Thank you NetGalley for this ARC!

One thing about me is if there is a plus size woman on the cover, I'm gonna have to request it. When I looked at the description of this book I had a feeling that I was going to love it. I love unlikely romances and for her to fall for the cameraman gave everything I needed it to give and more. I love seeing a plus size woman getting the love that she deserves!

Good body positivity. I felt like I was watching a TV show. This was a fun easy read. Would recommend!!

Not only did "On the Plus Side" made me feel so strongly about fictional plus-sized characters, but also made me fall in love with them. Body diversity, self-worth and self-confidence, and love in all its manifestations are all topics covered in this awesome book. Everly was a fairly straightforward character with comparable experiences that would satisfy most readers of this book while yet being interesting.

Being able to view the story through Everly, the program, and the internet forums was a brilliant approach to break up the conventional structure of most fiction works, and I really appreciated that in this book.

Strongly recommend it!

Everly Winters is happy to navigate life in the background, lurking and unnoticed. Someone secretly nominates her for her favorite makeover show and she agrees to it. Overwhelmed by the extroverted hosts, Everly makes friends with the grumpy camera man, Logan. They grow closer, but one day their connection is caught on camera. Can their budding relationship and her sense of self survive the whole world watching?

OMG. I saw myself in Everly through this whole book. Fantastic job of writing from the headspace of a character who'd rather be invisible most of the time. Beautifully written story, absolutely loved Everly and the relationship with Logan. Fun book, made even better by seeing myself in it! ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced digital reader's copy (ARC) in exchange for an honest review!

It took me a long time to read this book! The inner dialogue of Everly was almost too much, and probably 100 pages could have been cut. About halfway through the book it picked up and was such a fun read! I wish the ending had been less rushed with a more dramatic flair, but this was a solid read! 3.5⭐️!

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion!

"On the Plus Side" by Jenny L. Howe is a delightful and heartwarming romantic comedy that blends elements of makeover shows, self-discovery, and the joys of finding love in unexpected places.

The story revolves around Everly Winters, a character who prefers to stay in the background, content with being unnoticed. Her relatable personality makes her instantly endearing to readers who may have felt similarly at some point in their lives. Everly's journey from a reserved receptionist to a participant on a popular plus-size makeover show promises to be filled with both humor and personal growth.

The book's comparison to beloved makeover shows like "What Not to Wear" and "Queer Eye" hints at a mix of fashion transformations and self-confidence boosts, which adds an exciting and relatable layer to the story. It's likely to resonate with readers who appreciate both style makeovers and characters who learn to embrace their true selves.

The introduction of Logan, the grumpy yet kind cameraman, as Everly's love interest adds a romantic element that promises chemistry and depth to the story. The idea of a budding romance blossoming under the scrutiny of reality TV is intriguing and ensures there will be plenty of entertaining twists and turns.

Moreover, the book explores themes of self-acceptance and the fear of being vulnerable in the public eye, making it not only a delightful romance but also a story that encourages readers to embrace their true selves.

Overall, "On the Plus Side" seems like a charming and relatable read that combines humor, romance, and personal growth—a winning combination for fans of contemporary romantic comedies.

4.5⭐️

as someone who loves queer eye i absolutely loved the concept of this book! i found myself relating a lot to everly’s character and i just love how amazing logan was. the story was very entertaining and i really liked how much depth there was to the story and how it wasn’t your typical romance book. i would definitely recommend this book i had so much fun reading it!

thank you to netgalley and st.martin’s press for this arc in exchange for my honest review <3

I was so excited for this ARC because of the plus size representation! I’ve never read anything by Jenny L. Howe before this book but that’s about to change! This book was cute with a little spice thrown in. I love that the main character wasn’t obsessed with her weight/size of her body and it wasn’t all about a plus size woman wanting to become or becoming a skinny girl. All around a great read!!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!

Thanks to the author of this book for going all in on genuine and heartfelt plus size representation that doesn’t cave to stereotype or tropes.

An okay story for me otherwise (the reality show angle isn’t usually a winner for me in general) but appreciated the unfortunately all too unique still today choice to celebrate a plus size woman and her life.

Unfortunately, I was very disappointed in this. The summary sounded amazing, and the cover was cute but other than that it fell really flat for me. I couldn't connect with either of the characters and the story was boring me for some reason, It was a struggle to push through. I'm also usually not a fan of stories about reality shows so I'm sure that also played a big part in why I disliked this.

Things I liked is the plus size rep and and the two reality show hosts (They were the best part).

I would still recommend others try this because while it may not have worked for me I think others may enjoy it.

I love Jenny Howe’s books. I was so excited to read this one and was not disappointed. It’s refreshing, enlightening and a relief to read about Howe’s multifaceted main characters who are fat and navigating lives that are about so much more than their size or what they look like. Howe does a brilliant job of writing about characters with diverse bodies while also writing emotionally rich dialogue and emotionally intelligent and nuanced character development. On The Plus Side is one of my favorites in the romance category because of Everly, Logan and the emotional insight throughout the book. Howe stays away from tropes that I find hard to read repeatedly in a lot of romance books and gives us a fresh, realistic and fun story. I will continue reading whatever Howe writes.

Thank you to Howe, NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing me with a digital copy to read and review.

This was an a-ok read, perfectly happy with it.. As a plus size woman I understood what the main character was feeling about being recognized as fat and fashionable and hiding parts of her true self. I found that relatable. But, she was incredibly indecisive and flip flopped a bit about what it was the most important point of focus.
It was a great mix of rom and com and I enjoyed it. As a fan of reality tv, I loved the makeover show take. I love how he loved her for who she was, while she was working through it.
Thanks for the arc!

On The Plus Side was one of the best romcoms I've read in a long time. It was funny, relatable, a little bit spicy, and so genuine. The actuality of Plus side representation really shined through. I'd be interested in reading a sequel!

Plus size representation at its best! This book was cute and very enjoyable and just what I needed for a sweet romance that would make me smile. I loved how we got to view the story from different angles and see different perspectives. I thought this really enhanced the emotional side of the characters and brought the reader into the plot.

Unfortunately this was a DNF for me. The characters at the beginning were not my favorite and while I am sure the story got better and I am hoping the characters did as well I just could not get past the beginning. But I recommend everyone try because what doesn’t work for me may work for others!

Thanks to Netgalley and the author for giving me a chance to read this one!

Cute and fun, what more could you want?

There were a few moments where the discussions of anti-fat bias felt a bit repetitive or generic (and I expect would for many Maintenance Phase listeners).

Rating: 3.5/5 stars

It's another cute and fast-paced romance for us all to enjoy. I enjoyed this book and felt it hit close to home. As someone who grew up struggling with their image, it can feel like it's you against the world. We can only wish there was really a show that encouraged plus-size women but I felt so appreciated in this story. Everly really developed from the beginning of the story to the end and allowed herself to love without restraints. I can't wait for this book to hit the shelves and hopefully make anyone out there who struggled with their body and image, feel a little less alone and a little more empowered.

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this book!

4.5 Stars! Great story about self-discovery, living out loud as a plus size girl forgetting about who she really is. Do you ever feel like or are told that you are "too much"? If so, this book is for you! This is a story about fighting not only for yourself but for what you believe in. The author does a nice job of setting up the story, why our main character is the way she is, keeping a "safe" job that is so much less than her education and worth. Shorter chapters that keep you turning the pages. Picture perfect descriptions of characters and especially clothing. I very much enjoyed the unexpected events of the story, it really kept me interested and rooting for the main character. I look forward to reading more by the author. Great read!

I had such a great time with this book. It was fun and different, and cute and really heartwarming.

The representation in this book is absolutely amazing. Yes, it's got some of the best plus size rep I've ever read in a book with more than half of the main and secondary characters being plus sized which is absolutely unheard of, but it also has really good racial diversity and sexuality diversity. It felt like my real life, with a wide range of people, which was not an experience I often have.

The romance was so good. It was set up well, the tension was tensioning, the little moments we got at the beginning especially were absolutely to die for, and I shipped Logan and Everly HARD. The way their relationship grew felt very natural and I liked how there really wasn't a third act breakup, and I liked how the love triangle fizzled out real early.

The actual show felt a little sidelined for me. I expected much more filming (especially because Logan) and the show to be a much bigger deal than it seemed. Also, it doesn't feel very immersive. Like Everly is said to be a huge fan of the show and a lurker on the forums, but we never get to see that side of her. But besides that my biggest issue is that the start is a little slow. It took me a couple of chapters to really get into it. And that first chapter is a little chaotic, and a little confusing.

All in all, an amazing book with fantastic representation and a really adorable romance, and a great ending.

This book. OMG this book. There aren’t nearly enough romcom books with fat leads and I was sucked into this one from the beginning. Everly’s story resonated with me in so many ways. It was almost like a mirror at times, only without the reality show. I loved every moment of the book and I really hope to see more books from this author in the future.