All Bachelor fans would love this book. It was a fun read. I enjoyed the characters. I would have liked more storyline after the show. But it was a fun read.

If you like watching the Bachelor, then the Dating Game is just like reading a fun first person behind the scenes account from one of the contestant’s point of view. This is a fun and light read and just like watching the show, you are sure to like some of the Bachelorettes but think the Bachelor isn’t worth the effort of fighting over. It’s always the ladies that are the star of the show anyway, and how they get along that usually keeps us interested, and so too is the focus of this story. Great for a quiet Sunday afternoon read and sure to amuse you.

Thank you to the Author, Publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read, review and give my unbiased opinion of a complimentary digital copy of the story.

I absolutely adored this book. Abby's narration is so funny, I loved her posts as Anastasia, but her inner monologue was great as well. I must say that because her own voice was so much like Anastasia at times, it was sometimes hard to understand when there was a switch between her posting and her actual thoughts, which made some scenes a bit confusing to read.

What I liked about this book is that nearly none of the Does actually liked the Stag, that the ‘low point’ of the book wasn’t that long and how the book ended! What I really loved as well is the girl love in this; the great friendships that formed and the way that was portrayed. Even though there was a character list included because there were supposedly so many characters, I had no trouble keeping them straight whatsoever!
I’m not going to lie though, I want to read even more. I still have some unanswered questions, an epilogue would've been great!

Like I said, it wasn't always clear when Abby switched between her own thoughts or writing a post as Anastasia, but besides that, I loved the writing style. There were some mistakes in writing that stood out to me, so please contact me if you want to know which ones there were.

I honestly just loved this so much. It was an easy read, with a very likeable main character and great side characters, with so many different kinds of character developments, that were all written really well. I loved this, and I absolutely recommend it!

A fun romcom UK/AUS read.

Abby, the MC, is writing snarky recaps of the reality TV show "The Stag" (similar to The Bachelor). She'd never ever dream of going on the show herself, until... Of course she has to go on the show and it is all that she had expected and so much more. Especially as there are less and less contestants and she has not exactly fallen for the Stag.

I liked the writing, the dialogues felt natural (not often a given), the romance was sweet.

DNF

I really tried to get into this book couldn't. I realized I was 25% in and had no idea who any of the characters were or what was going on. The cast of characters was huge and I couldn't keep them straight. In addition to that there were articles mixed in with the text that were indistinguishable from the story itself which led to more confusion. On top of that the plot itself was absurd, no reality tv show is going to invite a journalist to join the cast and on no planet is Abby Jones a suitable pseudonym for Abigail Jones.

Cancel all your plans, find a comfy chair and pour a glass of something sparkly because the fabulous Sandy Barker is back with a delicious romantic comedy you won’t be able to put down: The Dating Game.

Abby Jones is determined to make it as a serious writer. However, she’s had to put her literary ambitions on the side for the moment as she is currently writing recaps for reality TV shows using a pseudonym. It is not a job that Abby plans on doing for the foreseeable future, but needs must, so Abby must swallow her pride, grit her teeth and hope that her cynicism doesn’t come across in her reviews. Abby never imagined that her recaps would set the world on fire, but when one of them goes viral, her editor comes up with an idea that will end up putting her at the heart of the drama: being on set watching it all unfold.

With The Stag filming in Sydney, Abby is looking forward to her glamorous trip in the beautiful city. However, the surprises look set to keep on coming for her because the producers don’t just want Abby to write the recaps – they want her to be on the show! This was meant to be her big break, but while Abby didn’t mind writing about reality TV, being an active participant is simply out of the question. But with her career depending on it, it looks like she doesn’t have much choice!

Abby’s big break has become a massive nightmare – until she meets producer Jake and realises that there could be an upshot to becoming a reality TV starlet.

Sandy Barker’s books never fail to hit the spot and she has written another engaging, charming and warm-hearted romantic comedy with her latest novel, The Dating Game. Funny, emotional and so entertaining I didn’t want it to end, The Dating Game is a a brilliant romantic read with a wonderful heroine you are going to love, a gorgeous hero who is absolutely delectable and plenty of wit, mischief and heart to keep you gleefully turning the pages of this terrific rom-com.

A hilarious and heartfelt contemporary romance, The Dating Game is another winner by Sandy Barker.

This was a cute funny at times read about a writer going undercover on a reality dating show. Maybe if I was actually into reality shows I would enjoy it so much more. Thank you to NetGalley & publisher for the opportunity to read this in exchange for a honest review.

Abigail Jones has a secret identity, Anastasia Blabbergasted, the hilariously sarcastic journalist who writes clickbait recaps of reality TV shows to pay the bills while Abigail dreams of being a Serious Investigative Journalist. Asked (more ‘bullied’, tbh) into going undercover on dating show The Stag (literally The Bachelor with a name change) she takes on a third identity, ‘Doe’ Abby. Only a couple of the show’s producers - including the dishy Jack - know she’s not really there to win the Stag’s heart.

This is both darkly funny, borrowing from some of the more ridiculous moments of real-life reality shows - I just about died laughing reading about Marie-Alice the ‘diverse’ redhead, and I’ve never even watched The Bachelor, so if you have, you’ll probably pick up on a lot more funny moments - and at times painful to read, as Abby comes to the slow understanding that the twelve Does in Stag Manor are being manipulated at best and Stockholm Syndromed at worst, into turning on each other over a guy who isn’t worthy of any of them. The one thing I feel was missing was an honest conversation between Abby and Jack where Jack admitted that he didn’t feel good about what the show did to the contestants emotionally. Yes, Jack wanted to move on to bigger and better things, but he was still complicit and he needed to express more remorse for that, for me. He had a few moments of jealousy - over situations he’d literally set up! - which made me want to smack him upside the head and tell him to get over himself, too.

My favourite part about the book was the female friendships which Abby formed, particularly with Becca and Kaz, and the clever denouement where the Stag got exactly what he deserved. However, that’s actually a problem, because this is a rom-com. The romance is supposed to be both the central theme and the best bit, and I wasn’t quite sold on Jack. So although I enjoyed the read and thought it was very clever and funny, I can’t give it more than four stars.

Fans of Bachelor Nation are going to love The Dating Game. In this charming rom-com, we follow Abby, a writer who goes undercover on a Bachelor-type show.

Here's what I liked about The Dating Game:
- Barker's witty writing style, which was amplified through Abby's snarky articles.
- Abby's character growth throughout the book was great, which I always love to see.
- The entertainment value. The Dating Game is very entertaining, thanks to the hijinks and adventures that ensued on the reality TV show.
- The great cast of supporting characters you get to know.

I did, however, think the book lagged slightly in the middle and became a bit slow-paced. But it wrapped up nicely at the end.

So, if you're looking for a quick, fun and enjoyable read to escape into, I recommend checking out The Dating Game.

Thank you to Harper Collins UK, One More Chapter and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for this honest review.

Hilarious! Joyful! An utter delight! This is the first I've read from this author, but I will be on the hunt to devour anything and everything else she writes! I absolutely loved this. It lives up to all the wonderful reviews I've read so far. Brilliant!

A cute read, perfect for fans of the Bachelor franchise! This was a great read for a relaxing weekend, summer vacation, or a quick (mental) getaway to Sydney.

If you read If The Shoe Fits and love anything related to The Bachelor and reality tv, this book is for you! I fun, lighter read that worked well as a palate cleanser, but didn't hold my attention enoughf or me to finish. A solid 3 star read!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the eARC. All opinions are my own.

The Dating Game is the perfect quick read for fans of romance and TV shows like The Bachelor.

The story follows Abby Jones, a writer who does recaps of reality television under a pen name. When a recap of The Stag goes viral, her editor thinks she should be on set, writing about the show. But the producers have a different idea...they want her to be on the show. It sounds like a nightmare to Abby, but her career depends on it. She meets Jack, a handsome producer, and suddenly her job doesn't seem so bad after all.

I really liked the writing, and the plot. I'm a sucker for reality TV, and books like this. Definitely a great, entertaining read.

Overall, an interesting concept, but it quickly falls apart once the show starts. Also, I'd rather not have the articles written mixed within.

This is just what I needed right now, a quick easy hilarious read that made me laugh out loud. Loved the relatable characters and the dating show setting is so current, but Sandy put a whole new twist to it by sending journalist Abby undercover. I loved reading her amusing recaps and the friendship between the girls. Fab ending too, rounded up the story nicely. Great read.

Big fan of Bachelor Nation over here. The Dating Game is just like watching an episode. So entertaining and fun! I'm a huge fan of reality television and was immediately hooked with this story and the characters. Especially the main character, Abigail Jones!

Thanks to HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter and Netgalley for my copy!

This was such a fun book! I don’t think I will be able to watch reality tv shows the same way again! I have never really given much thought to what goes on behind the scenes and even though this is fiction, I’m sure a lot of it will apply. Great plot and well written, I definitely recommend this book. Thank you #netgalley

I've enjoyed all Sandy's other books but this one seemed not to really gel with me as much. I liked the slow-burn romance between Abby and Jack and the dilemma between Anastasia and Abby. However, reading Anastasia's reports wasn't as much fun as watching Abby experience the show and didn't seem to add much.

I didn't really like many of the other contestants and am not a huge fan of reality TV so although the book was humorous in parts, i think it would appeal more to someone who is really into such shows.

I'm a sucker for not reading blurbs on a story and just reading based on on the covers. The book is a prime example of that.

This is my first book by Sandy and it's got to be said that I thoroughly enjoyed it. I used to watch a programme called UnReal and I found this book very similar. This made it even more enjoyable for me.

I loved all the twists and the turns. I didn't find that to be too many characters especially since we lost some quite early on. I've thought that it was quite easy to keep on top of them.

I really enjoyed that there was lots of other aspects going on and it wasn't just a couple of characters. It kept you interested because of how much was going on and I can't wait to read more from Sandy.

Sandy Barker always gives us such interesting, fun reads. They are brilliant!
Abby, writer and scathing critic of a reality dating show finds herself as a contestant on that very programme so to ensure her witty reviews score even more publicity for the show. Reluctant is not the word to describe how she feels about this but we see her take it on and fair play she handles everything far better than I would.
Her hilarious recaps of the show are what really kept me entertained throughout. I enjoyed seeing how Abby developed as a character, unsure at first the more she settled into the more she seemed to discover herself.
What a bunch of characters though; some to love and some most certainly to hate. They are all very well written and part of the fun!
I liked how the romance element was slow and steady, who would have thought in this nightmare scenario she would end up falling up for one of the show’s producers. Could love to put a spanner in her dream career plans?
Full of fun, wit and laughter. A great read, very well written. Highly recommended.