At last, a portrayal of plus-size individuals that feels genuinely authentic, relatable, and sensible! The romantic aspect of the story was truly heartwarming. I appreciate how the author deftly handled weighty themes such as grief, all while seamlessly weaving in moments of levity and humor. Initially, I had reservations about the story's reality TV backdrop, but to my surprise, it was a perfect fit! I'm eagerly anticipating more books from this talented author!

This book deeply resonated with me because I shared a profound connection with the main character, Everly. Everly, like many individuals with fuller figures, grapples with the societal stigmas and pressures that compel us to conceal our bodies and wear only the limited, often dark, patterned, or baggy clothing options available in stores. This constant effort to hide our natural curves, rolls, and bodies takes a toll, eroding our sense of self and diminishing our body confidence.

No matter how much we strive to deconstruct internalized fatphobia, this aspect remains a formidable challenge, especially for those of us limited by the clothing choices offered at local stores. It's a struggle that strikes close to home for many of us.

ARC REVIEW

On the Plus Side
BY Jenny Howe

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5

Publishing date: 12/26/23

GOOD READS SUMMARY
Everly Winters is perfectly happy to navigate life like a good neutral paint color: appreciated but unnoticed. That’s why she’s still a receptionist instead of exploring a career in art, why she lurks but never posts on the forums for her favorite makeover show, On the Plus Side, and why she’s crushing so hard on her forever-unattainable co-worker. When no one notices you, they can’t reject you or insist you’re too much.

This plan is working perfectly until someone secretly nominates Everly for the next season of On the Plus Side. Overwhelmed by the show’s extremely extroverted hosts and how much time she’ll have to spend on screen, she finds comfort in a surprising friendship with the grumpy but kind cameraman, Logan. Soon Everly realizes that he’s someone she doesn’t mind being noticed by. In fact, she might even like it.

But when their growing connection is caught on camera, it sends the show’s ratings into a frenzy. Learning to embrace all of herself on national TV is hard enough; can Everly risk heartbreak with the whole world watching?

REVIEW:
Overall, I thought this was cute. It has a great message that is conveyed without going too deep. It tackles fat shaming and acceptance.  Something I think everyone can learn from.

When I hit the halfway point, I started to get a little bored. I think it could have been a little shorter and still accomplish everything is set out to do, but I did enjoy it!

Loooooved Logan! What a great guy! 😍 and the couple spicy scenes were nice. Pretty mild but fun!

Refreshingly real

Jenny L. Howe makes a bold declaration of independence for "plus-size" people in On the Plus Side, her story of a fat young woman learning to own the body, and the life, she has been timely inhabiting since childhood. Self-effacement, self-doubt, and self-denigration define her attitude and behavior, socially and professionally, until a body-positive reality television show selects her as a featured makeover guest. Following her metamorphosis under the tutelage of the relentlessly positive show co-hosts is an eye-opening, consciousness-raising journey for the reader as well. Howe's sympathetic and honest portrayal makes impossible not to feel with her heroine as the walls fall, and the real woman - the artist, the friend, the sister, the daughter, the lover - blooms into the life she was born to live. It's a story to make readers laugh, cry, and cheer for a fellow human being who just happens to have (among her many physical characteristics) a BMI on the high side of the scale.
This is a voluntary, independent, and completely body-positive ARC review.

Firstly I want to thank netgalley and the publishers for allowing me an ARC of this book!

2.5⭐️
I have seriously conflicted feelings about this book. I so badly wanted to like it but everything was just putting me off yet I still feel like I didn’t hate it despite all of the issues I had. This review is about to be really long because I just have so much to say and I will try to remain as vague as possible but their are some paraphrased quotations throughout so if you want the tldr I will put a summation at the end🙂

The concept of this book was fun and I appreciated the story it was trying to tell!
I’m going a little out of order with how I would usually do this for this book so I’m going to start with Logan our mmc!😀 He was from what I could tell a good guy? I don’t know because we really didn’t get to know him very well at all. We learned he loved older dogs and was super buff and always wore flannel which was painfully stereotypical of every gruff mmc written ever. But beyond that we basically knew nothing about him and what little we did learn about him felt overplayed or convoluted(ie. His ex girlfriend treated him poorly possibly but we don’t know and assumed he wanted to do film which he did want to do but also she shouldn’t have assumed ew).

Then there’s Everly. While I relate to her insecurities and wanting to make as little waves as possible in life it got to be too much. There is a line between insecurity and immaturity I felt she crossed it on several occasions. She loved jumping to conclusions, overreacting, and victimizing herself. She was also a bit delusional and not in a fun way. In the first pages of the book she basically says no one knows what it’s like to live in a world built to exclude them or make them feel wrong which rubbed me the wrong way🫤. On another occasion she claimed her friend was trying to “deny” the fact she was bigger than her because she SAID SHE LOOKED GOOD IN EVERYTHING!?! LIKE how dare she. She creates an oddly parasocial relationship with the hosts of the show. And the whole thing with James was actually so wild I had to take a pause. She accuses him of leading her on and basically blames him for HER kissing him because he was “flirting”(although she admits she could be misreading him and that they are friends before the kiss)and being friendly which was just icky. Then she gets mad at him for nominating her for the show so she can “gain confidence and move on” saying he was using it to reject her 🙄. If that’s what we(readers) we’re supposed to believe she should’ve made it much more clear he did something wrong. Everly and Logan together also had poor chemistry it felt like insta love but the love wasn’t even really there. Then they spoke in unison and that was it for me.

As for the writing I’ll try to start with the positives which is that from a lit standpoint everything was correct! The writing itself also was good in a sense that it got us from point a to point z. That being said the descriptive language used had me cringing so hard I had to take breaks. Words like “lumbersexual aura” “urban lumberjack” “woodsy metrosexual” “doggus interruptus ” used or sometimes spoken. Also the choice to be extremely descriptive of the outfits made sense because a big part of this book is a makeover. That being said the outfits all sounded like they would be worn by a middle aged mother or a middle schooler in 2016. Leopard print crop tops with floral leggings, flowery tunics and skinny jeans, statement necklaces and pencil skirts being described as “boho” was the final straw for me. To me when a big part of this is about being confident to wear pretty clothes that plus sized ppl are shamed out of wearing it’s counterproductive to dress like a middle aged mom because a big issue with plus sized clothing is that the only clothes available aren’t for younger people or trendy(which in the book she mentions wanting to find trendy clothes). Oh and don’t think i missed the part where she credited 2 white non drag related people for “co-opting” fabulous😒. Or how when everly was asked if she felt like a princess she said “no I actually feel like a badass” which is both annoying of her and weird because why is a princess not also a badass? Most of them are tbh.

moving on from all of that the plot was severely lacking. Which was ironic because Everly kept talking about how she wanted to focus on her story not a romantic one yet that’s basically all I got out of this book. Basically nothing happened even her big “art showcase” just got cancelled in the end with a 4th act random conflict that came out of NOWHERE.

Besides the dislikable FMC, forgettable MMC, and unbelievable lack of chemistry this book was just very boring and at times problematic and icky. The fashion aspect were probably the worst part to me and the conflict was ridiculous. The dialogue and writing was very cringy and it made it hard to believe it was written with younger people today in mind at all. It read like something written by someone who’s never experienced any of the things they were talking about or even researched it everything was just very unbelievable.


If you told me this was written by a man I would believe it.

A great story of strength, love and acceptance … first for yourself, then for others. A nice read and story of Everly and Logan. Nothing too surprising or out there but a sweet story and happy ending.

I personally didn't find the romance in this to be believable, but I really enjoyed the format of the book- the whole 'reality tv genre' of books that have come out lately have been so refreshing and interesting, and a wonderful add to the romance genre. It's always great to see plus sized representation in any type of media, but this one just didn't fully hit the mark for me thew ay that "one to watch" another very similar book out a few years ago, did. Also -1 point for the pro pitbull propaganda, but that's just me.

An easy five stars from me. The themes in this book were everything I’d hoped for and more. Easily one of my favorite books for all time. Thank you, Jenny L. Howe, for writing this masterpiece. What a gift to see representation like the characters and situations in this book. 5/5 for content and 3.5/5 for spice level.

Thank you to the publisher, St. Martin’s Press, and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review. All comments are my own.

This book was like if Pam from the Office had the love story w/ the boom mic operator instead of Jim and I’m HERE for it.

I love any book with good fat representation & this story does it SO well with a perfect blend of fat joy, growth & reflection. The main character is struggling with her identity certainly and has experienced fat shaming in her life but rather than the focus be on self hate or frustrations surrounding her fatness, it was on her personality and the fear of being too much- too loud, taking up too much space, time, etc. I loved this and it resonated so much with me as a plus size person who was constantly told I was too much.

Add in the mix an adorable and steamy slow burn w/ a grumpy cameraman on the set of a plus size reality show? I’m SOLD. Everything about this book draws you in from the very beginning and gives you a perfectly balanced heart warming story.

This was a fantastic read & I can’t wait to read more from this author!

I love the size inclusive representation in Jenny Howe's books, especially this one! Such a well rounded story, really giving insight into Everly's perspective and growth. And Logan... he's wonderful! The behind the scenes really show info also had great balance - not all good or bad. Will be recommending this one!

On the Plus Side is an enthralling enemies-to-lovers tale set in the world of academia, where characters must navigate the treacherous pitfalls of imposter syndrome. This captivating novel offers a delightful and unique perspective, showcasing how the third time can truly be the charm.

3.5 stars
I enjoyed this story, though my expectation going in (as it’s a romance) was the romance would be front and center. To me, until 50% of the way through the book, there’s barely a connection between the MFC and MMC, but the second half does lean heavy on the romance. Not to say the overall arc was bad - I also enjoyed the reality show aspect - just all together it felt a bit unbalanced (a chicklit book the first half and a romance the second)

I received a copy of On The Plus Side from NetGalley and St. Martins Press in exchange for my honest review so thank you to them both for this opportunity.

This book follows Everly, a plus size woman who has let go of her hopes and dreams in exchange for comfort and the familiar. Everly and her mother have a terrible relationship as she feels her mother has been hypercritical of her and her weight for years. She works as a receptionist and yearns for a coworker when she is an amazing artist capable of her own career that would surpass her crushes in a minute.
Everly is nominated for a plus size version of What Not To Wear/Queer Eye makeover show. Working with the shows hosts gives Everly a chance to embrace her body and her talents. The hunky cameraman behind the scenes gives her all the feels once she finds out how one sided her work crush really is.

I spent a good chunk of this book being very 50/50 about it. It felt as if neither storyline was getting enough time, is this a romance or is it a woman learning to love herself again. It wasn’t until the end of the book when Everly really began to assert herself and step into her own power that I was able to appreciate it more fully. I enjoyed this book and the journey that Everly went on to accept herself and am giving it 3.5⭐️. I will absolutely recommend this book closer to the publication date in December and appreciate the opportunity to read and review this book.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

I have been reading a lot of fantasy recently, and getting into a romance book really brought me back and reminded me why I love them. This was really good! I was pulled in from the very beginning. I couldn't put this down. I love the development of the story and characters. Jenny has such a way with words and every time I read (or re-read) her books, I find new, cute things that make my heart swell even more. She just does such a great job with pulling you into the story, and Never wanting to let it go. If you enjoy YA contemporary or romance, definitely grab this one!

Thank you NetGally and St. Martin's Press for the ARC.
Another cute and enjoyable read from Jenny L. Howe. No matter how many times I read it, books where the storyline is essentially a bts of reality shows I still love the storyline. I was in love with the chemistry Everly and Logan had right from the beginning, and with them having to spend so much time together just continuously brought them even closer together. Jenny always does such a fantastic job at writing her plus size characters, and I truly can't wait to read about more of her characters in the future. Also Logan being the amazing supporting man he is for Everly was the absolute sweetest to read. The only thing that left me wanting more was the ending, I thought it finished a bit abruptly and would've loved to see even one more chapter to end things a bit more.

Wow! This was an incredibly engaging and powerful book!

I’m not a huge fan of single or third person POV so I was nervous if that would effect how I read this but I can honestly say I barely noticed either. The plot and characters kept me so engaged that I just wanted to devour the book in one sitting. This was my first time reading Jenny L. Howe’s works but it makes me want to try more!

Watching Everly grow into herself was so beautiful. She started off as a bit of a wet blanket wallflower because she’d let other people squash her light but with all the support from the On the Plus Side hosts, from her brother and bff, and from Logan, she really blossomed.

Logan and Everly were great together. His grumpiness actually seemed to help her sass come out and made for some really fun banter. They both just seemed to get the other.

While the romance was cute, I loved that it wasn’t really the focal point of the story. The book was more about Everly embracing her fat body, her loud personality, and her talent as an artist. It was a beautiful ode to being fat and how the world sees fat people.

Overall it was a sweet, fun, emotional read with a beautiful body positive message that I hope more people get to see.

Thank you to Netgalley and St Martin’s Press for providing me with an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Griffin for an ARC of this book. All opinions in this review are my own.

What Not to Wear and Queer Eye meeting All the Feels (an amazing book by Olivia Dade - check it out!) where the makeovers are for plus-sized folx? Fantastic, sign me up. Having Jenny's debut book I was excited for this one, though a little hesitant since her debut didn't quite hit all the marks for me, but this is the perfect example of authors growing, different topics hitting better for some folx than others, and not writing off authors based on one title. While it is completely fine to say that "I didn't like X book by author, so I am not going to read Y book" (and I have done this exact thing), I am so glad I didn't do that for this book. This book follows Everly as she finds her confidence and voice in a world that has done everything it can to shut it down. She is relatable and a well-rounded character, and the cast of characters that surround her are also diverse and interesting. I love Queer Eye and What Not to Wear, and this book took the parts of those shows I love & fixed/addressed the things that rub the wrong way. It is an easy read, making it hard to put down, but nothing feels overly rushed. This is a book of someone finding out who they are in the midst of the world trying to dull their shine. I really enjoyed it and I can't wait for others to get to read it when it comes out!

I loooove Queer Eye, so when I heard this book featured a reality show with a similar premise, I was sold! On the Plus Side is a romcom about a woman who finds herself on a makeover show whose goal is to increase confidence in plus-sized people. And if along the way she finds love, well who’s complaining? (Not me, ofc!) 😍

This book was a delight from start to finish. As a fat person myself, it was refreshing to see a romcom written about someone who looked like me. I loved that the show Everly (the main character) was on helped her find herself more and love herself for who she was instead of trying to change her.

Not to mention the swoony grump of a love interest 😍 imagine a man so stubborn he wears a plaid kilt and a different plaid shirt—that’s Logan for ya. 😂

While I did thoroughly enjoy this book, I didn't give it five stars because it almost felt like the romance fell to the side. The narrative was very focused on fat positivity, which I absolutely LOVED, but I really found myself craving more intimate moments of Logan and Everly getting to know each other and falling head over heels. The ones that were in the book were amazing, but it didn't feel like quite enough to me personally.

Despite that, I'd still highly recommend this book! On the Plus Side comes out on December 26! Be sure to check it out and preorder (it’s the perfect holiday gift for your romance-loving friends and family!). A huge thanks to @netgalley & @stmartinspress for giving me the chance to read before publication. ❤️

I did not finish this one, it was not for me, I couldn't relate to the characters, and just did not care for the story.

Large, thin, whatever - I don’t love books that have whiny self-pitying main characters. I get why maybe there is some self-doubt but Everly just has a victim mentality. The explanation and back story to why she supposedly tries to make herself invisible (which wasn’t executed super accurately) is lacking. Everyone is out to get her and it’s weird when she’s surprised a reality show would want to use all dramatic video footage they acquire. Literally the point of and mission of every reality show. This is 2023, who doesn’t know reality shows splice footage and audio and do things to fit their narrative. In reality, the show would have aired the footage Everly didn’t want seen and ratings would have skyrocketed. The proof is in every other reality show out there.

I don’t fully understand why she thought James nominating her for the show was so horrible. He seemed to have good intentions and it’s not easy when someone has an obvious crush on you and you don’t feel the same. She got to be on her favorite show and grow as a person. I don’t really see how it was about embarrassment. Maybe there just wasn’t a good enough job at making him seem evil when she was gushing about him at the beginning of the book?

Also, can we talk about how unprofessional Logan is? Interfering multiple times, letting his jealousy affect his job… there’s no way this would be allowed in real life. I don’t even think it was well established what he saw in Everly. All of a sudden they were just super into each other because of her sob story when he’s done this for two years already? She ran away like a 12 year old after the first kiss and then while he is supposed to be working, after he interferes yet again, he kisses her. I feel like there would be a production rule that they couldn’t get together during filming.

Everly’s mother was not great but you’re telling me they NEVER had the conversation about her mom’s weight in high school before? Her grandmother never told her? It’s amazing how something could have been cleared up and made better by simple communication. When parents or people in your life are truly toxic, it is when you have spoke up and they still continue their behavior. It’s weird to me, especially when she was so “confident” when her grandmother was living, that she’s never said anything or had a talk with her mom before about her remarks.

Overall I just couldn’t root for Everly or Everly and Logan. Or care if she “found herself.”

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Publishing Group for the ARC.

This was a cute read, a solid 3.5 stars. I enjoyed the diversity in the cast, the plus size representation, and the story line. I really loved the bond that was formed between Everly and Logan and I did enjoy seeing Everly grow into a stronger person. I would say my biggest hang up on this story is that it was a little dragged out with all the self doubt from Everly. As a plus size woman, I completely understand dealing with fear, self doubt, and insecurities. But I felt like no matter the progress she made, the next page or two was spent on her focusing on how she didn’t feel good enough. This is probably a very personal opinion, as someone who has dealt with similar feelings, so many readers probably won’t have a similar hang up as I did on this. But I just felt like the story could have been shortened and cleaned up a bit if we weren’t constantly reminded that Everly thought so little of herself.

But ah here I am focusing on the negative… let’s get back to what I liked. I LOVE seeing size representation in stories! I’m so tired of reading about skinny, fit, beautiful, perfect (according to unrealistic beauty standards) heroes and heroines in stories. I am dying to read stories that showcase normal bodies & I am so happy authors like Jenny give us that!

I also loved that this story gave us a plus size FMC that forms a relationship with a man who is considered more fit or “out of her league”. A woman can be larger than her partner. We shouldn’t need stories to “normalize” that! But until we live in that perfect world, I’m glad to see these scenarios get some spotlight in books like this! And even more so, I love how Logan, the “fit and handsome” guy, had his own body image issues. It just goes to show how complex these situations can be, no matter your size. I thought that was a power piece to be included & probably one of my favorite moments in the whole book!


Thank you to the author and NetGalley for an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review!