Melissa Ferguson’s Famous for a Living showcases her talent as a contemporary sweet rom-com. I love the contrasts presented here: city versus wild, modern versus traditional. I also enjoyed the theme of unplugging and living the life in front of you, in the moment. The romance is just right for these characters and the friendships and camaraderie are touching. I love the call to find your identity, meaning, value, and worth apart from social media. Allow yourself to be challenged one minute and laugh out loud the next. Swoon with the romance and celebrate genuine friendship.
I received a complimentary copy from the publisher via NetGalley and all opinions expressed are solely my own, freely given.

As a fellow Cat, I was predisposed to love Cat, and I did.
I admit I went into this book thinking it would be something like It Happened One Summer, with the popular extroverted insta famous girl meeting the small town, grumpy guy. If we reduced books to its tropes, it kind of would be something like that, but books are not only their tropes - and I will die on this hill.
Anyway. I really liked this book. I haven't had much time to read at all, and I'm not good at having a routine to read, but I read this on my work breaks and I ended up being addicted. Not in a I Must Know What Happens N O , but in a Oh Damn I'm Into It Now. I wanted to know more about Cat, and about Zaiah, and about the mountain. I liked the depth of the characters, their growth and how they came together. I LOVED Mina, by the way.
I loved how Cat wasn't exactly afraid to voice her insecurities and, because of that, she felt like a real person. I could hear her thoughts and understand her and feel for her, even when I didn't agree with her. I found myself siding with her, and hoping with her.
I just wished it had a bit more romance, because I really liked Zaiah and I wished we knew a bit more about him. I'll definitely read more from this author.

Absolutely adored this book! This gave me alllll the cozy, wintry vibes. I really feel like Melissa's writing just gets better with every book! This one deals with pretense, integrity, materialism and addiction to social media. I loved the romance which is slow burn and felt so authentic. Great job!

The only bugaboo I have is why the cover looks like this is a summer book when the whole book is covered in snow ;)

Cat Cranwell is a social media star. She is adored and she is constantly being asked to represent brands. Until she goes into business for a friend and it going down in flames. She is blamed and ostracized for her part in the debacle. What do you do when your face is constantly on the front page of the papers and you cannot leave your NY apartment because of it? You escape to spend time with your Uncle Terry in Montana.

But it's not quite what Cat expected. Who knew owls and bugs could seem louder than taxi cabs and police sirens? Or that the employees would seem so country and simple. But she is allowed to do one thing she's good at- use social media to help save Kannery National Park.

I didn't love the NYC parts of this book. I did enjoy all the parts in Montana. The characters were quirky and loveable and while I had a hard time believing Cat could actually come to love the outdoors, or even that Zaiah would come to like her, it was still a fun ride. The ending was really sweet, so that made up for any suspensions for me.

Thanks to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

**I received this ARC in exchange for my published, unbiased opinions. **

She's big city girl who lives on her phone looking for that next post to boost her profile. He's a park ranger, eschewing social media for the solitude of the forest and simple pleasures. But when an embarrassing financial crisis occurs, forcing Cat Cranwell to flee the city and take her uncle's offer to work at his Montana national park, she's going to need all the help she can get. Suddenly she's negotiating waist-deep snow and bone chilling temps instead of endorsement deals, and quite possibly, falling for a rugged park ranger who dislikes anything "virtual."

This was a cute, quick read in the rom-com arena. The story was constantly moved forward without feeling rushed and although it is a "romance," it wasn't the focus of the story (So if you're looking for heat, keep moving on from this one).

I thought the development of Cat and Zarah's characters was well-done. There was instant attraction, based solely off of looks, but their relationship developed in an organic way, which was nice to since so many times it's an insta-love sitch in these types of books.

If rom-com is your cup of tea, or you just need a palate cleanser, this is a perfect, light-hearted read.

Thank you to Melissa Ferguson and Thomas Nelson Publishing for this ARC!

I received an Advanced Reader copy from Netgalley for my honest opinion. When I started the story, I struggled to be invested in Cat, the influencer. Not a fan of big cities and social status, which is how the story begins. As Cat lost her brands, and needed a fresh start, I enjoyed watching her struggle and adapt to living in a National park. Her coworkers are genuine and bring out self discovery. Zaiah, Serena, and Mina are forces to be reckoned with. Uncle Terry is unforgettable! I couldn’t put the story down as Cat discovered true beauty! I would definitely read stories more by this author.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced copy. This book took an interesting perspective on the life we live and the life portrayed on social media. It was interesting!

Synopsis: When a social media influencer falls into scandal, she takes a job at a small national park to wait out the storm and attempt to rebuild her reputation.
Review: This is a perfect bedside table book. Melissa Ferguson’s stories are sweet and fun and end the day on a positive vibe. I’ll admit I wasn’t 100% sure about this one at the beginning but the characters quickly grew on me and I enjoyed the slow burn romance. I also appreciated the reminder to put down our phones sometimes!

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you to @netgalley and @thomasnelson for the advance reader copy.

I enjoyed this book. It was a quick read after a slightly slow start. I did feel like it mainly hit the high points and didn’t really fill in much else. It also became preachy very suddenly out of nowhere. But overall, an entertaining read.

Overall, I liked this. Some good imagery and a good story. I didn't feel super connected with the characters, though.

Famous for a Living by Melissa Ferguson is coming out on 16 May 2023, and I highly recommend this fun and thought-provoking sweet story.
The story begins with Cat feeling on top of the world as a successful social media influencer. But shortly after, her world is in tatters, brought on by false accusations. She needs a reset and a chance to mentally recover, which lands her working for her uncle at a ranger service station in the middle of Montana. Switching from her life in New York to the rural setting surrounded by snow and mountains is culture shock on steroids. But through the time away and building relationships with her new coworkers, Cat begins to heal and recognize the signs that she had been addicted to the highs of social media recognition. As she continues her journey, she makes lifestyle changes to be more authentic and genuine. To use social media in healthy, positive ways while drawing healthy boundaries for herself. Throw in the mountain man coworker who at first seems to despise everything she stands for and the magnetism between them, and you won’t want to put this one down. It’s the perfect balance of sweet and light romance with honest questions we should all ask ourselves.

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

#FamousforaLiving, #Netgalley, #thomasnelsonfiction

I read this book in a day!
It represents with extreme accuracy all the people that can't stay away from their phone and social media and it'll have you question your habits. I dived into this book thinking that I would be reading all about romance but, in fact, I read about people and their character evolution and I really loved that and all the characters!
The questions and tips at the end of the book were also a very bright idea!
I will definitely recommend this book to my friends!

Cat Cranwell knows her stuff. Of course she does, she's an influencer who gets paid to put her name and seal of approval on anything from cosmetics to vacation rentals; automobiles to restaurants. She loves what she does and she's good at what she does.
What she doesn't expect is to not be the "it" girl in the influencer game and to end up somewhere less than ideal to her beloved NYC.
Thus the tale of Cat Cranwell by Melissa Ferguson takes readers from the ultra bright and vivid life to the remote and almost out of civilization of Montana and Cat's journey to find what really fills a life. What really matters: a million likes, loves, followers or people who truly love you because you're just you?
Cat was not a likeable character for me until nearly the end of the book. I honestly didn't think I would finish because I just wasn't feeling Cat's character. However I'm glad I stuck with her because Ferguson writes her character from unlikeable to likeable and I found myself hoping that she would get her chance at love and lasting happiness and get to be the grand influencer she had made herself to be.
Ferguson aids Cat with great support characters: Zaiah, Mina, Peggy, Uncle Terry, Kevin and even Jax.
Readers will be entertained and will most likely be planning a vacation to Montana by books end.
I received an advanced copy through NetGalley however the opinions in this review are solely my own.

I liked this one! The juxtaposition of. Cat's "before" life and her "after" life were a lot - what a culture shift! But I liked Cat & Zaiah's journey and Cat's journey to find herself apart from her fame as well. Would recommend.

This book was very enlightening on the impact social media has on our generation. I loved the honesty from Cat about her struggle to find that balance that we're all trying to find between the digital world and real life.

3 stars. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read this ARC!

The opposites attract trope is one of my favorites, especially when you also throw in small town/big city

Very cute story set in a beautiful place. I enjoyed this one!

I love a good opposites attract trope and Famous for a Living by Melissa Ferguson did not disappoint!

Cat Cranwell, a social media influencer, watchers her life start to unravel amidst a social media scandal. She retreats to Montana, to help her Uncle Terry, her closest living relative, save Kannery National Park from being absorbed into Glacier National Park. To help save the park, she has to increase the number of visitors, and what better way to help bring attention to any location than hyping it up on social media?

Cat becomes close with park ranger and co-worker, Zaiah Smith. Cat and Zaiah could not be more opposite: Cat is all about her image, social media, and the number of lifes/comments on her posts, while Zaiah is all about living a rugged life and still has a flip phone.

I loved this story and fell in love with ALL the characters. I felt the relationships Cat built in Montana were just what she needed, while never losing her bond with friend and agent, Serena, back at home in NYC. The character quirks really made me fall for everyone in this book!

I also feel like Famous for a Living will leave you questioning some of your own choices and habits and will hopefully inspire you to make healthy changes. I know I find myself constantly checking my social media accounts, and this book really made me see how toxic that can be for my life. I've already seen some healthy changes within my own social media/phone usage since finishing this book.

Overall, this was an adorable and charming story and I can wholeheartedly recommend this book to others looking for a romantic comedy!

FOUR STARS!

Thank you to NetGalley, Thomas Nelson, and Melissa Ferguson for this gifted copy of Famous for a Living.

Social media influencer, Cat Cranwell's, life is falling apart. Amidst of a scandal, Cat retreats to her uncle's park in Montana. Turns out, the park is at risk of being bought out, so Cat puts her social media skills to use to try and drive up tourism at the park. While working, Cat grows close to a rugged park Ranger named Zaiah. The two couldn't be more opposite on the surface, but you know what they say about opposites. While the two engage in a fun romance, Cat's life settles, and she can return to New York. Can the two separate their very different worlds, or can they find a way to combine them for the sake of the relationship?
**
This was a sweet story that was easy to read, with quirky and likeable characters. Zaiah definitely takes on the protective man role in Cat's life who is obviously attracted to what he repeatedly claims is not his type.

Closed-door romance. Sweet. Predictable.

Cat’s whole world lives on social media where she’s a content creator and when her whole world comes crashing down she doesn’t know what to do. Adrift, Cat reluctantly takes a job with her uncle at his national park and agrees to manage their social media accounts to attract more visitors. There, Cat meets her complete opposite- (he still has a flip phone!) and starts to see and appreciate some aspects of his slower paced lifestyle. Zaiah is anti social media and all it has to offer but he can’t help but slowly come around to Cat’s viewpoint or is it Cat?

This story definitely brings to light the potential dangers of social media while highlighting it’s usefulness in certain areas. There’s definitely a balancing act and Cat eventually finds the balance she needs and the life she wants. The side characters added so humor to the story and the setting was great. I wanted a little more from Cat and Zaiah’s story to make their connection strong.


Rating 3.5 stars rounded up


Thank you publishers and @netgalley for this eARC in exchange for my honest feedback.

I thought I wasn’t going to like this one given that it was sent in influencer-land, but it was better than I expected. However, how many Gen Z’ers are reading romance these days? I’m not seeing them at our library.