Calling all romcom lovers!

Set on You was the charming and witty romantic comedy I was craving. An enemies to lovers romance between two gym rivals, featuring none other than a smug firefighter and a curvy fitness influencer.

Truly a delight, this romance was a compulsive read. The undeniable attraction, the smart banter, the loveable characters, the chemistry and humor within the pages. It all made for such an entertaining read.

Beginning with the characters, I loved their heart, their relatability, their desire to pursue both professional and personal goals and how this influenced the plot. Their adoration for their friends and family, and the incorporation of these side characters into the romance. The grandparents scheming! Too funny 😅

I loved the role of fate in bringing this couple together. I loved the message of body positivity and self acceptance, and the depth of this discussion within the novel. I enjoyed the addition of mixed media, and the growth of these characters despite their trials. The slow burn romance, the progression of their relationship from enemies-friends-lovers, their first kiss, the grand gesture, the steam. There was just so much that I enjoyed!

You'll definitely want to add this romcom to your list!

Thank you @berkleypub, @amyleabooks and @netgalley for my gifted copy! I can't wait to see what Amy Lea writes next! 🤍

It’s a case of not-quite-enemies to lovers in Set on You. Amy Lea’s debut romance is fun, empowering, and refreshingly honest. I adored Crystal and her nemesis turned hero, Scott.

Crystal Chen is a fitness influencer who is determined to ignore the haters and spread the message of body positivity. I absolutely loved that she’s a curvy fitness buff whose love for the gym isn’t tied to losing weight. She’s a smart, strong, easy to love heroine who I would dearly love to have as a friend. Crystal tries to brush off the haters but it doesn’t always work because she’s only human and trolls can be cruel. I won’t spoil the journey Crystal goes on over the course of the story, but I will say that I really liked that she had to dig deep and examine her outlook toward fitness, social media, what she shares, how she feels and why, and the message she’s spreading to her followers.

Crystal doesn’t have the best luck in love and her ex left her with major trust issues. Enter Squat Rack Thief…err…Scott Ritchie. I must confess, I didn’t like Scott at first. Since this book is written in the first person, we only see him from Crystal’s point of view and at first glance, Squat Rack Thief is no fun at all. However, once Crystal gets to know Scott her view of him – and thus mine – changed. Scott is a sexy as sin fireman, but more importantly he’s sweet, funny, kind, caring, and a bit of a dork. He’s almost too perfect really, but he is such a fun hero that said perfection didn’t make him cardboard. He and Crystal move from bickering to friendship to more and it was delightful; I was rooting for them every step of the way.

Set on You is an utterly charming romantic comedy with a great message. Lea writes about all different kinds of love in this story from romantic to familial to self-love. I adored Crystal and Scott’s book and I’m very much looking to reading more of Amy Lea’s work!

Romance featuring a main character who is not tiny! This story is a feel good, sexy romance featuring a lead character that all women can relate to and root for.

I adored this book! Crystal was so much fun to get to know and I loved her relationship with her family. I loved Scottie and the writing sucked me in from the beginning! I learned a lot about the fitsagram world!

This book had potential but.I hated how perfect the hero was. Nobody is that perfect. I like the heroine's journey to self-confidence.

Set on You was a super fun read.

This story has a sweet and fun enemies to lovers vibe between fitness influencer Crystal and her eventual boy friend Scott, who is a firefighter who is ~frequently~ compared to marvel superheroes throughout this book. The results? Lots of fun banter, a swoony worthy romance, and a good amount of spice!!!

Throughout the story readers watch Crystal, who is a plus-sized fitness influencer struggle with her self-doubt and internet trolls. Things get intense when Crystal posts a picture of her and Scott, which leads to Crystal taking a step back and evaluating her entire platform.

While a lot of people will find themselves drawn to this story looking for a fun romance, I think the best part of this story is watching Crystal finally acknowledge the idea that it's okay to not be okay sometimes. While the romance aspect makes this a fun read, I think the best part of it is watching Crystal reflect on the idea that sometimes being positive all the time can be harmful, and it is important to acknowledge bad days along with the good.

Also!!!! I loved the side characters, this was definitely a story where everyone feels important. I'm hoping this will develop into a situation where the authors future books will circle back to some of these side characters because I definitely want some more

This book is so adorable - I really loved Crystal and seeing a plus sized fitness influencer. The scenes in the gym with her, and then her and Scott, were hilarious, sweet, steamy. I did want more enemies before they went to the lovers part, but I loved the early tension. Overall, a super cute, mid-steamy book.

Now what I didn't love: the fatphobia. There is so much! From Crystal's family (the comparisons between her and her sister were horrible!). I hated where the story went especially the photo going viral and all the terrible comments. Even though it is realistic, I wanted a romance story without fatphobia and trauma for a fat character. There is fatphobia throughout the entire book so definitely be wary.

Favorite Quotes:

At every opportunity, Dad warns me of the dangers of posting my whereabouts on Instagram, lest I be kidnapped and sold into sex slavery, Taken style. Except Dad is no Liam Neeson. He doesn’t have “special skills,” aside from his legendary sesame chicken recipe.

The window rack is close enough to the industrial-size fan to savor a stiff breeze mid-sweat, but not close enough to succumb to wind-induced hypothermia. It’s also in the prime position for gawking at the television, which, for unknown reasons, is cruelly locked to the Food Network. I worship this squat rack the way Mother Gothel regards Rapunzel’s magic hair. It gives me life. Vigor. 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.

… he still pinches pennies, to the extreme. Tara and I even signed him up to be on TLC’s Extreme Cheapskates. When the producers called him and asked him to be on the show, he declined and refused to speak to us for five days.

His body is a work of art. It belongs in a Parisian museum, protected by velvet rope and an armored guard.

“Isn’t it funny, though? Grandma has a more active dating life than us.” She stares at the space on her finger where her massive princess-cut diamond used to sit. I’m half convinced one of the worst parts of her breakup was giving up the ring.

Even from an upward angle, the man is so hideously attractive, I’m convinced sorcery is at play.


My Review:

This was a fun read with endearing and quirky characters and a soul-pleasing message for those of us with a stacked rack. The storylines were engaging and jam-packed with sparkling humor and wry wit, as well as sprinklings of delectable bits of spice and scorching sensual scenes that had me seeking libation to rehydrate and calm my heart rate.

I waffled a bit on the star rating as while I enjoyed and savored the original and authentic cast and their engaging story threads and reveled in the effervescent jocularity, I could have done with less angst and far less gym workout details as I find repetitive inner conflict tedious and I am basically a slug and could care less how many torturous squats and vile exercises were completed. I confess to being inherently lazy and so far removed from the gym fitness culture that I needed to consult with Mr. Google for the definitions of swolemate and fitstagrammer.

However, when I rechecked my highlighted passages and favorite quotes I was again reminded of the cleverness of this perceptive scribe’s keenly overarching humor in her storytelling and incisive comical detailing, which balances out and overrules my petty complaints and personal pet peeves.

4.5 STARS

I love love loved this. Not only is it a cute and steamy gym meet-cute romance, but it deals with the ins and outs of body positivity and the harms of social media as well. And like... a firefighter hero inspired by Chris Evans? Say less. (Cue the obligatory "I can do this all day" line.) Can't wait to read more from Amy Lea!

So cute! Love the enemies to friends to lovers romance! Their competitive spirits were so fun and I'm glad that they continued that aspect of their relationship once they got together. The drama/conflict of the book STRESSED ME OUT!! But I loved how it helped Crystal grow and I loved seeing Scott's commitment to their relationship. Cute book that makes both the characters and you sweat for the happy ending.

Read/Listen If You Like:
❤️ Reading Diversely
❤️ An Average/Curvy size MC
❤️ Enemies to Friends to Lovers
❤️ Fitnstagrammers

Book Review:
This is a such a strong debut! I really enjoyed the enemies to more that we got from this one as I just love tension! I feel like tension and a he falls first plot are some of my favorites and this one delivered on both!

I really enjoyed the discussion of embracing your body and having respect for your body that came out of the discussion of Crystal being a ‘curvy’ fitness influencer and that defining health by size is not the right way to look at health and the toxicity of the body standards and commenters on the internet when someone is representing and discussing healthy choices but isn’t a size zero. This made me think a lot about Blogilates as Cassie who runs that account has been shaming for being too fat or too skinny at different times and she has talked about the mental health issues that Crystal too faced as a finstagrammer.

Thank you NetGalley and Berkley Romance for the ARC of this book! I am so thankful to obtain a copy to read in advance of its release!

This was such a fun read. I really enjoyed the central voice, and the way Lea used that voice to lend nuance to what is often an all or nothing conversation around confidence. I feel like there’s such pressure for women (both real and fictional) to be confident all the time these days, with anything but 100% positivity called out as being “unlikeable” or “un-fun.” I don’t know anyone who’s confident all the time, yet we all feel the pressure. I loved that Lea’s book addresses both the cultural pressures her heroine experiences, and the ones she perpetuates, herself, showing how we can become complicit in creating more of the problems we’re trying so hard to solve. As a reader who connects deeply with characters who struggle with the world’s messaging about what to value in oneself, a lot of the moments in this book really hit home.

And of course, while I was reading along, saying, “yes! That! Exactly!” I also got to experience a fun and flirty romance with a handsome, doting fireman and the passionate fitness guide he swiftly comes to adore. We also have a fabulous older couple planning a wedding, a joyful dog, lots of wit, and some truly lovely family scenes that flesh out the heroine’s world beyond her romance. Overall: a lovely balance between romance and personal journey, and a meaningful look at the complexities of social media that’s bound to resonate with a lot of readers.

Crystal Chen is a health and fitness influencer and personal trainer. She's curvy, and out to show the world that curvy girls can love fitness and going to the gym too. She's fresh from a nasty breakup and not looking for anyone new right now.

Enter Scott Ritchie, firefighter, and Crystal's gym nemesis.

After butting heads at the gym on more than one occasion, followed by a steamy make-out session (the line between love and hate is pretty thin) Scott and Crystal find out that their grandparents are an item and they're soon to be related by marriage.

I wanted to love this one so much, it had all the things that would usually excite me in a book...self-made body-positive leading lady, a smokin' hot fireman, and a bit of enemies to lovers. But I just found myself bored throughout the book. There were parts that I really enjoyed, but overall I found Crystal extremely irritating. She was so rude and awful to Scott that I just didn't buy him still wanting to date her after the way she was treating him. Then once they started hanging out I just didn’t feel the chemistry.

From others I’ve spoken to I’m in the minority on this one though so I'm planning on coming back and trying again later in hopes that it was just the wrong book at the wrong time.

Thank you to the publisher and net galley for the gifted e- copy.

I remember when Amy, a fellow bookstagrammer, announced that she was writing a book...I remember when she announced it had been picked up by Berkley....and I remember being nervous because I was like "oh no, what if I read it and don't like it?"

You guys, I LOVED IT.

Enemies to lovers, positive body image messages, the perfect amount of steam, sarcasm, several laugh out loud moments...this book had it all. Even mentions of Bookstagram, which I was excited about! Now, I can't wait for Tara's book!!

I will definitely be purchasing a physical copy for my home library.

I participated in the Berkley Summer zoom a couple weeks ago, and heard Amy talk about her book. Just hearing how excited she was about pub day and about her book got me even more excited. I loved hearing her and the other authors talk about their upcoming releases.

If you are looking for a fun and easy read with strong chemistry, a bit of steam, and a relatable curvy women influencer as the main character, look no further!
⠀

i can tell you that this read was a roller coaster, we had an enemies to lovers relationship to be honest... some moments i was obsessed and living my life reading it and the second before getting annoyed as hell

what attracted me to the story was the enemies to lovers trope, the fact that the romance was in a gym and the FMC was a curvy half asian influencer.

the book started so well, i was so stunned because it was so good, the banter, the tension was insane. it got me giggling and tapping my fit like never ever before. the bickering was epic and how fun gym rivals is???? the tension was excruciating it gave me the hots

scott&crystal have a nice relationship, which i liked following. i love the underlying subject of self-confidence, society's view on our body and a bit about being a person of color. it is a good, cute, STEAMY (the tension an actual spice WAS GOOD), that in my opinion is for a specific audience of romcoms lovers

this book was such a fun read!

you have crystal who is a fitness influencer who owns her curvy body and inspires others and scott who is a hot firefighter and have them meet in a gym.

loved loved their back and forth as enemies at the gym! their banter, his pickup lines, and both denying but also not denying their attraction to one another? a moment!

it’s a little cheesy at times and has so many pop culture references which might be a turn off for others but I didn’t mind it.

loved crystal and was able to relate to her and loved how she owned her body type and her struggles were something I think many people can relate to.

yes I wanted to scream at crystal for pushing scott away but as you learned more about her internal dialogue as to why she did what she did, it made sense. her grand gesture was so cute 😭

would have loved to see their relationship develop more but besides that, I had so much fun reading this!

Soo many great books have been released this year, and this is another one to add to your list! Set on You was a fantastic debut from Amy Lea and one you'll want to pick up if you're a fan of the following:

-Enemies to Lovers
-Witty Banter and Cheesy Pickup Lines
-Great Representation
-Body Positivity
-Gym Inspo

One of my favorite parts is that the main character, Crystal, is a fitstagrammer, and I loved reading her actual Instagram posts, so fun! Also, her sister is a bookstagrammer! I can't wait for what's next from Amy Lea!

SET ON YOU is Amy Lea’s debut novel and it is a delight! It’s a contemporary romance that focuses on fitness, features a plus size heroine and her sexy gym rival, but that also shines a light on the unfair standards our society has when it comes to beauty and anyone who isn’t a size zero.

The protagonist Crystal Chen is a biracial curvy fitness influencer. The gym is her happy place and she doesn’t go there to lose weight. She goes there because she loves to lift weights. Being strong and healthy is her goal. Her social media channels are devoted to supporting others like her who aren’t a size zero but who are looking to improve their overall fitness. She posts workout tutorials and lots of support and encouragement. Crystal is such a fabulous character. I loved that she embraced her curves and that she worked so hard to inspire others and keep them motivated to achieve their goals. I also liked that even though she’s so inspirational, she also comes across as a realistic and relatable character, and sometimes she’s a downright hot mess.

The romantic element of the story is fresh and fun too, as it centers on Crystal and her gym nemesis. Crystal is meticulous and regimented when it comes to her gym workouts. For that reason, she doesn’t take too kindly to Scott, the new guy at the gym, a sexy firefighter who seems to be going out of his way to be annoying, even taking equipment that she is clearly about to use. Now I’ll admit that some of Scott’s antics were a little juvenile, but it was hilarious watching him get under her skin, especially when she starts referring to him as Squat Rack Thief. It’s pretty obvious that Scott is attracted to Crystal and trying to get her attention, and it’s equally obvious that no matter how mad Crystal gets at the Squat Rack Thief, she is pretty obsessed with him.

The evolution of their relationship is adorable too. Crystal and Scott are forced to relate to each other as something other than rivals when they realize that Crystal’s grandmother has been dating and wants to marry Scott’s grandfather. Getting to see each other outside of the competitive gym environment really helped take their relationship to the next level. Crystal begins to think of Scott in ways she never would have imagined, while Scott becomes one of Crystal’s biggest supporters when it comes to both her career and her fitness, working out with her and even helping her film workouts for her social media account. Both of their families are great too, and I especially enjoyed watching the grandparents embrace a second chance for love. They were so sweet together!

Aside from the fun rivals to lovers romance, Set On You also does a lot to tackle those unfair perceptions about size and beauty and it offers some interesting commentary on the body positivity movement and the effect internet trolls and haters can have on a person’s self esteem. As much as I enjoyed the romance between Crystal and Scott, Crystal’s work to inspire others and to honestly talk about her struggles with her own perception of her curvy body really made this a powerful read in addition to being a super fun one. If you’re looking for an entertaining and timely read to toss in your beach bag this summer, definitely check out Set On You!

This book was a bit tough for me to rate. I thought I was going to love it because the main character was curvy and I love when there’s different forms of representation. But I felt like there was *something* missing. I have no idea what, and I think it’s a me problem. Anyway, that’s where I landed with it. Also, this review is going to be insanely long so feel free to roll your eyes at me and move on. I’ll understand.

I absolutely loved the writing! I thought it flowed so easily, and I really enjoyed the Instagram posts scattered throughout. I liked that Crystal, the main character, was an influencer on IG. That’s such a unique profession that I don’t often get to read about, so I found that to be so fun. I also loved the secondary characters and found that they were a nice addition to the story.

Unfortunately, I couldn’t really get on board with Crystal. I did think a lot of her inner monologue was hilarious, but I struggled with her reactions to things. I also didn’t understand the conflict near the end of the book and I really felt like she was overreacting. And I grew tired of hearing about how attractive Scott was. I get it, he’s muscly. The constant focus on his looks actually took a lot away from his character for me. I stopped picturing a man and started picturing a muscly blob.

I was hoping that I would feel a connection to this book because I’m an overweight woman (and I NEVER see myself as a lead in books/movies/shows…I can think of two examples where the fat girl isn’t there for comedic relief). Anyway, Crystal was only ever described as curvy, and it was made abundantly clear that she ate super healthy and worked out all the time. Maybe I’m more triggered by body stuff than I realized, but I felt an undertone of shame for those of us who are bigger and really struggling with motivation and food addiction and yes, we are big because of it.

I feel like I’m rambling. And the author did a wonderful job of trying to represent others. She wrote a great story, and I’m sure many of you would love it. I really do encourage you to give it a try!! But for me, my issues stem deeper than I realize and I didn’t get as much out of this one as others might.

Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group for my eARC! I have posted this review on my Goodreads and my Bookstagram account (@janinesbookcorner).