Famous for a Living feels very reflective of our obsession with technology and social media. It follows Cat Cranwell, social media influencer after issues with a new app go awry and forces her to move out to Montana. It's a cute story, that reinforces slowing down and getting away from the pictures, the filters and remembering that social media is just a tool. It's such a small representation of your life and this novel is a reminder to live in the moment.

Rating: 3.75/5

Cat Cranwell overcame a very rough childhood to become a household name and millionaire influencer, but when she signs on to a big deal with the wrong guy, she finds herself in legal and PR trouble. Her best option is to escape to the mountains of Montana where her uncle is the head of a national park in danger of closing. Can her social media savvy change the parks fate and save the jobs of her uncle and her new friends? Will she also find love and a life away from her phone? We shall see!

Famous for a Living is a fun romance. Cat Cranwell is an influencer living in NYC who suddenly is accused of wrongdoing when an app with which she has a partnership goes awry. She escapes to the small national park where her Uncle Terry is the head ranger. Cat adjusts to rural life and evolves as a character— making her more likeable. All of the supporting characters are delightful.

This is another great book by Melissa Ferguson. Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and author for an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

The bond between the rather grumpy boy and the MC inside the novel is adorable! Even though the romance is only a brief bite, I could sense the tension between Cat and Zaiah from the moment they first met. It was a charming read with a cozy atmosphere but too slowburn and unfortunately it doesn’t covers everything between the lovers at the end of story.

Thank you Thomas Nelson and NetGalley for providing me the advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Author Melissa Ferguson's small-town romance novel Famous For a Living centers on hard-working Zaiah Smith and social media influencer Catherine Cranwell.

I was promised romance, but I only received around 8% of it, and even that portion did not feel romantic. I waited for Cat and Zaiah to express their feelings during the entire time because there was some tension between them. And although this was described as a "slow burn, friends to lovers" story, there weren't any "lovers" in this; instead, they merely felt like they were incredibly close friends the whole time, even when they finally got "together."

Though, I will admit that there were some enjoyable and heartwarming moments in this book. After all, despite the fact that Cat and Zaiah were polar opposites, they still managed to find a place in each other's life.

Overall, this novel was adorable to read, but it might have been so much better if the two main characters had acknowledged and pursued their feelings for one another much earlier.

*Thank you to Thomas Nelson--FICTION, and to the author, Melissa Ferguson, for providing me with this e-arc in exchange for an honest review.*

This was the PERFECT small town romance!! The idea of the famous woman vs small town man is a big favourite of mine, and this book absolutely killed it! Gave me It Happened One Summer vibes and I was very much there for it!! The characters were loveable and the character development was amazing to read!

this book was totally fine! it was cute. i wanted a bit more of the love story and less of the social media addition and mc growth angle - i felt like we were missing a bit of the story that was promised by the blurb and cover, and i wish i got more of it! this is my first book of melissa's, so i can't compare to any previous works.

I have only read one other book by Melissa Ferguson and know that I need to read more! I love the way she tells a story. What a cute one!

A thrilling fantasy. I was hooked from the beginning. So glad I had the chance to read this and love this!

I couldn't put this book down! I loved every second of it. Fergusons writing is unlike any other and I honestly can't wait to read more of her books. the characters are well fleshed out and I never wanted it to end.

I have read a couple of the author’s other books, Meet Me In the Margins and Cul-de-Sac Wars. This is by far my favorite. The growth Cat shows in the book is believable and relatable as is the subject matter. I love that the author used the novel to bring light to a very real problem. I have seen bits and pieces of myself in characters before but I have not connected with an issue the way I have with this book. I have never thought about my own actions and made a plan to change them. Thank you.

Another cute rom com with a unique plot! Love the way Melissa Ferguson weaves interesting locations and information into her stories. You walk away with a smile and knowing about new things. The romance always adds to the story. Ferguson has become one of my favorites. Definitely woth the read. A complimentary copy of this book was provided by the publisher, Thomas Nelson, and author for me to read. The opinions expressed are my own.

I absolutely loved Meet Me in the Margins last year, so I was excited to get my hands on an early copy of this one!

Cat Cranwell is a social media influencer who escapes to Montana after her business partner (and therefore her) is accused of financial crimes. Her uncle tells her she can come out and get away from the online critics while her lawyer works to prove her innocence. While in Montana, she works with her uncle to save Kannery National Park from being absorbed by Glacier National Park.

Zaiah, Uncle Terry’s coworker, picks up Cat from the airport. They clash at first, but eventually learn to lower their walls with each other.

The cast of characters here are so much fun. There are so many fun and quirky people in this small town.

As Cat’s lawyer works to prove her innocence, she starts to fall for this small mountain town in Montana. She’s torn though. She can’t have her career in this small town. Will she choose this sweet town & its lovable characters, or will she pursue her career as it was before?

This story is more focused on Cat’s use of social media & her addiction to it than it is the romance/love story. The love story read more like a novella, even though it’s 300+ pages, because the focus is on Cat’s personal development. I would have loved more interactions between Cat and Zaiah. I want to love him, but I needed to see/read more of him.

Famous for a Living is also clean, which is a huge positive! Nothing to skip over or skim past here!

While I liked this one, I didn’t love it as much as Meet Me in the Margins. I wanted more of Cat & Zaiah’s story. I think this would’ve pulled me in to the story more to see their connection build.

Thank you to Thomas Nelson (HarperCollins Christian Publishing, Inc) and NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Be sure to pick this book up when it’s released in May 2023!

Light and cozy winter read that touches on a series topic, social media addiction. Overall the read was slower than I liked, but I’m really glad I finished it! It started to pick up for me halfway through the book and then I couldn’t put it down. I loved following along on the National Park rivalry, the slow building opposites attract romance between Cat and Zaiah, and the cozy small town vibes. This book highlighted the good and bad impacts social media has on our society. It was a reality check to put down my phone and embrace the slower pace of living. The book also highlights how social media can be an impactful marketing tool for small businesses and discovering new places to explore!

The book is set in a small Montana town in the winter! I definitely recommend it if you are looking for a cute, cozy, and snowy read!

Thank you, NetGalley and Thomas Nelson for this eARC in exchange for an honest review. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I received an arc copy of this book with the expectation from the publishers for an honest review. That being said, at first I wasn't sure I was going to like the book at all. I was a bit put off by what I guess I would call "social media arrogance" of Cat Cranwell. I thought all the media hype in the story was too much (as a confession, I do use and enjoy social media but not to generate an income). But once Cat went to Wyoming I started to enjoy how things were playing out in her life. I ended up really enjoying the story and was glad I finished it! I actually found lessons that could be learned and that balance could be achieved as a result of reading this story. Thank you Melissa.

This was a bit of a slow burn to start, but once I got a few chapters in I quickly became invested in the delightful cast of quirky characters and was eager to see what shenanigans an uprooted New York influencer would find herself dragged into after being transported to a small mountain town in Montana. The romance was a sweet slow burn with a handsome, brooding, bearded hero who slowly started to see more about our heroine’s true nature instead of the persona she showed to the world online. This also had an interesting insight into the impact of social media for influencers with immense followings online and the mental/physical risks that come with being too attached to social media.

Overall, a fun and light hearted read that connects with a topic that impacts many of us on a daily basis and forces the reader to identify ways to be more mindful of when we choose to be present with those around us and how we interact with others online.

Read this if you love:
🌲 books about social media influencers
🌲 a grumpy, brooding hero
🌲 a heroine trying to find her way after a major setback
🌲 a fun cast of side characters
🌲 National park that needs some TLC
🌲 found family
🌲 prioritizing physical and mental health

Content: brief mention of physical abuse (in the past), mention of car accident that injured a pedestrian, mental health + social media

4.25 ⭐️

Originally, I wasn’t sure how I would feel about this book as I’m not really into reading about big-time social media influencers. However, I’m happy to say this story ended up being a pleasant surprise!

The very first thing that sold me was the setting. I have big love for Montana and Glacier National Park in particular. So naturally the rivalry between the national parks (Kannery & Glacier) was comical, and I’m even willing to admit that the Kannery team totally stole my heart—Jax, Peggy, Zaiah, Mina, Kevin, and Uncle Terry. It’s a very found family dynamic & I loved it!

I liked Cat as a main character. Many parts of her lifestyle weren’t relatable but many of her core fears were. Plus, her best friend Selena was sassy with her “don’t mess with my best friend” vibes.

The romance between Cat & Zaiah fell a little short for me. It’s very much an opposites attract situation where the big city girl meets country guy—hallmarkish but not in a bad way. I really appreciated that it wasn’t a romance centred on physical attraction, but everything wrapped up rather quickly in the epilogue where I would have liked to have seen more in depth evidence of Cat & Zaiah’s compatibility on screen.

For those curious, there was no faith content and reads like a clean contemporary romance. However, it does provide an honest & probing insight into media consumption & addiction. How plugged-in is too plugged-in? What are we letting validate us? Definitely made me stop and think.

All in all, a cute & fun read with food for thought!



*I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley. I was not required to write a positive review. These are my honest thoughts and opinions.

I really tried with this one. I picked it up at least four times and I couldn’t get into the story. When I read the plot line I was so sure it would be something I loved (sort of a Hook, Line, and Sinker-esque trope) but it fell flat for me. Maybe it’s the season of life I’m in, but unfortunately this was a DNF for me. I felt like the themes — dangers of social media, mental health — were caricatures of serious issues, and as others have mentioned the romance was lacking. I will try this author again because I liked her writing but sadly this one wasn’t for me.

Cat Cranwell’s life revolves around her phone and pretending not to age. When the Club app with her new business partner turns into a lawsuit several months later, her best friend Serena sends her to Montana to work with her uncle at Kannery Park to help beef up their social media presence. When she learns the park may be absorbed into Glacier if they can’t up their visitor numbers - meaning her uncle and new friends would all be out of jobs - she’s determined to use whatever resources she still has to keep that from happening.

I’m not a fan of social media influencers as protagonists so it took me a bit to get into the story, but I thoroughly enjoyed Cat’s transformation once she’d left NYC. And it’s a sweet, heartwarming romance.

I have read all of Melissa Ferguson’s books, with the exception of Meet Me In The Margins (on my tbr list), and can attest that she only gets better as time goes on. Famous for a Living is without a doubt the best book she has ever written. It is a sweet, clean romance that tackles the subject of social media head on.

Cat, a social media darling, has managed to turn her life into a successful business; until one wrong move lands her in hot water. Forced to take a step back from the spotlight she takes a job with her uncle. Working in a state park was never part of the plan, but neither was falling for the park ranger.

Ferguson does a terrific job writing a romance amongst a call to action. She highlights the pros and cons social media has to offer in the 21st century; while asking the reader to take an introspective look at their relationship with technology. She managed to convict without placing judgement, which is a hard thing to do. As a result, I want to take more time to enjoy the people, places and things around me without the distraction of my phone. Since “you gotta get off your phone” in order to realize “real life is happening”.

Special thanks to Netgalley and Thomas Nelson for allowing me to read this book in exchange for my honest review.