If I see a sapphic romance, especially a sapphic rom-com, I'm always down to give it a try. Max Van Doren is feeling stuck in life, both personally and professionally. She's good at her job as an assistant for a Hollywood talent agency, but trying to make her way up the ladder is difficult. Personally, she has a crush on Bartender Sadie, who she feels is way out of her league. Maybe Max's influencer roommate convincing her to try a self-actualization app will be the motivation and confidence boost she needs to take the next step.

The plot of At Her Service feels very relatable, and hits on feelings that most if not all early adults struggle with. I appreciated that aspect here, as well as the traditional romantic tension and energy of this book. I did struggle a bit with some of the side plots going on. While it felt like they did help move the narrative along, sometimes I wanted a little more focus on the central romance. Overall a solid read if you're into sapphic romance!

I really enjoyed this book! The relatability of how Max feels about having a crush is accurate to WLW crushes. I found Max and Sadie both very relatable even though they were so different.

Not only did I love seeing Nina again of course I really enjoyed Chelsey and Ava as well! There’s a lot to take from this book and honestly, I could read Amy Spalding all day long! Thank you netgalley and publisher for an ARC of this incredible book! One of my favorite sapphic novels yet!

Would recommend for fans of…
🎬 For Her Consideration
🎬 One to Watch
🎬 Playing With Matches


You know that feeling when you love a book and get SO nervous for the sequel, worrying that it won’t live up to the beloved first book? That was me heading into At Her Service.

For Her Consideration was one of my favorite books of 2023 and I was eager to continue spending time in this universe, this time with agency assistant Max, who’s looking to improve all aspects of her life. Spoiler alert: I loved everything about this book!

One of the things that I love most about this series is that even though these books are true romances with a HEA, Amy Spalding is able to elevate them to so much more than “just” a romance. The characters, particularly Max, are super relatable and Spalding absolutely nails the depiction of feeling “stuck” in life. I think At Her Service (and For Her Consideration as well) will resonate with anyone who’s ever felt frustrated by their work, personal, or romantic life.

Beyond the Max + Sadie romance, Spalding incorporates all sorts of thematic elements into the story. From self-improvement culture to influencer life to even little Hollywood details (all of which were spot on), there are a lot of topics to spark discussion. It seems like a lot to manage, but she deftly weaves these plotlines together in a way that feels organic and realistic.

I’m pretty sure there’s a third novel coming out next year (and if there isn’t, I’ll be devastated), so take that as your sign to start this series now! At Her Service is out now. Thanks to Kensington and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

A few weeks ago I listened to For Her Consideration that is the first part in Out in Hollywood so I was Happy to get a chanse to read At Her Service via NetGalley. At Her Service is about the delightful underdog Max that you really cheer for. Thanks to her influencer roommate she gets a chanse to develop her career, social life and most importantly her love life. Not all goes as planned but in the end all works out. I really enjoyed the read that really gave me a good feeling afterwards.

(This review is admittedly late (I’m sorry, Amy Spalding because I love you and Sadie and Max (And Nina and Ari). I was given this ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review, but life got in the way and I wasn’t able to read until my physical pre-order copy came in but I’m so glad I did!)

I was so excited when I found out that for her consideration was going to be part of the out in Hollywood series because I loved the story, and the queer fat femme rep and it was such amazing writing that explored self growth in such a unique way. This novel does the same with new lovable characters with their own set of fears, anxieties, passions and mutual crushes with cameos from old favorites. Both Max and Sadie were deep and relatable and really modeled that: if I’m an adult, why don’t I feel like one or know what I’m doing mid-twenties feeling. Life isn’t Friends or the L-word and it takes a lot of trial and error to find friends and love and success. You will feel seen and smitten.

I enjoyed this book about as much as this author's previous one, For Her Consideration. I think it's often tricky to navigate a story where the main character is making lots of personal growth but then it all crashes down as part of the 3rd act conflict. I will say that I enjoyed this more than some other books that follow a similar storyline. I really liked the LI here and everything surrounding preserving the bar. I wish there had been a little bit more with that.

Overall, I would likely recommend this to fans of the author's previous books, but it wouldn't be at the top of my list.

So cute! I've loved Spalding's YA titles and the adult titles are no exception. This book is cute, cozy, and full of heart. I'm excited to read more adult titles from Spalding in the future.

I got 22% of the way through this and decided it wasn’t for me. Such a slow start and I couldn’t see myself being invested enough or connecting at all with the main or supporting characters to finish it out. There was a lot of repetitive internal dialogue…a lot. I do appreciate that this was a diverse based read with the Sallie aspect and references to social awkwardness. I haven’t read the first book in this series or anything else by the author to know if this is the norm for her. I do feel bad for not finishing Max’s story through…maybe I will pick it up at another time.

At Her Service is a good fit for those seeking a heartwarming and empowering story about self-discovery, love, and the importance of authenticity in today's digital age.

This book isn't for me! I'm not connecting with the characters and overall I'm bored. I hope others continue to like it but I will be DNF'ing this one. My review will only be posted on netgalley.

A (stand alone) sequel to For Her Consideration (Feb 2023) this story focuses on Max Van Doren and is told entirely from her POV. Max is an assistant to a successful talent agent. She does her job well but doesn’t know if she can take it to the next level and move her career forward. Likewise her personal life is on hold as well. She sees her influencer roommate with cool friends doing fun things but she lacks her own confidence. And she is smitten with Sadie who is a bartender at her favorite hangout.

Her roommate Chelsea offers her a chance for an overhaul promoting a self actualization app. Of course everything has to be shared via social media. The app seems to help boost Max’s confidence at work and even with Sadie. But how much of it is real change or the extra money, clothes and personal training she is getting as part of the makeover. There are a lot of insecurities and stories at play in this book. Like For Her Consideration, I felt it was more like this was women’s fiction with the focus on the main character’s journey with a side of romance. I enjoyed the story and the appearance of characters from the first book. But when a book is promoted as a romance, I want the romance to be the focus. (4 Stars)

…well. i thought i was going to love this but sadly i didn’t. first and foremost i think this book should’ve been a dual pov. through out the book we didn’t really learn about the love interest all that much which i thought was annoying. what was also annoying was the mcs internal monologue. i really liked the masc representation though.

thank you netgalley for the e arc!

A delightfully fun read with sweet characters, good dialogue, and a highly plausible story line. I will likely go back to read book 1 and would be interested in any other books in this series.

This ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This title was published on February 20, 2024.

This book was disappointing and since I’ve given both of this author’s books two stars, I probably won’t be reading more from her.

This is Amy Spalding’s second adult f/f romance book after publishing For Her Consideration last year. This book is similar to her first one because it follows a main character who is an assistant for a Hollywood talent agency.

Our MC is trying to get her life together while pining after a bartender. MC also has an influencer roommate who convinces her to try a self-actualization program to improve her life professionally, socially, and romantically.

What I liked:
-Masc for masc representation
-The influencer roommate side plot line was more entertaining than the romance storyline

What I didn’t:
-The non stop self-loathing internal monologue from our main character was incredibly tedious to read
-We barely got to know the love interest. This would have been stronger if we had a dual POV book instead of being in the MC’s self deprecating head for the whole book.
-Felt like I was reading from our main character’s stream of consciousness whiny journal rather than a fully developed romance book

Not the best start to sapphic romances in 2024. Will not be reading more from this author any time soon.

I loved For Her Consideration, so I was very excited for the follow up, At Her Service, and it didn’t disappoint! Like Nina, Max was very relatable and likable. I didn’t love the romance, but I was definitely rooting for Max and Sadie as individuals, so the book still had plenty to keep me reading. I typically don’t love the miscommunication trope, but in this case, it fit Max’s character. The community building may have been my favorite part, and even inspired me to take a step out of my comfort zone myself. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC.

Ar Her Service got off to a little bit of a slow start for me - I was really having trouble rooting for Max at the beginning; she was a little bit too far on the boring, soul sucking job disaster scale and we spent a little too much time there, but I did appreciate that it laid a foundation for some excellent character growth. Once this book hit its stride, it was fun to see Max lean in and the chemistry picked up along with the pacing to create a book that was fun even if not perfectly balanced!

4 stars!

I just *love* Amy Spalding's writing! Her books always feel relatable and enjoyable, like a warm hug and a pat on the back with a "there, there" for good measure. And the spice doesn't hurt, either! "At Her Service" is not entirely a romance, but romance does play a big part in the main female character Max's story. Rather, this book boasts a journey of self-improvement and betterment for someone who has otherwise been lonely, pessimistic about the future, and unsure of their place in life. Max is a queer kid from a small town trying to make her way in Los Angeles. She is often self-deprecating, makes jokes to cover their unsureness, and is not entirely confident in themselves. Still, it's obvious she has a wonderful heart, a dedicated work ethic, and a lot of love to give... she needs a little push in the right direction so she can stop wandering aimlessly and being stuck with doubt all the time. Max's roommate Chelsey, who is also queer and is a plus-sized influencer with a big following, offers Max the opportunity to try out a new self-actualization app called You Point Oh, which will help guide her through the things she wants to accomplish in life. With some hesitation, she eventually agrees, but quickly finds the app changing her life for the better at work, with friends, when standing up for what she wants, and potentially in love. Before Max got hooked up with the You Point Oh app and agreed to share her journey online as sponsored content, she had met a bartender named Sadie. She has had a crush on her for quite some time but hasn't followed through on her feelings. Sadie is also plagued with self-doubt and aimless wandering as she wants to buy her deceased uncle's bar and liven it up to make it a more modern space for folx who are queer and otherwise. Whereas Max can be abrasive in her approach to life, Sadie is much more pleasant to deal with. Sadie asks Max for help, and the two of them get closer the more time they spend with each other. I thought it was fun how Sadie is "off the grid," so to speak, using only an old flip phone as her source of communication. I also loved watching Max and Sadie's love story unfold. SO CUTE!! The more self-assured they become, the more confident and engaged with each other they become. I also loved Max's newfound friendships with the people at her work and those on her new queer non-competitive kickball team. It was also fun to see Nina and Ari pop up in this book! Spalding really has her finger on the pulse of how to mix serious topics with laughter, levity, and sexiness. I think this book has a lot to say about what "growing up" is. People in their 20s and 30s no longer have a "proper" "timeline" for "growing up" anymore, not like people did decades ago before our huge technological advancements, multiple recessions, 9/11, a shift away from the middle class via income inequality, a shift in values, and vastly increased housing costs. If I had one critique, it would be that this story feels just a touch too long. It's a character-driven story, so since Max is going through the same things over and over, it felt a little repetitive here and there, but it didn't detract away from how good this book is!

Thank you to NetGalley, Amy Spalding, and Kensington Books for the complimentary ARC of this book. All opinions are my own. I was not compensated for this review.

*ARC in exchange for an honest review*
Actual rating: 3,5 ⭐️

"At Her Service" is about Max and her quite boring and lonely life, until one night she decides to try the 'self-actualization app' named "You Point Oh" after being convinced by her roommate Chelsea. The app creates new opportunities and puts her through personal challenges. One of the chosen checkpoints is getting and staying in a serious relationship, and this is where Sadie comes into the game.

I finished "At Her Service" quite a while ago, but I had to sit and sift through my thoughts with this one. I'm still very conflicted, and this has a lot to do with the advertisement of this book. I thought I would be reading a cute f/f romcom, and that's simply not the case. This is more like a fiction about self-improvement, where romance only plays a small part. Don't get me wrong, this is by all means not a bad book, and I actually quite enjoyed it. It's just that I initially didn't sign up for such a story. I am a little bit concerned that others will start reading this book with the same mindset I had, and will not give this book the chance it deserves.

Max is a character whom I'm certain many people can relate to. She moved away from home two years ago and neither on the jobfront, nor on the friendship- or love departement has she been really successful. Max is very insecure and needs to learn to stand up for herself and ask for what she wants, which makes her very relatable in my opinion. I mean, who hasn't had a moment when they were scared to ask their crush out on a date, or to ask their boss for a promotion even though they thought they deserved it? The app gives her the push she needs to advance jobwise and create meaningful relationships.

Chelsea, her roommate, is the super popular influencer everyone seems to know. But do they really? She is determined to give Max the push she needs to try something new and getting her (chosen) life in check. I will let you form your own opions about her while reading.

Sadie is the bartender Max has a huge crush on, but doesn't have the gutts to ask out. I found Sadie to be a very interesting character, and I would have loved to get to know her better. I missed the moments which shaped her to the woman she is and that explain her behaviour. The connection between her and Max is very sweet, and you see it flourishing while continuing on in the story. As already stated, their relationship is not in the spotlight of the story but rather Max learning from experiences and mistakes to become a better version of herself.

Overall, this was an enjoyable read, but I think it's important to go in with the mindset that, yes there is romance, but it isn't in the forefront. That being said, this is an easy and fun read that may be perfect for people who want to read a not so romance-focused book but have the light and fluffy feeling from reading a romcom.

At Her Service by Amy Spalding centers around Max Van Doren who is fed up with feeling stuck in almost every aspect of her life. She hides in her room while her influencer roommate hangs out with cool friends. Even though she is a great assistant to a big talent agent in Hollywood, she feels uncertain about her future career. Also, Max is deeply in love with her favorite bartender, Sadie, but thinks it’s impossible that she will ever get to actually be with her. Even though Max feels like she knows exactly what she wants, she has no idea how to get it all. So, when her roommate offers her the opportunity to change her life for free by using a new self-actualization app, Max feels it could be the tool she needs to help her achieve her goals. The only problem is, Max has to share everything she goes through online. While it seems like the app actually helps her a first, a misleading post quickly derails her progress and leaves Max wondering: will she be able to make everything right again or will her job, relationship with Sadie, and relationship with her friends be ruined forever?

I was looking forward to reading this book when I read the premise and after it was recommended to me by a friend, but unfortunately the whole thing fell flat for me. I very quickly realized I was sadly not a fan of Max as a narrator, as I found her frequent self-deprecation exhausting. Additionally, I found it difficult to get into the storyline because I was not hooked by the writing style. I therefore found myself lacking any sort of emotional connection with the story and its characters. While there is some semblance of a romance throughout this book, I found it to be more of a coming of age story rather than a traditional contemporary romance novel. One last personal note: I tend to struggle with sapphic novels where the main character is constantly bringing up the fact that they are queer. Obviously I know the main character is queer, but I do not need a constant reminder throughout the book, either during an internal monologue or in a conversation. Personally, I enjoy reading sapphic novels where it doesn’t seem like the main character’s whole identity is the fact that they are queer, and At Her Service leaned into that narrative in my opinion.

The GoodReads summary states, “Fans of Casey McQuiston, Alexis Hall, and Maryl Wilsner will fall for this [book]”… and while I have not read any novels by Alexis Hall, I am not the biggest fan of Casey McQuiston or Maryl Wilsner’s sapphic contemporary novels so maybe I should have been better prepared for how I was going to feel. If you like those authors, then it’s possible you will also enjoy this book but unfortunately it was just not for me.

Thank you to Kensington Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an electronic ARC of At Her Service in return for my honest review.

The usual, Max?”
“The usual, Sadie.”

This was such a cute book! I loved how cute and awkward Max was but then seeing her grow bolder and being able to go after what she wanted! Max and Sadie make SUCH a cute pair and I loved watching them fall in love throughout the story😩 Absolutely recommend this story if you’re looking for a cute lil WLW read with main character growth! Reading about how max became more self actualized gave me motivation and made me want to make life changes! It seemed so relieving for her to become a better version of herself! She got the girl and the job and I love that for her🥰