I absolutely enjoyed this audiobook, especially for how beautifully it balances career ambition, personal growth, complex family dynamics, and a heartfelt romance. Clementine’s journey is one of self-discovery, and I was completely drawn to the way she navigates change—both in her professional life and in her personal identity.

After ending a long-term relationship with her boyfriend, Clementine decides it’s finally time to explore dating women. She’s identified as bisexual for a long time but hasn’t had the chance to pursue a relationship with a woman—until she meets Chloe. Chloe needs a date for a series of wedding events with her friends, and Clem agrees to a fake relationship, seeing it as an opportunity to gain some experience before looking for something "real." But, of course, as they spend more time together, Clem starts to realize how much she genuinely likes Chloe, blurring the lines between what was supposed to be pretend and what feels undeniably real. Their chemistry is undeniable, and it’s so satisfying to watch Clem step into this new chapter of her romantic life with both excitement and uncertainty.

But Clem’s growth isn’t just about romance—she’s also learning to shed the expectations that have shaped her for so long. As a lifelong people-pleaser, she has spent years trying to meet her family’s standards, never feeling quite "perfect enough." Over the course of the book, she comes to understand that she doesn’t need to be defined by her past or by who others expect her to be. Her evolving relationship with her sister is another highlight, adding depth to the theme of self-acceptance and proving that personal growth isn’t just about finding love—it’s also about healing and strengthening the relationships that matter.

Clementine’s career adds another compelling layer to the story, and I loved seeing her passion for her work. It’s refreshing to read about a character so driven in her field while also grappling with personal identity in such an honest, relatable way.

The audiobook narration enhances every moment, making Clem’s journey even more immersive and emotionally resonant. *On Her Terms* is a heartfelt, empowering listen—one that beautifully captures the highs and lows of stepping into your true self, embracing new possibilities, and realizing that sometimes, what starts as an experiment might just turn into something real.

Before I get into my review of “On Her Terms”, I’d like to thank NetGalley and RBmedia for the eARC copy!

I’ve been looking forward to reading this book since the day Amy Spalding announced it, and I’m slightly disappointed. The way Chloe treated Clementine throughout the whole book gave me the biggest ick ever.

One moment Chloe would tell Clementine that the reason she wouldn’t tell Clementine her type in women is because it was Clementine. Then another minute she would completely shut out Clementine and pretend she didn’t suggest the whole fake dating agreement in the first place.

I honestly felt sad for Clementine throughout this whole book. Clementine did so much for Chloe, when Chloe did the bare minimum.

This book reminded me of my first relationship as a baby gay, somewhat toxic and an inevitable train wreck.

These two (somehow) had a happily ever after, but in another universe (the one where this book takes place) I think we all know that won’t last too long.

Netgalley and Amy - Thank you for allowing me to read this book early. I enjoyed the journey Clementine and Chloe went on and enjoyed their characters and friend groups! I've added my review below.

Loved this book! The fast-paced dialogue and rapport between Clementine and Chloe was to die for, and felt really authentic. I listened to the audio version and the narration was excellent. The narrator really did justice to Clem’s personality.

Read if you like: Olivia Dade (older MCs who aren’t interested in having kids), Ashley Herring Blake (similar loving friend group vibe), and late bloomer stories.

Thanks to Netgalley and RBmedia for providing me with a copy of the book.

Spalding enchants readers with her masterful portrayal of emotion in On Her Terms, the third installment of the Out in Hollywood series. From confusion and sadness to joy and love, the characters express their feelings with striking depth and authenticity, creating moments that truly resonate. At the heart of the story is Clementine, a bisexual woman navigating her “baby gay” phase after the end of a long-term heterosexual relationship—a journey many readers will find deeply relatable. Her path to self-discovery is not only genuine but also infused with humor, especially as she embarks on a fake relationship with Chloe, a lively and free-spirited dog groomer. While the fake-dating trope is familiar, Spalding breathes fresh life into it through Clementine and Chloe’s nuanced dynamic, making their chemistry all the more compelling. Their witty exchanges and evolving bond add layers of tension, heat, and humor, ensuring the narrative remains both engaging and refreshingly original.

Spalding’s writing shines in its ability to create characters who feel undeniably real, brimming with the quirks and complexities of everyday life. Each scene is a vivid snapshot, rich with emotion and nuance, drawing readers into the heart of the story. Clementine and Chloe’s awkward yet endearing navigation of their fake relationship is a delight to witness. While Chloe grapples with romantic attachment due to her insecurities, Clementine’s journey toward embracing her true self adds depth to their dynamic, keeping readers invested until the very last page. On Her Terms is more than just an enjoyable read—it’s a thoughtful exploration of identity, love, and the beautifully messy human experience.

The novel’s heartfelt depiction of queer friendships and chosen family is both compelling and deeply resonant. These bonds, a cornerstone of the LGBTQ+ experience, are portrayed by Spalding with authenticity and care. Chloe’s vibrant circle of friends adds richness to the narrative, underscoring the profound role of community in queer life. Each friend brings a unique perspective and their own set of challenges, making their connections feel dynamic and real. Through shared laughter, struggles, and unwavering support, they create a sanctuary where acceptance and love thrive. This aspect of the novel truly elevates the storytelling, making it memorable and read worthy.

A word about the narration…

Lori Prince delivers a masterful performance in this delightful fake-dating romance, effortlessly balancing humor and heartfelt moments to create an emotionally resonant listening experience. With her rich, expressive voice, she brings the well-developed characters to life, enhancing the sharp dialogue and the story’s nuanced exploration of queer identity. Her skillful narration adds depth and charm, making this audiobook an absolute winner.

Strengths…

Well-written
Emotionally engaging
Well-scripted dialogue
Entertaining supporting cast
Old trope with a fresh voice
Easy to enjoy
Excellent narration

I absolutely loved this book! Fake dating, discovering your bisexuality later in adulthood, a ton of laughs - what more could you ask for?! The narration was fantastic and really captivated the feelings of Clementine and helps the listener pick up on the nuances of the feelings of other characters. Chloe and Clementine were well developed and I loved learning about their lives. I highly recommend this to every romance reader!

On Her Terms by Amy Spalding-
I love Amy Spalding and this book series they are always so fun and cute!

This book was such a fun and heartfelt read! Clementine’s journey of self-discovery, fresh off a breakup and questioning what she truly wants, felt so relatable. The fake dating setup with Chloe, a witty and confident dog groomer, was the perfect mix of chaos and charm. Their banter had me laughing out loud, and the slow-burn tension made their growing connection all the more satisfying.

What I loved most was how this wasn’t just a romance—it was also about Clem figuring out what makes her happy beyond relationships. She’s not just looking for love; she’s redefining what she wants her life to look like. Chloe, on the other hand, is convinced Clem is just eager to settle down with *someone*, and watching them navigate that push and pull was both frustrating and rewarding in the best way.

By the end, I was completely invested in their story. The writing is sharp, funny, and full of heart, making every moment between Clem and Chloe feel authentic. If you love fake dating, slow-burn romance, and characters with great chemistry, this book is an absolute must-read!

on her terms by amy spalding is a comedic sapphic fake dating rom-com!

let me start with highlights! our main character, clementine is bi, plus-size, and has adhd, all of which were very well represented and a lot of great conversations about mental illness, fatness, and bisexuality transpire throughout the book! The audiobook narration itself was well done, the differentiation between the characters was clear and the tone was very engaging and caught the comedic timing quite well! the love interest, chloe, had a very sweet, queer friend group, through which the societal prioritization of romantic or sexual love over platonic love was explored beautifully.

now for my qualms.... let me begin by prefacing that I am not saying this as a generational insult by any means, but this was a very millennial book. which is okay! it is just something to keep in mind if that isn't really for you! for example, clementine's workplace is "Big Marketing Energy", chloe wears crocs in nearly every scene, clem's cat is named jesse pinkman, the word "twee" is used about 20 times too many, and quite frankly, the references and much of the metaphors (and even dialogue) read as just too online, if that makes sense. I saw someone else describe the dialogue as reading like twitter discourse and that really hit the nail on the head.

now for my main qualm: the love interest is despicable. I really tried to like her but the way she objectifies, infantilizes, fetishizes, and condescends down to clementine is wild. chloe gives bi-affirming speeches to clem that her place within the queer community isn't dependent on the gender of her partner, but then turns around and contradicts this repeatedly by acting as a queer elder that is showing clem the "baby gay" the ropes of queerness following her breakup with a "boring man". chloe calls clementine a "baby gay" a total of 15 times throughout the book (I bought it on kindle just to count) and although clementine's ex-boyfriend, will, remained on good terms and hold no animosity seeing as they had a healthy adult break up, chloe takes every opportunity to call him "boring" and be very rude. all in all, chloe treats clementine pretty horribly throughout the book, and I found myself disappointed when they resolved their third-act conflict. the build up for their relationship is nonexistent. their romance isn't believable and I didn't root for them at any point.

also I would like to preface this by saying that I am a bi-romantic demisexual so my experiences as a bisexual woman are likely very different from someone who is not aroaspec. while there were aspects of clem's bisexuality that aligned with my own personal experiences with bisexuality, specifically the internalized biphobia of having only ever been with a man, there were other aspects that didn't quite sit right with me. one such example would be the way that clem's exploration of her sapphic attraction is described as her 'deciding' she wants to be with a woman now. now this could be how this feels for some bi women, and could simply be something that my demisexuality doesn't resonate with, but it wasn't my desired way of seeing bisexuality be represented. it also didn't sit right with me with the thin love interest that fetishized the main character's fatness during the sexual scenes, "complimenting" her in ways that didn't feel as much like compliments as much as they did gratuitous objectification.

once again, these could just be my personal opinions based on my experiences with attraction, but I wanted to make sure I put it out there in case someone else would be bothered by that. please remember that these are just my opinions and if you love this, there is nothing wrong with that!!

maybe this just wasn't for me! and this is okay!

this book did have a lot of fun tropes though, so if you are a fan of fake dating, forced proximity, or one-bed trope, you could definitely have fun with this!

What can I say…..as an ARC listen I didn’t know what to expect and honestly it couldn’t have been better if it had tried!

I absolutely loved the character development throughout and although some parts are standard in a romance novel, it was done in such a clever way!

Characters had real depth and grew throughout the book and was lovely to see.

It was a bit spicy, made my heart sing and brought me to tears. What else could I ask for! Utterly brilliant!

I want to thank the publisher for both a digital ARC and a digital ALC. I’ve read all three Out in Hollywood books, and after being disappointed by [book:At Her Service|157995253], I’m happy to say Spalding is back with a story that’s funny, heartbreaking, and impossible to put down.

Clem comes with a lot of baggage, but so does Chloe. I wasn’t a big fan of Clem—she felt self-centered, especially around her childhood friends—but she had a lot of grace for Chloe, and Chloe didn’t always return the favor. Chloe’s devil-may-care attitude was also frustrating at times, particularly in vulnerable situations. And yet, despite all of that, I still really enjoyed the book.

The best part? Chloe’s friends. They were supportive, funny, and brought a warmth to the story that made it easier to deal with the moments where Clem or Chloe tested my patience.

There were things I wanted more clarity on, and some characters I really wanted to see get what they deserved. But in the end, I was fully invested in Clem and Chloe’s story, rooting for them all the way.

Clementine is a mid-30’s bisexual woman who just started exploring her queer identity. This fake dating sapphic romance was a joy to listen to.

I love the found family elements and the exploration of friendships as we age and especially as life paths diverge. As a woman in her 30’s I definitely felt my own struggles reflected in Clem’s and found her very relatable.

The audio book was a delight to listen to. The narrator did a great job of having distinct voices for each character and delivered the jokes well.

I did find the constant mentions of being a “baby gay” a little cringe. I think this book could have done a better critique on this term.

Overall, this was a really easy book to listen to. It was a perfect combination of heartwarming and witty.
This was my first time reading Amy Spalding and I will definitely be reading more of her books!

This was my first book by Amy Spalding and will certainly not be my last! I loved On Her Terms, it was so funny and cute. In the first chapter alone I found myself cackling and very much enjoying the dynamic between Clem and Chloe, and that continued all throughout the book. The chemistry between them was witty and sizzling and I enjoyed watching them both grow throughout the book. Sapphic fake dating featuring a quirky and lovely group of friends, plus size body positivity, and a cat named Small Jesse Pinkman made this book a freaking DELIGHT. I can't wait to go back and read more of the books in this series.

The narrator was FANTASTIC! She did an amazing job nailing the awkward and shy tone of Clementine - her inflections made me laugh out loud on multiple occasions. She also had a great dichotomy between the different characters' voices that I very much enjoyed.

4.25 Stars

This was quite a fun read. I really liked the main character, the love interest and her friend group too. The plot was quite fun, I liked the romance as well as the work storylines and I really just flew through this book. The characters were really layered and I do love a good fake dating trope. I read this so fast and really enjoyed the narrator. So yes, a good romance, I will be reading more books in this series if there are more. I really have been enjoying this series.

On Her Terms
By Amy Spalding
Narrated by Lori Prince
Released February 25th, 2025
RBmedia

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
🌶️🌶️🌶️/5

🏳️‍🌈Clementine is a mid-30’s woman who goes on a journey to discover her queer self and what she truly wants from life. That ends her up newly single and in a fake dating scenario. This book will have you feeling and laughing from the first chapter! As Clementine gets to know Chloe and her friends, the relationships feel real and relatable. The journey of Clementine realizing what she wants is more than acceptable, it’s great - was truly touching and made me want more of her story. This is a well done feel good story, where it doesn’t feel overly predictable or cheesy. The spicy scenes are after the 50% mark I believe- open door and done so well! Definite spice but the spice isn’t the focus of the book or story.

🏳️‍🌈 I related strongly to this story. I didn’t come out as bi and eventually a lesbian until my late 20’s. That initial fear of not being “queer enough” is real! Also the idea that you want something different than your friends and family is real and scary. A well done plus size fmc is also refreshing!

🏳️‍🌈 I did receive this from NetGalley as an advance listen copy. My review is fair and honest.

🏳️‍🌈Amy Spalding is now an auto read and buy author for me!

Each time the author used the term “baby gay”, I died a little inside. This book featured every single stereotype in the queer woman space 😑 I also wasn’t invested in Clem and Chloe’s relationship.

Positives: it was comforting to read about the found family that some people are lucky enough to find when they find their community. The banter was good! I enjoyed reading Clem’s journey to enbracing her sexuality. There was a decent amount of plus size and queer women representation.

Negatives: the book is 100% from Clementine’s POV, which is unfortunate since she is super annoying. In fact, both Clem and Chloe were unlikable characters. I hated all of the stereotypes. They were middle-aged but still whined like 19 year olds. No thanks.

Overall, this was a light fun read, but I just couldn’t vibe with the main characters. 3 ⭐️

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of the audiobook.

I thought this book was cute, but it had its ups and downs for me. At first, I found the characters pretty cringeworthy, though by the end, I did warm up to them. I appreciated the fresh take on relationships and how the story challenged the idea that they all have to look the same. I also loved how it embraced body positivity (the bathing suit scene was great!), highlighted bisexuality (which is often underrepresented), and featured so many powerful women. These elements really stood out in a positive way.

That said, I had mixed feelings about Chloe—she came off as a bit manipulative and overall childish at times, which made it hard to fully like her. But I guess you’re not supposed to love every character. On the other hand, one moment that really got me was Clementine’s boss turning out to be one of Chloe’s friends early on. That reveal had me actually laughing out loud. I also loved that Will ended up getting more out of the situation in the end, and that Clementine didn’t lose her actual friends once she learned to communicate with them better. Those moments made the story feel more well-rounded and satisfying.

Additionally wasn’t entirely sold on the audiobook narrator. While I liked that she gave each character a distinct voice, it sometimes felt like she was adding too much of her own emotions into the story. Not necessarily bad, just not my personal preference.

Overall, this was a decent read with some fun moments, but it didn’t completely win me over. A solid three stars.

I received an advanced copy of this audiobook through Netgalley.

Clementine's character felt real and vulnerable. Freshly single and trying to find herself as she becomes comfortable opening up as bi-sexual, she meets Chloe as a gay bar. Throughout the book you see a lot of character development as Clementine explores a new side of herself and starts to show up more authentically.

Chloe seems to be good for Clementine in many ways, aside from being her first "girlfriend", she introduces her to new friends, who like Clementine for who she is, not who they want her to be.

Overall, I would give this book 3.5 stars.

Such a good time! A super cozy romcom that hits all the right ones. Funny. Steamy, relatable yet aspirational, full of great women. Characters are fleshed out and not just because I’ve met them in other books of this series.

Big plus for me: this is the first time I’ve felt good about being a big woman reading about a plus size FMC. This was just done well. Subtle, but bold. It sounds contradictory, but you’ll know what I mean when you read it.

I got the audiobook ARC and must say that the voice acting was perfectly believable and the jokes were well-delivered. There were only a couple of pronunciations I’m not used to hearing, but you’ll get that with any audio media.


All that said, this was formulaic - nothing earth shattering - but sometimes that’s what you want.

Cozy, sexy, twee.

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.