Kate Stayman-London

"Bea Schumacher is a leading fashion blogger, known for her warm, honest body-positive message. But after an unexpected heartbreak, Bea's confidence is shaken and she feels hopelessly alone. In the midst of her sadness (and some drunken internet rantings), she receives a surprising proposition: Would Bea like to be the first plus-size woman to star in the next season of reality dating competition sensation Main Squeeze? Against her better judgment, she accepts. The producers promise it will be the most diverse cast yet and a great opportunity to expand her brand. And while she knows she'll never find love, she might find distraction from her broken heart and inspire other plus-sized women to believe that they have a right to the spotlight too. But as the cameras roll, she is forced to face down judgement, ridicule, and expectations amidst over-the-top dates and international travel with a line-up of men who feel like fantasies (a sexy French chef, a sardonic professor, a playful younger man) as she ultimately discovers the truth behind the fairytale, and the reality of falling in love. In this witty, heartfelt debut, Kate Stayman-London shines a light on how the complex standards of female beauty affect how we define ourselves and who deserves to be seen...and loved"--

A Novel

One to Watch

Kaitlin Simpson

This book was everything, I could not put it down. I could relate to Bea so much, but there were some points where she would be too much. Granted, I’m insecure too so I get it, but there were too many times where she was her own worst enemy. Also I felt personally betrayed by a certain character...loved this book and the message overall.

Bria

** spoiler alert **
           Reality tv is one of my guilty pleasures, and it’s cool to read a book about it. Although, I’ve read a series that was supposed to be reality tv-esque, but it didn’t feel real like this did. I got all I wanted out of this book that I get from tv.

I love Bea and Asher. I just know they’re gonna be happy with each other for a long time.

I don’t understand why they added the love scene with Luc. Was it just her attraction to him? She didn’t seem interested—just infatuated.

So so so good. I mean it was trashy and terrible and there could have been a little more at the end but my gosh did I love this.

Syrina

Marcy Pursell 

As a plus size person, I wanted to love this book, and overall it was fine. I really appreciated Bea's character taking about her insecurities in dating and love. I did not like the way scenes were split with blogs, text chains, podcasts, etc. I think I also didn't care for the reality show premise.

Kenzi Linton

4/5 stars — read my review on @delicatedayreads on Instagram

I tried so hard to like this book but I couldn’t even finish it. It had a lot of potential and the mixed media (transcripts, etc) was a fun concept and could have been great at moving the plot and building character but it did nothing for me. It was boring and I had a hard time caring about the characters.

Alexis Donahue

Loved this book! It is heavily inspired by The Bachelorette… so if you like the show this is a must read. I listened to the audiobook and read portions, the book was formatted to perfection — there were tweets, interviews and text messages and the narrator of the audiobook was amazing.

Katrina Meyers

This was absolutely adorable and sweet. Reminded me of my guilty pleasure Batchelor days in the best way

I thoroughly enjoyed this book all of the way through. I loved the characters, the plot, the imagery. I truly could not put it down. 

I think even though I technically got an ending I agreed with, it kind of felt hurried to have this grand resolution (? I’m not sure if that’s the right word b/c I’m not sure if she was in need of being resolved). 

With that being said, I think the addition of the epilogue did make every feeling complete & made my lil heart full ❣️

samantha lias

I thoroughly enjoyed this book all of the way through. I loved the characters, the plot, the imagery. I truly could not put it down. 

I think even though I technically got an ending I agreed with, it kind of felt hurried to have this grand resolution (? I’m not sure if that’s the right word b/c I’m not sure if she was in need of being resolved). 

With that being said, I think the addition of the epilogue did make every feeling complete & made my lil heart full ❣️

Connor 

4.5 (and only docking a half point because I don't love (view spoiler)[any whiff of cheating plots (hide spoiler)], although this one is (for the most part) well handled). Deep love for Bea and her main squeeze cast and ultimate Main Squeeze who--let's be real here--was my choice from day one. 

What can I say, I have impeccable (...predictable?) taste. 😂

(also 10/10 for Marin and best friend knowledge coming THROUGH, that's all I have to say)

Katie

I was so excited and let down so fast...

Normally when I dnf a book, I don't really review it since it's mostly cause I'm mood reader. However, this one has been rubbing me wrong from the start. 

For starters being marketed as body positivity, I feel like this book is anything but that. It could actually be more harmful if you’re already dealing with body image issues. Which is the opposite of body positivity and I say this as someone who is around a size 10-14. It's not to say that some of the things Bea was dealing were valid, but it to have the same negative attitude on every single page was rough to read. 

The other issues I had was the way this book was set up with email chains and tweets (of not even with the main character most of the time), and there was little actual dialogue within the parts that were not emails, tweets, or text messages. It was jarring and took me out of the story a lot of the time.

Kelsey Lynn

Oof, forgive me as I'm on my phone, I'll edit this on my computer later.
 
 I was SO excited for this book, I'm a plus size girl, and have been trying eat up any representation of women like me, and reality TV is a guilty pleasure, so I was pumped.

 However, this book just did not do it for me, it was all tell and no show, it was boring as can be, predictable and honestly, just made me feel crappy for being fat. The opposite of what I think it meant for me to do.

 It follows Bea, a plus size woman that "loves herself as is" (this is a lie) and is a fashion blogger. After a scathing review of the latest season of The Bachelor, sorry I mean Main Squeeze, she gets invited to be the newest lovely lead. It's clear from the get go this is a publicity stunt, and she's not ready to move on from her very unhealthy relationship she kind of had, but she does it to further her career. We follow her episodically and as the internet responds to her episodes via chats, blogs, online articles etc. She proceeds to "date" a bunch of men (somehow we don't actually see very much as it's soooo rushed) and wonder if she actually can find love this way.

 The format was fun, getting to see the public's opinion of the show via tweets, blogs, articles, was a smart tactic. However, it became pretty clear, pretty fast, that this technique was being used to cover up lack of plot. We'd just read pages of different perspectives of what we just read. It just wasn't done well, and the poor writing really reared it's ugly head here. Also, NOTHING happens. We're told she loves herself, but EVERY single thing she does is marked by uncertainty and insecurity. She's mean, and anti the whole process because a hot guy could never be into her in her mind. Like... Im not confident at all, but I've never dated down because I felt that's what I deserve. She's painted by the author as this amazing plus size woman I should look up to, that should inspire people, but she just made me cringe. She made me feel bad about myself, hope I wasn't like her. The girl in Shrill comes off a 1000x more confident than this supposedly outgoing confidant plus size fashion blogger. The men are boring and all the same. In the book the producer says that the love interest can't be obvious or no one would watch, yet the author does that to the readers. She says the character feels things for the men and about herself, but we never see it. Her actions toward herself don't support it and the scenes with the men are so rushed any feelings aren't believable. I wasn't invested in anyone. The men were so 2d and cardboard. Not to mention ridiculously cheesy.

 It took everything in my power to not DNF it, and when I was done I felt free, it was such a slog, and so so predictable. The conflict was all forced or so temporary it didn't matter, or from characters I didn't care about so the impact was futile.

 Also, as a plus size (and I mean plus size) girl, a confident plus size girl would argue she loves the way she looks, not that she CAN'T lose weight. Like I CAN lose weight, is it hard? Yes. Is a lot working against me? Yes. But I CAN do it. As soon as the main character said "I can't change how I look, all the fad diets never worked out, this is just how I am". I wanted to scream. If she hates herself as much as it comes off in the book, then YES she can change, make some life style changes rather than fad diets. If she loves herself as much as the author advertised, then say she loves herself as is rather than using the "I can't change" cop out. 

 Like UGH. I fully expected the conflict to come from others having an issue with her weight, but in reality it was her having an issue with her weight. Was this resolved? No, rather the author acts like her previous crappy relationship is what's holding her back. But once again this is told to us not shown. So I didn't believe it. Please someone, write a plus size heroine I can look up too! Also, how can something based on a show that's famous for drama, be so undramatic and boring?

 Also, side note, it didn't feel like the author had a clear Idea of how BIG Bea was. She's make a description to make think she's probably a size 20, but then describe her another time more like a 10. Like, how big IS she?
ALSO, a whole page, the scene where they interview her parents before the home visit, was filled with so many missing lines, grammatical errors that is was literally illegible. How does that get past editting?

Just.. no.

Aditi

After hearing such goods things about this one, it was a huge letdown. 

The characters had no real depth to them. Bea was annoying and self-centered. The men were all just checking boxes for the hot one, the young fun loving guy, the Asian guy (who's very studious and stoic because of course he is. Also, it wouldn't hurt you to specify what you mean by Asian, its not all the same). The plot didn't hold my attention, I was more invested in the reactions other minor characters had which was shown via podcast snippets and text messages. I did like Bea's family and her interactions with them.

Overall, I stopped caring about halfway through and it only got worse from there on out, with the third act conflict being one of the most annoying ones I've ever had to read but I did learn that The Bachelor au's aren't for me so I guess it wasn't a complete waste of my time.

Avery Baumel

My mom read this and we started a new descriptor “clip art books” LOL

This one was quite good even if she didn’t like it! Cute, fluffy, mostly meaningful and thoughtful. I enjoyed it and the twist wasn’t too shocking, but was definitely cute and happy and sweet. The ultimate clip art book in the best way possible

Eloise

This book was so dramatic that it was fantastic. I liked how Bea was such a sloppy character. She can be selfish at times. She isn't always a kind person. But, overall, she is free to be herself. It was a true pleasure getting to know Bea. She has confidence; she owns her image, proud of her body, and loves dressing to make herself feel beautiful. But she also doesn’t pretend that she’s never insecure. Sometimes she loves the way she looks, sometimes she doesn’t. Sometimes she doesn’t care about the insults, and sometimes it rattles her. Her complexity is one of the main reasons I love her character so much. Her confidence is both outspoken and quiet, and being the lead on a hit TV show brings out both her worst insecurities and her greatest moments of confidence.

I liked how the book used a variety of media. There were text messages, emails, tweets, slack channels, and blog postings. I liked how it offered us a comprehensive picture of the story. Very inventive! I enjoyed how the participants' ethnic and sexual diversity was represented in the book. One character is aro/ace, another is bi/pan, and there are numerous contestants of color.

This book will resonate with anyone who has any form of insecurity, but I appreciate that there are little pearls scattered throughout for anyone who has anxieties about their weight/body image. Being dubbed a "big girl" is a certain form of humiliation, and author Stayman-London seemed to genuinely understand the intricacies that come with it. She recognizes that the road to confidence is not straight and depicts this concept in a funny, elegant, and dramatic manner.

The story's style is charmingly disjointed, with chapters interwoven with magazine articles, group messages, emails, podcast transcripts, internet comments, and so on. These changes enhance the book's realism and make it more compelling. I felt as if I were living through this cultural period alongside the characters. Simultaneously, the plot is perfectly packed, with every loose thread neatly tied up. Even small characters have some unexpected endings.

lindy strauss

I feel that I have NO choice but to give this five stars. Gosh it was cheesy and at times very tumblr-woke but it just hit the high marks. What a fun, cute read. 

Also if you have ever enjoyed the bachelor/ette as a guilty pleasure, please just pick this book up

Allie Herrington

My favorite book so far this year. Cute and sweet, a very fast breezy read.

Clara Moore

A cute, quick read. A dash of drama, a dash of romance, and a whole lot of craziness. Great for fans of reality tv.

Sophia Rabon

so good!! would definitely recommend!! romance, but more focused on the chaos of the tv thing and all the feelings, so it wasn’t like explicit.

this was very cute and i was very invested!! that's it!!

Tameka Young

I stopped watching The Bachelor franchise many moons ago because I got really tired of watching thin beautiful white people fall in love. I really enjoyed this hilarious rom-com take on it and was pleasantly surprised at all of the many twists and turns it took. A plus sized girl as the Bachelorette probably won’t happen any time soon, but this was a fun ride. Love all the pop culture references and Bea’s amazing wardrobe on the show and off.

elif sinem

3.5 is probably closer to the truth. I liked the main love interest, Bea was a mixed bag for me but ultimately turned out okay... the features of online posts and then the discussions around having a big body in a world that punishes you for living that way were definitely the two main highlights. Other than that... it's written by the woman who wrote speeches for HRC and Obama and the liberal tells are peppered so strongly it's hilarious djsjfkwkfks

NATIONAL BESTSELLER • Real love . . . as seen on TV. A plus-size bachelorette brings a fresh look to a reality show in this razor-sharp, “thoroughly charming” (Hillary Clinton) debut. “Relatable, incredibly smart . . . an extraordinary debut.”—Jasmine Guillory, New York Times bestselling author of The Wedding Date and The Proposal NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY Time • NPR • Marie Claire • Mashable • “Divinely witty and engrossing . . . Grade: A”—Entertainment Weekly Bea Schumacher is a devastatingly stylish plus-size fashion blogger who has amazing friends, a devoted family, legions of Insta followers—and a massively broken heart. Like the rest of America, Bea indulges in her weekly obsession: the hit reality show Main Squeeze. The fantasy dates! The kiss-off rejections! The surprising amount of guys named Chad! But Bea is sick and tired of the lack of body diversity on the show. Since when is being a size zero a prerequisite for getting engaged on television? Just when Bea has sworn off dating altogether, she gets an intriguing call: Main Squeeze wants her to be its next star, surrounded by men vying for her affections. Bea agrees, on one condition—under no circumstances will she actually fall in love. She’s in this to supercharge her career, subvert harmful beauty standards, inspire women across America, and get a free hot air balloon ride. That’s it. But when the cameras start rolling, Bea realizes things are more complicated than she anticipated. She’s in a whirlwind of sumptuous couture, Internet culture wars, sexy suitors, and an opportunity (or two, or five) to find messy, real-life love in the midst of a made-for-TV fairy tale. In this joyful, wickedly observant debut, Bea has to decide whether it might just be worth trusting these men—and herself—for a chance to live happily ever after.

Summer Stanley

Meh, but not terrible. I don’t like the concept of the Bachelor, so I should have known. The ending was not my favorite. 

Nicki

I have so many emotions. I am unfortunately and shameful, Bachelor nation trash. Therefore when I got this on Netgalley, I was like will read! But it just sat on my shelf for a while and then I asked K if she wanted to buddy read and I bitched about how much Shine sucked so she told me let’s do and I was a little like meh when I started because honestly it was just feeling TOO REAL. I FELT LIKE MY LIFE WAS OUT HERE AND I DIDNT LIKE IT. 

I see way too much of myself in Bea and this book is like so special to me and I really teared up. Gah this is so embarrassing I hate showing emotions fuuccckk. Anyways yeah we’re stanning this one. It’s lovely and I also love winning because I was like if she doesn’t end up with my man istg hahaha. I wanted him to be the one the moment they were introduced. Maybe it was the name idk but then their other interaction was when it solidified that he HAD to be the one or else. He just felt very much real and grounded yanno? Tayshia wishes she could please me as well as Bea did.

One to Watch A Novel

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