On the Plus Side by Jenny L Howe
Contemporary romance, or women’s fiction with romance. Plus size / fat shaming fighting back.
Everly Winters is perfectly happy wearing dark colors, living above the garage of her brother’s house and working as a receptionist. Since her grandmother died, and her mother’s constant reminders to lower her voice or questioning her eating choices, Everly prefers to have the focus pointed elsewhere. When her favorite television hosts appear at her desk and tell her she’s been nominated for a makeover of On The Plus Side, Everly realizes she is going to have to figure out what she really wants to do in life. Does she want to explore a career in art? How is this tv show going to rebuild her confidence? They seem to have focused on a male coworker as the main story but that is not what Everly thinks is important or really even relevant to her makeover.

🎧 I alternated between an ebook coy and an audiobook version. The narration is performed by Zura Johnson who does a phenomenal job of distinctive voices between Everly and Logan as well as other supporting characters. The tempo is a smidge slow. I listened at 1.5 which is the most comfortable conversational speed for me. I clearly heard Everly’s surprise, and frustrated moments during the performance as well as her mother’s seemingly disapproval and Everly’s BFF’s support. Jazzy especially came across as enthusiastic.

The storyline itself was a bit concerning initially but a restart helped me to focus on Everly, and not my own goals or life choices. (I’m happy, really!) The topic was handled well and while I thought the mother’s “helping” may be bit of a cliche, I’ve personally experienced it and seen it with friends so believe it played true.
The followers support of Everly’s post on the forum was immediate and super supportive. The kindness of the fans had me crying it was so nice.
A story of learning to be confident in who you are regardless of size, gender, race etc.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley and publisher Spotify Audiobooks / @OrangeSkyaudio.

Out December 26th, Everly, the new guest on a popular plus-size makeover show has her style―and her love life―transformed. This story is fun, original and heartwarming.
✨️Being plus size "fat", it's always been a touchy subject for me. After reading this, I truly see myself in a better light and embrace myself in whatever stage I'm in.. even if I'm fat! Shape doesn't define you.

✨️The main character, Everly, is truly inspiring and relatable. She has NO issues with her body, and she really makes the fat community take notice that there are many that aren't the perfect size, but we are still loveable.

✨️Several times, I giggled out loud, and multiple times, I got teary-eyed. Such an inspiring and moving story, but in a light-hearted way. Wonderful for others in the fat community seeking to find their self-love and confidence to realize they're "striking"! I've never felt more seen in my life.

✨️ This book is a full ☆☆☆☆☆ stars for this reviewer. ✨️

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

I really enjoyed the last book by this author so I was excited to read this one as well. This author is great at showing representation of plus sized women in a realistic and positive way and I love that!

Loved the concept of this one! Getting chosen to be on a plus sized makeover show? So cool! I really liked Everly and related to her a lot. It was nice to have such a relatable character with representation as the FMC in this one.

I won’t spoil it, but such a cute story with a great concept. Imagine being chosen to be on a reality show about makeovers for plus sized women which just happens to be your favourite show! Loved the storyline.

A great, fun read especially for those looking for plus sized girl representation!

4.5 stars~

This was such a cute romance. I absolutely flew through it and almost read it entirely in one sitting. I loved the reality show vibes, and it reminded me of if What Not to Wear also focused on lifestyle changes as well and it was just overall very nostalgic for me thinking of it that way. I loved Logan and seeing his support for Everly and watching their relationship develop throughout. I think I wished the ending was a bit longer and we got a bit more detail maybe. I also liked the inclusion of articles and online comments that were at the end of chapters. I always loved reading them!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an e-arc in exchange for an honest review!

Thank you to the publisher for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts are my own.

4 Stars

I really enjoyed this story!
I fell in love with Everly from the first page. She is relatable from the beginning. I struggle with allowing myself to be “who I am” as I feel it is too much for others, and I just want to blend in, like Everly. Seeing Everly gain her confidence and become more herself, was an amazing story. I was excited to see what Everly would do for herself and what she would make her next step. I was rooting for her till the very last page.
Now for the romance. At times, it felt like this was the book's main point, which was a good storyline. I just enjoyed it when the focus was solely on her growth. I enjoyed Everly and Logan’s dynamic. It is a Grumpy x Sunshine trope, which I enjoy. But I felt like by the end, the author put too much emphasis on making sure that you (the reader) know that he is grumpy.

Things I did not enjoy…
James. I did not like him from the very beginning. And I still don’t like him.
The third act conflict. There was an okay lead-up to it. But it felt really big to be very quickly fixed. This is usually what happens in rom-coms, so it is okay—just not my favorite thing.

Extra Note: There were 3 explicit sex scenes. They were well-written, but I was definitely surprised that they were in the story! So I just wanted to give a heads-up.

I enjoyed this story about Everly, who works as a receptionist at a marketing/design firm, has a rocky relationship with her mother and is nominated to be on her favorite TV show On The Plus Side.

The TV show is documentary-style and follows Everly through her daily life and helps her with a personal and career makeover. As the filming carries on, she finds herself drawn to Logan, the sexy cameraman, filming her good and not-so-good moments.

The story was funny, compelling, had mostly well-developed main and side characters and had a lot of good messages. I do wish Logan had been more three dimensional.

I received this Digital Review Copy from St. Martin's Griffin Publishing through Net Galley in the hopes that I would read it and leave an unbiased review. This is that review.

I really enjoyed most of this story. Very cool romcom that gives Queer Eye and What Not to Wear a run for their money. Everly was quite the heroine. I thought she was very relatable and an all around likeable character. We don't often see the journey of women on the plus size openly and unapologetic-ally loving themselves and I think Howe did an excellent job with the portrayal. All the of the side characters were great except for Everly's mom and the show runner. I loved Logan so much. I have a thing for the grumpy MMC and he did not disappoint He was always 100% there for Everly and it's admirable.

I really enjoyed On the Plus Side. It was clear as day that What Not to Wear influenced the show within the book, but Jenny L. Howe really improved upon its format. As a plus sized woman, I am delighted to find such a realistic reality concept coupled with a scorching hot romance. You may not think you’re down for a laconic lumbersexual, but do get acquainted with Logan. He was so hotly protective and complemented Everly so well. She fully evolved into her funny, confident, sexy, savvy self for all to see throughout the course of the book. I liked that Everly was basically right at the precipice, she just needed a push/support to get her into true self-acceptance and love. And my lord was her relationship with her mother realistic, it was so me and my grandmother. It may be triggering for someone currently in that situation, but it was cathartic for me. The only part of the book I didn’t care for was the character of James. His work behavior towards Everly was fully believable (been there), but his ultimate motivations and actions were kind of unrealistic. It was just confusing. Also? I am so old if the tv host was named after a Sex and the City character!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read this arc in exchange for my honest review.

This book gave me all the feels! If you are on the plus side you know how your size makes you want to hide and not shine because you are already so seen with just your size. Everyone has their own opinion on bigger people and we have been programed to believe our worth comes with our size and the bigger you are, the less worth you should have. We know better to know that shame does nothing to encourage change and yet so many people do this.
Everly is so relatable, and her feelings about her size and just her are also relatable. All the little voices in your head, Everly speaks them in this book. Whether it is wondering if you are good enough for your family, your job, or even for the opposite sex (or whomever you like) our size makes us question all these things.
The drama with the show makes a good story but it also feels so real too.
Love the dynamic between Everly and Logan as well. Such a good book! Can't wait to read more.

I love this! I love that women of size are now being front and center in romantic comedies, as they should be! I love that the focus of this was to love your size and not a bunch of people just constantly putting her down for her size! I love Everly and I felt her growth!

This book was absolutely amazing. Heartwarming, and a beautiful picture of a woman learning how to start loving herself for all of who she is. I loved loved loved the female main character. Everly is the best. I so loved her journey. She was so funny and dynamic, and I loved her smart quips she had with Logan. I really can’t describe how much I absolutely treasured this entire story. Jenny Howe created such a special story with great characters, and it will forever hold such a special place in my heart. I cannot praise this book enough. It explores so much and does so so well.

On the Plus Side by Jenny L. Howe was so relatable and I enjoyed it so much. This story is about a plus sized woman who is hidden away from the judgement of the world and learns to love herself as she is.

Everly Winters is insecure about her weight and likes to be hidden so she can make as little wave as possible. Her mom being so critical doesn’t help her feel different and adds to her insecurities. She works as a receptionist where she feels like this job is the perfect fit for her. She is a huge fan of makeover reality show “On the Plus Side” where plus size people go through life changing physical makeovers. When she gets chosen to be on the show it changes her life.

I struggled with this book at times because I could resonate with her being overweight. This book deals with real issues and has a great message. Everly realized that she didn’t need to change who she was or what she wore. She also realized that she didn’t have to accept other people’s judgement as truths. She just needs to learn who she was, find her voice, self-confidence and most importantly she needed to realize her self worth. I feel like we all need to realize those things. I struggle with that daily and it’s so much easier to believe the negative judgement of others than it is to believe our truths. This book was soo good and I’m glad I got to read it. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martins Publishing Group for letting me read this ARC and wanting to know my honest thoughts and opinions.

Thank you Netgalley and the publishers for an ARC copy of this book!

When I saw the title and the description of this book, I was very intrigued and excited to give it a read.

This is the first book I have read by this author and it was a fun read! I was able to relate to some things with the main character which was so refreshing to see in a book.

Definitely recommend giving this a read if it sounds interesting to you!

On the Plus Side by Jenny L. Howe
Genre: romance
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4/5 stars)
Format: ebook (eARC) and physical copy

🧡 Fat-positive - plus size FMC
🧡 Flannel-loving, silent, grumpy MMC
🧡 Reality TV setting (think Queer Eye meets What Not to Wear)
🧡 Dog lovers

I loved that Logan seemed moody/grumpy but actually is a cinnamon roll. I LOVED how much he loved his dogs and wanted to help senior dogs. How could you not fall for him?!

Everly’s character development was great! I was rooting for her and so happy to see her regain her confidence.

I liked the commentary on reality tv and how even if it seems realistic, there are still lies, half-truths, and manipulation.

Something that bugged me about the book was the clothing descriptions at times - for someone who is supposed to be on a makeover show, some (not all) of her new clothes seemed a little out of date in my opinion. I’m all for unique outfits, but sometimes they made me cringe.

No 3rd act break-up?! INCREDIBLE. 🙌🏼

I really enjoy Jenny L. Howe’s writing, fat-positivity, and characters. I’m officially a fan.

A huge thank you to St. Martin’s Griffin for my eARC of On the Plus Side. It’s available now!

This was an entertaining, well-written book. It was fun, heartwarming and kept me reading. I enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more books by this author.

Everly Winters was just sitting at her desk in reception, answering the phone for the marketing firm she worked for, when two of her reality tv heroes came through the front doors. Stanton and Jazzy were the hosts of On the Plus Side, the makeover show that helps overweight individuals find the ways they hold themselves back from what they want and transform their lives. It’s not about losing weight, it’s about being proud of who you are, where you are, and going after your dreams.

Everly had been a fan of the show since it premiered, and she lurked on the message boards where the superfans shared their thoughts. She never thought that she would be on the show, but as she thought about what it could do for her, Everly wanted to be on the show. She wanted to get back to her artist roots. She wanted to do more for a job than answer phones for other creative people. Everly wants to put her graphic skills to work for her, to create logos or book covers or maybe even design tattoos.

Everly had been all set to be a part of an artists’ Collective several years ago, but her greatest cheerleader, her grandmother, had succumbed to cancer weeks before Everly was going to put her art out there for everyone to see. But she had lost her nerve, and she’d been hiding ever since. She work dark colors. She worked as a receptionist. And while she flirted with a guy from work, she would never dream of asking him out. The show could change all of that.

But as the days go by, and the episodes start to air, Everly realizes that she was hoping they would be focusing her episodes on her art and recovering her voice and her space in the art world. However, they seem to be focusing on her crush on her coworker. She tries to tell them she wants to make her story about her art, but the chemistry she is having with cameraman Logan is hard to miss, and it gives another layer to the potential love story.

But in the end, it’s all up to Everly to decide how to use this opportunity. She’s the one who will still be there when the show moves on. She is the one to decide what happens in her relationship with her mother, with her brother, with her best friend, with her art. And it will be up to Everly to decide whether she has room in her life for love, and if so, which guy will be the one to win her heart.

On the Plus Side is a fun look at reality makeover shows and how they choose to tell their stories. And it’s also a look at what it means to be overweight in a world where most of the media acts like being fat is a moral failing. The story is interspersed with comments from the message boards and articles about the show, adding real-life commentary about what is going on in Everly’s life and what goes on in the daily stories of anyone who struggles with being different.

I’ve been “plus-sized” for a long time, so I know what’s it like. I loved Everly’s story of reconnecting with her authentic self and building her confidence to find the life she wanted. I enjoyed how fat-positive the story was, while staying true to reality (there will always be internet trolls), and I thought that the ending was particularly satisfying. There are lots of clothes and several dogs, and so much heart to On the Plus Side. If you’re a fan of reality makeover shows and want to be on the inside, then this will be a must-read.

Egalleys for On the Plus Side were provided by St. Martin’s Griffin through NetGalley, with many thanks.

I don’t know about you but I love a good makeover show. Even better a book about a makeover show! This was such an enjoyable one!

Thank you #StMartinsPress and #NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review

*I received a free ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

DNF @ 38%

Unfortunately this is a DNF. I really struggled to get into this book, despite really loving the premise. By the 30% mark I wasn’t invested in the characters and I wasn’t vibing with the writing. I also really disliked the “twist” on how the show decided to portray Everly. I stuck it out for a bit longer but realized this book just wasn’t for me.

Although this book revolves around the story of a plus-size woman, Everly who goes on a reality makeover show refreshingly the show is not about losing weight. Rather it is about being one's best self without changing one's physical characteristics. It is such a lovely original spin on the topic. Both the book and its smart capable, good-hearted heroine are quite inspirational. Anyone who ever thought they were less than or let other people make them think they were less than because of their looks particularly their size needs to read this book!

I just finished On the Plus Side by Jenny L Howe and here are my thoughts.


Everly Winters blends into the backdrop. She’s an artist who works as a receptionist, she wears neutral colors and lives above her brother's garage. It’s all perfectly mediocre. That is until someone nominates her to go on her favorite makeover show, On the Plus side. She spends more time in the fandom message boards, than doing anything else.

This could just be the kick Everly needs to get her life into the fast lane. The problem is, the producer wants to portray this love triangle and Everly is not comfortable with it, especially since the cameraman seems to look at her and really see her. She doesn’t want to hide who she is when he’s around. Can she figure herself out without the idea of love getting in her way?

I loved this book. Everly is my kind of MC. She’s smart and quick witted. I love that she learns to fall back in love with herself. It was magical to watch. I really enjoyed the concept of the show too. Makeovers for people with a fuller figure to love themselves as they are. They don’t just get you a new haircut and some clothes, they help you expand into whatever areas in your life that need a little nudge. For Everly, it was her career. It was so cute, watching the build up with Logan, the grumpy cameraman. I love that he is an animal lover and has his own body issues.

I wasn’t a fan of when she found out who nominated her and why. It didn't feel natural to me and a little far-fetched. That was literally my only gripe with the book. Everything else was amazing. I loved the banter between Everly and everyone she came into contact with. She is a class act in my opinion.

I loved the ending. It wrapped up perfectly for me and I could definitely be up for a sequel one day. Would love to see how their lives turn out. This one was definitely on my top 10 of 2023!

5 stars. Thank you @stmartinspress and @netgalley for my gifted copy

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