A fantastic fun read, filled with fabulous characters and an interesting story. It was brilliant watching Abby infiltrate the reality show as she also wrote her funny recaps about the show.
Cue a hilarious time as she tries to be on both sides of the show, complicated by an unexpected attraction to someone who isn’t the stag she should be trying to woo!
I really enjoyed the concept of this book, it was a captivating and amusing story that had me turning the pages well into the night as I had to find out what was going to happen next!

Getting away from the UK weather is an extra bonus for Abby Jones. Well, that and the chance to get all the inside gossip from The Stag, a Bachelor-esque type dating show being filmed in Sydney. Abby has been writing recaps online under a pseudonym and now she finds herself as one of 'The Does', pitted against 11 other women for the Stag's affections.

Abby finds herself immersed in the dating game but walking a fine line between her own interests balanced with the friendships she is making with some of the girls of the house. Abby didn't figure on feeling like she was betraying newfound friends as she dishes the dirt. She also didn't figure on falling in love. So what's a girl to do?

The Dating Game includes some fun descriptions of Australiana, with some fairly distinct Australian slang. I've not used some of the utterances and not many of my friends are as broad in their accents as I imagine one of the characters to be but perhaps it appeals to international readers' preconceived notions about what we sound like?

It's a fun look at a dating reality show and what may or may not happen behind the scenes. It gives an idea of how living in close quarters under such unusual conditions and having scenarios engineered can affect people's perceptions. The Dating Game was a clean romance with some brief but heated kissing and talk of getting a room. Reflective of true life, the best bits are in the recaps.

Abby, a young investigative journalist, is immersed in a reality dating show to write an article.
The book shows us the ins and outs of the program with a friendly and romantic humor, without any surprises. Maybe the book is a bit bland for my taste but it is certainly ideal to enjoy this summer.

A delightful story of two very likeable main characters. Abby is such a relatable character. If you're a bit quirky yourself, you will definitely be able to identify with her. This is a fun, fast-paced romp jetting from England to Sydney, Australia with a dating show as the backdrop. Perfect as a summer-beach read!

Thank you to Harper Collins UK, One More Chapter (via NetGalley) for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Dating Game is about our main character Abby, a writer who is currently writing recaps of reality tv under an alias. A recap of The Stag goes viral and Abby is called to be on set not only to write her recaps but also to be on the show while undercover.

I was unfortunately disappointed by this book. I was hooked on the description but the story, characters, flow of events all fell flat. I felt no connection to any of the characters and the events of the story just didn't flow well for me, it felt like some scenes were cut sooner and rushed into something else making it very confusing. The romance between the characters felt very bland and it didn't feel like I was reading a romance book anymore.

The premise of the book is definitely interesting but the execution was not what I was looking for. But it could be that the book does differently with other readers, so please do check it out if it's something you might enjoy!

I was so disappointed... You know this feeling when you going out of town and take a book - this one, this seems to be perfect for some time off, and then you realized that you are bored as hell? Yeah, me too.

I expected some nice love stories, especially after reading a description. Of course, it was about love, finding it, discover it day by day, but the background was annoying. We all know how reality tv shows work and I'm not naive to think that there is anything more than fame, popularity, and competition about almost every single detail. And here? You can see it clearly.

For me, it is so much in one book. Many ideas, but the author does not really follow one lead, it's multiple and sometimes it is confusing. I like to know what exactly is this book about - daily catch-up what happened in the major is not really my cup of tea.

No deeper emotions, no deeper bond, relations - not when the main character is a liar. And the fact that the ending seems to be... just unfinished. That was strange, weird and in fact, hard to say if the story is a "happy ending" one or "then the reality came" one.

Not the best holiday book that I have read and hope to find other authors' books much better than this one.

Fun easy read you can get done in one day. The Dating Game is a good escape from your day to day. Fun characters, fun storyline great book club read.

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion - thanks for letting me read this book by Sandy Barker.

This is a fun, fast-paced romp jetting from England to Sydney, Australia with a dating show as the backdrop.

Our heroine, poor Abby/Abs/Abigail/Anastasia is spinning from one snarky personality to another humorous one as she tries to keep up with her own lies and storylines as a journalist and participant on the dating show. She is full of wit and insight, but can she figure out what she wants?

My favorite part of the book is Abby's relationship with the other women on the dating show. Not everyone is who they appear to be - not even when you've read their secret dossier. These relationships are tested through the course of "dating" the same man on the reality TV show. Abby is the glue for these women, helping them stick together and to stick up for each other. Way to go for girl power!

My next favorite part is Abby's relationship with Jack. They are unsure of each other, they don't always get along, and they keep coming back for more clandestine meetings. He is charming, maybe a little nerdy, and has a large collection of memorable t-shirts. Jack also seems to really want what's best for Abby, but he's not sure what that is going to be.

I wasn't sure what to think about Daniel, the "stag", on the dating show. Sometimes, most times, he's a twat. But then there are a few real moments with him where he is more than a cardboard character. In the end, I feel a little sorry for him.

There are some fun kissing scenes, but no sex on the page.
Overall, this is hilarious and a great light-hearted read. I recommend it.

This was a fun, easy read for an afternoon! I enjoyed the Australian setting and the cast of characters. The storyline was a bit far fetched but enjoyable with plenty of plot twists along the way to keep you interested. Thank you for the opportunity to read this book!

The Dating Game is a fun and lighthearted book about journalist Abby and her assignment undercover behind the scenes of a reality dating show. With a good storyline and great characters, this is an easy and entertaining read.

I’d give this book 3.5 ⭐️. It was a fun and funny read. I loved the witty descriptions and details. I laughed out loud on more than one occasion. The bachelor storyline was definitely entertaining. Even though there were lots of characters I felt they were easy to keep up with. I wish the relationship had developed more between Jack and Abby. Although I liked their characters I wasn’t really convinced. I also felt the story seemed to drag on and then ended quickly. Not necessarily a bad thing it just made it harder to keep my interest. I found myself starting and stopping a lot. Overall I think this one is worth a read. You’ll definitely be entertained.

Thank you Harper Collins UK for the ARC

The Dating Game is the perfect pick-me-up for anyone who's having a bad day. It's funny, light, and packs a serious punch in its 290 pages. What I love most about this novel is that it doesn't take itself too seriously—unlike the real show it's based upon. Barker crafts a lovely protagonist in Abby, who is not only a heroine every reader will root for but also an incredibly genuine person.

Despite the humor included throughout the novel, I found that I didn't truly enjoy it until well into the third act, once I was well and truly into the swing of things. The writing in this novel can also be a little too much—OTT, as Abby herself would say—but it adds to the story's irreverence. My biggest issue with The Dating Game is its secondary cast of characters, especially Abby's love interest. I found him to be quite static and sometimes even infantile compared to Abby. I was constantly frustrated and mystified by her insistence on being with him. Abby's close friend—one of the Does—at the end of the novel also had a character arc that I wasn't completely convinced by.

Nevertheless, The Dating Game is a solid read, perfect for both fans of The Bachelor and those who are always looking for the good in reality TV show contestants behind all of the post-production editing.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter for providing me with a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review. I will post this review to my Goodreads and my blog shortly.

The dating game by Sandy Barker was a delightful story of two very likable main characters. I download this book before I went to the beach and enjoyed every minute of it. As I’m not a viewer of the bachelor I was surprised by how much I enjoyed the TV show setting. I found the main character very funny especially in her role as critic. But it was the Australian background characters that really brought levity to the story. It was a bit longer than I thought necessary but that did not detract from my Enjoyment of this book. #Netgalley

I am OBSESSED with the whole “rose” franchise of tv shows that this book is loosely based on- so to say that I was excited to read this is an understatement. It was a very witty a great book, with a happy ending and some good plot twists

This is a DNF for me. The main character is far too manic for my tastes and I am not connecting with the book.

SO FUN! As an avid Bachelor watcher, I freaking LOVED reading this book! I rooted for these characters in this slow burn romance and Barker made me fall in love more than once with the story. I cannot WAIT to read more from this author!

The only thing better than reality tv is books that are set in reality tv, honestly! This was so good, SO GOOD!

In the same vein as "One to Watch" by Kate Stayman-London (fans of that book would love this book!), The Dating Game is set, literally, in a dating game a la The Bachelor/Bachelorette. I really like that our main character, Abby/Abigail/Anastasia(!) was a contestant instead of the main bachelorette. It allowed for more female characters, and although it wouldn't necessarily pass the literary Bechdel Test, these characters were mostly likable and built solid friendships that felt true to the story and surpassed the 'fight for a guy' reality tv setting.

This was a really enjoyable read, and really hit the spot for that light summer romance read that I'm always looking for this time of year.

I thought this book was so much fun! Abby writes recaps of a popular dating show (think Bachelor/Bachelorette) and she is hilarious! Her reviews are beloved by many as they're full of snark, sass, and humor. So much so that that the producers of the show decide they want her to be an undercover contestant on the show which would help boost their ratings as well as gain exposure for her writing. The catch: Abby writes her recaps under an alias and doesn't want to give away her true identity. She also doesn't want to go on the show as her true self because she has no interest in doing anything but promoting her writing.

And then she meets the executive producer, Jack. At that point she wants to commit completely to finding true love, only not with the chosen bachelor for the show. She weaves a tangled web of lies as she tries to keep her identity a secret from the other female contestants, win the heart of the "stag" (even though she has no interest in him whatsoever), keep her anonymous column front and center, and somehow form and keep relationships.

It's an interesting story for many reasons - it's very original in it's concept. The characters are funny. The dialogue is great. And as a fan of "those" kind of shows, I could see the humor and possibly the reality in a little bit of the storyline. It's a great look into the behind the scenes truth of reality shows - even though it's exaggerated a bit.

My only complaint was the confusion in the dialogue and recaps (and this could very well be because I was,
1. reading on an e-reader and 2. not reading the final copy). There were times I wasn't sure if Abby was giving a firsthand account or if she was recalling something as her alter ego for the column. She switched back and forth often so it could be hard to decipher at times...

There was a disclaimer at the beginning of the book about the amount of characters to keep up with, but I honestly didn't have a problem with it. Once I got into the dynamics of the "show" it was easy to keep up with who was who and I felt like I was watching a reality show in real time. Overall, a fun (and funny!) read!

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I really wanted to like this book but unfortunately
- it was very slow, nothing really happened.
-there wasn’t enough drama. Scrap that. There wasn’t any drama.

To recap I was bored 80% of the time

Plus I don’t know if it was because I read it on ebook but when a chapter started with a recap it was confusing. I could not tell what was part of the recap and what was the narrator’s POV

I would like to thank Harper Collins UK and NetGalley for allowing me to read an ARC of this book.

This book had me laughing out loud and cheering Abby/Abigail on. It is a sweet romance that leaves you feeling happy and content. The characters are wonderful and quirky with some you will love to hate.

If you hate Reality TV than this is a must read for you. Those that like Reality TV may be a bit put out. A woman is sent undercover on to a tv show where one man will pick a potential bride. It’s the last place in the world she wants to be but what ensues is a mixture of humour, friendship and love with a dash of mean girl thrown in.

A perfect beach read or for whenever you want to read something fun.