** Thanks to Bonnier Books UK and Netgalley for my advanced copy in exchange for this review.
The Shelf is a brand new reality tv show - think big brother meets love island - where newly dumped singletons compete to be “the keeper”, a sexist notion of being the perfect girlfriend / wife material. Oh and mostly against their well as their partners signed them up for the show and then leave them dumped, single and “on the shelf”.A series of challenges, like the infamous love island baby one, are meant to demonstrate their compatibility for the winning title by showing their strengths in areas like motherhood and grooming.

The main character Amy escapes a two year relationship with Jamie; who made condescending comments about her abilities, appearance and their relationship as a whole. We see Amy go on a journey of discovery as she recognises that very relationship with Jamie was not a healthy one, and she rebuilds the parts of herself throughout the course of the book.

I loved the different women the show highlighted and how the social media element of being judged and gleaned was used to show them not fitting to the chauvinist viewpoint of becoming a “keeper”. Even the character of Flick who wanted to be a stay at home wife and mother and was the stereotype for the “housewife” winner, undergoes tremendous growth in order to appreciate herself more and put herself first.

I love that this book didn’t glamorise a stereotype and didn’t end with a “boy meets girl happy ending” like in most chick-lit and romance fiction. However I did find the ending predictable and a lot of the challenges being like love island felt a little unoriginal and distracted from the self love arc.

In one instance, Amy says “One of the biggest lessons I’ve learnt from the women around me is that listening to your gut is more important than obsessing over the size of it”. It really highlights a feminist aspect of the novel whereby a woman doesn’t have to bend to the expectations of someone else and can instead succeed and grow under her own terms rather than being oppressed by societal pressures. Whilst this may be initially be a story about love and failed relationships, at its core it’s a story of self love and a journey of discovery.

Really enjoyed this book and couldn't put it down!! So true to life in a fun and different format, also displaying the solidarity of the sisterhood 🥰

This is an interesting take on Big Brother. If you were not a man hater before, this book could certainly make you one!

You do not have to be a fan of reality tv shows to enjoy this so if you aren't a fan, do not let it put you off. You will absolutely fall in love with Amy the main character of this book and you will experience so many different emotions with all of the characters. I cant recommend this book enough !!!

A different read for me as I am not a follower of reality programmes etc. I actually enjoyed this story and found myself caught up in it as Eva and her house mates tried to overcome the way their relationships with their partners were going.

I absolutely loved this book! I’ve been in a reading slump and finding it difficult to concentrate on books for the last month or so, I chose this one as I thought it looked cheerful and I like reality tv shows. I was not expecting to enjoy it as much as I did and raced through it in a day! The main character Amy is really likeable and the female friendships she builds along the way are heartwarming. Although it’s a lighthearted read, Acton packs in a lot of more serious issues in just the right way. I finished it feeling satisfied and ready to get reading again. I really recommend this book for a heartwarming, happy, fun read.
Thank you so much to netgalley for gifting me this arc in exchange for an honest unbiased review.

Really good read. Would recommend to friends and family. I could sympathise with characters (important for any fiction novel!) and looked forward to picking it up and reading the next few chapters! Interesting plot line and a good ending. Will look out for more novels by the author. Thank you.

This was a weird book to start with, I was not sure at all but I am glad I carried on with it. It was funny at times, made you hate men at times. Loved it

After a couple of chapters I thought "here we go another anti-men rant!" However, the more I read the better the book became.

At 32 Amy finds herself on a reality TV show for 4 weeks with other various girls. Cue the chance to explore all what is wrong with this sort of programme involving celebrity life coaches, influencers (whatever they are?) and some humiliating tasks. Yes, I'm grumpy.

I am still not sure if the whole book is 'tongue in cheek' especially the male producers and various guests that pop in to the TV set. I loved Miss Prim and Miss Proper. Thankfully the humour (sometimes black) takes this book to an immensely enjoyable read.

There is one message and the feminist one comes across strongly - but why was Amy in her relationship with pillock Jamie for 2 years!?

A funny, insightful, bingeable read with feminist themes that are nuanced and inspiring. I confess I was dubious about the book's claims to be feminist, expecting something along the lines of 'all housewives are anti-feminist' and 'only single, career-driven, bold women are real feminists' sort of cookie-cutter ideals. And I am so glad to be wrong!

The women on 'The Shelf' are so varied in socioeconomic background, age, career and lifestyle - I was pleasantly surprised that one of them is bi/pansexual! - and they were all rendered excellently. Each woman felt realistic and distinct, and I absolutely loved this portrayal of boss women working together, not against each other. Flick's arc in particular was very well done. I'm so happy that it's shown that housewives/homemakers who are happy and fulfilled in their role aren't automatically anti-feminist. Feminism is about women having the agency to decide their lives, about dismantling double standards and having society properly recognise their contributions and sacrifices in whatever form they take.

There is a vivid contrast between Amy's perspective on her fellow contestants and the viewpoints held by most of said contestants' exes (and male show host, many audience members etc.) on the women's myriad relationship-ending 'flaws'. The show tries to whittle down the women to one adjective - for example, the ambitious and outspoken lawyer Jackie Adu is made out to be 'Selfish Jackie' by the host and producers. It soon becomes clear that it's not a particular trait that these men don't respect. They simply do not respect women. Of course, we can't forget the 'but not all men!' aspect. That's obvious, but it's shown well through the character of Dr Hicks, the show's therapist. While he's not perfect, Hicks is convincing as an academic and professional, and genuinely cares about helping the contestants instead of the ratings and sensationalism.

There were only very small issues keeping this from a full five-stars. Very occasionally, the sarcasm and writing style was somewhat confusing, and there was an odd comment about Thailand. Amy mentioned how much she wants to go to Thailand, and that there's 'something in the air. It's probably opium.' which kind of brought me to a screeching halt. I do hope it was a joke! If it was, then it brings me back to my earlier point about unclear sarcasm.

Overall, I really enjoyed this! I'd say it's a fun beach read, apart from the boiling rage you may feel at some of the more misogynistic characters and comments.

A well written, warm and witty book about discovering how to love yourself, accept yourself and don't lead a life you believe you should to please others.
I enjoyed the book once I got into it, not a topic that I would usually pick as I am not a reality tv viewer. I fell young adults would relate better to this story, rather than a 50 something like me.
I want to thank NetGalley, Bonnier Books UK and Helly Acton for a pre-publication copy to review.

I really did enjoy this book! It was well written and is a perfect easy read. It was so refreshing to have relatable real characters that were women. I completely took to Amy and loved her! Would highly recommend this book for others to read. Perfect summer read!

I’m not a fan of reality shows yet something about this appealed and I’m really glad I gave it a go. Amy is expecting to go on holiday with Jamie, her boyfriend of two years, when she finds the journey there turns into a mystery tour that turns into a nightmare when she finds herself unexpectedly starring in a new reality show that starts with her getting dumped by Jamie. The aim of the show is to teach them to become a ‘keeper’ by completing tasks to show they are up to different relationship challenges.

Following the show from Amy’s perspective we experience her emotional ups and downs as well as her feelings towards her tasks, therapy and most of all her relationships with the other contenders who are a fantastic mixed bunch. For me the show is the backstory, what this is really about is the camaraderie of the contestants and there is no shortage of girl power in here despite them starring in a totally derogatory production. The concept of this book could have fallen flat but it sparkles with humour and a sideways look at dating and relationships, it’s definitely a keeper.

Ooooohh I loved this!!!!! I feel like it was written just for me! The plot revolved around Amy and her highly unpleasant boyfriend Jamie, who treats her like total sh*t, but shes still clinging on and hoping this will change, and its written so perfectly! There were times I wanted to shout at her and times I wanted to hug her, MANY times where I wanted to punch him in the face!!! and times where I just had to full on belly laugh. Long story short, Jamie decided the best way to deal with ending the relationship is to dump her on live tv into a reality show house, for a month with 5 strangers who have also been dumped by their respective boyfriends/husbands. All the women in the house are excellently written, and it's a joy to watch them meet and talk and share their stories with each other. But that's not even the best part.... I was a HUGH Big Brother fan (I even went to a live eviction once!) And it was like my favourite and sorely missed guilty pleasure was back in my life! The way holly describes what goes on in the house, the tasks, the presenter, the ridiculous "celebrity " guests and the crowds, it was spot on! The live show scenes in particular, I totally felt I was watching it instead of reading it. This also deals with the level of sexism that is still so prevalent today in various shapes and forms, even though we have come far, there is still a way to go. All in all, I dont know if I would have felt the same if I hadn't been such a fan of the concept and cant be sure how it would feel to a reader who is unfamiliar or doesnt like this type of tv, but for me it was amazing!!! Congratulations to the author, and many thanks to netgalley for providing me with the ARC in exchange for my honest review

I absolutely loved this and I knew I would right from the very first page when I read:

“Jane’s posted another close-up of the twins. This morning they’re smeared in a rank blend of banana and carrot...Amy resists the urge to post a vomit emoji with #pleasespareus. She wonders what would happen if she was honest online. She’d be cast aside as a kid-hater, which would be unfair given that she quite likes them....What she doesn’t love is being force-subscribed to a daily update of dribble, snot and tears.”

Having been subjected to the same myself recently I could totally relate. In fact this book could have been written for me – a fellow ‘shelfish’ - as I could totally relate to so many of the refreshingly real, contemporary and feminist view points and life lessons. Providing the source of inspiration, for her debut novel, are author Helly Acton’s own experiences as a single woman in her early thirties torn between settling down and savouring her independence.

Basically everyone in main character Amy's life seems to be getting married, having children and settling down, and she feels the pressure to keep up without ever questioning whether that’s actually what she wants. That is until her long-term boyfriend brutally dumps her live on TV’s latest reality show ‘The Shelf’ where she must compete in a series of tasks and therapy sessions in the hope of being transformed into a 'Keeper'.

With the show’s resident therapist, Dr Hicks’, help (and the baby challenge) Amy realises that “trying to find someone to do life with” doesn’t necessarily have to mean mortgages, marriage and kids but could be seeing things and having experiences. In fact maybe the love of her life isn’t a man at all – “maybe it’s a secret beach in Asia somewhere. Or maybe it’s me, as self-centred as that sounds.”

I totally agree Amy and share many of Amy’s (new) life goals:
• Start a blog tick
• Travel the world tick
• Have adventures tick
• Find love tick
• Be free
• Have a family
• Make a home tick

Although it’s Amy’s best friend Sarah (and not the celebrity life coaches) that best sum up my feelings ‘on doing life’ with the sentiment:

“You don’t need to rush into anything. Hell you wouldn’t need to if you were seventy-two! Live life for yourself....If you meet someone who wants what you want, great. If you don’t, those are the cards you’ve been dealt.”

Anyway enough with the life lessons before you think this is some kind of bra-burning feminist or life-affirming self-help book because as you can tell from the opening it’s really not. It’s light-hearted, deeply satirical and brilliantly hilarious. I was literally crying with laughter at the baby challenge when housemate Hattie reluctantly leaves her baby with Jackie who accidentally dislocates her arm, handing her back with the limb reattached the wrong way round and a near-detached head.

Such a great cast of diverse characters too, particularly in the form of the housemates – Selfish Jackie, Distant Gemma, Boring Hattie, Bitter Kathy, Easy Lauren and of course Desperate Amy. In fact I was actually more #TeamJackie or #TeamLauren than Amy.

Yes there was a lot of parallels to Love Island, Big Brother and the lesser known Channel 5’s ‘Make or Break’ – and yes I’m a reality TV aficionado. But, that just made it even more relatable and imaginable, so no bad thing especially as it was done in a satirical way.

So, to round-up in case you didn’t get it I absolutely loved this and can not recommend enough!!!

When I saw the description of this book I instantly knew that I wanted to read this book due to the fact that I loved Big Brother when it was on TV!

It tells the story of Amy, in her thirties and thinking life is running away from her as she witnesses all her friends getting married or having babies. In a long term relationship with Jamie she believes she’s found ‘The One’ and is fully prepared for a proposal on a holiday. However the trip actually turns out to being dumped live on TV as part of a new TV show called ‘The Shelf’ - a Big Brother type series where six recently dumped women vie to become the winner and gain the title of ‘The Keeper’.

How the story develops is a great story and I felt like I was in the house with the women as the weeks developed. Having a knowledge of the Big Brother format probably did help with this! Ultimately this is a book telling us the importance of not having to rely on anyone else in our lives but that women can be strong and independent without being in a relationship. It was refreshing to see this spread over different age groups and beliefs too, not just your stereo-typical mid-twenties woman with life still ahead of her, no time running out issues etc.

The author wins you round with the characters you can’t help but love and I enjoyed every minute of it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Zaffre Books for the advanced reader copy of this book.

I didn’t expect to enjoy this one as much as I did considering I’m not a fan of reality shows but with the protagonist, Amy as an insider and almost a victim of the show, this was super clever. A great concept, good writing and fantastic narration, THE SHELF turned out to be a winner for me.

I mostly listened to the audio on this one but also a little ebook (ARC) too at night when I just had to carry on with the story. This story is a woman in a relationship’s worst nightmare of dumping alongside a reality TV show. It provoked some serious irritation in me on behalf of Amy but this was an unfolding story, with character development and resilience to come. It was also a story of sisterhood and I really appreciated that.

What stopped this from feeling a too tragic or morose was the with which Helly Acton told the story. Amy had an awakening and with that came a more quippy character who could laugh at herself and her outlook on life. I love a flawed character (aren’t we all) and Amy delivered on that. I would have loved to have known a bit more about the red flag development in the epilogue. The other characters in the house brought a fair bit of hilarity.

What was a constant theme was the misogyny underwriting the whole of the TV show, get ready to feel irritated and incensed by that. I have to admit the whole time I was listening, I was imagining the big brother house and that helped me.

The narration was exceptional and if you’re a fan of Normal People from Netflix you will recognise Daisy Edgar-Jones voice. She brought character, tonation and spirit to this listen and she brought the characters alive.

I’m not 100% certain what genre to call it but I’m not sure that’s important, however I’d go with contemporary women’s fiction. It’s definitely a read to pick up and a great debut from Helly Acton.

Thank you to Bonnier Books for the ARC.

I really enjoyed this book. An easy read that is full of well written, interesting, believable characters. I am a fan of Big Brother and the book is spot on with the feel of the show, but oh so much more. I liked Amy from the start and was really annoyed at how Jamie treated her. I had forgotten the details of the book so was just as surprised as she was when her holiday destination was revealed! I will be buying this for my sister but won’t tell her what it’s about. I know she will love it just as much as I have. I definitely recommend this book. Thank you #netgalley

I loved this book, I simply adored it in every single way and couldn't be more upset to have finished reading it because I just want to delve straight back into the lives of these amazing women!

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Helly Acton for the opportunity to read a review copy.

I haven't read a book by this author before but I'd buy the next one in a second. It was so refreshing to read a book with 'real women' characters who aren't as dull as dishwater. The whole idea for the book as a masterstroke and I hope they make a film or televisions series of this book (not The Shelf) as I would love to see how these characters could be bright to life on the big screen.

I felt all of Jackie's fury with her, wanted to punch Jamie in the face on several occasions and give both Flick and Hattie a massive hug. If a Gymma ever opens up near me I'd join that too.

Thank you Helly Acton for writing this book - it has cheered me up in these covid-19 days no end!

I hope there is a sequel so we can find out what happens to Amy and the rest of my new favourite girl gang!

This book is about Amy. Thrust in to a reality TV show by the man she thought was going to propose and unceremoniously dumped. Along with other women the show asks them to complete tasks to show which of them is going to be “The Keeper”

This synopsis of this book would usually be right up my street.
Humour - Check!
Reality Tv - Check!
Romance - Check!
However I underestimated it. This book isn’t your usual rom com, it’s a book with a clever message about empowering women. Stopping body shaming and putting yourself first.
I did enjoy it but it really wasn’t what I expected it to be.

Thank you to the Author, Publisher and NetGalley for gifting me this ARC in exchange for an honest review.