Life is ticking by for 30 year old Amy. All her friends are sorted with spouses and children. When Jamie her less than perfect other half plans a surprise holiday Amy thinks her time has come. Little does she know that he has a horrible break up planned. Amy ends up on a reality show with 5 other women in the same situation. Although heartbroken could this be a blessing in disguise. Is this the new beginning she wants and deserves?

Thank you to NetGalley, Zaffre and Helly Acton for a copy of 'The Shelf' in exchange for my opinion. When I saw the endorsement from Marian Keyes (only the goddess of women's fiction!) "utter perfection" I knew this was a book I'd have to read. The book is based on the concept of reality TV and how it, particularly Big Brother in its early days, completely consumes the viewers. The Shelf is a new programme: six women enter "the house", cruelly dumped on live TV by their boyfriends, complete a series of tasks and for the finale, one is crowned 'The Keeper'. This contestant is the one who has learned the most, developed strategies to help her overcome the problem and character deficits leading to why her boyfriend has exposed her in such a public way. Obviously Acton writes with humour and sarcasm as it is obviously clear that it's not the females who have the flaw: it is their narcissistic and arrogant partners who need to assess their true nature. Our main character, Amy, is likeable but naive. Her boyfriend Jamie is her polar opposite and he is thoroughly unlikeable. Even his nickname for Amy makes me annoyed but this is very much the point. When women are so desperate for love, they will endure all of those foibles which at first might seem endearing but in the case of Jamie, they are manipulative and degrading.

I enjoyed getting to know the other contestants from Flick, the former doctor who has morphed into a wannabe Stepford wife; Gemma, desperate for Instagram likes et al. Their back stories proved entertaining and seeing them interact with Amy, when they might not have done so outside of the programme, shows that unlikely friendships can spring from being thrown together; in this case on national TV where every move is monitored.

I will be keen to read other books by Helly Acton - her writing is light but still has those serious topics of gas-lighting, shame, emotional abuse, humiliation and finally of female empowerment.

Wow! I absolutely loved this book and didn’t want it to end!!!

Amy has been with her boyfriend, Jamie, for 18 months and he is taking her on a surprise holiday. She is super excited as she thinks this is it, he is going to propose and she can join her smug friends.

However, her hopes and dreams are cruelly smashed when she finds herself dumped on TV as part of a new reality TV show ‘The Shelf’. Along with 6 other freshly dumped women, Amy embarks on a series of challenges and therapy sessions designed to make her into a better version of herself and any future boyfriend. And all the while cameras are watching their every move.

Highly recommended. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced read copy of this book in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

I enjoyed this book. I love reality shows so it was really interesting to see it translated into a novel. I loved the different characters as well- especially Amy and Jackie. I also enjoyed the different themes this book addressed.
I struggled with the constant belittling of women and how degrading the show seemed though. I really doubt the show would actually get made so it was annoying to see the traditional values exaggerated in the book.
Overall it was a fun read.

The Shelf is one of those novels that you know you're going to love as soon as you pick it up. In a world where a lot of Chick Lit is more or less the same (and that is not a criticism, but it does mean I'm struggling to read a Chick Lit novel without rolling my eyes because it's all very same-y) and The Shelf has been promoted so, so well that it's been on my radar for months. A lot of authors are launched - and lauded - as the next big thing! As a brand new, fresh take on the genre! And they're not. Or they're re-doing something someone else already did. But The Shelf? The Shelf IS one of those novels.

I have said for years - YEARS - that I would absolutely adore a novel set around Big Brother. At its prime, it was a fabulous TV show, until it became about the fame rather than the fun, and why a rom-com author hasn't taken advantage of that is genuinely mind-blowing. So thank you, Helly Acton. Thank you for finally answering my prayers. And for crossing it with Love Island (AGAIN, why has no one done this?!?!). This made my reality TV heart happy. It could have just been a straight-forward Big Brother rip-off and I would have been happy, but it wasn't! It was about 6 women who all get dumped by their ex (the day they go into the house!) and have to compete to be "the keeper". Now, before anyone shouts and screams about women being keepers to men, despite what you might think, that isn't what the novel is about AT ALL and I loved how Helly turned it around.

The characters in this novel were divine. Amy, Jackie, Gemma, Lauren, Hattie, Kathy and Flick (yes, 7 - like Big Brother, there are surprises in The Shelf). I loved how they banded together and decided to turn the whole concept of the show around. Like the premise is very eek-worthy, because men am I right? But it's also genuinely amazing. I would have loved to have done that after I'd gotten dumped. 4 weeks to have a nice bitch-fest about my dickhead ex? YES PLEASE. The chance to win £1 million? And leave with AT LEAST £10,000? Pft. Where do I sign?! Why is this not a real show? 

This was a genuinely fun read. It went to unexpected places and I liked that. The ending was incredible. I was honestly cheering so, so hard. Like, "yes, girl! You go girl!" and honestly, this is one of the freshest, funniest, feminist novels I've ever read. There was a lack of queer representation, but that's another post for another day and is not a fault of Helly. I would LOVE to see the male version of this, too. Jamie was a dick, but he did have a good idea for a male version. If only because I know they'd all lose their shit and be super competitive and it would just be hilarious/tragic. I also object, very loudly, to Lauren saying "fookin'". As a fellow Geordie, we say fucking like everybody else. We are from Newcastle, not Scotland. And it literally felt like nails on a chalk board every time Lauren said "fookin'". 

While I appreciated that this was primarily Amy's story, with the third-person narrative more or less focused on her, I was also fascinated by the other women. Jackie, particularly, but also Hettie, who seemed like such a sweetheart. I would have loved the novel to have been a little more all-encompassing because, apart from Flick (sorry, Flick), the novel could have focused on any of them and still been just as good. So I love that Helly Acton can write such strong supporting characters. I highly recommend The Shelf. I thoroughly enjoyed it and I am very, very excited to see what Helly does next.

This book was a joy to read and I couldn’t put it down. It was a cross between Love Island and Big Brother and I absolutely LOVED IT!!!! I loved every single one of the female characters but especially how they were all so different yet they formed such strong friendships with each other and had each other’s backs throughout a journey which should have seen them completely turn against each other. I loved the message behind it, about knowing your worth and to ignore the pressures society puts on us to live our life’s a certain way. My favourite line in the book was ‘For a guy to be with me, they have to be happy to fit into my life. I’m not selfish, I’m selfirst’!!!!

Overall, it was a hilariously fantastic read and I cannot wait to see what else Helly has up her sleeve!!

*Many thanks to NetGalley and Zaffre for the e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review*

The Shelf by Helly Acton is an ABSOLUTE JOY. I read it in just 2 sittings and, as an ultimately uplifting and easy read, I really enjoyed it!

It tells the story of Amy who is dumped onto a reality show by her vile boyfriend Jamie, ostensibly to promote his new business, but also to avoid actually having to have any conversations with her about their parting ways. The premise of The Shelf is that the 6 female participants are put through a variety of challenges and therapy sessions to ensure that, after the month is up, they have become (a man’s idea of) the perfect partner. Why would any sane person agree to that you may ask? Well, the winner takes away £1 million.

I love a reality show as much as the next person, but if the nauseatingly misogynistic one in This book was real, and turned up on my telly I’d have to use all my self-restraint not to throw something very heavy at the screen. The men made my blood boil BUT of course they’re meant to, as they highlight the complete and utter ludicrousness of the show’s concept and the idiots behind it. They serve to further highlight how wonderful each and every woman taking part actually is.

The female characters and friendships in this book are utterly fabulous. I loved all of the women who are vividly drawn, completely different and totally bonded by their shared experience. Some of their dialogue had me laughing out loud as they made dry and witty observations on their predicaments. But there were also moments that had me close to tears.

With an overall empowering message, I was so happy to hear that The Shelf has been optioned for TV – if done right, I can imagine it being a show I’ll be glued to! I also can’t wait to get hold of Helly Acton’s forthcoming book, The Couple, which sounds wonderful.

The Shelf is published by Zaffre and is available to buy now. With thanks for my gifted eARC in exchange for this honest review.

I almost didn't make it past the first chapter of this book, I was so annoyed by the characters!

But I'm glad I persevered. The book turned out to be a fun read even if it was slightly laborious at times with some of the characters being rather too stereotypical and the 'host' of the show being a complete eye roller.

I liked the overall message of the book, and the development of the main character Amy. A nice easy read while I'm at home for isolation after travelling.

**Thanks to netgalley and the publishers for an advance copy of this book in return for an honest review.

A very surprising book at the start I thought it was going to be a horror ! Lol
Great idea for a novel but I'm sorry but it was a bit lacking excitement.
Knew who was going to win!
Would of been better if she hadn't

Inspired by reality TV, The Shelf takes us into a show that none of the contestants signed up for. A cast of women at different stages in their relationships gives an insight into the pressures of modern life. My teenage daughter and I have both read this, and felt it had serious messages about identity and relationships wrapped in an easy fun read, that was hard to put down! We would both recommend The Shelf as a read for women of all ages, and a particularly good book to share and discuss.

The Shelf started out quite awkward and cringy: a lot of fat-shaming, body image issues, a seriously unhealthy relationship being glossed over…. But then, as the women get to know each other, bond over the stupid and insane reaction the show is getting, and from the ridiculous behaviour of the host, the deeper and more complex issues are addressed. And very well, I might add!
From such a mix of women, we see a mix of attitudes; Jackie and Gemma are unabashedly themselves and labelled bitch because of it, Lauren doesn’t hide that she likes sex, Kathy is an older woman and heaven forbid we see one of those on TV! Hattie and Amy have various body and self-esteem issues, and Flick seems to set feminism back about sixty years with her desire to be a 1950’s housewife. But as we learn about them, as we hear about their backgrounds, about what they want and why they want it, the understanding comes that all of their versions of feminism and femininity are valid.

Hilarious and stupid tasks they are set, in order to prove themselves worthy of a man: taking care of a doll baby, planning a perfect garden party, and learning how to take care of your man’s needs. The whole thing made me equal parts growl with anger and giggle from the absurdity but it did make me think about double-standards, the pressures of living our lives online and the sheer performance of being “perfect for a man”, as if that’s the most important thing a woman can achieve.

I wasn’t sure I’d like it at the beginning; it was brash and weirdly terrifying in the way Acton held a magnifying glass to our society’s need to document our “picture perfect” lives online. But underneath all the gloss of Instagram and the dangers of reality television, it was about female friendship.

This was a great read. Loved the storyline and character development. A light hearted take on some serious issues women face in their day to day lives. Highly recommended.

Awful premise for a reality show= amazing plot for a book. Amy is convinced her boyfriend of two tesrs is going to propose and she is eagerly anticipating this despite it being abundantly clear to the reader that he is an arse... Fortunately it is not too long before Amy sees this for herself. Fabulous characters from different walks of life and very real relationships.

All Amy’s friends are getting married and having children, and she feels like she’s being left behind. So when her boyfriend dumps her on national television and leaves her as contestant on new reality show, The Shelf, Amy thinks she’s hit rock-bottom. Along with five other women, Amy must compete in a series of humiliating tasks to be labelled “The Keeper”, and win one million pounds.

This book is the single most anger-inducing thing I’ve ever read. It calls itself “feminist” and “relatable”, but it is feminism in its most superficial form, and I barely related to the story or the characters at all.

Throughout the majority of the story, I couldn’t see the point the author was trying to make, which is why the feminism thread was quite difficult to see. Every male character was a TOTAL arse, who never learned anything from their behaviour, while all the female characters were so determined not to change anything about themselves that it wasn’t until right at the end that any growth could really be seen.

I nearly gave up on reading this after the first few chapters, because the actions of Amy’s boyfriend were so brutally terrible and the premise of the show seemed like it probably wouldn’t actually be legal, that I found it really unbelievable. I also really wasn’t getting on with the writing style. Having decided to stick it out, I did warm up to the style and the characters (the women, at least).

The Shelf‘s main saving grace is that it’s a quick read. It is part of that genre, often labelled “women’s fiction” that I’d like to rename “trash”. And I don’t mean that in an entirely negative way. Sometimes you can be really in the mood for some trash fiction, which it turns out I was and I ended up quite enjoying this book. I don’t think it’s worthy of anything above 2 stars, and I won’t be recommending it to anyone, but the fact remains that I did enjoy reading it.

I loved this book, it was a whirlwind of a story picking the reader up and whizzing them through the chapters much as a reality show does with the viewer and it’s episodes. A fabulous debut, it was addictive, quick-witted and I genuinely couldn’t put it down. I loved how the sisterhood of these women shone through as they bonded over their shared experiences regardless of their very different personalities. The book challenged the sexist tropes frequently perpetuated on social media and reality tv and reflected in society today with a clear and necessary message to both our younger and our older selves. I thoroughly enjoyed it and am really looking forward to this author’s next book.

Whilst I enjoyed the concept and enjoyed the ending, I wasn't a huge fan of the men in this book. Their views and words really grated on me and unfortunately that lead to me not being a major fan of this book.

The shelf is about a new reality TV show where 6 men dump their girlfriends/wives on live TV and leave them on 'the shelf'. The women must then compete against each other to become 'the keeper' and win £1m.

I started off reading this book thinking wow this is a unique concept and was very excited. However like above I just wasn't a fan of the men and their cliche thoughts.

Whilst I enjoyed the fact that Acton wanted to take a different approach to feminism and wanted to highlight that women can be who they want to be, I just wasn't a major fan of how the show itself came across. I can totally see it becoming an actual show though! I think in my mind I read the show differently and then the opinionated host of the show along with the tasks they had to do just felt a bit odd.

Honestly though, this is just my opinion, so please do give it a read if you like reality TV!
Thanks to netgalley for a free copy of the e-book in exchange for an honest opinion.

Is our penchant for reality tv still going strong? Do we still delight in watching people humiliate themselves on national television just for their five minutes of fame? If the answer is yes, then what should TV producers think up next in a bid to keep the nation glued to their screens?

Well, for the purposes of this brilliantly funny novel the author has created the fictional Real TV company who believe they have come up with the goods in the form of The Shelf. Who wouldn’t want to watch a group of women get unceremoniously dumped by their partners on live TV and then be subjected to a month long stay in a big brother type house, facing challenges and therapy sessions in a bid to be crowned the Keeper? I can think of plenty of people for whom this show would be highly addictive and although its premise is so very very wrong,if these type of shows are your guilty pleasure then I think The Shelf would be a sure fire winner in the tv stakes as it is in the reading experience stakes. In fact I’m surprised it hasn’t already been pitched to the tv companies!!

Amy, unassuming star of the show is the first woman to suffer the undignified moment of being dumped thanks to boyfriend Jamie. At thirty two she is stuck in a relationship that is going nowhere with a self centred boyfriend who treats Amy like a toy he can easily discard or pick up depending on his mood. With friends settling down into marriage and motherhood, Amy feels hoodwinked by society into believing this is what she should aspire to, rather than following her gut instinct to kick Jamie out of touch and travel instead, writing her blog along the way. Why she decides to stay and be a part of this show is anyone’s guess but it may have something to do with having no more dignity to lose and the opportunity to win £1million. Let the fun begin!!

The aim for the eclectic group of women that end up (un)willingly participating in this latest tv show is that their time on the show will be a period for reflection, introspection and self improvement, gradually turning them into marriageable material. Initially, this would have many of us reaching for the power off button since the premise for the show, presumably the brainchild of a man, sounds outdated, distinctly chauvinistic and a way to gain cheap laughs at the expense of these women. BUT instead, thanks to this wonderful cast of characters, this becomes a hilarious exercise in which female solidarity, friendship and feminism wins hands down.

The author is either a huge fan of reality tv or else this is very well researched since she has captured the essence of this imaginary show perfectly. Her observations on the layout of the house, through to the bizarre challenges and the D list celebrity fronting the whole shenanigans are spot on to the extent I could see all those past Big Brother episodes flashing through my mind. Using The Wall as a means of communication with the outside world makes the whole narrative bang up to date. It’s virtually impossible to escape the effects of social media these days, certainly for the younger generation who blog and vlog and influence often to the exclusion of all else so even without the crutch of their phones this group of women are faced with a barrage of tweets, either nasty, vitriolic or thankfully on occasion supportive. With a leader board tracking their progress, charting the ups and downs in each woman’s popularity, the stakes are high but I loved how this group remained cohesive and loyal.

Amy is one of those characters you immediately warm to and I was silently cheering for her all the way through, despite having visions of Fat Amy from the film Bridesmaids firmly lodged in my head!! This is her opportunity to shine and as she progresses through her journey of self discovery I was championing her metamorphosis from low self esteem Amy to a woman full of confidence, resolute in the direction her life should take, with or without a man by her side. Although the author has given her the starring role, I loved all of these women, from gym bunny Gemma, DJ Lauren, chef Hattie, feisty Jackie, mum of two Kathy and former paediatrician turned homemaker Flick. It was impossible to pick a favourite as they all had something different to offer, making me wish I was a fly on the wall, able to witness their antics and their meltdowns first hand. They are probably all women I would love to have a gossip with, setting the world to rights over a glass of Prosecco or a cup of tea, which in my opinion makes them very relatable. The ridiculous challenges had me laughing out loud,particularly the baby one and the way these women bonded in the face of such intense pressure and scrutiny was delightful and a masterclass in female solidarity.

Regardless of all the hilarity I think some of the lessons Amy et al learned whilst going through the process are so vitally important and how they discover their true selves makes them ideal role models for all those young girls/women embarking on the dating game. Our paths in life may take many different turns but we should celebrate what we love about ourselves rather than focusing on our negative aspects or allowing our partners to dictate the terms of our happiness. Easier said than done I know!

The Shelf was a pure joy to read. The narrative flowed easily and the sentiment of the novel is empowering and uplifting. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend this to friends and fellow book lovers and look forward to more from this author in the future. My thanks as always to the publisher and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read.

This book is laugh out loud funny. The Shelf is a really sexist reality show. The women in it are strong characters and each have their own journey. I could have kept reading. I would definitely recommend this book and I will be looking out for more books by this author.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

Fantastic book!
Really took my mind off of the way of the world at the moment.
Fast paced and grabbed me. I highly recommend this t anyone who likes a bit of contemporary fiction / chick lit. Also for fans of reality tv.
I would have totally watched this if it was a TV show!!

I loved this book and the story will stay with me for ages. It's so different, relatable, raises important issues that need to be heard and is also just very entertaining!
Amy is convinced her boyfriend, Jamie, is going to propose to her on the surprise holiday he's booked. But instead she ends up getting dumped on TV and then reluctantly becomes part of the reality TV show, The Shelf.
The Shelf is about teaching the girls in the house how to be "a keeper". The TV show is sooooo sexist - the author does such a good job describing the tasks, that it made my blood boil at times...!
I saw the ending coming quite early on but the part that follows, was unexpected and very heart warming.
I will definitely look out for more books from Helly Acton.