Thank you NetGalley for giving me not one, but two copies of this book. I started this book on my Kindle but switched about a quarter in to audio, and I'm so grateful to have had that option because I'm not sure that I would have finished this otherwise.

My biggest problem here is that this is NOT a romance. Is there romance? I guess... In the last quarter of the book. Unfortunately for me, that is too little too late. I love a slow burn as much as the next person, but for a romance, A SINGLE DATE not even happening until well past the fifty percent mark just made me feel like this entire book was marketed incorrectly.

And that's to say nothing of the characters... I hated them. Honestly hated. Cat is awful. I know we're supposed to buy into this whole "poor little rich girl" and her social media obsession and feel something for her, but she had NO personality whatsoever. Unless you count complaining about how she's so unpopular now. In which case, we can list extremely whiny and annoying as her personality traits. Actually, now that I say that, let's count those as her personality because Zaiah? The actual definition of a filler character and was just there because apparently this was a "romance".

There was also this super weird conversation in the first quarter that was about gun rights and it just felt so in your face and out of place in a supposed "romance" book.

I would not recommend this... It didn't feel like it had good commentary on our generations dependency on social media and certainly is not a romance. I feel like if you're looking for a contemporary or woman's fiction type book, then maybe this could work for you, but otherwise, I personally would pass.

I really enjoyed getting to see Cat's growth and the development of her relationship with the side character's. I absolutely loved Mina and thought she was adorable. Her bubbly personality and immediate friendship with Cat was so sweet to read about. I also loved Cat's Uncle Terry. He was such a stereotypical male character who can't show affection, but it worked so well here!

The only thing missing for me was the spice. I thought we were going to get a little bit more, but we had only two kissing scenes and that was it. The kissing scenes were also tame, at best, and I was a little disappointed. If I continue to read from this author I'll definitely need to be in the mood for this type of romcom!

With that said though, the book was super well-written and I could honestly see this becoming a movie. It reminded me for some reason of Sweet Home Alabama, even though they are in NO way related at all haha. It just had the same vibes to it and I love that movie. If you're looking for a very sweet rom-com, with SHA vibes, go grab this one!

A big thank you to Thomas Nelson and Netgalley for the audio ARC of Famous for a Living! Expected release date: May 16, 2023.

I went into this book expecting full fledged romcom book, but very happily, I got a book about a strong female lead who has an amazing character arc, outside of her love interest. This is really a story of Cat fleeing from New York after some serious accusations and landing in a national park in Montana where her uncle, future love interest, and zany group of park rangers work. I thoroughly enjoyed the journey we go on with Cat, but know this is very much a personal journey with little to no romance until about 75% of the way through the book.

One of the definite strengths of this book was the wild and crazy side characters. They brought life to this national park team that had me laughing any time they were mentioned. One of my very favorite characters is Mina, the roommate and entrepreneur, who is so genuine--you want to root for her from the moment she is introduced.

Ultimately, I wanted to keep listening to this one from the moment I started until the very last minute. It's a good time read and very relevant to today. There are several points where the book discusses the dangers of being addicted to our phones and not staying in tune with the moment, as well as the importance of not using our phones while driving. I wished the romance was a little less slow burn and there were a few times where Cat's actions seemed less than believable.

Famous for a Living touches upon a young woman, Cat, who makes a living on being famous on social media. She has everything in the world she could want until she is blindsided by her partner who runs away with her business causing her life to crumble. To save money and to hide from the media, Cat escapes to Montana to work with her uncle, a park ranger. Her new life couldn't be more opposite from the life she left, but this change opens her eyes to the world beyond social media and NYC.

This was a slow start for me and a bit corny with her lavish life in NYC, but as she falls for the her "enemy", the story starts to warm up to me. Overall the story is entertaining and I enjoyed it.

Thank you Netgalley for the advanced copy and the narration was well done in two different narrators.

This was a cute story. It is a singular POV with a HEA if that's your jam. The drama is minimal but there is some. The characters are great. I had a few lol moments while listening. And despite there only being one narrator, she did a great job. I didn't care for the main character, personally! She grew on me a little but I personally prefer a strong FMC. Kat kind of annoyed me. Zaya and Jax were hilarious though.

Famous for a Living is a May New Release small town, opposites attract, enemies to lovers romantic comedy. While romance certainly plays a big role throughout the book, the story has a larger focus on Cat Cronwell's growth from a naive social media superstar to a person who lives in the moment and focuses on the more important things in life. She goes from successful big city living to residing with a roommate, sleeping on a couch in a small cabin in a nearly unheard of national park.
When Cat first meets Zaiah she can feel the judgement he has regarding her former career and lifestyle. They butt heads, but ultimately come to appreciate eachother and learn there are more to eachother than meets the eye. The side characters are amazing and provide great banter and comedic relief There were super sweet moments, laugh outloud parts and the storyline was thought provoking. I really enjoyed this sweet romance book on audio.

A special thank you to the Melissa Ferguson and NetGalley for my ARC audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

3.75 ⭐️

While I loved Melissa Ferguson's first book, this second one was just an okay read. While this may not be my cup of tea, please give it a try! The Audiobook and narrator were a great way to dive into this story.

Read if you enjoy:
- Social Media Awareness
- Wilderness Vibes (National Parks)
- Small Town Vibes
- One POV
- Slow Burn (Toward the end)
- Closed Door Romance

This story begins with Cat moving to her uncle's town in Montana in hopes to escape the paparazzi as a fraud case is being built against her after an unfortunate deal was made. She takes on the mission of running her uncle’s social media page in hopes of driving traffic into their small national park. In this newfound friendship and purpose, Cat begins to learn the importance of being present and using her social media influence for things that truly matter.

This book did not read as a romance for me and perhaps the reasons why I may have felt flat throughout. It has a side plot of romance towards the very end and I felt it was more to please the reader rather than giving it true purpose. It was great to see Cat’s growth as a social media influencer and how her role and perspective grew throughout. I feel this book reads better under a different category as it has a big/main plot of the dangers of social media.

Thank you, NetGalley for the ALC in exchange for an honest review

I really enjoyed “Famous for a Living” by Melissa Ferguson as an audiobook. The narrator really brought the opposites attracts characters to life. This was a fun, sweet, light listen, perfect for summer!

Thank you, Netgalley and Thomas Nelson and Zondervan Audio, for the ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Bordeaux is a typical small town. Gossip is the most important thing that happens all the time. Can Shanon and Duke act on their long time crush while keeping it secret until Shanon big brother and Duke’s best friend Chris comes back from the army? Duke is a flirt and the last man Chris wants for his little sister but they can’t help their feelings. The audiobook is great, Amy and McFadden and Will Damron make Savannah’s funny and sweet story even better with their voices and work

I love a romance novel that doesn't feel like every other romance novel. That can be a tall order, as romances are generally predictable. However, Melissa Ferguson's "Famous for a Living" was so wonderfully fun and different I found myself completely absorbed in the characters and the story throughout. I will definitely be picking up more of Melissa Ferguson's work - I enjoyed every minute of it!

It was…fine. I was excited to have a “national park romance” only to discover its really just about a woman finding herself, in a way. Which is also fine! But then don’t make it out to be a romance when they barely interact until 78% of the way into the book.

Also, the ending was WAY too fast. There was no room for any of it to come to fruition; you were just there. I don’t love that.

It was fine.

I did enjoy the reflections on social media dependency though. I thought that was really insightful.

The narration of this book was five stars, I wanted to make sure to say that, because the narrator was easy to listen to and I felt like she excelled at bringing Cat and the other characters to life. I will definitely listen to more books with this narrator.
As for the story itself, I went back and forth on what my rating should be but ultimately, I wish this would be marketed as women's fiction and not a romcom because my expectations would have been better met that way. There is a great introspection and self-awareness that Cat experiences as she goes from a trendy, popular social media influencer to being "cancelled". Her fall from grace may have been her saving grace as she gets an escape, and in ways fresh discovery of herself, by going to the national park with her uncle. I did like Zaiah for Cat and the romance elements were really nice, but not the focus of the story, therefore not meeting that romantic expectation.
It was really interesting to reflect on social media use and addiction as it was presented in this novel.
This is a clean read. I received an advance listening copy of this book from Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

As a native Montanan I really enjoyed the story and the narration was excellent! I thought the narrator was perfect as the voice of Cat and my experience listening to the book was delightful ! Thank you for the opportunity!

This book was adorable. At different moments I actually laughed out loud, or at least snickered especially every time Uncle Terry tried to take pictures with a cell phone. The budding romance was cute and actually somewhat realistic with common day relationship issues. The only beef I have is the social media as a drug addiction plot line felt a bit heavy handed and while I agree with the sentiment it came on way to hard and fast for it to not detract from the story.

"Famous for a Living" by Melissa Ferguson is a heartwarming and hilarious romantic comedy that will leave readers laughing and swooning. The story follows social media star Cat Cranwell, who finds herself in a tough spot after a partnership with an app goes wrong and she loses her following. In an effort to start anew, Cat accepts a job as the social media strategist at Kannery National Park in Montana. Her goal is to save the park from being absorbed into Glacier National Park by boosting visitor numbers, but she quickly learns that not everyone at the park is a fan of social media.

Ferguson's writing is witty and charming, and her characters are lovable and relatable. Cat's journey of self-discovery and finding true love in the unlikeliest of places is a joy to follow. Her interactions with Zaiah Hudson, the handsome and rugged park ranger who initially dislikes social media, are both hilarious and heartwarming. The story also tackles important themes of the impact of social media and the importance of nature conservation.

Overall, "Famous for a Living" is a delightful read that will leave readers with a smile on their face. It's perfect for fans of romantic comedies and anyone looking for a light and entertaining read.

I listened to Famous for a Living primarily on audiobook and it was such a fun and light read. There were some things that were just so unbelievable, but I was able to go with it and just have fun regardless. A little bit campy and definitely very low on the steam level (this is very clean). I really liked Famous for a Living and will try Melissa Ferguson's other work.

I got the privilege to read / listen this new book! And it was lovely!
I really liked how there’s opposite lifestyles and how its written - good descriptions but not that either or are better. And how funny this is, laughing out loud so many times 😄
My favorite seen was the photo moose seen, which made myself to think all those times when I’ve encountered with moose’s in my life - country girl in heart!

All the characters were so well written and it was so easy to get to Montana mountains.

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Cat + Zaiah

Clean romance
Slow burn
Grumpy sunshine
Opposites attract
Found family
Cinnamon roll MMC
Influencer FMC
National Park
Personal growth


First this cover. Totally sucked me and I wanted it on my shelf the moment I saw it.
The story....Zaiah really stole the show for me here. He is just such a caring man. Making her vegan chilli at the cook off knowing he would lose and no one else would eat it, saved her ass from a moose, warmed her feet up for her, and so much more.
I also really enjoyed most of the side characters in this. Jax and Kevin were hilarious with great banter. I chuckled out loud a few times.
Loved the conversations about social media being so addictive and the negative aspects of it. (The author is a TikTok influencer who I have followed for ever for the beautiful views well before knowing she was an author.)

I would rate this book 3/5 stars. I loved the small town setting. All the side characters were funny and felt fully developed. Cat was honestly the least interesting character in the book, but I still found myself rooting for her. My biggest problem with this book was the ending. I felt everything wrapped up so quickly and our main characters just ended up together.

Cat is 30 something Instagram influencer who is on her way to next level fame and monetizing when her world comes screeching to a halt because of one of her partners and now she’s being “cancelled “ by everyone online. Her best friend suggests she needs to get away so maybe she should go and stay with her uncle Terry, who she’s always been close to. He is a park ranger at Kannery National Park in Montana. She decides to go and takes him up on his offer to take over the social media responsibilities of the park while she’s staying there in the hopes of increasing visibility and getting more people to come to the park. While she’s there she meets the other members of the crew, including the grumpy brooding Zaiah.
This book is so fun and I often found myself with a smile on my face while I was listening. The narrator did a fantastic job of keeping the story lively and engaging and establishing the various characters.
The story also really makes you look a lot at things like aging and the effects of social media and its effects in your mental health. Everyone’s life isn’t instagram perfect no matter how much they want you to think it is.
The description of the scenery was absolutely beautiful. It made me want to go there and even go hiking!
Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for this audiobook arc in exchange for my review.