Reviews with content warning for Bullying - One to Watch

Okay so I really enjoyed this book. Mostly because I love the way it addressed being plus sized and the experiences and thoughts plus sized woman can have.

Let me also say I have NEVER watched a season of the Bachelor/Bachelorette franchise. I have a lot of friends who are VERY devoted so via social media I know enough to understand the nuances of how this book was set up. Bea’s initial thoughts on the show are why I have never watched it… this isn’t what real everyday people who have trouble dating look like!

If you aren’t plus sized or mid-sized you may have trouble enjoying the book because Bea’s thoughts may come off as whiny, but being someone with a lot of the same insecurities as Bea I thought “FINALLY a love story that GETS IT”

I thought Bea’s journey with the men was fun and funny, it makes you wonder how much of this type of stuff really happens on these shows behind the scenes.

Also shoutout to the asexual / aromantic representation in the book!

Now… for the one downside (that many people seem to share…

Spoiler
right from the jump of the book we see Bea sleep with and then get ditched by Ray. This is a running conflict for her throughout the book and Ray is quickly made a villain. Now, yes. Ray was wrong this time and many times before in his treatment of Bea… BUT … Bea girl, you cheated too! You KNEW that man was engaged! I just feel like, aside from Asher peacing out (which wasn’t even permanent) Bea never really had to feel consequences from choosing to sleep with an engaged man. Ray obviously had a lot to work through, but Bea needed to own her part in breaking up an engagement and her wrongdoing as well.

That is really my only point of contention with the book.

Overall this is a fun, funny, and reflective romcom that puts a body positive plus-does woman at the forefront and while I kinda of wish that Bea
Spoiler
didn’t end of with Asher so that she could continue to be a girl boss and meet someone else a bit more organically I can appreciate the choice to
Spoiler
have her end up with Ray and get an Insta family. Her interactions with Lucas were TOO CUTE for her to not stay in that life and Bea and Ashers insecurities work together in a way that balance them as a couple.

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laurenparham's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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nefari_'s review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful lighthearted fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I really want to give this book like a 4.75 cause my ship was NOT endgame but it was just too good 😭

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sunfishcakes's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I loved this book so much, it's kind of embarrassing. I've read a lot of great romances before but something about this one just reached into my heart and brain and gripped me on such a visceral level I didn't expect. I think because of the premise, the tension goes much farther and deeper compared to most other romances with the endgame upfront. When the various interpersonal conflicts might and often do have permanent consequences, it just makes the drama crackle. The chemistry in this book too is so 😚👌🏼💕. Again the range of potential love interests really work in not only building the romantic arc(s) but really marinate in Bea's emotional journey. The romance of romance itself becomes enticing, rich, and savory in a way that's really fun and supports its themes. I'm also really impressed at the themes of bigotry and marginalization both grounding this book and being threaded throughout. They feel real without bringing down the fundamental dreamy sweetness in a romance. There are parts that aren't perfect (both in some handlings of identity and the writing) BUT the main thrust of everything was so strong, they don't matter much to me.

Also this book moved me to tears multiple times from both the Drama and some really sweet character arcs. Truly just made me tick in a new way, which I loved.

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time4tori2read's review against another edition

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challenging funny reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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kthrine's review against another edition

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3.0

There were parts of this book I LOVED and some that really lost me.

There is *a lot* of fatphobia, both external and internally, in this book. And while some of it rang true, at times it felt like a pile up.

It honestly felt like it could only end one way, but there were enough moments that made me worried and scared at the choices Bea was making.

I thought the point of view of viewers and outside media was really smart but I wish the author had refrained from “tweeting” as celebrities. None of those “tweets” sounded like the celebrities they were meant to be. Chris Evans was fairly entertaining but also desperate sounding. The title of his movie in the book was also very cringy.

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outsidestar's review against another edition

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emotional funny inspiring lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

This book deserves all of the stars.

I don’t even know what to say. It was awesome and I loved it. A lot.

The story follows Bea, a plus-size fashion blogger, as she is cast to feature on the reality TV show Main Squeeze (basically The Bachelor/Bachelorette) following a rant on her blog about the lack of diversity and representation on the show that goes viral. Having recently been hurt in love, she is hesitant to meet 25 potential suitors but finally agrees, since it will give a boost to her career and show plus-size women that they too deserve love, even if hers is fake. That is until she catches feelings and everything gets fun and complicated, of course.

The story itself is great, it’s like binge-watching your favorite guilty pleasure reality TV, but the way it’s told adds so much to it. As well as following Bea, we get to see magazine articles, tweets, text messages or blog posts of the audience’s thoughts on the show as the episodes air. This multi-media format made for such a well-rounded story, whoever came up with that idea is a genius.

Also, I adored every single character; from Bea to her step father or Gwen and Linus, but I must say I’m seriously in love with Sam, what do I have to do to go on a Disneyland date with him? Most importantly, I didn’t just adore them, I connected with them and their personal issues, flaws and insecurities, which is the mark of a great story. Also, the representation in this book is chef’s kiss, not only because Bea is plus-size, but there’s queer, asexual, a kid who’s gender nonconforming, etc and it’s all beautifully done.

I loved following Bea on her journey and figuring things out with her. I mean, who has never thought “I’ll put off dating until I lose some weight” or “it’s impossible for someone like him to love someone like me”? A lot of Bea’s insecurities hit home with me and I loved the message of body positivity and self-love that this book gives.

A huge thank you to NetGalley and Two Roads (John Murray Press) for a digital review copy in exchange of an honest and voluntary review.

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thenovelmaura's review against another edition

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emotional funny inspiring medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

This was a fun one! I was excited to finally read about Bea, a plus-size fashion blogger who ends up on a reality dating show while recovering from heartbreak. This kind of positive body-type representation is way overdue in both books and television, so it was satisfying to hear Stayman-London's exploration of body positivity and Bea's smackdowns of fatphobic contestants. Oh, and the descriptions of all Bea's date outfits were the perfect touch.

Unfortunately, the romance aspects didn't really work for me (maybe because I'm not a fan of the Bachelor franchise?). But I didn't feel like we had enough time to get to know her suitors and I wasn't rooting for any of them. I also wouldn't recommend the audiobook, since the female did all the voices for the different suitors and it just wasn't very sexy, especially with the bad French accent. I think reality TV fans will love this one; it was just missing that spark for me!

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