Scan barcode
A review by verumsolum
Reality Check by Nicole Pyland
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
It's been a long time since I read a book that grabbed me this hard… especially for one that was somewhat against my will. I don't recall why I added this book to my list to read, though it was probably after another of Nicole Pyland's books was chosen for our book club. And it was on the strength of her previous books that I gave it a try, despite the reality-TV setting for much of the book.
But what the author did well here is: she didn't make the book all about the reality-TV show they were on. It was simply the setting for two people getting to know each other (admittedly, in a somewhat surreal situation). So, yes, there were cameras around, and the show's challenges and host and other contestants were certainly present, but our focus was always on Cali and Day.
They were two different characters: Cali was easy to like from the beginning, a bit of an underdog, doing a reality show for financial reasons after her previous job ended, and she was still trying to find a job in her field. Dayton was a harder sell for me: she was somewhat of a "career reality show contestant," which wouldn't have interested me at all… but as she got to know Cali, she changed… or maybe it's better to say that getting to know Cali helped Day recognize changes in herself and what she wanted out of life. (Put another way: I would have a difficult time reading a book, set prior to this one, about Dayton. But I love who Dayton became as she got to know Cali, and it was not a chore to read about her!)
The highest praise I can give this book: multiple times, when it was time for me to stop reading this book and do something else, I was tempted to read longer, because I didn't want to leave this book's characters and their story. 5 stars!
But what the author did well here is: she didn't make the book all about the reality-TV show they were on. It was simply the setting for two people getting to know each other (admittedly, in a somewhat surreal situation). So, yes, there were cameras around, and the show's challenges and host and other contestants were certainly present, but our focus was always on Cali and Day.
They were two different characters: Cali was easy to like from the beginning, a bit of an underdog, doing a reality show for financial reasons after her previous job ended, and she was still trying to find a job in her field. Dayton was a harder sell for me: she was somewhat of a "career reality show contestant," which wouldn't have interested me at all… but as she got to know Cali, she changed… or maybe it's better to say that getting to know Cali helped Day recognize changes in herself and what she wanted out of life. (Put another way: I would have a difficult time reading a book, set prior to this one, about Dayton. But I love who Dayton became as she got to know Cali, and it was not a chore to read about her!)
The highest praise I can give this book: multiple times, when it was time for me to stop reading this book and do something else, I was tempted to read longer, because I didn't want to leave this book's characters and their story. 5 stars!