Wow, what an absolutely phenomenal book! I know it would be kind of ironic to turn this into a TV show seeing as it is basically based on The Bachelor but can I just say that I would watch it if there was a plus-sized bachelorette choosing guys? I'd be so here for that.
Anyway, Bea's story was so emotional and I had a hard time getting through some of the passages because it hit so close to home. All the internal turmoil Bea experiences because of her weight and her appearance and how the contestants on the show The Main Squeeze see her were so, so important. I wanted to murder some contestants and swooned at others.
The only thing I'd say is that I wish this would have been a bit quicker on the pacing because it dragged in a lot of parts and more descriptive in other places where we don't really get to know any of the contestants beyond the superficial. Perhaps that was intentional because it mirrored the reality tv format (sorry, I've only watched The Simple Life because I am OLD) but it was hard to root for any one besides the three guys that are the last three overall. I would have loved a bit more mystery so we could have been outraged at the choices as well.
This was a mesmerizing, all-encompassing and important read that shows that everyone deserves and is worthy of love and that your appearance should really be the least important part in finding someone to share your life with.
Trigger warnings for fatphobia because that shit hit hard.

It’s one to watch when your next look for a read that’s funny, relatable and packing a strong message.

Bea is a likeable character, and follow her dating adventure whilst picking up of the themes of body image and positivity.

Thanks for the copy!

A great book about a plus sized blogger.
Funny, quirky and easy to read.
I loved the characters and the storyline
It was original and lots of fun

I want to start by saying thank you to NetGalley and the publishers, Dial Press, for a copy of this book. I received a free copy from them in exchange for an honest review.
This was a brilliant book. I loved the entire things.
Being a curvier girl I have struggled with body positivity over the years and I go through stages where I enjoy how I look and am able to find clothes that fit me and make me feel great and other times where nothing I wear looks good on me. In short, I really related to Bea.
Especially her love of Paris.
Paris hold a very special place in my heart and I've even been to the flea market that Bea went to, though I wish I had found a cape that made me feel confident and powerful and been gifted it for free. I wish!
I loved the trips to Paris though I think I may have spotted a slight error in geography when they are on the Pont des Artes but I could be wrong about that.
Bea is the role model that every curvy girl needs. The boys on the other hand … let's just say there were some real villains mixed in with the bunch that Bea had to date on television
Not that I even love the brilliant ones
Even Asher who Bea had an instant connection with was quick to judge and I became a little fed up with all the wrong conclusions they would draw about each other without giving each other time to get to know one and other.
I think one of my favourite parts ended up being all the jumping about between different mediums to tell the story. Though I found it slightly jarring at first I very quickly grew to love the twitter feeds, the podcast transcripts and the discord chats that told the story from the viewers point of view.
In my honest opinion I could see this book being a brilliant film and those people, the audience being part of telling the story.

That feeling when you finish a book, and you're annoyed it's finished because you enjoyed it that much.
This is One to Watch. Witty, relatable, emotional heartfelt - I didn't know what to expect but what a fantastic page-turning surprise.

A plus size fashion blogger turns reality TV star in search of love in an ironic twist. It started out as a 'she's-in-love-with-her-best-friend- he- doesn't-know-or-does-he-and-will-they-won't-they familiar tale and quickly turned in to something a whole lot more complicated. Bea Schumacher is bold yet relatably insecure, proud of her body, yet distrusting of any man who claims to admire it and battling to whittle twenty-five men down to just one, by dating all of them in just eight weeks.

This really was a clever story, as it read like watching a series week by week, carrying all the familiar tension, frustrations, drama but adding a touch of humour, and shining a light on what life really must be like once the boom guy moves away and the camera stops rolling. I particularly enjoyed the way in which the commentary around the show was handled - presented to us as articles and conversations taking place on the social mediums that featured quite heavily across the novel - podcasts, group chats, texts - it all made for making the reader a part of the action.

I could see this translating really well to the big screen as well. The only thing I would have liked was a bit more on what happens to Bea next. I feel like we'd just gotten to a point where she was coming in to her own when the story ended, so I'm hoping that's not it.

Greatly enjoyed :) Thank you to the NetGalley team for my ARC.

Lots to love about this story where Bea Schumacher, a plus size blogger slates a TV show only to be asked to be the next star. Her experience of Main Squeeze, where she has to choose between 25 guys and pick the one she might marry is entertaining with the expected cast of rogues and sweethearts.
How the show ended was the best way for the character to stay true to herself. Not sure I loved the final epilogue, because frankly, Bea could do better.

I absolutely loved this book. I felt so many emotions whilst reading this. I felt that all.of the characters were realistic and really well developed. This is definitely 5 stars from me and I will be recommending this to anyone who will listen xxxx

I loved this! Funny, warm and easy to read with a serious message that is well explored about body image and body positivity in our society. The lead character, Bea, is hugely likeable and very relatable. Would highly recommend!

I was unsure about this book. Part of me really enjoyed it but the other part thought I wouldn’t like a sequel or a follow up to it.

I’m not keen on books which contain lots of ‘media’ type blocks (emails etc) and found certain parts of the book confusing and difficult to follow. The plot line was a good simple one but I just didn’t feel the writing and they styles of writing within executed that.

I don’t know what I expected from this book, but it wasn’t this! I have never seen any shows like The Bachelor, but have watched enough reality tv and episodes of UnREAL to get the gist. I therefore thought that the story of Bea, a Plus Size fashion blogger, being the protagonist of such a show would be a good read, but I didn’t realise just how much I would come to love Bea and her story as her story unfolded.

Bea, having had her heart broken by her best friend, agrees to take part in a reality tv show to find a husband out of 25 men selected for her. Throughout her time on the show, Bea addresses double standards and the portrayal of various body types in the media, as well as tackling her own insecurities. Themes such as asexualism and gender-nonconformity are also addressed, but in no way is the author heavy handed in exploring such topics. The dates have just the right balance of cringe and romance, and Bea is consistently heroic and realistic as a woman trying to find happiness. She has flaws, certainly, but that is what makes her so true and relatable.

In lesser hands, this story could have been contrived and awful, but the writing was really clever. I even enjoyed the multiple POV elements, like the texts and blog transcripts; things which usually drive me a bit nuts. I loved the shout outs to designers and fashion houses who cater to all body types, and the ending was just what I wanted. I will certainly be reading whatever this author produces next!

My thanks to the author, NetGalley, and the publisher for the arc to review.

In this story we follow Bea, a plus sized blogger who goes on a rant towards a ‘Bachelor’ kind of show and ends up being the first plus sized woman to be on the show, choosing to get engaged to one of 25 men!

While the main storyline was a good read, I think credit should be given for the inclusion in this book. There are characters accepted of different races, gender nonconformity and characters of different sexuality (bi, asexual).

I received an eARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review but these opinions are my own.

This isn’t my usual kind of read but I am a sucker for a plus-sized protagonist and I really enjoyed it. I wasn’t too sure about the text, twitter and podcast threads that occasionally popped up but I got used to them and it did add to the story, they were just a bit confusing to read. There was also a lot of fatphobic stuff to wade through. It totally adds to what Bea is going through and shows what it’s like to live as a fat person, but some of it was tough to read. It was also hard seeing Bea question herself and her worth and admit she is not as confident as she makes out.

There are so many great characters and I want to be best friends with Alison and also have that wardrobe. There’s also a pretty diverse range of characters, which I loved. It was so great seeing Bea grow and realise that people do find her attractive. I struggled to keep up when it was 25 guys but once it was whittled down it was so fun to follow along on the adventure. I honestly had no idea who she would pick and kept changing who I wanted her to pick. I definitely got sucked in and massively enjoyed the ride

It’s written well and is a nice, fun summer read.

I received a copy of the ebook via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Oh I loved it. Just loved it. I genuinely both laughed and cried multiple times while reading this book. The conversation Bea has with her mother and stepfather when they are filming there and she's gone to hide in her room, wow. I was not expecting that much emotion! I think that's what made this book so amazing too, I really felt that the characters were realistic in their feelings, really well developed. The format of the show really added something too, rather than the general pattern of a romance book, there was extra there and some surprises. I loved the diversity too, not just in body size. So many important things included. 5 stars, will be recommending this to anyone who will listen!
Also adding my review and rating to Goodreads and Amazon.

An entertaining read which I quite enjoyed although I guess I am not a fan of reality TV shows which the book is based around. I was a little disappointed at the overall attitude of the lead characters was not as positive as I would have liked. But it was amusing and the descriptions of the foreign travels were well done

So i've never actually seen The Bachelor, I don't know if it even airs in the UK. But I love Love Island, Are You the One and all these other terrible reality shows about finding love, so i'm not surprised I loved this book. I saw some reviews say the pacing was off but i'm okay with that because when there was more than 5 men I was struggling to remember who was who anyway. I thought Bea was a very interesting character, and it was nice to read about a plus-size girl who was the centre of the story. I do think the summaries and reviews are a bit misleading, because while Bea is happy with how she looks, she also deals with a lot of internalised fatphobia, especially when thinking about the men and how none of them could love a woman who looks like her. As well as internalised fatphobia, there is a lot of overt fatphobia, so definitely a TW if that is something that affects you.

I really enjoyed the range of characters, both in the men on the show and the women in Bea's life, Maren and Alison were my personal favourites. I also think there was a lot of great rep, not just plus size rep but also for different ethnicities, sexualities and gender expressions. The only reason it isn't a five star for me is because of the way Bea is sold as a super confident woman who loves herself, when she does in fact have a lot of insecurities that control most of her decisions, especially early on.

Thank you Netgalley and John Murray Press for giving me a copy in return for an honest review!

Really enjoyable read

This is a 5 star book for me, because it is such an enjoyable fluffy read. It deals with fatism, self-esteem issues, and sexism in a relatable, and accessible way. Away from these issues, the story is fun and an enjoyable read ie it doesn't get too preachy. I also enjoyed the ending, and didn't feel it was obvious until a few pages before it happened. The context of a reality show, and social media may also be of interest to some. However as a pull size woman, it was the body discussions and presentation that I was drawn to the most. .

Although the author has clearly done research (got to love a call out to Roxanne Gay in the acknowledgements) it should not be chosen expecting a structured critic of how large women are treated in and by society. This for example is not a new Handmaid's Tail for the fat girls. It does though offer a fun accessible way to try and understand how actions can make people feel, as well as some of the practical considerations for large women (people). I loved for example the explanation of how a man's life jacket was needed, or how many shops don't cater for larger sizes. I think also it will be relatable for a lot of women who are 'skinny' but for whatever reason don't love their bodies.

Great summer read. It makes some statements, but it should be read as a fun story rather than a revolution in fat literature.

Bea has always been plus size and found in the world that lots of people generally don’t like plus size people. You tend to not be seen as a human being but instead someone to ridicule, ignore and definitely not to find love. Bea has a loyal blog following and a broken love life, when all she really wants is to find love and to be loved back for who she is, not what she looks like. She is given the opportunity to be on a tv show looking for the one. This will be the first time the show has used a plus size woman, so comes across lots of good and bad feedback. Poor Bea meets men who want her to lose weight, are rude to her, talk about her behind her back. But there are a few who want to get to know her for herself. She gets to visit beautiful places and experience wonderful adventures but after all this will she find her man??

This was a really simple romantic book but it had a great premise. I loved the dating show idea and it made me think about all of the dating shows I’ve watched over the years! It was a great eye opener from that point!

It was a great easy read. Really enjoyed it.

Very relevant for today’s markets. Explores a show similar to love island reality tv. Bea is a great lead role, just wish she was a little more confident with her body image. She’s a larger lady looking for love on reality TV. Loved the flip as she is not this programmes typical image, was a little emotive at times to read, the sign of a good writer! It’s not very often I care about a character enough to laugh and cry along with her! I was very happy with the ending to thank you!
A well written, warm and engaging book exploring love in the modern world!

This is the story of Bea Schumacher - plus size blogger, fashionista and body positive activist who finds herself being approached by the producer of 'Main Squeeze' to be the lead in that years show. Bea is initially reluctant but eventually takes the plunge and agrees to be the star even though she is feeling vulnerable and upset following a one night stand with a guy from her past who does a runner back to his fiancée before breakfast

I was hoping to enjoy this book but I really didn't and only finished reading it because I hate to leave a book unfinished in case it gets better (it didn't). Bea is a walking, talking plus size cliché and is really quite unpleasant and judgmental of others. For all her body positivity she has a tremendous amount of insecurities around how she looks - I can identify with that as a plus size lady myself but you can't go around telling people to love themselves when you can't practice what you preach. Bea laments how hard it is to find clothes yet for the show she has designer outfits pouring out of the wardrobe department - so which is it? I am not a fan of reality television and perhaps that contributed to my feelings towards this book - if you are a love island fan then you'll probably get more out of it than I did. The ending was contrived and I couldn't stand the constant interruption from the main story telling to give a burst of text, chat, podcast or news story writing instead, this was distracting and irritating and broke the flow up far too much.

Sadly this wasn't for me but that's not to say someone else wouldn't really love it.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.