This was lovely and enjoyable - but a bit basic. Something was lacking in the relational development between Everly and Logan for me, and at times the stakes felt pretty low. Still, it held my interest and was a super quick read for a weekend!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an ARC!!! Super grateful!!

I savored this one, as it was a deviation from my normal genre of horror. I’ll read anything Jenny Howe puts out, because between humanizing and celebrating different body types, her layered characters (especially the love interests), and dog characters named after food, her work never disappoints.

I loved Everly and her arc was exactly what she deserved, especially her career arc. Logan is Howe’s best love interest yet and is the perfect man. The romantic arc challenges a key plot point in the genre, but it executes it well and is a refreshing twist on the romcom formula. Five stars.

2⭐️

As a midsize person who has struggled with weight and self-image since high school, I wanted to love this book. Unfortunately, it was not for me. I love a slow burn but I felt like Everly and Logan’s relationship started too slow. Their first interactions, I felt no spark. This made it really, really hard for me to connect to the relationship. The thing I struggled with most in this book was having to read the fat phobic comments. As a bigger bodied person who exists online, I hear the comments plenty. I want my romance books to be an escape from having to experience and witness anti-fatness. Having to read the anti-fat comments made my Everly’s mom and OTPS viewers really took away from my enjoyment of the book. If I did not have this advanced copy, it might have led me to not finish the book. I will not be posting my review online, as I have seen other fat people who felt very seen by this book and I do not want to take away from their experience.

This book was so lovely! Jenny writes fat characters so well and I appreciate the new take on a makeover show. Very cute!

4.5 stars!
Oh @jennylhowe how I adore thee! What I would give for a Logan bonus epilogue from his POV! He is one of my favorite male MC EVER! I love how he’s grumpy but is feels so much! Honestly, bravo for writing him! I also loved Everly’s journey throughout the book. What I really liked seeing was how she wasn’t apologizing for her size but rather how she was trying to make herself invisible because she didn’t want the stigma of being the “fat girl who is ‘too much’”. I think this is very much a relatable topic and I enjoyed seeing her be truly herself by the end! Bit of a spoiler, but I also appreciate that there was no “third act breakup”, because while I know it’s a common tripe, it really makes me sad, so thanks for that! Also, if you’ve read The Make-up Test, there were a few Easter eggs in this one that shouted out to the previous book (I always love that!). Having met Jenny Howe on more than one occasion, I can say she’s
wonderful and so sweet and I can’t wait for her release party of this one, which will presumably be at our local independent! Can’t wait for the next one!

Super cute and easy light read. I love books with plus sized characters which is mostly why I requested this ARC. Everly and Colton had a cute dynamic that kept me hooked from the start.

I absolutely adored this book. It combines two of my favorite things-reality tv drama and a fat heroine finding herself. The plot clips along nicely, pulling me right into the drama of the story which never tips over the line of becoming TOO dramatic. Everlasting is a highly relatable character, especially if you are a larger lady who has felt like she it a little too much sometimes. Her developing story with Logan is engaging and hits all the right notes as he is just right for the role he fills. Very enjoyable read!

This was not the book for me. It was an unfortunate DNF because of the way Everly was portrayed. I understand why things were done the way they were but I couldn't get over the way she was described for so much of the novel. I feel like her only personality trait for most of the novel was that she was "plus sized"

I had very high hopes for this book but for some reason it just fell a little flat for me. I did not connect with the characters like I thought I would.

When Everly is nominated for a makeover show (think What Not to Wear meets Queer Eye), she leaves her swing dresses behind for curve-hugging fashions. In this grump meets sunshine romance, there is body positivity and queer representation.

On the Plus Side by Jenny L. Howe follows Everly Winters, who is content to live life on the sidelines and crush on her co-worker from afar. However, when someone secretly nominates her for her favorite TV show, On the Plus Side, a Queer Eye-esque show with the goal of helping plus sized people gain confidence and happiness, Everly's safe life she's built instantly starts changing. This overwhelming, but incredible, experience comes with two wonderful hosts and a cameraman to whom she seems to grow closer and closer.

I was pleasantly surprised by this book. As someone who did not love Howe's previous novel, The Make-Up Test, I went into this book a bit apprehensively. However, this novel is a tremendous improvement from Howe's debut. The characters are more layered, interesting, and funny. The relationship build between Logan and Everly feels natural and comfortable and the premise is entertaining and creative.

There were a few areas that could be a bit stronger. The pacing was a little bit slow and the entire ending with the show (keeping this spoiler free) felt very unrealistic. In all, this book was cute and a nice easy read. The improvement from Howe's previous book to this one makes me excited to see what she'll write next. 3.5/5

Thank you to NetGalley for this eARC.

What a fun book! I really enjoyed Howe's debut novel, so I decided to give this one a try. While reading, I almost felt like an audience member of the TV series the main character is taking part in, On the Plus Side. I found myself rooting for her more as an individual character than as part of a couple. While I did find the romance cute, I think I would've appreciated a bit more development time for the couple. I felt almost thrown into it, and I personally would've liked a bit more build up. I did however really enjoy reading about Everly's journey of rediscovery and regaining her confidence and achieving her goals, and I think she was an absolutely wonderful main character.

Thank you for creating a story for plus size girlies! It was refreshing and well done…and I can’t wait to read more!

I found this book compulsively readable. I enjoyed the characters and the plot just seemed to move along at a very nice clip... As with all romance, I had to suspend disbelief a bit, however I also just love these kinds of stories.

I found this to be a great follow-up to Jenny L. Howe's previous book and an overall fun read.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for providing an advanced readers copy of this book. I think it will be very well received when it is published in December!

This book was a breath of fresh air! I wish more books had top notch plus size representation like this one. Before I even started to read the actual book, I just want to point out and say that I really appreciated how Jenny addressed all the content warnings. I also really liked that she mentioned that she would use the word fat to describe the FMC because fat is not a bad word.
I really enjoyed how relatable Everly was. I could see a lot of myself in her character and for that I found her quite likeable. The romance in this book was really sweet! I could have done with a little bit MORE steam and a touch more conflict in my opinion. The heavier topics in this book were addressed with the appropriate amount of concern and care.
Overall this is a good read for anyone living in a plus size body looking for some good representation!

Thank you NetGalley for this arc for an honest review.

"Prepare to be swept away by the heartwarming journey of self-discovery and love in 'On the Plus Side' by Jenny Howe. Everly, the plus-sized protagonist, shines as she confronts her insecurities and embraces her true self on the beloved reality TV show she adores. Alongside her personal growth, Howe masterfully explores the complexities of family relationships and delivers a delightful love story that will leave readers with a warm and fuzzy feeling. Though there are a few steamy scenes, they are tastefully written, adding a touch of spice without crossing any uncomfortable boundaries. While there was one scene that didn't quite resonate, the overall emotional depth of the book makes it a truly captivating read. 'On the Plus Side' is an empowering and heartwarming novel that celebrates self-acceptance and the unexpected journeys that lead to love."

I love seeing plus size representation! The book was so relatable; very well done. The romance had a perfect blend of heavier topics within. Overall I really liked the character growth of Everly.

This was a fun easy read that left me feeling empowered!

I read this in one sitting, it was so intriguing I just couldn't put it down.

The message of body positivity was expressed very well.

The honesty put onto the page of being a fat woman was so nice to see.

And I enjoyed the romance a lot, such a sweet love story.

Overall this was a great read and I highly recommend to anyone!

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for allowing me to read this book ahead of release in exchange for my honest opinion.

I loved this! This was such a quick and easy read! I was able to read this in one day. I will definitely be reading more by Jenny L. Howe! I loved the body-positivity and self-love that is present in the story. I really enjoyed the characters and the TV show setting. I found Everly to be extremely likable. The relationship was so believable and I truly enjoyed getting to see it develop. If you are looking for a book with body-positivity and a relationship you cannot help but root for I absolutely recommend “On The Plus Side.”

After Jenny L. Howe's excellent debut romance in 2022, I couldn't wait to read her next book. On the Plus Side is the story of 24-year-old Everly, who works in an administrative position at a design firm, even though she has artistic aspirations herself. After her father died many years ago, Everly started gaining weight, and her mother couldn't deal with it. Her grandmother, however, was her saving grace. She encouraged Everly to be herself, regardless of her plus-size body, and the message resonated with Everly. But when her grandmother died, Everly saw herself as "too much" and an object of scorn from fat-shamers. Her response was to make herself--her career, wardrobe, and personal life--as small and drab as possible.

But Everly is a huge fan of a TV reality show, also called On the Plus Side, where people who don't fit the standard mold are showcased, encouraged, and helped to shoot for their dreams. Soon--too soon, I thought--we learn that Everly has been recruited to appear on the show for several weeks, her nominator remaining anonymous. I would have liked a bit more background about Everly to create more depth. Her experience on the show has many benefits for Everly, along with some unpleasant surprises, but nothing that will surprise fans of TV reality shows. Her love interest is perfect--again, too perfect, I felt. There are usually some late roadblocks in a romance that threaten to break up the couple that anyone can see are right for each other, but the only roadblocks here come from the production company.

The story has its fun moments, but I don't think it held up to its high-concept plot. The body inclusivity theme is effective, but perhaps emphasized a bit too often. I much preferred and would highly recommend Howe's debut romance, The Make-up Test.

My thanks to St. Martin's Press/St. Martin's Griffin and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and provide an honest review of this book.