When scandal causes social media influencer Cat Cranwell to lose all her influence, she takes refuge in her uncle’s world in the wilds of Kannery National Park in Montana. Not only must she face blizzards, beyond rustic accommodations, and a polar plunge, Cat must learn to live IRL. To further complicate her situation, there’s Zaiah—the handsome ranger who despises social media and all that Cat’s lifestyle stands for. Will she wilt without the dopamine hits of all those likes and shares, or will she find the courage to finally be herself?

This cautionary tale is told with imagination and humor. A fun summer read!

This title is a breath of fresh air! With a little bit of romance packed in with an important life journey, it hits all the right spots. Cat is a social media star but when her work partner is accused of financial crimes, she escapes to a national park in Montana. What we all dream of doing!
Will Cat be able to handle this life without luxuries?

This was fine. It was cute but not outstanding. It never held my full attention- I almost DNF’d but thought maybe it would get better.

**I only will not add to my classroom library because this is an adult novel and not entirely appropriate for teens**

THANK YOU @netgalley and Thomas Nelson publishing for this digital ARC copy in exchange for my honest review.

There was a lot to enjoy here - the reliability of Cat's influencer lifestyle, the friendships and "found family" trope, as well as the overall sense of adventure you have while reading.

I think if this book hadn't been marketed as a romance I would've enjoyed it a lot more. As it was, I was expecting romance and got women's fiction "find yourself" with a romance back burner.

Cat and Zaiah's romance was minimal. They didn't even kiss until almost 90%. This was a SLOWWWWW burn, but ultimately the chemistry wasn't there. Then, the last 10% was a last-ditch effort to showcase the grand gesture, swoony effect many other romcoms have, but it ultimately fell short.

If this was a women's fiction, bordering social commentary, incredibly funny novel with amazing female friendships that also comments on influencer culture, social media, and how phones are changing us, this would've been perfect. Honestly, the romance killed it for me, particularly because I was looking for it.

Also - don't let the cover fool you as I did. This book is set in winter.

This sweet, fun read is going into a “definitely recommend” if I get asked for a romance!

It’s not the same at all but it reminded me so much of Simple Wild which is one of all time favorite books. I think it was the whole “city girl goes into the country and finds herself” theme but I loved it. But I also have a thing for bearded mountain men so maybe that’s what does it for me 😉

I really enjoyed the banter back and forth with the main character Cat and her best friend Serena. Find yourselves a friend like Serena! That girl is fiercely protective and loves with her whole soul. I loved all the little quirks she found in this small town but it was really well written in that you felt like you were also doing these things with her.

Such a good one, definitely check it out!

Thank you @our_friendly_farmhouse for gifting me this copy and thank you @uplitreads for putting it on my radar!

This was such a cute book! I absolutely loved it! The story moved along well without any big gaps or slow moving sections. I really liked the characters, I thought they were well fleshed out and were believable as a couple.

I don’t know, I’ve seen so many really good reviews about this one but it was just very meh for me. I didn’t really buy into the idea of the main character going out to the mountains after her epic fall from social media queen. I also didn’t really care about the love interest. It seemed to take forever for anything to happen and I just didn’t care. Maybe it’s because life has been busy and I couldn’t sit down for long periods of time so couldn’t connect with any of the characters.

What do you get when a popular, materialistic, NYC social media influencer who has been "cancelled", is thrown together with a strong, no-nonsense, Montana park ranger?
This fun rom-com that's full of all the witty banter, opposites attract romance, lots of embarrassing and awkward moments, and of course snowstorms, moose, and snakes!
Add in a bossy best friend who isn't afraid to call it like she sees it, an uncle who has been like a father to her, and a crazy group of park ranger interns, and you have a delightful book that is hard to put down! Literally.. I finished it in one evening! On a more serious note, this book also deals with social media addiction and the dangers with how much time we all spend on our phones, which is good to see being addressed in fiction.

This is my second title by Melissa Ferguson and, just like Meet Me In The Margins, I had such a good time with this book!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for this ARC.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Such an amazing book! Would love to read more from this author, the banter between the couple of this book was absolutely adorable.

A romance that also has social media lessons shouldn’t have worked - but it did! Cat Cranwell is Instagram and social media famous until her spectacular fall from grace that could also land her in jail. Her Uncle Terry is the head Forest Ranger at a national park and while helping her leave NYC for a bit, she also helps the park get more visitors. Zaiah is the park ranger that helps Cat get accustomed to living at Kannery.

All of the characters in the book have a surprising amount of depth. I like how the positives and negatives of social media were brought up. Cat and Zaiah’s relationship was a bit rocky at the start and grew into something.

Read this if you like:
🏔️ Grumpy/ sunshine
🏔️ Opposites attract
🏔️ Clean romance
🏔️ Quirky characters

Thanks to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson for this eARC. Famous for a Living is out now.

Cat Cranwell's career as a social media influencer has just tanked...badly. In an effort to distance herself from the negative publicity, she finds herself taking her uncle up on his offer to temporarily work with him at Kannery National Park. And just like that she finds herself leaving her swanky penthouse in the city for a pint-sized cabin and a chatterbox roommate in nowhere, Montana. Oh, and there's this ridiculously handsome ranger, but Cat finds herself butting heads with Zaiah from the first moment they meet. Not to mention the lack of cell service (how will she keep up with what's happening on social media?!), weird co-workers (polar plunge, anyone?), embarrassing team t-shirts, and SNOW (like, with blizzards and cold and all that awful stuff Cat stays away from).

I love Melissa Ferguson's sweet romcoms and Famous for a Living was just as fun as her previous novels! I haven't read too many novels featuring social media influencers, so this was a fun part of the story. I enjoyed seeing Cat's character grow and realize that she's been so focused on the life she's portrayed to her followers that she's been missing out on the magic of real life. Phone overuse/addiction is a common problem these days that I know so many of us, including myself, struggle with so I really appreciated seeing it addressed. It was a great reminder that life is so much more than likes and comments and we all need to find a healthy balance. I also loved Zaiah--I mean, seriously. He's pretty much the perfect hero: strong, steady, and passionate about the things and people he loves (and doesn't...like cell phones and social media). The side characters were also fantastic! I loved seeing Cat's close relationship with her Uncle Terry and the tight family-like bond between everyone who worked at the park. As for the setting? So perfect. Anything with mountains and small towns will always hold a special place in my heart!

Overall, Famous for a Living was a sweet novel with just the right amount of swoony romance, witty banter, family bonds, strong faith, and character growth. If you love romcoms, or just a good contemporary romance, don't miss this one!

*I received a complimentary copy of Famous for a Living through the publisher and NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own. My positive review is not required.

I enjoyed reading this book and reading about the likes and the dislikes connected to social media. Social media can be really great, but it can also overtake a person’s life and I thought the story captured the positives and negatives well. I can personally see how it is affecting our youth and causing them to be very aware of seeking the approval of others and even counting how many have viewed their page. That aside the book was well written with interesting characters that you will learn to love and root for. The strong male main character and of course our influencer, Cat. I loved the setting! The rustic cabins, the snowy mountains, pines, wildlife, and also the fun local winter festivals! I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

The Thomas Nelson logo was throughout the entire book and chopped up the story so much that I couldn't get into the story. I might just need to come back to review this one once I can read the physical copy.

Unfortunately, this one just didn't quite work for me. I could not get into the writing style and I didn't feel enough chemistry between the characters to be fully immersed in the romance. However, this book has gotten so many wonderful, glowing reviews from other readers so I'm sure it will be the perfect read for many!

I ADORED this book. Which totally surprised me since the romance was such a small part of the plot. It was more about Cat overcoming her social media fall and helping out at her uncle’s small town national park.

I loved the secondary characters, I loved the setting, I loved the humor and the dialogue between Cat and Zaiah, I loved the underlying message of how dangerous social media can be.

If you’re looking for a quick, easy read, then I highly recommend this one! I started and finished over a weekend, and it will put a smile on your face 🥰

BOOK REVIEW - Famous for a Living - Melissa Ferguson - 5/5 Stars

THE STORY
I have a new-to-me author to share with you all! Famous for a Living is the first book by Melissa Ferguson I've read but it won't be the last! The story follows Cat Cranwel, who is one of those characters that you don't necessarily like from the start but as you get to know here and watch her character change and grow, I hope you'll come to love her as much as I do! The quirky side characters were like something from a sitcom and so lovable. And Zaiah *sigh* he's one of those men that single readers wish were real....

THE ROMANCE
This story combined some of my favourite tropes - Grumpy/Sunshine, Opposites Attract and a little bit of Enemies-to-Lovers with a nice slow burn romance. It's one of those books that even though you really want that first kiss, the build up and getting-to-know-each-other is so sweet that you don't mind the wait.

THE TRUTHS
I loved how this story took the middle ground on technology and social media, pointing out both its flaws and its benefits in such a thoughtful way. It is a refreshing reminder to live your whole life to the fullest, rather than spending all your time trying to capture the perfect moment. God blessed us with so much; family, partners, friends, experiences and material possessions, and He wants to see us enjoy them all. By all means share about your blessings with others through social media but just don't let your life become social media. Unplug and enjoy when you can!

The depth of the book surprised me. I think that the relevance of being glued to your phone and giving in to the pull of social media and the competitive/comparative pressure it creates resonated with me.

The book follows a famous social media influencer and her ultimate fall from
grace after a business deal goes wrong and damages her standing as an influencer. Even though her life is falling apart, she meets a down to earth love interest that shows her life is much more than an online persona.

I think the story is sweet, it highlights some real issues with social media and emphasizes that sometimes simple, honest things can make you happier and healthier than straining yourself mentally and emotionally to maintain a public image. However, the romance was a slow burn (very very slow) and while it seems integral to her life changing, it doesn’t take off until so much later in the book that it loses a bit of it’s luster.

I think if you go into the book not expecting a romance and end up with a women’s fiction then it makes sense. The book is advertised as a romance but the romance is such a sliver of the book that it doesn’t feel like it’s really a part of the story. Regardless it’s a cute and thought provoking book!

I began the audio and had to put it down due to the narrator. I will try again at another time with the ebook. Thank you!

I really enjoyed this book!! It started off a bit slow for me, but once Cat really started to warm up to life at Kannery and the folks there, I didn’t want to put it down. One thing that I love about Melissa Ferguson’s books is that her characters always have depth. Both MCs in this book are no different. Cat and Zaiah both appeared to be one way to most, but they each have a backstory that built them. And the growth that both of these characters experienced was so lovely to read. Already can’t wait for her next book!

4/5 stars.

Ferguson succeeds again with this amusing, entertaining read. She absolutely nails the life of a social-media influencer (the good and the bad); I'll admit I almost set it aside because it got _so_ real and hit close to home at times. But, I was really glad I persisted; the story picked up about a third of the way in and had some zingers and insight I think anyone with a smartphone and/or social-media account could benefit from--in a good way. Sure, I could easily toot my own horn and talk about how I've turned off 90% of my app notifications, but that means nothing ;)--I still check "the socials" more than I need to, and we know that can have all sorts of ramifications!

Cat is an endearing MC, and Zaiah proves pretty darn swoonworthy. Several side characters do their best to steal the show, and they very nearly do! (I also wouldn't mind visiting Kannery National Park now ... but might go for Peggy's "condo in the city" versus one of the rustic cabins. Ahem.)

I wouldn't label this Christian fiction, per se; clean fiction, absolutely--but faith isn't mentioned at all over the course of the book. That surprised me a bit as it's a Thomas Nelson publication, but I think TN is branching out itself. So, if you happen to pick it up based on publisher, just go in knowing there's no faith element included!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.