Measuring Up by Nyrae Dawn

Synopsis: Seventeen-year-old Annabel Conway is tired of the Hillcrest High School elite making her life miserable because she’s not a size two. This summer, she's hiring a personal trainer to help her lose weight.

Annabel doesn’t expect her trainer to be a gorgeous guy around her age. Boys like Tegan are jerks. They pretend to like girls like her so they can make an idiot out of them. Been there, done that. Totally not going there again. She kind of hates him on principal. Blond. Muscular. Funny. It doesn’t help that he knows her measurements!

Soon, Tegan's so much more than that. He’s the boy who teaches her to box when she has a bad day. Who jogs with her and lets her set the pace. Who kisses her until she melts. He makes her feel beautiful regardless of what the scale says. Unlike her mom, he doesn’t expect perfection, and he doesn't try to shield her from the world like her dad and best friend. Tegan likes her the way she is.

But what happens when he’s not there? He can’t always be there…

Will Annabel be able to stand on her own and learn that she already measures up? That her worth doesn’t lie in what the world thinks, the scale says, or even what Tegan tells her—but in herself?
 
Review: There are too many good things to say about this book. Annabel is an amazing and very vivid character, even from the beginning of the story. She was extremely likeable and the struggle with her weight and the issues revolving around it, were very real for me. I felt close to her character and the ups and downs the she faced, I felt, really spoke about the type of character she was. I really loved this story because it not only had a great message but the story was conveyed well. Tegan was such an awesome love interest. I was rooting for him and Annabel from the very beginning. I thought it was so funny that Annabel would get stuck with a hot trainer. It really spiced things up. I think Nyrae Dawn did a wonderful job telling this story, it flowed well, and the elements of the story really made it a enjoyable read. I definitely would recommend this YA Contemporary Romance. It has a nice build up and the plot is definitely balanced throughout the book. To be honest, there wasn't one thing that disappointed me about this book. The chemistry between Annabel and Tegan felt real and it was definitely a slow burn that just builds perfectly. I would have to say one of my favorites for 2012.