I would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book.

I loved this book. It was delightful, caring, and real. I felt that Nina was so relatable. I loved all of her friends, and I cherished her passion with Ari. It was so body positive and full of friends and family and found family. I can’t wait to tell everyone to read it and fall in love with Nina and Ari!

💖 I loved everything about this book!

💖 The two FMC’s are perfection and so well developed. I especially loved Ari and the way little bits of her “controlling” personality would come out when she was really just feeling so passionate or misunderstood.

💖 I related to Nina so hard and loved seeing fat representation, and spoken about so positively on the page. She was insecure but not about who she was inherently or what she looked like.

💖 This book felt like a warm hug of friendships and discovering yourself and being gentle and patient with your goals/ambitions. One of my favorite parts of this book was the friendship group that Nina had. My one concern is when she disappears the first time 3 years ago, none of them seemed to really do the hard work of reaching out when it happened. I was glad that it was addressed and while Nina was the culprit of her isolation, I do wish her friends had taken accountability as well and tried harder.

Thank you to Kensington Books and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

I'm walking away from this with positive, but overall mixed, feelings. On the positive side, I loved the romance between our two main characters. This definitely starts out as a slow burn, but once the two got together I was kicking my heels squealing. The scenes of them just starting to trust each other, starting to fall in love--those were magical. I love that this was a celebrity romance without some miscommuication/publicity stunt/tabloid story being cause for the main conflict. The sex scenes were well written and once the characters got together, they had great chemistry. There's also a great found family cast in this novel that reminds of how I imagine the L-word Gen Q would be if I watched it.

However, I did struggle a lot with the pacing--this book is slow to start and if I hadn't had an ARC, I don't know if I would have finished it, which is a pity because right when I was about to DNF is when it got really good. I hope others can see it through too. Part of the reason I almost DNF'd was because of the characters...I found them really lacking chemistry, honestly, until I hit that point where they confessed their feelings and all of sudden there was undeniable chemistry and the entire book turned around for me.

Some of my struggles are also in the "it's not you, it's me" category. While romance is a key component of this story, this is most definitely a contemporary novel, focused on Nina's character, in and out of the relationship. Maybe it's just my love of dual-POV romances, but I just really wanted to learn a bit more about Ari and her feelings toward Nina, but alas. While I liked Nina, I did struggle with how,,,,millennial she is. Not a bad thing, but not for me!

Because of the slow pace, I don't think this will be a BookTok darling, but I do think there is an audience for this, and I really hope that audience finds it, because it will definitely make a select crowd of twenty-somethings and thirty-somethings feel seen.

4 stars

This was a really fun, sweet, and (mostly) lighthearted queer romance. I liked the main characters, felt the chemistry and connection between them, and enjoyed their story. I would recommend this one to anybody looking for a fun f/f romcom, and I’ll definitely be keeping an eye out for future books from this writer.

This couple is so darn cute! I loved reading about Ari, a rising queer movie star, and Nina, the behind the scenes agency underling who ghostwrites her emails. The first time they meet in person, they immediately love spending time together and have a blast doing regular person stuff. They’re friends, but there’s definitely chemistry brewing, then their spark suddenly ignites and it’s soooo good!

Nina’s friends are the best and the way Amy Spalding wrote them, I felt like I was part of the brunch crew. I hope she writes more romances with this group!

There’s a lot of lack of communication in this book, which I’ve heard is a romance deal-breaker for some people, but every time I got frustrated with Nina, I reflected upon the fact that she was a lot like me and maybe it was just a bit too close to home…I don’t mind messy characters or relationships as long as they’re resolved well and this one, with the help of Nina’s amazing friends, definitely was. I loved Nina’s personal journey to believing in herself and realizing what she wanted.

Special shoutouts to the wonderful fat rep. and to Steve, the comically invisible cat.

Thanks to NetGalley and Kensington books for giving me an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

4/5 stars

thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for an eARC of this book!

okay i would like to preface this by saying i have read two sapphics-in-hollywood books before this, one that i DNF-ed and one that i gave 1 star, so i was really weary about starting this one right after the aforementioned 1 star read. however. this book really changed my mind on the whole sapphics-in-hollywood trope!!!!!

for her consideration is a story about found family and growing in the face of heartache. the story follows nina rice 3 years after a bad breakup that caused her to flee the life she had built, along with the people in it. nina is super comfortable staying like this, until she meets ari fox, an up and coming actress, through her job. they hit it off, and along with reconnecting with old friends, this is the catalyst that drives nina back into doing what she loves most- scriptwriting!

i docked a star because the third act breakup felt really muddled and i didn’t even realize it was happening until a few pages later. i also did find myself getting annoyed with ari at times, but this was all addressed in the resolution of things. but, overall, I found this story so enjoyable and was often smiling at my kindle in excitement at the way the relationship between nina and ari played out. it felt organic and real, even with the hollywood and fame aspect of it all. i really related to nina as someone with similar insecurities, and i enjoyed seeing the way her mindset changed throughout the book. the found family aspect was also one of my favorite things, i adored seeing the way nina’s chosen family welcomed her back into their circle without any hesitations. it felt so real and i felt like i was actually a part of this little queer found family from the pages, in the absolute best way!!

im always on the lookout for a good sapphic romance that feels organic and has me smiling and kicking my feet, and this definitely fit the bill <3 you will also probably end up with a crush on both characters like me but, this is sign that the book is worth reading!!!

3/5 stars

Thank you to Netgalley and Kensington books for granting me with an eARC for review!

This was a fun read! I thought the couple was really cute, and I enjoyed all the pining. Also love a good age gap. I will say, however... Nina was so annoyingly oblivious that it took me out of the story a few times! Like damn girl.... She likes you!!! Take a hint!

Another thing I disliked, and this is with every romance novel lately, is the third act break up. I'm tired of it!!! I need it to end!!! It's just not a creative way to add any sort of tension or obstacles for the main couple, and I don't know if it's something required of the romance genre these days, but something's gotta change because it's getting OLD.

Anyway. I did think this was cute and I love the amount of sapphic romances we've been getting as of late, but I just wish authors would cool it with the third act breakup. If you like fun romances, though, this might be the one for you!

this one is so relatable as it delves into giving love a second chance after heartbreak. i enjoyed the way this book explored body positivity/neutrality, and am so glad to see a sapphic romance that doesn’t centre entirely around a coming out experience, and that involves a character with a bigger body. it wasn’t the most fast paced in my opinion, but i still found myself rooting for the characters, both main and secondary, to get their happy endings. i got this as an e-book arc, but i would go out and buy a physical copy as well!

So first things first, this book has some really great things going for it…

1. While the romance is obviously very central to the story, a lot of attention is paid to Nina’s relationships with her friends and family and at work. Nina’s growth throughout the book relied heavily on people outside of her romantic relationship and those relationships felt as important as her relationship with Ari.

2. Nina's issues might stem from a bad breakup, but I feel that any reader who has struggled with depression and self-imposed isolation will be able identify with her struggles.

3. Nina is a curvy girl who loves her body and we don’t have to really deal with a lot of (any?) derogatory comments about her body. I feel the representation was done really well—without dwelling too much on Nina’s body.

4. Nina's profession was unlike any that I've read about before. Ghostwriting celebrity emails—is that really a thing? It felt super original and gave a whole extra layer of interest to the book.

Now, I do feel that there were quite a few things that didn't feel completely worked out. Many times the tension that Spalding created felt forced and characters actions didn't feel very realistic. The pacing was also off at times, especially towards the end.

I usually prefer the romances I read to be from both characters' perspectives, but having only Nina's perspective worked quite well here. The chapter titles were a much appreciated touch -- I've always loved them but they seem to have gone out of style a while ago.

Nina was a fascinating character to follow. Her anxieties, even if they seemed irritating at times, were completely justified within the context of her past. She was well formed and unique. Ari was a very entertaining love interest, she was fun and you could tell she had hidden troubles and such.

Nina's friends were well formed and unique but a certain spoilery fact made me confused as it seemed a little strange but. What can you do. I did love Lorna, she was great.

Ari and Nina's romance was actually very cute and enjoyable, even if the third act conflict was irritatingly miscommunication-y.

Here's the thing though: it kind of felt like there was no point to the story throughout the middle of the story because the main plot line and romance kind of stagnated.

Overall, a great book! Very entertaining if not overly memorable.

A queer romcom with a plus-size MC? Sign me the fuck up. Hell, Ms. Spalding, you did not disappoint. For Her Consideration was one of my most anticipated reads, and I'm forever grateful for being able to acquire a NetGalley ARC. It was a sweet and genuine romcom with a couple whose relationship did not feel forced. Everything about them fitted together like a perfect little puzzle. My favorite part? Nina was relatable and represented a part of the queer community that gets left out in many stories. Occasionally, I felt like Ari wasn't as well-developed as she could've been. Still, it all worked out exceptionally with how her character came off and how Nina interpreted her.
All in all, I think this book is a must-read for everyone who enjoys cute Hollywood romcoms!

This is a sweet and thoughtful sapphic romance set against the backdrop of the Hollywood "biz."

What I liked:
• Fat girl rep (yes, I use that word to destigmatize it)
• Well-developed characters
• An ex you can really pour your hatred into
• Colossal chemistry between Nina and Ari!
• A peek behind the scenes of Hollywood. Nina has a job I never would have known actually existed.
• First person narration
• Found family - one of my favorite things
• Lorna!

What I didn't:
• Nina splits with her ex and then drops off the face of the earth for three years but her friends, who now say they missed her so much, didn't bother to try and find her? For THREE YEARS?? They accepted rumors that she was dead?? Not buying it.
• I really wanted to see Ari's point of view. I think it would have benefitted the story overall.
• Nina's boss repeatedly tells her that Ari is a difficult client. But we never get to see that on the page. Ari seems perfectly lovely from what we're shown.
• The third act was…not the best. It's one of those break-ups that make absolutely no sense, something that could have easily been solved with a simple conversation.

Overall a good read that I would recommend despite its issues.

Thank you to NetGalley and to Kensington Books for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

For Her Consideration by Amy Spalding is a sweet plus sized, sapphic Hollywood romcom that explores heart break, learning how to love yourself and live authentically, and how to accept love from others – romantic, platonic, and familial. The rep in the book is truly phenomenal. Spalding explores in depth what it means to both be physically, unmistakably queer, as well as the dismissal that often happens when you’re not identifiably queer presenting – the joys and hardships of both. She explores the joys of queer friendship, and the struggles of living in the spotlight as an out and proud person. How meaningful seeing that representation is to people of all ages.

She also delves into the realities, both good and bad of being a fat woman, especially a fat, queer woman. I loved that while Nina was confident in her body, that didn’t stop her from acknowledging that her feelings about her body didn’t change the struggle of living in a fat body in a society that didn’t love or accept it.

To be honest, while I loved the representation in the book, and there was nothing wrong with the writing itself, I struggled with the plot. I just couldn’t understand Nina’s reasoning for changing her entire life, abandoning all her friends. Without spoiling I don’t want to get into her reasoning for it too much, but when we learn everything that was said to her to convince her she had to abandon everything I just couldn’t buy that it was enough to make her drop her friends for three whole years without a word. And if her friends loved her so much, why did they not try showing up in person to find out why she was trying to disappear? Why did they just give up when she started ignoring their calls and texts? I just feel like I wanted something a little more for the situation to be that drastic, but that’s just me.

The romance was so sweet, and I loved Ari and Nina together so much. They had undeniable chemistry, and watching Nina try to rationalize away Ari’s obvious flirtation as nothing more than friendship was so much fun. I was obsessed with the entire friend group, and I loved every time they were all on the page together. Overall, I would definitely still recommend this book to anyone looking for a sapphic or plus sized romance and I can’t wait to get my hands on my physical copy for my collection of fat romances!

for her consideration by amy spalding: 4.5/5 stars

happy pub day to for her consideration!

i really enjoyed reading this. the voice is casual and made me feel like i was listening to a friend tell a story, which is fitting because there’s a lot of friendship and found family in here. i love a hollywood romance, especially by someone who clearly loves los angeles as much as i do, and while i know santa clarita isn’t small town, it was still really refreshing to read a romance where the city is beckoning someone back. lately it feels like there’s been many books about city women moving to a small town, and as a city girl i loved reading about city people who love the city.

my one piece of criticism for this book was all the tiki references. more often than not, tiki is a non-pasifika person’s wet dream of pasifika, mixing cultures and fetishizing the people and practices of pasifika people. “cocktails” or “mixed drinks” are fine if you’re talking about alcohol, and in an age where we’re supposed to be more critical of our habits, a tiki bar made me roll my eyes.

i will be buying a physical copy of
this book and recommending it to friends. it releases today! thank you netgalley and kensington for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

Breakups suck especially when you think you found the one who actually just wants to change you and now you’re full of self doubt. This hilarious story starts off with Nina getting her heart shattered by the one person she thought she’d spend her life with. Taylor made Nina a twelve-point list of things Nina did that she needed to work on. (Harsh) Fearing that all the items on that list were true after the breakup she leaves and moves to the Suburbs leaving her past life and friends behind thinking they will side with her ex and that Nina is the problem or she will hurt them. Skip to 3 years later and Nina works from home replying to famous/ Hollywood stars emails so they don’t have to. One star Ari feels like the email don’t exactly meet her personality and wants to meet which Nina’s boss agrees and they find out Ari wants to hangout with Nina so they can get to know each other and hopefully Nina’s email will feel more like they actually came from Ari. In hindsight it does sound like a good idea that is if Nina wasn’t such a fan girl of Ari. They really hit it off and start to date though Nina’s insecurities thanks to Taylor’s list hold her back. This novel is full of comedy, love, self awareness, and characters making mistakes because who doesn’t? This was one I couldn’t put down and also didn’t want to end.

Read from October 9th to October 12th, 2022. Written on October 12th, 2022

I don't think I've ever read such a queer novel. This was so amazing I am still a little hungover.

I can't remember the last time I read a book with so much love between characters. To have a book with such amazing friendships really makes a strong foundation in these types of stories and this story did not disappoint when it came to that.

Nina Rice, the main character and the one whose POV we read, is queer and curvy, something I don't read usually in books, and I love that combo so much! The fact she embraces her body with love and the book provides us with really sweet moments about what she wears and how she feels or other characters feel about that is so important, especially since, like I said, it's not everyday I read a book that embraces body positivity so much. Also, she wants to be a screenwriter and I love that we share that in common. Seeing her struggle with a script and her fears and ambitions for her future bring a sense of relatability as a reader. I love that she has her problems (pointed out "perfectly" by her ex-girlfriend, Taylor) but she learns, or tries, to deal with them. It sets her back sometimes throughout her story, but she manages to pull through and tries to see herself the way other people do.

The romantic interest, Ari Fox, is one of the best romantic interests I've ever read. She is funny, flirty, honest and, even though she is a famous, or well-known, actor, she is amazingly down to earth and easy-going. The way she embraces the ones who matter into her life with so much ease is so sweet to read (almost makes you wish you were her friend too). I love that she also has her struggles but, with time, she learns to ease them, even if they don't stop being a part of who she is.

This book honestly has a bit of all I love about a good romance story: Queer characters/moments (lots of!), friendships, supportive family (Lorna is my favourite character, no discussion), cuddling and kissing (and more!), and just tons of loving moments. Plus an awesome car, but that's just an extra. I do wish the characters laughed a little less, it was sort of constant and some times a character would not even say anything funny and someone cackled or shrieked or just laughed. It was a bit weird, but apart from that (and some small writing errors, which is normal for an ARC) this book is captivating and a great read, I'm so fortunate I got to read it.

Signing off,
B.

(Free ARC from Net Galley and Kensington Books that I chose to review after reading)

This is a very (very) low-angst romance set in Hollywood between an up-and-coming starlet named Ari and Nina, the woman who writes her emails. Nina is still recovering from a rather brutal breakup, one that not only moved her out of the city but also alienated her from most of her friends. As a result, much of the story centers on both Nina reconnecting with her friend group and her budding relationship with one of her talent agency's buzziest clients. Much of the story is pretty smooth sailing until you eventually get to the inevitable conflict you see coming from almost page one.

I think I personally was in the mood for something a bit more angsty or had a little more substantial conflict, so it was hard to initially get into this one. Once it clicked though, I did enjoy it. The writing is very funny and all of the side characters are great. I also appreciated how real Nina felt and as a result it was easy to understand her character's motivations and decisions (even when they were frustrating).

For Her Consideration, by Amy Spalding
emotional funny lighthearted reflective medium-paced
Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0

This is such a sweet and funny celebrity romance that plays out in a way you wouldn't (totally) expect.

Our main gal Nina is recovering from a terrible break up from a toxic ex that's made her question her worth. She retreats from her friends and life in LA and basically hides out in her aunt's condo in the suburbs, working from home and not seeing friends for like 3 years. Instead of following her dream to write for TV shows, she ghostwrites emails for celebrities at an agency. She ends up working really closely with Ari — an out and proud actress who's making waves and is up for an Oscar. Ari has some issues with emails Nina is writing on her behalf, so she recommends they spend time together so Nina can learn her voice better. If you're a romance fan, can probably guess what happens after that. ;)

One thing I loved about this book was that it gives equal weight to friendships & family relationships as it does the central romantic relationship. It's so important to remember that our lives are made up of many relationships and we shouldn't prioritize one over the other.

I also really loved:
• The found family, the genuine relationships and the honesty between friends.
• The banter (it was so fun)!
• The food and drink and location descriptions! And how it was set in Hollywood but was still a little removed and people were more normal.
• Lorna. That's all.

Other thoughts:
• Loved Ari, and can see why she thought she was doing the right thing. I liked that the breakup was both of their faults. (Though I think Nina’s unprofessionalism and using work to handle personal things was a lot worse.)
• Just wanna give the main character a hug. So glad she’s finally getting therapy after that fucking terrible ex girlfriend.
• Also I pictured Kimiko Glenn as Ari the whole time? So that's my fancast for Ari.

This is a story about the stories we tell ourselves.  When Nina Rice's last girlfriend, Taylor, broke up with her, she not only dumped Nina but provided a list of all the ways that Nina was selfish and impossible to deal with, not just for Taylor but for all their friends.  Since then, Nina has given up on romance, her friends, and her dreams of becoming a writer for TV.  Instead, she decamped for an LA suburb, where her great aunt is letting Nina live in her condo.  Nina is focused entirely on her job managing the email correspondence for celebrities represented by the talent agent she works for and on her weekly lunches with her great aunt.

One day, Nina is surprised when she is called to a meeting with Ari Fox, one of the celebrities whose email she ghostwrites.  Nina has long admired Ari from afar, as one of the few actresses to make a career being out and proud since her earliest role on a high school drama.  Now on the verge of likely winning an Oscar, Ari is a rising star.  But according to Nina's boss, Ari is one of their most difficult clients.  When Nina meets Ari, she feels an instant connection and the two soon strike up a friendship ... or maybe more.  Ari seems interested in hanging out with Nina, but Nina is sure that, at any moment, she will realize that Nina is not worth hanging out with, as her ex-girlfriend made abundantly clear.  Despite Nina's worries, the more time they spend together, the more Ari seems interested.  A potential romance with a movie star seemed equally unlikely for Nina as ever reconnecting with her old friends, but somehow Nina finds herself in the midst of both -- even as she feels, and acts like, she is one wrong move away from losing her relationship and friends all over again.

This novel was highly enjoyable!  The premise of the book is a delight, and the author did a superb job of executing it.  Both Nina and Ari are multifaceted and engaging characters, and it is fun to go on their personal and professional journeys over the course of the book.  Within the endearing romance story, the book is also an incisive examination of relationships. The author did an excellent job of capturing the self-doubt that plagued Nina after the cruel way her ex broke up with her and the way it led her to isolate herself from her friends or any lasting romantic or platonic connection -- and how the story Nina told herself about herself in the aftermath of her breakup continued to affect her romance and friendships even once she reengaged.  As readers, we can see just how charming Nina is, even as we see that Nina is unable to see herself in the same way and how she often acts self-destructively as a result. I also particularly appreciated how the author explored Nina's friendships and took those just as seriously as the romance as the heart of the book. 

Strongly recommended!

Overall, this was a fun quick read. Although romance was a key focus there was also lots about friendship and the main characters octogenarian aunt played a big role in the book which I loved. I also loved the queer, body positivity focus.

A few minor things—the characters often repeatedly called each other by their first and last names, which no one does that much in real life. Also, some things about Nina’s work in a celeb talent agency and not telling her boss, when it’s such a public industry had me waiting for the other shoe to drop, so it did feel somewhat predictable.