4.5 stars

I've read the first two of this series, first was ok, second was a bit forgettable, but this one I liked best. Maybe its because it was fake dating or maybe it was because it was in audio and the narrator was fantastic but this was significantly better in my opinion. I really enjoyed both characters and the whole "baby gay" aspect. We got fake dating, friends wedding, and of course only one bed so a sapphic romance full of the best tropes. I felt the 3rd act conflict was a bit unnecessary but worked well in the story and with the characters so I didn't hate it. Overall I had a good time.

Regarding the narrator, I loved her. Her voices for the 2 MCs felt exactly right for who the characters were. Her acting choices were also fantastic. I think she was the perfect choice for a sapphic single POV romance.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ALC!

Continuing the Out in Hollywood Series, Spalding gives us two new, flawed queer characters to fall in love with. Although this book was a slow start, I enjoyed this book just like the other two. I've really enjoyed seeing the characters develop over time and show up in later books, it's so fun seeing the relationships develop and continue in the "real world." While I could have done without how heavily it leaned into the tragedy of Clementine losing her ex-boyfriend, I do understand how core to her character that major life event was. I think this is a realistic look at a the struggles that accompany coming out later in life. As Spalding often does, this book showcased the difficulties of going against the grain of your family's expectations.

📗eBook +🎧audiobook: On Her Terms-Out of Hollywood #3

✍🏾 Author: Amy Spalding- Read For Her Consideration 3✨and At Her Service 4✨

📅Publication date: 2-25-25 | Read: 2-20-25

Genre: Contemporary Romance, Adult Fic, LGBTQIA+

Tropes: fake dating, female friendships, pet friendly, 1 bed, personal growth/self-discovery

🗣️Narrator: Lori Prince voices all the characters with standouts from Clementine and Chloe. The reading style brought the text to life, and the author and narrator worked together perfectly. The pacing and flow allowed me to get lost in the story. The narrator paused and announced new chapters and there was a table of contents which helped me follow along.

🏃🏾‍➡️Run Time: 10:37, 326 pgs. (26 chapters)

🌎 Setting: Hollywood

👆🏾POV: 1st person single-Clementine

⚠️TW: h has ADHD

Summary: Clementine broke up with her boyfriend because she didn't want marriage or kids. She meets Chloe going to her first gay bar, but they met before at one of Clementine's job functions. Chloe needs a date for her friend's wedding and asks Clementine. Clementine wants to experience her first queer relationship, so they both agree to avoid awkward family and friend gatherings.


👩🏾 Heroine: Clementine-36, bisexual, just broke up with boyfriend Will. Does media planning at Big Marketing Energy.

👩🏾 Heroine: Chloe Lee- Korean, queer, a dog groomer

🎭 Other Characters:

* Greg+Marisol-Clem's brother and his wife
* Fiona + Hailey-Clem's BFFs since high school
* Phoebe+Bianca- Clem's boss and her wife/Chloe's friends
* Nina + Ari Fox- Chloe's friend/Clem's ex coworker and her fiancée-a movie star
* CJ+ Sofia- Chloe's friends/a couple
* Jesse Pinkman+ Fernando- Clem's new cat and Chloe's dog


🤔 My Thoughts: I enjoyed Clementine giving herself permission to explore her sexuality. Their friend group was supportive, and Chloe was very down to earth. I didn't like how much Clem talked about Will and compared him to Chloe. Greg, Clem's brother, acted like he was better than Clementine because he was married with kids. Overall, this was another good sapphic romance by Spalding.

Rating: 4/5 ✨
Spice level 3/5🔥open door

🙏🏾Thanks to NetGalley, Kensington Books, RB Media| Recorded Book, and Amy Spalding for this ARC & ALC! I voluntarily give my honest review, and all opinions are my own.

Okay, woof. I got 30 minutes into this audiobook and had to put it down. The writing was painfully riddled with cliches and the audiobook narrator used a biiit too much vocal fry for my liking. I'll try a hard copy and see if that changes things for me!

Like Amy Spalding's other books, this was cute and charming, and at times, frustrating. I'm always happy to grab a sapphic rom-com that isn't over-the-top cheesy.

After ending a 20-year relationship with her boyfriend, 36-year-old Clementine is ready for a new dating venture delving into her bisexuality. Local lesbian, Chloe, talks Clementine into fake dating as the two women navigate the challenges of being in their mid-to-late thirties amongst friends who are mostly partnered, married, and/or having babies. Can Clementine strike a balance between building the independent, non-traditional life she craves and finding the right person to share it with?

I would give this book 3.5 stars but rounded to 4 to fit the rating scale available. This rom-com had its funny moments as well as big feelings realizations with the characters. It highlights queer joy and found family and I appreciated the realistic bisexual and neurodivergent (ADHD, OCD) representation. Like all stories from this genre, the lack of communication between characters is frustrating, but I know it's trying to help drive the plot. What I did not care for about this book was how manipulative Chloe is revealed to be by the end. It read as more of a red flag instead of cute by the end. I also did not like how cruel Clementine's brother was to her; I felt that the brother's character was coded as autistic which would have made sense for being overly blunt and his lack of perception toward Clementine's feelings, but the story left him with no redeeming qualities.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley, I was given an advanced audio copy of this book. Unfortunately, I did not like the narrator. While she had a nice range of emotion in her voice, her voice kept cracking and squeaking when she was trying to show intense emotions from the characters. She also had a pretty intense level of vocal fry; normally I don't have an issue with this, so it was pretty heavy for it to bother me.

Thank you to NetGalley, RBMedia and Amy Spalding for the chance to listen to this book in exchange for my honest review.

Exceptional book that really makes you think about your place in your friend groups, how much effort friendships should take and stopping the go with the flow if the flow doesn't fit you. As a St. Louisan, (Amy is from St. Louis and I've heard her raved about often in the local book community) I'm ashamed to admit this is my first read of hers but definitely won't be my last.

Narration was very well done. I'll definitely seek this narrator out in the future.

This was my third book by Amy Spalding and probably like 50th narrated by Lori Prince. The combination of the two resulted of this book being like a comfort blanket to me. I loved listening to the familiar voice of Lori and her amazing ability to voice funny situations. This has been the exact light rom com that I've been looking for. 10/10 recommend.

Amy Spalding once again delivers a compelling and delightful romance with On Her Terms, a novel that is sure to resonate with many readers. This installment stands out for its thoughtful and nuanced portrayal of bisexuality—an aspect of identity that is still underrepresented in mainstream romantic fiction. Spalding approaches the subject with a blend of playfulness and sincerity, making Clementine’s journey both engaging and deeply relatable.

One of the novel’s strongest elements is its vibrant and supportive friend group, which provides Clementine with exactly the kind of grounding and encouragement she needs. Their dynamic is not only heartwarming but also reflective of the kind of chosen family so many people seek.

Beyond its emotional depth, On Her Terms is packed with humor and spice, striking a balance between laugh-out-loud moments and swoon-worthy romance. Fans of Bi and Lesbian rom-coms will undoubtedly appreciate both the romantic tension and the intimate scenes.

Overall, this is a perfectly executed romantic comedy that aligns beautifully with the other books in the series while further showcasing Spalding’s exceptional storytelling skills. On Her Terms is a must-read for fans of witty, heartfelt, and inclusive romance.

5⭐ (audio) Lori Prince is one of my favorite narrators. 'Nuff said. 🙂

4⭐ (story) 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! 4⭐

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced audio copy (ARC) in exchange for an honest review!

Thank you NetGalley for the audio ARC

🎧AUDIOBOOK REVIEW 🎧

2 ⭐️⭐️

It only got 2 stars cause of the audio otherwise would have been no stars. As far as the audio goes it was good. No issues with the narrator or the flow of it.

The book itself not a fan at all. I didn’t like how the main character was treated. I had a hard time finishing this and I may have turned it up to 3x speed to get through it to not DNF it. 🤷🏼‍♀️ probably won’t read anymore from this author as this was my first.

On Her Terms, is a cute Fake dating romance. It was fun to read. The book's side characters/ The Found Family might be one of my favorites I've read. This was a book I easily fell into and couldn't stop reading. I wanted to know how they got to their happy ending. It gave me the warm fuzzy feeling I was after. Having said that, there is nothing super special or unique about this story. While I loved my time reading it, it's also one of those books I doubt I think twice about. I would still recommend the read if you love the fake dating trope with a cute queer couple

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this audio!!

Wow!! What a great book!! This one was a page turner! Had me hooked from the first page! This was a first for me by this author but will not be my last. I enjoyed the plot, characters and the writing style!!

Amy Spalding’s ‘On Her Terms’ is a heartwarming and authentic exploration of self-discovery, love, and the pressure of societal expectations.
The story follows Clementine, a relatable and compelling heroine in her mid-thirties, navigating the complexities of career, relationships, and friendships. Clementine’s struggle to forge her own path — one that doesn’t conform to the traditional expectations of marriage and children in the suburbs — resonates deeply with readers. She finds herself at a crossroads where her family and friends can’t quite understand her choices. That is until she meets Chloe, a character who helps Clementine embrace her true self and create a life aligned with her aspirations.

The book is filled with witty and poignant moments (and the audiobook narration captures all the characters so well) particularly as it explores themes of self-empowerment and breaking free from societal norms. The chemistry between the two leads is palpable, and the storyline is refreshing, especially for readers seeking queer and plus-size representation in literature. Spalding’s nuanced approach to these characters allows readers to see themselves reflected on the page, offering both relatable struggles and hopeful resolutions.

For fans of Spalding’s ‘Out in Hollywood’ series, this latest instalment doesn’t disappoint. It seamlessly ties together characters from previous books, providing the perfect balance of new love and familiar faces. I hadn’t read any of the other books, so this one can definitely be read as a standalone. The playful use of tropes, especially the fake dating plot, is handled with humour and meta-awareness, making it a delightful read. The advice and life lessons scattered throughout the story give it an additional layer of depth, making ‘On Her Terms’ both fun and thought-provoking.

This book is a celebration of individuality, finding love on your own terms, and the importance of surrounding yourself with people who encourage your authentic self. It’s an uplifting read that is sure to leave you smiling. Highly recommended for anyone looking for a queer, fabulous, and heartfelt romance!

Thank you NetGalley and RBmedia for the advance copy.

This was a fun, coming of middle age, bisexual awakening Sapphic fake dating romance featuring a recently single plus sized woman with ADHD who is exploring her sexual identity. It was cute, relatable and honest had some good spicy moments and lots of honest conversation between the leads. It was also good on audio narrated by Lori Prince and perfect for fans of authors like Meryl Wilsner. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital and audio copy in exchange for my honest review.

On Her Terms is a fun, heartfelt sapphic rom-com about self-discovery later in life. Clementine’s journey into her “baby gay era” is both relatable and entertaining, and her chemistry with Chloe is charming. The fake dating trope adds humor, though some plot points feel predictable. While the light tone makes for an easy read, it sometimes glosses over deeper themes. Overall, it’s an enjoyable story with warmth and wit, even if it doesn’t break new ground. ⭐⭐⭐½

Thank you Netgalley and RBmedia | Recorded Books for the free alc. My opinions are being left voluntarily. I love Amy Spalding queer romance and how inclusive they are. We have got to see different kinds of queer pairings in her 3 books. My favorite is the second book. This one is just behind. I love a fake dating and where both catch real feelings. I look forward to their next book.

4.5/5☆

I received the ARC of this audiobook and I really enjoyed the story. The FMC, Clementine, is so relatable, juggling her career, relationships, and friendships in her mid thirties. I really connected with her character. She wants to forge her own path, but her family and friends can’t understand why she doesn’t want a traditional life (married with kids in the suburbs). Enter Chloe, who opens up Clementine to a world where she can be her most authentic self and create a life that fits her goals and aspirations. I loved this book and highly recommend it!

4/5
This was so cute. A great fake dating sapphic romance. I loved the aspect of found family as well.

This was an absolutely adorable fake dating story. Clementine and Chloe were both just related and their fake dating turned loved story was so stinking cute! I found myself smiling and giggling throughout this story. I also loved all the side characters and the pets! I hope we get more with this group!