I really really loved this book, the story and the characters!

I found myself really identifying with Nina, and it reminded me of the importance of reading books with characters who aren't exactly like me. Thank you, Amy Spalding for a beautiful love story that included space and time for both characters to grow and change. And not only did I love Nina and Ari, but also their extended friend groups, and of course Lorna and her friends!

Thank you to NetGalley, Amy Spalding and Kensington for the ARC

While I don't often read romance, sometimes I pick one up to read on my breaks at work, or to have something light-hearted to read in between heavier works of fiction. For Her Consideration was the perfect novel for just that.

Amy Spalding has a talent for writing characters who you feel like you know on a personal level, and who know you right back. Her language is funny, intimate, and emotional, and her characters are so three-dimensional that I would often forget that I was reading and wasn't in LA right next to them. The story is coherent and enjoyable, and I had a hard time putting it down at certain points.

My only criticism is that the ending felt a bit rushed, but I think that the epilogue makes up for that.

For Her Consideration is a beautifully written queer romance with relatable characters, a fun setting, and the loveliest little found family. I truly hope that Amy Spalding writes more adult romance in the future.

3.75 stars

Thank you to Kensington and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

CW: toxic relationship (past), brief mentions of homophobia

I would recommend if you're looking for (SPOILERS)

-f/f contemporary romance
-fat rep
-hollywood romance
-workplace romance
-pining
-flirty e-mails
-found family
-an invisible cat

I really enjoyed this book. Nina was just a wonderful protagonist. Queer, full of self-doubt, and entirely herself. In a bit of a rut after a miserable break up. Nina has taken over her elderly aunt's/best friend's house, has a job impersonating celebrities for PR purposes, and gave up her friendships for self-preservation. Enter Ari, the queer acrtress Nina has been crushing over.

Their interactions brings Nina out of her shell, allows her to start writing again and just allow herself to be vulnerable. Their relationship wasn't perfect (I'm still not sure if I believe Steve was real or not lol) but it was very much about supporting each other, enjoying each other, and just beginning to figure out your life because maybe you've found your person. I enjoyed their dynamic so much. They just had fun together, kept each other fed, and went on some fun Lyft rides. And gosh did I adore the supporting characters, just a great solid book.

Steam: 3

I'm in my happiest place when I can tell within the first couple pages of starting a book that I'm not going to want to stop reading, and that's how I felt in the first chapter of this book. I found myself really identifying with Nina, and it reminded me of the importance of reading books with characters who aren't exactly like me (straight/ wow). Thank you, Amy Spalding for a beautiful love story that included space and time for both characters to grow and change. And not only did I love Nina and Ari, but also their extended friend groups, and of course Lorna and her friends! Definitely recommending this one to everyone!

I loved, loved, loved this book! The main character, Nina, was incredibly relatable and endearing, and I as someone who is a sucker for seeing the lead hook the seemingly uncatchable love interest, I was sold. I loved the progression of their romance, and the ending was a wonderful surprise. Nina went through so much growth from beginning to end which was great to see. I'm a sucker for a happy ending!

Thank you NetGalley, Amy Spalding, and Kensington Books for an ARC of FOR HER CONSIDERATION.

Thank you NetGalley for providing me with a free eARC of this novel.

3.5 stars
This was a pretty fun book. I started it a while ago and put it down. I really thought maybe this one wasn't for me, but I think maybe I just started it at the wrong time. I picked it up again last night and slayed up late reading it. I really liked the story. I liked that the one of the characters was a famous actress. I find myself drawn to romances centered around actors/actresses. I thought this book was so cute and funny. I loved the friendships. I didn't really find this book super memorable though. This was a very quick and fun read. I did enjoy it overall and would definitely recommend it to friends.

Thank you to Kensington Books and NetGalley for this eArc of <i>For Her Consideration</i>. All opinions are my own.

Do we stan a body-positive plus-sized sapphic? Yes we do. Do we stan an incredibly hot and visibly queer actor trying to trailblaze her way through Hollywood on her own terms? Naturally. If you do too, please read <i>For Her Consideration</i> by Amy Spalding as soon as you can! This book was incredibly sweet with just the right amount of spice, main characters to love, and the kind of rom-com ending that we expect and want for our queer main characters.

Do I have some quibbles about this story, despite its incredible rep and, I will admit, fun storyline? Sure. The writing is—look, to quote <i>Love Actually</i>, "it's not bloody Shakespeare." Sometimes the prose just felt forced, and as much as I loved the characters, I actually think that hearing this in a third-person voice would've made it a stronger book from a writing standpoint. Nina's internal monologue is really important to the narration, but her constant ragging on herself and abrupt and poor decision making is actually a huge detractor for me. I know that is very much the point of Nina, but it often comes off as annoying instead of self-searching. And, as per many rom-coms, some things just happen too fast—not the main romantic relationship, which I actually think was timed perfectly, but some important plot points are so incredibly abrupt that you're left asking yourself, wait a sec? Did that just happen and why???

However, if you're looking for a queer found-family (and some actual supportive family) and a Once Upon a Time in Hollywood feel, this is a great, quick, sweet read.

A cute and quick Hollywood romance centered around second chances.

Plot: 3/5
The foundation of the plot felt a little unbelievable because Nina ghosted all her friends over a break up three years ago? But once things got going, it was a quick and fun read.
We know that basically every romance has a third act break up but this one was so anticlimactic...?

Characters: 3/5
Nina was really frustrating to read. She reached new levels of denial that I could barely tolerate her. But she has so much character growth by the end, the change is insane.
Ari was really the saving character here because she was so much more fun to read and more direct in how she was feeling. I think I would have liked the book so much more if it had been from Ari's POV. Even though she's posed as a control freak, it didn't really seem like she was.
The side characters also pulled a lot of weight here, they were so beneficial to the enjoyment of the story.

Writing: 2/5
I found the writing style to be extremely repetitive in a way that really took me out of the flow of the story.

Overall: 2.5/5

In general I loved For Her Consideration. Even though both Ari and Nina bothered me for different reasons.

By the time the list of reasons Nina was dumped was shown I was about to throw this book. She continually referenced it and trashed her own life because of it but all you really know is that she wasn’t punctual and was “toxic” according to her ex

Ari bothered me because she was repeatedly told not to do things and then would do them anyways.

Even tho I disliked the characters for different reasons I still overall really enjoyed this book and the found family that they were able to develop with each other.

3.5/5 For Her Consideration is the queer, Hollywood romance I never knew I needed. We have Nina, who was dumped three years ago by her ex and it really messed her up. She withdrew from society, including her friends, taking a job where she doesn't have to see, or even really interact with people. In enters Ari, a breath of fresh air and someone she enjoys spending time with. Nina is afraid to really give all of herself though, as she doesn't want to become the "to much" her ex described.

Nina and Ari definitely had some great chemistry. They seemed to work well together and mesh with each other. I loved how Ari seemed to ease into Nina's life, like she was always there. I also like that we saw some growth in Nina when she started going to the city more, going out with friends and even going out with Ari. It was hard to read the doubt and worry she still had about being bad for the people she cared about.

Celebrity romances are usually a tough read for me, because they are big and extravagant. What I loved about this book was that it was down to earth and read more as a romance and personal discovery, than anything celebrity. There were some pretty big issues talked about in this book, especially with Nina and her insecurities, but I overall felt this was a light story.

I did find that Nina was a little tiresome with all her insecurities. We know that her ex really took her for a run, and she really felt like she was bad for her friends, but I would have thought someone (or even Nina herself) would have realized in the three years since the end of the relationship that she may need some therapy.

If you like a sapphic love story, with a touch of drama and a touch of celebrity this will be the book for you! Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for a copy of this book. All opinions are 100% mine.

I absolutely HATE romance books that have no real issue but create drama just because *THERE HAS TO BE SOME.*

No, there is no need for useless drama. But the third act breakup *had* to happen. So, there you go, the most useless breakup that could've been fixed with a calm, face-to-face conversation. I get why that might be in typical heterosexual romance, but seriously, here? Useless.

Nina might be relatable at times, but she's not a likable character. She often ditches her friends just because she feels like she might become too selfish by... being selfish. It takes forever to actually see some sort of character growth and, out of a sudden, she is all changed by the end of the epilogue. She was frustrating, always talking about how much she clicked with her friends, yet she only confided in them almost at the end of the book. And ghosted them all the time.

Her friends were amazing, but they also never thought to check in on her for three years? Like what?

Ari, on the other hand, is confident, funny, doesn't seem to take herself seriously, is caring, and great. I liked her. And Aunt Lorna was so awesome and badass and cool.

I think this book is okay, but it pains me, because it could've been awesome. Also, it's a bit too long.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for providing a free arc in exchange for an honest review!

What I enjoyed the most about For Her Consideration is the flow of the story. It just moved along. Not too fast and not too slow but just right.

And this...

The main character, Nina Rice, is a comparable character in the instance of her self thoughts about herself and how it can affect her relationship with others. Today's society can be harsh, but when your open about your sexuality and then throw in someone who you love with all your heart gives you a list of all the "bad things" about you and leaves you, it just does something to a person's view of oneself. Nina struggled with this while she was not trying to destroy a new blossoming romance. Thankfully with the support of her aunt and her friends, Nina figures out what she wants.

The entire book is so good! You just need to read it! I could talk for a while about it. Available February 21, 2023!

Thank you to @netgalley and @kensingtonbooks for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a mixed bag for me. I loved the west Nina’s friends stuck with her, her relationship with her grandaunt, and the pining after her latest crush. However, the author has some writing quirks that grated on me, and for this, I didn’t enjoy it as much as I could have.
I think the prologue sets up readers with the wrong expectations, and the fact that we only see the story from one PoV doesn’t help.

I received an advanced copy of this book through NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. I have read one of Spalding's YA books, We Used to Be Friends.

I like a good sweet Sapphic romance. The book started out awkwardly with Nina getting dumped by her girlfriend, Taylor. Because it felt like I was in middle of a book rather than the beginning, it was a bit odd. Plus being introduced to Nina, who just accidentally ran over a bicyclist, we don't know anything about her as a character, to know if the things she says are true. Being a workaholic doesn't mean you are selfish, toxic or opportunistic. Anyways 3 years later, Nina, an aspiring screenwriter meets Ari, a young star. It would have been better to get Ari's point of view also. Nina's insecurities and hangups were well detailed. I didn't really understand why Nina was isolated from her former friends after her break up either. I wanted to like this one more, the writing just was missing something for me.

3/5☆

The Most Anticipated Contemporary Romance Books of 2023

While it’s easy to recommend contemporary romances based on various combinations of shorthand tropes and archetypes, it’s equally fascinating to pick up on the common themes in a year’s crop of new romances.

In 2023 expect more than one ghostwriter falling for her client (because what’s more intimate than learning someone’s voice) and plenty of author crushes in the flesh. Yet there’s also the themes of writing ourselves into fantasy scenarios or idealized versions of ourselves—or if not writing, then taking the cannonball plunge into summer camp or other group getaways in the sunshine, when we can be freer versions of ourselves not weighed down by expectations or exes. Or if you’re looking for a sharper edge to your contemporary romance, get ready for books that amp up the archetypal enemies or rivals into witch-versus-witch-hunter or competing con artists. This list has new books from Kate Clayborn, Emily Henry, Taj McCoy, Christina Lauren, Tehlor Kay Mejia, and many many more. Truly, it was difficult to narrow down, and this is just the first half of the year.

For Her Consideration by Amy Spalding

Release Date: February 21 from Kensington Books

A lot of this year’s romances seem to involve characters who have isolated themselves, emotionally of course but also often physically, and who have to ease their way back into lives that no longer make sense—relatable indeed.

In Amy Spalding’s adult romance debut, celebrity email ghostwriter Nina Rice expelled herself from Hollywood’s screenwriting circles and queer social scene following a devastating breakup. But when movie star client Ari Rose (think if Olivia Wilde had kept playing “the queer girl” in high school dramas then wound up on The L Word: Generation Q) wants to get to know her email writer better, their attraction opens up some thrilling possibilities for Nina: Yes, this gorgeous star might want her… but also, she might be worthy enough to reenter the worlds she cut herself off from.

I really enjoyed this book! It felt like a casey mcquiston book meets the L word show with a K-Stew hearthrob and if all of that sounds amazing to you like it did to me, then I'm sure you'll love this book too. The main romance was cute and swoony but the growth the of the main character and her relationships with the other people in her life really was what made this book super enjoyable for me. I would def recommend!

The plot for this is ridiculous, the story is slow and boring and not much actually happened. The two main characters had no chemistry or personality.

I really loved the romance between Nina and Ari but I think I loved the friendships more. Seeing Nina rebuild her friendships and the fact that they have her back no matter what just really warmed my heart.

I received an arc through netgalley.

This is only the second book of Amy Spalding's that I've read and it didn't disappoint. While I think it would be almost impossible for Spalding to write a book I loved more than 'The Summer of Jordi Parez' - one of my all-time favourite queer books - this was still an absolute delight. It reminded me a lot of Jae's Hollywood series, not in a copycat way but just a similar vibe.

It started off a little slow but once I pushed through the beginning and once Ari became more involved the story picked up nicely. I liked Nina as a main character, she was certainly flawed but it never verged into unlikeable and she and Ari worked really well together. The surrounding cast of friends and Nina's aunt all served as entertaining and likeable side characters.

All in all this was a great read, it felt a lot like Jordi Perez but more mature and adult and would honestly make a great little queer rom-com.

Thank you to Kensington Books and NetGalley for making an arc available for me to review in exchange for an honest review.

For Her Consideration by Amy Spalding was a very well written adult debut!
These characters have my heart
I loved each character individually and both of them together was just so much fun!
I thought the pacing was excellent. Spalding really kept me engaged and flipping the pages till early morning hours.
Everything about this book was just so endearing and I really had so much fun reading it.

"I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington for my ARC in exchange for my honest review.