The Summer I Turned My Sexiest

PLOT

I have a lot to say about this one, so bear with me until the end 👀

I already talked before about XL stories in VertiLand because, as a plus-size woman myself, the “XL to XS” transformation storylines have often been extremely triggering. The community has been vocal about it, and while some platforms unfortunately continue releasing harmful and mocking stories, we’re also starting to see a shift. Slow, but important.

It started with Plus Size Plus Love on DramaBox (I reviewed it on Instagram), which, while not perfect, felt like a step in the right direction. And now, The Summer I Turned My Sexiest feels like another one.

This time, we follow Serena, a successful woman going through a messy divorce who decides to take a vacation to clear her mind. There, she meets Maksym, a charming bartender who slowly helps her rediscover herself.

CHARACTERS

Serena

Serena was incredibly relatable. Midlife crisis, messy divorce, low self-esteem… it’s easy to understand her.

Professionally, she’s successful, but her personal life is falling apart. She thought she had everything: a loving husband, children, stability. Watching her discover the betrayal and slowly rebuild herself was honestly one of the strongest parts of the story.

I completely understood why she was drawn to Maksym so quickly. Yes, he’s attractive, but more importantly, he saw her at a moment where she felt completely lost. At the same time, it made sense that she resisted him at first. After a divorce and betrayal, jumping into a romance immediately would have felt unrealistic.

That said, I do think the age gap became too central at times. I understand why it would make Serena hesitate initially, but eventually it felt like the only thing stopping her from accepting her feelings.

Overall though, I loved Serena’s journey. Seeing her regain confidence and embrace herself again was genuinely satisfying.

And Juanita Andersen absolutely shined in her first Vertical. She balanced vulnerability, charisma, and confidence perfectly.

Maksym

That man is a complete green flag 💚 and you already know how much I love those.

Maksym is attracted to Serena from the start, but he never crosses her boundaries. He encourages her without manipulating her, pushes her out of her comfort zone without forcing her, and genuinely wants her to see herself the way he sees her.

Serena loses herself after the divorce, and Maksym helps her reconnect with who she is again. What I loved most was his patience. He doesn’t pressure her or guilt her into anything. He simply waits for her to be ready.

We seriously need more male leads like this in VertiLand.

David & Brittany

David was honestly the weakest part of the story for me.

The idea itself makes sense: a husband going through a midlife crisis who cheats on his wife. That part felt realistic, but not the way it was shown. His behavior became way too exaggerated for a story that otherwise tries to stay grounded.

He suddenly turns into a very stereotypical “Vertical villain,” acting more like a cartoon toxic ex than an actual adult man with children and a shared history.

And that’s what felt off. The series aims for something more mature and emotional, so having David behave like a generic VertiLand antagonist created a tonal imbalance.

Britney had the same “too vertical” energy, though it felt less jarring since she doesn’t share the same history with Serena.

However, Bruce and Alexis completely nailed the “Vertical villain” roles. Their performances were perfectly on point for the characters they were supposed to portray. My issue wasn’t with the acting at all, but more with how the characters were written.

DEVELOPMENT

The Kids

One thing that really confused me: Serena and David apparently have children… but we never actually see them.

It mostly feels like they exist to explain Serena’s body changes over the years and why she stepped away from the company.

Honestly, those story points could have been handled differently without involving children at all.

Even stranger, David never talks about them during the vacation storyline, which feels unrealistic considering he’s supposed to be their father.

The Serum

I talked about this before in my XL-to-XS rant posts: the obsession with magic pills, miracle treatments, and fake “solutions.”

So when the story introduced a very Ozempic-coded serum and Serena ended up at the doctor’s office, I got nervous.

Thankfully, the series handled it more responsibly than expected. Serena was disturbed multiple times before taking it, and when she finally does, it makes her sick instead of magically solving her problems.

Why does this matter? Because real people are constantly targeted by dangerous products sold online to exploit insecurities. I personally remember taking questionable pills years ago hoping they’d help me lose weight. Thankfully nothing serious happened, but it easily could have.

So I appreciated seeing the risks acknowledged here.

Still, my hope for future stories is simple: no magic serums, no miracle drugs, no body transformation focus at all. Just let plus-size women exist in cute romances without constantly making their weight the center of the plot.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Overall, I genuinely enjoyed The Summer I Turned My Sexiest.

It’s not perfect yet, but it’s already far better than most XL-focused stories we’ve seen in VertiLand so far. It feels like progress.

My hope moving forward is that stories continue evolving until plus-size heroines can simply exist in romantic stories without their bodies becoming the “problem” that needs fixing.

Because honestly? Cute romances should be for everyone 💚