Novels by TOBE BLESSINGS

KIKI: I was a fool to think a plus-size girl like me would never ever be desired and loved properly by a man, so I spent most of my life insecure about my body. When I caught my boyfriend in bed with another girl, instead of apologizing, he blamed and body-shamed me, “You are the reason I cheated Kiki. Go to the gym, no man wants a girl with belly fat,” The club was supposed to be my escape, where I got high, forgot my pathetic life and the breakup but a stranger at the club decided to cheer me up, and that night… NATHAN: I promise, she was just a one-night stand, a distraction. Now she is my secretary, also my best friend’s little sister and every time she walks into my office, I forget every reason why we keep things strictly professional. God damn it, Kiki Oliver is my ruin. “Nothing can happen between us, it’s inappropriate, Mr. Montgomery” she spoke in a cold, professional voice. No first names like the night when we were breathing heavily tangled under the sheets. Now I am her boss, just last names and respect. But Kiki’s eyes betrayed her words, I caught my curvy secretary by her wrist, pulling her closer to me, so we were only inches apart, “Miss Oliver, we both know, you don’t mean that,” When we were about to kiss, my office door creaked open and we quickly pulled apart, pretending we were working. Her brother walked inside to talk to me about the wedding plans… What Kiki and I have could only remain a secret, an affair, but for how long?

“No man will ever want a fat waste like you!” Betty’s mother's voice echoed. Betty Thompson had just one job, dress the bride, get paid, and go home. She didn’t expect to fall on her face and get humiliated for being plus sized. She didn't expect the bride to disappear before the vows. And she definitely didn't expect Kelvin Kosh, the coldest, richest, most terrifying man in the city to grab her waist, kiss her in front of everyone, and say four words that changed her life forever. "She is my bride.” Kelvin needed a wife for a year to secure his company while his deteriorating health a secret. Now Betty was trapped in a loveless marriage and in-laws who looked at her like she was a fat joke. Kelvin caught himself laughing more than usual, all his life people were performative around him but Betty? Betty was a mixture of real with funny wits. Betty started to see the man underneath the ice, one that adored her size until she finally found out the secrets about his health. Even, someone wanted Kelvin dead before his diagnosis killed him. What happens when the perfect slim bride who disappeared returned months later pregnant with Kelvin’s child, demanding her place? Betty would have to decide if she is willing to fight for her fake marriage with a man she wasn’t supposed to fall in love with, but another thing, he was already out of time.