This is basically Dumplin' for adults, or a mash-up of Spoiler Alert by Olivia Dade and Queer Eye. I really enjoy romance books about reality tv, and this is a great one. I found it very hard to put down, and it was such a feelgood read despite Everly dealing with fatphobia as well.

In Jenny L. Howe's previous book, I didn't like the love interest, but here I absolutely did. It's impossible not to love Logan. He's supportive of Everly and acts like an anchor in the chaos that is filming a reality show, and his best trait: he LOVES dogs. Actually his background story about his love for dogs made me tear up.

“to me, you’re what matters.”

ugh this was just the sweetest thing! when i saw this on netgalley, i remembered seeing a tiktok about a scene from it and i instantly thought i would enjoy this book, and i’m so glad i was right!

everly was such a relatable character, as a fellow plus size babe, and it was really refreshing to see and understand where she was coming from with her struggles! the representation was *chef’s kiss* phenomenal, and i love the concept of the tv show from this book, even if the director was a little sus 👀

but i thought that everly’s journey was really inspiring and i loved seeing her grow back into her personality and chase her dreams! not to mention her romance with logan, who has to be the cutest man i’ve ever read about for real. i loved his humor and the subtle ways he looked after everly while on the show. their romance was too sweet!

overall this was such a great read- i was into it from the very beginning and i really enjoyed falling in love with the characters and the story!

huge thank you to netgalley and st. martin’s press for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review!

I really appreciated, and related to, the parts of the book that were about the protagonist learning to be less afraid of change and trying new things. There we also some very delightful moments throughout the book and some very likable characters. That said, some of the aspects just weren’t for me. This is the the third romance book I have read with a Reality TV setting and I just don’t think they click for me. Also, there was an ongoing storyline about the protagonist not wanting her whole story to be about a developing romance. Somewhat ironically, I felt that the book made this story too much about the romance.

The BEST plus size representation I have ever read in a romance book.

I loved Everly so much. It was a breath of fresh air to see an FMC so focused on their own personal growth and finding love along the way. Everly is funny, talented, honest, and I felt like we could be best friends, I loved watching her explore her style & call out the weird trends in plus size fashion (looking at you cold shoulders!) Everly's relationship with her mom is handled so well. It was a great look into how older generations handle body issues and how progress is often made slowly,

Logan was the perfect love interest. I was giggling with every joke he made & swooning every time he stood up for Everly & made her feel seen. He has redefined the Grumpy/Sunshine trope for me. Grumpy usually just means asshole, but somehow Logan was both grumpy & a cinnamon roll. I also love that we got enough od his backstory that he felt like a real person not just a prop.

All the side characters were incredible, I loved the show and how it really helped make the plot move in a way that made sense as a reader. Also pets! All the pets have the cutest names! I 100% recommend this book!

I completely fell in love with this book and took my time reading it because I didn’t want it to end!

Everly is content blending in; in fact, all the clothes she wears makes it so she is never noticed. She works as a receptionist at a marketing firm, even though she really loves art. As a member of the plus size community, she follows the reality TV show “On The Plus Side” on online message boards. Always a lurker and never a participant. One unexpected day, the hosts and cameraman from the show come to her office to surprise her! She’s been picked for the show from a nomination by someone else. The hosts are nice, but a little overwhelming. The cameraman, Logan, is a grump! She softens to him and they have an undeniable connection – which is caught on camera. The show’s frontrunner starts airing segments in a not so honest way. It’s a lot for Everly to handle.

I connected with Everly so much. Growing up, I was overweight. I started gaining weight when my dad left. My mom started to make derogatory comments to “help me.” Everly’s mom did the same (though for a somewhat different reason). I literally cried when she expressed how she felt because it was the exact way I had felt.

The plus size representation in this book was very realistic. It was written as if it was from someone who was plus size. I have read other books with plus size rep, and the rep felt very underwhelming. This didn’t just focus on her size and whether or not she was comfortable in her skin. It focused on her personality and how she felt she had to hide and be small.

Now.. Logan. Never in my wildest dreams did I think two words could make my heart skip a beat! “F that.” He saw Everly for who she really was and he supported her. He was the perfect MMC. And what I liked even more is that there was no third act breakup.

Lastly, the ending… it was *chef’s kiss* – PERFECT!

This is truly one of the most enjoyable books I’ve read in a hot minute! Everly is nominated and chosen to be featured on her favorite show "ON THE PLUS SIDE" in hopes to take up space after spending years making herself smaller for others. I loved the concept of this story and most of the characters were so incredible. The natural chemistry between Everly & Logan was great and so sweet. We love a grump who is only sweet to his girl! I loved the character development in the book and it never felt over the top. It really is a super comfy cozy story, with powerful messages. There is open door spice without being too detailed. I loved that it didn’t distract from the story at all, it was so well done. I hope y’all pick this one up on December 26th!

This was a good read! Everly works as a receptionist but hides her true self from everyone but her brother and bestie. One day, the two stars of the hit TV show On the Plus Side barge into Everly’s office and tell her she will be on the show. The show reminded me of Queer Eye, but for plus size gals. Cute variation of the typical novel.

A wonderful romcom about a plus size woman going on a reality show to rediscover herself. She finds love in the process!

I love the plus size representation! Everly is very relatable to many women!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this arc in exchange for an honest review!

I absolutely loved this book. The characters are incredibly well written and the message hit very close to home. It's a plus size romance, but one that would speak to so many different people on so many levels. Definite shades of Olivia Dade in the best way possible.

I’m not an enormous fan of romances, but I enjoy them when they have a ‘hook’ I’m interested in - in this case, a reality TV makeover show. I liked Everly and Logan and found myself enjoying them finding their happy-ever-after.

Everly Winters' story is a beautiful and perfect plus-size main characters journey to self-love and empowerment because the goal is not weight loss, it is setting out to do what is uncomfortable and she is rewarded handsomely. When she goes on her favorite 'Reality' T.V. show On The Plus Side she is forced to step out of her comfort zone in every aspect from her wardrobe, career path, passions, and bonus- her love life. This book gave me all the comforts and butterflies I love to see in a contemporary romance and I go bananas over a grumpy/sunshine trope. This was a 5/5 and the HEA had me in tears of joy!

I really enjoyed about 68% of this book.

As other mentioned, the body representation was really inspiring.

The romance was really cute.

The conflict and last 20% of the book felt so weirdly paced. It dragged and rushed at the same time.

Also, the naivety of Everly was frustrating. She’s supposed to be in her mid?-twenties but it’s shocked when a reality show crafts a specific narrative??

I’ve yet to find an author that does plus size romances justice beside Talia Hilbert.

Thank you to Netgalley, and the publisher for an early copy of this book. It's coming out December 26, 2023.


https://app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/6d0bf708-b2fd-44f5-822d-f26e4c644447

On the Plus Side is real, relatable plus size representation, with a main character I could really see myself in. Everly's journey back to herself warmed my heart and made me cry serious tears, and her romance with Logan was a balm for the soul. With warm and loving/lovable side characters, extremely believable family dynamics that I could absolutely relate to, and a third act conflict that did not have me throwing my tablet across the room in frustration, this is a book I'll be returning to in the future when I need an emotional lift. Thank you, Jenny L. Howe, for writing such a beautiful book!

3.5 rounded up. I really liked the message and background cast in this, even if I found the romance to be a little weak. I also don’t love how Everly focused on “too” much, even her mother comments on it and I think personally she would burn out from it all, but I guess it makes her story more intriguing. I like this better than the author’s first novel and would definitely tune in to more.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank yo Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

BTS reality television with a sassy plus size protagonist lead and a grumpy DP who has a love of dogs: How can you go wrong? I definitely enjoyed the story and the side characters. The mother of the protagonist was DEFINITELY complicated, but I'm happy that the two were able to eventually make their way forward instead of the constant toxicity. I liked the message and it was overall an easy read. I would read Ms. Howe again. (Warning: the author attempts to take back and empower the word fat to the point that it was getting a bit redundant for me and I'm a plus sized woman. So it may not be for your if it's not your preferred word of choice.)

4.5 STARS .....This story was a dream to read ... it was heartwarming and I could feel the passion conveyed by the author through the page . I requested to read the ARC of this story on NetGalley because of not only the cover & title, but also because I know the importance of representation and I think Jenny L. Howe did an amazing job representing the plus size community. Honestly I think she represented anyone who ever doubted themselves and felt like they were never enough perfectly and that really resonated with me immensely. For the romance aspect of it , Logan is the ultimate embodiment of swoon worthy . It was nice to see a male love interest be so loving , understanding ,, and supportive and now my personal standards have risen even higher. I highly recommend this story to everyone even if you aren't apart of the plus size community. After reading I promise you will have left with something that impacted your mind, body, and heart.

I am always excited for new plus size romances and was beyond excited to see one that featured both reality TV (my favorite genre) and an artist/designer lead. In this book, the lead character (Everly) is a naturally funny, loud, and charismatic artist who is living in her own self-imposed shadow after going through loss and being criticized quite a bit by her straight size mother. She is cast on a Queer Eye-style reality show called On The Plus Side, where she is made over and given a chance to embrace her true self outside of her desire to be invisible. Ultimately this felt a lot more like her coming of self novel, rather than a true romance. Logan, the love interest and cameraman on the show, is almost not that important to the story or who Everly becomes, which I'll get into later.

I will start with what I loved, and ultimately what was most important to me: the fat rep. Howe did an incredible job writing Everly's relationship to her body (which was nuanced and not about self-hatred, but more about a desire to be unseen and feeling like too much as a person and not a body). Her author's note was thorough and thoughtful, and this book boasts several fat characters, all of whom shine in their own respects and are allowed to be human. I enjoyed the side characters, too - Grandma Helen, Becca, Ellis, and Penny (Everly's mom) - and the queer rep in one of Everly's coworkers, Alex. These characters aren't 100% fleshed out, but for their roles they really didn't need to be. The hosts of the show within the book, Jazzy and Stanton, are also such lovely fat representation, and I felt like I wanted to watch the show in question immediately. I also liked that Logan, despite being a straight size man, has his own moments of body doubt, which really surprised me in the best way - we so rarely get to see men grapple with body image in media.

The reason this ultimately was more "OK" than "fantastic" for me was due to three major factors: lack of character development, more telling than showing in the writing style, and the low amount of spice and sexiness. Logan as a character is more of an idea than a real person: we don't get much of who he is beyond loving dogs, flannel, and Everly until a full 80% into the book. Even then it's about a page of backstory. I don't feel like I understand what they really have in common or what they loved about each other because it all happens so quickly.

This ties into issue two, which is that especially early on Everly spends a lot of time telling us her thesis statement rather than showing it to us in scenes. There are certainly moments that are show - like her interactions with James in the office early on - but it quickly becomes clear that Everly knows *exactly* what her problems are and tells us so. It's not to say that that doesn't happen in real life, but it doesn't make for that interesting of character development. I didn't end up connecting with her or Logan as much as I wanted, and thirdly, they did not connect as often as I wanted either haha! The spice in this is very mild and relatively fade-to-black. I love when fat sex scenes involve graphic depictions of fat bodies doing the damn thing, and these scenes really could've been about any bodies and were over too quickly for me! Definitely a lot more sweet than saucy in this one.

That was a lot, but truly I did enjoy this book and am excited to read Jenny L. Howe's other book soon. I almost wish this had been reworked as a contemporary fiction about Everly's self-development with a romance side plot, or had featured Logan's POV to give us more of his inner world, but it still was miles better reading about fat characters without any nauseating mentions of how "tiny" the MC is or insensitive body talk. It's a very sweet read, and I think anyone looking for more fat rom com love will enjoy.

Thanks so much to NetGalley and Macmillan for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

Release date: December 26, 2023

Everly Winters leads a quiet life until she's nominated for the makeover show “On the Plus Side.” Thrust into the spotlight, she forms a surprising connection with Logan, a cameraman. As their bond blossoms, their romance becomes a television sensation, but can Everly risk her heart when the world is watching? This heartwarming romantic comedy explores self-discovery, love, and the challenges of embracing oneself in the public eye.

This had everything a cute little rom-rom should have: lovable characters, fun activities, and tender moments. What specifically sets this story apart is that the leading lady is not only plus size, but the new star of the ground-breaking body positivity reality show. Though I’ve never watched Queer Eye, the story’s show seems to mimic that Netflix show’s format. Boston is one of my favorite cities so I loved the scenes there, especially the ones from Newbury Street (one of my favorite shopping locations). I liked that most of the tension throughout the book revolved around the show and not Everly and Logan’s relationship. Logan disguises himself as a grump but in reality he’s definitely a sweet cinnamon-roll MMC with ‘lumbersexual’ style. (He also loves regency romance movies, what could be better?) I’m already looking forward to the next book from Jenny L. Howe.

Thank you @stmartinspress and @netgalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Perfect for you if you like:
Body positivity
Rom-coms on a TV set
Work tension instead of relationship tension

⛔️chapters 21 (last couple pages), 26 (second half), & 30 contain sexual content (open door)
⚠️explicit language, grandmother passed away from cancer

This was super cute and sweet. There was great representation, and I loved the sibling relationship. Plus, who wouldn’t fall for an elderly rescue dog loving grump.

This was my second book from this author and I can really tell how much she’s grown! I loved Everly’s journey to self confidence, and as a lover of makeover shows it was fun to see them from another side. Really sweet love story, too! Loved Logan and all his grumpy grunting and flannels. Thanks to NetGalley for the arc!