I wanted to love this, but I just couldn’t 😭 the book contains 3 tropes: fake dating, found family and forced proximity and I love a good trope but I really struggled with this.

The book itself is really well written and Amy Spalding is a fantastic author but I just couldn’t get past the way Chloe treated Clementine and the fact all was forgiven in the end. It felt forced and unrealistic to me.

I will say though, I couldn’t just pick one quote to start with as there was some ICONIC lines in this. I also love the fact there was a curvy MC and good ADHD representation. Also, Clementines gay awakening was Gillian Anderson, I feel that.

I do think this is a good book and I do recommend to all the sapphic readers out there who love a good trope!

Overall, I rate this book ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an e-arc of this book!

I read the first book in this series and then missed the release of the second, so I was very excited to get an arc of this one! Chloe and Clem were such a great couple who both felt behind their friend groups and communities as they didn't want marriage or children yet wanted to be treated as full adults by those who claimed to love them.

As a fake dating romance, these two are immediately down-bad for each other, and everyone accepts their fake relationship. Chloe wants to be taken seriously with her decisions, and Clem is nervous about this being her first queer relationship after twenty years with her college boyfriend. As they plan to attend Chloe's famous friend's wedding and Clem's parents' 40th-anniversary party, they get more serious with each other while still telling themselves it is fake.

Clem is a plus-sized bisexual woman, and Chloe is a Korean lesbian; both experience society in different ways and have to communicate their different experiences to each other. This book has surprisingly good communication throughout the fake dating, even as they don't tell each other the ultimate truth.

This series is so fun and looks at different queer communities in Los Angeles fantastically.

This is all about finding your true self and the family we make. Clem has left her last life and now she's expanding her world. Chloe needs a date and so proposes that the two of them. well, you know how this goes. That's a simplistic explanation for a big hearted sapphic romance between women in their late 30s. And their friend group. I enjoyed this for the characters and the positive outlook on life and love. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A good read.

Amy Spalding’s *On Her Terms* is a delightfully witty and heartfelt sapphic rom-com that expertly balances humor, romance, and self-discovery. Clementine’s journey of breaking away from societal expectations and embracing what truly makes her happy is both relatable and refreshing. Her chemistry with Chloe is undeniable, and their fake dating dynamic leads to plenty of laugh-out-loud moments and slow-burn tension. Spalding’s sharp, engaging prose makes Clem’s inner conflicts feel authentic, and the novel’s blend of humor and emotional depth keeps the story compelling from start to finish.

The book explores the theme of love and independence. While the fake relationship trope delivers all the swoon-worthy tension readers expect, the novel’s heart lies in Clem’s personal growth and realization that being single doesn’t equate to being incomplete. Chloe, with her confident, no-nonsense demeanor, provides the perfect counterbalance to Clem’s evolving self-awareness, making their dynamic all the more rewarding. 

Based on the first two books, I expected to enjoy this one, and I'm happy to say that I loved it! The MC, Clementine, is in her mid thirties, bisexual & recently out of a very long term relationship with a man where she was strait passing & not out to some people, so now she wants to explore & expand the queer aspect of her life.

She ends up in a fake dating situation with Chloe (friend of the leads in the book 1 & regular patron of the bar in book 2), whom she's met before at work things but doesn't really remember & now encounters during her first solo trip to the gay bar. Chloe needs a date for a wedding, as she's the only single one in the friend group & feels looked down upon, so she proposes that she'll be Clem's practice girlfriend, someone to refer to as her ex when she starts dating women for real. The problem is, Clem likes Chloe from the start.

As usual, there's great found family in Chloe's friend group (one of whom is Clem's boss, which she didn't realize), and I had that that cozy, warmed-chest comfort feeling I got from the rest of the series. Both women have ADHD and it isn't a huge part of the story but is part of their lives, and I love to see disability rep like that. It's all from Clem's POV, and as much as I often prefer dual-POV, I think this was how it should be & I benefited from not knowing Chloe's inner workings in real time.

But what meant the most for me, a queer woman in her mid-30s who came out a few years ago, was seeing a "later in life" queer woman exploring her identity, actively going after the life she wants, and experiencing many of her firsts. I also appreciated the author's note where she said she wanted to write this story for those of us who hear 17 year olds saying they're late in life queers, and that no matter what age you are, it's never too late because we're all continually becoming the new version of ourselves (heavy paraphrase).

So, thank you to Amy Spalding for this story, and to Kensington Books for the ARC.

•Queer rep: lesbian and bi "baby queer"
•Disability rep: ADHD
•Korean-American rep
•fat rep
•3rd in series
•Release date: Feb 25/25

I am a huge Amy Spalding fan and loved the other two books in this series, but this one felt very forced and artificial. It almost felt like the author felt as if she had to write about Clem because she'd written about other queer women. I felt no connection to Clem and Chloe grated my last nerve. She was obnoxious and to in your face to seem genuine.

Amy Spalding's Out in Hollywood series is one of my favorite current contemporary romance series and On Her Terms is everything I have come to love about these books—women figuring their shit out, amazing LA locations, and the best queer friend group ever. I loved seeing this love story from Clementine's POV, and her swoony romance with Chloe was everything I wanted it to be.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

2.5 ⭐ (rounded to 3 ⭐)

I've really enjoyed two of Amy Spalding's Out in Hollywood romances so far, but this one just didn't do it for me. I found almost all the characters completely insufferable, including our MC Clementine. She has no communication skills whatsoever, then wonders why her relationships suffer. Her friends Hailey and Fiona frustrated me too, with their reaction to Clementine's life events. Fiona redeemed herself by the end at least. I wanted to set Greg on fire with my eyes. What an insufferable, disrespectful and pathetic human being for the way he treats Clementine, and his seemingly lovely wife Marisol just... sits and lets that happen? I was waiting for Greg to be put in his place, which Clementine did eventually snap and call him on it, but it fell so flat to me. I wanted him to have real consequences. Everyone was just so belittling towards Clementine. I also didn't understand Chloe all that much, I wanted to know more about her! If anything, I would have much rather read a book about Phoebe and Bianca, the only characters that didn't annoy me, and who are actually more interesting. Some of the writing was a bit repetitive as well, with certain words being repeated within the same paragraph (like what I just did now with the word 'repeat').

All in all, this hasn't entirely put me off Spalding's work, and I will still pick up another sapphic romance if she does write more, but I hope to not be disappointed.

Fresh off breaking up with her boyfriend and swerving away from the conventional, TikTok-ready married life she never wanted, Clementine is ready to explore the alternatives. Not that she wants to be single forever, much less die alone. But at thirty-six, it’s time for her to experience new things—including in her love life. And though an invitation to a fake relationship to appease family sounds like a recipe for disaster, Clem finds herself saying yes to smart, spirited dog groomer Chloe Lee anyway . . .

Chloe is long past her own baby gay era, but even before they’ve tackled Clem’s parents’ anniversary party and Chloe’s friend’s wedding, the two of them end up spending a lot of time together. As the attraction between them grows stronger, it all begins to feel pretty real to Clem. Chloe, however, is fine as just friends—plus she’s convinced Clem is just eager for “someone” to take her off the singles list. How to persuade her otherwise? After all, Clem is starting to realize her life is wonderfully full and being “alone” doesn’t scare her a bit. Still, being without the tiny powerhouse that is Chloe, specifically? That’s a whole other story.

I love fake dating stories. I've really enjoyed the previous books in this series, and this one was fun, too. I thought Clem talked about her ex a little too much, but that's kind of realistic. Overall, entertaining and fairly realistic way two women can fall for each other. Fun times! 3.5⭐

I received an advanced complimentary digital copy of this book from Netgalley. Opinions expressed are my own.

Clementine is ready to explore the alternatives.. At 36, she wants more than the traditional life. She meets Chloe and the fun begins. This is an uplifting fun story.

I was given the pleasure of reading this ARC curtesy of Netgalley.

I quite enjoyed this book, this book is a lesbian romance fake dating to dating/being all over each other book.

I had read another review during the course of reading this book where the individual had stated that one of the main characters was a villian because of how mean Chloe Lee was to Clementine and while she was mean, there was still a happy ending at the end of the book which is all that matters, so i don't quite understand the 1 star and 2 star reviews about this book.
I personally thought the plot was sweet and salty, and was perfectly put together, Amy Spalding knew what she was doing with this book.

In terms of Character rep, It's a lesbian story, do i need to say more?
Although i do recall in one chapter their potentially being a mention of ADHD, this isn't really played on throughout the book which i do believe there could of been more of.

In terms of spice, this book isn't overly spicy, there are a couple of chapters which contain spicy scenes, enough to satisfy a spicy book lover like myself, but as i always say, there's always room for more.
Either way, spicy wise, you won't be disappointed.

So, would i recommend this book? definitely! If your a Lesbian or your just Queer like myself, you'll love this book!

I'd like to Thank Amy Spalding and Kensington Publishing for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really wanted to love this book, but the reliance on so much introspection (tell, rather than show) is exhaustive. There are paragraphs after paragraphs of Clementine's thoughts without any real movement in the story. While cute, with so many different themes and topics covered, the actual relationship between Clementine and Chloe lacks the depth and attention it deserves. Unfortunately, this is a little underwhelming.

- Fake Dating
- Queer / Sapphic Rep (Bisexual & Lesbian)
- Single POV
- Excessive Introspection
- Discussions on Bisexual Erasure and "Being Queer Enough"
- Plus-Sized FMC
- Witty Banter
- Found Family
- Mental Health / Anxiety Rep
- ADHD Rep
- Non-traditional HEA
- Coming Out

On Her Terms is an enjoyable contemporary sapphic fake-dating romance. Clementine, the POV character, is fresh out of a long-term relationship with a man and is interested in dating women. Enter Chloe, who rescues her from street hecklers as they both approach a lesbian bar. They've met before, although Clementine needs to be reminded. They bond over their distaste for being the odd one out who is sometimes pitied by friends. Chloe suggests a fake relationship to get them through the wedding of her friends and the anniversary party of Clementine's parents.

Of course they fall for each other; they are really cute and sweet and funny together almost all the time, and the way they ease the social path for each other in groups is great.

The one thing that caused me to subtract points is that Chloe gets mean when scared. Mean, untruthful, and verbally abusive. Mean enough that for a while I was hoping Clementine wouldn't end up with her.

They do end up together, after some fairly satisfying groveling by Chloe, and I'm not really unhappy about it. I would like to have seen more evidence later that she'd truly overcome the tendency to strike out verbally though.

You will probably love this book if you like a sapphic romance that's:
-not too heavy
-solo POV
-introspective (Clementine overthinks to a degree I totally identify with!)
-has fun banter
-has a great friendship group

4.2 stars
Thank you to the author and publisher and to NetGalley for this ARC. All opinions are my own.

Gosh, unfortunately this was a tough one to get through. Not only the base of the story was very hard to believe, it was also poorly executed.

Every character felt the same, the only one having half of a personality the annoying main character's brother. Every single conversation just felt a brust of laugher, as if laughting was the ONLY reaction the author had to come up with. EVERY single conversation was interrupted by a waiter or just happened off page or was filled with shallow unfunny jokes. It just felt as a bunch of diferent scenes patched up together very artificially.

The romance just happens, not built up at all. I could feel every single thing it was used as a plot point, it just not felt natural.

The whole deal the book makes about being single being a big deal (every one in Clementine's life being ass holes about it) was so dreadful and annoying. For people that say so fiercely that they don't need all that shit the book keeps dragging on them, Clementine and Chloe are incapable of keeping a backbone and just saying to anyone who annoys them for that to fuck off. And of course they kinda change their minds and the book tries to turns things to a diferent perspective instead of actual changes in the world around them.

The author tries to be inclusive and point out some social problems but it just lands as if it came straight from a tweet. Not natural at all, unfortunately.

If I count the amount of times a phrase was emphasized with a exclamation point or it was said 'twee' or the full name of the love interested as an emphasizer I would stay here forever. Resuming, it was tiring.

Most of the important scenes of the book happened off page, such a turn off. I wanted to see the development of the characters and their relationships, but just got a paragraph resume.

This just finishes with an after taste that all the shit Clementine goes through was inside her mind and kinda of her fault. She was not an easy character to dealt with or to be inside her mind, but she did not deserve that treatment.

Unfortunately, this was not a read for me.

Thank you Kensington and NetGalley for the ARC.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was a very cute story, a little cliche, but was still captivating and a VERY fast read. I truly loved Chloe, and Clem was okay, too. This left me longing for a big, queer friend group.

I have decided that I am NOT a fan of romances told from only one perspective. I want to see what’s going on from both sides, and experiencing what Chloe was going through would have added a level of depth. Greg was the absolute WORST, and any sane person would have gone no-contact. I know we’re all meant to believe that Clem drifting apart from her friends was all some big misunderstanding, but I’m still convinced they treated her like crap and need to try harder.

I HATED that Clem’s inner monologue thought about Will ALL. THE. TIME. I get that he was a huge part of her life, but not everything needs to be compared to him. Especially DURING INTIMACY.

I would die for Small Jesse Pinkman! So cute! I love Clem’s career goals and success in the field, and her ability to stand on her own. Also, Phoebe was Bette from “The L Word” in my head, and no one can change my mind!

Overall, very cute. I loved the friendship dynamic. 4.25 stars

“I couldn’t believe how unprepared I was for single life –dating for someone of any gender.”

On Her Terms was a very enjoyable FF RomCom. Chloe and Clementine are very endearing, though they lack some maturity ^^.
I loved the author’s choice to follow only Clementine’s POV as she’s the one who had only one relationship in her life, for almost 20 years, and with a man. Her story, her “late” coming out, spoke to me, and even more with her cultural references that were completely aligned with mine. The story is funny (even if some jokes come back a little bit too often), and even though Clementine doesn’t have a lot of experience, even if it isn’t what Society wants, she knows what she wants for her life and sticks with it. I loved the characterisation! The relationship between Chloe and Clementine was cute, especially their mutual obliviousness in a way a bit different than what we usually see with fake dating books. Chloe, however, felt a bit less lovable, but maybe it was bcs we don’t explore her POV in the book and see her only through Clementine’s eyes.
The series was new to me, and I loved the friends group (and it made me want to read the other books).


Thank you Amy Spalding, Kensington Publishing and NetGalley for the eARC. My opinions are my own.

This is a 3.5 rounded to 4!
Agh! I love trilogies haha this reminded me of the Delilah Green and Written in the Stars trilogies. They’re all cute and fun tbh. Yes, I know the identity thing is a little repetitive and in your face (at least that’s how it comes to me as a reader that already knows the characters somewhat or the vibe of the book) BUT any rep is good rep tbh and I’m glad we have books that openly talk about these things.

Overall it’s a cute, funny, and good story to read if you’re looking for something that captures you but doesn’t require tons of mental energy

2.5 ⭐️

i believe this is not the story for me 💔 clementine was constantly condescend by chloe for her queer status and it felt like chloe was more of a villain than a love interest for the entirety of the book. it was sad than swoon worthy to read about and i finished the book thinking clementine deserved better :(

This is the third book in this series that I have enjoyed. Amy Spalding is able to create well-rounded characters and craft a story that keeps you engaged, I thought this was an interesting look at "late in life" coming out (if 36 counts, I'm in my 40s so it still seems like a baby to me). Characters that are a little more mature, but with their own flaws that create some conflict. There was some of the miscommunication trope here, but I felt like it worked given the characterization that had built up. I do feel that the spice came out of nowhere! I needed more longing or more intermediate steps towards jumping into bed with each other. Overall, this was a nice read.

A cute rom com but I could have done without all the Diet Coke and unhealthy food references. Something felt off with Clementine and Chloe’s relationship even in the end. Just cant put my finger on it. But still worth a read.