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.

I really wanted to love this book… from the cover to the description it was right up my ally. While I enjoyed the take Ferguson takes on society and social media, as well as the world building thought out this book.. everything else just fell flat for me. I didn’t really buy into Cat and Zaiah’s relationship and the pacing just felt off to me.
I can totally see how this has the potential to be someone’s new favorite read, it just wasn’t mine.

Easy read! It was a fun romance dealing with a lot of newer subjects/issue with social media in todays society. I would recommend to anyone who loves a good romance!

Famous For A Living was my first read of 2023. I have been struggling to get back into reading for awhile, and I took it this would be a good start to the new year to help me get out the slump.

The first chapter immediately draws you in. It was so fun reading this book. The author kept with the modern times and made her main character to be an influencer. This book was so brave and so fresh... It was such an awwww, cute and cozy story. Melissa never disappoints.

Loved this quote "There is a pleasure in the pathless woods. There is a rapture on the lonely shore, There is society, where none intrudes, By the deep sea, and music in its roar: I love not man the less, but Nature more . . ." —Lord Byron, 1788– 1824

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

Thank you to Thomas Nelson Fiction & NetGalley. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
This is the second Melissa Ferguson book I have read and I remember liking “Meet me in the Margins” but I know her books are low on the romance and have no spice so I understand a lot of people are reviewing against that but I went in knowing what to expect & I was pleasantly surprised!
A socialite who loses everything has to move to the country and work a normal job. She meets a grumpy sunshine lead man and meets some amazing people along the way.
I really enjoyed this story and everyone working at the Park definitely rounded out the story and created a reason for Cat to rethink her life. The story could have definitely had more depth and leaned more into her and Zaiah BUT the romance was really sweet. The characters who worked at the park like Mina were great and showed how Cat really was a sweet, caring person underneath her socialite facade.
The Annual Skijoring National Race chapter was really good! I liked that side of Cat and how she was willing to try something new to help out the Park. It was fun and a great addition to the story.
The addition of social media and cell phone addiction is something I think we all struggle with now and is a real problem. I liked this modern mental health issue that was reflected in the story.
All in all a really endearing redemption story with a sweet love story thrown in. Recommend!

I really loved the cover and the idea for this book. I wanted to like the book more than I did I didn't dislike any of the characters but didn't feel totally connected to them either. At times the flow of the story was hard to follow and I had to go back and re-read a few times. I liked the message of the story and liked how it ended though it did feel like it wrapped up a little too quick. 3 stars for this one. I want to thank NetGalley and Thomas Nelson--FICTION for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

This book is great! Would definitely recommend. Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Thank you to Thomas Nelson and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I love the cover! I love the description!

But I did not love the book. The flow of the story was hard to follow and I found myself re-reading certain parts to see if I missed something. I also had to keep reminding myself that Cat was an adult, not a teenager. Also, I didn't feel a spark between Cat and Zaiah. I had high hopes for this to be a favorite, but it fell short for me.

Melissa Ferguson has knocked it out of the (national) park with her newest book, Famous for a Living! I absolutely ADORED this story that is so funny and so romantic, while also an incisive commentary on the pitfalls of cell phones and social media on our society. When social media darling Cat Cranwell finds herself accused of an embezzlement scheme she did not commit, she finds refuge at the small Montana national park ran by her uncle. This story is pure, unfiltered joy told with vivid descriptions and incredible vocabulary (hesperidium??? I love it). Cat finds herself rooting for every employee at Kannery National Park and working hard to help them maintain their status as separate from Glacier National Park. Amidst a colorful cast of co-workers, beautiful snow-covered hikes, and a social media rivalry with the "Glacier Boys," Cat also is drawn towards ranger Zaiah Smith. Zaiah is SO patient and their love story is SO gentle; basically, Zaiah is Ferguson's best hero to date. I absolutely loved his character. I smiled the entire time I read this story (the trash cans-ifkyk) and as much as I loved Meet You in the Margins, this was my favorite Ferguson book to date. She gets better and better with every book, and I can't wait to see what comes next.

Also this book really made me wish I could just move to a beautiful home somewhere in Montana (the "Do I Have a Problem Quiz" related so phones and social media was also very convicting for me).

Basically, run, don't walk to preorder this book so you have it when it releases on May 16!

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from Netgalley. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.

This was my first book by Melissa Ferguson and it was amazing! I didn't want to put it down. When the book began I was a little concerned this wouldn't be the right book for me as I noticed there was a heavy attention to social media use and I thought I wouldn't be able to connect with the story or the characters. Instead, I got a new understanding of just how much our devices and social media can affect our world in both positive and negative ways. Everyone, I think, knows this; but to see it written out so well in a wonderful story really makes it hit home and causes you to reflect on your own habits.

Famous for a Living had the perfect blend of humor, introspection, romance and fun secondary characters. I enjoyed Cat's voice. I liked her as a person. She was kind and supportive of those she cared about. I liked that she was able to overcome terrible events and become stronger for it. She recognized her own flaws and worked towards improving herself. She may have been famous but she was also a regular person I could connect with.

Zaiah may have been Cat's opposite in many ways but their developing relationship highlighted how two people that are seemingly very different can still connect and have a positive affect on the other.

This was an inspirational, heartfelt story with a slow build romance. The steam factor was low but the emotions were not, and the story was not lacking in anyway. There are no graphic love scenes in this book and it did not need any. It was perfect the way it was.

I absolutely adored this book! It was so cute and funny and I couldn't get enough.
I just reviewed Famous for a Living by Melissa Ferguson. #FamousforaLiving #NetGalley
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3.5 STARS

I've been looking forward to this novel since I finished Meet Me in the Margins which I absolutely loved! I enjoyed the message of Famous for a Living, the challenge to really pay attention to whether we are addicted to our phones. The writing didn't flow as well for me though. I had to reread a little to make sure I was following what was happening.

I did really like most of the characters and the camaraderie between them in Montana. So while Meet Me in the Margins is still my favorite, I did appreciate this one.

Rom-com aficionados will probably really enjoy it!

*Clean, not Christian.

I received a copy of the novel in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

In this sweet opposites-attract romance, a top influencer hides away in a remote national park after a scandal sends her career crashing to a grinding halt. After losing all credibility in her field, she trades the sidewalks of Manhattan for the wilds of Montana. While trying to help her uncle save the part with the salvageable skills she has left, in between the mountains and wildlife, Cat finds love - and herself - again. For the most part, I enjoyed this one and while I didn't pee my pants laughing out loud, I did crack a smile at some of the scenes. I think it also shone a light on the very bizarre world of social media and influencers while highlighting the necessity of healthy balance when it comes to chasing likes and just living life. I think I would have liked a bit more of Zaiah and even the supporting characters but all in all I truly enjoyed this one.

A big city dwelling, famous for a living, social media influencer being unfairly canceled hides out in a Montana national park in this excellent novel by Melissa Ferguson. Cat Cranwell was taken advantage of by her business partner, and stands to lose everything she's been building since she was a teen. Her uncle is a park ranger and his invitation to come work with his team (and save their park from assimilation into the bigger one next door) gives Cat a total change in perspective along with the change in location. I loved the book. The setting is described beautifully. The side characters are quirky and amusing, The sweet romance that develops between Cat and Zaiah, another park ranger, is believable and endearing. This is another great one from Melissa Ferguson that I'll be recommending to my audience!

Let me start by saying that I love this cover! There's something about a small-town boy and big city girl that pulls me in every time. Cat Cranwell has a huge social media following and loved by all, but when she is accused of fraud and her followers turn against her, she runs from the spotlight right into a national park in Montana where her Uncle Terry manages. There she meets beloved Zaiah Hudson who believes social media is the worst thing that ever happened to humanity. The two are complete opposites, but maybe they are more alike than they think.

I really had high expectations for this book. In theory, everything about it is exactly what I love about a romance like this one, however I did not feel any chemistry between Cat and Zaiah. There was no tension or buildup that made me want them together or made me root for them, they just felt like coworkers to me, friend vibes at most. I did love all of the side characters. They really made the national park seem like a family and I am obsessed with all of the fun activities and traditions they participated in. With that being said, I wish there would have been more descriptions and history about the national park so that it would have brought the scene to life. Lastly, the whole "social media is terrible" and "you shouldn't let social media consume you" was a bit overplayed. I appreciate the discussion around social media and how it can have a negative impact if you let it, but I do think it can have a positive impact when using it in the right way. I loved seeing Zaiah open up about his past and the reason he dislikes phones so much and I loved seeing Cat slowly discover who she is when she doesn't have the world staring down at her all the time. This is a very important topic that needs to be talked about and I feel like the author did a good job discussing it in a realistic and sympathetic way. Overall, I enjoyed it, but I would not consider it a romance. It is a story of self-discovery and living in the moment.

The cover and the author made my decision for me because I love Ferguson's rom-com. I wasn't disappointed at all! I always look forward to her books!
Cat was a girl who knew how to.make everything work no matter what life threw at her and for that I really admired her. She was my favorite character for that reason.
I really enjoyed this book and my favorite thing was the fun scenes from the characters! They made me laugh and they actually made my day!
I didn't put this book down until I was finished because I wanted to see where Cat's journey took her.
I highly recommend it! 5 stars!
My thanks for a copy of this book. I was NOT required to write a positive review.
All opinions expressed are my own.

The best thing about the book is it's cover. The story was cute enough but I feel like it was poorly written. I had a hard time focusing and had to re-read things numerous times. I couldn't tell if I was the problem or the book was the problem but I think it was the writing. It didn't flow well and didn't always make sense.