I really struggled to find a point in this book. It certainly wasn't a romance. The two main characters were both not very likable and I found myself wanting to DNF several times. I also felt like there were some weird underlying messages about political and social issues that made me feel uncomfortable. I don't think I would read further books by this author in the future.

I received an advance review copy for free through NetGalley, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

A big thank you to Melissa Ferguson, Thomas Nelson, and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review. Famous for a Living comes out May 16, 2023.

When social media influencer Cat is betrayed by her business partner, with the help of her best friend, Serena, she decides to go to Kennedy, Montana to get a break from the scandal. There she takes a job with her park ranger uncle to try and up visitor numbers to his national park. There she meets the head park ranger Zaiah, a social media and cellphone (he has a freaking flip phone) hating cinnamon roll. During her stay in Montanna, Cat must decide if she wants to continue the near addiction she had to social media or if she can still post but not make it influence her whole day.

I really enjoyed this book even though it was different than what I thought it was going to be. I feel like it leans more towards the Woman's fiction category, with romance being a subplot. I still loved the personnel journey that Cat went on during the book. I also really enjoyed that Cat didn't start out as a spoiled and vapid character, from the beginning she was strong and kind. All of the side characters were funny, and they all added a found family feel to the book. Overall, it was a fun and easy read, and I definingly recommend Famous for a Living.

An adorable, clean romance with humor and joy, and whats not to love???

But seriously this Christmas I’ve been buying gifts for people and I keep thinking “I should buy this book for so and so” and then I remember I read the ARC and can’t buy it for others yet.

Another hit from Melissa Ferguson and it did not disappoint! Cat Cranwell needs to figure out how she is going to make it away from the big city and the comfort of her social media elite status. She really struggles as any woman would do when wanting to be fashionable and feel beautiful in single digit freezing temps. Melissa always does so well at giving her main female lead the doubtful and fun of despair internal monologue, when all they really want to do is succeed at small things in life. They always feel like they aren't good enough and yet they always prove themselves wrong by believing and just going for it anyway, even if they look ridiculous doing it.

I can see myself in her characters, Serena was the perfect balance of work/personal life for Cat and always reassured her that things would resolve themselves eventually. Cat's mental health is also Serena's top priority, which I found so sweet and I am definitely akin to her for being empathetic and supportive. All of the characters surrounding Cat gave her the benefit of the doubt and cut her some slack for not being native to Montana and I enjoyed seeing as they all fell in love with her and she grew to love them despite their wacky winter games. The whole Kannery team felt like a family and I really enjoyed reading their antics and dynamic between them. Kannery Park and Cades Peak were described in such great detail, I instantly wanted to go and see it for myself.

Overall, Zaiah and Cat provide us with so much insight into their troublesome past and how they rose above all of it, many real moments that my heart broke for them and ultimately made them such a great couple, really loved how they complemented each other. Thank you Melissa for giving us another great gem and I cannot wait to read your future works! Also, thanks to the Thomas Nelson team for the ARC.

What I read: Famous for a Living by Melissa Ferguson

Why I picked it up: I’ve read and loved all of Melissa’s books – and even own them. I find them laugh out loud funny, so when I saw the opportunity to request this one on NetGalley I jumped at the chance.

How I read it: The ARC (advanced reader copy) on Kindle in a day, I put everything else down to read this first!

What it’s about: Cat’s job is “being famous” – she’s been an online influencer and now she has the chance to launch a new app in the world and be the face or rather voice of it all. But contracts are a tricky thing and it all ends up blowing up in her face. As she loses followers and her dignity, at times, she needs to find a place to lay low. Her uncle invites her to do social media for the national park he manages, so she packs up everything and moves to Montana in the winter for a few months. Zaiah is charged with picking her up from the airport and sees only the worst of his ex in her, which makes for some tense interactions between the two of them.

What I liked: Cat seems to find her way in the world and realigns her values – and Zaiah is a delight. I want to know him in real life – or see this portrayed in a movie. There’s a serious moral lesson in the end that we should all take heed of!

What I disliked: There’s a lot of acceptance that being a famous influencer for doing nothing except being beautiful and knowing how to gain followers is a real job. I think that this “job” might be one of the downfalls of our current culture so it was hard to have it celebrated.

Genre: Chaste romance, social media, found family.

Rating & Recommendation: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ and yes – it releases on May 16th!

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

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

Famous for a Living is such a heartwarming and cozy read. I had a really good time reading about Catherine Cranwell (fmc) and all her ups and downs, and her friends (new and old). . PS. Lipstick is important.

4 stars.

As soon as I saw this book go up on Netgalley I had to request it. However, it wasn't what I expected. In my opinion, it's more of a women's fiction than a rom com. There wasn't as much humor as there was in the author's other books, which I really enjoyed. I didn't really connect with the main characters, but I did appreciate the topic of how addictive and destructive addiction to social media can be. I would have liked to see more romance and humor. It would have also been good to know more about the side characters. Overall it was a cute story but not a favorite by this author.

Cat is a social media influencer living in New York City until a deal gone wrong puts her career in jeopardy. When she’s blacklisted, she takes up an offer from her uncle to try to get his National Park in Michigan on the map. There she meets Zaiah Smith, a ranger who is very anti social media (along with some other great quirky characters).

I was a little hesitant at first, imagining Cat to be very self centered and materialistic. But the more we learn about her, the more I liked her. Both she and Zaiah had difficulties in their lives that led them to where they are today. I liked how they also taught each other about some of the pros and cons in their own lives/personalities that they could each learn from. While the story portrayed some of the positives that social media can bring, it also did a great job portraying the dangers of social media and how to place some limits on it to protect your mental health.

This was a really fun read while also discussing some serious themes and in a way that helps the reader consider their own relationship with social media.

3 Stars Famous for a Living by Melissa Ferguson was a cute found-family romcom. After her business partner is indicted for fraud, social media influencer Catherine “Cat” Cranwell’s world of being famous for a living falls apart. Cat accepts an offer from her beloved Uncle Terry to join him out in Kannery National Park in Montana where he works as a park ranger. Terry needs Cat’s help to turn around their social media and draw more tourists to the small national park. New Yorker Cat isn’t quite cut out for Montana living, but gives it her best shot and befriends the others working in the park—Mina, Peggy, Jax, Kevin, and Zaiah. Cat is attracted to the gruff and grumpy Zaiah, and can’t seem to figure out how he feels about her.

This was a very easy read and I flew through it. I love stories with the found family trope and this one was done perfectly. The HEA was the cherry on top of a cute ending.

This was a very fun book and I enjoyed this one very much is definitely a different worth the read thank so much for letting me read this book

While I don't think I would classify this book as solely romance considering Cat and Zaiah didn't even get together until the last 20% of the book, I still enjoyed the story. It touches on the important topic of social media and how addictive it can be. Overall, great book by Melissa Ferguson!

Ein richtig netter, unterhaltsamer Liebesroman. Die Story ist ein bisschen vorhersehbar, aber die Romanze zwischen der Influencerin und dem Nationalpark Ranger ist einfach süss.

I was drawn by this cover and the idea of a modern story focused on influenceurs. In practice, though, I struggled with the first few scenes and struggled to connect with the characters. I did not finish the book. Thank you for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

It was a cute, simple read. It was not what I was expecting when I read it was a romance but the relationship was sweet, I can say that.

I found a lot of inconsistencies that were distracting along with tons of short, clipped sentences that were disruptive to the flow while reading. I imagine they were meant to be punctuations to the story to draw out a point being made but I found it annoying. The first chapter was a struggle to get through and entirely too long.

Towards the end it did seem to come together a little better and the happily every after was incredibly sweet. I will give credit where it is due and there was not an instant love thing going on. It was no way an enemies to lovers trope but more a slightly inconvenienced by each vibe. I happen to be more partial to the enemies to lovers which may be part of why I didn't enjoy this as much.

I received this complimentary e-ARC from the publisher, courtesy of NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.

This book was just so fun! Cat, a social media influencer, has her life blown up in the worst way & retreats to rural Montana to help out her uncle & hide away until things get better. I loved the cozy winter setting, the background characters & the sweet romance of this book. It left a smile on my face & made me think about social media in a different way which was refreshing. If you love sweet romances & cozy reads - pick this one up for sure! Melissa Ferguson, this might be my fav one yet!!

"Famous for a Living" is a cute, clean romance based on an original premise: famous influencer Cat Cranwell suddenly finds herself involved in a public scandal through no fault of her own. Trying to wait it out until the heat dies down, she finds herself in rural Montana working for her Uncle. His position as a park ranger at a national park leads her to meet a whole crew of characters who are fun and make you want to hang out with them! Most important is cowboy Zaiah Hudson, who is the complete opposite of social-media obsessed Cat, yet sparks fly anyways.

Following the blossoming romance between Cat and Zaiah was enjoyable and entertaining. I really enjoyed this book and hope that the author, Melissa Ferguson, decides to base another book on some of the peripheral characters. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

This was a cute, clean story about a social media influencer who needed to get out of her own way. It was interesting reading about the pitfalls of living your life online. Well done.

Famous for a Living by Melissa Ferguson is a contemporary story that is full of humor and challenges. It follows the story of New York influencer Cat Cranwell, who is accused of financial mischief along with her business partner. To escape the spotlight, she accepts an offer from her uncle to work at Kannery National Park in Montana. There, she meets Park Ranger Zaiah Smith and finds herself in a battle of wits. I enjoyed the charming and humorous secondary characters, Mina, Jax and Kevin, as well as the underlying message of social media addiction. While I did find myself preferring Ferguson's other works, this book offers a great escape with a hint of rom-com in a beautiful setting.

I really enjoyed this story of an internet influencer who heads from NYC to Montana to wait out a bit of a scandal that threatens her brand. I felt like it gave a realistic look at the pitfalls and cautions of a public online life, while not diminishing the benefits entirely (there clearly are some). Cat was likable and down to earth, and I enjoyed the national park setting and cast of characters she met there. Lovely and real and charming. The romance was sweet and there were some interesting twists that tied back to the influencer/phone culture. Overall I really enjoyed this and it’s message of moderation.

This was such a cute story! It is more women’s fiction than romance. It made me laugh out loud and I was rooting for Cat. I do wish there was more between her and Zaiah relationship wise but I still enjoyed it.