**3-Star Review of *Work It Out* by Eva Siedler**

*Work It Out* by Eva Siedler is a contemporary romance that blends themes of self-discovery, fitness, and unexpected connections. The novel centers around the protagonist, who embarks on a fitness journey that challenges both her physical and emotional boundaries. It’s a feel-good story that explores personal growth while also touching on relationships and love.

The writing is light and approachable, with an upbeat tone that keeps the story moving. The protagonist’s transformation—both mentally and physically—is inspiring, and Siedler does a great job of making her journey relatable. The romance aspect of the book is sweet, though it sometimes feels predictable, and the chemistry between the leads doesn’t quite have the spark I was hoping for.

While the pacing is mostly steady, there are moments where the plot seems to drag, and certain secondary characters could have been developed more. The book deals with meaningful themes, such as body image and self-acceptance, but at times the emotional depth feels a little shallow, especially in the latter half of the novel.

Overall, *Work It Out* is an enjoyable, easy read with some heartwarming moments, but it doesn’t fully capture the emotional complexity or intensity that could elevate it to something truly memorable. It’s a good pick for fans of light romance with a focus on personal growth, but it doesn’t quite offer the depth or excitement to stand out in the genre.

This book, unfortunately, wasn’t a hit for me.

What I loved:
*The strong female main character. She pushed through some hard times and became a successful business owner, as well as someone who learned how to value herself and take care of her body.
*The cute romance. It was fun.

What I didn’t:
*The writing was basic. Nothing impressive.
*The dialogue was forced and clunky.
*Nothing interesting happened. At least nothing you didn’t see coming.
*The smut. Gave me the ick.

Overall, it was cute for a basic quick romance read. Not something I’d pick up on my own.

Thanks to Eva Siedler, Entangled and Netgalley for this ARC in return for my honest review.

3.5 star read. Great romance to read between stories. The banter was nice and the flirting was cute.

My likes: I liked the representation of a girl with POTS trying to to better her life and get healthy. I love a good banter, and this book didn't disappoint. My dislikes: A bit flat from the overall story, I wish there was more depth and layers to the characters. Overall a nice fun read I would recommend to any romcom lover!

Actor Jake Newman needs to bulk up his physique in order to become the superhero he's always wanted to be on the big screen. He flees the glitz and glamour of LA to work out closer to home in Arizona.
Rayah is a former gymnast who has risked everything to open her spa and training facility. But her second chance at a dream career is about to go bust with the bank. Jake could be the answer to her problems. Only he has a big secret which could jeopardize everything, including Rayah's heart as she grows closer to him.
There's a little bit of everything in this read, close-proximity, frenemies, other man/woman drama and more. It's an easy, engaging read.

I loved the representation for POTS shown in this book, as a patient myself I found it real and relatable. The banter between the MMC and FMC was top tier!

I am not a gym bro, but, man was this cute.

Rayah is a boss ass woman, a wellness guru whose superpower is seeing through people's BS and helping them become their best selves while simultaneously building her dream resort because she's just THAT woman. Hollywood hottie Jake needs to shape up for a role and comes to her thinking he's just going to get fit, but she works all the muscles even his brain.

And THAT is what I love! We get on page male vulnerability and that is a representation that is lacking severely. He shows us that real strength comes from letting down those carefully built walls and watching him learn that vulnerability is better than any workout endorphin high you could ever imagine. Their bond and way that Rayah allows him that safe place for softness made this for me.

A very cute small town romance. I liked both the MMC and FMC. I read this one quickly, and enjoyed it. Not sure it will stay with me for forever, but definitely a fun read.

I have mixed feelings about this one. Although the concept and plot line had a lot going for it, there were moments where i struggled to get through the cheese and predictability. If you're willing to solider through that, it is a good over all 3 star read.

Work It Out was a book I was really excited to read after a few friends told me about the POTS representation. As someone living with POTS myself, it is hard to find books (if there are any) with that type of representation. While I loved those parts of the story, I found the storyline itself to be longer than I hoped and I lost interest in the storyline around the 40% mark, leading me to not finish.

Quite a unique premise, and lots of potential. I was hooked from the start. The characters were interesting, the dialogue was very believable, the pacing was spot-on. And then about a third of the way through, something shifted. I don't know what happened, but suddenly it became really really really hard to keep reading. I feel like the author tried to do too much in too little time.

One thing that did really work was the humor. So this wasn't a total write-off for me, and I might give the author another chance in the future.

Thank you to Net Galley and the Publishing Company for this Advanced Readers Copy of Work It Out by Eva Siedler!

I received an arc of this title from NetGalley for an honest review. This started pretty well but became the typical falls in love with the gym trainer novel. It was almost like two different people wrote it.

*3.5 stars*

This was just the book I needed to read right now. It had lighthearted moments filled with romance, moments of banter and funny exchanges between the characters, and more serious and meaningful moments and topics.

Work It Out was a funny read that made me laugh but also had the romance vibes I enjoy. Eva gave me two MCs that just fit but also had to work to get their HEA. This book was a quick read and one that makes you feel good.

Jake couldn't help but be charming but his character lacked some depth and maturity. I enjoyed Rayah's determination and would've like to get more of her backstory. Overall this was a cute romance, but can come off a bit scripted or canned at times.

i really enjoyed the premise of this book, especially because it reminded me of set on you by may lea which is one of my favs. I enjoyed both of our main characters and was rooting fro them the whole time. Althoug this book is 400 pages I feel like so many things would happen at once which was a little overwhelming and made the pacing feel a little off.

I just finished reading Love is Worth the Weights by Jennifer Weiner, and I had high hopes going in. Unfortunately, things took a turn around the 30% mark, and now I’m feeling a bit disappointed. The writing started smoothly but felt like a rollercoaster with no precise rhythm. The dialogue was natural initially, but as the main characters, Jake and Rayah, got closer, it started to feel cringey. The mixed POVs felt jumbled, like a mixtape that didn’t quite hit the right notes. The plot centers around Jake Newman, a Hollywood heartthrob with a secret health issue, POTS, and his tough trainer, Rayah Summers. Jake needs to get in shape for a superhero role, and Rayah’s resort is his last shot. I appreciated how the book highlighted POTS and gave insight into it, a critical topic. The chemistry between Jake and Rayah was good, but the third-act breakup came way too late, and the ending felt super rushed. The fitness storyline was a bit hit or miss for me. I liked the natural fitness journey and the gym family vibe, and having a female trainer was a refreshing take. Rayah’s approach to fitness wasn’t preachy, which I appreciated. Overall, it’s a cute, sweet, and spicy read with that celebrity romance flair, but I think the characters and the writing could use a little more polishing. The book is set to come out on January 29, 2024, and honestly, I’m hoping for more grace for the story and the characters by then.

2.5

I honestly couldn't say a lot about what didn't work for me... The characters were fine and the plot was okay but I found myself dragging myself through this book. Overall, it just felt a bit flat to me. I wish there was more to root for, but the circumstances just weren't super interesting to me.

I felt like the pacing was off and a bit all over the place. Sometimes the POVs were hard to follow, but it did have potential. There were a lot of funny moments and heartwarming interactions, but as a whole, I felt it was lacking.

This was a cute romance. I liked the characters and the gym background was kind of fun. It just fell flat at parts and I found myself getting bored at times. But still, this was an overall enjoyable read and I do think I would pick up another book from this author.