Within This Frame by Lindy Zart

Summary: 

It comes in the mail—a beautiful invitation that promises humiliation and horror. Unless Maggie Smiley, former child celebrity and now overweight recluse, gets her courage and motivation in check, along with her health.

The phone call offering fitness expert Lance Denton a chance to work with Maggie Smiley promises retribution. He messed up a lot as a punk kid on the too-fast road to stardom, and how he treated his co-star never left him. It is that—and a long list of secrets she doesn’t need to know—that has him show up at Maggie’s doorstep.

 

Release Date: December 2015

Age Group: Adult

Source: Review copy from author

Reviewed By: Kelli

Review:

Lindy Zart's writing embodies everything I love about contemporary fiction: characters that I just fall in love with, a love story that draws me in without being too sappy, and a plot that surprises me.  Lindy's books are always great and I have yet to read one that hasn't been fun and fulfilling.

Within This Frame was extra special to me because of the main character.  Maggie Smiley is a former child star who was in love with her costar Lance.  Things didn't end as expected between the two of them, and Maggie is left to nurse her wounds.  She finds comfort in junk food (as so many of us do) and ends up slightly overweight.  The worst problem is her self-esteem, though.  Maggie feels badly about her looks and thus hides away in her house, embarrassed to be seen in public.  

Maggie gets a mountain of motivation when she gets an invitation to a wedding, one that she does not want to attend in her current state.  She agrees to a personal trainer, not realizing that it would be her former costar who shows up to train her.  

The bulk of the story starts when Lance starts training Maggie.  I liked how Maggie was so stubborn and how Lance was patient but firm with her, to get her towards her health goals.  I loved their witty repartee and how Maggie gave as good as she got.  A main character who stands up for herself is always, always a good thing.  

There were a few predictable parts, but nothing that stuck out too much.  And I adored the conflict resolution.  It was everything I could have asked for and more.

I really loved Within This Frame and would recommend it to anyone looking for a fun contemporary read with humor, wit and sass.