I am happy to write a review for Famous for a Living by Melissa Ferguson. This is a delightful romantic comedy that will have readers laughing out loud while also tugging at their heartstrings.

Melissa Ferguson has created an irresistible story that is both funny and heartwarming. The characters are well-drawn, and readers will find themselves rooting for Cat and Zaiah as they navigate their differences and the challenges they face. The book is also filled with hilarious moments that will keep readers laughing throughout.

What I love most about Famous for a Living is how it deals with important themes such as self-love and acceptance. Cat's journey to rediscover herself and find love beyond the realm of social media is both empowering and inspiring.

Overall, Famous for a Living is a five-star read that I would highly recommend to fans of romantic comedies. Melissa Ferguson has once again delivered a top-notch story that will leave readers with a smile on their face.

Thank you to Netgalley and Thomas Nelson for an ARC of this book.

Cute story, good for easy reading. Very light and it has it's cute moments. I wasn't drawn into the book or absorbed by the story, but I didn't hate it.
Good for a day of reading at the beach.

If this wasn’t the the most delightfully entertaining read, I don’t know what is!

I’m a sucker for books set in small towns and close communities. Especially when the MC is reluctant to end up there. Zaiah and Cat were opposites in every sense of the word. But that’s what made this book oh good! I loved getting to know the real Cat behind the influencer Cat. Her fierce loyalty to her family and her growth throughout the story won me over! And can we talk about amazing side characters?! Serena, Uncle Terry, Mina. . . Oh my goodness, I fell in love with them all

Thank you for my copy to review

A sweet and lighthearted read that truly makes you stop a minute and think about how you’re spending your time, and what you’re valuing most.

I loved all of the characters in this book (except Bobby, woof). They were all so incredibly like-able in their own ways, and the picture of true friendship was truly painted throughout the entire book.

Zaiah stole my heart with his grumpy but incredibly thoughtful and kind soul. I loved that he and Cat could learn from each other and expand their horizons and dream bigger than they had done alone.

A sweet, easy read that will have you wanting to head to the mountains and start baking sourdough bread in your cabin.

I wouldn’t classify this one as a romance. There’s some romance in it, sure, but it’s more about our protagonist, Cat, finding herself and discovering life outside social media. I feel like it’s been hyped as a rom com and some people will be disappointed by how long it takes for ANY romance to occur. But it is a cute story, even without being a rom com. Cat herself was a great MC. I was worried that she was going to be portrayed as snobby and vapid (that seems to be common with this type of character unfortunately), but she was strong and funny and kind. I liked Zaiah as well. Even as against social media as he was, he was never awful to Cat or went out of his way to make her feel lesser than for interests that were different than his. Mina was absolutely adorable and hilarious. I did like how social media wasn’t made out to be something to give up completely, but to be looked at and used in a more productive and helpful way. I will say, I didn’t really get hooked into this story. It was a cute and fun read, but I never found myself tearing through the pages. I do think that this one will appeal to a lot of readers though, looking for a light, entertaining story. It definitely makes me want to visit some national parks! And how cute is that cover?

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson for an advanced digital reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review.

3.5/5 stars
This was a great book which is about Cat who is a famous influencer that begins to lose followers after a mishap and moved to Montana to help her uncle's wilderness site. I thought this was a cute book and I enjoyed how layback the story was. It was a very quick and calming read that you don't have to stress over too much. I do have to say that this book is misplaced as romance as there is a very tiny bit of romance and mostly focuses on self-development. The author nailed the overall message in the book and the setting was well explained. I do have to say that with the fast pacing, there weren't many memorable or cute scenes. There were too many scene skips that I wish it lasted a bit longer on a certain scene. I did enjoy the story of the characters and how they came to be in the book.

The main character is Cat and I really enjoyed her story. She has grown to be a big influencer and once going to Montana, she realizes that her NYC lifestyle is not working out in the woods. I loved her development and seeing her make pure friends who support her. There were many side characters in this book and I really loved Cat's roommate who was such a sweetheart. I do wish there were more heart-to-heart moments with the MC and SC for the development part of the book. As much as I enjoyed the story, I have to say that I was disappointed with the romance as it's categorized as adult romance. Wasn't expecting smut but wanted to see more chemistry between the characters and the tension. We only get one kiss which was the last chapter.

The ending was good but again very fast-paced. I did enjoy the story as there was a message and meaning behind it but I also wish it went along with the summary posted and the romance part of it. As I did have some minor issues with the book, it was overall greatly written as I know many would love this calm story. I do recommend this read if you like influencer style of stories with grumpy x sunshine tropes.

This was a sweet fish-out-of-water romance. It was reminiscent of Alexis Rose and Mutt from Schitt's Creek; that's who I was picturing throughout the story. I liked the social media meets a national park plot; I also enjoyed the change of our main character.

I received an advance copy. All thoughts are my own.

When I saw the description and the cover, I thought this is exactly what I need at the moment. Insta-famous influencer getting cancelled, escaping into small city in Montana, to rethink her life. She meets a local park ranger and it clicks.

Looks good in description, however in my opinion the book is wrongly advertised as a rom-com. There is not much romance per se, it’s moving slowly and becomes boring after a while. There is quite strong character development, but nothing extraordinary.

Cat is a very famous influencer. Her lifestyle way over the top but she was rich and the money kept rolling in. Until she got pulled into a scandal and she could possibly change it all. Enter, her beloved uncle, who is the administrator for a small national park in Montana. Cat goes there to lower her profile, and to try to enhance the web presence and interest in the park. The park is in crisis, as is Cat. She's woefully unprepared for the rugged park, including the cold, the snow, and the animals. She befriends her young roommate and the other staff at the park. She's intrigued by Zaiah, a good looking, knowledgeable, capable ranger, but he's awfully uptight and cautious.

This is a fun story that gives you a taste of a national park and the surrounding area in the winter - the beauty, the silence, the danger. It also has a message about our dependence on media. The love story isn't prominent and entirely clean, but the developing relationships are touching. I enjoyed the book and I'd recommend it for teens and above.

This is my honest review.

When influences Cat's world falls apart, her best friend convinces her to lie low. Cat ends up in a rural national park, where she meets Zaiah. She learns some lessons about herself that we could all learn from too.

I will start off this book was not for me. I am from an older generation so I am sure this may be perfect for a younger generation. The book is told in a first person point of view. I felt that Cat came off as snobby, full of herself and annoying, its like she really could not see beyond herself. I like Mina she was my favorite character out of everyone. She seemed so down to earth and wanted to be everyone's friend, she just really wanted to see the best in everyone. Serena was a fun one as well she was more opposite to Mina, she was more in your face and she was not about to let any one get away with anything she called it like she saw it. Overall this book was kept clean so would be suitable for all readers.

Cat Cranston has experienced a traumatic free fall in her career. She went from being the "it" girl to being a pariah. Desperate to get away from her imploding life, Cat escapes to Montana where her Uncle Terry has offered her a job working for the local Park Department there. Cat views it as a temporary break from her world in the hope that things will die down and she can soon reclaim her social media status. What she doesn't count on is falling in love with the area and the people there.

The story is a lovely blend of romance, self-discovery and found family. It also touches on some serious topics such as abuse, social media addiction and more. Overall, it is a heartwarming read that really makes you think about how focused we all are on social media sometimes. It made me, personally, realize that sometimes it's better to live the moment than to be so concerned with trying to "capture it."

AUDIOBOOK REVIEW: The audio was well done with narration that pulled me into the story so well that I was immersed completely. It felt like a production at times and I feel that most people will find this a good way to enjoy this story. 4 stars

Thank you to NetGalley for both the ARC and early audiobook copy. I voluntarily chose to review them and the opinions contained within are my own.

Famous for a Living is light hearted, entertaining and a quick enjoyable read- it could totally be on the Hallmark Channel. I appreciated the underlying message regarding social media and being connected to our devices 24/7.

Thanks to Melissa Ferguson, NetGalley and Thomas Nelson for the gifted eARC.

I read Melissa Ferguson’s last book - Meet Me in the Margins - and adored it. Between that and this adorable cover, I knew I needed to read this one.

Short Synopsis:
Cat is a social media darling. She’s made a living off her instagram and sponsorships from it. Until one day, everything changes and she moves to work for her Uncle Terry at a park.

My Thoughts:
The book is filled with lovable characters. Small town romances aren’t typically my favorite, but this one is cute. I loved the nature life and the romance that bloomed between Cat and Zaiah.

Read if You Like:
📷 Books about influencers
📷 Small town romances
📷 Clean romances
📷 Opposites attract
📷 Slow burns

This was such a fun and quick read! Super refreshing and a great summer read!

Cat Cranwell is an influencer living in the big city. After being falsely identified in a huge business scandal, she finds herself in Montana as staff on her uncle’s national park ranger team

What could go wrong when a girl used to glitz and glamour is thrown into a small town? And what about Zaiah, the handsome employee of her uncle that truly despises all things cell phones and social media?

This story delves into the transition of Cat Cranwell from an uptown girl to a quaint mountain girl. But of course not without a few hurdles!

This book just dabbles on romance, there isn’t even a kiss until over 80% of the way through! I would consider it more women’s fiction or chick lit myself. But I truly enjoyed the witty banter and flirtation between the characters. I adored her roomie Mina!

I want to thank everyone for this early gifted copy of Famous for a Living by Melissa Ferguson.

Going into this book, I was very excited about the storyline and idea, especially after loving Melissa's last book, Meet me in the Margins. Did I like this book? Kind of, but it just didn't really do it for me all the way. It was a very easy read (read in about 3.5 hours), but almost felt more like a novella in the way it was written. Fast paced, clean writing, but lacking depth and overall character development.

Things that worked for me:
-story setting in a national park
-clean writing
-a few fun and relatable characters

Things that didn't work for me:
-lack of character development: I felt like I didn't really know any character well (including MCs) and never really truly got to know them
-too many loose ends
-it felt like I should have already known way too much about the town and area, but no explanations

Overall, this book had some cute parts to it, and I think it will work for some people. I just wish I could have gotten more out to the characters and the storyline.

I absolutely adored this story! I couldn’t stop reading. I think this is the author’s best work so far. Such a wonderful message too.

Thanks to Thomas Nelson for the copy of this ARC!

Cat Cranwell is a well-known social media star, and when one of her partnerships goes south, she takes a position at a small national park in Montana to lie low and try to help her image. There, she takes over social media for the park and meets Zaiah, a bearded, flannel-wearing nature social-media-hating ranger. This is a quick and light closed-door romance amidst beautiful scenery and lots of small-town charm. I often struggle with social media influencer MCs, but I loved how Cat had a really positive growth journey in this one to make her and Zaiah a good match.

Read if you like:
- flannel-wearing, nature-loving men
- closed-door romance
- social media star MCs
- small town settings

A lovely story about fame, the perils of social media, and escaping it all in the mountains of Montana.

A Hallmark level small town in Montana meets a girl who has only called New York home. This book is definitely more along the lines of women's fiction with a bit of romance. The story primarily focuses on Cat distancing herself from her social media obsession/influencer lifestyle and learning to live in the moment. While I loved the amount of growth that her character went through, I wanted more romance. Cat and Zaiah were adorable (I love it when the men are grumpy!) But honestly, I wanted more pining! It was still an adorable read and I can't wait for what the author writes next.

Things to look forward to:
-beautiful descriptions of Montana wilderness
-Alexis Rose and Mutt main couple vibes
-quirky side characters (I would die for Mina)
-emotional backstories and hallmarky small town

#BookRevew: FAMOUS FOR A LIVING by Melissa Ferguson

Famous for a living was a light and fun read. The cover looked very summery but it was actually set in winter with blizzards. As an influencer, Cat was famous and led a luxurious life until things fell apart. She got herself in legal issues. She had to lie low and decided to stay with her uncle at a National Park in Montana.

Social media addiction is real, and Cat Cranwell knows all about it. I was not a fan of Cat and her monologues. But I continued to read, hoping for a change. Cat changed some and I was okay with that. Cat’s character growth was relatable.

I enjoyed the minor characters and the town’s unusual activities. Even the grumpy Zaiah can be sweet. His back story was interesting. He loves the solitude in the park. We also need a friend like Serena in our life. She stayed with Cat even when she hit rock bottom. She continued to help Cat emotionally as well as her business. If you like romcoms and sweet romances, this one's for you.

Rating: 4 stars
Pub date: 16 May 2023

Thank you Thomas Nelson--FICTION and #netgalley for the complimentary copy. All opinions expressed are my own.