Famous for a Living by Melissa Ferguson

 

Summary (from the publishers): From Park Avenue to the Parks Department--the world's most beloved social media star is about to get a rude awakening.

Cat Cranwell has been beloved around the world ever since her first 10-second video at fifteen. Now, fourteen years later, she has millions of followers she calls "dearest family." But when an app sponsorship goes very, very wrong, Cat suddenly finds herself shunned from the community that not only fed her soul all these years but paid her bills. Two months shy of her thirtieth birthday, Cat is forced to find her way in the world the old-fashioned way: by getting a job with actual skills.

When Cat's only living relative, Uncle Terry, offers her a position on his staff at a small national park in Montana to get away from the city, Cat jumps at the opportunity. What she doesn't realize is that as the new social media strategist her goal is to save Kannery National Park from being absorbed into Glacier National Park by boosting the number of visitors. And at least one of her new colleagues--namely, handsome and rugged Zaiah Hudson--thinks that increasing visitors will only increase the #1 most dangerous animal on the planet: humans. Written with bestselling author Melissa Ferguson's signature wit and charm, this romantic comedy of opposites attract is full of hilarious romp and a romance that will melt readers' hearts.

Review: Cat Cranwell has spent years building her career as a social media influencer with millions of followers. But when an app sponsorship goes wrong, all of her brand partnerships are ended and is forced to pivot in order to find a way to pay her bills. When her Uncle Terry offers her a job at the small national park in Montana where he works, Cat decides to give it a try. Cat soon learns that they hope her social media skills will help save Kannery National Park from being absorbed into Glacier National Park. And one of her new colleagues, Zaiah Hudson, is of growing interest to Cat, while simultaneously bringing her attention to the excessive time she spends on devices. 

This was a cute novel. I liked the focus on social influencers and the tension between documenting versus experiencing your life. Cat is forced to reflect on how she lives her life and the emphasis on relationships and enjoying the present was a positive message. The scenes of the big city influencer fumbling in a rugged, rustic cabin setting were entertaining and would translate well to a romantic comedy film. 

However, I was disappointed in the relationship between Zaiah and Cat. The novel describes itself as a romantic comedy, but the relationship was a very backseat element to the plot and was very poorly fleshed out. Similarly, Cat's background and history were very lightly covered. There was no in-depth explanation for why exactly she had to be exiled to the national park to begin with or any sort of references to her dating history or past other than a brief description of why Uncle Terry is her only relative. The characterization felt too light and the scenes with Zaiah and Cat were all scant. In short, it felt as if I waited the full length of the book for more scenes of the two connecting and falling in love and only got one scene in the woods and one first date. 

Stars: 3