Thank you to Thomas Nelson Fiction and Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!

This rom-com novel dives into the life of heroine, Cat as she falls from grace in her profession as an influencer, and proceeds to move to Montana to rough it out in a national park where her Uncle works. There we meet a cast of park rangers and love interest, Zaiah, who is quite uncertain about Cat and the world of designer and city life that she comes from.

This novel explores important and interesting topics such as the dangers of social media, its climate, and the rise to fame that comes with pursuing social media as a profession. On top of this, there is a charming fictional national park and a cast of side characters to swoon over. The cast of characters and the sweet moments we see between them really built the story and made it hard to put down. This book definitely read much more like women's fiction, and the romance was minimal and focused towards the end of the book (last 25% or so). I think that it did a wonderful job at diving into the natural landscape of Montana and unpacking lots of serious topics which I enjoyed as the romance was a much smaller part than I expected. While I enjoyed the story overall, there were certain points when the transitions had me confused and it took me a moment to be caught up, but I think this could have been an error due to the printing of the book online. As mentioned, the romance felt like a small side plot at best, and that made it difficult to develop the romance when it got very little screen time. I think as a comedy and slice of life, women's novel this book would be perfectly marketed, but as a rom-com the lack of romance and chemistry let some of my hopes down.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson - FICTION for allowing me a copy of this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!

“Famous for a Living” is a quaint romance novel about technology, it’s effects on people and what it means to be addicted to it.
Ferguson does an awesome job exploring real issues and character growth without sacrificing the vibes of the story.

Our main character Cat has created her entire success around social media and when her reputation is ruined through a false crime she must learn to go back to her roots. Those being in the middle of the woods, working for her uncle at a National Park.

Add gruff and stoic Zaiah, an outdoorsy man with personal aversion to technology tasked with helping Cat acclimate to her new life.

What could go wrong?

There were parts of this story I loved and some that were lacking like the romance starting at 70% of the book. However, this was still a cute story for an easy reads.

For this I rated this book 3.5 stars out of 5 (rounded up to 4)!

Cat Cranwell is a disgraced influencer who takes on a job as a social media coordinator for her uncle's national park. Our hero, Zaiah Smith is a park ranger and he is not a fan of social media. Although the two couldn't be more different, they come together to work to increase visitors to Kannery National Park becuase the park the small park is in danger of losing it's autonomy.

Cat needed to find out who she was off camera. Zaiah, unknowingly was on a journey to find out the same. Full of humor, rich supporting characters, snappy dialogue, and great description, Famous For a Living was a heartwarming and inspirational treat. I highly recommend.

Thank you to NetGalley for this free ARC in exchange for my honest review!

This is the second book I've given a try by this author and, unfortunately, both times I was disappointed. Admittedly, I forgot that I wasn't a huge fan of this author when I requested to read this, but it sounded like it had great potential and I'm always willing to try an author again because not every book will resonate with you. As it turns out, I just don't like the way this author crafts stories.

Much like Meet Me in the Margins, Famous for a Living doesn't FEEL like a romance novel. When I think of a romance novel, I think of, you know, the entire story revolving around a romance. Obviously there are other plot lines, but the general story is about a relationship. For some reason, this author...doesn't operate that way. You genuinely forget there's supposed to be a romance...and who is supposed to be involved in said romance. I just really don't like or understand this. It just feels like the author is trying to do too much.

I also just don't like the writing style. The short, clipped sentences really disrupt the flow of reading, which makes it a harder read than necessary.

I wasn't invested in the characters or the romance, and the story just wasn't strong enough to hold my attention long enough for it to be enjoyable.

Famous for a Living's adorable cover and the opposites attract trope grabbed my attention. The subplot about influencer culture and social media addiction are relevant and somewhat relatable to readers. I enjoyed reading the parts of the book that featured scenes from Montana, and the secondary characters are unique and well-written. Mina is hilarious!
For me, the writing style and convoluted plot distracted from the reading experience. There are big gaps in the novel's timeline, the opening chapters are confusing, and the transitions between scenes are not smooth. The author devotes significant portions of the story telling readers about events that have happened instead of drawing readers in and allowing those events to unfold in real time. Also, this book is marketed as a romance yet there' are only a few scenes devoted to the development of the romantic relationship. In my opinion, this novel would've been far more enjoyable if it had been written in third person with alternating points of view and focused on the character arcs of both the Cat and Zaiah. Then the happier-for-now conclusion might've been more plausible.
Thanks for the opportunity to read an early copy. This one isn't for me.

The first thing that grabbed me about this title was the cover - it's adorable! Something about it just really spoke to me. Romances aren't typically the first books that I gravitate to, but this one was surprisingly light and fun to read. The resolution was surprisingly satisfying - even with less than 10% of the book to go, I was preparing myself for an unhappy/unresolved ending, but the author found a way to pull it out in the end that felt realistic for both of the main characters. The quirky side characters were fun, and I could see this author expanding the universe to write future books centering some of them. I wished for a little more development of the relationship between Cat and her uncle, but that might have been a distraction. Overall, a solid 4 star read that I will be recommending to my romance readers, particularly the ones who like their romance more on the "clean" side.

3.5 ⭐️

If you like the found family trope, this book is for you because it has all the feels! The story isn’t just about Cat and Zaiah, but also about Cat’s growth and the challenges she has to face. As I said, it’s very cute because everyone in that small Montana town seems so genuine and there isn’t useless drama or gossip.

I also really liked how Cat was immediately accepted: no one held against her or discussed her problem and tarnished reputation.
Zaiah was the perfect book boyfriend and that’s why I would have liked more romantic scenes involving the main characters.

This book has just a single POV, Cat’s, but Zaiah’s love is shown through his gestures such as cooking a whole vegan crockpot just for Cat!

I love small-town romances and this one also focused on the town’s traditions! However, I felt like sometimes while going from one chapter to another scenes weren’t really finished and something was missing. I also felt like this book was less focuses on romance and more on Cat’s growth and her dealing with her obsession with social media.

I think my rating was a little bit influenced by the weird formatting on my kindle and I know there won’t be similar problems when buying the ebook.
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I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own

Good clean fun! This was witty and I giggled throughout. The characters are unique and interesting, written authentically with flaws and all. I feel like the plot skipped forward a bit and it came across as disjointed. Overall a quick, easy, fun read that didn't require a lot from me as a reader.

It took me a little while to become invested in Famous For A Living by @our_friendly_farmhouse, but once Cat got out to Kannery, I was all in! An endearing tale of starting over and really having nothing left to lose!
#ilovetoread

I was very intrigued by this book because of the cover. It really draws you in. The blurb didn’t sound half bad either! For the most part I liked this book. There were some things that could have been developed better though.

The book is told from one point-of-view and it comes from Cat Cranwell. She has been a big influencer until a partnership goes wrong and it seems someone close to her had something to do with it. It was such an interesting set-up in the first chapter. It had me wanting to continue on which doesn’t always happen in the first 5%.

Cat is always on her phone due to her job but also because that’s where everything is. It’s a relatable thing because it’s how we all are. One device takes over our life and what others think can really take a toll on us. I liked the vulnerability that Cat shared. It’s also a good reminder for our own life. There is so much more out there when we look away from our screen.

I did think that this book would have a bit more in the romance department though. There were hints eluding to some sparks between Cat and her love interest but their first date didn’t happen until well past the 50% mark. I love a good slow-burn but this was too slow for me.

Another issue I had with the book was that it felt like she learned a lot from being away from the media but when the chance to get right back into it happened she just went for it and her love interest kind of just went along with it after a bit of moping. I didn’t really see him being that supportive after his past relationship. I also wish that there would have been more about the whole lawsuit as well.

Overall, the book was good but it just needed a bit more.

dnf at 37% - unforch this isn't for me, but i would pick up future stuff by melissa ferguson!

so, i really liked meet me in the margins, i thought it was a really solid book and i'm still excited to see what ferguson does next, but famous for a living was not for me.

this is, of course, largely my own fault. i knew that the main character was going to be an influencer and i could deduce that the guy was going to be a stoic, lumberjack type. none of these things work for me, and it was foolish of me to think they would work because i liked an entirely different book by the same author.

so, the thing is, i hate influencer culture, and i don't think there is a way to make me feel sympathy for a main character who is an influencer. i don't hate lumberjacks, but i am soooo sick of stoic male leads. i don't CARE if they have a heart of gold or whatever. i like it when men SMILE, goddammit :(

so yeah, this is not for me. sorry. i hope this book finds it's audience <3

i was asked to put this in my review, but do you really think they would pay me to write THIS review - I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

thank you to netgalley, melissa ferguson, and thomas nelson for the arc <3

What a fun story to read! Cat Cranwell is famous for being famous. Today's sweetheart; tomorrow's villain! When her partner absconds with her partnership investment money, she takes a big fall for his deceit. To get away from all the negativity, she heads to the wilderness for time with her Uncle Terry. What she didn't count on was the menacingly cute Zaiah Hudson, who does not think highly of Cat's chosen profession. Can they put their differences aside to save Uncle Terry's National Park? Or will everything continue to fall apart for Cat?
I recommend this book for everyone!
I received an early copy of this book. My review is my opinion alone and I received nothing in return for it.

This book held such an accurate representation of today's Insta-age--much of which is the frantic need to know exactly how many people are engaging with your posts and following you. As an influencer, most of Cat's life has been about which "friends" can garner the best partnerships and deals. What are you supposed to do when everything you know and are familiar with is stripped away as scandal strikes?

The non-romantic relationships developed in the book are really great to see as Cat makes real, in-person friends at Kannery National Park, where her uncle works as a park ranger. It's refreshing as she takes a step away/back and just lives life. In those new experiences, however, she still uses her Instagram connections to help her real friends and family.

This is not a forget-my-entire-former-life book or even a book about self-discovery. It's about coming to value true friendship, camaraderie, and community. Even though the book explores some deeper themes, there's plenty of humor interwoven throughout.

I LOVED the "Instagram post" at the beginning of each chapter; it added such a fun dynamic to the book layout!

I really appreciated the fact that even though there was some romantic tension between Cat and Zaiah, they're not perpetually thinking about what it would be like to kiss the other (my personal pet peeve with romance books). They're coming to love/appreciate the other for the true person they are. While I do enjoy the immediate attraction, falling head-over-heels in love trope, there's something refreshing about discovering love with a close friend.

This is the first Melissa Ferguson book I've read and I'm so glad I discovered her! Many thanks to @netgalley for the ARC of this book. A positive review was not required; all thoughts and opinions are my own.

I really enjoyed Meet Me in the Margins, so I was excited to try Famous for a Living by Melissa Ferguson. This was an overall delightful read that also touched on a heavier topic - social media addiction. I loved the growth of the main character!
Cat Cranwell is a famous influencer living in NYC. When a partnership goes terribly wrong, Cat is basically cancelled. She goes to visit her Uncle who is a Park Ranger at Kannery National Park in Montana. I loved getting to know the characters who worked at the park office. I didn't feel too bad for Cat from her fall from grace at first, but was rooting for her the more I got to know her character. I'd say the romance was a smaller part of the book than I was expecting, and that was just fine!
I was not expecting this to go into the dangers of social media addiction, time spent scrolling, looking at your phone while driving. But I think it played a very important part of the story and love the challenge at the end to look at my screen time habits!
Definitely will read more by Melissa Ferguson!
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you, NetGalley for the ARC!

This book was cute. That’s about it though, very rom com on tv maybe hallmark channel but they couldn’t get Kate Hudson to play in it lol. It’s just a little one dimensional in the romance part of the story and it was described as a slow burn but I’m not sure I agree there was any burn. And not just because there was no spice, some books aren’t meant to have that but it just seemed very surface level. The side characters were cute, loved the best friend. From the start you could tell the bad guy was going to be a bad guy you just had a feeling when reading about them so, a+ writing on that I just wanted more from the main character.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Wanted to like this book, because I really liked the idea of it and was looking forward to reading a romance taking place in beautiful Montana.

I did like to read about the saving of the national park and the descriptions of it. But not enough to give this book higher than 2 stars. Already on page 1 I started feeling a bit hesitant, because of the writing style. It felt very rushed and confusing, probably because of the short and witty sentences. I also didn't like the main character or felt like I could relate to her. There was also not enough romance. Sad that it was not a hit for me. I am sure there is an audience for this book, I was just not the one.

I don’t really have anything positive to say to be honest so I’ll be quick.

320 pages and on page 260 our love interests finally kiss, after essentially one interaction. I don’t mind a slow burn but you need to build that chemistry up to make it worth it, and we’ll there was zero chemistry here.

So you may ask what was this book about then, well it was about an influencers fall from grace and her “humbling” experience as she try’s ti revamp her image while saving her uncles national park.

A great idea, with little likability, is it romance or women’s fiction I’d be careful how they market this one.

Thank you NetGalley and Thomas Nelson for the ARC all opinions are my own.

I’ve gotta say, I’m a sucker for a Schitt’s Creek type of story. Our heroine Cat is a big lifestyle influencer who suffers a huge setback when her business partner commits fraud and she’s implicated in the whole mess. With most of the internet with its back turned on her, she escapes to Montana where her Uncle Terry runs a local park. The love interest is Zaiah, who works as a ranger. He’s the complete opposite of Cat. Naturally, sparks fly.

When I started the book, I didn’t expect the romance to be more of a side plot. It mostly revolved around Cat assimilating to Montana and the people she works with.

All in all, it was a cute book that I quickly read.

Thanks as always to NetGalley for the opportunity to read in exchange for an honest review.

🔸Cat Cranwell is a famous social media influencer and is minting money. Her business partner is accused of serious financial crimes and within a night, the fairy tale life of Cat comes crashing down. To save herself from online trolls and embarrassment, Cat accepts the offer from her uncle to work with him in Kannery National Park. Life turns upside down for Cat as she moves from being a mobile maniac to a nature loving personality. Is she able to live this new reformed life or further goes into darkness? That’s the crux of the book.

💔 I really really tried to get into this book and enjoy it, but alas I could not. And finally it’s a DNF for me at 70%. Even to complete 70% I took near about 40 days 🙄. The premise of the book is very relevant but the writing style, character building was not for me. Sentences are clipped and short and it irks you after a point e.g. - ‘Mark nods.’, ‘So. This is fun.’, ‘She pauses. Nods’., ‘Static’, ‘Also allegedly’. Like these are sentences in the novel and this is a sample from just 3 pages. Chemistry is totally absent between the characters. Its termed as Romance but even after finishing 70%, I did not find swoon worthy romance in it. Protagonist is annoying and does not evoke any sympathy from reader even though she ran into big issues. And too much emphasis on description of surroundings and people are always exchanging looks. Characters keep on glancing at each other and mutter internally in their minds all the time but do not have a dialogue with the other person actually, arrrggghhhh. And there are so many hyphens in the text. Like most pages at least have 2-3 at minimum. It was an eye sore to read it.

💖 What I liked is the setting and the premise. The National Park environment, lake & snow clad areas narration is very soothing. The trope of a very famous social influencer being dumped by masses due to integrity issues is all very relatable and actually a reality today. People do go through depression and withdrawal symptoms in today’s era when they fail on social media platforms. So, on those lines the book & author actually handled a very serious issue.

💫 This did not work for me and I would not recommend this for Romance genre. I will have to try something else written by the author as this could be a one off blooper..

Thanks to @thomasnelson and @Netgalley for sharing eARC in exchange for honest review.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This book was cute enough. I don't necessarily think there was anything wrong with it, but it wasn't my cup of tea. I think it is maybe written for a younger audience, because I feel like I would've enjoyed it in my teens. It had some sweet moments, and I liked the character development in the story, but it didn't stand out in my mind for any particular reason. The message of the story was overall a sweet one but it wasn't "standoutish" in my opinion.

All opinions are my own. Thank you Netgalley and publisher for an early copy in exchange for an honest review. :)