The description to The Real Deal sounds a lot more exciting than how it actually turned out. It felt like nothing really happened. It was very slow moving and quite boring. The chapters go back and forth between the past and the present. That was not an issue to moving the story along. There just was not anything thrilling to keep me wanting to keep reading. I could not read more than one chapter at a time because it would start putting me to sleep with how tedious it was.

I received a free review copy from the publisher in exchange for my honest unedited feedback but I am definitely going out to buy a physical copy for my bookshelf ASAP!

The story of a child reality TV star is given the opportunity to attend a 10 year reunion after the show ended in a shocking final episode. The plot was brilliant and is right up my street as a lover of reality TV.

My attention was grabbed straight away in the prologue and my attention was held the entire way through the book. The chapters were a nice size and I loved that they alternated between the past and the present to build the whole story. The writing is very detailed but flows well and is easy to read.

The characters and the way that the story was told felt so real; I can’t believe that it isn’t!

This was my first 5 star read of 2024 and I will definitely be recommending this to everyone. A very impressive debut and I can’t wait to see what Caitlin writes next!

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley to review.

If I had not needed to provide a review, I would have given up on this book about 25% of the way through. The beginning was slow. The middle was slow. And then I got to the end and I said out loud "THAT is what happened????"

I really thought the premise was interesting. As someone who watches a few reality tv shows, I was super interested in the "behind the scenes" aspect of this "reality show" but it fell flat for me. I expected to not want to put it down, but instead found that I had to force myself to pick it up.

Thank you netgalley and Lake Union Publishing for this ARC of ‘The Real Deal’ by Caitlin Devlin.

Firstly even just looking at the cover gave me Taylor Jenkins Reid vibes! And oh I was right. I cried so much which I was not expecting! I am completely in shock by how good this book actually was. It gave such a real and raw look at reality tv! Absolutely loved this!

When we are younger we dream of being TV stars. What we don't know behind the scenes could change our minds as we get older. Not everything is hunky dory as it may seem.

Belle is chosen to be on a TV reality show called The Real Deal at the age of 12. Belle follows in the footsteps of a TV star woman named Donna. When time goes on Belle finds herself in weird/not safe situations with Donna. Donna would have a different scary personality to the point where Belle is hiding for dear life. When Donna would calm down, Belle wouldn't be quite so scared anymore. Until eventually Belle has had enough.

At age 26 when Belle wants to get away from the cameras she is asked to come back to the finale reunion. She finds that she is going to be in more awkward situations that she is not comfortable with. After going on with her life the hard troubled past will Belle be able to continue on with the reunion?

This is a hard read for me. I struggled to read about the hardships that Belle had to go through. For example, being put in a position of losing your virginity on TV or walking away. The courage this woman had was unbelievable. There were situations she was put in that made her question who she was as a person.

I rated this a 3 because the story line is interesting which kept me wanting to read to find out how Belle changed her life outside of cameras. Even though this was a hard for me it doesn't mean it might not be a hard read for someone else. If you enjoy reading about people's lives behind the camera that you will enjoy it. Just know going into it that there may be some uncomfortable parts of the story.

Set in both London and Los Angeles, this book is VERY reminiscent of the show Dance Moms. It follows a small group of girls as they become part of a reality type show aimed at performance arts. The book is set in dual timelines, which adds interest to the book. I found it a bit slow and mundane at parts but overall interesting

The general synopsis is something I usually go for when reading, but the actual content is something that I've not read about before.

I do love a now and then story, and this was a perfect mix of that; seeing how the characters came to be who they are today. I can't imagine it's easy going through what they did at such a young age.

This is such a strong book for a debut, and I look forward to reading more from Devlin in the future.

Thank you to NetGally for a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I really liked this story. We all know that what we see on "reality shows" is anything but. The story follows 6 tweens -- then 5 -- who star on a British reality show about wanting to "make it" in the acting world. The girls are led by two producers, and a former female star, who takes a shine to Belle, our protagonist. There's also a creepy show assistant who plays a minor role.
Devlin does a good job of keeping the reader in suspense over what actually happened to end the show. While I thought we could have had a bit more emotional connection to that final blow up, Devlin handles the pitfalls of child stars and all the dangers that surround them, including family members.
The cover for this book is outstanding. And Devlin fits in the same vein as Taylor Jenkins Reid and Lauren Weisberger for the warnings of fame and acting.
Great debut. I look forward to her next book.

The Real Deal follows Belle tens years after the end of a hit reality tv show as the cast gets together to film a reunion. The show ended chaotically, on very bad terms, and Belle hasn't spoken to any of the other five girls since. The book is told on two timelines, one in the present talking about the fallout of the show and the filming of the reunion special, and the other is set in the past as Belle and the girls auditioned for the show, began training to be actresses, singers, and dancers in London, and then had to deal with the way the public perceived them as it was airing. I really enjoyed this book and it would be perfect for anyone who enjoys reality tv or books about show business.

WOW. It’s nearly impossible to believe this is book is a debut. The character development and storyline was phenomenal. The way the author weaved together the past and the present was flawless. I definitely felt invested in the outcome of this story. Five stars, must read!

Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for the opportunity to read this book. I absolutely will be on the lookout for anything else this author releases.

This was relatively boring. The author is a good writer, she just needs to expand on her stakes, action, and interactions. This was incredibly slow paced.

Engaging, intriguing story of six girls who are trying to be the next big thing in acting, dance, and singing. With a dual timeline, this story unfolds as we see the behind the scenes of the girls' stories ten years prior, and the reunion they are filming now that they are in their mid-twenties.

I'm not a reality tv person, but I couldn't put this book down. Thank you Netgalley and Lake Union Publishing for the ARC!

I was hesitant to read this at first because of all the mixed reviews. And then it became on of Amazon’s monthly choice. I then became slightly more interested but quickly learned an Amazon monthly choice is no different from a Book of the Month pick. This was overall okay. I’ve read more interesting reality star based women’s mystery lit fic. I would say this is less for the avid readers and more for the casual readers in terms of enjoyment.

Could have been my own (unfounded) expectations - but I felt that this story fell kinda flat. I was anticipating a HUGE big scandal and a tragic payoff but was left like, Ehhhh oh thats all. I loved the premise of this story and appreciate this author, who I believe will write some kick butt books in the future but this one left me wanting a little dessert after my dinner ;) I did appreciate the characters and would have loved a little more guts and fleshing out of some of the other girls. Tremendous thanks to Netgalley for gifting me a digital copy of The Real Deal. All opinions are my own <3

Clever use of different time zones for each of the episodes made for a good writing style. A fairly brutal view of how reality contestants are treated especially young girls/women which I have no knowledge of but can imagine it being quite likely but overall semi like a big build up with a disappointing ending.

Belle Simon is just a 12 year old girl when she is plucked from relative obscurity with 5 other girls to star in a reality tv show. Under the mentorship of Donna Mayfair, a fading star, the girls are training to become stars. After the fifth season, Belle Simon makes a shocking accusation on camera and the show is promptly cancelled. Belle Simon has all but faded from the limelight, refusing to comment on anything that happened during the show. 10 years later, Belle and 4 out of the 5 other girls featured in the show agree to return to film a reunion special. With confusion still remaining about the final season and unresolved drama between the cast

This book reminded me a lot of the tv show Dance Moms, with the relationship between Donna and Belle reminding me a lot of the relationship between Abby Lee Miller and Maddie. I absolutely loved the structure of the book, with each chapter alternating between the present day and a season of the tv show. I think that the way that the book was structured really allowed us to get a better understanding of how the relationships and tension between the girls and Donna evolved over time. The Real Deal does a great job at exploring how traumatic and manipulative reality tv and the entertainment industry can be for young girls. By the end of the book, my heart was broken for what each of those girls went through.

While I did enjoy The Real Deal, the ending felt a bit anti-climatic to me. The events that happened in the season finale seemed to be the elephant in the room for the entire book, which ultimately made the reveal fall flat for me. The reveal just wasn't what I was expecting and ultimately left me a bit confused on why Belle was so reluctant to really speak out in the years that followed the show.

Overall, I really enjoyed The Real Deal and am looking forward to reading more from Caitlin Devlin in the future.

Belle is a normal 12 year old girl in London when she and five other girls get the opportunity of a lifetime- to become reality stars! Under the leadership of Donna, notable star, the girls are bred to become triple threats- actress, singer, and dancer. Unfortunately season 5 ends in a bombshell when Belle implies that she has been abused by Donna and the show abruptly ends. 10 years later, production is getting the gang back together for a reunion. With tensions high, wounds still fresh and secrets to uncover; what could go wrong?

I immediately liked the premise of the book. It reminded me of other popular books like Daisy Jones and the Six, The Daydreams, and The Unraveling of Cassidy Holmes. I liked that it was told alternating the past and present. Unfortunately, I think the book’s depiction of how young girls are treated in the entertainment industry is close to true. However, the story started to become unrealistic to me around season 4 and the “big reveal” of what actually happened between Donna and Belle was a let down.

I rated the book ⭐️⭐️⭐️/5. It had the potential to be a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ book if it hadn’t been for the ending.

This is a novel with a surprising and rather appalling hook that raises some serious ethical considerations in the course of shining a light on our unhealthy obsession with reality TV.

At the tender age of 12, Belle Simon was one of half a dozen girls chosen to receive mentoring from a has-been celebrity as part of a reality show, with the stated aim of teaching them key skills for success in show business - like singing, dancing and acting.

With six girls in the 12 year old age range involved, it should come as no surprise that the final episode of the show ended in some kind of major real life drama. This is hinted at in the beginning of the book, but not revealed until later.

Ten years after the show, when Belle is doing her best to stay out of the limelight, she is made an offer that she cannot refuse - a large sum in exchange for participating in the anniversary cast reunion for the show.

But given what she knows to be the truth about the real events on the show, Belle is torn. And anyway, is there any point in pursuing the truth when people only want the larger than life version of things? After all, it is entertainment that sells, and money that motivates...

This was a book that I had been looking out for, and it did not disappoint. It lays bare some of the reality behind the so-called reality of such shows, and asks some important questions about how far we are willing to go in the chase for fame, fortune and ratings. Worth a read. It gets 3.5 stars.

So this is not my usual type of book but I’m so glad I went ahead and read it. The author is great at just grabbing and hooking you right away. I don’t even like reality shows or anything involving Hollywood starlets or people famous for being famous, etc. But somehow I loved this story! It’s about a girl who starred on a reality show, The Real Deal, a decade ago who is asked back for a reunion. Because her last episode ended in some type of crazy drama, no one expected that she would agree to the reunion, but she’s helping to raise her younger half-sister and could certainly use the money.

The show starred 6 teenage girls behind the scenes as they learned from a slightly has-been star about succeeding in show business and learning how to sing, act, and dance. So there’s the drama of the competition between the girls on top of the drama of them just being teenage girls. The narrative is split between the past, during the 5 years or so that the show aired, and the present as Belle prepares for and films the reunion episodes. I enjoyed both narratives, but the past was livelier, seeing how the girls were discovered and how filming affected them and their families as time wore on.

Most of the drive to plow through the story is to find out what happened in that final episode. It’s built up quite a bit and then you finally reach it towards the end, and it’s like, oh. A bit of an anti-climax. But then, that’s probably the point, something gets blown up, and goes viral, but wasn’t as explosive as expected. But what’s not a big deal to an outsider can be devastating to those involved and that’s what people need to remember. Belle never talked about it in the media which just fueled further speculation and the producers keep pressuring her to address it during the reunion.

You’ll have to read the book to see how it all turns out and I highly recommend that you do. Any author that can make you obsessed with a story that’s not even your thing is highly skilled and I can’t wait to read what she comes up with next!

I really enjoyed this book! I liked the format of it, how it switched from current (the reunion) to the past (different seasons of the show). I love reality TV and the premise of this book seems completely within the realm of possibility! I enjoyed the character progression and it was a fun read! I would definitely recommend this book.. I received a free copy of this book from netgalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review.