Member Reviews
I enjoyed this cute romcom so much. So many great pop culture references made this book super fun! Nemeses turned friends-to-lovers is a trope I will never get tired of!
I love Scott and Crystal together and watching their relationship bloom is adorable!
Definitely recommend for a fun summer vaca read!
A fitness rom-com where Crystal is a full-figured fitness influencer and has been for years. When she sees a new patron at the gym she tries to school him on gym etiquette. Sparks fly, but she is determined to try to stay away as there is a connection that runs deeper than the gym.
I really did like that fact that she tried to promote wellness and body image for others that weren't the stereotypical gym tips. She is a cheerleader for her followers and pushes her fans to accept themselves for who they are. She had a great message of "love yourself".
One critique I have is that too much emphasis was placed on Scott, he hottie from the gym and how she didn't think that he would like twice at her. As someone who has struggled with her weight for years, this could send a negative message to some.
Overall, I truly enjoyed the book.
A refreshing fitness romcom filled with body positivity, a strong female lead, and powerful words about self-acceptance. It has an enemies to lovers trope and a unique message that every self-doubting woman needs to hear. Whip-smart and timely, a book about finding the one and learning to love yourself, even in the doubt.
Crystal has been avoiding the opposite sex since her messy breakup with Neil. So when her gym rival ends up being a guy she would love to date, Crystal puts their relationship on hold and becomes friends with Scott in hopes that on the day of their grandparents wedding they can start dating officially.
At first I wasn’t sure how these two were going to end up together, but the transition from enemies, to friends, to lovers was paced so well and I really enjoyed how they fit into each other’s lives. In recent years I’ve really struggled with weight gain due to chronic pain, so hearing the theme of “it’s okay to not be okay“ is both comforting and uplifting. Amy Lea’s writing is fresh, motivating, and should be heard by all women struggling with confidence. An encouraging and impactful romance with a beautiful message!
As someone who went from very round, to curvy, to loving the gym--and her body for what it is--I adored this book. It wasn't just a cute, swoony and sweet love story, it was also a big reminder that skinny does <i>not</i> equal healthy and no matter what you think you look like to others, there's always someone who will see your beauty no matter what.
All hail the curvy girls! Loved the dynamic between the two MC's. It proves to never judge a book by it's cover.
Crystal Chen is a Curvy Fitness influencer and trainer who has been working hard to build body positivity and self love. She meets Scott Ritchie, her gym nemesis and they are constantly at odds with each other. To make matters worse Crystal and Scott's grandparents are getting married and they are forced to be civil to each other. Despite being attracted to this hunk of a fireman, Crystal does not want to give in to the attraction because of trust issues from her recent break up. Crystal realises that Scott is probably not like her ex and they build their relationship based on family, friendship and competitiveness at the gym. This budding relationship is put to test when Crystal posts a picture of her and Scott on social media. Will they withstand the pressure and toxicity that they encounter?
This book handles a lot of important issues like body positivity and self love. They have been addressed very well in the book. Crystal and Scott are amazing and their chemistry is just beautiful. I loved the side characters and the way the author focussed on Crystal and Scott's character arc. This was fast paced and I enjoyed the way the posts and comments became a character in the book.
Thank you @berkleyromance and @berkleypub for sending me a free copy of Set on You.
Tropes: Enemies to Lovers, Body Positivity, Swoony Hero, Slow Burn, Texting through the book
Rating: 4.5 stars
Listen up friends: As someone who will gladly admit my husband is hotter than me, this book really spoke to my soul. I love seeing a leading lady who isn’t perfect and I also love a man who knows his way around a squat rack
Crystal and Scott had really great chemistry - their DM banter was so good and the steam was on point! And I loved all the family members who made this book extra funny and joyous.
Honestly, I usually steer away from books about influencers. But I really appreciate how Amy Lea molded this story, and especially how she showed the toxic parts of instagram as well as the benefits.
Thank you netgalley & berkley for the advanced copy!
The way I loved this book. It had me grinning ear to ear. I was swooning. It made me laugh and gave me all the warm and fuzzies. I loved the representation and message of body acceptance, pop-culture references, the perfect amount of tension & slow burn, the banter, and my fav new book boyfriend Scott.
I loved that she was a fitstagrammer and her sister a bookstagrammer. The setting of the gym was so fun with the mix of enemies to lovers and then friends to lovers! I loved how the trajectory of the plot and thought the conflict was realistic. To me this was the perfect balance of fun with serious topics and it was so well done! I also loved the inclusion of TW at the beginning of the novel, because this should be something every author includes.
This was such a strong debut, and I cannot wait for more from Amy Lea!
Thank you Berkley and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!
This is a delightful debut, solidly in the current rom-com style, featuring biracial main character Crystal Chen, a curvy fitness influencer and firefighter Scott. Their gym meet-cute is complicated when they find out their grandparents are getting married, and plenty of shenanigans and connection occurs from there. I think the complications in their relationship are realistic, and while the focus is obviously on the romance, there is good content about the roles of influencers and about racism and fatphobia and issues with body positivity. This is a debut by an author with a lot of promise.
This book was cute and fun to read. I loved how family oriented Crystal is and how that played a role in the story. The body positivity message was also great to read about. The biggest issue was how unlikeable Scott is. I just couldn’t get past him being a jerk. Overall fun and quick read.
Set On You is a fantastic Enemies to Lovers romance trope that serves a bigger purpose. It brought me joy.
Crystal is a half Chinese curvy “Fitstagrammer” who focuses so much of her message on Body Positivity. Scott is the Captain America firefighter “Squat Rack Thief”. The banter between these two is entertaining without being eyerolling or unbelievable. The book does a great job with steamy scenes and swoon worthy love gestures. I couldn’t wait for the next encounter.
Where I really connected with Crystal’s empowered curvy female in fitness story. She focuses on self worth and living a healthy lifestyle. Sure she’s at the gym, but her goal isn’t losing weight. It’s being healthy and active. Also accepting those days you need to binge watch tv. But I loved her journey of discovering that self-love ALL the time isn’t realistic.
“I no longer use terms like ‘body positivity’ and ‘self-love’. Instead, I now use ‘body respect’ and ‘self-acceptance.’ Why? Because loving yourself ALL THE TIME is unrealistic.”
This book was engaging, entertaining and moving. It is fast paced and relatable.
5 stars
Thank you to @netgalley @amyleabooks @letstalkbookspromo and @berkleyromance for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. Also, thank you to @berittalksbooks @thephdivabooks and @dg_reads for hosting the buddy read chat!
#books #bookishlife #booklover #readingisfun #iowabookstagrammers #iowabookstagram #netgalley #berkleyromance #amylea #setonyou #berkleywritesstrongwomen #berkelybuddyreads
What a moving dedication and such a raw personal author's note.
Set on You is a great enemies to lovers. This guy smolders (envision Dwayne Johnson in Jumanji smoldering, that's what I did 🤣)
Crystal embraces and loves her less than perfect body. She's not model tall or model thin, yet has a huge following in Instagram who support her positive body image and personal training info. She's not afraid to lift heavy things. And she's not afraid to go toe to toe with Scott, who steals her squat rack at the gym. For shame 😱
Crystal and Scott are gym adversaries, until they aren't. The sexual tension is intense. Doors are sometimes open but not too spicy.
🌶️🌶️ out of 5 peppers
The beginning of the book was largely spent in the gym, which I thought could be triggering for someone who might have body image issues or exercise addiction, and I was feeling pretty lazy reading TBH, but as the book went on, it was clear that exercise and movement were a big part of Crystal's life but didn't take center stage in her life or in the book. It was a part of her, something she enjoyed doing but she didn't abuse herself. She just likes to lift heavy things and feel strong 💪
I absolutely loved the ending, which turned this great book into a 5 star read
Great debut and I'll definitely be looking forward to her next one.
Set On You is a slow burn “enemies to lovers” rom com invoking the forced proximity trope. I highly recommend it to fans of The Fastest Way To Fall by Denise Williams, The Brown Sisters trilogy by Talia Hibbert, The Spanish Love Deception by Elena Armas, How Sweet It Is by Dylan Newton, People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry, and Love at First Spite by Anna E. Collins. Set On You deals with some potentially triggering topics like cheating, cancer, cyber bullying, and fat shaming. In my opinion, the moral of this story is, as the main character states, “I no longer use terms like ‘body positivity’ and ‘self-love’. Instead, I now use ‘body respect’ and ‘self-acceptance.’ Why? Because loving yourself ALL THE TIME is unrealistic.”
First off, I loved the main characters; Crystal was (generally) an emotionally strong and empowered female fitness role model and Scott was a sweet and handsome cinnamon roll fireman. I loved all the pop culture references, such as Disney, To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, and Lizzo; I especially loved how Scott’s adorable dog was named Albus Doodledore after the Harry Potter character. I also appreciated that even though the main character, Crystal, is a “fitstagrammer”, she focuses more on self worth and living a healthy active lifestyle as opposed to losing weight; “I just think that being healthy isn’t about your size or your weight, but your mindset and your mental health, too”. I also enjoyed the addition of the Instagram posts and comments throughout the novel as I felt like they made the story more engaging and seem more real. Additionally, I enjoyed the humorous aspects of this book like Scott’s cringe-worthy pick-up lines (e.g., “Are you my appendix? This feeling in my stomach makes me want to take you out”).
Even though streamy scenes were sprinkled throughout Set On You, I found it frustrating that the main characters took so long to get together due to ongoing obstacles like family drama and trust issues. In my opinion, the main downfall of this book had to do with the fact that the main love interests’ grandparents were also a couple. Furthermore, I found it a bit troubling that Crystal and Scott, the main love interests, were soon to be related by marriage (their parents would be stepsiblings). I also found it weird that the Grandparents’ engagement was a complete and total surprise to all of their family members, that the Grandma almost unapologetically took over her grandchild’s cancelled wedding venue/ plans, and that the Grandma had a raunchy bachelorette party with all of her family members. Lastly, I was obviously not a fan of the internet negativity that Crystal experiences including the cyber bullying and fat shaming.
Overall, I enjoyed Set On You - I found it to be a unique, enjoyable, engaging, and fast read. I would highly recommend Set On You to those who are fans of cute rom coms and/ or have an interest in fitness and body positivity.
Thank you @berkleyromance and @netgalley for the eArc of ‘Set on You’ by our wonderful bookstagram friend @amyleabooks. (Highly encourage you to follow her – she has the best reviews on contemporary romances!!). I am beyond proud of her and couldn't believe I was granted access to this debut gem.
I ABSOLUTELY adored this book! I have a love/hate relationship with the ENEMIES-TO-LOVERS trope because the banter can be overdone. Rest assured I knew we’d be in good hands with Amy. I love how Crystal and Scott’s relationship blossomed from “Squat Rack Thief” to her modern day Captain America firefighter (HOT) boyfriend. The banter was just the right amount that I could handle without having to roll my eyes (like The Hating Game – yeah I said it). I just refuse to believe adults IRL banter this much without just getting to the sexual tension immediately. I loved watching them become friends and ultimately a couple. Also, special shout out for that bath tub scene (OMG fire). I especially loved that Crystal was a Chinese American plus-sized fitness influencer!! In between the chapters you see a glimpse of her Instagram posts and I found these very motivational. It honestly made me get up and work out when I wasn’t feeling like it. NEVER did I think this was possible in a romance book but it honestly helped me a lot. So thank you, Amy.
Overall, I enjoyed Crystal and Scott’s love story. It hit all the necessary things I need in a ENEMIES-TO-LOVERS:
Banter
Friendship
Familial support
Romance
Message of the book
“ The worst part about working out is putting on your sports bra.” AIN’T THAT THE TRUTH CRYSTAL. Berkley, now I am ready for Amy to create a story about TARA! It needs to happen.
Oh my goodness what an amazing book!
Set on You by Amy Lea is such a fresh and fun rom com.
We have a body positive gym social media influencer that is vivacious and has all the spunk I love in leading ladies.
She meets her gym rival that steals her fav corner of the gym and fav machines. This type of premise is from my enemies to lovers trope dreams. Their banter and one-upping each other had me addicted!
I love the writing style as well, its so fun and contemporary. I could see this made into a movie like The Hating Game. I truly enjoyed this book so much!
4.5 stars!
Oh my gosh! This enemies to lovers romcom was so cute and absolutely perfect!
Scott & Crystal had SIZZLING chemistry. The spice in this book was so good. Uhm, hello.. the locker room!!
I also loved the important message this book had for body positivity and loving yourself.
This book had everything you could want from a steamy romantic comedy. I was not disappointed, and I highly recommend!
I have been followed Amy on her writing journey for the last few years, so I am really, really proud of Set on You! This book was the perfect rom-com, and I felt giddy with happiness all along the way. Crystal and Scott's story was one of a kind - I cannot wait for the book community to be (more) obseseed with Set on You in the months to come!
My gosh, this book made me feel so empowered. The themes of self-acceptance and body positivity were so perfectly expressed in the storyline. To be honest, I have been feeling a bit insecure with my body weight at the moment, so Set on You came into my life in the perfect moment. The book is a blessing in every possible way! The family and friendship aspects of the story were really enjoyable too. I loved that the romance between Scott and Crystal wasn't rushed! I don't like slow-burn romances in general, but with the pacing of Set on You's plot, the slow build-up of romance made sense. Both of the characters had their own short-comings, showcasing a relatable side of modern relationships. Social media played a huge role in Set on You - so I appreciated how we got to see how both the negative and positive impacts of being a public figure on the internet. The book wasn't all rainbows and butterflies though - we got to see some truly saddening moments surrounding racism, anxiety, toxic beauty standards, etc.
The book had plenty of hilarious moments too that had me laughing out loud 🤭😂 Set on You was a package of everything I love in rom-coms. I am 100 percent sure that it's going to become one of the most loved debuts of 2022. 💜
Enemies to lovers is one of my all time favorite trope, and maybe that’s why I loved this book so much. I loved the body positivity that was portrayed throughout the book, as well as the heroine being a curvy girl like myself. I also loved how some of the writing was raw and full of emotion & sentiment. It made it very easy to relate to the characters that way.
The chemistry & sexual tension between Crystal & Scott was absolutely perfect. This is an open door romance, but in my opinion, (based on what I consider steamy) there was not a ton of steam or explicit scenes. It was a very sweet open door romance with great build up & a nice slow burn. This is definitely a modern romance with lots of mentions of social media, and text messages included in the text. Overall I enjoyed it and if you’re a fan of rom-coms that will make you laugh & swoon with some steam, this one is for you!
You can expect:
* Enemies to Lovers
* Witty Banter
* Laugh Out Loud Romcom
* Body Positivity
* Fitness Influencer Heroine
* Open Door Romance
* Firefighter Hero
Overall rating 4.5/5
Sweet, and spicy and chalked full of great life messages.. Enemies to lovers is always my jam. I absolutely loved this from start to finish. I love seeing plus size rep in more books! Crystal is so relatable, and the cast of side characters just adds even more to the story (grandma Flo & Martin?? LOVE THEM!).
The banter in this is so fun, and I loved the interspersed Instagram posts and comments. I would have never guessed this was a debut novel! It’s so wonderful!
Thank you Berkeley Romance and Netgalley for this eARC!
Crystal Chen, a curvy biracial fitness influencer, loves to promote positivity, strength, and acceptance on her Instagram account. She is determined to crush gym stereotypes despite rude and negative comments from trolls and cyber bullies. The gym is her happy place, but when Scott Ritchie, a seemingly smug firefighter, keeps stealing her favorite squat rack, she is beyond annoyed. It’s bad enough she has to deal with him at the gym, but then she runs into him at her grandmother’s engagement party. Will she begin to let her guard down and even fall for her gym nemesis?
Crystal and Scott’s enemies to lovers romance was so adorable and steamy! I hadn’t previously read a romcom centered on fitness, so that was a refreshing change for me. I loved the focus on being healthy, having a positive body image, and self-acceptance! Crystal was confident, strong, and determined to promote self-love and positivity, but she was still battling her own insecurities. Scott was super sweet, caring, supportive, and funny! I would have liked to get his POV. I loved how Scott handled certain situations, and I felt like Crystal was too hard on him at times. However, seeing Crystal’s vulnerable side made her a more genuine and relatable character. I also really enjoyed their heartwarming interactions with family and friends, especially the grandparents! This was a fun, humorous, swoony romcom full of positive messages and feel good moments!