Perfect Fit by Sophia Sinclair
Curvicality: What made you decide to make the main character in Perfect Fit plus-size?
Sophia Sinclair: I wanted a love story that didn’t focus on a girl with a stereotypically perfect figure. Curvicality has really opened my eyes about a lot of things, so I wanted to write about a young woman who is a little insecure with her weight who learns over the course of the book to love and accept herself as she is. It was really important to me that she not win the guy by losing weight. Love is not reserved for people of any certain size or body type.
Curvicality: Tell us about Julie, your main character.
Sophia Sinclair: We first met Julie in Kiss and Tell, the second book in the series. She played a pivotal role in a birth scene in that book. It’s probably my favorite scene I’ve ever written, and if you have read that book, you’ll know exactly what I’m talking about.
Curvicality: Why midwifery, of all things?
Sophia Sinclair: Molly (Worth the Wait) is a librarian. If that’s not a romance stereotype, what is? Lori (Kiss and Tell) is a nurse. Another big romance stereotype. I thought I should break away and do something very different after that, which is why the third book (Twice Shy) is about Catarina, who is from a Romany family and runs her own upholstery shop. No romance stereotype there! Julie had already helped deliver a baby in a previous book and I wanted to develop her character. Besides, in real life, I have helped with several births of friends and family members. At one point, I gave serious thought to becoming a doula or midwife myself. The birth scenes in “Perfect Fit” draw on some of the births I personally attended.
Curvicality: Tell us about Nick, the love interest.
Sophia Sinclair: Nick makes a pretty bad first impression. He’s the brother of a woman Julie is helping give birth, and Julie concludes he’s an ass. But a few days later, when Nick’s sister is rushed back to the hospital, Nick is left with the newborn and a toddler to care for. He’s clueless and the baby is screaming his little head off. In desperation, he calls Julie. She comes over and teaches him how to care for the baby, and they bond during a rough night of newborn care. She sees Nick in a whole new light.
Curvicality: Julie and Nick are both insecure about their bodies, but in different ways. Talk about that.
Sophia Sinclair: Just about everyone has some kind of body insecurity. Julie is worried Nick will judge her for her curves. But there’s a moment when they’re first seeing each other naked when she realizes he has been worried she will judge him because he’s so thin. He’s been working out and drinking protein shakes trying to put on weight, but his body is just as determined to be thin as her body is to stay plus-size.
Curvicality: How much of a role does Julie’s weight play in the book?
Sophia Sinclair: On the one hand, very little. It’s not as if she spends all her time obsessing about her weight. She’s incredibly busy with classes and births and helping her sister. But at the same time, everything she does, she does as a plus-size woman. You see her suck in her stomach as she passes a mirror, and that kind of thing. And she has a royal bitch of a neighbor who thinks she’s providing motivation by bringing up Julie’s body type repeatedly. I think all of us who are plus-size know exactly what that’s like.
Curvicality: How hot is Nick?
Sophia Sinclair: Nick is tall and thin and rather boyish, but he’s very cute and has great hair. And, as we eventually learn, he’s been lifting weights and is very strong. The thing that makes Nick really attractive, to me, is that he isn’t over-the-top hot in a conventional sense. He’s a cute guy just out of college who is still learning who he is. Julie helps him find himself. And she’s very surprised to see how hot this seemingly boyish guy really is. When he kisses her, he knows exactly what to do. He doesn’t lack confidence there at all. When they finally (finally!) get to be alone after many highly frustrating interruptions, he knows exactly what to do there, too. Every woman should have a lover like Nick: He’s got the moves.
Curvicality: Did anybody in real life inspire Nick and these moves?
Sophia Sinclair: Um, my dear hubby, of course!
Curvicality: Where did you get the idea for Fairview, the mythical town where all this takes place?
Sophia Sinclair: I looked it up, and Fairview is one of the most common names for a small town. I wanted everyone to be able to pretend Fairview might be just down the road from where they live. I never specify a state or even region. I myself grew up in a very small town of under 200 people, and I used to be the editor of a small-town daily newspaper. I completely understand small-town life. And believe me, the rumor mill in a small town can be absolutely brutal! When I was a kid, if I did something I wasn’t supposed to, you could bet several people would have informed my mother within the hour. She always said, “I have spies everywhere,” and she did.
Curvicality: It’s not all sweetness and light in this book, we noticed.
Sophia Sinclair: No, it’s not! Julie’s sister’s marriage is on the rocks. Julie and Nick are both drowning in student debt. We learn Julie’s ex-fiance ran off with another girl after getting her pregnant. There’s a character dealing with opioid addiction. It’s real life, and real life is messy.
Curvicality: Tell us more about the sex!
Sophia Sinclair: Well, first of all, there is some, because this is a romance, after all. But it takes them a while to get to it, thanks to a series of very frustrating roadblocks that keep presenting just at the most inopportune moments. I tend to inject a little bit of humor into the beginning of sex scenes. Nick and Julie are nervous about their first time going to bed together, which is why Nick briefly pretends that he’s … never mind, you’re just going to have to read that for yourself.
Curvicality: We understand your tattoo sort of made it into this story. Can we see?
Sophia Sinclair: Absolutely! In Twice Shy, Catarina’s bedroom is described a little bit. We get a better description of the room in Perfect Fit, after Nick rents her apartment. (Catarina has married and moved by the time the action in this book starts, of course!) As you know, Catarina’s whole loft is really amazing. We find out there’s a poem by the German poet Rilke painted on the bedroom wall. The first two lines would translate to: “You see, I want a lot. Perhaps I want everything.” About a year ago, I had those two lines tattooed onto my thigh in the original German. It’s my favorite poem ever, and it really fits in with the way Julie inspires Nick to figure out what he wants out of life.
Curvicality: What’s next for Fairview?
Sophia Sinclair: I’m finishing up the fifth book, which is called “Crazy Little Thing.” Fans of the series will be thrilled that the main character is Ashley, the bartender from The Clipper. Ashley has been in every single book, but we haven’t learned very much about her. In “Crazy Little Thing,” we finally will, and it’s going to surprise you and every resident of Fairview.
Curvicality: You know these aren’t real people, right?
Sophia Sinclair: Well, they are to me! I cry a lot when I write the endings, and then I have to write the next book so I can find out how all these characters are getting on.
The Small-Town Secrets books in order:
- Worth the Wait
- Kiss and Tell
- Twice Shy
- Perfect Fit
- Crazy Little Thing (coming soon!)
About the Author: Mary Beth Cooper is the founder and CEO of Curvicality. After getting an MBA, she dedicated her life to creating media that celebrates bodies of all sizes. In her spare time, she can be found hanging out with her fur kids (Gabbana and Taber), taking a Peloton ride or run (her favorite hobby), catching up with friends and spending time with family. She’s a lover of all things sparkle and lace. She can be reached at: Marybeth@curvicality.com