I absolutely loved Melissa Ferguson’s last book, Meet Me in the Margins (my favorite romance of 2022!) and was excited to get this ARC of her 2023 release. Famous for a Living is a sweet romance that deals with a heavy and timely topic - our society’s addiction to social media. Cat is a successful social media influencer who has a spectacular fall from grace and flees to her uncle’s remote home at a national park in Montana to recharge and remember what is important in life. She grows to love the slow pace of small town living and her quirky fellow co-workers, especially the stoic and handsome park ranger, Zaiah.

I loved so many things about this book - the realistic found family of the park rangers, especially her adorable roommate, the spectacular landscape descriptions, and the slow burn of the romance with Zaiah. He is truly the perfect man - strong yet sensitive, principled yet caring. Who wouldn’t fall for him?

The setting was perfect, especially since I had visited Montana several years ago and could mentally picture the breathtaking vistas and snowy peaks myself. I am similar to Cat, not a huge fan of roughing it, so I understood her reluctance at the beginning of her time there. I love how she grew as a character, from a shallow, vapid influencer always looking for her next “like” to a thoughtful, caring team player.

The ending fed into my general feelings about social media, how insidious it is and how it is negatively affecting our young people in particular. I wish every “influencer” could read this book and realize how much of life they are missing when they are glued to their phones. The storyline with Zaiah and Hannah hit very close to home as a mom of teens, the anxiety over “likes,” the constant checking of stats, etc. It’s all too much for kids, teens, and adults, and I hope through books like this, we can take back control of our digital lives.

I loved the characters so much that I wanted to learn even more about them, especially Uncle Terry and his special relationship with Cat. There was discussion of Cat’s terrible time growing up and how it still affected her, and I would have loved even more (What about Cat’s mother and Zaiah’s father? Where did he get that unusual name?). They were just such a fun group with great camaraderie and laugh out loud interactions, I could have read another 300 pages about them!

Overall it was a big win for me! A sweet romance that packed a moral punch in the best way possible! I’ll definitely be recommending this as a romance to read in 2023!

Typos noted for publisher:
Wrong name for Zaiah at 20% - after car rental, he’s called Eli

Wrong use of word “peak” (should be pique) at 31% (discussion of her coat)

Different spellings of the word “clingy” throughout

This book was definitely more women’s fiction/chick lit than romance (which is what I went in expecting) but I still found it quite enjoyable. I loved the whole Kannery & Montana aspect of the story, and almost all the main characters were likeable and written well, especially Cat.

I felt myself going back and forth on how the author approached the social media “addiction” aspect. The line about how we shouldn’t know this much about every single random person stood out. But at the same time it came from the perspective of Cat whose entire job and personality revolves around social media, rather than your average worker with a traditional 9-5 who only uses social media in their downtime.

My biggest gripe would be the ending being extremely rushed, which unfortunately just so happened to coincide with most of the romance plot line too.

This felt like a lecture from my mom wrapped in a book that was barely a romance. While I like the elements of going to Montana and appreciating and working at a national park, the social media/phone obsession bit was so preachy. Also it barely had a romance until the last thirty pages

It was a quick read! I loved the premise of this book and had high hopes. Unfortunately, it just didn’t pull me in. I love a good slow burn relationship, but the chemistry/dating did not start until about 80% into the book. The HEA ending was quick but swoon worthy!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley, but opinions are all mine.

When I saw this cover, I had to immediately pick it up. I was craving an escape in the national park rom com. Cat Cranwell is a big social media influencer, however, when her business partner is accused of financial crimes, she runs away from the paparazzi by going to the national park in Montanna. Can Cat survive a life outside the penthouse? Of course, there is love interest who is a grumpy park ranger who hates social media. He even has a flip phone. It definitely reads more like women’s fiction with a side of romance. It also deals with heavy topics such as the dangers of social media and being dependent/over exposed on it. Overall, this is a cute, lighthearted, wholesome, and a quick read.

Thank you Thomas Nelson-Fiction and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for this honest review.

Another hit from @our_friendly_farmhouse … I adored the story in this book! Cat and Zaiah were great. They had amazing chemistry and I loved their interactions. I appreciated the fact that while Cat is a influencer from New York, she isn’t portrayed as being a stupid rich girl. She has depth and is very relatable when it comes to social media in everyday life. I highly recommend to everyone!
Overall Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Spice Level: 🌶️/5 (a few innocent kisses)
I was provided this copy for free from the publishers via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I really wanted to like this one, but I got about 5% in and just could not handle the writing style. It's first person, but it felt like a narrator telling the reader what was happening, instead of being in the MC's head. The sentences were choppy and felt weirdly written, like the author was trying too hard to not write a normal sentence.

I really enjoyed my time reading this book! It’s such a sweet, simple palette cleanser of a book and it was so lovely! The characters had such a wholesome relationship and the overall story felt so refreshing to read. This book had me laughing as well as smiling from ear to ear at times! It’s nothing too serious, very light hearted but a wonderful story nonetheless!

Famous for a Living by Melissa Ferguson
4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

“I think you are a lot of things, Cat Cranwell, all of them beautiful.”

Quick read
Modern
Funny

Summary: Cat Cranwell, modern day influencer, is living her best life until everything is turned upside down when her business partner faces some legal issues and ropes in Cat. With her life in disarray, she takes to the mountains, to the national park where her sweet uncle works. Not only does she fall in love with nature and a loving community, she may fall in love with a handsome park ranger.

My thoughts: This book was witty, modern and light hearted! It’s a cute read to get lost in and laugh quite a bit! The last bit of the book had me smiling from ear to ear!

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson for this advanced copy. Be sure to read this book when it comes out on May 16th!

The world knows and adores social media influencer Cat Cranwell. She notices a decline in her popularity after her business partner is charged with a serious crime. She is encouraged to leave her longtime home of New York City and take a break from social media. Uncle Terry, who is her closest relative to her, offers that she goes to Montana and work at Kannery National Park with him. The park runs the risk of being incorporated into Glacier National Park unless it can be promoted as a desirable destination. The business has to attract more visitors, and what better way to achieve so than by being active on social media? Therefore, making Cat the ideal candidate for the job.

Cat's story when she gets to Montana is hilarious, and I loved Zaiah Hudson, he is the attractive park ranger who insists that social media has only brought about chaos and evil in the world and still uses a flip phone. As the plot develops, there are numerous unexpected turns as well as some unexpected romance. I liked seeing how Cat slowly discovers how much she likes the freedom of being away from social media and the world, while slowly falling for Zaiah.

In the beginning of the story, Cat is a beloved popular influencer who lives a fancy live in New York. However, after she is part of a scandal, her followers start to leave her and internet-trolls start on hating. Cat decides to live with her uncle in Kannery national park. There she learns what it's like to live a small community, where no one cares about social media. Oh, and at the national park, there is a handsome guy named Zaiah. ;) 

I really liked how I could see Cat evolve personally, from being a shallow and phone-obsessed person to adapting to the cold wheather and small community of the national park. The romance between her and Zaiah was nicely executed, however I would say that it was more a side storyline than a romance book. One tiny remark is that I would have loved to see the start of their relationship being described more in depth, instead of the jump between the last chapter and the epilogue. 

I enjoyed how lighthearted and funny this book was written. I've never read anything from Melissa Ferguson, but this makes me want to read her other books. She also did a great job at describing the scenery. I could really picture everything and I feel like this book could make a great movie. 

All in all, I enjoyed reading Famous For A Living and I recommend it for anyone who wants a light read with a little bit of romance throw in the mix! 

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

It took a little for me to dive in into the narrative but when I did, The reading became compelling and enjoyable. It Was a good reading with some funny scenes and a romance with a great reflexion about what matters most in life.

Famous for a Living is incredibly sweet without being saccharine. Thank you Netgalley and Thomas-Nelson for the ARC.

Social media’s ‘it girl’ influencer Cat Cranwell finds herself spending a bit more time in the woods than she’s comfortable with when her business partner skips town with a lot of questions following him. Cat absconds to Kannery National Park, Montana, where the locals don’t seem to know much about her life, and her uncle is the head ranger. While laying low, she gets caught up not only in the quirky life that comes with running the park, but also the dashing good looks of one Zaiah, park ranger, mountain man extraordinaire.

I think the tempo of this book was just phenomenal. Everything happened on a believable timeline and each time I read a chapter I was left wanting more, especially toward the end. The slow awakening of Cat’s true personality was also really well done, as well as the reveal with Zaiah’s backstory.

I also really liked the setting, which seemed utterly beautiful, and the silly things the locals got up to. I rate this 3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

This was fun and cute, but lacked depth from my perspective. I mostly enjoyed my time between the pages but would have liked to develop a better understanding of what really draws the characters together. I definitely chuckled a couple times throughout, but was left wishing for more substance.

Famous for a Living by Melissa Ferguson follows Cat Cranwell, a social media influencer who finds herself 'cancelled' after a scandal hits.

It took awhile for me to like Cat, I found her entitled and kind of annoying. By the second half, I warmed up to her and was rooting for her to succeed.

The setting of the book was amazing, it made me desperately want to visit Kannery National Park. The vivid descriptions of nature made the book for me.

The romance was a very slow burn (almost non-existent), but the ending was absolutely perfect. The found family vibes were so good, and Mina was my favourite character by far.

Overall a decent read, althoigh slightly lacking on the 'rom' and 'com' parts of a rom-com.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read and review an early copy of this.

The majority of the story takes place in a beautiful and snowy small national park in Montana. The author does a beautiful job at bringing the town and park to life. I was able to see the moose, the mountains, the waterfall… The setting was simply gorgeous. I would love to visit that park and see those views, but I would not want to hike those 14 plus miles or rough it in those tiny cabins. LOL

This one didn’t quite work for me. I had trouble getting into the influencer storyline and would have preferred the story to focus on the romance a little more and on the other park rangers. The other rangers were fun and a great mix of characters. I also loved the crazy and fun winter activities that were described in this book.

Thank you NetGalley and Thomas Nelson for this digital arc in exchange for my honest review which is not affiliated with any brand.

An interesting look at social media and the impact it has on individuals. Good, easy read, just like I have come to expect from Melissa Ferguson. Tropes that you can see play out early but a few twists along the way that keeps the reader not totally correct in guessing the ending.

Thank you for the advanced read. I enjoyed this book. It took a few times to get into it, but once I did, I had a hard time putting it down. A fun and light read!

cat cranwell, a social media influencer, discovers that her popularity is dwindling when her business partner is charged with a severe crime. she is instructed to leave new york city, where she has lived for many years, and take a break from social media. uncle terry, who is the closest member of her family, invites her to go to montana and work at kannery national park with him. this is cute and humorous tale about a girl who literally lives on social media then meets ranger zaiah, who despises everything she stands for but is always there for her when she needs help. it’s fun to see cat’s transitions from the hectic life in new york to the highlands of montana. you can’t help but love the characters!

i received a complimentary copy of this book. opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

When famous internet influencer Cat Cranwell falls prey to a scandal brought on by her unscrupulous business partner, who has conveniently disappeared, she finds herself taking refuge in the Montana wilderness, under the care of her beloved Uncle Terry, and a team of green interns and national park employees. As she steeps in the earnestness and openness of a small community, she may learn a thing or two about herself, as well as the handsome Ranger who keeps seeing her at her most awkward.

While this is not the first book I've read about an internet influencer learning balance and gaining a more rounded perspective, there were some unexpected delights in this novel. The cast of characters she ends up befriending in the forest and town all have their own stories and personalities, and the fun quirky traditions that develop in lieu of big city entertainment were truly humorous and unique. Additionally, I really enjoyed that, while she realized she had an addiction of sorts, that is not necessarily uncommon to many of us, perhaps, she was also able to determine that not all parts of her needed to change, and she could blend old and new.

There may have been some bumpy parts in the story, but I enjoyed the setting and the fun people in Cat's circles. I give this book 4 stars.

I received a digital copy of this book, via NetGalley, from the publisher, in exchange for my honest review.