Damn, if only the Bachelor franchise could produce a narrative this addicting and compelling. The author took the premise of the show took that shit to a whole new level. I would love to see the author write a story based on Love Island. I would eat that shit up.

What was good:
- The author was able to explore Bea's uncertainty and insecurities without the writing being overindulgent or tiresome. I loved being in Bea's head. This makes the story's attempts at exploring topics like fatphobia and body image that much more impactful.
- Perfect balance of MESS and romance. When watching the Bachelorette in real life, I'm only there for the contestant on contestant drama because the way they portray romantic connections on the show feels either saccharine or contrived (except for Tayshia and any of her final 4, but I stand by this for every Bachelor). Bea and her final pick, despite their differences, was a couple easy to root for.
- Men who made to the final 4 or 5 perfectly teetered between "shippable" without the reader being completely sure. Love triangles (or hexagons in this case) are hard to get right for exactly this reason: how well can the author get the reader to be equally invested in each choice. Despite not reading a ton of romance books, I know this is hard to achieve.
- I really enjoyed how reading about Bea's history with Ray. From the beginning of their friendship to the moment she finally garnered the courage and confidence to confront that bitch in France. That was the moment that it become abundantly clear Bea wasn't the same girl we met in Chapter 1.

What wasn't (nitpicking):
Luc blaming his ho behaviour on Bea had somehow missing the fact that their relationship was mutually polyamorous?? Which would be totally fair, but this is something they never discussed. Bea was openly and very publicly seeing other men on the show, Luc was sleeping with the producer with the door locked in a dank room. And her forgiving him in a day?? And her being angrier at Lauren???? And Lauren not getting reprimanded because none of her male predecessors were??? Is the solution to stopping abusive power dynamics and sexual relationships in the workplace letting female leadership do it as well??

Luc had me for at least 50 pages tho. I thought they were something. :( ( )

3.5

If you like Reality TV and have spent any time watching The Bachelor you'll probably enjoy this one. I hesitate to give it 4 stars because just like on the real show it's hard to really take any of the romance seriously so some of those scenes were as awkward to read as they are to watch on TV.

It's fun imagining the show with a plus sized Bachelorette and quite hilarious reading the imaginary press coverage, podcasts chats, and text chains of fans of the show while this unusual version of the show is taking place (that side stuff was better than the main plot, honestly!)

It's breezy and fun and silly and a good vacation book for sure. ( )

If you read my reviews then you know I prefer thrillers to anything remotely romantic. I will say that this must be one of the cutest books I have read in a long while. This makes me want to pick up more romance this year which is an accomplishment. I love Bae and the cast of supporting characters that are in this book. I have never felt so connected to a modern romance as I have with this book, and the fact that Bea is a plus-sized beautiful human makes this so much more enjoyable and relatable. I love that this gave such a different presentation of beauty and it is fantastic. I wish I had half the budget to be able to buy some of the things that are so beautifully described in this novel. While other books have given me the romance, for example, pick up any book by Penny Reid and you have a great read. the spectacular plot and all the laughs you can get, this ONE gave me something I didn't have before: an emotional connection to it. It was because of the emotional journey of the main character. Not being a perfect size two myself this book gave me a feel-good love is possible for all people kind of feeling while giving me beautiful scenery. This is one of those books that I cried with and I was not bothered by it at all. I liked the journey that this book took me on and I can simply it was unforgettable. I recommend this book to all lovers of ABC's The Bachelor and The Bachelorette, and the hopeless romantics because the journey was great. I will for sure be reading more from Kate Stayman-London for sure.
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Not rating because this isn't my favorite genre. I'd say it's more contemporary or 'chick-lit' than romance but if you're looking for something fun and light it was well-done (and if you're a reality TV fan, pick it up immediately). I appreciated the body positivity but found this overly long and was ready for it to be done.

3.5 stars ( )