3.25 stars

Work it Out has witty banter, disability rep, and a whole lot of heart. It also has a bit of a pacing issue (primarily in the back third), which is reflected in my rating.

The writing is sharp and the main characters definitely have chemistry, and they both are dealing with real-life problems. I found myself laughing out loud multiple times; others, I teared up. And the small-town elements will delight anyone who likes a small-town romance.

Overall, I’m happy I read it and appreciated the witty dialogue. And I’d be delighted to revisit this world to read about other characters this author has created.

Thanks to Entangled and NetGalley for the ARC.

I received a complimentary copy from the publisher and all opinions expressed are entirely my own.

This is my first Eva Siedler book and I look forward to more books by her. It's a perfect read for those whose goals is to get fit and strong or holding their breath that they will marry a famous person. The book follows Jake Newman who has to get into shape for a new movie role. So he goes home to get fit and his trainer happens to be cutest , witty and former gymnast Rayah . It's a romance book with so many layers as it also deals with imposter syndrome, family bonds and perseverance. Quite a well written book.

Rating: 3.75

My rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Spice level: 🌶️🌶️

Read if you like:
▫️dual POV
▫️short and sassy heroine
▫️great banter
▫️found family

This book started off strong with a quirky small town, a cute nickname, and forced proximity that lead to a nice slow burn. In addition, I love sports romances, and this was a take on it that I haven’t seen before: a female trainer has to get a male celebrity in shape for an action role.

Rayah is small but mighty. I loved her spunk and determination. She is so strong, but also damaged and slow to trust. That was a nice reversal of the usually grumpy x sunshine trope.

Jake was a cinnamon roll hero with the personality of a golden retriever. But, he also struggled with a chronic illness and had to work really hard to overcome that mentally, physically, and emotionally. I hadn’t heard of POTS before reading this book, and I love the representation!

I wasn’t expecting the exploration of really deep and traumatic issues that Rayah faces, but I’m glad it was there because I feel like it’s not talked about enough.

Overall, I liked the book, but I didn’t love it. It felt like there was too much shoved into it for a contemporary romance, which led to some pacing issues.

Thank you to Entangled Publishing, NetGalley, and Eva Siedler for the ARC. I received an advanced copy for free, and am leaving this review voluntarily.

Things to love about this book - Rayah and Jake have great chemistry, flirty at first and deepening gracefully. Jake’s POTS is great representation and adds an interesting layer to him trying to get into superhero shape. Rayah’s found family is big and loud and wild and so much fun.

The cons - a little bit of instalust/instalove. Each of the characters at the gym is interesting enough for their own story, and there were moments I was more interested in them than the leads. Hopefully, we see more of this gym and this weird little Arizona town. But because there were so many fun and funny characters, there were times I felt a little out of the loop, as if the world had been built but the pieces weren’t Always shown to the readers. Maybe that was an issue of pacing? It’s certainly not an issue of the characters being likable, because they are.

Readers should absolutely check out any content warnings for the book. Some very heavy topics such a sexual assault, PTSD, verbal and physical abuse, and blackmail are very prominent parts of the plot. I do think the author handles the topics well and with sensitivity, but they could still be very difficult for readers who find them all too familiar.

I really wanted to like this more than I did, but I think it will be a hit for a lot of people.

I loved the premise, the setting, and even the framework for our main characters, but so many things felt disjointed for me and at times. For me, there were too many plots trying to come together and they conflicted with the tone of the book. I enjoyed some of the bater and humor, but overall I just couldn't connect with this story.

At times our MMC felt like 2 different people and it made it hard for me to believe the romantic element of this book. With all that being said, I appreciated the representation of POTS with our MMC and some of the darker issues that we were able to get glimpses into with our FMC.

Okay yeah I’m DNFing this at 5%

I was a little apprehensive to pick this up because the premise of an actor needing to workout to get a role felt like it could toe the line of fatphobia but I heard that this was going to have POTS rep so I figured I’d give it a try.

Then we have the mc Jake calling the fmc Rayah “tiny and feminine” so he wants to put her in his pocket to protect her and comparing her to Keebler elves (which felt so weird).

Then we also get Jake’s best friend talking to Rayah about Jake and saying the line that ended it all for me. Rayah asks if he’s serious about something and Jake responds “As the early-onset heart disease we’re saving him from” which was an instant ick and i noped out of there.

Thank you for gifting me a copy of Work it Out for an honest review.

From someone who is an active and an avid gym enthusiast, I don’t think I enjoyed this book. There was a lot of talk about diet culture that I don’t think was needed or could have been avoided. I found that the characters fell for each other fast and I was confused as to how they connected so fast. The chemistry between the two characters was not something I enjoyed.

There were some quotes that were deeper that I enjoyed and connected with.

Thank you to NetGalley and Entangled publishing for an e-arc of this book. all thoughts are my own and not influenced in any way.

This was a romantic comedy with a not-so-slow (more like medium) burn between a rising actor and a young owner of a fitness training club. The actor is up for a role in an action movie and heads to this studio, to work out with a friend of his who works there, to bulk up for the role. This book starts out very light-hearted, with the common rom-com tropes of secrets, which severely impact both the main characters and does cause the book to take a heavier tone toward the last third of the book. This is the part of the “boy loses girl’ part of stereotypical rom-coms. As a previous writer noted, there was a lot packed in the book, which is relatively short and moves the book away toward a different feel and style. Although both characters needed to have their secrets to drive the story forward, it does and can catch the reader off-guard. Overall though, there are charming parts of the book including the quirky small-town characters engaging in a fun annual community event. The book is worth a read, just be prepared for a bit of clunkiness.

I really wanted to like this book but I couldn’t get into it. I’m an avid reader that can normally get though a 400 page book in less than 2 days, but I felt every second of this book. The perspective made it a little hard to follow and I stumbled a few times wondering whose thought process we were in.

My initial thoughts were that there were far too many characters to keep track of. I kept getting the guys mixed up and found myself frustrated that I didn’t know what was going on. Especially because a few of them had similar names. They felt very generic, but they all had a sweetness to them that was endearing.

While I loved the concept of the book. I was struggling with how long the plot dragged on. I love a slow burn as much as the next person, so it wasn’t a matter of there not being enough romance for me. The entire plot just felt like it took a long time to get rolling. And then by the time everything is happening, there’s so much going on that it’s hard to follow.

I wanted Rayah to find out Jake’s big “secret” much quicker. The entire time he spent hiding it I was dragging myself through the book. Especially because it’s revealed right away to the reader what’s wrong with him and his close friends spend a lot of time whispering about it. I think the storyline would have benefited from a little secrecy. Instead I just found myself being frustrated that he was putting his life in danger for a movie.

I don’t really know how I feel about the conflict at the end. I wish there had been a little bit more to the resolution. All in all the book is okay. I’m so very grateful that I had to opportunity to read this book. It just wasn’t for me

I found this book hard to follow- but the characters very likeable. I appreciated a strong female character who was motivated, body positive and independent. I also loved that there was disability represented. The setting was fun (I’ve never read a romance set in the gym), and forced proximity is a fave trope of mine. Something about the way it all came together wasn’t a home run for me.

Thank you so much to @entangled_publishing for giving me the chance to read this book in exchange of an honest review! And I am so happy I did!

This book was just a cup of sunshine that I needed in my life. This book make me smile, laugh, and just warm and fuzzy inside.

Rayah Summers is a strong and resilient female character who owns a small but exclusive gym in the mountains of Bigbone, Arizona. She is passionate, caring, and just one of the best femal characters I’ve read. She handles her own and she owns it! She’s tiny and fierce that even the guys in her gym have nothing but respect for her!

Jake Newman is a rising star gunning for a superhero role of his dreams in Hollywood. He is a dedicated and loving lead and despite being jaded from the limelight, he remains humble and true to himself. As a character, Jake has a lot of conviction, protective, and such a golden retriever!!! He is a fun loving character and also very intuitive. I love how honest he is, especially about how he feels. He has had his own struggles in life but he doesn’t let those stop him reach his goals.

Honestly, I highly recommend reading this book! I just really love how heartwarming it is. This characters and the plot has so much depth. I loved every single character and I fell in love with the small town of Bigbone.

I wouldn’t mind reading a series about the Explosion crew… especially Samuel?

#workitout #evasiedler #entangledpublishing #bookstagram #bookreview #bookrecommendations #bookcommunity #readersofinstagram #readingcommunity #jaysnerdyreads

I loved Amy Lea’s Set On You & was excited to see another romance novel with a gym setting. I was rooting for this book (as I am with all works of creativity), so it’s disappointing to say that I am angry after reading it.

I was all in first half of this book! I love reading about women with agency & found family is my jam.

But eventually Jake/Chris’ flirting felt juvenile and made me uncomfortable.

And much worse, the trauma that Rayah faced before the novel (but was referenced on page in detail) was not handled well at all.

To begin, the content warning is not part of the book - you have to go to a website (also I think the way this trauma is “labeled” is incorrect & downplays what actually occurred). I know the conversation about trigger warnings is being debated right now & that not all will agree this should have been stated upfront…but I think the way this particular trauma was handled suggests a lack of misunderstanding and, as a result, insensitivity to the trauma. Maybe the author (or someone she knows) has experienced something similar & the way the main FMC healed (literally overnight) is based on real world experience - but it’s hard for me to buy that.

Additionally - Rayah’s trauma feels plucked from real world events that I’m not sure the author represented well. Does she have permission to share this story? Of course, many people have gone through this trauma, but these specific athletes? It doesn’t seem right that she’s using their story as a plot driver in Work It Out.

I do think this topic could have been handled much more delicately and with more depth of understanding… and that could have been a really beautiful thing. But, it wasn’t and I’m angry on behalf of those whose story I feel she appropriated.

Thanks to Entangled Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC of this novel.

I wanted to love this book so much and the beginning made it promising. However, I ended up DNF'ing around 50-60%. It would not hold my attention and it was just not working for me. The way some events are written made it difficult for me to follow along. The romance was fast but I felt like the rest of the story was a bit slow and it took a while before we got somewhere. This was not for me but I certainly can see how this could be perfect for others.

A fun fitness themed romance novel. I loved the two main characters, Jake and Rayah, and how they met while Jake is in a time crunch to bulk up. Close proximity leads to becoming friends, to sparks flying!

I will say this books plot line stayed busy along with the copious amount of side characters. From the MMCs health issues (that I also have!), to some crazy blackmailing and learning things about Rayah’s past, it made it easy to love the characters for me and added a good bit of depth.

The small town festival had to be one of my favorite aspects in this novel. Overall I do struggle with third person pov, and it takes a certain sort of writer to truly pull me in. In my opinion there was just so much going on in this book where I had to stop and remember what was even going on at times.

I still thoroughly enjoyed reading this one and loved the balance of light hearted goodness to emotional turmoil that was going on!

This was a fun fitness adjacent romance. Rayah, a former gymnast turned health club/fitness retreat owner meets Jake, an actor who has 90 days to muscle up and hopefully take the lead in a new action movie. Sparks fly between the two, with some forced proximity and a very intentional friendshio from both of them before they eventually get together.

There were a lot of things I liked about this one. The FMC and MMC were both likeable, the found family was top notch (almost like snow white and her dwarfs. Her people have her back like no other). Her health club is in the tiny town that the MMC is from and his granny and her band of gals are hilarious. Overall the side characters were amazing but there were SOMANY of them. All the gilmore girls small town vibes but there were just too many. Also there were two very heavy plot lines. His health issues, I loved that it was something we don't see a lot about but it felt like that plotline wasn't handled as well as it could have been. Then there was her past. It felt like it was handled realistically for the most part, her triggers throughout the book. But then we come to the third act conflict, made worse by both of their phones being dead and not being able to communicate. There was a LOT going on already, but then we have them each being blackmailed on separate issues, a recurrence of an issue from her gymnastic days, which mirrored a very public case from years ago and the two of them inadvertently getting thrown back into the public eye which they had both been fairly good at avoiding.

I think the hurdles could have been addressed a bit more tenderly but with so many other plot aspects, the story felt rushed and it was trying to do too much. With some positively epic references that real harry potter fans will love and one of the best found families (I really want to see a book for Blaine to fall in love) I did overall enjoy this story and am curious to see what comes next from this author!

Thank you Netgalley and Entangled Publishing LLC for the ARC in exchange for my review!

Thank you to Entangled for the advanced reader copy. These opinions are my own.

Jake is a B-list celebrity hoping for a chance to play the next Marvel superhero. So he returns to his hometown to train in secret with his best friend at a new gym there. Rayan owns the gym and ultimately takes over his training.

Both Jake and Rayan have a lot going on, and there are numerous additional storylines as well. I appreciated how well the many characters were fleshed out and felt I got to know each. I also was glad to see disability representation with Jake's POTS and the way it addressed ableism. But I was surprised that the book still used ableist language.

My favorite aspects were the found family of Rayan's gym and the absurd small town festival. I also liked seeing the slow growth of their relationship over time. But I wasn't fully sold that they came to trust and love each other.

CW: sexual assault, domestic violence

3.5 stars rounded up

I read this as a NetGalley arc and this review is my own:

So I was instantly drawn to this story because of the gym/workout theme behind it and I wanted to love it so much but it ended up being just “ok” to me.

Our FMC, Rayah, is the owner and trainer of a beautiful gym in Bigbone, small town where her employees are her found family. I really enjoyed each of the characters, the bantering was great and the health/workout aspects were spot on (I’ve been in the fitness industry for 7 years now).

Our MMC, Jake, is an actor who wants to score a role as a super hero but needs to build the body to get it. However he has POTS (a secret he doesn’t want out in fear he won’t get any action roles) and only trusts his friend Pierce to help him achieve his goals without ratting him out. Jake shows up to Explosion ready to work but his POTS and other challenges prove this won’t be easy for him.

This story is lighthearted and funny but also deeply emotional as well. I LOVE that there is POTS representation which you don’t see in many books at all.

Both the MCs have their own past struggles that directly impact their current relationships and behavior. It definitely has an “insta-lust/love” vibe…I had hoped for more tension before they were all over each other. I also don’t really like third person POV and some of the writing felt a little clunky but all in all I enjoyed it.

Some of my favorite moments definitely belonged to the townspeople and the supporting characters but felt like maybe there was too much going on in this story because I felt lost a few times.

I think this author has great potential and look forward to seeing what else she writes.

This book had zero introduction. Sometimes, that's a good thing, if the book kicks off with a really exciting or interesting scene. This book started off as a total bore. I had to try so hard to actually absorb the words I was reading. There were small parts that were funny or sweet enough to hold my attention but for the most part, I was reading just for the sake of finishing it.

ARC Review:
⭐️⭐️⭐️ Work It Out by Eva Siedler

A small town romance between a personal trainer and a movie star, with his eye on a new super hero role.

This was a cute book but just okay for me. I enjoyed the representation of chronic illness and that it touched on hard topics like abuse, SA, addiction, and grief. I loved the Jake’s goofiness and that it balanced Rayah’s seriousness. It definitely lightened the mood on dramatic and spicy scenes. That was something refreshing as I haven’t read many books where the characters joke during those scenes and fit their personalities. The romance was instalove, but also took such a backseat to all the many problems every side character in town had. I’m sure this is to set up future books for those characters, but for me they weren’t important to the story at hand. I loved how they made their own little found family, but the side characters also became confusing to me as nothing made them distinct and they kind of blurred together. Overall a cute quick romance.
Thanks to Entangled and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this ARC.

This book was super cute. I will say that there is a lot going on and there are a lot of characters to keep track of. However, there are so many lovable supporting characters and I would love to see some of their stories too. The found family aspect melted my heart. I need a Hogrid in my life. So freaking cute. The small town setting was perfect and it sounds like such a great place to live. It adds some eccentric side plots but they were so fun to read. The hunt was hilarious.

As for the romance, I loved the badass strong woman supporting the man. I could've done without the obsession with how tiny Rayah was though. Also, Cupcake was a super cute nickname until it got used in every other sentence. The sass and banter made me laugh though. Jake’s flirting was a bit cheesy but it still made me smile. He was pretty adorable.

I am a huge fan of the POTs representation. I loved seeing Jake’s character grow and watching him learn to accept his invisible disability. As someone with POTs who plays sport, it was so nice to see a team help him find different ways to adapt. The whole disability aspect was so well done. There was also some panic attack representation which was written well.

My only criticism was that although it is spaced over a couple of months the time jumps still made it feel a bit insta love which isn’t my bag. They also fall hard fast but they were cute so I can let it slide. The 3rd act conflict does have some miscommunication which also isn’t my favourite but it was done well enough that I wasn’t mad at it. It feels like a lot happens in the last 1/4 of the book and the ending felt a bit rushed. It was still a fun read and I was rooting for them throughout.

I received a copy of the ebook via NetGalley and this is my honest review