Review: On the Plus Side by Jenny L. Howe

On the Plus Side by Jenny L. Howe
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was provided an ARC of this book via Netgalley, all opinions are my own.

This follows Everly, a plus sized artist who has lost her way after the death of her beloved grandmother.  Everly is a talented artist and she used to have big dreams.  Without her biggest cheerleader by her side, Everly has chosen to hide behind neutral colors and no longer take risks.  She can't fail if she never tries for anything beyond her perfectly average existence.  When someone nominates her for a reality TV show On the Plus Side that focuses on giving plus sized guests not only a wardrobe makeover but a life makeover, Everly is given the opportunity to revisit the girl she has hidden away and redefine her happiness.  

This was such a heartwarming book.  I loved going on Everly's journey of rediscovering herself and figuring out what she wants to do with her life.  I found her story to be very relatable, and I loved watching her go from feeling like she was "too much" to feeling just the right amount through the support of her friends and the sweet romance she developed with Logan.  I also loved that she got to define happiness for herself despite what she looked like.  No one should close themselves off to make other people feel comfortable, and she faced that on her journey.  It was so awesome to see her transform into someone who could advocate for herself in both personal and professional situations and throw caution to the wind a little bit here and there.  This had great banter and side characters to add some humor and fun to a book that deals with some heavy topics.

Overall, I really enjoyed this.  If you are a fan of the show What Not to Wear, this has a similar vibe.  I'm not a big reality TV show person, but I loved that show.  This had a fun romcom element, but also dealt with some very real issues.  This is my first book by the author but I'm looking forward to reading more!

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