**thank you netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book**

On the plus side really aims for body positivity which I love. Although there were a few moments in the story that really made my skin crawl, overall my reading experience was enjoyable. I LOVED the growth of our main character, Everly. I must admit, the romance was pretty swoon worthy too. If you like quick reads with romance as a sub plot, give this one a try!

I love reading behind the scenes of reality shows, as a big reality show fan. Characters were very likeable, except for Everly’s mother who did have a legit redemption arc. I do wish we would’ve learned a little bit more about Logan aside from his affinity for flannel shirts and loving dogs. Their falling in love was very convincing, however, I do think the plot twist with the producer fell flat for me. I wish Everly would’ve followed her dreams a little bit more, for instance, the art show. I’m glad I gave this author another chance after not enjoying The Makeup Test.

i’m submitting the reviews for books by you that I already have, but I will never request another one. In October one of your employees made a horribly racist statement and you have chosen to do nothing about it. People have continuously asked you to say that you don’t stand with what the employee said, and you refuse to. This is not someone who I want to promote ever because you are sending the wrong message. These reviews will not be posted on social media because you don’t deserve the promotion. I hope that all of your authors move to other publishers because you are standing with a genocide. Watch this video for more information https://www.tiktok.com/@vivafalastinleen/video/7288407369313307947?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc&web_id=7211704101519296042

This was a lot of fun. I really enjoyed reading Everly’s journey of actually doing what she loves. The love story with her and Logan was so cute and it progressed so naturally. They both really saw each other and it warmed my heart.

On the Plus Side by Jenny L. Howe

Published: December 26, 2023
St. Martin’s Griffin
Genre: Women’s Friendship Fiction
Pages: 360
KKECReads Rating: 5/5
I received a copy of this book for free, and I leave my review voluntarily.

I love a body-positive book. Especially one that showcases plus-sized people. Everly Winters could be every plus-size person. The way she tries to dim her shine because few people see past her size.

This novel hits a lot of points beautifully. And I loved the romantic elements. I am always intrigued by books that take us behind the scenes of television shows, so that aspect was fantastic.

This book has a lot of heart. It made me laugh and cry, but I was glued to the pages. This was a charming story from start to finish, and I loved every page.

The book On the Plus Side was an enjoyable read. I would recommend any book written by Jenny L. Howe. Happy Reading!

I received an ARC of this book courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and given freely.

4.5 stars!

I really enjoyed On the Plus Side. I really didn’t know how it was going to play out when there was a reality tv show involved, but Jenny Howe did a great job with this storyline!

The writing was refreshing. The characters were extremely relatable..The relationships that Everly had with her mom was super heartbreaking. I’m happy with how it ended, but the road to get there and the years spent misinterpreting things was so sad for both of them. And the co-worker, James, well, I don’t want to give anything away or ruin the story, but sometimes I just wanted to shake him and tell him to stop!

I think the best part of the whole book was Logan the cameraman! He was just perfect, in so many ways.

Overall I really loved this book and can’t read to pick up another book by this author.

***Thank you Netgalley & the publisher for an ARC copy in return for an honest review***

This book had admirable goals. I believe the author's intent was to normalize being overweight instead of continuing to stigmatize it. What happened instead at times felt like the character's weight being targeted as a weakness instead of pointing our her many strengths.

That said, I did like the basic storyline. It was an original feeling plot and I got on board with it. It was well-written and gave solid insight into the character's thoughts.

AUDIOBOOK: I also listened to the audiobook and found it to be quite good. The narration was solid and pulled me into the storyline. 4 stars

Thank you to NetGalley for both the ebook and audiobook. I chose to review them and the opinions contained within are my own.

I love a Reality TV trope, and I LOVE the representation in this book! The writing is smart and fun and the characters are extremely likable and just overall well-written and real.

The story had a lot of moving parts, but managed to keep them all connected, and not once did I feel like there was too much going on. This is as much of a story of self discovery and living life to the fullest as it a hot AF love story.

Everly is honestly one of the greatest FMCS I’ve read in a while. She’s strong, and smart, and funny, and while it was hard to watch her try to fade into the background, it was also extremely relatable. We live in the age of reality TV where everyone thinks they have a say in other people’s lives from behind a keyboard, and this book does a great job of illustrating what that looks like.

IMO, Logan and Everly are OTP, and I ADORED every minute of their relationship and in watching it unfold. They’re both so REAL and vulnerable and just 👨🏻‍🍳 😘 🤌🏼.

Honestly, I was hesitant to read this because I didn’t love “The Make-Up Test”, but this book was PERFECTION and I loved it.

I was given an ARC by NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Since On the Plus Side is published by St. Martins Press, I will not be continuing with this book because of their silence against an employee's hatred towards Palestine. #SpeakUpSMP

To be completely honest, I am not sure why I stay up late finishing this book. Because I found it to be a big let down.

As someone who loved What Not to Wear, I wanted to love this book.
As someone whose body shape has changed in the last few years and I love books with "not thin" heroines, I wanted to love this book.
As someone who has a daughter and I want her being more body healthy and body positive, I wanted to love this book.

But the heroine came off as insipid. More male crazy than I anticipated (the romance and the "triangle" was played up far too much). The whole book was tied up in a bow far too quickly. Yeah, this will land with many readers but it fell flat with me.

I really enjoyed this book! I'm a plus size woman myself, and I feel like there isn't a ton of representation of curvy/plus size women in books. So its really nice to finally start seeing the representation more!!

I really liked the relationship that Everly and Logan had. It was fricken adorable from the beginning and who doesn't love a grumpy lumberjack. Although some of the dialog to describe him was interesting, it still was a cute relationship and I was super happy there wasn't a third act breakup!!

All in all, I do like how Everly was written through out the book. Even tho I wish she wasn't so worried about what people thought of her all the dang time, that is something I know a lot of plus size women worry about (myself included) so I liked that it was realistic at the same time :)

Thank you for letting me read an ARC of this book!!

I love a reality tv show setting and On the Plus Side is one I would watch. Likable characters and good chemistry make this romance fly by. I can't wait for more by Howe.

This book was super cute, and of course I love the plus size representation. Especially in a romance. And especially especially in a book that does not focus on hate towards fat people or trying to change their bodies or look skinnier. Massive fan of Logan. Massive fan of Everly. And a massive fan of Becca, bagel, and cream cheese.

A good book about body positivity and loving yourself. I thoroughly enjoyed her journey and opening up to love despite past hurts. They were just lovely together and I really loved seeing them confront their fears and hurts together and overcoming them!

This book follows the main character as she is the star of a show called on the plus side. The main character has a lot of insecurities that she works through during the show. I liked the concept and thought the story was cute. However, it was a tad bit boring and I felt the romance aspect was not genuine and came off pushed. I think the book would’ve been nice if it didn’t focus on romance at all and just about self love. Overall a cute and quick read!

Everly feels like too much in multiple ways, but she is actually just right, and so is her book. I loved the connection between her sunshine and grumpy Logan. Their banter and their steamy scenes were great. Side characters were lovable, the villain was surprising, and the conclusion was perfect. A definite one-to-read.

This one gets an upward-leaning 3.5 stars because while I did enjoy it, it was not as much as I was hoping I would even it I can't pinpoint a specific reason why.
Everly Winters has let her mom destroy her self-confidence so she lives in a way that will ensure she never stands out. Until the hosts for her favorite makeover show On the Plus Side show up at her work and tell her she's the new guest. Her life gets turned upside down and she's being pushed to test her limits and break out of her shell, but the showrunner has a story she wants to tell and it's not exactly the one Everly wants or needs. She'll have to have to trust in herself and the new relationships she's opened up to in order to make her voice be heard and achieve what she truly wants.
I love the body positivity and the overall message of loving yourself for how great you are without letting others get you down, even if it does feel like it's getting pushed a little too hard at times. I also enjoyed Howe's reframing of the word fat so that it loses its negativity.
Overall, I think the message sold me on the story more than the characters and that's why I'm not rating it higher.

Happy thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Griffin for the positive read!

I picked this up because of the plus size representation and am glad I did. It was cute, funny, and lighthearted. A perfect read if you've just finished an extra heavy book. I loved Everly and Colton. Their dynamic really drew me in. I am definitely looking forward to reading more from this author.

A special thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Publishing Group for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

*A review will be added on social media and good reads after the SMP review boycott is over*

For lovers of romances set on reality shows, this book could not be more perfect. On The Plus Side follows Everly, a woman who has recently been nominated to appear on her favorite reality make over show focusing on plus sized participants, and leaves with more than she bargained for. She quickly strikes up a romance with the show's camerman, Logan, and gains the confidence to pursue what she really wants out of life.

Reality TV based romances are somehow a niche of mine that I love. I think On the Plus Side does a phenomenal job of showing the reality behind the television production, while still helping the reader feel immersed in the show, production, and relationships. The inclusion of forum posts, production notes, and articles really help to give the reader greater context for everything going on without info dumping a lot of information in the readers' laps.

Lastly, something I have to admire about this romance is there is no third act break up for the central couple. It's a trope that is still seen far too often, and I'm always pleased and delighted to see an author not only find a way to maintain the usual romance formula without a break up, but do it well. This was a great read.

I loved this book. The author created a character that made me laugh and cry at the same time. The author wrote a very thoughtful author's note explaining the character's relationship with her mother and apologized if it was triggering. The situations that Everly found herself in on the show horrified and amused me. And the ending was perfect!!