I had a little trouble really liking this book because I wanted it to be a romance, and there just wasn't a lot of romance in the story. I just felt like I really didn't care too much about the characters. Can I just say that I am also a bit out of touch with social media influencers, so I may have had a bit of trouble really relating to Cat. There is an appropriate message about the dangers of social media, but I guess that's not what I was really looking for.

This was such a sweet book. Cat and Zaiah while seemingly complete opposites share more in common then they thought. The premise behind the book that sometimes we really do need to disconnect from our phones and find our way back to nature really hit hard. Absolutely loved the social media posts included at the beginning of chapters and officially pining for the outdoors.🤩

This was a cute, cautionary tale of what may happen if you live on social media and if you don’t read contracts before signing them. I found the beginning fun and interesting, as Cat adjusts to life outside of NYC, but never really felt that this was a romance, despite her eventually finding love. My biggest issue with this story was the whole rant about how social media could ruin your life. It felt out of place if it was meant to be tongue-in-cheek and made me roll my eyes a few times. Other than that, I enjoyed the story and find it’s perfect for a vacation read or when you need to unplug.

I want to start this review off by saying that I think Famous for a Living had the potential to be a fine book and maybe it is, it just didn't work for me. I was expecting something completely different than what I got.

I was expecting a humorous rom-com, and this was the complete opposite of that. It definitely was more women's fiction than romance even though it is being marketed and promoted as a romance.

There wasn't one big thing that made this book not work for me. I can't really place anything that really ruined it for me, I just didn't find it enjoyable.

After finishing, I read some reviews and it seems like many people share the option that this book is incredibly mid. I have seen some more positive reviews as well - I guess it just depends on the person and if this type of book is typically your thing.

Cat is an influencer in NYC- it is her job to be famous.
When someone takes advantage of her good will, crashes her entire world, and disappears, Cat has no choice but to take the one job being offered to her-- running social media for her uncle and his team of rangers at a small national forest in Montana.
Zaiah is one of the head rangers at the park and is frustrated by the antics of this girl and the lack of knowledge she shows in taking videos and pictures in dangerous situations and underestimating how dangerous the outdoors can be, especially in winter.
As Cat finds her footing in Montana and finds friendships with those around her, and Zaiah starts to see beyond the phone and into the Cat that is willing to do anything for her new friends, friendship is not the feeling that is unveiled.

Melissa Ferguson is really good at taking a story that seems like a light fluffy romance read and adding a level of depth that makes the characters fully realized. The characters are enjoyable in their stories with moments you laugh with them, cringe for them, and mostly cheer for them. Her books never disappoint.

#arc
#netgalley
#famousforaliving

This was more Cat learning to get off her phone and live life rather than romance. She only got asked out like 70% through the book. It was cute but I felt like this was more of a women’s fiction or chick flick rather than a romance but I still enjoyed it just not what I expected!

First off how gorgeous is this cover ?⁣
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I went back and forth reading and listening to the audio of this and really enjoyed the narration.⁣
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This book wasn’t quite the romance I was expecting but the romance is certainly there and it’s real and honest which I loved. ⁣
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I felt like this was more of a journey to self love. Cat is a social media influencer used to all things rich and amazing but always feels like a shell of herself. Her life implodes and she has to flee NY to get away from the drama. ⁣
She goes to Alaska to work at the National Park her uncle is the ranger at and realizes just how much time she’s spent on her phone, in the mirror and taking photos and not really truly living life.⁣
She meets individuals who have grown up used to the mountains and wildlife with minimal to no social media and has an eye opening experience for her life, while also falling for Zaiah the rugged handsome ranger who’s been in Alaska since he was 18, and while he’s quiet and broody he is always looking out for Cat.⁣
This was a sweet lighthearted story and I liked it. ⁣
3.5/4⭐️

This was a sweet, big city girl who has fallen and returns to her hometown from a lifetime ago and makes big changes and finds love along the way.

It was written well and the story was good. And I did really like Cat. I was expecting her to be a little more…bratty than she was, which was GREAT. Since she was a content creator who has been cancelled, and is now living in rural Montana, I was expecting more a fight. And I was more than happy not see it!

With that said I would have liked a LITTLE more tension. It was missing something that I can’t quite figure out. And it was seemingly marketed as a romance and it really didn’t feel like one to me. Cat’s story was great, but the romance only took place in the last 20% - except for a few heated glances and touches between Zaiah and Cat!

I loved the sweet family she was able to find! Mina was my favorite honestly. Serena was also amazing. She was such a champion for Cat! I wish we could have seen more of Cat and her Uncle Terry together. And I loved how hard she worked to help this little town keep their national park!

Of course Zaiah was wonderful. I wish we had seen more of them two of them together. The whole story was more focused on Cat’s journey than theirs. But the ending was sweet, and then the epilogue was even sweeter.

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

Cute and enjoyable. I enjoyed the concept, the characters, and the character's arc. Sometimes the description felt a bit much for a romcom, slowing the pace, but overall I enjoyed this story.

Thank you NetGalley for gifting me an arc of this book, all thoughts are my own. Originally I was drawn in by the cover and the setting of a National Park, and overall I had a fun time with this book. The drawbacks to this book for me were that it was a little confusing to why Cat got cancelled in the beginning, the plot was really blotchy at times, and the romance was really rushed at the end. I think the author was mixed up between adding everything she wanted into this book and still making it short- if she spread it out a bit and made it even 30-50 pages longer it would’ve done wonders. Despite this, I still flew through this book. Mina was my absolute favorite character in this book- she was so adorable and I wish she was real so we could be friends. I think this book is perfect if you are into fast paced romance books in nature, plus the cover is absolutely stunning.

I was excited about this book because it seemed like a light, fun romance. Unfortunately, I had to DNF around 20%. I just couldn’t get into the story. I found the FMC unlikeable, and a tad unrealistic. As someone who has lived & worked in NYC, it seemed like some of the writing about the city was done from an assumptive standpoint rather than from experience or research. The writing wasn’t flowing for me and I found the story just a little too predictable. Plus, from reading some other early reviews, it seems that most wouldn’t categorize this book as a romance, which is what I was looking forward to.

Sometimes you just need an easy breezy romcom to get you through a day of chores, and this was it for me. While definitely light on the rom and heavy on the com, I seriously enjoyed the book. Temper your expectations though - it should absolutely be marketed as a contemporary or women's fiction.

Watching Cat's fall from fame was fascinating, especially as she learns to change her spoiled ways. Having all of this set against the lush backdrop of Montana was delightful, especially considering the focus on national parks. As a content creator myself, the dialogue about putting your phone down and just enjoying your life as it is.... It hit me right in the feels. Some areas could've been fleshed out more - like seeing how Cat's antics were helping the park or her relationship with Zaiah - but it's overall just a super cute book.

*Thank you to Thomas Nelson and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review and to Uplit Reads for a gifted copy*

1.5 stars.

I am all for a well-written "sweet" romance, but I almost did not finish "Famous for a Living" multiple times because, well, it is *not* well-written. This book is so painfully boring that I could not wait for it to be over so I could delete it off my NetGalley app. It's as if Melissa Ferguson saw "Schitt's Creek" and thought, "I can make this!," but instead of making something charming and redemptive and cute and flawless, she made it ten times worse by making it drab and effortful and dull and devoid of joy or charisma. I did not care one iota about any of the characters in this story. I found Cat to be absolutely insufferable as a main character. She's a spoiled, rich influencer who is deeply insecure about herself and her life, and it feels more than disingenuous. I, for one, am glad she got humbled by her life experiences. Seems like she needed it (regardless of how the story ends). Zaiah doesn't feel like an actual person, but rather a caricature of the "old man yells at cloud" Simpsons meme (but not in a super-sexy-grumpy way that successful romance novels use this trope). The two of them have zero chemistry, and at one point, I forgot that they were supposed to be love interests. I didn't even buy them as friends. The commentary on social media's pervasiveness in our society is hackneyed at best. The reason for Zaiah's social media aversion enters the story at the 11th hour, and it comes off as sanctimonious, preachy, and sort of ridiculous?? Everyone should know the dangers of texting and driving by now! How many news stories do you have to read before it sinks in?! Or, is it only once it affected him directly that he started caring?! Why do people need to know someone who is suffering in order to empathize with them?! I did enjoy Talon David's audiobook narration, though.

Melissa Ferguson NEEDS to STOP categorizing her novels as "romance" books because they aren't romantic in the slightest! This book is boring, shallow, and devoid of humor or chemistry.

Thank you to NetGalley, Melissa Ferguson, and Thomas Nelson for providing me with an ARC copy of this book! All opinions are my own, and I was not compensated for my review.

Melissa Ferguson is a new-to-me author, and I just adored this book! While billed as a rom-com, the romance and the comedy are on the lighter side and clean. The story is so much more about coming of age, friendship, and finding your true self in your 30s. The characters were so relatable and just lovely. The Montana nature descriptions and town life were supporting characters of their own (who doesn't just love a moose family?). The chapter Insta headings/pics were on point and complemented the story. The social media addiction theme is one most of us can relate to, and the commentary promoted introspection and maybe even some personal changes. I will definitely be checking out Melissa Ferguson's other books!

Thank you to #NetGalley and Thomas Nelson Fiction for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.

Feel good romcom. Loved the writing, the descriptive details of the surroundings was great.
Characters were fun to get to know. Felt the ending was a bit abrupt. It was summed up real quick. The problem with Bobby was resolved with Serena delivering the news to her in Montana. Cat and Zaiah’s relationship was a bit yes and no. There was chemistry but maybe needed a bit more to really sell it at the end.

I really enjoyed this fun book! So much so that I read it in two sittings! It was a really quick read that flowed nicely. It was a slow burn, opposites attract romance about a disgraced social media influencer who leaves New York and heads out to the quieter mountains of Montana in order to get out of the headlines for a bit.

It was relatable in the sense that the main character is an influencer who posts to instagram a lot. After a rough deal, she needed to take a look at her life and how often she was on her phone. It touched on the addiction we can have to social media apps and how much of life can be curated and not exactly reality.

The chemistry between the two mains was great. It was definitely slow burn but there was some good tension there. It was a sweet and not spicy romance. The setting was really nice between NYC and Montana. I liked the growth that was shown throughout the story as well. If you're looking for a cute opposites attract romance, this one will be right up your alley! Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for my advanced reading copy.

Thank you to the publisher for a copy of this book. This was a cute read about Cat, a famous influencer that is embroiled in a scandal and moves to Montana to work for her uncle. This story focuses on Cat's journey to learn to be more about what's important to life then likes. I love the supporting characters in this book which added depth to the story. The love story between Cat and Zaiah was slow burn and I enjoyed the banter between the two.

2.5 *stars*

This is not really a romantic novel, let's start with that.

Let's say that this story is eye opening to the thing that is happening even more in today's society - addiction to social media and being on the phone ALL THE TIME (yes. all caps intended)! Every young girl seeking to be the next Youtuber/content creator/influencer this is the book about what it actually means and what it does to the personality and Your daily life. It's easy to seek popularity but that also gives a lot of negativity and overly big recognition. Not to even mention that You are getting obsessed about being on trend, getting the best picture, most liked picture, events and PR packages. That leads to not living Your life and not being Your true self.

Main character Cat Cranwell has the chance to escape the social media farce after false accusations to once again find what is important in life. Sure, happy for her, but with her love interest - nothing really happened between them. Unfortunately the story is easily forgettable and I didn't get what I was craving from the story. But the cover though is really eye catching and really pretty.

I really appreciate the experience!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Loved this book!! All the characters were so good and the setting was perfect! This is very light on the romance but I didn’t mind because the story was really good. I’m definitely going to be reading anything this author writes. If you love National Parks and getting a glimpse at the lives of social media influencers then definitely read this one.

Melissa Ferguson has to be one of my favorite Rom-Com writers at the moment. Famous for a Living was a fantastic book to read and even listen to. After a deal goes wrong, the famous Cat travels to Montana for a fresh start and a reality check. Her uncle offers her to work for him and she accepts. There were parts of this book that I lost track of where I was at and was a little confused. But, overall I enjoyed it.

Melissa never disappoints.