A unique fun read for anyone! I really enjoyed this novel. Cat is a famous star, but when a scandal threatens to end her career, she is forced to accept her uncle's job offer. That job takes her out in the middle of nowhere, working with the very irritating and handsome Zaiah. I mean the guy uses a flip phone for heaven's sake. Join Cat as she tries to find herself and save her uncle's beloved national park before time runs out. I loved every minute of this book! While this is not my usual type of book, I found myself sucked in. A lot of contemporary books nowadays are very sexual and crude. This was not the case and I loved it! I would absolutely recommend this book to any friends and family.

Cat Cranwell is a successful social media influencer with millions of followers, but when an app sponsorhips goes wrong, she finds herself being shunned by the community. With the sponsorships drying up she's forced to take a position from her only living relative, working at a small national park in Montana. To get away from the city and spotlight, Cat jumps at the opportunity. What she doesn't know, is that as the new social media strategist, her goal is to save Kannery National Park from being absorbed by a larger national park near by. But not everyone believes social media can save the day.

I went into this book believing it to be a romance, and while there is some romance aspects, with one handsome and rugged park ranger, I think the main romance of this book is the main character, with herself.
Cat has spent the last 14 years as a social media influencer, being adored and praised by millions of people. Moving out to the Montana forests forces Cat to shift her perspectives on life and see what is truly important. This book truly touches on the benefits and downfalls of social media in today's world. Cat is able to use her social media presence to help bring awareness to a beautiful park, but the hateful backlash she receives in the beginning of the book shows the ugliness of it all. Throughout the book Cat works to put her phone down and be present with those around her, to stop and take in the view and the wonders of nature. I will say the only thing I wish this book had more of was Cat and Zaiah!

Thank you to the publisher for the eARC in exchange for my honest review. This post may contain minor spoilers.

If you’re looking for a rich girl/poor boy, grumpy/sunshine, small town romance filled with action, laughter, found family, and life lessons, Famous for a Living is the book for you.

Cat, a content creator in a spot of trouble, moves from her glamorous life in NYC to work with her uncle at a national park in Montana. She’s also working with Zaiah, the brooding mountain man that should’ve had more shirtless scenes, practicality be damned.

Cat had some of the best character growth I’ve ever read. She went from someone addicted to their phone to someone living in the moment. There were other changes too, like her attitude towards her natural beauty and real friends.

I loved the romance. It was definitely slow burn, but I prefer it that way (all the tension). My only criticism is that there were very few scenes of them romantically together before the epilogue. They end their first date and two chapters later it’s the epilogue and they have a happy ending. I would’ve liked to see more.

I wanted to LOVE this one, I really did, but it was just okay. It was cute, predictable, and a nice easy read. The ending worked well and wrapped things up nicely, but I felt I still had questions about what happened with Bobby. Zaiah & Cat’s lifestyle differences make this story really interesting and their slow burn was fun to read.

The side characters in this story were really unique and well written though, Serena and Mia being absolute gems in this story. The town’s little events and funny games make the story very enjoyable and provide some real “laugh out loud” moments.

The discourse surrounding social media and the permanence of your posts/online presence was refreshing and probably a good reminder for most to take a break from time to time.

I was already a big fan of Melissa Ferguson before I read this book, and she will continue to be one of my auto-buy authors! (Meet Me in the Margins is a favorite of mine! 😍). While this wasn't my favorite of her works, I still really enjoyed it! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I appreciate that the author writes so well that it makes you feel the emotions of the characters. It's so honest and refreshing to have not-perfect characters with a more realistic slow love-story. Honestly, I could see this becoming a really cute Hallmark-type movie! 🥰 The "Do I Have a Problem?" quiz in the back was a little jarring - made me realize I need to pay more attention to my own social media usage! lol

Tropes:
Opposites Attract
Different Worlds
Slow Burn

A few notes for the publisher:
Chapter 3: At around 20%, Zaiah is referred to as Eli.
My biggest confusion was why the cover displays spring/summer considering the story takes place in the frigid winters of Montana. 🤷🏼‍♀️

Thank you to Thomas Nelson and Netgalley for this digital ARC in exchange for my honest feedback! I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. I recommend pre-ordering this book that comes out May 16th!

I should not have started this book! I have nothing in common with a famous influencer who is more comfortable in the city vs the forest and is obsessed with fashion. I didn’t understand why the guy would be interested in the girl either. Certainly a case of opposites attract but that opposite?! I did like reading about the polar plunge!

Huge thank you to NetGalley for the chance to read this book!

This one took me a few chapters to get into. I honestly didn’t love Cat at the beginning. But by about 30% I was hooked :)
I found the behind scenes look at an influencer interesting. And the whole Ranger life also was new to me.
This is perfect paired with a cup of hot chocolate on a cold day. 😊

Melissa Ferguson’s Famous for a Living showcases her talent as a contemporary sweet rom-com. I love the contrasts presented here: city versus wild, modern versus traditional. I also enjoyed the theme of unplugging and living the life in front of you, in the moment. The romance is just right for these characters and the friendships and camaraderie are touching. I love the call to find your identity, meaning, value, and worth apart from social media. Allow yourself to be challenged one minute and laugh out loud the next. Swoon with the romance and celebrate genuine friendship.
I received a complimentary copy from the publisher via NetGalley and all opinions expressed are solely my own, freely given.

As a fellow Cat, I was predisposed to love Cat, and I did.
I admit I went into this book thinking it would be something like It Happened One Summer, with the popular extroverted insta famous girl meeting the small town, grumpy guy. If we reduced books to its tropes, it kind of would be something like that, but books are not only their tropes - and I will die on this hill.
Anyway. I really liked this book. I haven't had much time to read at all, and I'm not good at having a routine to read, but I read this on my work breaks and I ended up being addicted. Not in a I Must Know What Happens N O , but in a Oh Damn I'm Into It Now. I wanted to know more about Cat, and about Zaiah, and about the mountain. I liked the depth of the characters, their growth and how they came together. I LOVED Mina, by the way.
I loved how Cat wasn't exactly afraid to voice her insecurities and, because of that, she felt like a real person. I could hear her thoughts and understand her and feel for her, even when I didn't agree with her. I found myself siding with her, and hoping with her.
I just wished it had a bit more romance, because I really liked Zaiah and I wished we knew a bit more about him. I'll definitely read more from this author.

Absolutely adored this book! This gave me alllll the cozy, wintry vibes. I really feel like Melissa's writing just gets better with every book! This one deals with pretense, integrity, materialism and addiction to social media. I loved the romance which is slow burn and felt so authentic. Great job!

The only bugaboo I have is why the cover looks like this is a summer book when the whole book is covered in snow ;)

Cat Cranwell is a social media star. She is adored and she is constantly being asked to represent brands. Until she goes into business for a friend and it going down in flames. She is blamed and ostracized for her part in the debacle. What do you do when your face is constantly on the front page of the papers and you cannot leave your NY apartment because of it? You escape to spend time with your Uncle Terry in Montana.

But it's not quite what Cat expected. Who knew owls and bugs could seem louder than taxi cabs and police sirens? Or that the employees would seem so country and simple. But she is allowed to do one thing she's good at- use social media to help save Kannery National Park.

I didn't love the NYC parts of this book. I did enjoy all the parts in Montana. The characters were quirky and loveable and while I had a hard time believing Cat could actually come to love the outdoors, or even that Zaiah would come to like her, it was still a fun ride. The ending was really sweet, so that made up for any suspensions for me.

Thanks to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

**I received this ARC in exchange for my published, unbiased opinions. **

She's big city girl who lives on her phone looking for that next post to boost her profile. He's a park ranger, eschewing social media for the solitude of the forest and simple pleasures. But when an embarrassing financial crisis occurs, forcing Cat Cranwell to flee the city and take her uncle's offer to work at his Montana national park, she's going to need all the help she can get. Suddenly she's negotiating waist-deep snow and bone chilling temps instead of endorsement deals, and quite possibly, falling for a rugged park ranger who dislikes anything "virtual."

This was a cute, quick read in the rom-com arena. The story was constantly moved forward without feeling rushed and although it is a "romance," it wasn't the focus of the story (So if you're looking for heat, keep moving on from this one).

I thought the development of Cat and Zarah's characters was well-done. There was instant attraction, based solely off of looks, but their relationship developed in an organic way, which was nice to since so many times it's an insta-love sitch in these types of books.

If rom-com is your cup of tea, or you just need a palate cleanser, this is a perfect, light-hearted read.

Thank you to Melissa Ferguson and Thomas Nelson Publishing for this ARC!

I received an Advanced Reader copy from Netgalley for my honest opinion. When I started the story, I struggled to be invested in Cat, the influencer. Not a fan of big cities and social status, which is how the story begins. As Cat lost her brands, and needed a fresh start, I enjoyed watching her struggle and adapt to living in a National park. Her coworkers are genuine and bring out self discovery. Zaiah, Serena, and Mina are forces to be reckoned with. Uncle Terry is unforgettable! I couldn’t put the story down as Cat discovered true beauty! I would definitely read stories more by this author.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced copy. This book took an interesting perspective on the life we live and the life portrayed on social media. It was interesting!

Synopsis: When a social media influencer falls into scandal, she takes a job at a small national park to wait out the storm and attempt to rebuild her reputation.
Review: This is a perfect bedside table book. Melissa Ferguson’s stories are sweet and fun and end the day on a positive vibe. I’ll admit I wasn’t 100% sure about this one at the beginning but the characters quickly grew on me and I enjoyed the slow burn romance. I also appreciated the reminder to put down our phones sometimes!

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you to @netgalley and @thomasnelson for the advance reader copy.

I enjoyed this book. It was a quick read after a slightly slow start. I did feel like it mainly hit the high points and didn’t really fill in much else. It also became preachy very suddenly out of nowhere. But overall, an entertaining read.

Overall, I liked this. Some good imagery and a good story. I didn't feel super connected with the characters, though.

Famous for a Living by Melissa Ferguson is coming out on 16 May 2023, and I highly recommend this fun and thought-provoking sweet story.
The story begins with Cat feeling on top of the world as a successful social media influencer. But shortly after, her world is in tatters, brought on by false accusations. She needs a reset and a chance to mentally recover, which lands her working for her uncle at a ranger service station in the middle of Montana. Switching from her life in New York to the rural setting surrounded by snow and mountains is culture shock on steroids. But through the time away and building relationships with her new coworkers, Cat begins to heal and recognize the signs that she had been addicted to the highs of social media recognition. As she continues her journey, she makes lifestyle changes to be more authentic and genuine. To use social media in healthy, positive ways while drawing healthy boundaries for herself. Throw in the mountain man coworker who at first seems to despise everything she stands for and the magnetism between them, and you won’t want to put this one down. It’s the perfect balance of sweet and light romance with honest questions we should all ask ourselves.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own

#FamousforaLiving, #Netgalley, #thomasnelsonfiction

I read this book in a day!
It represents with extreme accuracy all the people that can't stay away from their phone and social media and it'll have you question your habits. I dived into this book thinking that I would be reading all about romance but, in fact, I read about people and their character evolution and I really loved that and all the characters!
The questions and tips at the end of the book were also a very bright idea!
I will definitely recommend this book to my friends!

Cat Cranwell knows her stuff. Of course she does, she's an influencer who gets paid to put her name and seal of approval on anything from cosmetics to vacation rentals; automobiles to restaurants. She loves what she does and she's good at what she does.
What she doesn't expect is to not be the "it" girl in the influencer game and to end up somewhere less than ideal to her beloved NYC.
Thus the tale of Cat Cranwell by Melissa Ferguson takes readers from the ultra bright and vivid life to the remote and almost out of civilization of Montana and Cat's journey to find what really fills a life. What really matters: a million likes, loves, followers or people who truly love you because you're just you?
Cat was not a likeable character for me until nearly the end of the book. I honestly didn't think I would finish because I just wasn't feeling Cat's character. However I'm glad I stuck with her because Ferguson writes her character from unlikeable to likeable and I found myself hoping that she would get her chance at love and lasting happiness and get to be the grand influencer she had made herself to be.
Ferguson aids Cat with great support characters: Zaiah, Mina, Peggy, Uncle Terry, Kevin and even Jax.
Readers will be entertained and will most likely be planning a vacation to Montana by books end.
I received an advanced copy through NetGalley however the opinions in this review are solely my own.