“Four sets of squats and I’ll be high on endorphins for at least a day, fantasizing about the strength of my thighs crushing the souls of a thousand men.”
I was absolutely thrilled to receive a copy of Amy Lea’s debut novel “Set on you.” This adorable romantic comedy gives us a spicy rivals-to-friends-to-lovers as well as an exploration of how social media influencers can fall prey to the negativity of strangers online.

Crystal is a curvy, biracial, body positive influencer who uses her platform to take down the fat-phobic stereotypes that dictate the fitness industry. She has dedicated her Instagram to inspiring those who may feel less-than to follow their dreams, while showing the world how curvy girls can kill it in the gym. Her endorphin filled sanctuary is disrupted when a gorgeous stranger who seems to be unaware of proper gym etiquette interrupts her workouts by always seeming to be exactly in the wrong place.

“His jeans hug him so perfectly that I’m convinced mere mortal eyes aren’t worthy of this view.”
Her gym rival, firefighter Scott, unexpectedly becomes a bigger part of Crystal’s life when they discover that their grandparents are soon-to-wed and wedding plans are now in full swing! With meddling grandparents set on making a match they are unable to avoid each other for long.

I really enjoyed watching Crystal and Scott banter throughout the gym, it quickly moved from frustration to foreplay, and then to flirty friends as they decided to take much needed time to develop their relationship. Both frustrated me at times as their lack of communication lead to drama that could have easily been avoided, but the newness of their relationship could definitely be to blame.

With Crystal being popular on social media and open about most aspects of her life, it was interesting to see that she, like most influencers, still feels the impact of the negative comments. Once the trolls descend on Crystal the self-doubt she worked so hard to battle rears it’s ugly head and she must do some intense self-reflection to regain her confidence.

One thing that brought me out of the story occasionally was that it felt like the writing was intended for a younger audience, there were a lot of over-the-top scenarios that happened at every turn, and maybe my old lady joints just felt tired imagining it.

Overall I think “Set On You” was a successful debut novel that delivered on the humor, spice and feels and I am so excited to read about Tara in the sequel! Congrats Amy Lea!

3.5

3.5, rounded up. While this was a cute read, by the end of it, I was so bored by the back and forth between the characters.

DNF at 30%. I found the majority of the characters unlikeable. I have nothing against body positivity but Crystal’s philosophy borders on delusional as it caters to the science deniers of the fat activism movement. Scott was an absolute AH upon meeting Crystal and only acts nice to her after he realize his Gramps is about to marry her Grandma Flo. But despite all that the worst person was definitely Flo. Insufferable, I don’t care that she’s old. She did not respect Crystal’s boundaries and tried to force Crystal and Scott together AFTER Crystal made it clear she didn’t get along with him? Yuck. We hear Reddit stories of family going No contact for this type of behavior. The minute I saw that Flo planned an ambush at the ax throwing place…..I was done, I was so angry. So yeah. No bueno. Couldn’t do it.

Overall, it was a cute, lighthearted read. It didn't blow me away but it was enjoyable, entertaining, and romantic, with protagonists that I genuinely liked. I loved the self-love message and appreciated this type of storyline being spotlighted in mainstream romance. I enjoyed Amy Lea's writing and am definitely excited to read more of her books in the future.

I love books about social media influencers, so I knew this was going to be fun one to read! It was nice to see the bi-racial representation as well. The gym locker room scene is 🥵, and this book truly is a fun and spicy romcom!

Crystal Chen has built her career on breaking stereotypes. As a curvy fitness influencer, she inspires others on their fitness journeys. After a brutal breakup, Crystal has no interest in finding another man. That is until she meets her gym nemesis, Scott Ritchie. Their rivalry starts when Scott steals Crystal’s favorite squat rack and proceeds to interrupt her set again and again. Things begin to shift when they discover their grandparents are engaged. Crystal starts to realize that there’s more to Scott than she realized. But when a photo of the two of them goes viral, Crystal must decide if she’s willing to face the internet trolls.

Set on You is told entirely in the first person from Crystal’s perspective. Crystal is such an authentic character. I like how well she represents how challenging it can be to be vulnerable and honest on the internet. She embraces and showcases her authentic self, even with her fair share of insecurities, and knowing she will often be hit with backlash and harsh comments.

I loved the banter between Crystal and Scott! Scott is a great character. He is a Boston firefighter with an adorable adopted dog. Overall, I liked the book.

Thank you to @netgalley and @berkleyromance for the eARC!

Set on You is a cute and entertaining romance read. It kept me turning pages late into the night and I really enjoyed the characters. There were a few parts that seemed a little slow but all in all it was a great read!

💪🏼 Set On You by @amyleabooks

Thank you @berkleypub for my #gifted @netgalley eARC!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
💕 genre: romance
💪🏼 trope: enemies-to-lovers
📖 format: kindle
📚 read if you like: fitness influencers, firemen, Mazey Eddings

Thoughts 💭

WHY DID I WAIT SO LONG TO READ THIS?! I loved it so much!

Crystal Chen hasn’t got time for bullsh*t after her most recent breakup. So doubles down and finds solace in the gym. As a curvy fitness influencer she knows exactly what she’s doing. So, when a hot fireman shows up at the gym determined to make her life a bit more difficult, Crystal isn’t having it. Soon, though, she realizes she might be seeing more of the infuriating man, Scott, than she wanted to - her grandmother is marrying his grandfather.

I loved all the conversations about social media and body image in this book. Amy does such an amazing job.

Also, Crystal and Scott are SO CUTE together. Their banter is just perfect.

I can’t recommend this romance enough, and I’m so excited for more of Amy’s books! I’ve already read the sequel Exes and O’s and can confirm it’s great.

Thanks Netgalley for allowing me to read this book! The title and this beautiful cover drew me in and i was excited to read this book! I will be recommending this book to others for readers advisory.

I follow Amy Lea on Instagram and I was so excited to try her debut book! Unfortunately Set On You did not work for me. I didn’t connect with the characters and plot didn’t capture my attention. I would try her future books again, but this was at DNF at 15%

After The Love Hypothesis hype, there’s no doubt this book is going to be highly anticipated by many! I was one of those people who absolutely adored The Love Hypothesis and maybe it created high expectations, but ultimately I found that I didn’t love this book quite as much.

I’ll start with the good! I love the women in STEM rep and the academic setting. The science-y aspects were interesting and not too difficult to follow along. I also liked Bee’s passion for neuroscience and the Marie Curie references were fun. On top of that, we have lots of humorous one liners, banter, and cat puns!

Getting to the not as good: First, there’s Levi or rather the description of him that sounds like a knock off Adam. Nothing on Levi himself as I still adored him, but the writing wasn’t unique to really set the two apart in my eyes. Though he did have his sweet moments and obviously cared a lot about his work and the people that matter most to him. But this is also where things got murky.

Bee and Levi never started off on the right foot five years ago which is fine. But their present predicament and supposed “hatred” for each other is ENTIRELY due to miscommunication. And when Levi tries to explain himself and COMMUNICATE what happened, Bee doesn’t give him the chance and the cycle continues to drag.

Bee’s character was another thing I struggled with. There was the incredible scientist fighting for herself, her projects, and women in STEM which was fantastic. But then, there was the personal/ romantic side. While she did experience previous trauma and an unconventional upbringing, her inner monologue in undermining her later relationship with Levi and the fact she always made assumptions about him got tiresome.

Also, one of the ending scenes had literal action which felt a bit odd, but wasn’t terrible.

I feel like I’ll be more in the minority on this one because I can still see why people will rave about it! Just maybe my expectations were too high or I’ve become a super harsh critic? But I will still read more Ali Hazelwood and will look forward to the next!

The book was cute and spunky and enjoyed that it was mostly body positive. Great banter between the characters. Would definitely recommend.

Didn't know what I was getting myself into with an influencer romance but, holy cow this was excellent. I thoroughly enjoyed every moment reading this book. I was rooting for our MC the whole time, but also couldn't help feeling acutely how it must feel to have the whole world turn against you in the blink of an eye. She was a character I couldn't help but want to put myself in their shoes, and characters like that in books seem few and far between.

The chemistry between the MC's was fire and they COMMUNICATED. Yes, of course they hid things they might have been ashamed about, but genuinely wanted to make things work. And it felt real.. It felt like something that anyone could achieve in their own personal love story, and that is the best part to me.

10/10 can't wait for Amy Lea's next book (already preordered).

I fell in long with this one after first reading Exes and O’s, the second novel in Lea’s Influencer series!

I appreciated not only main character Crystal’s body positivity message, but also how that message evolved as her love story unfolded. As someone who used to be really motivated to work out but has lost some of that motivation as I’ve entered my 40s, I was inspired by Crystal’s advice to her trainees, as well as her emphasis on mental health. And while I’ve never been a part of the fitness influencer world, it was interesting and eye-opening to see both the good and bad sides of it (similar to Bookstagram).

I loved Crystal’s support system, and I especially loved Grandma Flo and her matchmaking ways! But most of all, I loved how Crystal and Scott went from gym nemeses to lovers, and how even when outspoken, confident Crystal lost herself a little bit, she was able to find her way back and become even stronger.

Thank you to @berkleyromance and @netgalley for my gifted galley and the opportunity to read and review this one!

ARE YOU KIDDING ME! A CHRIS EVANS INSPIRED BOOK THAT DOES IT SO WELL! Such well thought out and relatable characters. This book truly oozes charisma!

Amy's note at the beginning of the book about content warnings was very kind, and I really appreciated that. Her passionate views on the importance of depicting marginalized heroines and tackling real and important issues made me truly excited to read it regardless of her warnings about fatphobia and diet and fitness culture, which are all triggers for me under certain circumstances. I have struggled with disordered eating and extreme dieting throughout my life. The writing is great and I love the body positivity, but I've been struggling with these triggers while reading and felt it best for me to stop. I only review books that I have read in their entirety (I don't think it's a fair or accurate review otherwise), so I will not be writing a formal review. I feel so bad about this, but I'm also proud of myself for being able to recognize that I was struggling. This is strictly a me thing and I have nothing against the author, her writing, or her story. I really loved the sound of the synopsis from the beginning, and it didn't occur to me that I might have trouble with it.

I really enjoyed this romcom and following the two main characters as their relationship developed. The discussion of body positivity was also really well done.

"Don't let anyone else dictate your worth. Ever."

CAN I JUST SAY, I LOVED THE AMOUNT OF ONE DIRECTION REFERENCES FROM THIS BOOK (yes, I love the boy band, in case you didn't know). Crystal Chen is a curvy fitness influencer who is an inspiration to many in community. After another breakup, Crystal decides no more men, and to instead spend more time at her favourite place: the gym. INCOMING: Scott Richie, everybody's favourite firefighter, and now Crystal's nemesis after he steals her favourite squat rack. The two start a rivalry over gym equipment, but of course, the sparks are also starting to fly. Despite the sparks, Crystal stays true to her word of staying away from men. BUT TO MAKE MATTERS WORSE, they run into each other at their grandparents' engagement, meaning they're stuck with each other whether they like it or not. As time goes on, the two start to bond over their families, their shared love for the gym, and their quirky personalitites. However, Crystal's still an influencer, and after a picture of the two of them goes insanely viral....CUE THE CHAOS. ALSO I AM IN LOVE WITH SCOTT. BECAUSE WHO DOESN'T LOVE A FIREFIGHTER.

This was an interesting read! I am a sucker for romance novels and this one hit just what I needed when I was in a slump! It is a sweet romance with two relatable main characters. If you are looking for a quick romance read, this one will sure do it!

I really enjoyed this contemporary romance! Crystal and Scott don't like each other and argue at the gym, but they have a funny mutual connection between their grandparents. Definitely a slower romance, and not super steamy, but I really liked it. Crystal was a great lead and there was much body positivity, which I like to see, as I also enjoy working out and have worked in gyms before.