Savvy Sheldon Feels Good as Hell: A Novel

by Taj McCoy

Overview

“This feel-good, uplifting read is filled with positive messages about self-care and self-love. It is sure to please foodies, home-makeover buffs, and anyone looking for a light-hearted romantic read.” –USA Today

A sexy romance about a plus-size sweetheart who gets a full-life makeover after a brutal breakup and falls for the incredibly hot contractor renovating her home.

Savvy Sheldon spends a lot of time tiptoeing around the cracks in her life: her high-stress and low-thanks job, her clueless boyfriend and the falling-apart kitchen she inherited from her beloved grandma—who taught her how to cook and how to love people by feeding them. But when Savvy’s world starts to crash down around her, she knows it’s time for some renovations.

Starting from the outside in, Savvy tackles her crumbling kitchen, her relationship with her body, her work–life balance (or lack thereof) and, last but not least, her love life. The only thing that doesn’t seem to require effort is her ride-or-die squad of friends. But as any home-reno-show junkie can tell you, something always falls apart during renovations. First, Savvy passes out during hot yoga. Then it turns out that the contractor she hires is the same sexy stranger she unintentionally offended by judging based on appearances. Worst of all, Savvy can’t seem to go anywhere without tripping over her ex and his latest "upgrade." Savvy begins to realize that maybe she should’ve started her renovations the other way around: beginning with how she sees herself before building a love that lasts.

"A heartfelt, hopeful, and humorous exploration of the importance of learning to love yourself...a joy to read.” –Booklist, STARRED review

Don’t miss Taj’s new book, Zora Books Her Happily Ever After: A heart-pounding, curvy romance about an indie bookstore owner who finds herself in a love triangle!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780778311843
Publisher:	MIRA Books
Publication date:	03/22/2022
Edition description:	Original
Pages:	320
Sales rank:	214,402
Product dimensions:	5.31(w) x 8.00(h) x 0.81(d)

About the Author

Oakland-born law grad Taj McCoy is committed to championing stories that include Black and multiracial women of color, plus-size protagonists, Black love, Black joy, and strong senses of sisterhood and familial bonds. Taj started writing as a small child, enjoying her first publications in elementary school. When she's not writing, Taj may be on Twitter boosting other marginalized writers, practicing yoga, sharing recipes, or cooking private supper club meals for close friends.

Editorial Reviews

11/29/2021

McCoy’s swoon-worthy debut centers on finding love from the inside out. Savannah “Savvy” Sheldon believes she has the makings of a perfect life with her long-term boyfriend, Jason—until he suddenly dumps her because he wants an “upgrade.” Incensed by his negative comments on her lifestyle and her body, Savvy decides to “reclaim her sexy” and show him what he’s missing. As part of this life makeover, she decides to redesign her kitchen. She’s not expecting the intense attraction she feels to her detailed and attentive contractor, Spencer Morgan. As she renovates both the kitchen and her life, things start looking up for her health, her job, and her budding romance with Spencer—though untimely and unsavory run-ins with Jason threaten to derail her. McCoy populates Savvy’s world with a diverse cast of immediately endearing friends and family, especially besties Joan and Maggie, who reinforce positivity and love for Savvy and help her prioritize the things that make her happy. With a focus on heartbreak and reflection, Savvy’s story has every flavor of love. McCoy is sure to win fans. Agent: Veronica Park, Fuse Literary. (Mar.)

Publishers Weekly

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“This feel-good, uplifting read is filled with positive messages about self-care and self-love. It is sure to please foodies, home-makeover buffs, and anyone looking for a light-hearted romantic read.” –USA Today

“McCoy’s debut, a plus-size Black love story, is in equal measures a heartfelt, hopeful, and humorous exploration of the importance of learning to love yourself. Enriched with a wonderful cast of supporting . . . and enhanced with some lusciously described, Food Network-worthy moments in the kitchen, this is a joy to read.”—Booklist (starred)


“McCoy populates Savvy’s world with a diverse cast of immediately endearing friends and family, especially besties Joan and Maggie, who reinforce positivity and love for Savvy and help her prioritize the things that make her happy. With a focus on heartbreak and reflection, Savvy’s story has every flavor of love. McCoy is sure to win fans.” —Publishers Weekly

“This novel is a paean to self-care and support systems . . . A true highlight of the book is its depiction of food, as Savvy is a great cook, and McCoy delights in describing the delicious dishes she whips up. . . . Full of positivity, good food, and love.” —Kirkus Reviews


“Taj McCoy has created a protagonist we can all root for: kind, determined, and perfectly imperfect. I adored Savvy’s journey and couldn’t get enough of her ride-or-die friends. This one’s a treat!” —Mia Sosa, USA TODAY bestselling author of The Worst Best Man


“Savvy Sheldon Feels Good as Hell is an enchanting love letter to the power of self-care. McCoy's sparkling debut is a warm, witty, relationship-powered story that will leave you grinning and rooting for the characters. It is a perfect blend of mouthwatering food and soul-nourishing resilience.” —Denise Williams, bestselling author of How to Fail at Flirting


“I was enamored with Taj's McCoy's debut. Savvy goes on one heck of a self-love journey post-breakup and I was cheering for her the whole way. Add a steamy romance into the mix and my heart sang as I tore through this book. This feel-good, empowering romcom will blow you away, guaranteed.” —Sarah Smith, author of Simmer Down


“McCoy delivers heat and laughs in this uplifting debut. Readers are guaranteed to root for Savvy’s empowering journey towards self-love and success. Because with hilarious friends and a sexy new love interest, the destination will be well worth it.” —Charish Reid, author of (Trust) Falling for You


“Savvy Sheldon Feels Good as Hell hits all the marks! It's sexy, sumptuous and superb. Funny with fantastic characters and a lot of heart, Taj McCoy takes us on Savvy’s journey full of self-realization, self-love and self-empowerment with a graceful poise making it hard to believe this is her debut! Phenomenal food, great friends and a handsome contractor will make us all feel good as hell! McCoy is a new voice in rom-com that’s here to stay!” —Catherine Adel West, author of Saving Ruby King

From the Publisher

12/01/2021

DEBUT When Savannah "Savvy" Sheldon's boyfriend leaves her because he wants an "upgrade," Savvy turns his hurtful comments into her own personal mission. As a biracial Black woman whose Thai mother worked endlessly to provide for her, Savvy has struggled to strike her own life balance despite having a job that pays well and friends and family who support her. She moves on with a new haircut and workout routine, finally starts the kitchen renovation she's dreamed about for years, and finds a new romance with handsome carpenter Spencer Morgan. But her plans are put to the test as stress from her new job promotion rises and Savvy's ex parades around his new girlfriend. VERDICT Savvy and Spencer's romance arc is delicious and steamy, but does share page time with the large cast of Savvy's friends and family as they too find love and purpose. A promising debut perfect for fans of Farrah Rochon's The Boyfriend Project.—Elizabeth Gabriel, Milwaukee P.L.

Library Journal

2021-12-24
A woman reevaluates her life after a messy breakup in this feel-good debut.

Savvy Sheldon is doing all right. She has a house (though it’s old and a bit cramped), a career (where she picks up the slack from her constantly burned-out co-workers), and a longtime boyfriend (who mainly just sits on the couch and watches the game). When her boyfriend breaks up with her, though, telling her she’s let herself go and he needs an “upgrade,” Savvy begins to doubt herself and starts working on a plan for her “Revenge Body,” a plan that morphs into working out a healthier relationship with her body. With the help of her two best friends since childhood, her cool new tennis trainer, a local chef, and the cute contractor who’s working on the house across the street, Savvy starts figuring out what she wants from life and making strides toward turning that into a reality. This novel is a paean to self-care and support systems, with everyone in Savvy’s life (with the singular exception of her ex-boyfriend) wanting only the best for her and supporting her every step of the way. As a result, her love interest is too good to be true, any disagreement with her friends is cleared up within a few paragraphs, and her job is very understanding, making for very little conflict or forward momentum. Though watching a friend like Savvy succeed in real life would be great, it might leave a fiction reader craving more to chew on. A true highlight of the book is its depiction of food, as Savvy is a great cook, and McCoy delights in describing the delicious dishes she whips up.

Light on plot but full of positivity, good food, and love.

Kirkus Reviews