Sadly this book was a flop for me. I just couldn't get into it. I enjoyed Meet Me in the Margins, but Famous for A Living, I just couldn't relate to. I tried the audio also, but it still wasn't keeping my attention.

This book is absolutely a delight! I LOVE an outdoorsy story, and how fun that this was about a national park! Melissa Ferguson can sure write a stellar novel! The theme about getting off your phone and into nature, staying focused on the people you are with, and separating your work and personal life were unexpected and wonderful additions. The characters were lovable, quirky and so fun. All in all this was a wonderful, light read that still had some important topics to discuss. I would absolutely recommend this!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced copy. All opinions are my own.

4.5 stars!

I wanted to love this, the premise was so interesting with the influencer being forced to lay low in a small town but I just couldn't get into it.

Idk if it is just me but I found it hard to follow and keep up with what's going on, there were also some parts that seemed a little repetitive where the same portion was repeated.

I loved the small town aspect as always and I even enjoyed some of the characters but this one was definitely more fiction with a romance sub plot.

3.5⭐️

I enjoyed this fun book about Cat, an Instagram influencer who becomes blacklisted due to a horrible rumor, moves to her uncle’s park in Montana where she meets Zaiah, an outdoorsman.

This was a super cute, fun and sweet rom com/ self discovery story and I really enjoyed the audio! Cat was funny, and I laughed out loud at some point of her trying to figure out mountain life. I liked the chemistry between Cat and Zaiah, although it wasn’t steamy, mostly just longing and flirting with each other, which was cute. I was hoping for more of a romance, but I did enjoy how Cat grew throughout the book and found more for herself besides Instagram fame. I liked the setting and the storyline, and if you are looking for a light beach read, this is a good one!

Cat's lack of education and experience in the workforce has never been a big deal. She's been quite successful as an influencer and has loved the limelight. A partnership goes up in flames and her popularity dives right along with it. Her Uncle Terry offers shelter and Cat finds more than she bargains for in Montana including social media hater, Zaiah.
Melissa's writing makes me wish for a new subgenre - comedic women's fiction. It takes the funny from rom-coms and the heart from women's fiction, blending into something else. This is her best book to date. I loved the setting and full cast of characters. While I didn't find Cat necessarily relatable, her lifestyle and social media addiction is something we are surrounded by these days. I loved the big city girl awkward stumbles along with her genuine desire to help.
Thank you to Uplit Reads, Thomas Nelson, and Netgalley for the advanced copy. All thoughts in this review are my own.

I really didn't want to put this book down so much so that I was up half the night reading it. Very well written and a real pleasure to read. Everything about this book needs to be read by everyone. 5 stars

Thanks to Netgalley and publisher for this ARC

This book was fun! Got major hallmark movie vibes which is how you know it was a good romcom.

Cat is quite the character. She’s a content creator and influencer and I kinda didn’t really like her at the beginning, but she definitely grew on me! Especially as she grew and learned.

Zaiah is a mountain man, and what can I say? A man in plaid with his sleeves rolled up just gets me. He was pretty quiet and I felt like we didn’t really get to know him. But I liked him nonetheless!

I really liked the whole concept of bringing in the problems with social media and technology. I did feel like the majority of that came in a bit late, but I like the message a lot.

But it was cute an and sweet story! And I was giggling and signing my way through it.

When Cat gets cancelled after being caught up in a shady business deal she heads to Montana to help her uncle. Unbeknownst to her Cat is there to try and save Kannery National Park from being absorbed by Glacier. Her Uncle needs her influencer expertise to help bring visitors in and save the lesser known park. From being rescued after trying to get a selfie with a moose to skijoring and soaking in the hot springs Cat experiences all Montana has to offer. Park Ranger Zaiah helps Cat realize she may be a city girl, but nothing is better for the soul then a nature detox. Can she end using her social media skills for good and get people back on the trails?

As a native and current citizen of Montana I appreciated all the fun activities hilighted that Cat and anyone visiting Montana can experience. I also the believe to core message of not being too self absorbed and being present in the moment is very relevant to all of us today who find it hard being away from our phones.

This was a delightful book that I enjoyed very much and is the perfect summer read!

Famous for a Living was cute, light but it felt more like a Women's fiction than a romance novel.

I was expecting more of a focus on the romance, which wasn't really there until the last quarter of the book. I would have liked to see more interactions between the MCs and I was left wanting more.

While I did feel like it was lacking in romantic tension, I, on the other hand, liked how the characters grew to like, then love each other in a realistic way. The characters only really get together around the 75-80% mark but it felt organic and honest for the reader.

I really liked how this book is relevant to the current times - Cat is after all a famous influencer who falls from grace. It also touches on the topic of social media addiction and how 'likes' and 'followers' make us feel validated. I enjoyed how it showed the other side, Cat's insecurities and the toxicity of social apps.

All in all, it was a fun read and I found the main character to be relatable and witty. I definitely recommend this book!

Famous for a Living by Melissa Fergusan is a great read. Cat Cranwell is a famous influencer who has made an incredible life for herself by being famous. Until it is not so amazing and she decides to work for her uncle in Kannery National Park, Montana. How does a city girl deal with living in a small cabin with a roommate, critters, blizzards, moose and a handsome anti-technology park ranger named Zaiah.

This delightful character driven story was filled with wonderful lessons, sweet romance, and very funny moments. It also challenges you to reflect on your phone usage and your virtual identity. I enjoyed walking through life with Cat both in NY and in Montana. The secondary characters were so well crafted and added to the story. So many funny scenes that made me laugh out loud.

I thoroughly enjoyed Famous for Living and highly recommend it.

I was given a copy by the publisher and not required to write a positive review.

Famous for a Living is a story about rediscovering oneself as we mature and age. It has a few different plotlines to learn from. One is the joy of learning to love ourselves as we age while living in a society that puts forth a fake reality. This is something that Cat Cranwell is struggling with. She's a social media influencer in her 30's and feels she has to compete with younger people showing up for the job. This is something that most people probably struggle with, so it's quite relatable. Second is signing a contract without reading it. Oh dear...what on earth was she thinking? The consequences of this choice prove to be monumental and completely change the course of Cat's life. And lastly, is the choice to set aside her aspirations and goals of getting her life back to help her uncle (who's more like a father) and her new-found friends. This was my favorite part of the story! Cat has many connections because of her social media career, and I loved that she put them to good use to, not help herself, but save her friends.

I have to say, if you're looking for a story that's heavy of the romance, this is not it. BUT...the romance is sweet and the rest of the story is quite fun!

I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. All opinions expressed are my own.

I listened to Famous for a Living primarily on audiobook and it was such a fun and light read. There were some things that were just so unbelievable, but I was able to go with it and just have fun regardless. A little bit campy and definitely very low on the steam level (this is very clean). I really liked Famous for a Living and will try Melissa Ferguson's other work.

This is my first Ferguson book, but it won't be my last! I loved the characters, the plot and the slow romance in it! Highly recommend!

Famous for a Living is my third novel by Melissa Ferguson after enjoyed Meet Me in the Margins and The Cul-de-Sac War. I was not a huge fan of “War,” but I did enjoy “Margins”, so I looked forward to trying this novel. While there is romance in this story, it does occur later so this is not quite an actual romance novel. This tale follows social media influencer, 30-year-old, Cat Cranwell who has been one since she was around fifteen. A lot of the story focused on the commentary of social media and not only how it affects Cat as a character, but how it does affect society. While social media has been around for a while, the huge influencer culture is only about a decade or so old (there have been influencers before, but just not to the extreme extent today). The experience of Cat becoming older while other influencers around her are younger, was well-done as it highlighted her struggles.

When Cat ends up in legal trouble because of those she works with, she decides to escape to Kannery National Park in Montana where her uncle works. Here she meets ranger, Zaiah Hudson, who is not a fan of phone use. The side characters along with the main ones seemed to have some inspiration from Parks and Rec as each character seemed to draw something from tv. They were all a lot of fun, and I loved the addition of Glacier National Park as a rival for Kannery. Cat is the newcomer who is going through a lot with her life and trying to fit in with the park office staff. As this read like a women’s fiction story, I enjoyed Cat trying to find her way in the world. Since this is marketed as a romance, this was unfortunate as I can see many readers not liking the story because it didn’t meet expectations. Since the writing goes more with Cat’s journey, I think the marketing should reflect it.

The setting was amazing with the forest, although I would have loved even more with the Montana setting. A national park in Montana is a lot different than one in Florida or anywhere else, so I would have loved a little more detail, so it felt like Montana. The setting did make me really want to visit a national park, though, so it did provide a nice escape while reading. As for Cat and her journey, I liked that she went through a lot of development. The social media aspect is not quite resolved, but it did work for the story. Cat was an interesting character, and I enjoyed her relationship with Zaiah. Since the romance is not the focus, I did sometimes forget there was supposed to be a love interest, but I did believe that they went well together. Overall, this was an interesting story and I look forward to reading more from Ferguson in the future.

**I give a special thank you to Netgalley and the publisher, Thomas Nelson, for the opportunity to read this entertaining novel. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.**

Do you kind of have an idea of how this will end? Well…yes, BUT…..the journey is so good! Loved every single character in this story, and especially loved Cat’s journey!

Cat is 30 something Instagram influencer who is on her way to next level fame and monetizing when her world comes screeching to a halt because of one of her partners and now she’s being “cancelled “ by everyone online. Her best friend suggests she needs to get away so maybe she should go and stay with her uncle Terry, who she’s always been close to. He is a park ranger at Kannery National Park in Montana. She decides to go and takes him up on his offer to take over the social media responsibilities of the park while she’s staying there in the hopes of increasing visibility and getting more people to come to the park. While she’s there she meets the other members of the crew, including the grumpy brooding Zaiah.
This book is so fun and I often found myself with a smile on my face while I was reading. The characters were so relatable and dimensional, it really helped to bring the story to life.
The story also really makes you look a lot at things like aging and the effects of social media and its effects in your mental health. Everyone’s life isn’t instagram perfect no matter how much they want you to think it is.
The description of the scenery was absolutely beautiful. It made me want to go there and even go hiking!
Thank you to Thomas Nelson and NetGalley for this EArc in exchange for my review.

This book is a sweet and quick read. Of the romance tropes, the enemies to lovers tends to be my favorite - especially with a grumpy character who has growth during the book. Overall, a very tame and modest - Hallmark movie type of romance. Perfect for fans of the K.A. Tucker The Simple Wild series.

I was fortunate enough to have access to the digital ARC and the audio ARC. The narrator of the audiobook was great at bringing tone and inflection, with a properly paced read.

Overall another great summer read.

Thank you to Netgally and the publisher for providing access to the ARCs in exchange for my honest review.

Famous for a Living comes out May 16.

If you’re looking for a novel about a woman finding herself in a National Park setting with good supporting characters and a clean romance, this may be the book for you.

Rounded up to 3 stars.

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

Things I liked:
- The National Park setting.
- The side characters. Ferguson creates lovable people who are often featured on the sidelines of her books. I especially liked Mina and Serena.
- The cover! It definitely made me want to read the book.
- A FMC who isn’t in her twenties.
- Cat’s dedication to helping save Kannery.
- Cat’s willingness to help Mina, and their friendship that developed.
- The audiobook narrator was good and kept me entertained.
- I did enjoy the social media illustrations at the start of certain chapters in the book. They helped me see Cat’s personality.

Things I didn’t like:
- I don’t necessarily see this as a romcom because the romance doesn’t happen until about 80% or so into the book. It’s more of women’s lit with Cat discovering more about herself with a hint of clean romance. Very sweet and Hallmark movie-esque.
- The book takes place in Montana winter, but the cover was summery so I thought it’d be based in warm weather.
- There were some tirades I didn’t love. The evils of social media commentary I found to be preachy. Yes, there are issues with influencer culture and being hooked up to social media too much, but it may be the way that someone, like Cat, makes their living.

Loved this one! Loved the meaning behind it and it makes you take a look at your own cell habits too. Very fun and well executed book!

I think this was a sweet, cute Women’s Fiction read, but not one I would classify as a romcom per say. I think keeping that in mind when picking this one up will help. While I think it was a cute story and Cat was an interesting character – I will say this one was not a great fit for me personally.

I went in expecting more of a romcom (and wanting a romcom), so while I appreciated Cat’s journey, I kept waiting for more of a romance element. I think the premise was definitely an interesting one, and the book does probe on an interesting thought piece on social media, contracts, and trust – it wasn’t quite what I was hoping for.

Thanks to Netgalley and Thomas Nelson Fiction for this ARC in exchange for an honest review! All opinions expressed here all my own.