This was overall sweet and well-written. The audiobook narrator also did an amazing job, so props to her. However, it cannot claim any more than 3 stars in my books because of the overwhelming lack of stakes and tension. Yes, this is a light-hearted wholesome romance, but good and compelling writing requires at least some tension and grab. The book did set up some arcs that sounded interesting, but they quietly fizzled out and had, I wouldn't call it unsatisfying, but definitely underwhelming climaxes. I was truly invested in the characters and the setting, they genuinely felt real and likable, but I would've liked more time with them. Delving further into the complicated relationships between characters, having some conflict and deeper reflection would've done this book some good.
Also, a few reviewers have already remarked on this, so I thought I'd comment on it as well: this is not really a romance. It is more about the main character finding herself, gaining confidence and reconnecting with real life. The romance isn't insta-love or anything super rushed, but it would have definitely used some more interactions between the two characters. Speaking on the coming-of-age aspect of this book, the ending kind of confused me. I did say that this book is more about our main character growing and reflecting, and some of the reflections were genuinely really compelling, but I don't think she went deep enough for us, the readers, to really understand her character. That is why her decisions at the end felt a bit rushed and really ruined any stakes that were raised.
Overall, I liked the characters, setting and style of writing, but this definitely could have been more compelling plot-wise and had deeper dives into the characters, the relationships, and the philosophical ideas about city-life, connections with other people, and the self.

BRIEF REVIEW
I enjoyed this one! It was a cute, clean romance with a good overarching theme of change. I liked both MCs. The book has a Hallmark feel to it (as most clean rom-coms do). I wish we would have gotten a bit more of a backstory of Cat's childhood; we get a little bit, but I wanted more elucidation. Melissa Ferguson has a cute and witty way of writing that came through well in the audiobook. The epilogue was 🥰

BRIEF CONTENT GUIDE
😘🙊🍷🤕All mild. There are a few mentions about sensuousness (see blog).

BOTTOM LINE
If you're in the mood for a clean, contemporary romcom with an overarching theme of lifestyle change, check this one out.

FULL REVIEW AND CONTENT GUIDE on blog (https://betterbookbureau.weebly.com/reviews/famous-for-a-living-ferguson)

Thank you to @netgalley, author, & publisher for the 🎧book

I really enjoyed this book I absolutely loved his flip phone. I feel like this was about Kat finding her self before love which was lovely and different. This is. a fun well written chick flick

Received as a free digital audiobook from NetGalley.

I am not normally a romance reader, but decided to give this audiobook a try. Cat Crandall is a social media star, until an app partnership goes very wrong. Without money coming in and an outcast, Cat's Uncle Terry offers her a job at his small national park in Montana. Her job is to set up social media for the park, increase traffic into the park, and save it from being absorbed into a larger national park. Cat moves from the big city life and meets a coworker, Zaiah Hudson. Zaiah is a ranger and doesn't think very highly of social media.

I loved the cover and think it represents the book well. I enjoyed the narrator as well and would listen to her again. Although tagged as romance, the romance is tame and doesn't happen until later in the storyline. I loved the setting of the small nature park and the outdoors. A picturesque scenery comes to mind. The story is well written and this is a quick easy read. If you love light romance, the great outdoors, nature, social media, national parks, and Montana, this book may be for you.

I received an arc of this title from NetGalley for an honest review. I did not like the narrator for this story and kept losing where I was because it just did not hold my attention.

Review

If you’re looking for a cozy and sweet getaway look no further : ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

📚I adore the setting of this book and all the lovable characters warm my heart. Mountain waterfalls, hot springs, nature, and true friendship take centre stage in this sweet escape. Overall message of this book is perfect. With society as a whole preoccupied with our phones Melissa Ferguson gives a much needed reminder of the damage social media can cause. I just love stories with a good message. Besides the message I enjoyed the FMC’s developmental journey and the sweet romance she finds in Kannery Park. Can’t wait to listen to more books by this author!

🎧The audiobook production was well done and the narrator did a great job. She was perfect for the role in my opinion!

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson Publishing for an audiobook copy of this story!

#cleanromance
#bookstagram #booklover #books #bookoftheday #bookreview #bookreviewer #readthisbook #readmorebooks #prettycover

⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a chance to listen to an early access audiobook copy of Melissa Ferguson’s new release.

I liked this book but I think it took me so long to get through it because I was listening to and reading other things that I don’t really remember, so it’s hard to write a review.

I liked the characters in this one and I liked the setting. It had a warm hug vibe that I enjoyed. I liked our main character too and the growth that she had throughout the story. Zayas was the sweetest, gruff mountain man there could ever be!

I enjoyed the narrator of this as well and thought they did a great job in the pacing of the story as well as changing the narration for each character.

The epilogue was so cute!

A light and somewhat implausible story, but a compelling read. This works really well as an audio book.

“Famous for a Living” was my first novel by Melissa Ferguson and I truly enjoyed it!! First, I loved the concept of the story and the way Melissa used the plot to urge readers to analyze their relationship with social media. This central message impacted me a lot and got me thinking about “unplugging” from social media platforms more often!!

Second, the romance between Cat and Zaiah was super sweet!!! This story definitely leaned more towards Women’s Fiction rather than romance/romcom, but the light romance elements were super adorable😍 I mean, who doesn’t enjoy a rugged, bearded mountain man with a flip phone??🥹❤️

Third, can I just say how much I ADORED the Kannery crew—Mina, Jax, Kevin, & Uncle Terry!! Kevin in particular must be protected at ALL COSTS😭❤️ I loved his passion for nature and limitless knowledge of the outdoors!! He might’ve been my favorite character from the whole book😂😂

Finally, I’d like to note that I listened to this story on audiobook and really liked the narrators’ voices🤩 I definitely recommend giving the audiobook a try if this story interests you!!

Overall, I recommend this story!! This story is great for readers who would enjoy books that take place in wildlife settings, have light romance, and contain an overarching message of the dangers of social media❤️

Loved the premise, but wasn't infatuated by the story. It just fell flat for me, nothing good or bad. Recommend for an easy read though

Loved Melissa Ferguson's last book, she I had to read this one as soon as I could get my hands on it. If you love a good slow burn and the opposites attract and fish out of water tropes, this one is for you. As someone who loves both a five-star hotel and a hike in a national park, I loved seeing Cat make the transition from one lifestyle to another. This rom com had some laugh out loud moments, and a main character who was flawed but lovable. Definitely worth a read!

This book was absolutely adorable. The romance was a major slow burn, but I really enjoyed getting to know the characters and the different places. The imagery described in this book sounded gorgeous and really makes me want to go to Montana and visit the park. I loved seeing the change in certain people in the book once they were taken out of their elements and placed in different ones. People always say you can’t take the city out of a person, but I feel this is untrue and it is perfectly depicted in this book. People can change. It is okay to still want certain things in life, but you can live in two different worlds and still find joy in both.

*I received a copy of this Audio-book as an ARC reviewer, but a positive review wasn’t required. All thoughts are solely what I personally thought of this beautiful book.❤️❤️❤️

Famous for a Living is a cute story, however it did not have the romance I was expecting.

Cat is a social media influencer with a huge following that is involved in a massive scandal and she is basically canceled. She then moves to Montana where her uncle is a park ranger and she helps the park with their social media. (Think Alexis in Schitt's Creek) While in Montana she meets a lot of incredible people and she begins to question her past and learns that there really is more to life that social media and how many likes you get per post.

The book was more about Cat's character growing and learning more about herself than it is a romance. Overall, the idea of the book was cute but it wasn't executed really well and the writing was a bit flat.

Thank you Thomas Nelson, Melissa Ferguson and NetGalley for the ALC.

Famous For A Living is definitely a very relatable story. This teaches us that even if you have a second life on social media, you have to focus on yourself. It definitely has a lot of self exploration and self-love.

Our protagonist, Cat Cranwell, has millions of followers. Famous and known all over the world. Unfortunately, due to an app partnership that goes wrong, she is rapidly losing her famous status. This is a problem because Cat depends on her followers to pay the bills. When her Uncle Terry offers her a job in a Montana, she jumps right on it until she can find a way to regain her life. What she doesn't expect is all the people she'll meet and how much she'll learn about herself. Absolutely love how Cat, even as she's going through her dilemma, has become very aware of how much she was missing. She was able to slow down and enjoy the simple things.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

At first Cat annoyed me so much and I saw her as a spoiled rich girl, but then as the book went on I realized how wonderful she was. Her journey of self discovery was really good and her drive to help the people around her was wonderful. The romance in the book was almost just a side note, but it was still sweet to see it grow in quiet ways throughout the book.

I really loved this story! Cat is such a sweetheart who is trying to overcome a professional & personal setback at her uncles nature preserve. I really felt for her as she tries to figure out what she’s good at besides social media, acknowledging that’s the only world she’s known professionally & people need to know that doesn’t make her less of a person. She is so connected to that influencer life & what people think of her, while also trying so hard to overcome that & be present in her life.

She & Zaiah are a sweet opposites attract couple! they have a slow burn of a romance story, but develop a lovely, sweet friendship along the way that makes the perfect foundation to their relationship. the romance was def on the sidelines in this story, but it didn’t brother me too much at all because there was so much character development going on.

not to mention the sweet, loveable side characters! I loved absolutely everyone in this book. they are all unique & lovely in their own rights, Nina especially was my favorite! she is so unendingly sweet & kind, making a best friend in Cat immediately, helping her feel welcome in this new environment.

I also absolutely loved the setting— I am obsessed with nature in all its glory! the whole outdoor setting—the plants, animals, water— was described so beautifully it made me long to go there myself :)

overall, very sweet, lovable, fun story! thank you for the ARC!!!

I adored this book! I loved Cat Cranwell! Her character was  and truly loveable. Even though she was wealthier than other characters in the book she wasn't stuck up about it. She had a "fall from grace" and it changed her for the better. But, IMO she didn't have much to change. She was a likeable character. Actually, all the characters were likeable. My favorite character was Nina! She was awesome! She was so positive, sweet and kind. She was truly a gem of a friend.

Now on to Zaiah! He was a really kind human being. He loves the national park and all nature to its core and I couldn't help but love him to pieces! Like everything about him I absolutely adored. I can't forget Cat's uncle Terry! He was also such an amazing man. Seriously, the whole book was made up of kind characters and a happy feel good story. I loved it!!

On My Scale Buy, Bargain, Borrow, Bud or Bust I'm putting this one in the bud catergory since I had the privledge to listen to it thanks to @netgalley, AUTHOR and PUBLISHER. But, I feel like I should really mash 2 of my categories I'm putting it in the BUY or BARGAIN BUD category. It is totally worth listening to again when you need a feel good story!

Read This Book If:
You want a feel good story
You want a HEA
Loveable characters are something you are looking for in your next book

I listened to Famous for a Living and it was a fun read. Cat Cranwell starts out as someone very few people could relate to but by the end, her strengths come through for her friends.

Cat's life has been all about the "likes and follows" since she left home at 17 for the bright lights of New York City. Her social media following is massive, and she makes her living simply on the merits of her fame. When Cat partners with an app, she thinks she's "made it" until the app is accused of stealing customer data. Cat flees to Montana, where her uncle is a park ranger at Kannery National Park. With her extensive knowledge of social media, she's a shoe-in to work at bulking up the park's online presence. Living the outdoor life, though? THAT might just kill her.

Zaiah Hudson has no experience with social media, other than the tragedy that destroyed the life of his fiance because of her social media obsession. Seeing Cat in action brings back memories that aren't all that good. As they work together, though, to showcase the best part of their park, he finds someone with more depth than her online posts show. Can their work friendship turn into more, and will she even stay? Their corner of Montana is pretty remote, and the internet is pretty spotty. Will her withdrawal be more than she can stand?

There are so many funny situations in this story and most stem from Cat's moving from Manhattan to the wilds of Montana. When she finally unplugs, her heart starts to shine through. I would have liked to see a little deeper dive into her past history because that is what set her on the course she has taken.

The narration was very well done, and brought each of the characters to life. Whether you read this one or listen to it, I think most readers will have fun while they follow Cat's story!

This story shows the ugly side of social media influencing and just how quickly it can all go away.

The narrator chosen for this audiobook was fine.

The story has the right pieces and the writing is good, but there are moments that lack for me. The chemistry between the love interest and the main character wasn't there for me. Throughout their relationship read more as a friendship. I didn't feel the build up and love between the characters. The character development with the main character was good and the other characters were well written.

Thank you NetGalley and Thomas Nelson for the opportunity to listen to the audiobook.

“I reach in my pockets and then stop.
…. I just didn’t bring my phone. I say it casually and it probably means nothing to him but to me this is everything. I can’t think of a single memory in the past decade where I have not had my phone by my side. It’s unnerving but another rule I have added to my growing list in this quest for healing.
If I can’t trust trust myself to give the person I have decided to spend time with my full attention, then I will leave it and make it easy.
…. I will live fully in the moment.”

Cat learnt some important life lessons the hard way. Change came along and she had to adapt. Lucky for her she had close relatives to help her navigate through.

✨The power of the internet
✨The negatives of social media
✨The good and bad of the screen
✨Trends
✨Marketing via social media
✨Phone addiction
✨Real life vs online life

“Home, this place no longer fits such description.”

Thanks to NetGalley & the publishers for this audiobook Arc.