An interesting premise with shaky pacing and characterization, though I appreciated the nuanced look at how "reality" tv collapses the boundaries between authenticity and performance and the deleterious effects that can have on identity.

This premise sounded fascinating to me, but the execution was just mediocre. There were too many topics in one story and it felt too unfocused as a result. The actual romance was also too obvious, which didn't keep me as engaged.

I was intrigued by the premise of a Bachelor style book, but this was just not good.
I have many issues with this book. The main character was insufferable, she was very immature and I did not like that she was 22/23 looking for the love of her life. It seemed very unbelievable. The people I know that age are not thinking about marriage.
I also did not appreciate all the religious references throughout the book with this book not being labeled as having religious themes. It was really off putting.
Overall I would not recommend this book.

A "romance" with an exciting plot, but not the best execution. While I found the writing well done with some likable characters, I ultimately saw it falling flat for me in the end. With an exciting premise, I thought this would be an excellent book for me, but I did not see myself connecting with any of the main characters and their desires for anything: an okay read but nothing grand.

I was hoping this would be more of a romance in the TV worldbut it instead was more of contemporary fiction with a lot of social elements to get you thinking. Would be good for readers that enjoy these types of books.

An interesting read. I wasn’t enthralled but it was interesting.
Many thanks to PENGUIN GROUP and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Couldn't get into this. Terribly boring plot and a main character who was nothing special. What a bummer, though, I traditionally love novelistic takes on The Bachelor. DNF @ 20%.

This story was fun to read because it exposes some of the smoke and mirrors of reality TV. While I did enjoy the peak behind the curtain, I kept waiting for something to happen-- not like a thriller, but all good stories have some sort of dramatic moment, a twist, something shocking. This did not deliver unfortunately. This was definitely more of a coming of age (since Emily is in her early 20s), self-exploration story than one of romance, fun, or entertainment. Other than the main character Emily coming from a very religious background and now exploring her sexuality, there is nothing particularly interesting about the other characters or the overall storyline. The ending left much to be desired. There is some diversity amongst the twenty-some contestants and of course LGBTQ+ representation. I have no doubt that this would appeal to fans of The Bachelor, but for a book about a reality dating show I expected more. 3 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and Putnam Books for providing a digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This book reads like reality TV. Emily goes on a dating show. It is entertaining. Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for an ARC.

I think that the book itself was good, I just for some reason hate a bachelor book, lol. Just not terribly interesting of an overall premise.

By 15% through the book, I just have no interest in these characters so I’m DNFing. I liked the beginning just fine since I love the Bachelor/Bachelorette, although the descriptions of the dating show in the book seemed like a bit of a rip off of The Bachelor franchise. It was formatted the exact same.

I don’t really like Miranda and just don’t care about Emily either or any of the characters. Thanks anyway for the ARC!

Julia Argy's "The One" was not my favorite. I realized about a quarter of the way through the novel that I was the wrong audience for this book. I believe the right reader will find this love story sweet and endearing, especially if they enjoy shows like "The Bachelor" or adore Hallmark movies.

I was drawn to the idea of a love story unfolding behind the scenes of a popular dating reality show. Emily, the main character, is discovered by a producer out in public one day, and the next thing she knows, she's starring on a Bachelor-style dating show called "The One." She's surrounded by many other female contestants, who had to audition, unlike her, and are desperately looking for love, fame, or both. And they're all fighting for the same man, whether they want to, or not.

Unfortunately, I became bored quickly. Emily struck me as a caricature of a real person; she felt flat, uninteresting, and not at all realistic. Again, anyone who enjoys or doesn't mind a character lacking a lot of substance might enjoy Emily, but I didn't. And sadly, Emily was the most developed character in the book.

As always, read other people's reviews and watch "The One" for yourself, but it's not one I recommend.

3.5 Stars!

After losing her dead-end job, Emily is approached to be a contestant on a popular dating show called “The One.” In an attempt to do something different with her life and to come out from the shadows of life, Emily agrees. Once she arrives, she quickly discovers that her tenacious producer will do anything to win, and has slotted Emily to win it all. As she navigates how to be the perfect and most desirable contestant, she develops a close relationship with another girl on the show and Emily is forced to decide what she really wants.

When I first started this book, I didn’t think I was going to like it much at all. The MC and the writing felt a little awkward to me and I don’t watch dating shows so there wasn’t a huge draw for me. I’m glad I stuck it out because it ended up being a really tender exploration of finding yourself when you’ve always just done what is expected of you and the cultural expectations of what “falling in love” should look like.


Thank you Netgalley and G.P. Putnam’s Sons for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

A fun book for anyone who loves realityTV and romance. A fun (possibly) behind the scenes look at the reality TV world. This would be a fun beach read.

Fun engaging book with great representation I enjoyed it the whole way through and as an avid bachelor watcher it was right on point. I was so into it that I felt like I was watching a bachelor season and after I finished the book I even dreamed about some of the characters lol. Definitely would recommend this one

I am grateful for the opportunity to read and review The One. I did not expect the ending and I enjoyed reading it. It was not my favorite book but I enjoyed seeing what would happen.

Many thanks to Netgalley for the e-arc! Honestly I really struggled trying to get through this book. I feel that it starts off strong but then I just grew annoyed with our main character Emily. Wish this was a better book for me.

This book is not in the genre that I usually read, but I thought I would give it a try. Big mistake! I did not care for it at all. The premise is on the lines of the Batchelor, another thing that I don't watch...reality shows. Emily is targeted to be the winner right from the very start, sooooo, rigged. The book is told mainly from Emily's POV as we go through the eight weeks it takes to film the show.

I could not feel anything for any of the characters. They were just blah to me and I didn't care who would win or lose Dylan's love. And let's not get started on Dylan who seemed like nothing but a playboy, led by producers to do or say whatever they wanted. The chapters were way too long, there was never a good stopping place when you needed to put the book down, which happened a lot!

By the time I realized exactly in what direction the story was going, I figured I would go ahead and read what little was left to the book. However, that is a subject that I don't care for and I would never have started the book had I known,

In my opinion, I wish that I had never wasted my time on this. Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group for the advanced copy.

The One by Julia Argy was a book that I was really looking forward to reading but was unfortunately a miss for me. I loved the premise of the book but felt like it ultimately didn't capture the drama and delight that it could have. I'm sure others will feel differently but that was my own experience with it!

Thank you to Netgalley and PENGUIN GROUP Putnam, G.P. Putnam's Sons for the ARC. The One is out now!

Listened to 90 mins of the audio and just couldn’t get into this… it felt super silly and the MC was a child… very immature and inexperienced.