The saw the cover of this book and absolutely loved it so of course I wanted to read it. It was definitely more of a self discovery book then a romcom. There was romance and it did end in a HEA but it was minimal. It was a cute story and I absolutely agree that some people are obsessed with being on the phone and that it can be deadly and have consequences.

I don't usually read romance novels, but I was drawn in by the setting of this one and saw a review saying it wasn't heavy on the romance. LOL I agree! Cat is a social media influencer and gets caught up in a scandal. Trying to escape the negative media, she takes up her uncle's offer of a job at a small national park in Montana as their social media director. Yes, there's romance, but there's plenty to the surrounding story to keep those engaged who aren't just wanting a romance novel. Along with the romance, there is a lot of discussion around society's obsession with our phones and social media. Nothing too surprising here as city girl meets outdoorsy boy, but I enjoyed it and liked the characters. Happy I gave this one a chance!

Thanks to Thomas Nelson and NetGalley for the ALC in exchange for my honest review.

***NEW TO ME AUTHOR***
Thank you to @netgalley, @our_friendly_farmhouse and @thomasnelsonbooks for the audiobook of #FAMOUSFORALIVING.
This was the first opportunity I had to read/listen to a Melissa Ferguson book, and I was not disappointed. This wasn’t necessarily what I would consider a typical romcom (not a lot of romance), but it was more of a book focusing on someone dealing with a drastic life change.
It was great following Kat, a famous influencer, on her journey of losing her influencer job and finding out what really matters in life. When she moves to Montana to help her loving uncle to develop a social presence for the national park he works for and “lay low” for a while, she learns there is more to life than sponsorships, famous friends, social sites and penthouses.
Melissa is a new to me author and I plan on adding The Cul-de-Sac, The Dating Charade and Meet me in the Margins to my list of “must reads”!
#netgalley #famousforaliving #bookcommunity #bookreview #bookworm #booksbooksbooks #books #reader #booksofinstagram #readersofinstagram #thomasnelsonbooks #audiobook #ilovebooks #ilovetoread

Happy Pub Day to Melissa Ferguson and Famous For a Living! I've read Melissa's three previous novels so I knew this would be a contemporary romance with a plucky heroine who gets involved in humorous situations.

Ironically the major plot points of Famous For a Living are identical to The Thing About Home by Rhonda McKnight, a novel released by the same publisher last week (May 9). In both:

- the main character is a very successful social influencer
- a situation beyond her control damages her influencer career
- she flees NYC and goes to a remote area to recover and be with family
- she misses her former life and has fish-out-of-water experiences
- she forms relationships with people in her new setting
- a hunky local hero is deeply connected to his environment
- she has a happily-ever-after ending.

The big difference between the novels is in tone. Famous For a Living is a fun and frothy rom-com while The Thing About Home is more thoughtful women's fiction.

In the mood for a light-hearted book, I enjoyed laughing along with the antics of the young Kannery National Park staff and Cat Cranwell's interactions with the big forces of Montana nature. But there are deeper threads woven among the laughs, especially about the potential dangers of social media.

Thank you to Thomas Nelson for access to the audiobook narrated by Talon David.

This was such a good book. Classified as a romance, I feel this book is more than that, it was also about self-discovery and finding true friends.

In typical Ferguson fashion, there is quick wit and emotional scenes. I love it! There is always good depth to her characters and this book was no different. I loved the growth they showed.

I listened to the audio and really enjoyed the narrations.

Famous for a Living
Melissa Ferguson
Published: May 16, 2023
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Form: Audio
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

#qotd : Do you enjoy tent, cabin, or Rv camping? Or do you just not like camping at all?

Super big thank you to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson for gifting me this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

>>>(Swipe to see the synopsis)

This book. Where do I start?? It was laugh out loud funny. It was adorable and touching. I absolutely loved the grumpy/Sunshine dynamic even though that isn't normally my go-to trope. It worked so perfectly. I loved the nature elements and the growth of the main character, Cat. In all honesty, it made me consider how much I am on my own phone as well, when I should be spending focused time with my family.
This book was such a delight; one of my favorite rom-coms of the year so far. I'm ready to go find and read all of Ferguson's other books!

Let me also add, the narrator was fantastic. She definitely helped make the book even better.

Read if you like:
❤️ Grumpy/sunshine
🥾 Found family
❤️ Closed door romance
🥾 Nature elements

#netgalley #netgalleyreview #famousforaliving #melissaferguson #cleanromance #closeddoor #romcom #laughoutloud #thomasnelson #fictionreview #audiobook #delightful #charming #fivestarread #wonderful

Happy Publication Day!!

This is the wittiest, cutest meet cute of a story. An internet celebrity falls from grace and needs the assistance of her uncle and his park ranger coworkers to rebrand herself. Follow her journey through highs and lows, deciding who she is and who she wants to be. Clean romance, lots of funny lines, good character development, and satisfying moments of growth.

Thank you NetGalley and publishing for the digital ARC. I freely give my review which is my own collection of thoughts and opinions.

Famous for a Living was a fun read as we followed Cat's journey from the glamor of New York to the rustic charm of Montana. At first glance, Zaiah and Cat seemed destined to be enemies. But as these two characters spend more time with each other, they uncover hidden depths.

Zaiah was a wonderful character. He came off as a grumpy bear but he was protective, loyal and honorable. He was just the person Cat needed to consider some of her life's choices including her use of social media.

I'm not going to lie: the subtle (not-so-subtle) message about the dangers of social media got to me.

Readers of Famous for a Living will be prompted to evaluate their use of social media. Has it gone beyond healthy boundaries? Do they need to make changes?

They will also be reminded that there's life beyond the screen and that everyone can benefit from taking a break once in a while.

I listened to an audiobook and enjoyed the narrator Talon David. Ms. David did a fantastic job and made listening fun.

I received an advanced reader's copy from the publisher through NetGalley; a positive review was not required.

This was a cute and fun read. I really had fun listening to this one. I thought the concept was very interesting and well done. It was a great story of self discovery sprinkled with a little bit of clean romance.

I really enjoyed the characters, they were all very likeable. Cat and Zaiah were really great together, had some good banter. It was a very slow burn romance, where I did feel like they could've had more flirty moments before getting into the relationship, but they were adorable. The side characters were all amazing, they were such a big family by the end.

This was a good wholesome read with a great life lesson.

If you're looking for a cute fun read sprinkled with a bit of romance pick this one up !

✨️Thank you @netgalley, @thomasnelson, @melissaferguson for my free ARC & ALC copy in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this audiobook. It was a cute story but also had important messages behind it. All the characters were so easy to love and relate to. My favorite parts were the loyalty and friendship between women and just everything Zaiah. The subtleness of his masculinity mixed with his kindness and attention was a joy to listen to. There were fun, quirky secondary characters that were a blast and made for a lot of laughs as well. I would highly recommend listening to/reading this book.

I enjoyed listening to this book. It was Cat's journey from a social media darling in NYC to social media coordinator for a small national park in Montana. There was a lot of heart to the book as Cat found her way and some reminders that disconnecting from our phones isn't all that bad. Plus, there's a sweet romance and great supporting characters.

3.5 stars

When her business partner is accused of serious financial crimes, superstar influencer Cat Cranwell accepts her uncle's offer to work with him in Kannery National Park, Montana. There's one tiny problem-she's falling for Zaiah, the ruggedly handsome park ranger-and he hates anything remotely connected to social media, quite possibly her included.

This was light and easy read, a cute romcom, with all the great parts of your favourite cute cheesy romcom. I really enjoyed the personalities of the characters, really had me rooting for them. Loved the discussions around social media and influencers, a great overall message. My one criticism would be at the beginning of the book I felt it was lacking some detail to build the setting enough, I felt like I spent more time creating the scene in my own head than focusing on the story. Enjoyed it overall!

This was a fun one! I enjoyed our female main character cat and now she jumps back into a new world have a bad Down fall, I liked how she learned a whole new world and way of life with out losing her self. I thought she was funny with the other rangers! I also liked how it handled the very real consequences social media and becoming obsessed with it, from more than one way! I liked our male main character especially his way with Cat. But I did think the relationship took way to long, I normally liked a slow burn but this one felt more like Cats story with a relationship thrown in at the end. But I really did like them together!! I also loved the epilogue!! The other thing that bothered me about this was the cover, it looks like a fun summery setting when it’s really set in the winter! ( didnt take stars away for this tho 😉)

Review: 4.5 stars rounded up to 5
Famous For A Living checks all of my boxes for a feel-good book, with its slow to grow romance, beautiful natural setting, wit, and lessons learned. I simply loved this book, with its shift of setting leading to personal growth for the female lead. Narrator Talon David brings vocal perfection to the story, with superb versatility to capture each of the cast of characters' personalities and uniqueness.
 
Cat Cranwell is at the peak of fame as an influencer based in New York City, surrounded by cameras, influential people, famous brands, and continuously attached to her phone. Scandal suddenly erupts when her business partner is accused of crime. She heads to the most unlikely of settings for a break, the isolated yet stunning Kannery National Park in Montana. Her new circle of people, Park Ranger Zaiah, her uncle Terry, and tiny-cabin roommate, Mina, have quite different priorities and lifestyles. 
 
Scene after scene unfolded amid adventure, splendid scenery, and introspection as Cat gains fresh perspectives on her values and goals. I was all in for Cat's story, told with Ferguson's engaging style of writing and David's exceptional narration.  

Thank you Net Galley and Thomas Nelson for an advance listener's copy of this audiobook. My review is my own.

Thank you to Netgalley and Thomas Nelson for the ALC.

Story: 🌟🌟🌟
Narration: 🌟🌟🌟🌟
Overall: 🌟🌟🌟

Famous For a Living is a cute fish-out-of-water story about a disgraced social media star forced to work at a national park in Montana. She falls for a hot ranger and may find herself along the way.

I love this storyline and it is a very charming read. However, I wanted a bit more from the romance. It had the potential for a fun opposites attract romcom, but the chemistry wasn’t quite there for me. Overall, this was an entertaining read that leans more toward contemporary fiction (vs. romcom).

I definitely preferred this book on audio. Talon David elevated the story and gave a great performance.

ALC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Enjoyable and sweet. I found all the characters lovable and the setting was great. I liked that the storyline was clear and focused. There was just enough backstory to show who the characters were but the story moved along quickly. The attraction/relationship between Cat and Zaiah felt organic. As they got to know each other better they liked each other as people. There was no real dislike between them, but more of a perception of each other which they saw through quickly and didn't fight through. Talon David did a great job narrating.

Thank you NetGalley and Thomas Nelson for the arc.

Let me start off by saying…this might have ranked higher for me if I had read the physical book. I can’t pinpoint what it was about the audiobook, but I noticed my attention wandering from time to time. I had to restart at the beginning of a chapter a few times throughout the audio. I also went into this expecting a little more of a rom-com than I got out of it. The Goodreads description says - “…this romantic comedy of opposites attract is full of hilarious romp and a romance that will melt readers’ hearts.” Yes, it melted my heart, but I wouldn’t have classified this as a romantic comedy. Just maybe a contemporary fiction with a side of romance and a little laugh.

I still enjoyed the audiobook and the story itself. I definitely feel like this is one we can all relate to in many different ways. As readers and reviewers, we post on social media and part of that will always have us checking for interactions, likes, comments, etc. This book was a good reminder that no matter how big or small your following is on social media (or any other aspect of life) that we need to take the time to step away from it all and just put our phones down every once in a while.

I am glad I read this book. It was a cute and quick listen with some romance picking up towards the end of the book. A great journey into finding oneself and not becoming dependent on social media and electronics. I like that we had two very different main characters and how they lived. Cat, who is social media famous and lives in the big city and Zaiah, who despises social media and owns a flip phone still. 😂

Famous for a Living is a fun, quirky, feel-good, humorous contemporary novel I thoroughly enjoyed reading! The story hit all the right spots, including a surprisingly impactful message about savoring the moment rather than looking at it through a phone screen to capture for social media. Melissa Ferguson did a great job with each character arc. Zaiah was the perfect romantic interest, and Cat’s personal growth was inspiring. I loved their meet-cute and how their relationship developed from misunderstanding to mutual respect. While romcoms aren’t typically known to include transformative life lessons, Famous for a Living left me pondering my attachment to my phone and social media. In a world where most things are only a tap away, it’s challenging to disconnect, but Cat’s journey into the wilderness provided a valuable lesson I hope to hold onto. Perhaps it’s time to plan my own mountain getaway ;)

Fans of The Cul-de-Sac War and Meet Me in the Margins will undoubtedly enjoy Melissa Ferguson’s latest release. I believe it’s her best writing to date!

*Thank you, NetGalley and the publisher, for providing me with a pre-release copy of this novel. All thoughts and opinions are entirely my own*

This was such a fun, enjoyable read! I didn’t exactly connect with Cat as her life and self worth seemed to revolve around posting and getting those likes and comments, but as more was revealed about her throughout the book, she really grew on me. Zaiah was quite the swoony outdoorsy hero, and I loved his grumpy “man of few words” vibe from the start, much like Cat’s Uncle Terry. More importantly, I liked who the two characters were when they were together, and their band of merry men gave some laugh out loud moments. The icing on the cake was the epilogue…I’ll just leave it at that, but don’t skip it! The audiobook read by Talon David was impeccable and I highly recommend. I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher and was not obligated to leave a positive review.

this story was definitely interesting i wouldn’t exactly call it a romance story though there was some romance in it. I would say it was more of her (Cat) learning about life? and the things that matters. it was definitely very interesting hearing of her reactions from living in a penthouse and having all that to having to live in a cabin. Pretty much almost starting all over again. i believe this story goes very deep into the danger and impact social media causes, but it buts it in a light way where it almost like a fresh breeze.Same goes for the love interest, there wasn’t too much but just enough. Too the point where i understand the main point of this story, but it still had me kicking and screaming