Max Van Doren is stuck in every area of her life and she’s tired of it. Tired of being unsure of her next career move despite being a great assistant to a huge Hollywood talent agent. Tired of hiding in her bedroom while her queer influencer roommate hangs out with her cool group of friends. Tired of being hopelessly head over heels for her favorite bartender Sadie, who she’ll never have a chance with. And the worst part of it all? Max knows exactly what she wants but is completely clueless about how to get there.

So she can’t resist agreeing when her roommate offers her the chance to have a complete life overhaul for free through a new self-actualization app. The only catch? Completely exposing herself and documenting every step of the journey. However, despite the entire internet knowing Max’s inadequacies the app does seem to be helping. And stepping out of her comfort zone is starting to pay off. That is until a video is posted that twists Max’s good intentions into selfish wants and sends her spiraling. Can Max salvage her relationship with Sadie, save her job, and fix her friendships before her fairy god-app vanishes? Or will her life turn back into nights alone with microwaved burritos at midnight?

I enjoyed this book. I had read the sister book to this one, For Her Consideration, last year so I jumped at the chance to pick up At Her Service early. And I was not disappointed at all. Something about Amy Spalding’s writing hooks me instantly and I find myself just blowing through her books. This was a mix of relatable characters, great writing and an ever-shifting plot perfectly blended into a fun, flirty, and layered rom-com.

Max’s mix of nihilism and optimism highlights being a queer 20-something in today’s wild world. She is somehow completely contradictory yet perfectly complimentary to herself and it leads to a character that feels like she has stolen the thoughts from your head. Not to mention the short masc rep which is so needed in sapphic books. As a short person, I felt very, very seen and yes that does make me a little biased but I’ll take it.

Her plight of seeking romantic and platonic connections felt very true to her character and the struggles of so many new adults. In my opinion, finding romance is easier than finding family through friendships so to see the book give a lot of attention to that aspect felt all too real. And the masc for masc representation? Sheer perfection.

The plot was spot-on, as expected. The book never stalled or dragged in any place because there were so many different subplots going on. There is Max and Sadie’s friendship turned to romance as the main focal point. But there was also Max’s roommate Chelsea who sponsored her for the app and their dysfunctional dynamics. There was Max’s weird relationship with her coworkers and feeling unseen in her work environment. There was Max’s internal battle for self-confidence and believing in her abilities. There was Max’s struggle to find friends and feeling lonely. And to top it off trying to save a historic queer bar!! All of these plot points may sound overwhelming at first glance but they were woven together in a way that was layered and human rather than jumbled and random.

All in all, I highly recommend this book if you are generally a fan of sapphic rom-coms. I think this read is exactly what it looks like in the best of ways. You know the general idea of what you’re getting and it does follow a typical romance guide. However, it still finds ways to surprise and enthrall you that are unique to the story and characters. If you like heartwarming and relatable stories about sapphic love then you are in the right place. Happy reading!

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for sending this eARC for review consideration. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

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