I really enjoyed this!! One really nice touch was the variety of methods of storytelling - emails, text threads, and podcast transcripts as well as a more standard prose. The characters all felt real and I really believed their struggle. The representation was real and fully explored (unlike in some other books I’ve read recently). 10/10 would recommend

After reading the blurb I wasn’t sure whether I would like this book and to be honest I did not like this .... I loved it!!

Bea is a plus size fashion blogger with numerous followers,. She wants to show the world you can still be confident and beautiful no matter what size you are.

Bea is approached by the producer of the show “The Main Squeeze” after ranting online about the show’s lack of body diversity. She will get the chance to fall in love with the bachelors on the show who are vying for her affection.

This book is funny and at times emotional. I loved Bea’s personality and was hooked even though I have never watched the show “The Bachelor” who knows maybe I will take a peek now!!

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy in exchange for a review.

*I was kindly approved for an eARC of this book via NetGalley and John Murray Press, but all opinions are my own*

One to Watch is one of my favourite romances I've read in a while. The characters were diverse, well-written, and altogether very human, which I appreciated it. The way the story was told through a third-person narrative narrative but also through blog posts, tweets, and transcripts from television programmes was engaging and kept the story fresh. I actually found myself rooting for a pairing in a fictional reality TV show??? I never anticipated that to be my reaction this book. The entire experience was a joy and I hope we see more romance novels like this in the future.

Bea is a plus size blogger with a disastrous love life. She's been in love with Ray for years on a sort of friends with benefits basis but after a passionate night together Ray disappears. She finds out that he's got engaged to another woman
Her friend persuades her to go on the reality romance show The Main Squeeze where a contestant has to choose from 25 suitors who are whittled down to one who she must get engaged to on the series finale.
There has never been a plus size person on the show so Bea is a trailblazer for normal women.
This was a very easy book to get into and I enjoyed trying to guess what Bea would do next. I'm not familiar with The Batchelorette which is supposed to be the template on which the book is based but I imagine it was pretty close to the way TV companies manipulate the goings on to get ratings.
However. I feel that the book could have been edited a little bit because by 2/3rds of the way through it started to drag and become a bit of a slog. Once I got to the final part though the pace picked up and I started enjoying it again.
Although not my usual genre of fiction overall a good romp

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.

Unfortunately did not finish this book. Ended up not being for me. Although I did enjoy the writing style, So I'm interested to try out more from this author in the future. Thank you for the review copy!

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

This book surprised me in a very, very good way.

How often is a plus-size woman the lead character in a love story and if she ever is you know for sure that she will somehow lose all of the weight and suddenly be "beautiful"? Bea Schumacher is beautiful and large from the beginning and she's still beautiful and big at the end. There is masses of body shaming because we live in the real world and Bea isn't always happy about her weight, but what she's really unhappy about is not her weight per se but the reaction to it by just about everyone, everywhere.

And then she agrees to go on a Bachelorette-type show as their first-ever plus-size contestant. She's just been let down - again - by her longterm crush/friend/occasional lover/so not good enough for her and so when the offer comes, despite her misgivings she thinks why not. She'll be paid some money, it will boost her Instagram followers and her career and how bad could it possibly be.

It could be quite bad and at times spectacularly not good at all. We follow her through her time on the show with some quite nice guys, some not very nice guys, some guys who aren't very nice but not as bad as they seem and some guys who seem nice and oh my days they are pond scum. In this scenario is it possible to find love or even to be looking for it? Bea thinks not, but then sometimes love appears and you have to decide what to do about it.

This was a cracking read and a class act in its genre.

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