On the Plus Side by Jenny L. Howe: Book Review

On the Plus Side is the latest release by Jenny L. Howe. Scheduled for a December 26, 2023 release by St. Martin’s Griffin, On the Plus Side gives readers a glimpse into the world of reality television. Everly is a woman who has spent most of the past ten years trying to blend into the background, afraid to be the center of attention. What happens when she finds herself on her favorite reality makeover show?

I want to thank St. Martin’s Griffin, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of On the Plus Side. All opinions presented here are solely mine.

CW/TW: body shaming, fatphobia, death (off-page), animal death (off-page/character’s experience)

Synopsis from Goodreads

Everly Winters is perfectly happy to navigate life like a good neutral paint color: appreciated but unnoticed. That’s why she’s still a receptionist instead of exploring a career in art, why she lurks but never posts on the forums for her favorite makeover show, On the Plus Side, and why she’s crushing so hard on her forever-unattainable co-worker. When no one notices you, they can’t reject you or insist you’re too much.

This plan is working perfectly until someone secretly nominates Everly for the next season of On the Plus Side. Overwhelmed by the show’s extremely extroverted hosts and how much time she’ll have to spend on screen, she finds comfort in a surprising friendship with the grumpy but kind cameraman, Logan. Soon Everly realizes that he’s someone she doesn’t mind being noticed by. In fact, she might even like it.

But when their growing connection is caught on camera, it sends the show’s ratings into a frenzy. Learning to embrace all of herself on national TV is hard enough; can Everly risk heartbreak with the whole world watching?

My Opinions

Where was this book when I was younger? I ask that because I have always been on the bigger side and always tried to hide in the shadows versus being in the spotlight. Like Everly, I was the center of teasing and bullying by classmates when I was younger. As such, I would pull back and try to stay out of their sight. It didn’t always work; we all know kids are cruel. We also know that after a while, that kind of bullying gets into your psyche and is hard to get rid of when you are older. 

But about the book, the chemistry between Everly and Logan is easy to see from the beginning. There’s no doubt the relationship will happen, or it will get steamy. Speaking of steam, a couple of scenes in the book may be a bit steamier than some people may like. Let’s just say I have a new appreciation for the tumble dryer. LOL!

There are a few complex relationships in the book. One is the relationship between Everly and her mom. Their history is discussed, and as the book progresses, you learn the reasons behind Peggy’s treatment of Everly. Is it a perfect set of reasons? Not at all, but it does help the reader understand who Peggy is. 

Another explored relationship is the one between Everly and James, her hot co-worker. While the relationship is relatively one-sided, it explores how shallow some people can be. That’s not to say James is a bad person, but relatively immature. 

The one bad person in the book is one you think couldn’t be that bad when you first meet them. But as the story progresses, you can see how toxic they are. And, like me, you will probably rejoice in their downfall. 

Overall, On the Plus Side is a fun rom-com! There are discussions about being fat and how that shouldn’t mean you don’t matter, that you can still be the center of attention, and not for negative reasons.

Are you looking for some more books to read? Check out my bookish lists, book reviews, and monthly reading wrap-ups.