I am always excited for new plus size romances and was beyond excited to see one that featured both reality TV (my favorite genre) and an artist/designer lead. In this book, the lead character (Everly) is a naturally funny, loud, and charismatic artist who is living in her own self-imposed shadow after going through loss and being criticized quite a bit by her straight size mother. She is cast on a Queer Eye-style reality show called On The Plus Side, where she is made over and given a chance to embrace her true self outside of her desire to be invisible. Ultimately this felt a lot more like her coming of self novel, rather than a true romance. Logan, the love interest and cameraman on the show, is almost not that important to the story or who Everly becomes, which I'll get into later.

I will start with what I loved, and ultimately what was most important to me: the fat rep. Howe did an incredible job writing Everly's relationship to her body (which was nuanced and not about self-hatred, but more about a desire to be unseen and feeling like too much as a person and not a body). Her author's note was thorough and thoughtful, and this book boasts several fat characters, all of whom shine in their own respects and are allowed to be human. I enjoyed the side characters, too - Grandma Helen, Becca, Ellis, and Penny (Everly's mom) - and the queer rep in one of Everly's coworkers, Alex. These characters aren't 100% fleshed out, but for their roles they really didn't need to be. The hosts of the show within the book, Jazzy and Stanton, are also such lovely fat representation, and I felt like I wanted to watch the show in question immediately. I also liked that Logan, despite being a straight size man, has his own moments of body doubt, which really surprised me in the best way - we so rarely get to see men grapple with body image in media.

The reason this ultimately was more "OK" than "fantastic" for me was due to three major factors: lack of character development, more telling than showing in the writing style, and the low amount of spice and sexiness. Logan as a character is more of an idea than a real person: we don't get much of who he is beyond loving dogs, flannel, and Everly until a full 80% into the book. Even then it's about a page of backstory. I don't feel like I understand what they really have in common or what they loved about each other because it all happens so quickly.

This ties into issue two, which is that especially early on Everly spends a lot of time telling us her thesis statement rather than showing it to us in scenes. There are certainly moments that are show - like her interactions with James in the office early on - but it quickly becomes clear that Everly knows *exactly* what her problems are and tells us so. It's not to say that that doesn't happen in real life, but it doesn't make for that interesting of character development. I didn't end up connecting with her or Logan as much as I wanted, and thirdly, they did not connect as often as I wanted either haha! The spice in this is very mild and relatively fade-to-black. I love when fat sex scenes involve graphic depictions of fat bodies doing the damn thing, and these scenes really could've been about any bodies and were over too quickly for me! Definitely a lot more sweet than saucy in this one.

That was a lot, but truly I did enjoy this book and am excited to read Jenny L. Howe's other book soon. I almost wish this had been reworked as a contemporary fiction about Everly's self-development with a romance side plot, or had featured Logan's POV to give us more of his inner world, but it still was miles better reading about fat characters without any nauseating mentions of how "tiny" the MC is or insensitive body talk. It's a very sweet read, and I think anyone looking for more fat rom com love will enjoy.

Thanks so much to NetGalley and Macmillan for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

Release date: December 26, 2023

Everly Winters leads a quiet life until she's nominated for the makeover show “On the Plus Side.” Thrust into the spotlight, she forms a surprising connection with Logan, a cameraman. As their bond blossoms, their romance becomes a television sensation, but can Everly risk her heart when the world is watching? This heartwarming romantic comedy explores self-discovery, love, and the challenges of embracing oneself in the public eye.

This had everything a cute little rom-rom should have: lovable characters, fun activities, and tender moments. What specifically sets this story apart is that the leading lady is not only plus size, but the new star of the ground-breaking body positivity reality show. Though I’ve never watched Queer Eye, the story’s show seems to mimic that Netflix show’s format. Boston is one of my favorite cities so I loved the scenes there, especially the ones from Newbury Street (one of my favorite shopping locations). I liked that most of the tension throughout the book revolved around the show and not Everly and Logan’s relationship. Logan disguises himself as a grump but in reality he’s definitely a sweet cinnamon-roll MMC with ‘lumbersexual’ style. (He also loves regency romance movies, what could be better?) I’m already looking forward to the next book from Jenny L. Howe.

Thank you @stmartinspress and @netgalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Perfect for you if you like:
Body positivity
Rom-coms on a TV set
Work tension instead of relationship tension

⛔️chapters 21 (last couple pages), 26 (second half), & 30 contain sexual content (open door)
⚠️explicit language, grandmother passed away from cancer

This was super cute and sweet. There was great representation, and I loved the sibling relationship. Plus, who wouldn’t fall for an elderly rescue dog loving grump.

This was my second book from this author and I can really tell how much she’s grown! I loved Everly’s journey to self confidence, and as a lover of makeover shows it was fun to see them from another side. Really sweet love story, too! Loved Logan and all his grumpy grunting and flannels. Thanks to NetGalley for the arc!

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC!

One thing about me is if there is a plus size woman on the cover, I'm gonna have to request it. When I looked at the description of this book I had a feeling that I was going to love it. I love unlikely romances and for her to fall for the cameraman gave everything I needed it to give and more. I love seeing a plus size woman getting the love that she deserves!

Good body positivity. I felt like I was watching a TV show. This was a fun easy read. Would recommend!!

Not only did "On the Plus Side" made me feel so strongly about fictional plus-sized characters, but also made me fall in love with them. Body diversity, self-worth and self-confidence, and love in all its manifestations are all topics covered in this awesome book. Everly was a fairly straightforward character with comparable experiences that would satisfy most readers of this book while yet being interesting.

Being able to view the story through Everly, the program, and the internet forums was a brilliant approach to break up the conventional structure of most fiction works, and I really appreciated that in this book.

Strongly recommend it!

Everly Winters is happy to navigate life in the background, lurking and unnoticed. Someone secretly nominates her for her favorite makeover show and she agrees to it. Overwhelmed by the extroverted hosts, Everly makes friends with the grumpy camera man, Logan. They grow closer, but one day their connection is caught on camera. Can their budding relationship and her sense of self survive the whole world watching?

OMG. I saw myself in Everly through this whole book. Fantastic job of writing from the headspace of a character who'd rather be invisible most of the time. Beautifully written story, absolutely loved Everly and the relationship with Logan. Fun book, made even better by seeing myself in it! ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced digital reader's copy (ARC) in exchange for an honest review!

It took me a long time to read this book! The inner dialogue of Everly was almost too much, and probably 100 pages could have been cut. About halfway through the book it picked up and was such a fun read! I wish the ending had been less rushed with a more dramatic flair, but this was a solid read! 3.5⭐️!

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion!

"On the Plus Side" by Jenny L. Howe is a delightful and heartwarming romantic comedy that blends elements of makeover shows, self-discovery, and the joys of finding love in unexpected places.

The story revolves around Everly Winters, a character who prefers to stay in the background, content with being unnoticed. Her relatable personality makes her instantly endearing to readers who may have felt similarly at some point in their lives. Everly's journey from a reserved receptionist to a participant on a popular plus-size makeover show promises to be filled with both humor and personal growth.

The book's comparison to beloved makeover shows like "What Not to Wear" and "Queer Eye" hints at a mix of fashion transformations and self-confidence boosts, which adds an exciting and relatable layer to the story. It's likely to resonate with readers who appreciate both style makeovers and characters who learn to embrace their true selves.

The introduction of Logan, the grumpy yet kind cameraman, as Everly's love interest adds a romantic element that promises chemistry and depth to the story. The idea of a budding romance blossoming under the scrutiny of reality TV is intriguing and ensures there will be plenty of entertaining twists and turns.

Moreover, the book explores themes of self-acceptance and the fear of being vulnerable in the public eye, making it not only a delightful romance but also a story that encourages readers to embrace their true selves.

Overall, "On the Plus Side" seems like a charming and relatable read that combines humor, romance, and personal growth—a winning combination for fans of contemporary romantic comedies.

4.5⭐️

as someone who loves queer eye i absolutely loved the concept of this book! i found myself relating a lot to everly’s character and i just love how amazing logan was. the story was very entertaining and i really liked how much depth there was to the story and how it wasn’t your typical romance book. i would definitely recommend this book i had so much fun reading it!

thank you to netgalley and st.martin’s press for this arc in exchange for my honest review <3

I was so excited for this ARC because of the plus size representation! I’ve never read anything by Jenny L. Howe before this book but that’s about to change! This book was cute with a little spice thrown in. I love that the main character wasn’t obsessed with her weight/size of her body and it wasn’t all about a plus size woman wanting to become or becoming a skinny girl. All around a great read!!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!

Thanks to the author of this book for going all in on genuine and heartfelt plus size representation that doesn’t cave to stereotype or tropes.

An okay story for me otherwise (the reality show angle isn’t usually a winner for me in general) but appreciated the unfortunately all too unique still today choice to celebrate a plus size woman and her life.

Unfortunately, I was very disappointed in this. The summary sounded amazing, and the cover was cute but other than that it fell really flat for me. I couldn't connect with either of the characters and the story was boring me for some reason, It was a struggle to push through. I'm also usually not a fan of stories about reality shows so I'm sure that also played a big part in why I disliked this.

Things I liked is the plus size rep and and the two reality show hosts (They were the best part).

I would still recommend others try this because while it may not have worked for me I think others may enjoy it.

I love Jenny Howe’s books. I was so excited to read this one and was not disappointed. It’s refreshing, enlightening and a relief to read about Howe’s multifaceted main characters who are fat and navigating lives that are about so much more than their size or what they look like. Howe does a brilliant job of writing about characters with diverse bodies while also writing emotionally rich dialogue and emotionally intelligent and nuanced character development. On The Plus Side is one of my favorites in the romance category because of Everly, Logan and the emotional insight throughout the book. Howe stays away from tropes that I find hard to read repeatedly in a lot of romance books and gives us a fresh, realistic and fun story. I will continue reading whatever Howe writes.

Thank you to Howe, NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing me with a digital copy to read and review.

This was an a-ok read, perfectly happy with it.. As a plus size woman I understood what the main character was feeling about being recognized as fat and fashionable and hiding parts of her true self. I found that relatable. But, she was incredibly indecisive and flip flopped a bit about what it was the most important point of focus.
It was a great mix of rom and com and I enjoyed it. As a fan of reality tv, I loved the makeover show take. I love how he loved her for who she was, while she was working through it.
Thanks for the arc!

On The Plus Side was one of the best romcoms I've read in a long time. It was funny, relatable, a little bit spicy, and so genuine. The actuality of Plus side representation really shined through. I'd be interested in reading a sequel!

Plus size representation at its best! This book was cute and very enjoyable and just what I needed for a sweet romance that would make me smile. I loved how we got to view the story from different angles and see different perspectives. I thought this really enhanced the emotional side of the characters and brought the reader into the plot.

Unfortunately this was a DNF for me. The characters at the beginning were not my favorite and while I am sure the story got better and I am hoping the characters did as well I just could not get past the beginning. But I recommend everyone try because what doesn’t work for me may work for others!

Thanks to Netgalley and the author for giving me a chance to read this one!

Cute and fun, what more could you want?

There were a few moments where the discussions of anti-fat bias felt a bit repetitive or generic (and I expect would for many Maintenance Phase listeners).