First of all, Thank you so much to Netgalley for providing me my very first audiobook with the platform, and this is in exchange of an honest review.

So, at first I was really happy and motivated to listen to this story, hear me out:
• she’s an influencer
• he uses cellphone
• she has to a park ranger and leave the city
• he had to share time with her
• slow burn romance
• clean romance

That slow burn was sooo slow and I didn’t even feel the tension neither the actual like they had to each other. So after I finished this book I understood that actually it isn't a real romance, but women's fiction, even thought this was sold us as a romance...

Yup, I lost interest at 45% of the book and that made me sad, but every time I played te audio I was so bored of it that finally I had to leave it as if it was “atmosphere soundtrack”… I’m sorry but I couldn’t connect with the main characters neither. I think it had a good potential but not as much as I expected.

This was cute but not a fav. I didn’t feel very swept up in it- not did I really feel like I could connect with Cat, the main character. This didn’t read very much like a romance. It was much more about her journey and growth than it was about the two of them growing as a couple. I loved the Montana descriptions and lifestyle- the setting and people were fun to read about.

I did really enjoy the epilogue which gave some fun future facts that not all books give you.

Thanks @NetGalley for the chance to read this arc.

There were some laugh out loud moments, I really enjoyed and closed door romance that I prefer in books.
I read the ebook and the audiobook also , I really enjoyed the narrator, I definitely recommend.

Cat Cranwell is a big-time influencer, living in New York City. When a business she's been working on goes very wrong she escapes to Kannery National Park in Montana where her Uncle Terry is a ranger, and she tries to rebuild her image and her life. Living in the middle of nowhere gives her a new perspective and has her questioning everything she thought was important.

I liked this book better than her previous books, but I definitely don't think it should have been marketed as a rom-com. I'd put it more in the women's fiction genre. There's not so much as a kiss until almost 90% of the way through the book, and I definitely didn't feel any actual sizzle between the main characters.

Overall, it's a fairly light story, but with a few touches of heavier topics such as phone addiction, abusive parental relationships, internet trolls etc.

I felt like this book had Simple Wild vibes, but without any steam.

What happens when a tech-addicted social media influencer needs to go off the grid? For Cat, running into the wilderness may help her find what she didn’t realize she’d lost… plus a hot park ranger and some lasting friendships.

✨ Book Review: FAMOUS FOR A LIVING by Melissa Ferguson ✨

🌄 Book Synopsis (from the publisher): When her business partner is accused of serious financial crimes, superstar influencer Cat Cranwell—an engineered marvel of beauty, energy, and fun—falls from her penthouse perch. Des­perate to get away from the online trolls and paparazzi docu­menting her disgrace, Cat accepts her uncle’s offer to work with him in Kannery National Park, Montana. About as far as possible from life as she’s known it. Then there’s that other tiny problem—she’s falling for Zaiah, the ruggedly handsome park ranger—and he hates anything remotely connected to social media, quite possibly her included.

🏞️ My Take: Cat’s personality and single-POV storytelling are laugh-put-loud funny. But she’s also got depth, especially once she starts realizing how out of touch she’s been while in the NYC see-and-be-seen circuit. Really liked Cat’s character growth through the book and absolute loved the full cast of national park characters, especially love interest Zaiah and roommate Mina. This book was so much fun and a great listen on audiobook.

Read FAMOUS FOR A LIVING for:
- Hilarious situations
- Quirky characters
- Sweet, opposites-attract and grumpy/sunshine romance
- Nature and wildlife appreciation (national parks)
- Notes on social media and work/life balance

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4/5 stars)

😘 Thank you to @ThomasNelson and @netgalley for the FAMOUS FOR A LIVING audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

This book was darling! It was a bit predictable but I enjoyed the characters and the overall story. It would make a really good summer read.

This was a really fun read. Honestly lots of fun and very “Hallmark” but it also really touches on some really great topics. For instance, ageing in the time of social media and how that can affect ones confidence and psyche. The narration was great and the character was super relatable (I am a slow ageing millennial who also makes content on the internet). If you are looking for a solid read this summer that isn’t too heavy check this out.

GENRE: Romance, Grumpy X Sunshine
Rating 3.5

This was overall sweet and well-written. The audiobook narrator also did an amazing job, so props to her. However, it cannot claim any more than 3 stars in my books because of the overwhelming lack of stakes and tension. Yes, this is a light-hearted wholesome romance, but good and compelling writing requires at least some tension and grab. The book did set up some arcs that sounded interesting, but they quietly fizzled out and had, I wouldn't call it unsatisfying, but definitely underwhelming climaxes. I was truly invested in the characters and the setting, they genuinely felt real and likable, but I would've liked more time with them. Delving further into the complicated relationships between characters, having some conflict and deeper reflection would've done this book some good.
Also, a few reviewers have already remarked on this, so I thought I'd comment on it as well: this is not really a romance. It is more about the main character finding herself, gaining confidence and reconnecting with real life. The romance isn't insta-love or anything super rushed, but it would have definitely used some more interactions between the two characters. Speaking on the coming-of-age aspect of this book, the ending kind of confused me. I did say that this book is more about our main character growing and reflecting, and some of the reflections were genuinely really compelling, but I don't think she went deep enough for us, the readers, to really understand her character. That is why her decisions at the end felt a bit rushed and really ruined any stakes that were raised.
Overall, I liked the characters, setting and style of writing, but this definitely could have been more compelling plot-wise and had deeper dives into the characters, the relationships, and the philosophical ideas about city-life, connections with other people, and the self.

BRIEF REVIEW
I enjoyed this one! It was a cute, clean romance with a good overarching theme of change. I liked both MCs. The book has a Hallmark feel to it (as most clean rom-coms do). I wish we would have gotten a bit more of a backstory of Cat's childhood; we get a little bit, but I wanted more elucidation. Melissa Ferguson has a cute and witty way of writing that came through well in the audiobook. The epilogue was 🥰

BRIEF CONTENT GUIDE
😘🙊🍷🤕All mild. There are a few mentions about sensuousness (see blog).

BOTTOM LINE
If you're in the mood for a clean, contemporary romcom with an overarching theme of lifestyle change, check this one out.

FULL REVIEW AND CONTENT GUIDE on blog (https://betterbookbureau.weebly.com/reviews/famous-for-a-living-ferguson)

Thank you to @netgalley, author, & publisher for the 🎧book

I really enjoyed this book I absolutely loved his flip phone. I feel like this was about Kat finding her self before love which was lovely and different. This is. a fun well written chick flick

Received as a free digital audiobook from NetGalley.

I am not normally a romance reader, but decided to give this audiobook a try. Cat Crandall is a social media star, until an app partnership goes very wrong. Without money coming in and an outcast, Cat's Uncle Terry offers her a job at his small national park in Montana. Her job is to set up social media for the park, increase traffic into the park, and save it from being absorbed into a larger national park. Cat moves from the big city life and meets a coworker, Zaiah Hudson. Zaiah is a ranger and doesn't think very highly of social media.

I loved the cover and think it represents the book well. I enjoyed the narrator as well and would listen to her again. Although tagged as romance, the romance is tame and doesn't happen until later in the storyline. I loved the setting of the small nature park and the outdoors. A picturesque scenery comes to mind. The story is well written and this is a quick easy read. If you love light romance, the great outdoors, nature, social media, national parks, and Montana, this book may be for you.

I received an arc of this title from NetGalley for an honest review. I did not like the narrator for this story and kept losing where I was because it just did not hold my attention.

Review

If you’re looking for a cozy and sweet getaway look no further : ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

📚I adore the setting of this book and all the lovable characters warm my heart. Mountain waterfalls, hot springs, nature, and true friendship take centre stage in this sweet escape. Overall message of this book is perfect. With society as a whole preoccupied with our phones Melissa Ferguson gives a much needed reminder of the damage social media can cause. I just love stories with a good message. Besides the message I enjoyed the FMC’s developmental journey and the sweet romance she finds in Kannery Park. Can’t wait to listen to more books by this author!

🎧The audiobook production was well done and the narrator did a great job. She was perfect for the role in my opinion!

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson Publishing for an audiobook copy of this story!

#cleanromance
#bookstagram #booklover #books #bookoftheday #bookreview #bookreviewer #readthisbook #readmorebooks #prettycover

⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a chance to listen to an early access audiobook copy of Melissa Ferguson’s new release.

I liked this book but I think it took me so long to get through it because I was listening to and reading other things that I don’t really remember, so it’s hard to write a review.

I liked the characters in this one and I liked the setting. It had a warm hug vibe that I enjoyed. I liked our main character too and the growth that she had throughout the story. Zayas was the sweetest, gruff mountain man there could ever be!

I enjoyed the narrator of this as well and thought they did a great job in the pacing of the story as well as changing the narration for each character.

The epilogue was so cute!

A light and somewhat implausible story, but a compelling read. This works really well as an audio book.

“Famous for a Living” was my first novel by Melissa Ferguson and I truly enjoyed it!! First, I loved the concept of the story and the way Melissa used the plot to urge readers to analyze their relationship with social media. This central message impacted me a lot and got me thinking about “unplugging” from social media platforms more often!!

Second, the romance between Cat and Zaiah was super sweet!!! This story definitely leaned more towards Women’s Fiction rather than romance/romcom, but the light romance elements were super adorable😍 I mean, who doesn’t enjoy a rugged, bearded mountain man with a flip phone??🥹❤️

Third, can I just say how much I ADORED the Kannery crew—Mina, Jax, Kevin, & Uncle Terry!! Kevin in particular must be protected at ALL COSTS😭❤️ I loved his passion for nature and limitless knowledge of the outdoors!! He might’ve been my favorite character from the whole book😂😂

Finally, I’d like to note that I listened to this story on audiobook and really liked the narrators’ voices🤩 I definitely recommend giving the audiobook a try if this story interests you!!

Overall, I recommend this story!! This story is great for readers who would enjoy books that take place in wildlife settings, have light romance, and contain an overarching message of the dangers of social media❤️

Loved the premise, but wasn't infatuated by the story. It just fell flat for me, nothing good or bad. Recommend for an easy read though

Loved Melissa Ferguson's last book, she I had to read this one as soon as I could get my hands on it. If you love a good slow burn and the opposites attract and fish out of water tropes, this one is for you. As someone who loves both a five-star hotel and a hike in a national park, I loved seeing Cat make the transition from one lifestyle to another. This rom com had some laugh out loud moments, and a main character who was flawed but lovable. Definitely worth a read!

This book was absolutely adorable. The romance was a major slow burn, but I really enjoyed getting to know the characters and the different places. The imagery described in this book sounded gorgeous and really makes me want to go to Montana and visit the park. I loved seeing the change in certain people in the book once they were taken out of their elements and placed in different ones. People always say you can’t take the city out of a person, but I feel this is untrue and it is perfectly depicted in this book. People can change. It is okay to still want certain things in life, but you can live in two different worlds and still find joy in both.

*I received a copy of this Audio-book as an ARC reviewer, but a positive review wasn’t required. All thoughts are solely what I personally thought of this beautiful book.❤️❤️❤️

Famous for a Living is a cute story, however it did not have the romance I was expecting.

Cat is a social media influencer with a huge following that is involved in a massive scandal and she is basically canceled. She then moves to Montana where her uncle is a park ranger and she helps the park with their social media. (Think Alexis in Schitt's Creek) While in Montana she meets a lot of incredible people and she begins to question her past and learns that there really is more to life that social media and how many likes you get per post.

The book was more about Cat's character growing and learning more about herself than it is a romance. Overall, the idea of the book was cute but it wasn't executed really well and the writing was a bit flat.

Thank you Thomas Nelson, Melissa Ferguson and NetGalley for the ALC.