Thank you NetGalley and St.Martins Press for providing me with an Arc of this novel!
I absolutely adored this book. It has a unique plot line, great characters, and plus size representation!!
I flew through this and would definitely recommend it if you’re looking for a meaningful and fast-paced novel. It provides great romance, but more importantly, a journey of finding Everly finding herself and her passions.

Thanks to Netgalley for access to this E-ARC! This was really cute! Loved the plus-size rep and the romance was so good! Definitely recommend.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press, St. Martin's Griffin and NetGalley for this ARC!

I did not want this book to end! I I fell in love with Everly within the first few pages and really enjoyed the story and the other characters. I loved the representation for plus sized women.

Looking forward to reading more by Jenny L. Howe.

5 stars!

Everly Winters has made her world safe and small since the death of her grandmother, Helen. She works as a receptionist at a design and marketing firm, where she's close to her dream in art, but doesn't have to take the risk to pursue it. She has a work crush who's handsome and fun but prefers the daydreams to any real attempt at love. She wears black and navy to avoid being seen and shutters her big personality to stay out of anyone's spotlight.

That all changes when she learns that she's the newest participant on the fat-inclusive makeover show, On the Plus Side. Now, she needs to think about who she wants to be, from her career to her love life to her sense of style, all while surrounded by showrunner Sady, co-hosts Stanton and Jazzy, and the grumpy but sweet cameraman, Logan.

I had mixed feelings about Howe's debut, mostly because books about academia are hard for me to love, but I devoured this one in just one day. Even if you aren't fat, you'll resonate with so much of Everly's story and her willingness to shrink herself down to avoid being "too much." If you have ever struggled to accept your body, or had others struggle to accept it even if you do, you'll resonate with her struggles with her mom, who is just "trying to help" but does the exact opposite. The growth that Everly goes through while filming in the show is so real.

If you're only there for the romance, you'll also enjoy that too. Yes, Logan is a little grumpy to start, but he sees Everly from the moment he starts filming her and is able to show both her talent and his love in a hundred different ways through his lens. They navigate the challenging third-act conflict together, without a breakup, but with a lot of mutual support.

A word of warning, both grief and fat shaming (by the mother) are an integral part of the plot and they aren't always easy to get through. I definitely cried during parts of the book. However, they are handled with care and Howe is thoughtful in how she tackles them.

* Thank you to St. Martin's and NetGalley for access to an ARC in exchange for my honest review. *

On the Plus Side is Jenny L. Howe’s latest adult romance. Everly loves her favorite tv show, On the Plus Side, which is a plus-size makeover show that empowers and uplifts contestants. When she is nominated, Everly is shocked and her life changes overnight. Logan is the cameraman assigned to follow Everly around and capture every moment of her transformation. Logan is famous for his grumpy personality and Everly can’t resist trying to make him smile. As Logan and Everly grow closer, Everly starts to wonder about the romantic energy between them. With a showrunner who is focused on ratings, will Everly be able to explore their connection?

On the Plus Side is impossible to put down! I enjoyed Howe’s debut, but I loved this book even more. Howe’s writing is witty and filled with clever references. Everly is a very relatable character and I loved watching her find self-confidence and growth as the show went on. Everly is an activist for body positivity, but needs to learn to apply what she preaches to herself. I especially related to her strong relationship with her grandma and how that loss impacted her.

The show’s hosts feel like real people who you’d want to hang out with and receive advice from. Logan and Everly have excellent chemistry and lots of stolen romantic moments as the show films. Logan’s love of dogs was adorable and I loved his business idea. The pacing is excellent. The tension with James and the showrunner are incorporated well, but never steal the joy and happiness of the book.

On the Plus Side was a delightful treat! Readers who love the grump/sunshine trope, make-over shows with a positive outlook (like Queer Eye), and lovable characters will enjoy this book. I’m looking forward to seeing what Jenny L. Howe writes next! Readers who enjoyed The Charm Offensive (Alison Cochrun), Spoiler Alert (Olivia Dade), and Talia Hibbert should check out On the Plus Side.

Thank you so much to Jenny L. Howe, St. Martin’s Griffin, and Netgalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

For publisher: My review will be posted on Instagram, Goodreads, Amazon, Storygraph, and Barnes & Noble etc

Roses:
I like that this had a fun spin on a reality show that focuses on the plus size community. The hosts were fun and used creative ways to help the MFC in the story. I love how Logan became the real advocate for Everly during the show but also in their private moments too. At first I wasn’t sure if I would like Everly but as the story moved along there were moments that I really connected to her.

Thorns:
Some of the plot seemed to be really repetitive and didn’t go anywhere for a long time. I felt myself losing steam because it felt like I read this already. The spice was ehh. It either to be more or not at all.

Overall it was a good story with a not over done setting of the the tv show which I haven’t seen a lot of recently.

I picked this up because of the title and I live for plus size representation. This was quirky, cute and made me laugh. I really enjoyed this!

I was not a fan of the writing style for this book. DNF


******************I received an ARC for my honest opinion from NetGalley.*********************

Everly Winters is happy with her very quiet, mostly mundane life... sort of. Then out of nowhere she gets selected to star on in the 3rd season of her favorite TV show, On the Plus Side, which puts focus on big girls and bringing out their inner style and confidence. With Everly's privacy on the line, a sketchy showrunner, and a handsome but grumpy cameraman following her every move, Everly hopes she'll get anything out of this show without tarnishing her reputation in the process.

I liked this! It was definitely a cute little story with a couple sexy scenes and a lot of heart. Everly was not as lacing in confidence as she thought, but it made her stronger as a character in my eyes. She was not The Pathetic Girl for sure. I also loved Logan. I was a little worried that his romance would come off really weird (because he's always filming people... does he always fall for them?) but thankfully he was just a sweet, dog-loving, boyfriend material guy who was straight up whole-heartedly in love with Everly. I really liked the development of their relationship, even though I found the "show" aspect of the book a little strange. I don't know if I love show-mance books but that's a me thing.

I would recommend this to any romance lover looking for some plus-size rep!

Was this the most amazing thing I have ever read? No not really. Did it pass the time and was fairly enjoyable? Sure! Average plot with average characters. The romance was okay. I don’t think I will remember this book in a couple of days.

I thought this book was cute. I loved the premise and I loved seeing the character become more confident and stick up for herself.

I was provided an ARC of this book via Netgalley, all opinions are my own.

This follows Everly, a plus sized artist who has lost her way after the death of her beloved grandmother. Everly is a talented artist and she used to have big dreams. Without her biggest cheerleader by her side, Everly has chosen to hide behind neutral colors and no longer take risks. She can't fail if she never tries for anything beyond her perfectly average existence. When someone nominates her for a reality TV show On the Plus Side that focuses on giving plus sized guests not only a wardrobe makeover but a life makeover, Everly is given the opportunity to revisit the girl she has hidden away and redefine her happiness.

This was such a heartwarming book. I loved going on Everly's journey of rediscovering herself and figuring out what she wants to do with her life. I found her story to be very relatable, and I loved watching her go from feeling like she was "too much" to feeling just the right amount through the support of her friends and the sweet romance she developed with Logan. I also loved that she got to define happiness for herself despite what she looked like. No one should close themselves off to make other people feel comfortable, and she faced that on her journey. It was so awesome to see her transform into someone who could advocate for herself in both personal and professional situations and throw caution to the wind a little bit here and there. This had great banter and side characters to add some humor and fun to a book that deals with some heavy topics.

Overall, I really enjoyed this. If you are a fan of the show What Not to Wear, this has a similar vibe. I'm not a big reality TV show person, but I loved that show. This had a fun romcom element, but also dealt with some very real issues. This is my first book by the author but I'm looking forward to reading more!a

Oh my gosh! This was so cute and funny! I loved the FMC so much and Jazzy and Stanton were hilarious! Very much recommend this one! It is one of the best Rom Coms I’ve read in awhile.

thoroughly enjoyed this book. this is the first book I've read by this author as well. This author did a nice job at representing the curvy/plus size gal which made it feel authentic.I really enjoyed Logan and Everly story. Book had both super sweet aspects but some spice as well. All in all was an enjoyable read for me.

On the Plus Side by Jenny L. Howe was cute and funny, and an easy, feel good read. I couldn't put it down and stayed up well past my bedtime to finish it.

I thought the main characters, Everyly and Logan, were both people to root for, and I was cheering for their love on the sidelines. I am not into reality TV, or makeover shows, or any of that stuff, but this was a fun imagining of what that might look like in a fat-affirming environment.

I found the instances and descriptions of fatphobia in this, appropriate and not-gratuitous. The main character wasn't 100% body positivity rah rah in the beginning, but she also didn't hate herself, which I think can sometimes be a fine balance in stories centering fat experiences in fiction, but something that I think the authour did really well. I thought some of the situations in the story were also very relatable more broadly.

I loved the character growth from start to finish - it also felt like the natural outcome of what was happening in the story.

The grumpy cinnamon roll is a romance trope I am fond of, so that hit the spot for me. There are a few spicy bits in this novel, I didn't find them particularly explicit, but they were also not fade to black.

Some serious themes in here that were touched on, and offered as a heads up in the beginning of the story, and most of these circumstances didn't just feel plonked in there for arbitrary reasons, but meshed well with who the characters became, their motivations, and some of the ways they responded to the world.

Over all, I thought this was very enjoyable and well done. There were a few points in the story that gave me pause, but not enough to be hugely negative. If you know too much about the tattoo industry, you might need to suspend some disbelief, but I didn't think that was a biggie. There are a certain amount of fantasy outcomes here, as in any romance, and I think books like that are very comforting and just a worthwhile respite from reality.

Thanks to Netgalley, and the publisher for an early copy of this book. It's coming out December 26, 2023.

This was a very cute read focused on a plus size main character (which is always great to read about because I can relate) named Everly. She is going on the only lifestyle makeover show exclusively for plus sized people: On The Plus Side; which also happens to be her favorite show. Of course, she finds herself and love on her journey.

Overall, it was a quick, fun, easy read. I felt it drag a bit during some parts because I don’t really watch makeover reality shows much so I’m thinking that is the reason; just a lack of connection there personally. But! If those type of shows are your thing, I think you would really enjoy this book!

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the arc!

4.5!

Everly is a plus-sized woman you is currently a receptionist for a marketing company and living above her brother’s garage. When Everly is nominated to be a guest on a Queer Eye-esque reality show called On The Plus Side, she’s excited to flourish in some spaces that she hasn’t participated in for a while.

The viewers of the show (and the readers) get to see Everly’s relationship with herself grow through her creativity and art as well as figuring out a potential new career path.

I really enjoyed this! Everly was a great character and I really resonated with her fears of failing or falling. A fear of failing stops you from chasing after something you really want and I think this was a great portrayal of analyzes what may be holding you back and what you may want to change!

I don’t read enough reality tv based books I’ve realized but I think the premise was done well! There’s a realistic approach to the fact that this is Queer Eye-like rather than a dating show (like most reality tv show books I’ve read). The Queer Eye aspect allows for some great character expansion for Everly and sets up a good conflict for later in the book.

I think the pacing near the end felt a little fast to me but ultimately I think this wrapped up pretty well! I wish the epilogue gave a bit more and that there was a bit more with the Collective! I was happy with the way the romance played out though and the communication between Everly and Logan was really nice!

I really liked this book!

The romance was very sweet, but definitely a slow burn with very minimal spice. Still I loved the tender moments between Everly and Logan.

I really appreciated Everly's growth through the book. It felt realistic-- it happened over time and not without her own doubts. I also loved that she didn't NEED a man or to lose weight to develop as a character.


Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for this ARC. I was excited to read it and was not disappointed!

Think What Not to Wear but plus sized! This novel represented plus sized is such a beautiful way. Not once did the content hyper focus on curves or folds that I have read in other novels with plus sized main characters - and I really appreciated that.

Everly is such a lovable main character and I thoroughly enjoyed experiencing her growth within the pages of On the Plus Side. Reading through her confidence gains with romance, art, fashion, and family was very heart warming. And I loved the little bit of spice that was sprinkled in, it was just enough for this novel!

I definitely recommend this one for those interested in reading something that is plus size friendly, but it truly is one size fits all and should be read by all!

I really enjoyed this book. It's a great cross between Queer Eye and What Not to Wear. I loved that Everly found herself throughout the book, and wasn't changing for a man, but in tandem with finding love. The main message was about doing the work on the inside, alongside changing her outer appearance in small ways that enhanced Everly's appearance and made her more confident. The conflicts were resolved through direct communication and matched with the ages of the characters. Not having silly miscommunications helped the integrity of the book and the believability of the relationships. I really liked that there wasn't a 3rd act breakup. All in all, this was a fun read and I saw a lot of myself in Everly.

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for the ARC copy!