Thank you to the author, Kensington Publishing and NetGalley, for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is the third in a series, but can easily be read as a stand-alone as the story only glancingly references characters from the first two books in the series. Yes, this is such a trope: fake dating and falling in love - but it's done so well here. There's grappling with queer identity and knowing what you want in life, the pain of drifting away from old friends, the joy of making new friends that become family, as well as reconnecting with old friends on a much healthier and more honest foundation, being emotionally vulnerable, and more. Once again the author successfully delivers a sweet romance, showing the insecurites of both main characters - and more importantly how they dealt with, and overcome them, although there are some massive hurdles each has to take along the way.

[ARC review]
ON HER TERMS by Amy Spalding is a great fake dating sapphic story.

Clementine is in her late 30s, newly single after ending a two decades-long relationship with her boyfriend when she realized they didn't want the same things. Although she's know since she was a teenager that, she was bi, this is the first time she's been in a position to act on it. Enter Chloe, a bold, take no bs woman who proposes they fake date to solve both of their problems: Chloe needs a date to a wedding, and Clem needs some baby gay training wheels (and a date to her parents' anniversary party).

In addition to all the great fake dating hijinks (I LOVE fake dating hijinks!!) there was lot of grappling-with queer identity, drifting from old friends, knowing what you want in life, being emotionally vulnerable, and more. I thought it was a lot of fun and also touching.

I should point out that although it's the third in an interconnected series, you don't have to have read the other ones (I haven't! They were on my radar, but time is finite!!) for it to make sense. But if you do check this one out, you'll probably want to go back and read the other couples' stories--I know I do!

(#3 in Amy Spalding's Out in Hollywood series) I am not much of. romance reader, but Amy Spalding's writing is this series is very enjoyable. Her knowledge of Hollywood workings plus her smart, funny descriptions and interesting characters give these novels a unique perspective and voice. On Her Terms was not my favorite of the three novels, but I'm not exactly sure why. A story about coming out later in life, especially after a long relationship with a man feels very needed. Clem's confidence in wanting to explore the queer aspects of her sexuality is refreshing, too, because it doesn't come with tears every time she's near a queer woman or any of the usual stereotypes around coming out later. The fake dating trope is not very appealing to me, but the way the character Clem acknowledges it as a trope in romance novels is smart and lets the reader know the protagonist is in on how things work. Other than that, I didn't connect very strongly to Clem like I have with other Out in Hollywood protagonists. Still, if #4 is around the corner, I'm sure I'll read it, curious to see what Amy Spalding's characters are up to next. (Note: these books can all be read as stand-alone novels.)

This was a fun read, focused partly on coming out and into your own later in life. I love a good fake dating story and this hit me in the right spot. We all have tropes we enjoy. I appreciate that Clementine was making a massive life change in her 30s, rather than coasting along. I adore having a larger group of supporting characters, and Spalding has worked to develop that throughout her series. I’m not sure what’s coming next, but am looking forward to it!

3.5⭐
Such a sexy, hilarious Sapphic rom-com about fake dating (yes, even the main character was annoyed about this trope, lol), with very real emotions & insecurities, making it all the more relatable.

Love, love, love!

Thank you NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is the third book of Amy Spaulding’s Out in Hollywood series that I have read and I have really enjoyed them all. Spaulding writes a relatable LA that I can enjoy as someone LA adjacent who spends plenty of time in the LA areas. Her characters are entertaining, charming and sweet. She writes about queerness and friendship so thoughtfully. I loved Chloe’s and Clementine’s (fantastic name choice) story and how it looked different from the “norm”. Being part of a series fans will recognize characters from previous books. I love reading series because once I fall for characters I want to be able to check in on them later. Hoping for more from Spaulding in this series. I’ve been trying to get to a book event of hers when they are in LA but as she writes about in her books…traffic!

I must preface this by saying I have not read the 2 previous books in this series.

"On Her Terms" beautifully balances humor with real emotional depth, making it an enjoyable and thought-provoking read. I particularly appreciated its honest look at navigating queer relationships, self-identity, and the complexity of building meaningful connections outside societal norms. While some parts of the story felt repetitive, especially regarding the characters’ reluctance to embrace conventional relationship models, the overall journey of growth and unlikely romance more than made up for it. The characters' chemistry, the exploration of tough family dynamics, and the way it reflects a modern, diverse queer experience make it a great read for anyone.

Personally, I found the book both refreshing and deeply moving. I appreciated its honest portrayal of evolving relationships and the challenges of embracing one's true self, making it resonate on a personal level. The clever dialogue and the tender chemistry between Clementine and Chloe turned what could have been a predictable story into a memorable, thought-provoking read.

Thank you for the ARC read!

📗eBook +🎧audiobook: On Her Terms-Out of Hollywood #3

✍🏾 Author: Amy Spalding- Read For Her Consideration 3✨and At Her Service 4✨

📅Publication date: 2-25-25 | Read: 2-20-25

Genre: Contemporary Romance, Adult Fic, LGBTQIA+

Tropes: plus-sized h, fake dating, female friendships, pet friendly, 1 bed, personal growth/self-discovery

🗣️Narrator: Lori Prince voices all the characters with standouts from Clementine and Chloe. The reading style brought the text to life, and the author and narrator worked together perfectly. The pacing and flow allowed me to get lost in the story. The narrator paused and announced new chapters and there was a table of contents which helped me follow along.

🏃🏾‍➡️Run Time: 10:37, 326 pgs. (26 chapters)

🌎 Setting: Hollywood

👆🏾POV: 1st person single-Clementine

⚠️TW: h has ADHD

Summary: Clementine broke up with her boyfriend because she didn't want marriage or kids. She meets Chloe going to her first gay bar, but they met before at one of Clementine's job functions. Chloe needs a date for her friend's wedding and asks Clementine. Clementine wants to experience her first queer relationship, so they both agree to avoid awkward family and friend gatherings.


👩🏾 Heroine: Clementine-36, bisexual, just broke up with boyfriend Will. Does media planning at Big Marketing Energy.

👩🏾 Heroine: Chloe Lee- Korean, queer, a dog groomer

🎭 Other Characters:

* Greg + Marisol-Clem's brother and his wife
* Fiona + Hailey-Clem's BFFs since high school
* Phoebe + Bianca- Clem's boss and her wife/Chloe's friends
* Nina + Ari Fox- Chloe's friend/Clem's ex coworker and her fiancée-a movie star
* CJ+ Sofia- Chloe's friends/a couple
* Jesse Pinkman+ Fernando- Clem's new cat and Chloe's dog

🤔 My Thoughts: I enjoyed Clementine giving herself permission to explore her sexuality. Their friend group was supportive, and Chloe was very down to earth. I didn't like how much Clem talked about Will and compared him to Chloe. Greg, Clem's brother, acted like he was better than Clementine because he was married with kids. Overall, this was another good sapphic romance by Spalding.

Rating: 4/5 ✨
Spice level 3/5🔥open door

🙏🏾Thanks to NetGalley, Kensington Books, RB Media| Recorded Book, and Amy Spalding for this ARC & ALC! I voluntarily give my honest review, and all opinions are my own.

thank you to netgalley for the eARC.
**2.5 stars on storygraph**

i read the first two books of this series sometime last year and really enjoyed them. i was really looking forward to this book when i learned there was another one coming since i adored the characters and their relationships with each other, but this one was a let down.

it read like the author didn't know where they were going with the book. when it came to the event that created the fake dating situation to begin with which was just past the 50% mark(!), it lasted for one or two chapters and nothing significant happened despite them mentioning how important it was.

fake dating is such a gold mine for some intense yearning yet there was close to none of it. i wasn't convinced these two liked each other that much as friends, let alone as lovers. when something finally happened, i was surprised the love interest felt anything at all. there was a few lustful looks here and there, but i didn't really think too much of it. considering the love interest's supposed feelings and its duration, i would've thought there would be a clue somewhere, but there was none. i really wish they had hung out alone rather than every time they saw each other being with either one's friends.

as for the writing itself, a lot of the dialogue felt so unnatural and most comparisons didn't make much sense within the context. there were a lot of scenes where either one of the characters or several of them were laughing really hard despite nothing being remotely funny. it often read like the author was just trying to fill the space. i really wanted to like this book, but there were a lot of things obviously lacking this time around.

4.5 stars

I've read the first two of this series, first was ok, second was a bit forgettable, but this one I liked best. Maybe its because it was fake dating or maybe it was because it was in audio and the narrator was fantastic but this was significantly better in my opinion. I really enjoyed both characters and the whole "baby gay" aspect. We got fake dating, friends wedding, and of course only one bed so a sapphic romance full of the best tropes. I felt the 3rd act conflict was a bit unnecessary but worked well in the story and with the characters so I didn't hate it. Overall I had a good time.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this eARC!

Continuing the Out in Hollywood Series, Spalding gives us two new, flawed queer characters to fall in love with. Although this book was a slow start, I enjoyed this book just like the other two. I've really enjoyed seeing the characters develop over time and show up in later books, it's so fun seeing the relationships develop and continue in the "real world." While I could have done without how heavily it leaned into the tragedy of Clementine losing her ex-boyfriend, I do understand how core to her character that major life event was. I think this is a realistic look at a the struggles that accompany coming out later in life. As Spalding often does, this book showcased the difficulties of going against the grain of your family's expectations.

I’m a sucker for a fake dating troupe. Make it sapphic and you can’t go wrong!

Clem is recently single after finally coming to terms with the fact that her hetero relationship wasn’t making her happy anymore. She quickly throws herself into the queer scene and meets Chloe at her first time at a queer bar in town.
Chloe has a friend getting married so she needs a date for all the upcoming events that come along with a destination wedding.
After fighting with herself, Clem pushes herself out of her comfort zone and agrees to fake date Chloe, Training wheels into the queer world? what could go wrong right?

When Chloe and Clem show up at brunch Clem suddenly realizes that she knows quite a few members as this friend group; including her boss! Can they make it through their agreement? Or are Clem and Chloe just another fake dating book troupe?

I liked the exploration of Clem’s family dynamic as well as chosen family. Chosen family is so important in the queer community and Clem really needed that.

I loved this next addition to Amy Spalding's LA East Side queer girl romances. As an avid romance reader, I appreciated the self-conscious nod to the fake girlfriend trope by the protagonist. Kudos to again writing about curvy girls and the women who love them. I thought the characters really enjoyed each other's company and I could feel them being more drawn to each other even as they were confused or worried about their feelings.

Book Review: On Her Terms by Amy Spalding

On Her Terms is a solid, well-written book. The writing is smooth, the story flows well, and it gives a really realistic look at the struggles of building a career. I can see how a lot of people would really connect with it, especially if they enjoy stories about ambition and self-discovery. That said, it just wasn’t for me. I didn’t dislike it, but I also wasn’t totally hooked.

Overall, it’s a good book with a clear message and a well-developed world. If you like contemporary fiction that focuses on career growth and personal reinvention, it’s definitely worth checking out!

I really enjoyed the last instalment in this series, Clementine as a MC was one of my favorite things about the book. I love her personality, i understood her worries & insecurities and i related to her anxieties and her tendency to overthinking.

Coming out is usually a hard thing to do, and coming out in a age were you should have figured it at all sooner doubly so.

I really liked seeing Clementine and Chloe learn to open up themselves and that many things were different than they thought.
There were some moments that i just wanted to yell at them to communicate. I really liked Clementine and Chloe together, I wish we had seen a little more of them and the end.
The friendship were a big highlight of the book & I hate Greg a lot.

I really enjoyed this book and seeing all the characters from the other books.

Definitely recommend checking On her terms (out February 26th) & the Out in Hollywood series if you feel inclined to do so

Clementine was with the same man for twenty years. She has always been bisexual but has never tried queer dating. She meets dog groomer Chloe who offers to show her the ropes. They set up a fake dating arrangement where they can be each other's dates for Chloe’s friends wedding or for Clem’s parents wedding anniversary party. I like how coming out later in life is handled. This story covers other things including found family and a truly obnoxious real brother relationship. The main relationship is non conventional from the beginning. And I like that the characters don’t change who they fundamentally are for the HEA. This is the third in the Out in Hollywood series but the books can easily be read as stand alone novels. The wedding in this book is for the MC’s in “For Her Consideration” (Feb 2023), so if you want to see their beginning start there.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for the ARC and I am leaving an honest review.

*Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this free ARC in exchange for an honest review. Pub date: February 25, 2025

A sapphic love letter to found family, true friendship, and coming out later in life. A fun fake dating trope, with good banter and the requisite 3rd act conflict—the friend group really shines in this one. I enjoyed that in the end, they did things on their own terms.

This was a pretty quick read and I’m always partial to a sapphic romance, but I found some of the characters (in particular Chloe) really didn’t do it for me, I hate to be negative in a review but her treatment if clementine ruined the whole book for me. I know some people enjoy reading about dysfunctional/unhealthy relationships but this just wasn’t it for me ! I can see why some people really enjoyed it though !

This is my first Amy Spalding book I didn’t finish. It didn’t took me into the story like al her previous books.
Gregg’s behaviour is so bad and I literally can’t stand it that the FMC don’t call him out. I know this will happen at the end of the book (I read other reviews) but I don’t want to wait for that moment.
I will definitely read Spalding’s next books because I really liked her previous books.

Rating: ⭐⭐½ (rounded to ⭐⭐⭐)

On Her Terms had all the right ingredients—fake dating, sapphic awakening, found family—but somehow, the final dish was a little... undercooked.

Clementine dumps her long-term boyfriend, decides she’s finally ready to explore dating women, and her friends react like she’s announced she’s moving to the woods to marry a tree. The sheer audacity of them treating her like a cautionary tale for singlehood was honestly more unhinged than any fake dating scheme. Speaking of which, Chloe—tiny, charismatic, emotionally unavailable—had all the makings of a swoon-worthy love interest, but her hot-and-cold routine got old fast.

There’s great rep (plus-size MC, ADHD, late-bloomer queer journey), and Spalding’s writing is sharp and funny. But the romance? Less of a slow burn, more of a whoops, we’re suddenly sleeping together. The chemistry needed more build-up, and Chloe herself remained frustratingly opaque. Also, why did so many key moments happen off-page? Let me see the emotional beats, not just hear about them in a recap!

All in all, this had potential, but between the insufferable friend reactions, a romance that lacked real depth, and the relentless Diet Coke worship, I just wasn’t fully on board.

Thank you to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for the opportunity to review this book.