Famous for a Living by Melissa Ferguson
Published: May 16, 2023
Thomas Nelson
Genre: Clean Romance
Pages: 283
KKECReads Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
I received a copy of this book for free, and I leave my review voluntarily.
Melissa Ferguson lives in Bristol, Tennessee, where she enjoys chasing her children and writing romantic comedies full of humor and heart. Her favorite hobby is taking friends and acquaintances and turning them into characters in her books without their knowledge.
When her business partner is accused of serious financial crimes, superstar influencer Cat Cranwell—an engineered marvel of beauty, energy, and fun—falls from her penthouse perch. Desperate to get away from the online trolls and paparazzi documenting her disgrace, Cat accepts her uncle’s offer to work with him in Kannery National Park, Montana. About as far as possible from life as she’s known it.
Cat’s world shifts from the swirling haze of likes and comments to literal blizzards of frostbite temperatures and waist-deep snow. In place of negotiating brand deals, she finds herself negotiating at the ledge of a frozen lake with her die-hard Polar Bear Plunge coworkers. Instead of padding through the marble kitchen of her Manhattan loft, she’s sharing a tent-sized cabin with a roommate eager to bond like characters in sitcoms. But something curious is also happening in this overwhelming breath of fresh air as she reacquaints with the most honest parts of herself and begins to ask the hard questions. Can Cat love herself with, and without, the world watching?
Then there’s that other tiny problem—she’s falling for Zaiah, the ruggedly handsome park ranger—and he hates anything remotely connected to social media, quite possibly her included.
“Waiting to see what will happen next.”
Cat is a big deal on the internet. She has established herself as a successful influencer, and her lifestyle reflects that. When a partnership goes bad, Cat finds herself on the outs. Brands are dropping her, fans are abandoning her, and she is heartbroken. Zaiah is a park ranger in Montana, and he loves being away from it all. He carries a flip phone, he isn’t on social media, and he doesn’t know what is trending. When Cat crashes into his life, he isn’t sure what to think.
This was a charming read. The build-up was well-paced, and the plot was well-developed. The scenery was described beautifully; you will almost hear the traffic of New York or feel the frigid wind in Montana.
Cat was a bit shallow in the beginning. Her lifestyle had gone to her head. But she had such fantastic arc development. She was vibrant, intelligent, and loyal to those she loved.
Zaiah was a perfect leading man. He was hardworking, kind, and honest. I enjoyed getting to know him throughout. The side characters in this book were great. They added the perfect amount of comedy and support.
This was an easy read: a light but charming love story. Love can conquer anything.