COLOSSAL

Expected to make an advantageous marriage, Jade Galbaud du Fort is far more interested in powerlifting.

Born into an upper-crust French family in an alternate world that creatively blends contemporary elements with some historical social customs and aesthetics, young noblewoman Jade is forced to attend numerous balls at which her mother introduces her to eligible suitors. While dancing with snobby Nathaniel, Jade makes a big mistake. Irritated with his obnoxious, nonstop chatter, she picks him up in an overhead lift—and accidentally tosses him into a table of refreshments. Her passion for building muscles—deemed inappropriate for a socialite—must be kept secret, especially as her family is in dire financial straits, so to protect her reputation, light-skinned Jade, who has orange hair and green eyes, exclaims that being swept up in love momentarily gave her extraordinary strength. But rumors abound that she’s taking drugs meant for horses. She must navigate relationships with friends, enemies, and Alexander, an attractive—and super strong—stable boy, who’s cued Spanish. This humorous, heartfelt compilation of entries from a comic series that was originally released on WEBTOON features simple and appealing cartoon art, big emotions, and intriguing characters. Readers will anticipate the resolution of storylines in future volumes; the romance and class conflicts are just getting started here. The robust cast of secondary characters have their own insecurities, which are explored as their friendships with Jade deepen.

A strong series kickoff for fans of quirky, slice-of-life romantic comedies.