Reviews

I received an ARC of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

“I don’t need anyone’s permission to be myself.”

This is something that Everly’s grandmother taught her before she passed, and I think it sums up the theme of the book. On The Plus Side is about a fat woman who has lost her spark, and in her desire for safety and stability, has chosen to make herself smaller, less noticeable, to take up less space. But when she is chosen as a guest on the titular reality makeover show, Everly starts to rediscover the fire and verve with which she used to live her life.

I greatly enjoyed this book and would highly recommend it, especially to anyone who is interested in body positive stories about a heroine who already loves herself and her body. In fact, it was really refreshing to read a romance with a fat heroine who is comfortable in her skin and not constantly castigating herself, for whom weight loss is not a concern at all. At the same time, it doesn’t shy away from the fatphobia that’s engrained in our society and that fat people routinely face.

As such, as a fat woman, I found a lot of Everly’s story to be very relatable, from the sorts of fashion struggles fat people face to her relationship with her mom. So much of this story rang very true for me, and it made me cheer Everly along as she found her way back to herself, to the old, loud, bombastic Everly that she wanted to be again. It’s such an upbeat story filled with fun characters. Jazzy and Stanton are particular standouts for me, and I wish they were real and also my best friends. I love them so much.

spauffwrites's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I really enjoyed this rom-com, about woman who goes on a plus-size makeover show and changes her own life in the process.
Everly Winters is used to blending into the background and has hide her artistic talents ever since her grandmother’s death put a damper on her confidence. But when she’s nominated to appear on her favorite makeover show, On the Plus Side, Everly is forced to put herself and her dreams into the spotlight. Through the show, Everly gradually gains confidence in her artistic talents again, pursuing her dreams of becoming a graphic designer and a tattoo artist. She also falls in love with the strong but silent cameraman, Logan. I loved their love story in particular. Their connection felt genuine, and the story doesn’t rely on cliched love triangles or miscommunication to add drama. My only real complaint was that the audiobook narration felt stilted and slow to me, which took me out of the story occasionally.