This was a wonderful read with some amazing representation. I loved how it showed that not every relationship is the same. In a society where the pressure to conform to other’s expectations is always there this book felt like a breath of fresh air. I loved getting to see so many characters discover and really show what it means to be themselves and go for what they want in their lives!

I really enjoyed the authors book for her consideration, I immediately connected with and loved the characters but I haven’t had that experience with this book sadly. I may return to it at a later date but it just wasn’t working for me at the present moment.

This queer romance is a perfect little romcom. The plus size representation, as well as representation of general queer antics is always welcomed into the romance space. Very fun and steamy too!!

plot ***
characters ***
I enjoyed this book and the journey it took me on however i struggled to stay gripped.
I would read more books by Amy as i do like their writing style but i think maybe this particular book wasnt down my alley.

This was an interesting novel about two women who decide to fake date in order to get their friends and family off their backs about being single. In this book it highlights very well how people tend to put romantic relationships above anything else. How you just "have" to be in a 'traditional' relationship to be happy. And this novel challenges that societal expectation- well sort of. I feel like this could've been a great novel for some incredible aromantic representation. One of the women, Chloe, is against dating and is perfectly happy by herself. She finds it to be ridiculous that people tend to make romantic relationships a bigger deal than friendships. But in the end it revealed she was just scared to fall in love and now she met the right girl.

Ps. I love any audio book where Lori Prince narrates

i’m sorry but i did not enjoy this book. maybe it is because it wasn’t directly addressed to my age range (the main character is 36, while i’m 19), but i thought that it was gonna be a great queer rom-com. Instead i endured myself into finishing this book, because a lot of people liked it.
my main concerns about this book were:
the portrayal of the protagonist best-friends, since she talk about the fact that their friendship has changed and since they are straight they don’t understand her anymore. in the end they made her change her mind, but hearing it through the entire book was exhausting.
then there was basically no chemistry between her and her love interest, who was also really rude all the time.
i also didn’t like how the protagonist was called a baby-queer by her love interest the entire time and how the narrative also treated her as such. it almost felt like miranda in sex and the city when in the reboot fall in love with a non-binary person and suddenly is a lesbian.
also this book was published in 2025 and the fact that going to sturbucks was mentioned lead me to think that this author doesn’t support palestine therefore i won’t read from her again.

thank you to netgalley and the publisher for giving me this e-arc.

A big thank you to NetGalley, Amy Spalding and Kensington Publishing for giving me this audiobook to review ahead of publishing.

I listened to this as an audiobook and enjoyed the great LGBTQ+ representation and fun fake-dating premise. Clementine’s self-discovery journey was refreshing, and the humor worked well. However, the romance felt underdeveloped, and the pacing was uneven, making it hard to fully connect. Enjoyable but not a standout.

• after breaking up with her long-term boyfriend, clem is ready to start dating again, especially since at 36, she really doesn’t want to die alone. when the hot woman she meets at the bar, chloe, proposes a fake-dating scheme that will get clem’s fam & friends to stop pitying her, as well as give chloe relief of no longer being the only single one in her friend group, it seems like a recipe for disaster, but one clem can’t say no to. when real attraction between them begins to grow, can clem convince chloe that they’re good together, in a very real way?
• i love a fake dating trope, and i thought this book did a really good job of making that work with really open communication between clem & chloe. the side characters were also all great additions to the story!
• i didn’t love this as much as ‘for her consideration’ but enjoyed way more than ‘at her service’!

I am pretty torn on this book. On one hand, I was annoyed for most of the book at the main characters because it felt like really stereotypical, like here's your femme box, here's your masc box, and was almost offensive using "baby gay" over and over again, even if that was the point. It felt very mocking of bisexual women who date men. So that threw me off from the plot to begin with and made it hard to enjoy the book.

On the other hand, I did enjoy the writing and the peripheral characters in the book (not the main characters, I sort of detested them). I liked the narrative of chosen family and also regular family and becoming comfortable with yourself. But, I was too distracted by the former note to be able to really enjoy the other pieces.

Engaging, entertaining, and well narrated. A recommended purchase for collections where contemporary romance is popular

This book is a perfect fit for readers who love LGBTQ+ romances that are filled with witty banter and heartwarming moments. The story delves into themes of self-discovery and features a fake relationship trope that blossoms into a genuine emotional connection, keeping readers engaged and invested in the characters' journeys. If you enjoy stories that explore the complexities of identity and relationships with a touch of humor and a whole lot of heart, then this book is for you!

Clementine is thirty-six, freshly single because she just dumped her boyfriend. Wanting something more than a traditional relationship, she ends up meeting Chloe Lee and accepting her non-traditional proposal - fake relationship to appease friends and family. When feelings start to get involved, how will Clem handle this new chapter in her life?

The audio version of the book is narrated by Lori Prince. The book is well presented and the characters are brought to life. The narration is the only reason why I finished On Her Terms.

Overall, I felt that the characters were more about their individual traits and not the whole. The author spent too much time labeling the characters and not developing them. The fake relationship story was nothing new and added nothing to the plot as a whole. The novel was a disappointment to me and, though I did like the narration of the audio book, I would not recommend On Her Terms to other readers.

Disclaimer: I was given an Advanced Audio Copy by NetGalley and the publisher. The decision to review the novel was entirely my own.

Loved this as much as Amy's other books. I just love the way the characters start to feel like friends and every time I pick up the book it's like sitting down or going out with my friend group. The problems seem real and the dialogue is very believable

Clementine, fresh out of a breakup, is ready to explore life beyond the conventional expectations placed upon her. When she agrees to a fake dating arrangement with Chloe, a confident and independent dog groomer, what starts as a practical solution soon turns into something more complicated. But while Clem begins to embrace her feelings, Chloe seems perfectly content keeping things casual.

I listened to the audiobook version of On Her Terms, and I have to say, the narration was excellent—it really brought the characters to life and added to my overall enjoyment of the story. The book itself was sweet and lighthearted, an easy listen that flew by.

As a queer person, I found many of the themes in this book incredibly relatable, and I appreciated how they were approached with nuance and warmth. The story touches on identity, self-discovery, and the pressure of societal expectations in a way that felt both thoughtful and validating.

That being said, I had a hard time liking Chloe as a character. Some of her more problematic behaviors—especially how some of the comments she kept making about Clem (which were later contradicted by her saying Clem was her "dream girl"—were simply chalked up to her having an avoidant attachment style, without much deeper exploration or growth. It felt a bit frustrating at times, and I wished for more depth in how her emotional barriers were handled.

Overall, though, On Her Terms is an enjoyable, feel-good romance with an uplifting message.

3.5 rounded down.

Thank you to NetGalley and RBmedia for giving me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a fun read! This third instalment is narrated by Lori Price, who also narrated book 2 in the series, "At Her Service". I really enjoyed Price's narration and could clearly differentiate between the characters. What I really loved about this book is that at it's heart it's about challenging relationship hierarchy and recognizing the ways in which queer connections (platonic, romantic, sexual etc) have validity outside of the heteronormative expectation. This book made me want a group of close queer friends who all live in the same area so that we could do weekly brunch. This book also reinforced my ideas about making sure I'm meeting my friends where they are at- having open communication about needs, boundaries, expectations, goals etc- like I do in my romantic relationship. And with that, give your friends grace! Be an active participant in the relationship by thinking about how they might be feeling and what they might need instead of just focusing on your own needs and expectations. This book really drilled home how we often prioritize and worship romantic relationships, treating them with a lot of energy and care, but we just assume things in our friendships and deprioritize them- which doesn't make sense since they are also important relationships in your life! I think this is a lesson Clementine really leans into learning throughout the book. At times, I wanted to shake Clementine to get to this lesson faster, but we got there in the end.

I really liked Clementine and Chloe together. I love that Clem is a plus-size ADHD bisexual and that there was thoughtful discussion about all those aspects of her identity sprinkled throughout the book. I loved that Chloe is a sober, Asian-American, lesbian with Tall Energy stuck in a short body. I thought they were both chaotic, unapologetically millennial, and fun together. What I loved is that both characters are mid-30s!! More books about people not in their 20s!!!
That said, I have some qualms. Chloe made some absolutely diabolical choices throughout this book (especially at the beginning). When they first meet her friends for brunch, I gasped and wondered how this relationship is going to work. I would be running for the hills if I showed up to that brunch with that surprise and the flimsy answers provided after... I also got really irritated about the use of 'baby gay' and the condescending tone that was often used towards Clem in connection to her potential future relationships with women. What really made me mad is that Clem was already in a queer relationship BECAUSE SHE IS QUEER even if that relationship with Will "looked" straight. For me, queerness is not just about who your attracted to but also informs all aspects of your life. It is a verb: to queer. Clem queered her relationship with Will because she is queer! Sure, her presumably straight relationship may have granted her certain privileges and she may have to think through some moments more closely when she is dating another visibly queer person, but it irked me that we didn't mention that Clem's queerness was enough to queer all her past relationships. I also say this as someone who has never been in a 'straight passing' relationship. It just seems that a lot of bi women are invalidated by their past relationships with men, and I think folks need to recognize that relationships can be queer in so many different ways.
This use of 'baby gay' also really got to me when we come to understand that Chloe doesn't really believe all of the 'lessons' she was sharing, but instead was using the front of 'baby gay' fake dating in order to get close to Clem. Diabolical choice.

That said, I love a fake dating trope. Big fan, I need no explanation, give me fake dating at any time. What I didn't love is referencing the trope in connection to romance novels and mentioning how unrealistic they are. Yes, I know it is unrealistic but that's why I'm reading fiction. Perhaps that acknowledgement was to poke fun at the trope itself but, idk, it always immediately takes me out as soon as the genre of romance is mentioned on page- but that's a me thing, not a fault of the book, lol. I also love only-one-bed, and forced proximity which were also key themes throughout the book. When the spice got going, it was steeeeammmy! It was also nice to acknowledge that not everyone c*ms in 2 minutes like so many romance novels depict.

In all, I think this book was a fun romp with a well-rounded cast of characters. Read this if you're looking for queer camaraderie, if you've recently left a long-term relationship, or if you're exploring relationship anarchy. If you're a seasonal/vibe reader like me, this book is set over the Summer into Fall in LA and would fit atmospherically for a weekend away with the pals/girls. This is part of a series but can be read as a standalone. I've only read book 2 prior, though it seems like book 1 characters are heavily featured in this book so you might enjoy it more if you read that one first. But it's not like you're going to be lost if you just read book 3.

I have such mixed feelings towards this book. I beg and beg for plus size queer representation but when we get it, it feels like it’s done so poorly.

Chloe came off as the worst a lot of the time. From not being able to communicate her own feelings, leading her to gaslighting Clementine. Or an attraction to plus size women that felt borderline like fetishization.

The book had many tropes that I find used a lot but still was a fan of. Fake dating, only one bed, etc. They somehow made this book something I wanted to keep enjoying.

See? Mixed feelings!!

Amy Spalding’s On Her Terms is a thoughtful, gently funny romance that explores queerness, identity, and connection—with an audiobook narration that adds a welcome spark to the quieter parts of the story. It’s a listen that shines, especially through Clementine’s late-blooming journey.

Clementine is an easy character to root for—thirty-six, newly single, and finally giving herself permission to live her life on her own terms. Her "baby gay era" is refreshingly handled without condescension or melodrama. Instead, we get a warm, realistic look at a woman choosing herself, learning what she wants, and realizing that desire doesn’t come with an expiration date. Her dynamic with Chloe—quirky, confident, and deeply guarded—offers plenty of chemistry and slow-burn tension, though Chloe’s hesitance sometimes pulled me out of the romance. It took me longer to connect with her emotionally, and I often found myself more invested in the friendships and community than the central relationship.

The third act breakup was a harder pill to swallow in this one. To be fair, the trope is widely used and doesn’t bother every reader—but for me personally, it’s starting to feel overdone, and in this case, unnecessary. The emotional arc had enough weight without adding that extra, familiar beat of conflict. If third act breakups don’t bother you, though, this story might land closer to four stars—it certainly has all the right pieces in place for a satisfying HEA.

That said, the narration by Lori Prince elevates the story in all the right ways. Her comedic timing and nuanced performance bring the characters to life, particularly Clementine’s dry humor and Chloe’s chaotic charm. Prince nails the balance between heartfelt and hilarious, giving voice to the cast with distinct warmth and energy. Her portrayal of returning characters from the series, like Ari, added an extra layer of delight for longtime fans.

While On Her Terms may not be a grand sweeping romance, it thrives in its quieter victories—exploring self-discovery, chosen family, and the courage to want something different. The story might meander at times, and the romantic resolution felt slightly underdeveloped, but the audiobook version brings out its best qualities with wit and charm.

A tender, feel-good listen about queer discovery, friendship, and finding love without compromising yourself, made even more enjoyable through Lori Prince’s top-tier narration.

Thank you to Netgalley and Recorded Books for an ALC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The LGBTQIA+ contemporary rom-com On Her Terms by Amy Spalding is book three (3) in the Out in Hollywood series. I got the chance to listen to Lorie Prince narrate the audio version of this book, through NetGalley as provided by Recorded Books Media and I must say this book hit too close to home for me. So close in fact I almost didn’t finish it. First off the main character reminded me too much of an ex-girlfriend of mine to the point of anger. The parallels of a white woman not standing up for herself against her own family while being annoyingly self centered made this character so believable, but the character also shut the hell up when the love interest talked about issues that they faced as a person of color so the parallels did shift there for me. Overall the characters were objectively well written and most likely based on real people in the author’s life and that really comes through. The erotic scenes in the book are tasteful and I even got mad when my phone rang during these parts because it was just the right amount of steamy for me. I give this story a 3 out 5 strawberries (yes that is without taking my feelings out of the mix). The book was good, I wish it had more comedy, but there was so much queer love and romance in every minute of the book that I couldn’t help but roll my eyes and smile a lot. If you're not butt hurt like me when you read this book it’s a sweet book with California charm.

I really enjoyed this book! I got sucked in pretty immediately - I loved the journey that both FMCs went on. It felt really realistic - and I LOVED the friend group!

4 🌟

Thank you netgalley for this arc!

I thoroughly enjoyed this story and I felt seen. As always with romcom books I was slightly annoyed by the characters but I liked how there was actually communication. Sometimes the communication went poorly, but the characters attempted to tell each other how they feel which I appreciated. I did not find myself caring overmuch if the characters ended up together, but that did not feel like the point of the story. This story was so much more than a surface level romcom. I would highly recommend reading it!