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laurenparham's review
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming, Bullying, Fatphobia, Infidelity, Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence
spearly's review
funny
lighthearted
reflective
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
4.0
TW: sexual assault, fatphobia, misogyny, infidelity
“You said yes because you knew some people would object?”
“I wanted to prove that I had every right to be here,” Bea answered. “That I could star in a show about love just like any other woman."
One to Watch follows fashion-blogger Bea, as she is thrust into the public eye as the first plus-size woman to star in Main Squeeze, a reality show akin to The Bachelorette.
This was a nice read. Stayman-London has a way of crafting a very atmospheric, romantic story without getting too technical. For obvious reasons, this reminded me a lot of MTV's Unreal, only sweeter and more satisfying. Still, it's important to mention the obviously heavy themes of fat phobia, fat-shaming, online harassment (including rape and death threats), misogyny, and a very uncomfortable sequence where be a talks about being assaulted in high school.
I loved trying to guess who of Bea's suitors were ~there for the right reasons~. I made a few wrong calls, a few right calls, and Stayman-London definitely threw me at the end there, but it was hella enjoyable!
More important that the romantic side plots, I loved the way Bea came into her own through the story. Even in the beginning, as a body-positive fashion blogger, readers still got a sense of her deeply-rooted insecurities, of how she never allowed herself to be vulnerable, of how she never believed anyone could be attracted to her because it was easier to believe no-one wanted her than to open herself up to being hurt. And yet, despite these insecurities, she was always strong in her convictions, steadfast in ignoring the haters, and, after some trepidation, eager to show the world that being plus-sized doesn't mean you can't get your fairytale ending.
Her journey throughout the show, while yes, was dramatic and luscious to read about, became less about the romance for me and more about the way Bea began to see herself as she started trusted the guys. And, gosh, did she have a good bunch at the end there. Mostly.
Sam was my fave, obviously. If he wasn't yours, then I think you need a re-read!! I was iffy about Luc from the beginning, but I truly felt he played the largest part in helping Bea on her journey to believing she was beautiful. Wyatt was wonderful, and I loved his friendship with Bea, the way he protected her until the very end. And Asher... well, let's just say I liked him fine. I could tell he was genuine. But if I were Bea, I doubt he'd have made it as far as he did.
I will say... I wish the story had ended with Bea on her own. The whole reconciliation with Asher was, yes, expected (it's still a romance, obviously), but unnecessary. I was more interested to see Bea maneuver through the world with everything she'd learned about herself because of the show. Honestly, I think the strongest ending would have been for Bea to be taking herself out on a date, and to catch the eye of stranger while Taylor Swift's Begin Again starts to play. I mean, if this was a movie. Idk. Maybe I just didn't really like Asher.
But I do understand all the glowing reviews and high star ratings from my mutuals! Definitely worth the read.
“You said yes because you knew some people would object?”
“I wanted to prove that I had every right to be here,” Bea answered. “That I could star in a show about love just like any other woman."
One to Watch follows fashion-blogger Bea, as she is thrust into the public eye as the first plus-size woman to star in Main Squeeze, a reality show akin to The Bachelorette.
This was a nice read. Stayman-London has a way of crafting a very atmospheric, romantic story without getting too technical. For obvious reasons, this reminded me a lot of MTV's Unreal, only sweeter and more satisfying. Still, it's important to mention the obviously heavy themes of fat phobia, fat-shaming, online harassment (including rape and death threats), misogyny, and a very uncomfortable sequence where be a talks about being assaulted in high school.
I loved trying to guess who of Bea's suitors were ~there for the right reasons~. I made a few wrong calls, a few right calls, and Stayman-London definitely threw me at the end there, but it was hella enjoyable!
More important that the romantic side plots, I loved the way Bea came into her own through the story. Even in the beginning, as a body-positive fashion blogger, readers still got a sense of her deeply-rooted insecurities, of how she never allowed herself to be vulnerable, of how she never believed anyone could be attracted to her because it was easier to believe no-one wanted her than to open herself up to being hurt. And yet, despite these insecurities, she was always strong in her convictions, steadfast in ignoring the haters, and, after some trepidation, eager to show the world that being plus-sized doesn't mean you can't get your fairytale ending.
Her journey throughout the show, while yes, was dramatic and luscious to read about, became less about the romance for me and more about the way Bea began to see herself as she started trusted the guys. And, gosh, did she have a good bunch at the end there. Mostly.
I will say...
But I do understand all the glowing reviews and high star ratings from my mutuals! Definitely worth the read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming, Bullying, Cursing, Fatphobia, Infidelity, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence
Moderate: Emotional abuse and Toxic relationship
Minor: Eating disorder and Sexual content
talknerdybookblog's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Representation: Fat Heroine, Asian Jewish Supporting Character, Black Supporting Character, Asexual Supporting Character, Lesbian Side Character, Asian Gender Expansive Side Character, Asian Side Character
Read my full review on my blog:
Talk Nerdy Book Blog | One to Watch Review
tl;dr: A bachelorette-style romance that delves into the pervasive fatphobia in the US while serving a dramatic yet sweet romance, that falters a bit with its distant narrative and rushed ending.
Follow Me
Blog • Instagram • Facebook • BlogLovin' • Goodreads
Safety Rating: Safe with Exception
• No cheating
– The Heroine is dating multiple men at once, so it's kinda an open relationship to start with. All the love interests know this and agreed to it as part of the show, but it doesn't mean there's no jealousy.
• No OW drama
• Does have OM drama
– While the guys knew the Heroine would be dating all of them at the same time, once feelings are involved, some don't appreciate this set-up.
• Does have the Heroine pushing the guys away and a few push her away too
• Does have a separation between the Hero and Heroine
Possible Triggers: Yes
• Infidelity
– Heroine sleeps with her unrequited love while he's engaged to OW
– One of the love interests was cheated on in a past relationship
• Fatphobic hate speech (including death and r@pe threats)
Ending:HEA
Read my full review on my blog:
Talk Nerdy Book Blog | One to Watch Review
tl;dr: A bachelorette-style romance that delves into the pervasive fatphobia in the US while serving a dramatic yet sweet romance, that falters a bit with its distant narrative and rushed ending.
Follow Me
Blog • Instagram • Facebook • BlogLovin' • Goodreads
Safety Rating: Safe with Exception
• No cheating
– The Heroine is dating multiple men at once, so it's kinda an open relationship to start with. All the love interests know this and agreed to it as part of the show, but it doesn't mean there's no jealousy.
• No OW drama
• Does have OM drama
– While the guys knew the Heroine would be dating all of them at the same time, once feelings are involved, some don't appreciate this set-up.
• Does have the Heroine pushing the guys away and a few push her away too
• Does have a separation between the Hero and Heroine
Possible Triggers: Yes
• Infidelity
– Heroine sleeps with her unrequited love while he's engaged to OW
– One of the love interests was cheated on in a past relationship
• Fatphobic hate speech (including death and r@pe threats)
Ending:
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fatphobia and Infidelity
Minor: Sexual violence
sunnyreads's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I love the premise of this one, but I found the execution to be off. I don't know. It just seemed to go on forever, and I didn't really care for any of the guys she was dating. I did like that one of the men was asexual/aromantic. That was neat, and I loved the fat representation in the story, although the hate she gets online can be really graphic (rape threats). I just didn't fall for the love interest like I usually do in other romances, maybe because she didn't spend that much time with him since it was a dating show and she was dating a lot of men at the time?
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fatphobia, Body shaming, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Rape, Sexual violence, and Sexual assault
s_mart1_reads's review
DNF at page 73. First of all, the amount of both internal and external (online trolls graphically threatening sexual violence) fatphobia was too much for me to handle. On top of that, the story is told in mixed format, including blogs, texts, e-mails, and transcripts to name a few. I don't even read blogs in my daily life, so I was not a fan of the mixed format. I ended up reading reviews and came to the conclusion that the internal fatphobia is present throughout the story and made the decision not to continue forward.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fatphobia
Minor: Sexual violence
sexual violence is threatened in online forum, however not carried out. fatphobia is both internal and external.
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