I’ve read a few books set in the world of reality TV, but what I loved about this one is how it focused more on the relationships between the contestants. One minute they’re friends; the next, they’re enemies. I appreciated the glimpse behind the curtain – how staged the show was, with its predetermined “villains,” the varied mindsets of the contestants as they arrived, their reasons for being there, and ultimately, who each of them was as a person. Usually, in these types of contemporary romances, the reality show element is secondary, but Sandy made it front and center, with Abby’s infatuation with Jack serving as a backdrop to all the drama.

While I’m not a big reality TV watcher myself, I’ve heard the rumors and read the articles about how staged these shows can be – and this story sheds even more light on that concept. Why would the bachelor look for love on TV? Just how cutthroat and catty can some contestants get, often for all the wrong reasons? And how many have no intention of finding love at all, instead using the exposure to launch other opportunities?

This is a sweet, slow-burn, clean romance that will keep you smiling all the way to the end.