Reviews with content warning for Cancer - On the Plus Side

disclaimer: I don’t really give starred reviews. I enjoy most books for what they are, & I extract lessons from them all. I hope my reviews provide enough information to let you know if a book is for you or not. Find me here: https://linktr.ee/bookishmillennial

I thought this was a fun addition to the romcom genre! We get a fat main character who is nominated for her favorite tv show “On The Plus Side,” and gets so much more than she expected. It’s everything you love about books where the premise has reality tv in them — plots to manufacture stories, characters realizing this isn’t living up to their expectations, and obviously finding love!

I liked the commentary on fatphobia, and am so relieved that from the very beginning, Everly was already proud of herself and loved herself, rather than hating her body because she was fat. Those characters who go through a body positivity journey are absolutely valid and I’m not saying they’re not realistic but it’s truly such a breath of fresh air to just have a fat character who doesn’t *want* to be smaller. Everly was moreso insecure about her dreams and her relationships, and we got to see her examine those in depth.

I loved the grumpy x sunshine dynamic between Everly and Logan (the cameraman), and their initial exchanges were very goofy. I also thought the media/gossip articles and Read It (like Reddit, get it? ha ha) thread inserts were fun; I really do enjoy anything that gives you a stamp of the current zeitgeist.

I also deeply appreciate the the messaging of #AdoptDontShop & to be responsible pet owners. Pets are for *life* yall! Please do not drop them off at the shelters — American shelters are full & we have an overpopulation crisis due to *human choices*. I don’t mean to harp on that but it breaks my heart.

Overall, this was a sweet romcom & I’ll be on the lookout for this author in the future!

steam rating: okay, so there is vague steam that happens on-page but it’s not entirely explicit if that makes sense. it’s described but nothing “smutty” so a 1.5/5

cw: fatphobia, unethical reality tv production behavior, mentions of cancer and the death of a loved one (in the past), mentions of emotionally abusive parents (in the past), and a brief mention of the surrendering a pet to a shelter in its old age and its death (in the past)

Content Warnings

cover2covertx's review

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adventurous emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective 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

5.0

This book was like if Pam from the Office had the love story w/ the boom mic operator instead of Jim and I’m HERE for it.

I love any book with good fat representation & this story does it SO well with a perfect blend of fat joy, growth & reflection. The main character is struggling with her identity certainly and has experienced fat shaming in her life but rather than the focus be on self hate or frustrations surrounding her fatness, it was on her personality and the fear of being too much- too loud, taking up too much space, time, etc. I loved this and it resonated so much with me as a plus size person who was constantly told I was too much.

Add in the mix an adorable and steamy slow burn w/ a grumpy cameraman on the set of a plus size reality show? I’m SOLD. Everything about this book draws you in from the very beginning and gives you a perfectly balanced heart warming story.

This was a fantastic read & I can’t wait to read more from this author!

Content Warnings

meshell's review

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funny hopeful lighthearted relaxing medium-paced

On the Plus Side by Jenny L. Howe was cute and funny, and an easy, feel good read. I couldn't put it down and stayed up well past my bedtime to finish it.

I thought the main characters, Everyly and Logan, were both people to root for, and I was cheering for their love on the sidelines. I am not into reality TV, or makeover shows, or any of that stuff, but this was a fun imagining of what that might look like in a fat-affirming environment.

I found the instances and descriptions of fatphobia in this, appropriate and not-gratuitous. The main character wasn't 100% body positivity rah rah in the beginning, but she also didn't hate herself, which I think can sometimes be a fine balance in stories centering fat experiences in fiction, but something that I think the authour did really well. I thought some of the situations in the story were also very relatable more broadly.

I loved the character growth from start to finish - it also felt like the natural outcome of what was happening in the story.

The grumpy cinnamon roll is a romance trope I am fond of, so that hit the spot for me. There are a few spicy bits in this novel, I didn't find them particularly explicit, but they were also not fade to black.

Some serious themes in here that were touched on, and offered as a heads up in the beginning of the story, and most of these circumstances didn't just feel plonked in there for arbitrary reasons, but meshed well with who the characters became, their motivations, and some of the ways they responded to the world.

Over all, I thought this was very enjoyable and well done. There were a few points in the story that gave me pause, but not enough to be hugely negative. If you know too much about the tattoo industry, you might need to suspend some disbelief, but I didn't think that was a biggie. There are a certain amount of fantasy outcomes here, as in any romance, and I think books like that are very comforting and just a worthwhile respite from reality.

Thanks to Netgalley, and the publisher for an early copy of this book. It's coming out December 26, 2023.

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