy and finds true happiness in the process as she discovers her self-worth and elevates her standards.