Kate Stayman-London’s “One to Watch” offers readers a refreshing and empowering twist on the world of reality TV romance. This contemporary novel takes a critical look at societal beauty standards and challenges the norms of love and self-acceptance in a delightful and heartfelt manner.

The story follows Bea Schumacher, a plus-size fashion blogger who becomes the star of a popular reality dating show called “Main Squeeze.” As Bea navigates the whirlwind of reality TV, she confronts the pressures of beauty standards, body positivity, and the complexities of finding genuine love in a manufactured environment.

Stayman-London’s writing style is engaging and witty, immersing readers in Bea’s journey while exploring larger themes of body image and self-worth. The author skillfully balances humor and heart, infusing the narrative with moments of empowerment, vulnerability, and personal growth. Bea is a relatable and lovable protagonist, with her sharp wit and internal struggles making her a compelling character.

What sets “One to Watch” apart is its insightful examination of societal norms and the media’s role in perpetuating unrealistic beauty standards. Stayman-London challenges these notions, urging readers to embrace their own uniqueness and redefine what it means to be desirable. The book emphasizes the importance of self-acceptance and embracing one’s worth beyond physical appearance.

The format of the story, incorporating interviews, blog posts, and social media excerpts, adds depth and an authentic touch to the narrative. It immerses readers into the world of reality TV, capturing the frenzy and behind-the-scenes drama that captivates audiences. The diverse cast of characters, from fellow contestants to production crew members, adds richness and complexity to the story.

While the book provides an entertaining and thought-provoking reading experience, some elements of the plot could have been further developed. Certain storylines and character arcs feel slightly rushed, leaving room for deeper exploration. However, these minor drawbacks do not overshadow the overall enjoyment of the book.

In summary, “One to Watch” is a refreshing and empowering novel that tackles issues of body image, self-worth, and the nature of love in the age of reality TV. Kate Stayman-London’s skillful storytelling, combined with Bea’s relatable journey of self-discovery, make this book a must-read for those seeking a contemporary romance that challenges societal norms and celebrates authenticity. It serves as a reminder that love comes in many forms and that true beauty lies in embracing one’s individuality.

Kate Stayman-London’s "Real Love . . . As Seen on TV" is an incredibly compelling story of love, fashion and the search for self-confidence. Bea Schumacher is an amazing character to follow and readers will enjoy watching her journey of learning to love her own size, her amazing friends and her unique voice on social media.

Throughout the novel, Stayman-London brings real-life issues to light in the way she presents plus-size fashion in the world of Main Squeeze. The show itself serves as a powerful example of body diversity and its need for recognition and acceptance in modern society.

Overall, this novel is a great read for anyone looking for a heartwarming romance story or for an opportunity to reflect on self-confidence and societal norms. We recommend it for those who enjoy romantic comedies and insightful dialogue. "Real Love . . . As Seen on TV" will definitely not disappoint!

Not my usual genre, but I found this enjoyable and easy to read. I liked the storyline of the TV show, and found Bea a really nice character.

Very readable. Overall, I enjoyed One to Watch, an easy to read debut. Even if not specific to body image, most women can find at least some aspect of Bea’s mentality relatable. There were predictable elements in the story and while at first I appreciated the various forms of media included: articles, podcasts, group texts, etc., it felt like there were a lot of these as the book progressed.

I will not be giving feedback on this book as I couldn’t really get into it but I think others may enjoy it.

Lovers of the Bachelor will adore this book. Look no further for drama, laugh out loud moments and romance! I would suggest reading this book with a big bowl of popcorn and a glass of fizz...or two!

DNF at 16%

I can't with this book. The fat representation in this is horrible, I made the decision to put this book down after reading an entire paragraph about how disgusting people who are larger than the average are, and how they don't deserve to be loved or wanted.

As someone who has struggled with her weight, this was not the kind of body positive book that I was expecting, and I didn't even get to the romance. I don't want to read any more about fat women as if they should be ashamed of how they look.

Didn’t really know what to expect from One to Watch but I really enjoyed this book. I loved the storyline of the tv show and found that kept me interested. The main character, Bea, was likeable and I was really rooting for her throughout. I loved the ending, thought it was perfect and didn’t disappoint! Found the blog snippets and other media snippets really added to the book and made it even more enjoyable to read. Look forward to seeing what’s next from this author.

I’d love to know what took me so long to read this book ( a big TBR problem) When a friend suggested a buddy read of this book I jumped at the chance to finally pick it up and I’m so glad I did. I will admit for probably about the first 15% I was unsure whether it was for me but once I got into the writing style I really, really enjoyed it. I think it’s quite a fresh idea for a book and loved how current all the blogs, Twitter, email exchanges were. I loved Bea and was really rooting for her and just wanted her to really love herself. I did really like some of the male suitors that she had, I won’t name any names to avoid spoilers but I was happy. Yes it was a bit predictable but I’m so happy to read a book that was trying to show the importance of loving yourself regardless of body shape or size. Overall, I really enjoyed it and will look out for more from this author.

A light hearted debut romance of a plus sized woman and her search for love. Though witty, this book was not for me.

Although I read the first 100 pages of this book, I found that it didn’t grip my interest and gave up on it.

I thoroughly enjoyed this story. There were so many times I completely understood what Bea was going through, and I truly admired her strength and bravery.

There were some occasions where I found her decisions frustrating, but I realised that so many of us would do the same thing when we’re out of our comfort zones and feeling vulnerable.

I loved seeing the romance develop in this book, and there were so many moments that were really sweet. I must admit I wasn’t always a huge fan of this relationship and found some reactions from the man to be slightly problematic - but I won’t go into this in case it reveals too much! I still loved their relationship despite my concerns.

One of my favourite things about this book is that it took place in so many different locations. It just felt like one big adventure.

A funny, light read that made me smile during the summer holidays.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for letting me access an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

What happens when a real woman goes on a reality TV show to find "The One"?

Bea Schumacher is a 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?

When Bea vents on her blog about her feelings toward Main Squeeze she is surprised when Main Squeeze call her, wanting her to be the star of the next series.

Be a agrees. Figuring that this is the perfect opportunity to tell the world that plus sized women need love too.
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.

Some of the story is told through email, text, social media posts and comments, transcripts of podcasts and I really liked this. The author has included social media threads and comments that shows just a glimpse of what some people (not even just women) have to put up with on a daily basis. The way that the public feel that they have the right to comment on every.single. aspect of their lives. There were rape and death threats just so casually included that it leads to some uncomfortable reading. Well done to Kate Stayman-London for including these and raising awareness of it.

I have seen the book being compared to The Batchelor/ette, a show that I have never seen but we all know the premise. There are the good guys and the bad guys as well as the bad guys that we kind of like. Bea spends time with these men and bit by bit she whittles the list down until she finally has to choose the man that she wants to spend the rest of her life with.

The ending was the ending that I imagine most readers would have wanted. Me included.
A very enjoyable, quick read that I will happily recommend.

I wasn't sure what to expect from this book but I am glad I picked it. Very well written and the story has a very good, positive message. Thank you for my ARC.

⚠️ UNPOPULAR OPINION ⚠️

Beatrice (Bea) is a plus-size blogger who puts up a critical post about a much loved reality show, Main Squeeze, which dips the TRP of the show drastically. Main Squeeze is the Indian counterpart of the 'SWAYAMWAR' reality shows which had celebrities like Rakhi Sawant looking for future groom for herself.

Next thing, Bea finds is that she is approached by the Main Squeeze producers to participate in the show since they want to right the wrong and want to prove that a plus-size girl can also find love and a groom through the show.

Never a fan of the Indian version of Main Squeeze, I still picked up the book based on the glorious reviews and also since I was in a mood to read something light (which unfortunately made me angry).

⏭️ WHAT I LIKED ABOUT THE BOOK

👍 Beautiful Cover with vibrant colours and a glimpse of what the story is about.
👍 Writing style with episode wise details, twitter conversations, Blog posts and reactions.
👍 Appropriate ending, infact that's what I really loved about the entire ordeal of reading the book.
👍 Despite the problematic parts (according to me), it still was an engrossing read due to the flow.

⏭️ WHAT I FOUND PROBLEMATIC

👎 I understand that the idea was to give representation to plus-size female but I absolutely did not like a couple of contestants calling Bea names like whale or cow and the action taken against them was only putting them out of the show. Like really, is that all 😡.
👎 Very shallow and superficial characters. Some of the side characters being shallow is still acceptable but some of the main characters being without any depth was a bummer.
👎 Initially, Bea is shown as a headstrong character and I really adored her but she became so vulnerable somewhere in between the story to the extent she appeared like a puppet in the hands of the producers of Main Squeeze. Her character had so much potential to give strength to plus-size women but it just fizzled out. Thankfully towards the end we could see the old Bea coming out.
👎 The book was a little too long for the plot. A lot of descriptions regarding Bea and contestant's designer clothes and locations of shoot could have been avoided.

Read, only if you are a fan of Reality Shows !!

I was captivated from the first chapter, as a plus size woman, this is a must read, incredible overall. Some of it was hard to read, especially the responses to blogs or posts, but it was great to see all that truth be shown instead of it being ignored. It was also great to read about a plus size woman who doesn't live to put herself down! A fantastic and well written read that sucker punches you in the heart. Self love is the best love!!

Easily one of the my favourite books I've read this year so far! You know you are reading a good book, when your first thought on waking in the morning, is what are the characters up to now, and just who is Bea going to pick!

And what a wonderful character Bea is, and this is a book in part all about body positivity, and how it is very much possible be loved and fall in love when you are a larger woman, which as one myself is a message I can very much take to heart.

Bea is a plus sized fashion blogger who after blasting reality show Main Squeeze for their lack of diversity, is asked to be the lead on the new series, and apprehensively she agrees.

She has after all been in love with a man who clearly isn't interested for ages and thus this may give her a way of getting over him, or of finding new love, or just raising her profile and getting more followers. All of which are outcomes that Bea would quite like!

Between the main narrative we also see press reactions, public reactions to each episode, fan groups, pod casts discussing the programme and even transcripts of various conversations. Everything seems like it moves at a really fast pace, and once the initial jerks have been kicked off the programme, I enjoy getting to know the main front runners for Bea's love and just how different the men all are.

I could just imagine Main Squeeze as a real life dating programme, and I loved this look at how such a reality programme would be made with some of the ways it causes drama!

This is a real celebration of learning to love yourself, and I loved every last moment of this book. And I can't get over the fact its a debut! Can't wait to see what the author will write next.

Thank you to Two Roads and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily,

2.5 stars

A plus-size blogger, Bea Schumacher loves fashion and has a following on social media.
Bea is a fan of Main Squeeze, a reality show where the contestants aim to win the hand of the main star.
When Bea is offered the chance to be the next star of the show, she's reluctant to accept as she's nursing a broken heart. But Bea does agree to do the show and is determined not to fall in love with any of the contestants.
Can Bea make the most of being on the show?
Will Bea keep to her plan of not falling for any of the contestants?

I am not a big fan of romance reality shows, but I liked the premise of One to Watch and decided to give it a chance.
Bea was a mixed protagonist for me - there were times when I liked and felt sorry for her (I understood why she found it so hard to trust the contestants), but I also found her frustrating as well.
The plot was also mixed for me - I liked that a plus-size woman was the star of a reality show, and I did mostly enjoy reading as Bea got to know the contestants. However, I did get bored during the second half of the book and felt it dragged a bit. I was happy with how the book ended but wasn't a huge fan of the romance.
The writing style was easy to follow, but didn't grip me.

Overall, this was a mixed read.

I actually engaged with this book on my second attempt and I’m delighted that I did - there are so many important issues to unpack. What appeared as quite a dizzying fast-paced opening transformed into one of the most interesting books I’ve read if not in 2020, then so far in general. As someone who is not overly familiar with body positivity, One to Watch presents all its complexities but doesn’t ask you to pick a stance, which means I’m left wanting to learn and hear more conversations on body image. The other part of it is reality shows and the concept of romance on screen - did I truly believe in it? Not entirely, but that didn’t take the enjoyment away. It also introduced me to asexuality and how to be sensitive to it.
Read to keep up with many issues that are being discussed ‘right now’, but also for it’s sweetness.