Plus size rep, reality TV and romance, sign me up!

- Plus Size FMC
- Reality TV
- Forced Proxmity
- Family Trauma
- Chasing Lost Dreams
- Spice (3/5 🌶️)

Everly has been content with her basic job and bland wardrobe, she’s focused on doing what she has to and keeping her talent to herself because its the safe option. When the hosts from her favorite make-over show surprise her at work, she doesn’t know what to do with herself, but she can’t pass up the opportunity.

Logan is the quiet camera man that is just supposed to be there to make the show happen, but he can’t help himself but to assist in building the new clients confidence.

This story touched on hard subjects in a tactful but real way. I connected to Everly and her back story so much it made it seem even more real. I enjoyed this whole book.

Romance, reality TV, fashion and fighting fat shaming? I am in.

I really enjoyed this book even though it did feel somewhat unrealistic. Most of the book was fairly predictable, but a twist at the end moved the book from a 3.5 star to a 4 star for me.

I did like the peek behind the scenes at the unreality of reality TV. I do wish there had been more development of Everly’s growth throughout the whole book instead of just at the end. The whole theme of pointing out fat shaming even within people’s own families was on point. The romance was fast, but I thought that Everly and Logan were a cute couple. I look forward to reading more from Jenny. Howe.

4/5 stars

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an eARC of this book.

Everly Winters has a confidence issue. Due to her size, she lacks the conviction in herself to chase her dreams. But when a close friend nominates her for the makeover show, On the Plus Size, she is forced to evaluate how she dresses, how she acts, and make changes to have the confidence to seek out those dreams:
Love.
Success.
A new career.

The hosts of the show, Jazzy and Stanton, do everything right to make Everly come out of her shell, and set goals for herself. This isn’t a show about weight loss, but more about being comfortable in one’s skin and not letting one’s size hold them back. I loved this theme and how supportive they were in her journey. In addition, Everly develops a romantic interest in the process, which is sweet until someone tries to manipulate it for ratings. Typically reality show drama.

Despite the anxiety of having her life judged, Everly is very brave through the whole process and really grows as a character, which I admire. She sticks up for herself repeatedly, and isn’t the shy girl that fangirled when Jazzy and Stanton first met her. She has a take charge attitude and that gets her noticed in a big way. And those dreams can finally become a reality. Overall, a great romance with a positive message.

Thank you to @netgalley @stmartinspress and @spotify for a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

On the Plus Side was a gem of a book. It was a heartwarming story focusing on plus size people. Everly makes a wonderful transformation, and Logan was swoonworthy from the get go. This is a story about a woman finding her way after being lost for a long time.

Author Howe created a realistic storyline and very likable characters you want to root for.

The audiobook was narrated by Zura Johnson, and she was very easy to listen to. I think she did a great job bringing the story to life.

4 stars

#books #bookishlife #booklover #readingisfun #iowabookstagrammers #iowabookstagram #netgalley #stmartinspress #spotifyaudiobooks #netgalley #goodreads #ltbreaderteam #ontheplusside #jennyhowe

I wasn't able to get into this so did not finish. It felt very issue- rather than character-driven, which is always frustrating but especially so when I care about the issues being discussed and wish they had been complimented by deeper characterization and more realistic dialogue.

This is such a sweet, heartwarming story. On the Plus Side is a fictional makeover show a la Queer Eye but focusing on plus size people. Everly makes such a transformation over the course of the book (and show). Immediately I kinda hated her mom for how she treated her, even if it was from a place of love. It reminded me of my mom and her mom, although they too worked through their stuff eventually. Logan is swoon worthy and who doesn't love a bearded man in plaid? lol.
Personally I wish the producer Sadie wasn't named Sadie because she's not my favorite character, lol. But then what tv producer is ever anything but morally gray if not morally bankrupt. This story balances the sweetness of the romance and Everly re-embracing herself and the drama of how produced "reality" shows actually are.
This is a wonderful read!

I loved this book so much. I loved that the author was able to say fat as a descriptor rather than a negative term, which is something I’ve been working on in the last few years. I also love that there were steamy open door scenes involving a plus size woman, this is very hard to find in romances.

Everly used to be confident, recognizing that her talent and her attitude would carry her far. However, after a beloved family member passes away, she found she lost her spunk and perspective, allowing other people’s opinions to carry too much weight. The story begins with Everly doubting her artistic ability, even though she has much to contribute at the agency, where she works as a receptionist. When she is selected to appear on a reality show, her entire world does a 180, as she starts to realize how much more is waiting for her, if she would only get out her own way

Howe has written a story about a woman finding her way after being lost for many years. Her story arc is realistic, and in my opinion, one many people can relate to, regardless of whether their self-confidence has been affected by weight or other factors. Mixed in the story is a wonderful romance as well as family dynamics. I can see someone enjoying this book as a summer read, or a book club delving into it, given the many side stories and subplots.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley and have written an objective review.

While embracing all the wonderful tropes that make a romcom delicious, by bucking the standard conventions and demographics of her female lead, Howe provides a fresh face and well overdue representation in the genre. What's more, her love interest demonstrates what is in many ways a better representation of a male lead who is complicated, layered, and unbothered by societal norms and who is in many ways, a more accurate depiction of an everyman than we often see in the genre. And while she addresses shame culture and pressure, Howe never shames her character, and instead develops a full-formed woman who indeed has insecurities like all people but who finds and embraces who she is, unabashedly seeking the life she wants and deserves,

A reality show featuring plus size women and celebrating their lives and bodies... yes please. When Everly becomes the focus of the show, she learns how real or scripted it actually is and who she can actually trust. Grumpy cameraman Logan becomes her closest ally and the chemistry between them is off the charts. I loved this one!

On The Plus Side is a funny, warm-hearted, empathetic look at the realities of not being what society defines as “normal”. It’s about personal introspection, insecurities, falling in love and re-falling in love with oneself.

Everly Winters is content with her life. She is a receptionist, loves art and creativity which bodes well at the company she works for. She has a bit of a crush on one of her co-workers. But she lives her life quietly, ever since her grandmother died.

Suddenly, she is thrust onto a reality show called On The Plus Side which helps overweight women with all aspects of their life. She loves the show but is horrified that someone nominated her (whose identity she is still looking for) to actually be a participant. The show tries to transform the person by giving them the tools to step out of their comfort zone with new ways of dressing, making them look inside themselves as well as having family involvement. This family thing makes Everly very nervous!

As Everly begins the process of having cameras film her all the time, she begins to open her eyes to the camera operator, Logan who is not only fabulously handsome, but kind and comforting.

But, having to look back on her life is not something she really wants to do. There is pain in that process. Her mother has always pushed her to lose weight so she could look and feel better, something she has always felt she didn’t need thanks to her late grandmother’s words of wisdom that she just always be her beautiful self both inside and out. She is nervous what her mother will say on camera!

Funny enough, Everly does begin the metamorphous process and starts to self-reflect and discover the person she used to be when her grandmother was alive. She also finds she and Logan have a great deal in common and begin having feelings, which because this is reality television, the fans as well as the producers think is fabulous!

But just as she is beginning to find the old Everly, and also perhaps love, it could all be taken away as the producers have a very different outlook on what is happening in her life! Is she strong enough yet to stick up for herself and every other past and future contestant of On The Plus Side?

This fantastic story is an honest, humorous yet serious look at being fat in today’s world which in this book is an ok word to use. Its thesis is to accept oneself, love everything about yourself because you don’t have to answer to anyone BUT yourself. Embrace who you are, not who others want you to be. And you are not alone!

Thank you #NetGalley #Griffin #JennyL.Howe #OnThePlusSide for the advanced copy.

I thought this book was super sweet!! I loved so much of it, and the reading experience was fun. I wouldn’t say it blew me away or gave me anything super new or exciting, but it was definitely adorable and worth the read.

I loved the use of the grumpy x sunshine trope, the fat rep, the reality TV setting, and the fact that there wasn’t a third act breakup! This story did a great job of flipping the traditional makeover show experience on its head and prioritizing Everly’s sense of self rather than her outward appearance.

My only complaint was about the conflict. It just felt…like it wasn’t a big deal? I also thought it was a little messy (the misuse of the term “defamation” was what stood out to me - didn’t she have an editor?) and the stakes felt too low. I wished the conflict was more contentious, but I did love that Everly got to affirm her newfound sense of self.

Overall, I would recommend this for anyone looking for a feel-good, easy read!

Everly Winters has been living her life trying to go as unnoticed as possible. This translates to taking a job which is not necessarily her dream, functioning in a world where she tries to be the opposite of “too much”, and not going for what she wants in an attempt to reduce rejection.

She’s a fan of a reality show that changes the lives of plus-sized people, “On the Plus Side” and while she lurks in the fandom forums, she does not actively participate. This all changes when an unknown person in her life nominates her for the show and they choose to follow her journey.

From here, she learns how to take up space, how to go for what she wants, and how to love herself.

The ending was a bit rushed for me, I would have preferred it to be more drawn out as I was enjoying the story. Overall, I thought that this was a cute book. If you’re looking for a fun little romance with a reality show twist, a fun cast of diverse characters, and an easy read, it’s a great choice!

I can clearly remember being in middle school and my straight sized friend making me try on her clothes. She knew I would not be able to button the jeans but because she wanted to feel 'thinner' she still had me try them on. All I got was the feeling of shame and that there was something wrong with my changing body. There was nothing wrong with my body actually but everything wrong with that scenario.

On the Plus Side is a title of the book and also the name of the show in the book that gives all the 'What Not to Wear' vibes with all the plus sized representation. Everly Winters is nominated for the show OTPS where she gets a wardrobe makeover, a life makeover, and... a love makeover too! This book is about so much more than representation but about confidence to be exactly who you are meant to be and standing firmly in that. It's about speaking your truth and saying 'cya bye' to losers who can't get on board with who you are. I would say it does take a little bit (around 56% of the book) for it to finally start kicking and the plot to really take off, but it's worth the wait if you can hold out. I was giddy and giggly and loving every minute until the end.

AND I'm team #Loverly -- IYKYK

After 30% I DNF this book. Due to me DNFing this book I am not going to give it a star rating on Goodreads. I was not connecting with the characters. I found neither of the characters particularly interesting and felt like I was forcing myself to continue reading. I also realized that much like reality TV, I don't like it in books as well. I did like the authors writing style. The book was easy to read and I wish I could connect with her characters. This won’t keep me from trying other books she writes. I’m sure this book is for someone, but it was not for me.

This was a fun and enjoyable read for me. It is a romance, but there's a lot more depth to it, as Howe fights back against fat-shaming and body-shaming.

The main idea really is that all bodies are beautiful - which I loved!

Logan was a great MMC and a grumpy one too. The way that he immediately saw Everly and helped her build up her self-confidence was heartwarming. I thought that the the premise of a reality TV show was quite cool!

This was a tough one to finish and definitely was not for me.

I appreciate the CW at the beginning and what the author was trying to do with this book, but it was such a chore to read. Very predictable to the point it was frustrating to keep going.

When I say Everly ‘isn’t likeable’ I don’t mean because her character is written that way it’s that she’s so sure of herself in an insecure way? She also info dumps so much personal information to the people who put on the show (which I understand she will need to do to be relatable to the audience) but I cringed with how much she gave away so quickly.

The interesting thing is there is a lot I can relate to with Everly, but it really wasn’t that fun to read from her perspective,

Extremely fun and cute!

I love plus size heroines - especially when they're endearing and relatable!

Pairing is quality - it's hard not to root for their HEA

This was a good read - I really enjoyed this book. I'm so glad that I got the chance to read it early and will definitely be recommending it to multiple people who enjoy these types of novels. I enjoyed the characters and especially enjoyed the writing by this author. I'm excited to see what the author comes out with next as I'll definitely be reading it! Thank you to the publisher for my early copy of this book!

Thank you to the author Jenny L. Howe, publishers St. Martin's Press, and also to NetGalley for an advance digital copy of ON THE PLUS SIDE. Thank you for an accomanying widget. All views are mine.

Opening Quote: The heat of his body invaded hers, leaving Everly feverish and a little dizzy. The moment felt charged. Heady. Like whatever happened next would change everything. Loc.2172.

Three (or more) things I loved:

1. I love books that reflect my experience, and so I love that this book tries to reclaim the word "fat." It felt good to me to hear characters and the narrator describing people as fat in a neutral way. This is how I think of my own body. I gained a great deal of weight because I take medications with that side affect. I have to take them! I think of my weight as a medical condition; fat is tissue, it is my body. I do not hate my body, not one bit of it, especially the part that grew to save my life.

2. The details Howe uses to make the scenes more real are pretty excellent. Like the fmc's dog, Bagel, whom Howe describes as a mix of yellow Lab and pit bull and had somehow managed to inheret the largest genes from each breed. Loc.274. This evokes an adorable and humorous looking sort of dog, but also the kind that might make you feel safer on a late-night pee break. This description invites thought, and this a reader's interpretation. Wonderful writing!

3. I really relate to the fmc, who forever frets about being "too much!"

4. I love Howe's love letter to her editor in the afterword!

Three (or less) things I didn't love:

This section isn't only for criticisms. It's merely for items that I felt something for other than "love" or some interpretation thereof.

1. Technically, white isn't "the presence of all colors," (loc.237) it's the reflection of light along the whole color spectrum. Black is the absorption of light along all colors, so technically, would be the presence of all colors.

2. It's a little uncomfortable how often bro plays with Everly's nipples while they talk seriously about work. I can't figure out why he does this or why the writer is writing it.

Rating: ⚪️⚫️⚪️⚫️ color spectrums
Recommend? Yes!
Finished: Dec 20 '23
Format: Digital arc, Kindle, NetGalley, SMPI
Read this book if you like:
💖 romance
😻 romcoms
🫃 body diversity rep
🗣 language reclamation
📜 beautiful description