I adored MEET ME IN THE MARGINS last year, so I was super stoked to get a copy of Melissa Ferguson’s newest! FAMOUS FOR A LIVING follows a social media star who has a fall from grace and moves to a mountain town to regain her footing.

🏔️ Montana setting 🙌
📱 There are fun Instagram pictures at the beginning of every chapter, which helps you visualize what Cat is posting for her followers
🌲 I really liked the storyline of Cat trying to help save Kannery National Park and put them on the map
📱The story touches on social media addiction and how to make healthy changes if you are becoming too attached
❤️ Slow-burn romance between Cat and one of the park rangers

FAMOUS FOR A LIVING is a feel good story with characters who have depth and make growth along the way.

I listened to this book and really enjoyed it! The narrator was fantastic!

I feel like Cat’s character was done so well. But Zaiah was my favorite. At first I thought he was just someone who didn’t like social media and all that comes with it just because. When you find out his reasons and I liked how it opened Cat’s eyes too.

All of the characters at the state park were so fun! I loved their connection and how it felt like you really got to know them all and their personalities.

I thought the end was going to make me sad for a little bit (don’t go, Cat!) but love that the best friend came through and helped create a HEA.

Cat's fall from grace as a social media influencer was swift after a deal gone bad (listen to your advisors please!). Because of her situation her BFF convinces her to sublet her apartment (to the BFF, grateful that didn't turn out to be a shady deal) and go stay with her uncle at Kannery National Park and take on a job there.

Cat ends up finding her self at Kannery National Park, she does things she thinks she can't/shouldn't do (a ropes course, hiking, etc) and realizes how much she likes that side of herself. She still misses the social media influencer side and the book is about Cat finding herself and revamping her own social media image to hit the new niche that she ends up loving.

Famous for a Living wouldn't be complete without the cute and slightly grumpy ranger Zaiah. Zaiah wants nothing to do with social media, and has some legitimate complaints about it,. But Zaiah and Cat are still attracted to one another and the opposites attract trope works very well here.

This is the second book that I have read recently which addressed the downfalls of social media and i loved it. Sure there is some romance but that is not the mission of the story. I highly recommend it.
Many thanks to Thomas Nelson and to Netgalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

This was cute and I loved the nature aspect. The only part that I didn’t necessarily love is how much of a slow burn it was. They have a cute relationship and I loved how it developed but it was definitely slow. I also liked how both of them had to grow together.

After her business partner is accused of serious financial crimes, influencer Cat Cranwell needs somewhere to lay low. She accepts her uncle’s offer to work with him at Kannery National Park, Montana - about as off the grid as you can get. What she didn’t expect was to fall for Zaiah, the ruggedly handsome park ranger who hates everything related to social media - quite possibly, her included.

I loved the characters in the park office and the beautiful setting of this book! I especially loved the older adult characters(as I tend to!).

The journey of saving the park from being absorbed by the more popular park in the area was heartwarming - their efforts were like a love letter to nature, and helped Cat become more comfortable in the wilderness and away from the internet.

I appreciated how this book dealt with the addiction to being connected at all times, and letting go of the constant need to check your phone in favour of seeing the world around you. I didn’t love that Zaiah’s reasons for hating phones and social media was what changed Cat’s perspective so quickly, because I think she was getting there on her own.

Overall, this was pretty enjoyable!

Melissa Ferguson's "Famous for a Living" is a delightful and heartwarming novel that takes readers on a charming journey of self-discovery. The story follows Cat Cranwell, an influencer who loses it all after an app partnership goes wrong. Her uncle Terry offers her a job working as a social media strategist for a small national park in Montana and she accepts.

Enter Zaiah Hudson, the rugged park ranger who stays far away from social media. you know what happens next! This book is more about the discovery and and growth that Cat experiences than the romance, but it is still really nice and will leave you smiling.

Thank you to Netgalley and Thomas Nelson for the ARC - Famous for a Living is out now!

This was such a fun and easy read! Loved the unique plot and the characters. Highly recommend this one to romcom lovers

When scandal causes social media influencer Cat Cranwell to lose all her influence, she takes refuge in her uncle’s world in the wilds of Kannery National Park in Montana. Not only must she face blizzards, beyond rustic accommodations, and a polar plunge, Cat must learn to live IRL. To further complicate her situation, there’s Zaiah—the handsome ranger who despises social media and all that Cat’s lifestyle stands for. Will she wilt without the dopamine hits of all those likes and shares, or will she find the courage to finally be herself?

This cautionary tale is told with imagination and humor. A fun summer read!

This title is a breath of fresh air! With a little bit of romance packed in with an important life journey, it hits all the right spots. Cat is a social media star but when her work partner is accused of financial crimes, she escapes to a national park in Montana. What we all dream of doing!
Will Cat be able to handle this life without luxuries?

This was fine. It was cute but not outstanding. It never held my full attention- I almost DNF’d but thought maybe it would get better.

**I only will not add to my classroom library because this is an adult novel and not entirely appropriate for teens**

THANK YOU @netgalley and Thomas Nelson publishing for this digital ARC copy in exchange for my honest review.

There was a lot to enjoy here - the reliability of Cat's influencer lifestyle, the friendships and "found family" trope, as well as the overall sense of adventure you have while reading.

I think if this book hadn't been marketed as a romance I would've enjoyed it a lot more. As it was, I was expecting romance and got women's fiction "find yourself" with a romance back burner.

Cat and Zaiah's romance was minimal. They didn't even kiss until almost 90%. This was a SLOWWWWW burn, but ultimately the chemistry wasn't there. Then, the last 10% was a last-ditch effort to showcase the grand gesture, swoony effect many other romcoms have, but it ultimately fell short.

If this was a women's fiction, bordering social commentary, incredibly funny novel with amazing female friendships that also comments on influencer culture, social media, and how phones are changing us, this would've been perfect. Honestly, the romance killed it for me, particularly because I was looking for it.

Also - don't let the cover fool you as I did. This book is set in winter.

This sweet, fun read is going into a “definitely recommend” if I get asked for a romance!

It’s not the same at all but it reminded me so much of Simple Wild which is one of all time favorite books. I think it was the whole “city girl goes into the country and finds herself” theme but I loved it. But I also have a thing for bearded mountain men so maybe that’s what does it for me 😉

I really enjoyed the banter back and forth with the main character Cat and her best friend Serena. Find yourselves a friend like Serena! That girl is fiercely protective and loves with her whole soul. I loved all the little quirks she found in this small town but it was really well written in that you felt like you were also doing these things with her.

Such a good one, definitely check it out!

Thank you @our_friendly_farmhouse for gifting me this copy and thank you @uplitreads for putting it on my radar!

This was such a cute book! I absolutely loved it! The story moved along well without any big gaps or slow moving sections. I really liked the characters, I thought they were well fleshed out and were believable as a couple.

I don’t know, I’ve seen so many really good reviews about this one but it was just very meh for me. I didn’t really buy into the idea of the main character going out to the mountains after her epic fall from social media queen. I also didn’t really care about the love interest. It seemed to take forever for anything to happen and I just didn’t care. Maybe it’s because life has been busy and I couldn’t sit down for long periods of time so couldn’t connect with any of the characters.

What do you get when a popular, materialistic, NYC social media influencer who has been "cancelled", is thrown together with a strong, no-nonsense, Montana park ranger?
This fun rom-com that's full of all the witty banter, opposites attract romance, lots of embarrassing and awkward moments, and of course snowstorms, moose, and snakes!
Add in a bossy best friend who isn't afraid to call it like she sees it, an uncle who has been like a father to her, and a crazy group of park ranger interns, and you have a delightful book that is hard to put down! Literally.. I finished it in one evening! On a more serious note, this book also deals with social media addiction and the dangers with how much time we all spend on our phones, which is good to see being addressed in fiction.

This is my second title by Melissa Ferguson and, just like Meet Me In The Margins, I had such a good time with this book!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for this ARC.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Such an amazing book! Would love to read more from this author, the banter between the couple of this book was absolutely adorable.

A romance that also has social media lessons shouldn’t have worked - but it did! Cat Cranwell is Instagram and social media famous until her spectacular fall from grace that could also land her in jail. Her Uncle Terry is the head Forest Ranger at a national park and while helping her leave NYC for a bit, she also helps the park get more visitors. Zaiah is the park ranger that helps Cat get accustomed to living at Kannery.

All of the characters in the book have a surprising amount of depth. I like how the positives and negatives of social media were brought up. Cat and Zaiah’s relationship was a bit rocky at the start and grew into something.

Read this if you like:
🏔️ Grumpy/ sunshine
🏔️ Opposites attract
🏔️ Clean romance
🏔️ Quirky characters

Thanks to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson for this eARC. Famous for a Living is out now.

Cat Cranwell's career as a social media influencer has just tanked...badly. In an effort to distance herself from the negative publicity, she finds herself taking her uncle up on his offer to temporarily work with him at Kannery National Park. And just like that she finds herself leaving her swanky penthouse in the city for a pint-sized cabin and a chatterbox roommate in nowhere, Montana. Oh, and there's this ridiculously handsome ranger, but Cat finds herself butting heads with Zaiah from the first moment they meet. Not to mention the lack of cell service (how will she keep up with what's happening on social media?!), weird co-workers (polar plunge, anyone?), embarrassing team t-shirts, and SNOW (like, with blizzards and cold and all that awful stuff Cat stays away from).

I love Melissa Ferguson's sweet romcoms and Famous for a Living was just as fun as her previous novels! I haven't read too many novels featuring social media influencers, so this was a fun part of the story. I enjoyed seeing Cat's character grow and realize that she's been so focused on the life she's portrayed to her followers that she's been missing out on the magic of real life. Phone overuse/addiction is a common problem these days that I know so many of us, including myself, struggle with so I really appreciated seeing it addressed. It was a great reminder that life is so much more than likes and comments and we all need to find a healthy balance. I also loved Zaiah--I mean, seriously. He's pretty much the perfect hero: strong, steady, and passionate about the things and people he loves (and doesn't...like cell phones and social media). The side characters were also fantastic! I loved seeing Cat's close relationship with her Uncle Terry and the tight family-like bond between everyone who worked at the park. As for the setting? So perfect. Anything with mountains and small towns will always hold a special place in my heart!

Overall, Famous for a Living was a sweet novel with just the right amount of swoony romance, witty banter, family bonds, strong faith, and character growth. If you love romcoms, or just a good contemporary romance, don't miss this one!

*I received a complimentary copy of Famous for a Living through the publisher and NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own. My positive review is not required.

I enjoyed reading this book and reading about the likes and the dislikes connected to social media. Social media can be really great, but it can also overtake a person’s life and I thought the story captured the positives and negatives well. I can personally see how it is affecting our youth and causing them to be very aware of seeking the approval of others and even counting how many have viewed their page. That aside the book was well written with interesting characters that you will learn to love and root for. The strong male main character and of course our influencer, Cat. I loved the setting! The rustic cabins, the snowy mountains, pines, wildlife, and also the fun local winter festivals! I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.