Amy Spalding might just be one of my new favourite romcom authors!!! This book was SO. GOOD. 🤌🏼

After breaking up with her boyfriend, 36-year-old Clementine is ready to explore new possibilities, including saying yes to a fake relationship with a charming dog groomer (who she meets on her way to her first time at a gay bar) Chloe. But as their connection deepens, Clem falls for Chloe—who insists they’re just friends—leaving Clem to prove that what they have is anything but pretend. 😍

What I loved
1️⃣ Super fun from the very first page
😆 The way it’s written it so witty
🤝 Clem and Chloe are quite different but so cohesive — they get along so perfectly
😜 The banter!! The banter between the two MC’s is perfection
🧑‍🧑‍🧒‍🧒 The family dynamics for Clem felt really relatable
🩷 Friendship is a key piece of this book, and I really loved that focus
✅ The fake dating trope, but done in a way that was so realistic

What didn’t work for me
❤️ Honestly nothing, I loved this whole book!!! From the get go I was rooting for Clem and Chloe, and I couldn’t put the book down.

This book was fantastic all around, and I totally loved it. Before I even finished reading it, I bought a second Amy Spalding book. 😆

Highly recommend!!

My favorite Amy Spalding book to date! It's book three of the Out in Hollywood series but is fine to read on its own.

✔️ Fake Dating
✔️ Found Family
✔️ One Bed

This book is about Clementine, newly single and ready to date a woman after being with her college boyfriend for years. Enter Chloe, who is a force - so self-assured, funny, and a hoot. Clementine gets swept away in a scheme to fake date to get their family (and found family) off of their respective backs.

As with the rest of the books in this series, I love how in love with LA it is - and I legit squealed with every "oh I know that place" neighborhood or restaurant sighting.

I enjoyed Clem and Chloe's banter and how they instantly vibed. Even more, I loved Clementine figuring out how to better communicate with her other friends and form a community all her own.

Steam 🔥🔥
Banter 🗣️🗣️🗣️
Swoon 💕💕💕

On Her Terms was a cute sapphic romance with a fat main character who knows what she wants for her life and you admire her for doing the hard thing and ending her long-term relationship with a man who wanted different things. Most of the characters in this book were fun and lovable, but quite a few still felt like bad friends/family to Clementine and it made me angry for her. Even Chloe, her fake girlfriend was nonchalant and flippant in a way that feels more than just a person afraid to take a risk romantically.

Definitely a fun queer read, but there were lots of moments that I thought Clem was disrespected and forgiveness wasn't necessarily deserved. Still, a good book to continue the series, featuring a lot of characters we already know and love.

Characters- 3/5
Plot- 5/5
Writing- 4/5

Clementine broke up with her boyfriend of many, many years because she didn't want the trappings of a conventional life and she could tell that Will (boyfriend) was changing his mind about having kids and was talking about going to talk to her dad to get permission to marry her. So Clementine chose to prioritize herself and ended things. She is now living on her own and kind of struggling in the way that living alone with ADHD results in lots of struggles to do things like, you know, continue doing the yoga she was used to doing every day, or meal prepping, or maintaining the same cleaning schedule. But what she is also doing is finally going to a local queer bar (Johnny's for those familiar with the series) and along the way, she meets Chloe. Chloe sort of negs her for being a baby gay (in my opinion, I really didn't like the way their friendship/relationship kicked off), but eventually the two wind up fake dating for their own reasons, but both of which are related to feeling like their friends aren't taking them seriously.

My feelings about this book are pretty conflicted because while I didn't dislike it, I really didn't like or appreciate the baby gay concept that Chloe kept emphasizing. It's just not my favorite thing to remind someone that they've not yet dated someone of the same gender. Ultimately, it wound up feeling like Chloe was engaged in some negging, which I really hate, especially since Chloe is otherwise really interested in Clementine. I think if it had been addressed in a more substantive way, it ultimately wouldn't have bothered me so much, but it wasn't so it did. That said, I think I'm currently extremely attuned to anything that even slightly rings of biphobia because I've just finished watching this season of Love is Blind and started season 1 and both seasons have some pretty intense biphobia that caught me super off guard. So, all that to say, aside from this quibble, I actually quite enjoyed the book. I always love Spalding's writing and I enjoy the Hollywood adjacent jobs of many of her main characters. I loved the found family and the group of friends. I liked seeing the struggles in Clementine's friendship group and how that ultimately resolved. And, of course, I loved Chloe's friendship group because those are the cast of characters we're familiar with and I loved getting to see them again. I loved so many of the "lessons" of this book and the sense of community in general. So all in all, I would still recommend! I just hope the baby gay concept doesn't irk you the way it did me.

It was a cozy fake dating story, I was just bored halfway. It's been happening to me a lot I guess. The plots can be kind of predictable because by the end we know they end up together and this one just didn't have me wanting more. I did feel like there was no chemistry between them and I just wanted it to end.

A lovely instalment in the Out in Hollywood series. Continuing in Spalding's world, we joined Clementine as she explores the world of LGBT people more now that she is no longer dating her ex. Trying to sort out family and friend relationships that think she needs more than just a partner, or being single, to be happy, she finds herself in a fake dating scenario straight out of a romance novel (oh wait) with Chloe, a similarly opposed-to-marriage queer lady. What ensues is a series of shenanigans as she comes out to her friends and family, finds friends that support her, and falls in love as much as she tries not to.

The relationship that grows between Chloe and Clementine is super sweet and I had a lot of fun with it, even though Chloe's panic apart it left me losing my mind, needing her to sort it out cause she was happy and was sabotaging it trying to prove she could be happy single.

Clementine, in the process, finds herself having to learn to stand up for herself and her wants with her friends and family (all my friends hate Greg, he can fuck right off), realizes that she deserves better friendships, and is allowed to not want to get married.

I also love that we got to see Ari and Nina get married! Such a cute culmination to the events of the first book in this series, we love to see it.

⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️

“You’re interesting and so smart and your laugh’s so — god, is there a word that’s like infectious but doesn’t sound so dire? — and in case you forgot, I would build a shrine to celebrate your body.”

First, I want to thank Netgalley and Kensington Publishing for allowing me to read this novel ahead of release.

I hated one of the main characters, Chloe, soooo much oh my god she is such a bitch! When the main characters first interact, Chloe repeatedly calls Clementine a baby-gay, because she just came out as bisexual. She also says Clementine is “a little gay”, which threw me off because wtf??? As a bi/omni person myself I just felt sooo invalidated by that!
For most of the book Chloe is just a manipulating hater, and Clementine doesn’t deserve that. Clementine was so sweet and Chloe always just avoided any form of communication.

The friend group, which I already loved from reading the first book in the series, was so amazing. In this book Nina and Ari, the couple from the first book, got married, which was so amazing to see. I think that and the great sex scenes are the only reasons I didn’t rate this below 3 stars.

Oh and — minor spoiler — Chloe had her gallbladder removed in this book and was out of the hospital literally the day after? And could sit up on her own right after the surgery? I just got my gallbladder removed literally two weeks ago and that is just not realistic.

Very disappointed because I was really looking forward to this :(

I will not be posting on my social media about this on my social media.

On Her Terms by Amy Spalding was a wonderful read I have loved every single book in this series and have found them to be really fun and cute!

I have loved Amy Spalding's other books so I was very excited for this and it did not disappoint. I devoured it and loved the whole experience.

I really wanted to like this book as I like others of the authors. This was a did not finish as I simply could not get into this book. Thank you Netgalley for the ARC.

2.75 rounded up to 3 stars

Although the characters were very nuanced, for some reason I still felt a large disconnect from them. I also hated how both the MC's dealt with their fake dating deal. Neither of them communicated with each other and instead resorted to sex to communicate their feelings, which of course made things even more confusing for the both of them, and muddled the waters. Also, I can understand why Chloe started panicking and lashing out, but damn was she an asshole. I don't know how an adult can think that that was a reasonable way to treat someone. And Clementine continuously accepting how Chloe treated her when she lashed out instead of having a mature conversation and setting up boundaries got on my nerves. The fact that she never spoke her mind about her feelings for Chloe or about how hurt she was just made the entire situation worse.

I also really disliked Clementines best friends. They felt almost like mean girls who weren't aware they were being mean, and the way they treated her after she broke up with her boyfriend just rubbed me the wrong way.

I think the only characters I truly liked were Chloe's friend group. Even though they were side characters, I was more invested in their opinions about things than the main characters sometimes.

On the other hand, one thing I truly appreciated about the book was the witty and unique writing style, which perfectly conveyed to the reader what it's like inside Clementines mind, especially when she overthinks. I liked how the writing put into perspective her rumination with the run-on sentences.

Overall, I'm not sure I would enthusiastically recommend this book to readers, due to my opinions about the main characters relationship and dynamic. Although, this is actually my first book in the Out in Hollywood series, so I'm hoping I like the first two books more.

Another banger from the delightful Amy Spalding! I absolutely adore Clementine, her journey of self-discovery, and all the excellent representation of coming out in your 30s/mental health and boundary setting/body positivity/neurodiversity/queer found family. PLUS fake dating and cute pets??? It's the dream!

Rating: 4/5 Stars

Thank you NetGalley and Kensington for access to this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I don't know why it took me so long to read one of this author's books, but now I must go back and read the other books in the series (interconnected standalones). The found family had me in my feels from the very beginning. I also loved how the author brought up how things like how friendships can be viewed differently between LGBTQ+ and cisgender straight people. Usually I find fake dating tropes hard to believe, but honestly, the author addressing it with the main characters acknowledgement of it from the beginning helped a lot. This book was light and fluffy, but had some steam as well. Overall I really enjoyed this book and recommend it!

Clementine just broke up with her long-term boyfriend and is ready to try living her life more authentically, even if she doesn't want to end up alone. Chloe is tired of her friends looking down on her perpetually single state. Despite knowing that fake dating is a terrible idea best left to romance novels, Clem agrees to fake date Chloe until Chloe's friends' wedding and Clem's parents' anniversary party.

It was a fun read about friendship, relationships, and career goals in your thirties. It was another fun read in the Out in Hollywood series.

Unfortunately, I couldn't connect with this story. I did like the audiobook narrator though and would consider listening to more by her in the future.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc/alc.

4.5 stars, rounded up. I've really enjoyed this whole series, and maybe it was a case of the right time, right book, but this one was easily my favorite. Sure, there's some classic romance novel "if they would have a conversation about this it would be so much easier", but the author has written it in a way that it feels true to the characters to NOT have these conversations until it's time. The banter in this one is top notch- not just between Clementine and Chloe, but with the warm hug of the friend group Clementine gets to become part of. Community plays a huge role in this, and the author captures it beautifully.

I'm obsessed, your honor.

I have enjoyed this whole series, but I think this is my favorite. Fake dating is my favorite trope so obv I loved that. And I am always here for a fat mc. But also, I just really enjoyed watching Clementine's journey as she realized she could make her own plan and didn't have to follow everyone else's.

I love how Amy writes friendships and as much as I loved Clementine and Chloe, I loved the supporting characters just as much.

Except for Greg. With Greg it's on sight.

I’ve read all of Amy Spalding’s books to date, and each one has been an absolute delight. Her third instalment in the Out In Hollywood series On Her Terms unsurprisingly lived up to my expectations.

Clementine knows what she doesn’t want – a husband and kids. This means breaking the heart of the man who wanted to give her these things. With a plan to explore her sexuality, she meets Chloe, who is funny, sexy and completely unavailable emotionally. Of course, when Chloe talks Clementine into being her fake girlfriend in the lead up to a friend’s wedding, she knows it’s a terrible idea. But…with her parent’s upcoming surprise anniversary party, Clem thinks that the plan might be mutually beneficial.

We all know where these fake dating tropes lead, and Spalding’s take is original, full of wit and humour, and impossible to put down. On Her Terms is full of body positivity and neurodiversity, making it a book that will resonate today, even if some of the side characters are super-hot Hollywood stars.
The lead up to the first kiss was slow-burn, and when it arrived, it’s couldn’t have been more perfect. I loved the awkward first-time sex, with way too much talking, but that was Clementine and Chloe to a tee. The nonstop laughter, which often goes with falling in love, but isn’t usually shown on the page, was so sweet and authentic.

I’d recommend reading these books in order, though it isn’t completely necessary – but getting to go on the journey with Clem and Chloe as Ari and Nina prepare and then get married feels like a gorgeous conclusion to their story.

Amy Spalding has quickly become one of those authors I will read without needing to know a single detail about her books. Don’t miss this one!

I’ve enjoyed Amy Spalding’s other two books in this series, and you don’t need to read them to enjoy this one. Clementine is in her 30s and fresh off a relationship with Will. He wanted to traditional wedding and family life, and Clem never pictured those things for herself. After she breaks up with Will, she has some guilt about breaking his heart, and also wants to spend more time figuring out who she is as a bisexual person. On her very first night out at a gay bar, she meets Chloe. The two have actually met before, but Clem was so involved in her own life that she hadn’t remembered. The two strike up an easy friendship (I love Chloe’s verve), and soon end up in a fake dating scenario. There’s a lot of emotion to this book as Clem learns how to stand up for herself with her family (God, I hated her brother), and how to navigate changing friendships. There’s more to this than the romance, and I appreciated that. There’s also a lot of discussion of what it means to navigate queerness in the world, and it was very thoughtfully done. I recommend this book.

Thank you NetGalley for the free digital ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

On Her Terms by Amy Spalding
Out in Hollywood series #3. Contemporary sapphic romance. Can be read as a stand-alone although the couples from the prior books are secondary characters here subsequent to their stories. Fake relationship troupe.
Clementine has always known she is attracted to women but only recently broken up with a long term boyfriend when he wanted children. At thirty-six, Clementine knows she doesn’t want children. She’s admitted to being bisexual in her head only up until now. She believes she’s ready to try something new. When Chloe Lee asks Clem to be her fake plus one for a wedding, Clem says no. But the more they talk, and it still seems like a really bad idea, Clem gives in to nagging in her head that it’s exactly what she wants to try. And so Clem and Chloe begin a public fake relationship in front of her family, friends, and coworkers.
Clem is loving her new relationship and friendships formed because of it. Could it become real? Or is Chloe going to stick to her free and easy attitude?

🎧 I alternated between an ecopy and audiobook of this story. The narration is performed by Lori Prince who has done many other sapphic romances. There are specific voices and tempo for each Clem and Chloe with emotions clear and easy to follow. There are a couple of clear edit voice-overs but they are short and merge well with the whole. I enjoyed the performance and got a clear picture of each of the women as the story progressed.
I listened at my usual speed of 1.5 to match reading and conversation speed.
I believe the formats are interchangeable with each having benefits fits and neither having an advantage over the other.

Clem learns to deal with her own questions and fears of a new lifestyle. It’s both easier and harder than she expected. She’s out and in love. But Chloe doesn’t want more than the fake dating and Clem has fallen for her. So how to convince her to make it real?
I loved the friendships the best in this story. Having a good friendship can make everything better and easier to handle.

I received a copy of this from NetGalley and publisher RBmedia.