**3.75

TLDR: Recommend! But check TW.

The cover and title gives off easy going vibes, but this book packs a punch with some heavy topics. The author easily takes you from battling with the limitations of a disability when you expect more of yourself to steamy scenes to PTSD from sexual abuse with ease. Not to mention that there were definitely times I was laughing out loud.

Sometimes this book felt a bit long, but I think you really needed the extra pages to give these characters the development they deserved. There are a lot of characters, but they all play an important part in the story and in Jake and Rayah's lives. And the little sidekick that shows up later on - I can just picture it when it's first introduced! So freaking cute!

If you're looking for a lighthearted romance, I'd say save this book for another day so you can give it the attention it deserves.

TW: There are scenes of sexual and physical abuse.

Rayah and Jake story was quite fun. I loved the chemistry between these two characters and the banter they share is sharp and clever. Plenty of laughter and a bit of heartstring tugging to be enjoyed as the story unfolds.

Work It Out had one of my favorite tropes- I'm a sucker for celebrity romances, but unfortunately this one was just not for me.

The characters were fun, I liked the setting & dialogue but there were a lot of plots and subplots for a contemporary romance book. Also, I love books that talk about fitness but there were some talking points about health and fitness that were borderline fat phobic and that really disappointed me.

All in all, it had a lot going for it but I think it needed a little more adjusting as well as some sensitivity readers.

This was a good read, it had witty banter and a cute baby pig. The beginning of the book was great and pulled me in. I loved all the various characters, but sometimes it did get a little cluttered. About halfway through the pacing started to feel a little bit off. Some subplots made the story unnecessarily complicated and took away from the main plot. I enjoyed the town's festival and wish there was more about it in the book.

I do believe this is a good book to read, and I would like to see what else Siedler publishes in the future.

I love a book that has great disability representation, especially invisible disabilities. Being someone with an invisible disability myself, it was almost motivational to read about Jake (or Chris) really putting so much effort into getting in shape despite his disability as well as seeing a gym with such a good supporting and accommodating people that they didn’t let his disability hinder him getting the care that he wants. I loved the banter and the humor between Jake and Rayah and seeing their relationship grow through all the secrets and insecurities. The way this book handled serious topics and trauma was really well done and I appreciate how everything was handled and how the characters were supported through their found family. Plus the little town lore about aliens was hilarious and the references to ever after were perfect (especially the visual of Rayah carrying Jake the same way Drew Barrymore’s character carried the prince away from the Gypsies lol). Overall this book was a fun quick read with a hint of spice, I loved it!

I enjoyed this more than a typical "hollywood romance," and it had plenty of fun twists! Do definitely check out the content warnings, although I can see how if they had displayed them all at the onset (its a link to them listed elsewhere) it would partially compromise the plot. I had to push past the first 20% because I was afraid it was going to be not very body positive. There is a lot of time spent on physical appearance of the characters with muscley being the spoken goal, but it is contrasted with coverage of POTS. I loved the small town setting and the quirky towns-people. Jake is a swoony book boyfriend, with a tiny bit of touch her and die energy.

I really enjoyed the beginning of this book! I was locked in... and then as the chapters went on, I felt myself putting this down longer and longer between reads. It was nice to read a contemporary romance, my only gripe is teh second half did not feel as polished and fresh at the beginning.

In this captivating romantic comedy, I was immediately drawn into the story of Jake Newman, an actor on a secret mission to bulk up for a film role at a secluded Arizona health resort, and Rayah Summers, the resort's struggling owner. Their budding romance, peppered with endearing nicknames and heartfelt moments, was both sweet and genuine. The inclusion of Jake's battle with Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS) added a unique layer of depth, providing valuable insight into a lesser-known condition. While the narrative flow had its ups and downs, the humor, the chemistry between characters, and thoughtful portrayal of disability left a lasting impression. This book struck a perfect balance between lighthearted romance and meaningful storytelling.

This was a fun debut and I think the author has a great grasp on banter and chemistry.
The luxury all-inclusive wellness gym/resort in Arizona was a unique setting and new to me. I also enjoyed the disability representation as the MMC, Jake, has POTS and frequently has episodes that lead to fainting, dizziness, and illness. He is a movie-star training for a new upcoming role, and Rayah, is a former gymnast and now gym owner. Jake has golden energy retriever energy with a sunny disposition, dimples, witty jokes, and ability to predict/read Rayah's needs. Rayah is small in stature but big in determination, work ethic, and fitness knowledge. She has also cultivated a found family vibe for the gym's employees. Both mains characters have past demons to battle, but it was easy to root for them on their journey to a HEA. I thought their banter and chemistry was well-written! My only complaints were with the book pacing (fell off-pace, got chaotic with a local town quirky festival).

I don’t even have words to describe how much I love this book. This was exactly what a romance book should be- funny, passionate, and emotional. The main characters had a bit of insta love; but honestly, it made sense considering how goofy and lovable Jake was. It also had chronic illness representation. Jake has POTS syndrome, and I thought it was done really well. He didn’t magically overcome his syndrome; but he was still able to be strong and do what he needed to do. I loved his and Rayah’s relationship; there was a small moment of miscommunication at the end, but it was minor and overall I wasn’t frustrated at any point with their relationship. The book did talk about Rayah’s sexual assault as a minor. I thought it portrayed that really well and brought attention to the topic really well too. I also loved all the side characters. It was really enjoyable to see side characters that felt fully fleshed out instead of the two-dimensional side characters we see in a lot of romance books. Overall, I loved this story and would recommend it to anyone.

I love a good romance set in the world of fitness and gym life and Work it Out delivered. 👏 It’s a sweet, slow-burn spicy, and heartfelt treat between actor Jake and trainer/business owner Rayah set in small town Arizona.

Jake needs to bulk up to be in consideration for the latest superhero film and is determined to keep his POTS at bay to succeed. Rayah continues to deal with fallout from the way adults failed her she she was a young gymnast. They might not seem like a match, but they see the strength and resilience and help the other heal. I adored the way they slowly got to know each other and showed up for the other throughout the story.

There are lots of extra characters at the gym to keep track of, which makes me think this might be setting up a series? I’d love to read more about the Explosion crew.

I recommend this book to fans of fitness romances with strong characters who aren’t afraid to eventually show their vulnerabilities. There are some triggers (publisher has a link in the book), make sure to check those out!

I Received an advanced reading copy, receipt of which did not impact my review.

This is a fun romance with heart. Jake and Rayah. need each other. Jake needs to get in shape for a role while Rayah needs successful client in order to save her business. There is plenty of chemistry between the characters, but you do wonder if the secrets are what will do derail both their careers and the relationship. the plot flowed well, and the dialogue was fun all in all a great romance .

DNF 45%

I really thought I was going to love this book, small-town and forced proximity with big city boy returning to small-town but this fell flat. It read amature, like a teen girl who is crushing on a famous Chris and wants to write self-insert fanfic. There was awkward girl bashing at the beginning which felt out of character. The dialogue was fun, I loved the banter between them, but it felt very surface level. This writing just didn't go deep enough for me to keep me interested.

This book was a lovely contemporary romantic comedy that had me fully belly laughing.

Jake is a movie star with Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia (POTS) and he is trying to gain muscle for an upcoming role. His condition makes it hard to exercise and he keeps it secret so that it doesn’t affect his chance at action movies.

The FMC, Rayah, is the owner of the training facility and has had a traumatic past that resulted in her ending her gymnastics career. She and Jake have an immediate connection and it is hard for them to resist one another in and out of the gym.

I like that this book has disability representation through the MMC. It bucks the norm while also providing a swoony character. I also appreciated that the FMC has struggles that she too has to overcome. Neither character is flawless and they literally have to “work it out” in order to move forward.

The banter between the MMC and the FMC and pretty much all of the characters is top tier in my opinion. There were so many instances where I couldn’t help, but crack up. The townspeople especially are hilarious! I got major Stars Hallow vibes each time I read about Jake’s grandparents and their friends. They are shameless meddlers and pop up throughout the story.

So if you are looking for a romcom with plenty of banter and a little spice, this book might be for you!

Thank you to NetGalley and Entangled publishing for this egalley in exchange for my honest review.

I really wanted to like this one but found myself not being able to push through the entire thing. Mostly because of a trope I hated, insta love. There’s such a quick connection between the two MCs that I never really got the tension or build up I like in a romance. There also felt like there were a lot of characters and I struggled to keep up with who was who at the beginning.

I appreciated the representation in the book and the humor. I think that I would definitely try another one of these author’s books but this one just wasn’t the right fit for me personally.

Jake is an actor, trying to get in fantastic shape to land a superhero role. He heads off to a fitness resort in his hometown to get in shape. Rayah is a former gymnast and owner of the fitness resort and is on the brink of bankruptcy…and Jake’s presence could make or break her dreams.

There are parts of this book that I really enjoyed. Jake and Rayah’s banter was great and I love the found family aspect. I loved how strong and independent Rayah’s character was too, and I think this book has potential, but it missed the mark a bit for me.

There were way too many characters and too much going on. There was Jake’s POTS, Rayah’s financial issues, drama with Jake’s agent, the hunt, Vicky’s ex, Rayah’s family issues and experiences in gymnastics…and that’s not even all of it. It was way too much for one book.

Jake’s obsession with Rayah’s height toward the beginning of the book was uncomfortable. There were so many comments about how she’s so small and feminine because she’s short, and at one point he even compared her to a Polly Pocket. I’m also not sure how many times is too many to call someone ‘cupcake’ on one page, but it was too many for my personal preference.

Finally, I didn’t love that Rayah’s experience in gymnastics was pretty much the exact story of USAG’s survivors. That piece took up a lot of storyline toward the end, but felt like it resolved way too quickly and I didn't feel like it was handled with enough care. The content warning does mention that sexual assault of the main character is mentioned, but didn’t address that this is a pretty major plot point.

This story provides some pretty awesome chronic illness and childhood trauma representation. The romance was sweet and the MMC was ADORABLE, but while cute, the story dragged a bit too much for my liking. I honestly felt like the story went on forever and I kept waiting for it to get to the point.

Thanks to NetGalley and Entangled Publishing for this ARC. All opinions are my own.

The hero is an actor that wants to get the lead role in an action film, but to be a candidate for the role he needs the body for it. The heroine is the trainer that helps the hero shape up for the role. Both of the main character has personal issues that they have to overcome before they could have a happy ending with each other. And thus begins the romantic journey between the hero and the heroine.

This is a nice contemporary romantic read by Eva Siedler. The book cover and the premise of the story was what grabbed my attention. There were some nice moments in the story, and there were also some other parts that needed more details for better transitions. The book also has some content warnings that readers should be aware of, and they can be found at the publisher's website. Overall, it's a nice book and I look forward to reading more books from the author in the future.


** Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the review copy. All opinions and thoughts in the review are my own. **

I really wanted to like this book, but I could never get into it. The characters were a bit quirky which I like but it was a struggle to connect with them and I ultimately found myself unable to finish reading it.

I find that sometimes, you just night a light fun romance, that you can easily read in a quiet afternoon chilling at home. And it started that way. I think I read the first half really quickly, and while I did enjoy the book, I did find that the second half was quite packed and there were just a few too many things happening. And because of that, the ending became a little rushed.
Still, I did enjoy the book. It was fun, it made me laugh and I was definitely rooting for Rayah and Jake. They both had their own struggles, and their own side story beside just their blooming romance. It was interesting to see Jake and his struggle with POTS, and just seeing that being represented in the media (books, tv). And to see Rayah have her own struggle with her business and all.
Overall, I enjoyed it. It was fun and all. Still, I do think that the first half was more enjoyable than the second half, so if you do find yourself struggling with getting into the story, this might just not be for you. Still, I do want to see more from Eva Siedler, and I do look forward to reading her next book.