I was browsing NetGalley and saw the blurb for On the Plus Side by Jenny L. Howe. A romantic comedy with a plus size heroine? Yes, please!

I’m usually more of an historical romance reader so I kept putting off reading the ARC because its release date is a ways away (12/26). After having read it though, I wish I would have read it sooner because it’s one of my favorite books of the year!

I’ve not been on the thin side much since puberty so Everly spoke to me. There were times I was cheering for Everly and times she moved me to tears like on wardrobe day when she was talking about the loss of Grandma Helen.

OTPS is a slower burn than I normally read, but it fits the story. It seemed to me that it took until about 64% of the way through the book before the two MCs truly get physical.

OTPS has so many life lessons and quotable scenes! I have a new goal to be more myself regardless of what others might think. I’m going to try to be more accepting of myself and wear what makes me feel striking (to borrow Everly’s term).

I love love love Logan’s dogs. No spoilers, but they (especially Ravioli) add an element of realism that made me laugh out loud. Speaking from experience, doggus interruptus is a real thing 🤣

Sundae’s Sanctuary is the cherry on top. I have fostered dogs, and I must take after Logan because I ended up keeping two of my fosters I thought would have a hard time finding good homes, including one who was a senior citizen puppy mill survivor.

The plot twist at the end caught me by surprise, but it fit the story perfectly. I strongly recommend reading On the Plus Side!

I received an ARC from the author via NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press. The opinions expressed are mine.

I generally don't read stories with fat protagonists, not because I have negative feelings against fat people, but because of the way they are portrayed, always playing the victim, something like "I'm fat, no one could love me like that." However, the protagonist of On The Plus Side, Everly Winters is a character in which we can all recognize some of our defects or virtues. She is a strong character who has been silenced most of her life and in the makeover show On The Plus Side she has been able to re-find her own voice and make herself heard loud and clear.
It is a strong story, funny at times and also moving, with which most readers will be able to identify.
I thank the author and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.
The opinion I have expressed above is based solely on what I think and feel about this book.

On the Plus Side has quickly jumped to top of my list of plus size heroine books. I think the whole concept is absolutely ingenious and I can only hope someone decides to make it real! The book follows the main character as she is chosen for the plus size version of what not to wear. They make over not only her style but they also take her through self discovery exercises to figure out who she is at her core. Every plus size person has had the idea that we are only our weight and Everly has another heavy thing to deal with. She's trying to exist in a world that isn't made for her with her one guiding light, her grandmother, no longer on Earth. She has no idea who Everly is and hopes On The Plus Side will help her become Everly 2.0. I am envious of all of the self discovery that Everly got to go through and oh yeah there's not one but two love interests and sex scenes!!!! I absolutely love when plus size romances include sex scenes, because we are deserving of feeling desirable! I relate so hard to Everly and her struggle with her mom and I appreciated the way the author described those feelings. It was sensitive and also showed Everly doing self reflecting and not just blaming everything on her mom. This was the perfect plus size romance for me from cover to cover.

Everly is a contestant on a makeover show for fat women (I personally loathe the term "plus-size" and find it reductive and annoying, so I will be using the word fat here). She meets grumpy lumberjack cameraman Logan and they fall in lurrrrve.

There was a lot to enjoy about this book - I'm always a fan of a fat lady getting some action and thought Everly and Logan's relationship was sweet. Some of the reality tv parts didn't work for me - mainly because I don't watch much of it and even I know that they are going to manipulate the narrative and use whatever they can get their hands on to manufacture drama and boost ratings, so Everly's sense of betrayal that they weren't telling her story exactly as she wanted felt overly naive. That said, this was a fun, quick read that I'll be recommending.

This was a little cheesy and predictable - I liked it but I did not love it. I did enjoy seeing diverse characters in romance stories that are not typically seen. It seemed like the problems and hurdles the main character had to deal with were realistic.

Thanks to publisher and NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Reality TV and Plus size babes? Sign me up. I loved this book, it was fast-passed and a fun and quick read. I finished it within a couple of days, which is pretty crazy because I am quite the slow reader. If youre looking for a plus size rep in line with writers such as Olivia Dade, Mary Warren or Julie Murphey, come December, you should pick up this book.

This. Is. How. You. Write. A. Plus. Size. Character.

Honestly I’m still processing this book. Everly’s character development had absolutely nothing to do with losing weight and it was just done perfectly. I would trust Jenny L Howe to write my life at this point

“Now she was probably too much, and that was exactly how she liked it.” Hit me straight in the soul

On the Plus Side by Jenny L. Howe is a book that follows Everly, a plus sized woman who leads a pretty quiet life and is obsessed with a reality tv show called On the Plus Side. When someone nominates her to be on the show, she is excited and nervous to start this journey. But things with the show don’t go exactly to plan and Everly has to decide what is important to her.

One thing about me, I love a book about a reality tv show. There is something about the behind the scenes drama mixed with the actual “show” that I eat up every time and this plus sized version of Queer Eye was a fun time! It had a bit of cheesiness to it but I really enjoyed it. I loved what happened with the love interest and how that relationship developed.

This book has a ton of good plus size representation. I think the way it handled how people see and treat fat people was really well done. As a plus size person, I really loved Everly’s character.

My only issue with this book is a late book conflict. I didn’t really think it needed to be in the book and the book would have been fine without it. It just felt a little over the top and I wish it would have gone in a different direction.

But this was super cute. It is a fast read and a great romance with fat representation in it that tackles fatphobia in a refreshing way.

This was such a breath of fresh air! I adore the plus-size rep and characters that I would love to have as friends in real life.

Logan is the ultimate book boyfriend, and I knew the second he talked about adopting elderly dogs that I was going to lose a piece of my heart to him forever. The chemistry between Everly and Logan is undeniable, making is extremely enjoyable to watch their relationship grow through her transformation.

I'd gladly watch On the Plus Side if it was an actual tv show! The writing perfectly allows the reader a behind-the-scenes view of a reality show, where you're not sure how it will all play out. I couldn't put this book down once I started, and it left me with a huge smile on my face. Don't let this book pass you by!

I absolutely loved On the Plus Side! Once I started it I couldn’t stop reading. Everly was such an amazing character. As a plus size person, I related to her story so much. She’s been made to believe that she is too much so she hides who she really is. She goes on a raw & powerful journey to get her confidence back. I swear Jenny writes the best fat representation!

I cannot tell you how much I loved Everly & Logan. Seeing them fall for each other little by little was adorable. Logan made Everly feel seen & comfortable. My heart completely burst when he broke the fourth wall & said she wasn’t too much!

The makeover show was a really fun way to tell this story. I like that it wasn’t all about changing someone’s appearance. It was more about helping plus size people find their happiness & community. Jazzy & Stanton were the best and I wish a show like this actually existed. It would be iconic!

This book is all about facing your fears & following your dreams. It’s one that I will think about for a while. I cannot wait to read more from Jenny L. Howe! She’s quickly becoming one of my favorite authors!

God I really loved everything about this book. I loved the soft and loveable characters. I felt like Everly was so relatable as a fellow plus sized person. I will definitely be reading more from this author!

I absolutely loved The Make-Up Test so I was really excited to get to read Howe’s next book. To me, the best parts of this book were the characters. That’s not to say the story itself wasn’t fun and interesting, but the characters were what really hooked me. I absolutely loved Everly. I liked that her journey was less about her self esteem with how she looked and more about learning how to be herself and go for the things she wanted. Her character really resonated with me. Also, LOGAN. I loved him! A grumpy flannel wearing older dog rescuer? Sign me up! I like that he made Everly feel safe to be her best self and also how much he cared about dogs. Jazzy and Stanton were also really fun as the makeover show’s hosts. Overall, I enjoyed the plot, however, it did drag a bit towards the middle. But I loved the ending so much. I think this was such a sweet book about being your most authentic self even when people tell you that it’s too much.
TW: fat phobia, mentions of cancer and death, mentions of pet death, emotional abuse

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advanced digital reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review.

On the Plus Side
Jenny L. Howe
3.5-4⭐️

On the Plus Side was a cute and inspiring read with the perfect mix of sweet/spice. Howe did a wonderful job creating and developing Everly and Logan. He was the perfect cinnamon roll grump to her sunshine. They were so realistic and relatable, you just couldn’t help but love and root for #TeamLoverly .

There was so much self-discovery and growth within and the Positive Fat representation was so well done. Howe hit on difficult topics all while keeping it a light and fun read. Even though I don’t typically watch them, I enjoyed the reality tv aspects. Think What Not to Wear meets Queer Eye.

At its heart it’s a story about acceptance, finding and understanding your worth, and best of all, found family/finding community.

What I enjoyed;
🎥 Positive Fat Rep
🎥 Grumpy/Sunshine
🎥 Slow-Burn Romance
🎥 Quick Whit Banter

Pub Date 12/26/23. Check it out If you’re in the mood for a cute, feel-good romcom that packs a little steamy goodness.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

Jenny L. Howe delights in this must-read romance that has a cinnamon roll hero you’ll totally fall for and a sweet heroine you’ll be cheering on as she steps out of the beige to paint her world bright again!
I just love it when a book from an author I have never read before catches my eye and then overdelivers on my expectations.

I am not someone who likes watching reality TV AT ALL but I do love reading romance books featuring reality tv show storylines and that’s what initially caught my eye about On the Plus Side.

Everly Winters finds out that she was been nominated as the next contestant for, On the Plus Side, a reality TV show working to change dialogue around fat representation and take back the negativity surrounded by the word “fat.”

She’s the perfect candidate because she’s changed in recent years from the carefree woman who lived out loud like her plus-size grandmother but who now tries to blend into the background and wants to remain unseen.

What I Loved About On the Plus Side:

Everly’s Transformation
Everly is such a wonderful heroine – someone who’s so down to earth and definitely someone you’d just love to hang out with or have design your own tattoo 😊.

I loved how Howe weaves in her backstory about her close relationship with her grandmother and her strained relationship with her mother without making it all about them. You can absolutely see that there is this beautiful, creative, fun woman who’s hiding herself and therefore depriving the world and herself of all the gifts that she possesses.

Her “makeover” didn’t make her into something she’s not or something “socially acceptable” but focused on bringing out her true self which is the beauty of what that reality tv show is all about. Howe also gave us two co-hosts to adore that helped Everly along the way.

Logan – the Quiet Hero
While Everly was clearly the star of the show (and book!) Logan is another character that absolutely made this story.

Despite being more behind the scenes, literally behind the camera following Everly, his presence and support of Everly was EVERYTHING.

I loved how he was this quiet, grumpy cinnamon roll who totally and utterly supported Everly. And yet, despite his quiet nature, when he chose to engage and speak it was oh so good.

Their banter together was perfect, showing their chemistry and growing feelings for one another. I loved their honesty and the way they just fit.

The Writing
The main characters and storyline are fantastic but the writing is top notch too, making it so effortless to read this book that I never wanted it to end.

Howe made the story just flow with a good moment of conflict that didn’t cause unnecessary drama between Everly and Logan.

If you’re looking for a fun, enjoyable romance with characters you’ll completely fall for a super cute storyline, then you’ll definitely going to want to read On the Plus Side.

It’s right up there with The True Love Experiment as my favorite romance books featuring reality TV shows.
The punny title is just so perfect too.

*Thank you to Netgalley for the advanced reader copy. All opinions are my own.

On the Plus Side had fat representation, a quietly diverse cast, genuine character growth and depth, and a fun premise. Howe does so much right.

I loved how Everly wanted to fix herself, not just get a man. She wanted to grow as a person. Because we know how romance novels work, we know she gets a man but I loved Howe focusing on Everly growing as a person as much as the relationship.

I loved how realistic Everly’s issues with her mother were. Things weren’t magically fixed because that’s fun for readers. It was messy and complicated and not immediately resolved. It was the start and acknowledged the work they both needed to do to improve things.

Howe did a fantastic job coming up with dog names. Sundae, Ravioli, and Gnocchi are perfect. And, no third act breakup. The big drama comes from somewhere else. I appreciated Howe keeping the good communication going and not going for the formulaic plot point.

A satisfying, feel good romance. Highly recommend. 5/5

I loved this book! The fat representation was fantastic. It felt like a fun light read. Thanks to NetGalley for giving me the chance to read this prior to its release.

I really enjoyed this story!

Everly is a fantastic character - she's plus size and used to blending into the background. However, when the popular makeover show On the Plus Side surprises her at work, she goes on a whirlwind transformation. She learns what she really wants, stands up for herself and becomes a stronger version of herself. And finds love along the trip. I really enjoyed the characters and the storyline!

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for a temporary, digital ARC in return for my review.

𝖡𝗈𝗈ƙ 𝖱౿𝗏ꪱᜒ౿⍵
ᝪ𐓣 Τ𝗁౿ 𝖯ᥣυડ 𝖲ꪱᜒᑯ౿
𝖡ɣ: 𝖩౿𐓣𐓣ɣ 𝖫. 𝖧𝗈⍵౿
𝖯υᑲ 𝖣ɑ𝗍౿: 𝖣౿ɕ౿ოᑲ౿𝗋 26, 2023
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/ 5

I knew I was going to love this book as soon as it reminded me of the show What Not to Wear! I honestly enjoyed this book so much. For someone that has always been plus size, it’s always been a touchy subject throughout my life. Reading this book though really showed me that there is more than the word “fat” when it comes to a person. Everly is so relatable and inspiring. The romance in this book was so well done and I loved how Jenny tackled topics like family issues, grief, and self expectations. The chemistry between Logan and Everly made my heart swoon!

Overall, this cute, funny, emotional debut by Jenny L. Howe is definitely in my top 3 favorite romance books this year! 🩷

Τ𝗁ɑ𐓣ƙ ɣ𝗈υ @netgalley & @stmartinspress 𝖿𝗈𝗋 𝗍𝗁ꪱᜒડ ɑ𝗋ɕ ꪱᜒ𐓣 ౿𝗑ɕ𝗁ɑ𐓣𝗀౿ ɑ𐓣 𝗁𝗈𐓣౿ડ𝗍 𝗋౿𝗏ꪱᜒ౿⍵.

Everly is chosen to be on the newest makeover hit show, On the Plus Side, and is nervous but oh so excited to start finding herself again. Especially when it means that cameraman Logan gets to follow her around for weeks and she can embarrass and tease him the whole time. But when their chemistry turns real, can they keep their budding relationship safe from the prying eyes of the public or will this show end it before it can truly begin?

I liked this one! Everly starts with being determined to be small and less than because it’s safer but finally gets a backbone thanks to the hosts of the show and her bravery comes in and she comes back to herself. This book also had the greatest steamy to laugh out loud funny moments I’ve read in a LOOOONG time IYKYK

4.7

Thanks so much to St. Martin’s Griffin and Netgalley for providing me a copy of this e-ARC. On The Plus Side reminded me of all my favorite makeover reality shows from when I was a kid. Everly’s story was quite charming and I’m very glad she got her fairy tale ending. Although, more emphasis could have been put on the logistics of the show. An eight-episode ARC for a show with four guests per season was quite unrealistic in my opinion. I’ve never found myself that interested in any Queer Eye guest to want to see so many episodes of them. All in all, a wonderful subversion of reality TV tropes and I very much enjoyed the bearded male lead.