3.5/5 stars

This was such a delightful time. Celebrity romances are always a good time, and this was no exception to that (very subjective) rule. This book was extremely engaging, easy to read and was full of fun characters. Definitely a good book to read if you’re looking for a cute romance and a fast pick-me-up.

Nina Rice has almost given up on her dream of being a screenwriter, but she is convincing herself that her talent agency job is enough for her. An up and coming queer actress, Ari Fox, calls a meeting with her talent agency and hits it off right away with Nina. These women are at completely different places in their lives, but can’t seem to keep away from each other with their easy banter and instant chemistry.

Despite being a celebrity romance, this book felt refreshingly down-to-earth. Ari and Nina’s relationship felt so natural . It was super sweet and full of easy flirtation. While this book definitely touched on some heavier topics, especially regarding Nina’s personal insecurities, it had an overall really light feel. While it was definitely sweet and enjoyable, the miscommunication between the characters was a bit frustrating. The drawing out of the conflict didn’t make that much sense to me, and made the middle of the book drag more than it should have. Nonetheless, it was still and enjoyable read, but not necessarily one that will stick with me.

Nina Rice went through a heart crushing breakup three year ago, losing her friends in the aftermath. Despite being an aspiring L.A. scriptwriter, she's content in her current job working for a talent agency from home, managing celebrity email accounts. But, a surprise meeting called by Ari Fox, a young queer actress on everyone’s radar, stirs up all kinds of feelings Nina thought she’d deleted for good.

I loved the chemistry and relationship between Nina and Ari, which moved at a relatively fast pace (bless the Sapphic Gods!!!). Their dates were really cute, especially the one at TGI Fridays with the Andy Warhol-style portrait of David Hasselhoff. Not only that, but the way they respected their partners boundaries, which should be the norm, is so important. Even before they got together, Ari, thinking Nina was asexual or aromantic, built a platonic friendship simply because she enjoyed her company.

The saddest theme "For Your Consideration" explores is Nina's coping mechanism, hiding, due to internal struggles and catastrophizing the outcome, assuming everyone hates her. She abandons those who love her before they can leave her, despite them not wanting to leave. It's a very human response, but it is annoying on page. I think her friends would've pushed harder when she disappeared the first time, not allowing multiple years to go by before a confrontation. That said, the side characters, specifically Nina's friends, are AH-MAZING! From the support they give her, to the whole dynamic of the group, to the found family trope, I love every last one of them. I need a Lorna in my life too, I'm so glad Nina always had her.

Some final thoughts: This story has a plus sized mc and promotes body positivity which is absolutely wonderful; there was a huge emphasis on self-love. I think there was too much emphasis on Nina's ex-girlfriend Taylor who is a toxic bitch. "For Your Consideration" also suffered from some pacing issues; the story moved very slowly in the middle and I think it could've been 50-100 pages shorter to avoid this. Finally, the breakup didn't feel big enough to cause Nina and Ari to split and was placed for drama/plot reasoning.

Overall, this lesbian romance is foxy and I highly recommend it!

For those who love the insightful writing styles of Sophie Kinsella, Beth O’Leary, or Casey McQuiston, Amy Spalding writes a romantic, yet cautionary tale of just how impacting the affects of a toxic relationship can truly be. This slower paced queer romance was made for anyone who has suffered a life altering break up and may have not made it to the other side, or worst yet - for those close to someone who has yet to realize their friend/sibling/parent may be slowly losing themselves in a toxic relationship. Amy reminds the reader that it is ok if you are not right for someone as that someone may be completely wrong for you. Don’t lose who you are to keep someone who may not deserve you.

What I liked about this book: Initially reading this book, truth be told, I was bored - not because it wasn’t able to capture my attention; but because, like Nina - I couldn’t see the forest for the trees. I was introduced to Nina running late to meet her girlfriend Taylor, causing her to hit a pedestrian, so the words Taylor subsequently uttered were valid and the break up was justified. Joining Nina three years later, I too believed what she was doing was for the best if she was truly that much of a burden - until I was allowed to see who Nina was through the eyes of those around her. Being privy to the world she shut out, suddenly my curiosity got the best of me, pulling me into the story and stirring a strong sense of suspicion that Taylor may have been more toxic than perspective. What broke my heart and made me want to hold on to Nina was constantly watching Taylor’s words poison everything good in her life. Amy did an amazing job of slowly burrowing into my heart; hoping, wishing, praying that Nina would finally realize Taylor for who/what she was and stop standing in the way of her own happiness.

What I didn’t like about the book: Nothing, I love everything about this book. I loved how much Nina evolved and the ying/yang of her and Ari. I loved how much friendship played a role in Nina’s growth and support as well as a reminder that a therapist is the most important ingredient when attempting to heal. Most of all I loved when we went full circle and Nina crossed paths with Taylor again, she had no idea how her night was going to end but she finally got the closure her heart needed to open for Ari. She became who she was meant to be, in her own time, letting go of a sense of foreboding that was suffocating herself.

Words cannot begin to describe the impact this book will have. The first thing I wanted to do when I finished was recommend it to a good friend who I swear could have been Nina, with the same list of faults given to her by her former girlfriend, making parts of this story more real than fiction for me. Amy’s message of love, forgiveness, redemption, mental health, and acceptance is the golden combination of what makes a good book a lasting memory.

I found this book a little slow to get into, however when I did, I found the characters quite charming and not the standard drop dead georgeous types so that was refreshing. There was nothing new about the storyline but just enjoyable all the same. A nice read.

hmmmm this book wasn't my absolute favorite read of the year but it was still and enjoyable read and a novel I would recommend.

Amy Spalding's FOR HER CONSIDERATION is a book with a sweet, cute storyline about a physically invisible (you know the type; heck, I *am* the type!) and socially unavailable (I mean, she ghosted *every friend she had!*) Hollywood agent's communication assistant named Nina, who somehow hooks the romantic interest of a sexy starlet. (Hey, relationships, and narratives, can totally be preposterous if we believe in them enough!) I loved the progression of this romance, and the absurd timing of it--which turns out to make complete sense just before the ending.

The ending, speaking of which, surprised me. So much character growth revealed there for the main character Nina, whom I admit I didn't love at first. But I did love all the ways she shaped up through her experiences! Also, I appreciated that this romance features more than one adorable gay couple (one of whom illustrates the challenges of trying to adopt a baby) and all their loving, strong found family, including Lorna, Nina's aunt and perhaps primary motivation throughout the story.

I didn't like all the "oh's" and "of course's" because they slowed down the reading. By my rough estimate, there are 115 instances of the interjection, "Oh!" and 133 of the interjection "Of Course." Now, those are two very distracting linguistic quirks that need editing out. At 600 pages, the version of the book I read can definitely be trimmed. However I did like this book, especially the denouement. I'm a sucker for a happy ending 💗🥲

Rating 3.5 stars rounded up
Finished October 2022
Recommended to fans of contemporary romance, gay romance, HEA, Second Chance and You've Changed tropes, Hollywood romance

After some consideration (see what I did there? :D), I’ve decided not to recommend this book. It was enjoyable, but much like the last serving of orange chicken at Panda Express…it’s not really worth it.

What ruined the story for me was the chemistry between the two leads (or lack thereof). I was expecting fireworks, but instead I got…whatever it is you get when you rub your socks on the carpet. While Amy Spalding undoubtedly has a talent for seamlessly incorporating context and texture to the story, I think she struggles with dialogue. Whenever I saw an opening to build banter in conversation, Spalding would cut it short and move on. This is a big issue when the crutch of your story is supposed to be the romance developing between Nina and Ari.

Things were looking up towards the second half, but I was abruptly pulled downhill at the climax. From the beginning, I was expecting “the fallout” that hallmarks the romance genre. I expected things to blow up in a big way. Yet, the reason for the fallout was so underwhelming and small that I was genuinely annoyed for the rest of the story.

All in all, this book was “alright.” I know I complained a lot, but my rating confirms there were at least some cute moments sprinkled throughout.

Side Note
I’m incredibly grateful that Net Galley and Kensington Books granted me a copy of “For Her Consideration” in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this sparkling, sweet romance. There was something so cute about how Ari called Nina “Nina Rice” and Lorna called her “Nina Louise”, like they had these special names for her because of their special relationships. The group of friends was great and so well-done, and they all had their own clear personalities that shone through. It made me dream of having my own tight knit brunch group someday. There was a little bit of frustration on my part about Nina’s life after Taylor and how much she cut herself off from the world, but then again I guess that makes her real - real people make different choices than I would (plus I’ve had more therapy than she has 😅). This was a fabulous story with great characters and I can’t wait to see what the author writes next!

3.5 stars.

Thank you, NetGalley, Amy Spalding and Kensington Publishing for an early access copy of this book in return for an honest review.

I was drawn to this book because of the representation of a lesbian couple and a plus-sized woman. I loved the addition of announcing pronouns when they met each other- I think having this more in different media will allow it to become a more typical social act. I loved the mix of LGBTQ+ characters in the novel, we had some gay marriage (with the addition of adoption), a non-binary character (who also mentions the possibility of polyamory), as well as the main same-sex, lesbian couple. I think all of the characters added to some amazing representation that is missing from many of the recent popular novels. I also enjoyed that when Nina said she "didn't date" there was no push from Ari, it was assumed that she was asexual - another push to normalizing these choices.

Ari and Nina's relationship was super cute, I loved reading about a same-sex relationship. I also loved that there were some sex scenes that actually went more in-depth and were accurate toward lesbian sex. I loved the little dates that they went on at the beginning and the thoughts that ran through Nina's mind. I really wish we would have gotten some dual-POV moments throughout this book. I enjoy knowing what is going on in the mind of the opposing character. I liked the ending and the resolution between the two characters. It was very predictable though, I felt as though I was waiting for it to happen.

The friend group that is consistent throughout the novel is a breath of fresh air and I absolutely loved the support that they give Nina. They are there for her throughout everything- despite her pulling away from them for 3 years after a nasty breakup. I just love the dynamic between the whole group and how welcoming and kind they are. Nina's aunt is also such an amazing character addition, especially because other than her group of friends; she doesn't really have any family.

The reasoning behind the 3.5 is due to how long the book is, I felt as though it could have been at least 100-150 pages shorter. A lot of the scenes seemed to drag on and I felt them a bit useless and didn't add much to the plot. Otherwise, the characters and the relationship were extremely cute! I recommend this one to anyone looking for a simple lesbian relationship book, with some amazing characters.

I needed a quick break from my creepy fall reads...I was starting to look under my bed before going to sleep!!! 👀 So thank you Kensington Books for this ARC! Perfect timing! Pub date 02/21/2023 ✌️

Set in La, we follow our MC, Nina Rice who is very much lonely. After a brutal break up with her ex, she also lost her friends in the aftermath. Since then, she barely leaves the house and her dream of becoming a writer is shadowed by her busy job. Enter Ari Fox, the new actress everyone is talking about in LA. She is confident, queer and knows exactly what she wants. And that might just be Nina Rice.

This book was so much more than a romance story. It was, at heart, a love letter to the importance of friendship and companionship 🙌

The chemistry between the leads was so sweet. I absolutely adored Nina and Ari 🥺 The respect both women have for each other was literal relationship goals. There are a few sexy scenes but they were more cute and tender than spicy. The descriptions are so well written. I have never been to California, but let me tell you, it feels like I have now. The only thing that irked me a bit were Nina’s inner dialogs. At times they got a little tiresome and repetitive. I would have loved to see a bit more of Ari’s POV instead.

Lessons Learned

- One of the saddest themes of this book was the assumptions Nina makes regarding how her friends feel about her. Immediately catastrophizing the outcome and assuming everyone hates her. I can totally relate to this and I loved to see the healing process of their friendships alongside the romance!

- Respect your partner's boundaries, even if you don’t understand them. Can’t dive into this without spoiling the book, so I guess you’ll have to read it!!

- Love your body as it is. I absolutely adored that Nina and Ari have completely different body types and that it was not a big deal. Just attraction. ugh so good!

notes

- Lorna is aunt goals. I need a "what would Lorna do?" sign for my office ASAP.

- Steve might in fact be Schrödinger's cat🐈

-The cover art is ❤️

Sadly could not really get into this book. I felt like I was unable to connect with the characters. It was ok for me but a bit slow

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for the eArc of this novel!

I love the body positivity in this book! The cover is what drew my towards it, but I feel in love with the characters and I cannot wait to read the paper version of this book!

I love the found family aspect! While I am not queer myself, I see my friends and those I love finding peace and security in the found family aspect and I think that is so important for people to read and learn about. I also love the celebrity/Hollywood romances, this is my second on in a month and it is a troupe I adore!

As always I am going to re-read the physical copy of this book when it comes out! I feel that physical copies can give a different feel as well. This is one I am going to pick up!

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for allowing me to read this book. This was adorable! It was so fun to read! I loved the queer friendships and the healthy relationships. As well as the relationship that the main character had with her aunt. It felt so relatable! And it was nice to see the opposite trope of Hollywood where the older one of the relationship was the clumsy. Awkward one. 4 ⭐️

*3.5

Thank you for the ARC!
This was a fun romance books with a dynamic I really enjoyed. However, I felt like it suffered from some pacing issues within certain parts of the book, especially during moments of conflict.
I loved that Nina was plus sized and confident about it, it is something I always love to see in a character and Ari was charming.

***THIS POST CONTAINS LIGHT SPOILERS***

When I saw I was approved for an ARC of For Her Consideration I did a little dance, I won’t lie. The cover drew me in right away and I'm a sucker for a celebrity romance.

So let’s get into it. The book starts off with a prologue punch to the gut. Our MC, Nina, is desperately trying to meet her girlfriend, Taylor, on time to reverse their breakup. Taylor, who I hated right away, broke up with Nina by writing her an email listing TWELVE things about Nina she didn’t like, one being Nina is always late. I think Taylor forgets they live in LA. I don’t even live in LA, but I know how bad the traffic is. Anyways, Nina and Taylor don’t get back together (thank God!) and chapter one starts 3 years later.

After the breakup, Nina, heartbroken and convinced her friends turned on her like Taylor did, wants to be alone and moves into her aunt’s condo in Santa Clarita. Not only has she moved, she also has given up her dream to write television scripts and is now responsible for email correspondences for celebrities, including our second MC, Ari Fox. Ari is a big name actress in the queer community and wants to meet with Nina and her boss to discuss the emails being sent as her. Ari, often described as difficult by Nina’s boss, wants to ensure the emails feel like her and asks Nina to meet her for drinks one night. Nina and Ari meet for drinks and it’s the start of a beautiful friendship, which of course, leads into a very sweet romance.

For Her Consideration is a very swoony read and I highly enjoyed it. Nina is relatable and Ari is now one of my favorite book characters ever. It highlights the importance of found family, with a group of secondary characters I would die for, especially Max and Lorna. It’s about finding and trusting yourself again after a bad breakup, how bad experiences can leave you with imposter syndrome but you are good enough, and in the end, even good people mess up sometimes. Overall, I really enjoyed this book. It’s pretty low angst, but with some relationship and personal issues to overcome, and I promise you’ll fall in love with Nina and Ari.

I received an ARC from Kensington Books through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

4 /5 stars.

I really enjoyed the writing style with this one! Spalding did a great job building a star-studded cast, and I think this book resonated with me due to my own personal gravitation toward celebrity romances. This had some great elements: found family, emphasis on self-love, amazing side characters. I do think the pace was quite slow throughout and a third-act breakup can be frustrating, but I completely understood the character's motivations for doing so in the book. This book also dragged a bit. I think there was maybe a little too much emphasis on Taylor, but their actions did have a large influence over Nina.

Chosen family trope and fat lesbian joy!!! I could not read it fast enough!!!

For real, seeing a fat lesbian main character get to experience joy, whilst also being allowed to have a nuanced existence, be messy and make mistakes..but still get a happy ending - I could not stop smiling throughout this book. Nina and Ari's relationship was so gorgeous to watch unfold, and Nina's friendship group reminded me so starkly of my own, it was as though I was reading through a lens of how my besties act at brunches.

My only frustration was the continued abandonment of said chosen family when times got tough - I understand that Nina carries baggage and emotional insecurity from her last relationship, but I wanted to see her talk this through, not just run when things got hard. Again, I understand this is a very human experience, but I truly believe her friends would've pushed for her to communicate more openly earlier to resolve things quicker.

Overall, a really really cute read that I will certainly be revisiting!

This was an easy to read, cute, contemporary romance.

Nina lives a very secluded life as a ghostwriter for a talent agency, after an ex-girlfriend gives her 12 reasons why she was broken up with. However, Nina is forced into an in-person meeting when she learns that a client isn't happy with how she's been handling their emails. She meets up and coming actress Ari Fox and begins her infatuation with the starlet. The two form a fast friendship and then a forbidden relationship. Nina tries to put aside the toxic things that her ex has said, while trying to maintain her friendships and relationships.

I appreciate how confident Spalding made our heroine. I firmly believe there's not enough books written from a queer person's point of view and I enjoyed learning about the LGBTQIA+ community through Nina's eyes.
However, Nina's confidence is completely contradicted the fact that the whole book was Nina believing the awful things that her ex has said about her. She never seeks validation or correction from those closest to her, and instead choses to live in seclusion for 4 years minus seeing her Great-Aunt Lorna for weekly lunches. (Meanwhile I LOVE Lorna and everyone needs this no-nonsense voice of reason in their life).
Even when she is welcomed back into her group of friends, she immediately resorts back to what one toxic person said about her and makes that her whole personality.
Ari is a charming person who tries to help Nina become better, even when Nina may not want it. She may be overly pushy, but sometimes we all need that in our life.
Personally I felt like the book was a little slow and repetitive at times, especially when it seemed like Taylor and her "reasons Nina sucks" were mentioned constantly.

Nina's friends were such breaths of fresh air as well! It shows how friends truly are just as, if not more, important than some family. They were the friends every person deserves to have, even when we don't think we do.
Overall, I definitely think this is worth reading at least once, and I look forward to more adult novels from Amy!

The biggest thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for the eArc of this novel!

I was on a romance high this summer so this book could not have landed in my inbox at a worse time just when that high was crashing down. But I made a commitment and I read it. And it was a good book but I’m a mood reader and was really not in the mood for a contemporary romance. Me this summer would have devoured this book.

This was actually my first sappihc book that I’ve read and I loved the lesbian spice being bi myself and I felt so seen in Nina with all her insecurites. I loved the relationships she had with her friends and her aunt but I just couldn’t for some reason make myself like Ari. I can’t really put my finger on it but I just didn’t like her.

I would recommend this book to anyone that likes sapphic books even though I’m giving it 3 stars, I’m sorry but Ari is taking that fouth star down with her.

For Her Consideration was a refreshing take on a main character who doesn't have a body matching the stereotype for a female from LA. Amy Spalding does a nice job of weaving in terms like fat friendly and body positive. Nina's lack of desire to change her body was perhaps the most refreshing part. She loved her body, thought she was beautiful, and others did too. A plus size doesn't need resolution by the end of the book.

Spalding's representation of characters across the queer spectrum and representation of racially diverse characters was a breath of fresh air.

Nina's (and Ari's) found family was perhaps the most enjoyable part of the book. Authors should take note. It's possible to write a group of friends who have different characteristics and personalities, and even different ways of expressing love.

The running jokes were icing on the cake (Nina Rice). Finding another book this entertaining this month will be as difficult as finding Ari's cat.