On Her Terms is an enjoyable contemporary sapphic fake-dating romance. Clementine, the POV character, is fresh out of a long-term relationship with a man and is interested in dating women. Enter Chloe, who rescues her from street hecklers as they both approach a lesbian bar. They've met before, although Clementine needs to be reminded. They bond over their distaste for being the odd one out who is sometimes pitied by friends. Chloe suggests a fake relationship to get them through the wedding of her friends and the anniversary party of Clementine's parents.

Of course they fall for each other; they are really cute and sweet and funny together almost all the time, and the way they ease the social path for each other in groups is great.

The one thing that caused me to subtract points is that Chloe gets mean when scared. Mean, untruthful, and verbally abusive. Mean enough that for a while I was hoping Clementine wouldn't end up with her.

They do end up together, after some fairly satisfying groveling by Chloe, and I'm not really unhappy about it. I would like to have seen more evidence later that she'd truly overcome the tendency to strike out verbally though.

You will probably love this book if you like a sapphic romance that's:
-not too heavy
-solo POV
-introspective (Clementine overthinks to a degree I totally identify with!)
-has fun banter
-has a great friendship group

4.2 stars
Thank you to the author and publisher and to NetGalley for this ARC. All opinions are my own.

Gosh, unfortunately this was a tough one to get through. Not only the base of the story was very hard to believe, it was also poorly executed.

Every character felt the same, the only one having half of a personality the annoying main character's brother. Every single conversation just felt a brust of laugher, as if laughting was the ONLY reaction the author had to come up with. EVERY single conversation was interrupted by a waiter or just happened off page or was filled with shallow unfunny jokes. It just felt as a bunch of diferent scenes patched up together very artificially.

The romance just happens, not built up at all. I could feel every single thing it was used as a plot point, it just not felt natural.

The whole deal the book makes about being single being a big deal (every one in Clementine's life being ass holes about it) was so dreadful and annoying. For people that say so fiercely that they don't need all that shit the book keeps dragging on them, Clementine and Chloe are incapable of keeping a backbone and just saying to anyone who annoys them for that to fuck off. And of course they kinda change their minds and the book tries to turns things to a diferent perspective instead of actual changes in the world around them.

The author tries to be inclusive and point out some social problems but it just lands as if it came straight from a tweet. Not natural at all, unfortunately.

If I count the amount of times a phrase was emphasized with a exclamation point or it was said 'twee' or the full name of the love interested as an emphasizer I would stay here forever. Resuming, it was tiring.

Most of the important scenes of the book happened off page, such a turn off. I wanted to see the development of the characters and their relationships, but just got a paragraph resume.

This just finishes with an after taste that all the shit Clementine goes through was inside her mind and kinda of her fault. She was not an easy character to dealt with or to be inside her mind, but she did not deserve that treatment.

Unfortunately, this was not a read for me.

Thank you Kensington and NetGalley for the ARC.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was a very cute story, a little cliche, but was still captivating and a VERY fast read. I truly loved Chloe, and Clem was okay, too. This left me longing for a big, queer friend group.

I have decided that I am NOT a fan of romances told from only one perspective. I want to see what’s going on from both sides, and experiencing what Chloe was going through would have added a level of depth. Greg was the absolute WORST, and any sane person would have gone no-contact. I know we’re all meant to believe that Clem drifting apart from her friends was all some big misunderstanding, but I’m still convinced they treated her like crap and need to try harder.

I HATED that Clem’s inner monologue thought about Will ALL. THE. TIME. I get that he was a huge part of her life, but not everything needs to be compared to him. Especially DURING INTIMACY.

I would die for Small Jesse Pinkman! So cute! I love Clem’s career goals and success in the field, and her ability to stand on her own. Also, Phoebe was Bette from “The L Word” in my head, and no one can change my mind!

Overall, very cute. I loved the friendship dynamic. 4.25 stars

“I couldn’t believe how unprepared I was for single life –dating for someone of any gender.”

On Her Terms was a very enjoyable FF RomCom. Chloe and Clementine are very endearing, though they lack some maturity ^^.
I loved the author’s choice to follow only Clementine’s POV as she’s the one who had only one relationship in her life, for almost 20 years, and with a man. Her story, her “late” coming out, spoke to me, and even more with her cultural references that were completely aligned with mine. The story is funny (even if some jokes come back a little bit too often), and even though Clementine doesn’t have a lot of experience, even if it isn’t what Society wants, she knows what she wants for her life and sticks with it. I loved the characterisation! The relationship between Chloe and Clementine was cute, especially their mutual obliviousness in a way a bit different than what we usually see with fake dating books. Chloe, however, felt a bit less lovable, but maybe it was bcs we don’t explore her POV in the book and see her only through Clementine’s eyes.
The series was new to me, and I loved the friends group (and it made me want to read the other books).


Thank you Amy Spalding, Kensington Publishing and NetGalley for the eARC. My opinions are my own.

This is a 3.5 rounded to 4!
Agh! I love trilogies haha this reminded me of the Delilah Green and Written in the Stars trilogies. They’re all cute and fun tbh. Yes, I know the identity thing is a little repetitive and in your face (at least that’s how it comes to me as a reader that already knows the characters somewhat or the vibe of the book) BUT any rep is good rep tbh and I’m glad we have books that openly talk about these things.

Overall it’s a cute, funny, and good story to read if you’re looking for something that captures you but doesn’t require tons of mental energy

This is the third book in this series that I have enjoyed. Amy Spalding is able to create well-rounded characters and craft a story that keeps you engaged, I thought this was an interesting look at "late in life" coming out (if 36 counts, I'm in my 40s so it still seems like a baby to me). Characters that are a little more mature, but with their own flaws that create some conflict. There was some of the miscommunication trope here, but I felt like it worked given the characterization that had built up. I do feel that the spice came out of nowhere! I needed more longing or more intermediate steps towards jumping into bed with each other. Overall, this was a nice read.

A cute rom com but I could have done without all the Diet Coke and unhealthy food references. Something felt off with Clementine and Chloe’s relationship even in the end. Just cant put my finger on it. But still worth a read.

4.5 stars.
I was rooting for Clementine and Chloe the whole time, I am so grateful that I got to read this book. So thank you to netgalley and the publisher to provide me with this eARC.

What to expect:
• Fake dating
• plus size protagonist
• ADHD rep
• bisexual
• coming out
• queer friend group
• non-traditional HEA
• coming out later in life
• diversity: gender (they/them side character), sexuality, ethnicity, …
• adorable pets

Overall I really liked how the characters developed. This book was very well written. This was my first book by this author (I’m aware that this was a third book in a interconnected standalone series), I can't wait to read the other books that this author has written. Especially the book about Ari and Nina. This friend group has a special place in my heart. This book was an explosion of queer joy, and I LOVED it!

I got an advanced readers copy of this book from NetGalley and I'm so glad I did! It's a perfect addition to the out in Hollywood series and is my favorite book of the series. The romance between the characters was fun and sexy and a slow burn. It was wonderful to see characters from the other two books pop up as well. This one is definitely a can't miss!

This is the best book in the series by far. I love bisexuals falling into sapphic relationships. (I love bisexuals in male relationships too, but it’s not as fun for me!) Yes Amy Spaulding shoves character identities in your face in a way that doesn’t always feel natural, but she makes up for it with lovable characters that you root for. Also more ADHD representation ❤️ is included. Thank you so much for this e-arc!

On HER terms is a very fitting title for this WIW fake dating romcom! Clementine and Chloe find them selfs needing a fake relationship to get thru some events. Clementine finds a lot more than what she set off looking for this will they won't say definitely has me hooked and found myself laughing out loud! Never read something so relatable in my life

First, I want to thank Netgalley and Kensington Books for giving me the opportunity to read and review On Her Terms by Amy Spalding. This review is my own opinion. I was so excited to receive this ARC as I absolutely loved the first two books in this series. I did appreciate that you don't technically have to read the first two books to read this one. They just give you insight and background on some of the side characters. This story follows Clementine, a "baby gay," just out of a decade-long relationship with her boyfriend. She is ready to find herself and find what she wants in terms of the rest of her life. She runs into Chloe, a woman she's met a few times at her work holiday parties, the "first night of her new life" outside a gay bar. After talking for a little while Chloe comes up with a fake dating scheme that will get her through her friends'wedding festivities and will gain Clementine "credibility" when she meets a woman she wants to date. Craziness ensues throughout the books, and feelings begin to blossom. The story is very well written, and character development is very well done, and as I stated, characters from the previous books make appearances throughout. I give this story 4.5 stars and will definitely recommend it.

Clementine is a budding baby gay when she meets the wise and experienced Chloe at a bar. The two exchange numbers, which leads Chloe to propose a fake dating scheme. She'll help Clementine--a bisexual who is coming off a 20-year relationship with a man and therefore is new to the gay dating world--learn the ropes about dating in the lesbian community. Meanwhile, Clementine will be Chloe's date at a series of events leading up to (and at) her friends' wedding, so all her partnered friends leave her alone.

Of course, while fake dating, Chloe and Clementine spend lots of time together and feelings develop. Unfortunately, neither is known for their communication skills, and they don't do the best job of expressing these thoughts to one another. Complicating things is that Chloe's friend group includes Clem's boss, Phoebe. (If you've read any of Spalding's Out of Hollywood series, you'll recognize characters from other books, including Nina, Ari, and Sadie.)

The strength here is Clem and Chloe's slowly growing chemistry and their witty banter. It's a wonderfully realistic exploration of not just queer relationships, but queer friendships as well. Chloe's friend group is one any gay could relate to, and the book stresses how important these friendships are to those who need a found family. Chloe's focus on her issues with her own (straight) friends was harder: not that they were straight, at all, but the emphasis on not wanting to get married, have kids, and the fact that she was growing apart from her friends was covered ad nauseam. At first, it was nice to see a book exploring these issues--the whole idea is that neither Chloe nor Clem want the "typical" relationship experience. But Clem's repetition of this fact was a bit much.

Spalding does an excellent job looking at the nuances of coming out later in life and treats Clem's bisexuality quite well. She also touches on topics such as plus size relationships and difficult families. Clem's brother is absolutely awful, but the way Chloe handles him: oh my gosh, I would have fallen in love with her, too.

So, yes, there's a lot going on here, but it's all handled deftly. With the exception of Clem's storyline getting rather repetitive, this is a really cute romance, full of diverse characters, friendships, and a sweet romance.

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley and Kensington Publishing in return for an unbiased review.

Thank you NetGalley for this arc! I really enjoyed this journey! The queer rep is perfect clementine and Chloe are just so much fun together and I was rooting for them the entire time!!

This fun and witty sapphic romance story follows Clementine, fresh off a breakup with her long term boyfriend, and Chloe, the dog groomer, who doesn’t do relationships. Clementine always knew she didn’t want that typical romance with the white picket fence, babies, and a big over the top wedding that most girls dream about. But at 36, she is definitely starting to panic about spending the rest of her life alone, surrounded by cats. Even though Clementine has known she was bi for a while, she's never dated a girl before, so she thinks this breakup could be the perfect opportunity to explore that side of love. When Chloe walks into her life and rescues her from a bunch of predatory asshole dudes, Clementine can’t help but think, this is fate. Except Chloe has another plan in mind, a plan that involves lying to all her friends by being in a fake relationship and participating in a bunch of pre-wedding activities leading up to the big day so they will stop worrying about her and get off her back. And in exchange, Clementine can get some experience dating a girl, an introduction course to the ins and outs of the lesbian community, and will also get her family off her back. Yes Clementine knows this often does not play out well in typical rom-com books, but who knows, maybe it might just work for her and Chloe. Especially when faking everything starts to feel more real than either has ever experienced before.

Clementine is such a relatable character for someone like myself who came out later in life and is still navigating the lesbian community. Her fears felt real, getting into a brand new relationship (especially with a (clearly experienced) girl, when she had only previously dated the same guy for 20 years), feeling left out in friend groups while trying to navigating new friends, keeping a job in a competitive field that is also competing with AI technology, and dealing with family drama on top of everything else. Also her feelings regarding her bigger body type and not fitting in, in the gay community were nicely handled. What she lacked in communication skills, she made up for with her kind heart and witty personality. I loved that Chloe and her friends helped Clem build her confidence and welcomed her with open arms into their friend group. Her character growth was inspiring, especially in the end when she finally told her jerk of a brother off and told Chloe how she really felt about her. I also really appreciated the conversation revolving around being alone and that some people actually don’t mind living their life alone and it's okay that what some people want and desire in life is different from the norm and what everyone else thinks you should want. My only complaint is that all her worries got really repetitive by the end and her constant bringing up of her old boyfriend got real annoying real fast.

Chloe was such a complex character and I especially loved her unapologetic ways of living the life she knew she wanted to live. Even though we learn that she had been secretly pining over Clementine way before she broke up with her boyfriend, her confidence and ability to make people swoon is pure magic. So much fierceness in a 5”2 body! Though my favorite part of characters like Chloe is when they secretly try to hide their soft side, so I absolutely adored seeing that side brought out by Clementine. How she seemed to worship Clementine and her body was so cute and she never made Clementine feel bad about herself or her insecurities. I just hated how hot and cold she was and wish she had at least tried to communicate her feelings, especially to her amazing friend group. If she had been so in love with Clementine from the beginning I didn't understand why she would go to such an elaborate scheme and be so uncaring at times.

Unfortunately when it came to the chemistry and actual relationship between Clementine and Chloe, I couldn’t help but feel it still lacked that certain spark. I liked their banter and how their personalities in a sense complimented each other, but the intimacy and romance part I just couldn’t get behind. Especially because there was absolutely no build up, conversation, or any sort of hint at romance before they were all of the sudden having sex. The spice level just wasn’t there and I also didn’t like how Clementine constantly seemed to be comparing Chloe to Will. However, what Chloe and Clementine lacked in chemistry, they made up for in their individual character growth and charming friend group. I do have to say though Clementine's friends did not redeem themselves in my eyes, but at least Chloe’s friend group always shines and seems to know the perfect thing to say or do in all situations. I just love how they have each other’s backs and their ability to understand each other.

Overall, besides the underwhelming romance, I appreciated the realistic themes surrounding friendship, coming out later in life, complicated friend and family dynamics, plus size body representation, and non-conventional relationship beliefs/situations. Once again the diverse cast takes the cake, even though I will never understand their weird obsession with Diet Coke!

Amy Spalding makes me want to move to LA (almost). Her version of LA, certainly. It still has traffic and impossible-to-get reservations, but the brunches, the bar meetups, even the client meetings, all feel so real.

It is fun seeing this loose group of friends gradually get their lives together and support each other. I like that they are friends an co-workers instead of the trite "let's write four books about the four Smith sisters" series.

I hope this series can go on for a long time.

Kensington Publishing was kind enough to provide me with an advanced reading copy via NetGalley for an honest review.

It is only January, but I can already tell that this book will be one of my favorites of 2025!

Clementine and Chloe are both compelling characters. Their growth throughout the story felt authentic. I was invested in them both. They both also have amazing pets – Clem has a cat and Chloe has a dog.

In addition to being a romance, this is a story about the importance of friendship. The book demonstrated romantic partnerships are not the only source of reliable love and care, whether that care takes the form of providing emotional support, professional advice, or showing up at the hospital. Their friend groups felt like real people who I’d love to spend time with. Sometimes, I find that romances novels focused on friendship have a less compelling romantic story line. This novel excels at both the romance and the friendship elements.

I’ve seen conversations in romance reading spaces about non-traditional happily-ever-afters. It seems like most people use non-traditional HEA to mean novels that ends without cohabitation, marriage, and children. I think it is amazing and important that romance novels celebrate all types of happy endings! This book is a great example of a non-traditional HEA and characters who find love while getting off the “relationship escalator.”

I also loved the bisexual representation in this book. Clem has known that she’s bisexual pretty much her whole life, but she hasn’t publicly come out to her friends or family because she has been in a long-term relationship with a man. I enjoyed seeing a novel that focused on what it’s like when your bisexuality is “new” to your friends and family, but is already something you’ve known about yourself for a long time. I love seeing more diversity in bisexual stories and this one is great!

I have read the other two books in the series, and this is definitely the one I enjoyed the most. I think this book could be read as a standalone, but you should still go check out the other books if you are interested.

Thank you to Netgalley for a copy of this book!

Highlights:
- plus size protagonist
- bisexual coming out
- amazing queer friend group
- non-traditional HEA

On Her Terms is Amy Spalding's third installment of her Out in Hollywood series & once again, Amy has hit it out of the park.

This one was the most relatable for me as I felt like I had a LOT in common with Clem as someone who always identified as bisexual but didn't fully step into my queerness until my mid-30s. Worrying whether you are queer enough to exist in your own queer identity especially when surrounded by other queer people is such a common experience for a lot of us.

This one is a slow burn but in the best way. I love Clem & Chloe doing this sort of delusional dance around each other. It feels so authentic to the Sapphic experience, honestly. The meta-ness of the MC hating fake-dating tropes in fiction while agreeing to fake-date someone in real life had me chuckling.

And yes, once we get to the spice, it is exactly what I was hoping for. Every bit of the awkward attraction, gentle guidance, & irresistible sexiness that those first queer explorations tend to be is so perfectly captured on the page, it could have been written about my own experience.

My favorite bit is the through line of friendship - both queer and straight - and the importance of platonic relationships. Our society places romantic relationships in a position of highest importance & the reality is that our friendships are what keep us balanced & connected to ourselves & our world. Love on your friends, y'all!

Although this book is the newest in a series, it can be read as a standalone. However, the other books are fantastic & I adore the kind of series with an ensemble cast. If you love those kinds of books, Amy Spalding's Out In Hollywood series is a must-read.

Thank you to Kensington Publishing for this ARC.

Amy Spalding does it yet again! I cannot get enough of this interconnected series that gets better and better with each book.

First off, the storyline is engaging and the characters have such a fleshed-out feeling, making each character feel like their own. Some excellently executed tropes in this book include: Fake dating, found family, one bed.

One thing I can always count on in Amy Spalding's books is the effortlessly funny dialogue. This book had me laughing out loud on multiple occasions.

This is the first sapphic book I've read that's mentioned Chappell Roan and for this I am so happy.

Thank you so much Amy Spalding and NetGalley for the E-ARC!

Absolutely loved this book. Found family, queer joy, making your own definitions of happily ever after - this book was everything I love, tied up into one romance.

This is part of a series, and while you would be able to fully jump in without any prior context, there is a lot of character overlap, so I’d recommend reading the previous books first.