Famous for a Living is the story of New York influencer Cat Cranwell. Who finds herself being accused of financial mischief along with her business partner. Needing to get away and out of the spot light, she accepts her uncles offer to work at the Kannery National Park, Montana. She meets her match when she meets mountain man Park Ranger Zaiah Smith.

Melissa Ferguson writes contemporary stories that are humorous and challenging. I fell in love with the secondary characters. Mina, Jax and Kevin added so much charm and humor to the story. The topic of social media addiction brings home a good point. I did enjoy Ferguson's other books a bit more, but this is good clean reading, in a beautiful setting with a bit of rom-com.

I received a complimentary ebook copy from the publisher, through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Every time I pick up a book with this trope, i.e. popular-influencer-girl with gruff-mountain-man who doesn’t know what technology is, I have such high hopes. Alas, I keep getting disappointed.

First of all, do not go into this expecting a romance. The romance “started” at around 75%, and it wasn’t really structured like one. This is closer to women’s fiction than a romantic comedy. Zaiah and Cat barely interact for the majority of the book. Whenever they do talk, the dialogue is stilted. Their chemistry is practically nonexistent. Zaiah has the personality of a sack of potatoes. The heroine, Cat, is pretty annoying and deeply insecure. I genuinely cringed everytime she attacked Zaiah by constantly putting words in his mouth. Her character development was weak, too.

I also couldn’t get a handle on any of the other characters’ personalities. Admittedly, the dynamic between Cat, Serena, and Mina was quite funny. I just wish we saw more of the other park rangers, along with Cat’s day-to-day life at work.

I also wish we saw more of the park itself. This book’s beautiful rural setting wasn’t taken advantage of nearly enough. In fact, this literally could’ve been set in any forest and it wouldn’t have affected anything. Additionally, the writing is choppy; I found myself constantly going back to figure out what was happening and who said what.

The book has several undertones including social media overconsumption, cancel culture, and mental health. I use the word “undertones” ironically. The commentary about social media toxicity was as subtle as a battering ram to the head. Despite the importance of this message, it came off as obnoxiously preachy.

Overall, neither the writing nor the characters clicked for me. The lack of clear plot plus the preachiness grated on my nerves. If you’re looking for a romance, I wouldn’t recommend this.

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

Thank you to the publisher for allowing me to read this eARC!

Uhh...it was ok. I mean, it was sweet and light-hearted and I liked that the main character was discovering herself, it's a nice message. But something was just lacking and I can't quite put my finger on what.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. I usually really love romance novels but this one just wasn’t for me, I feel it didn’t have the same chemistry as a romance novel should have. I wasn’t a fan of the main character, I could respect her personal growth throughout the story but that was it. Overall I wouldn’t read again and I probably wouldn’t recommend it.

This was a sweet, light read. It’s classified as a romance but similar to other readers, I agree it was lacking in that department. The synopsis builds up an opposites attract kind of romance but the book was more about the main character rediscovering herself. This isn’t a bad thing - it just wasn’t what I thought I was going to be reading. It’s on the lighter side which means there wasn’t much depth to any of the characters. I did enjoy the insight into a social media influencer and how easily someone can be “cancelled”.

Thank you to NetGallery and Thomas Nelson Fiction for this eARC! I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Don't let the first half of the book fool you: Famous for a Living is not just another rom-com. Famous for a Living is a fun read but it's also an insightful look at the life of a social media influencer.

At thirty years old, Cat has it all, living in New York, a walking advertisement for the brands she partners with. And I must admit, I had a bit of trouble relating to our heroine at first. But when she falls from popularity and finds herself facing a very different reality, she becomes more relatable to the average down-to-earth reader.

Famous for a Living features a strong cast of secondary characters who bring humor to even the most bizarre situations and several friends who are loyal come what may.

Anyone who works as a content creator will find this book probes below the surface more than the average fictional romance. Highly recommended!

I was very excited to read it after falling in love with meet me in the margins.

Unfortunately, I had a little trouble following the reading style and did not end up finishing the book.

I would’ve loved a dual point of you and I think this would’ve helped my interest.

*I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.* I loved this book. The characters were fun, the national park setting was amazing, and the storyline was perfect. The romance was just right and the character growth was spot-on. Melissa Ferguson is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors. Her writing is so easy to read and I love that she creates amazing romances with no spice. I'm definitely recommending this one to friends and family.

Famous for a Living was sweet and predictable with a close look at the life of an influencer. The discussion around the effects of social media is timely, and many readers will relate to Cat’s journey.

You know that book that has everything to be perfect but it simply doesn’t deliver everything you wanted so you can’t help but feel disappointed? This is Famous for a living for me.

We have the couple who are opposites and somehow fall in love and you root for them so badly because they are cute. Indeed Zaiah and Cat are the hightlight of the book. They are developed as a couple beautifully and I appreciate neither of them losing themselves because of the other.

The way the chapters are divided and the time jumps in a way bothered me a lot. The writing style in general was not for me but I was invested in finding out how the story ended. Also it made me sad how the side characters lacked pages to be developed I mean I couldn’t care a lot about them because we simply don’t get to know their stories and personalities. And I think this connection between the characters in small town books are essential.

I do appreciate all the discussion regarding social medial and how we are all addicts in a way. It’s something I’ve been thinking about a lot for the past couple years so I really liked that aspect of the book.

I would like to mention to chapter 15 because !!!!!!!!🥺 after that the book is not the same! We stan!

Overall, I liked the reading experience, this was my first book by the author and sadly I’m unsure if I would read something else by her. It gives some The simple wild vibes so if you like that book, you might want to give this one a try.

Rating: 3 stars ⭐️

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

After reading and loving Meet Me in the Margins, I knew I had to get my hands on whatever Melissa Ferguson wrote next! When I saw this was based in a national park, I flipped out a little (okay a lot)!

This story follows a social media influencer who is forced to spend some time off the grid after accidentally getting involved in the legal battle of the century.

We follow her from her penthouse in New York to living with her uncle in a park in Montana. Think Beverley Hilbillies, Green Acres, Schitt's Creek, you get the picture 🖼️

Hilarity and lots of tender moments ensue when she learns a lot of meaningful life lessons and may even find a little bit of live along the way 😉

I love the way Melissa writes all of her characters; they're always so fun and quirky and help add so much dimension and personality to the stories!

Also, all the bonus points for the world's cutest cover art 🎨😍

This book will be available for purchase on May 16, 2023!

Thank you so much to Thomas Nelson for the ARC! I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I was so excited to get an advanced copy of this story, since I loved the last one by Melissa Ferguson (Meet Me in the Margins). This story was every bit as adorable as it looks! I enjoyed getting to know Cat, as her life is turned upside down and she heads to the wilderness to pick up the pieces of her life. I loved the glimpse into the life of an influencer, with it's glitz and pitfalls. The side characters are delightful, and I loved the small town/park feel. This book is the perfect Rom Com to pick up and enjoy! It's like Hallmark meets Parks and Recreation, in all the best ways. I had a hard time putting it down.

I received this book from Netgalley. This is my honest review.

I was looking forward to reading Famous for a Living when I realized it was by the author of Meet Me in the Margins. While this book was a good vacation read (meaning easy to follow and light), it will not be one that I remember and look back on with nostalgia.

Famous for a Living by Melissa Ferguson is a romance between the influencer Cat and the ranger Zaiah.
 
Cat is Instagram famous and when she is at her peak, a scandal happens, and she must lay low. Therefore, she visits her uncle in Montana and tries to help him with the social media for the national park. Cat is a person who was very naive and only relied on her good looks. That was rather dislikeable for me, but throughout the book she grows so much as a person. I also liked how the story showed that social media is often just a farce, and you should rather live in reality.
 
Zaiah works in a national park as a ranger, and he is very connected to nature, and I really liked to see that. I liked him from the beginning, but I only wish we would have gotten his perspective as well.
 
Cat and Zaiah are total opposites and that created such an interesting dynamic. At first, I thought they would never fit together, but when they slowly started to fall for each other I was pleasantly surprised how well they work. However, the romance aspect barely scratched the surface and I wish we would have seen more romantic and intimate moments between them.
 
Overall, Famous for a Living is a story with an important message, but a moderate romance. 3,5 stars.
 
(ARC kindly provided in exchange for a review.)

Another fun read from Ferguson. She's on my must-read list!

*Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an e-galley in exchange for an honest review!

I did request an ARC of this book without knowing that I had already read another book by the author and that I immensely disliked it. I wish I could say that this book was far better, but no, I disliked it nearly as much as Meet Me in the Margins.

Here are some of my thoughts:
- This is not a romance. The heroine does end up in a relationship, but there’s no buildup or chemistry to speak of. It doesn’t help that the hero is about as charismatic as a wet towel. Which, by the way, the heroine doesn’t mind. She still put him on a pedestal.
- I wasn’t a fan of the heroine.
- I didn’t like the writing style.
- The social media criticism came across as preachy. I’m not saying that the criticism of our obsession with our phones isn’t valid, but this wasn’t a good way to address the issue.
- There’s one really dumb scene where the heroine’s uncle screams about having the right to carry a gun. I haven’t figured out wether it was meant to be comedic, but I didn’t need to read that.

Overall this wasn’t a book I enjoyed and I personally wouldn’t recommend it.

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for providing this ARC in exchange for my honest review

To start, I don’t know that I would categorize this book as a romance. To me, a romance book includes a characters romantic relationship evolving over most of the book- at least 75% of it. This book I felt only included a romance element for maybe 20%. Not bad if you are looking for strictly a women’s fiction book but when you’re looking for a romance- I would not recommend this read.

Moving on, Kat is a social media influencer that gets tangled in a lawsuit that takes her to help out her family in a small town and work with her lawyer for damage control,

This was a sweet story about rediscovering ones self. Set in a beautiful Montana national park Cat Cranwell, a former famous NYC socialite, learns to embrace authentically living without worrying about social media. She finds herself drawn to Zaiah Smith, a park ranger with a distain for all things relating to Cat’s old life. Cat and Zaiah had the whole opposites attract thing going on and I would’ve loved to see more of a build up to their relationship.

This book is more women’s fiction than romance. If you’re looking for a super romantic read, this may not be the one for you as leads don’t get romantically involved until the latter half of the book. Overall this was a charming read that tackled some heavy topics (the toxicity of social media and the dangers of being overdependent on it). I enjoyed seeing the main characters personal growth and the found family that she found at the park.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

3 stars

This was insanely disappointing… I really need authors to stop marketing their books as ‘romance’ when the romance is only 20% of the book. Up until 50% the so-called main characters had only had 4 encounters so far and they went on their first date at the 70-something mark. While there were hints about the relationship, there was no chemistry and no development. It felt like they decided to go out out of the blue.
The same thing goes for the characters too, there was no character development and we didn’t learn about their personalities or anything. It felt like we were skipping a few chapters every time and I was constantly confused about whether I forgot to read a couple of chapters or I missed something. The plot really had the potential but this was a very poor execution.

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

I really, really enjoyed this book. It felt like a unique take on a “fall from grace” story and rediscovery/redemption tale. Cat is a content creator who makes some unfortunate moves that lead to her being wrapped up in a scandal and relocates to Montana to help her uncle who is a park ranger. There is a fun and eclectic cast of characters working at the park, but there is also Zaiah there to be the steadfast and sturdy figure anchoring them all. His backstory and motivation for why he was the way he was about certain things was one I’d not seen before in a novel and a realistic lesson many could learn from.

He and Cat’s relationship formed in an organic way, but it left me wanting more. I really enjoyed their interactions. I felt like they learned a lot from each other and balance each other out, and I wanted more time with them. However, I did also really enjoy following Cat’s personal growth journey as she found her place among the rest of the park rangers. I particularly liked Mina and what she brought to Cat’s life as her roomie.

When it came to the conflict and resolution, I thought it was believable and well-handled. I was happy with the way things turned out, and would gladly read more books about the other characters if this were to become a series.

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson Fiction for the eARC.