Book Review: On the Plus Side by Jenny L. Howe
- Megan // thebookishnarwhal
- Sep 7, 2023
- 2 min read
Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
The first read of mine from this author and I was completely blown-away! On the Plus Side by Jenny L. Howe is the story readers didn’t know they needed: find love and be your authentic self, no matter what size you are.
Meet Everly Winters. After the loss of her grandmother, she prefers to blend in versus standing out. This changes when she is nominated for her favourite show, On the Plus Side. She’s going to get a makeover on reality TV makeover and embark on a journey of self-love and regaining her ability to stand out. Along the way she meets Logan. He’s the grumpy cameraman on the show, but Everly didn’t come her to find love… did she?
I read this in one sitting because Everly became my bestie, and you can’t leave your bestie when they need you. And Everly needed me to stick with her story until the end. So I did. I’m “too much” too (to the wrong people). I found it incredible how Howe used the concept of reality television to provide an alternative perspective on fat representation and how a person wants to present themselves to the world.
Howe spoke on heavier topics (grief, self-expectations, etc.) and countered them with grace and humorous themes that leaned toward the lighter side. The fat representation was very well-done and I found it to be extremely realistic and relatable. As someone who spent over a decade working in the fashion industry, I can attest to the fatmisia. Across the globe I have witnessed a systematized discrimination or antagonism directed against fat bodies, and it’s a disgusting practice.
The romance was written so well… chef’s kiss. It was steamy (had me blushing more than a little), funny, emotional, and be in my top reads for this year. How it made me feel stuck with me and honestly, this is a new favourite and I cannot wait to add a physical copy to my home library.
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for a temporary e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Publication Date: 26 December 2023 Publisher: St. Martin’s Press ISBN: 9781250837882 Format: EPUB Pages: 320 Genre: Romance
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