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murphy_overbooked's review against another edition
emotional
funny
fast-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
3.5
carsonelainee's review against another edition
4.0
*4.5
this book… wow… that last 100 pages was such a roller coaster of emotions. i liked this book so much more than i was expected. i related to so many of the characters very strongly. i want spin offs and sequels of this book please?? i’ll read anything else this author writes.
this book… wow… that last 100 pages was such a roller coaster of emotions. i liked this book so much more than i was expected. i related to so many of the characters very strongly. i want spin offs and sequels of this book please?? i’ll read anything else this author writes.
bookelly's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
emi_oz's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
reflective
fast-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
5.0
jaimie_lynn's review against another edition
4.0
So I saw this book in a LFL and decided to give it a shot. I, for sure, thought I was going to hate it. I hate reality dating shows in general but especially shows like the bachelor/bachelorette.
I was wrong! I ended up loving this book! I have a few gripes about it though. I HATED all the extra stuff that didn't need to be in there. The twitter posts, the interviews with the producer or the like, the text messages between the brothers, articles about the show, a random podcast transcript that had none of the characters in it, etc. I ended up skipping over the majority of those and it made no difference whatsoever. They weren't needed and just annoyed me. This book could have potentially been a five star read if it wasn't for those.
Some things were really predictable, especially the ending, but I don't even mind because it ended the way I wanted. It was satisfying enough for me. :)
It's a cute romance for sure and I love that it's with a bigger woman. It's more realistic and body positive which I love. ❤️
I was wrong! I ended up loving this book! I have a few gripes about it though. I HATED all the extra stuff that didn't need to be in there. The twitter posts, the interviews with the producer or the like, the text messages between the brothers, articles about the show, a random podcast transcript that had none of the characters in it, etc. I ended up skipping over the majority of those and it made no difference whatsoever. They weren't needed and just annoyed me. This book could have potentially been a five star read if it wasn't for those.
Some things were really predictable, especially the ending, but I don't even mind because it ended the way I wanted. It was satisfying enough for me. :)
It's a cute romance for sure and I love that it's with a bigger woman. It's more realistic and body positive which I love. ❤️
kiarachelseamai's review against another edition
emotional
funny
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
onlyjessica's review against another edition
3.0
I wanted to like this book more than I did. I love the premise and the way the book was formatted was great.
happylilkt's review against another edition
3.0
This book has a chatty gossipy fashion vibe reminiscent of (perhaps the Poor Man's version of...?) Crazy Rich Asians, but instead of being set in the luxurious upper classes of Singapore it's set in trashy US reality television. The style of the book is not quite as funny (or as coarse) as Kwan's trilogy, but just as he skewers the wealthy and privileged, Stayman-London skewers the Western—specifically American—obsession with slender women, using reality TV to exploit others, and stigmatizing fat women. Instead of footnotes, Stayman-London ingenuously includes podcast transcripts, gossip blog posts, tweets, articles from US weekly and People—these were interspersed throughout and were awesome!
There is more profanity than I liked and a few bedroom scenes (though they aren't particularly graphic). I think what really held this back from being a 4 star read for me was that because Bea (the leading lady) is trying to connect with many men at the same time, the reader doesn't find any final relationship truly believable. But it was also *fascinating* to not really know who the happy ever after target was until pretty near the end! So the author achieved that, which deserves major kudos! (But ultimately still not as satisfying as feeling invested in the couple, amiright?) Also, the author felt a (quite admirable, I'm sure) need to address all kinds of social issues through side characters. I appreciate the sentiment but sometimes it felt too heavy-handed given that the premise of the book was already social justice issue.
Also, can I just say that for me it was borderline stressful shadowing the main character through a reality TV show (shocking, right?) I mean if you are the type to watch these shows with your friends then you will probably *love* it, but that's not really my style, so... also it was hard to relate to Bea sometimes (because who goes on those???). Mostly it reminded me how superficial and stressful dating can be.
In spite of my complaints, I did find this to be highly readable and overall an original and interesting rom-com. I think it would be a fun movie.
There is more profanity than I liked and a few bedroom scenes (though they aren't particularly graphic). I think what really held this back from being a 4 star read for me was that because Bea (the leading lady) is trying to connect with many men at the same time, the reader doesn't find any final relationship truly believable. But it was also *fascinating* to not really know who the happy ever after target was until pretty near the end! So the author achieved that, which deserves major kudos! (But ultimately still not as satisfying as feeling invested in the couple, amiright?) Also, the author felt a (quite admirable, I'm sure) need to address all kinds of social issues through side characters. I appreciate the sentiment but sometimes it felt too heavy-handed given that the premise of the book was already social justice issue.
Also, can I just say that for me it was borderline stressful shadowing the main character through a reality TV show (shocking, right?) I mean if you are the type to watch these shows with your friends then you will probably *love* it, but that's not really my style, so... also it was hard to relate to Bea sometimes (because who goes on those???). Mostly it reminded me how superficial and stressful dating can be.
In spite of my complaints, I did find this to be highly readable and overall an original and interesting rom-com. I think it would be a fun movie.
thatsssorachael's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
sad
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
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming, Bullying, and Infidelity
Moderate: Sexual harassment
Minor: Sexual content