OMG I loved Bea & this story!!!!!!!!!!!!  This author definitely has a 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ on her hands & a new fan!!!!!!!!  I was rooting for Bea & certain guys the whole time. I've never watched the tv show the Bachelorette/Bachelor show but I definitely might after having a kinda look into how it works.

I think this book will be a big hit with fans of The Bachelor series.  Personally, I have never been a huge Bachelor fan.  I have watched a few episodes of most of the seasons, but I have never made it through a complete season.  I just don't have a lot of patience for the drama and shallowness and unrealistic nature of the show.

However, I did really enjoy this book which is about a Bachelor-type show.  Bea is the first plus-sized woman to be featured on the reality show Main Squeeze.  When the show begins, she faces critique from both the shows' contestants and viewers.  But through the ups and downs of the show, Bea, the contestants and viewers all learn a lot about acceptance, self-confidence and finding true love.

Interspersed throughout the story are various e-mails, text conversations, chat room threads and articles about the show.  I thought these were a great, creative addition to the story!  First, there were spot on and so accurate to real life, which made them hilarious.  They also worked well to reveal plot details and keep the story moving in a unique way.

One thing that I didn't love was the depth of the romance.  Because Bea only has limited time with each man, it just didn't feel like any of the relationships had any depth.  How could they fall in love after only a few conversations?  I think this is actually where I get frustrated with the real Bachelor shows, so I guess it makes sense that it would frustrate me in the book as well.

In the end, this was a fun and fluffy read!  A must read for Bachelor fans, but even non-fans like myself can still find it enjoyable.  

Thanks to Netgalley and Random House for sending me an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.  This book will be available on July 7!

Perfect for average-sized (or any size) Bachelor fans, One to Watch follows plus size blogger Bea on a journey of self-discovery and true love as she is a contestant on the reality show Perfect Match.  Fun and body-positive, One to Watch lets you experience all the tropes of the reality genre - True love!  Fantasy suites! Are you there for the right reasons? - while at the same time poking fun at the reasons those shows drive us crazy - the lack of diversity, and well "reality" of them all.  A fun read perfect for summer.

I couldn't put this book down! It was just like a reality show where I had to see what would happen next.. Although, I would say the very beginning did not quite fit. I kept waiting for the cape to turn back up in the story. That being said, the story was a fun read. 

I loved so many of the secondary characters- Marin, Asher, Linus, Gwen, Wyatt, Sam- they were so unique and fun. Then there were the villains- Luc, Ray, and Lauren. UGH. I was mad that Bea did not seem to hold Lauren responsible for the bullshit she pulled. I wish they would have had it out, honestly. 

I wish Bea would have had more self-confidence, though. Given her social media platform, and the tirade she went on about how more diverse body sizes should be on Main Squeeze, and the fact that she agreed to be on the show- she still was constantly second guessing herself and the men on the show. It was disappointing. I wish she would have made more progress on that throughout the book..

Overall, it was a fast, enjoyable read. I wouldn't mind if this turned into a series with Marin being next! I would love to hear an update on Bea and Asher, too .

A fun beginning to this book, however it goes quickly downhill. It may be because I despise shows like "The Bachelor". And while I get that this is a new twist on those shows it just moved too slow. And was still all the annoying things associated with those shows.Not for me, but if you enjoy shows like that you will love this book.

Super cute and fun, even if you aren’t a fan or viewer of similarly themed reality tv shows!  

I do not regularly watch the Bachelor, Bachelorette, or their spin offs, but I have caught an episode here and there. I'd simply rather spend my free time reading & drinking coffee, and yet, I loved this book.  The author does a wonderful job putting you in the book.   You empathize with the all of the characters, and root for your favorite contestant. 

Bea is a plus size blogger, who after writing a scathing blog post about the lack of diversity in the television show, Main Squeeze, is selected as the next bachelorette. In doing so, Bea must get over her embarrassment about her size; even though she's confident in her own life, being tossed to the public is a different challenge. She also must get over her best friend, whom she is hopelessly in love with.  The show makes her go on a journey of self discovery and empowerment.   There are parts that are heartbreaking, but still it's a very  enjoyable read.  Add this one to your cart before you head on your summer vacation!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for my advanced copy in exchange for a review.

One to Watch reminded me so much of The Bachelorette. I love The Bachelor and Bachelorette.⁣
⁣
Bea is a size 20 female fashion influencer/blogger who after calling out Main Squeeze on her blog for no diversity and never having women over size 4 gets chosen to be the “main squeeze.”⁣
⁣
You follow every episode including the reunion of her show and the tweets and podcasts throughout social media discussing it.⁣
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Not only is this story about finding a suitor, it’s about her learning self love and working through some of her darkest fears.⁣
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I really enjoyed this one. It was a touch long but I really liked Bea and was rooting for her. ⁣
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⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⁣
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Thank you @netgalley for an ARC for my honest review. #books #bookstagram #romcom #OneToWatch #netgalley⁣
⁣

This story moves quickly and Bea is the character you are rooting for and want to have things work out for. That said, I struggled a lot with understanding her obsession with Ray. He isn’t built up enough at any point to warrant the destruction he seems to cause. I wanted Bea to win and to love herself, but the plot around Ray kept it from being a book I would highly recommend to one I would just suggest to someone looking to explore body positivity and a somewhat diverse main character. I do appreciate the discussion of weight and prejudices against both men and women, but found this to book to be lacking in a lot of ways it could have been great.

This book may be about a fat person, but I would not recommend this book for fat people!

Some reasons:
1) There are so many incredibly hateful things in this book! They are intentionally hateful, as in twitter comments people make to fat people. We all know what those look like. If you don't want to read them while you're trying to enjoy a romance, know that they're there.
2) The fatness of the main character doesn't make sense! She needs a seatbelt extender in airplanes, but all her clothing is designer. I picked a random sampling of designers namedropped and looked at their online stores, and only one sold clothes that would fit me, a person who does not require a seatbelt extender in airplanes. It would make way more sense if all her clothing was bespoke (like Aidy Bryant's clothing on Shrill).
3) The way that fat issues are portrayed in this book is SO FLAT. It all has to do with beauty standards and dating issues, which fine, it's a romance about someone on a reality show, but still. Making it seem like that's all there is to it, when the way that fat people get treated by medical providers and in the workplace is right there. Or the fatphobia intersects with race/class. Even just the author/character's understanding of issues at hand didn't feel informed to me in any real way. I could go on.

Apart from that:
* I laughed out loud at the portrayal of academia in this book. It bears zero resemblance to reality.
* I felt really uncomfortable about the way a gender noncomforming child was used in this book. The kid felt like they were there as a prop to make their father look like a good person for loving them. Loving your children is the bare minimum!!!!! Let's raise that bar!!!!
* The book felt very white feminist to me. It had some throwaway things that felt transphobic to me. And again, the focus on beauty standards as the main issue for fat people just made it so hollow.

All that said:
* Two stars because I love a mixed media style book--emails, tweets, blog posts, transcripts, etc. It's a propulsive read.
* Just like reality television, you know it's not good while you're watching it but you just have to know how it ends.

***Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for my honest review.***

Thank you Netgalley and Random House for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!

OH MY GOODNESS. Can I give this book more than 5 stars? Because I totally would. The Bachelor vibes + plus size representation? Yes please!

Bea is a plus-size fashion blogger, and when the new season of Main Squeeze aired, she ended up writing an entire blog post about about it after drinking a little too much wine. She complained about the lack of diversity on the show. 

Just when Bea swears off dating after getting her heartbroken yet again from the guy she's been interested in for years, she ends up getting a surprising call offering her to be the next star of Main Squeeze. Bea decides to take it to help her career and inspire women that you can be beautiful at any size, but promises herself she will not fall in love. But as the cameras begin rolling, Bea finds herself in complicated yet wonderful situations. Between amazing (and not-so amazing) men, plot twists, messy and wholesome situations, Bea has to decide if it's worth trusting these men for a possible happily ever after.

This is without a doubt one of my favorite reads of the year. Although predictable at times, this story was incredibly entertaining. I loved the format, the characters, the body positivity, and all of the crazy Bachelor vibes in-between. I will definitely be reading more from this author! I loved it!

Book friends, I have a terrible secret to share with you. Despite all my feminist leanings and reviews here, I am a long term....viewer of... The Bachelor. *hides face in hands*

Now that I have gotten some of my deep shame out of the way, let me say that this was a heartwarming wish-fulfillment book for fans of reality TV, especially the Bachelor. For anyone who watches (or hate-watches) the Bachelor, occasionally throwing things at the TV for the show’s constant lack of diversity, this book is for you. In it, a show that is clearly a thinly veiled version of the Bachelor casts a plus-size woman as the lead, and follows her journey choosing between 25 men, some of whom are clearly not there “for the right reasons,” and others who are downright cruel to her because of her size, and several gems who truly get her. Though this book is frothy, fun, and an easy beach read, it also has something great to say about reality TV and our culture in general and the way it only shares a very narrow version of “happily ever after.” Welp, this book’s version is like a fantasy balm for this problem, with a diverse cast in size and ethnicity and even touched on some great stuff about gender identity and sexuality. This book is for anyone who ever wishes reality TV was more reflective of the real world. It’s also just a lovely, sweet romance with a great sense of humor and a perfect ending. I loved Bea and her journey (Bachelor buzz word alert!) on the show, and I am a new fan of Kate Stayman-London.

Thanks to NetGalley, Penguin Random House and Kate Stayman-London for the advance copy of this feel-good book I really needed today in exchange for my honest review. I’ll be looking out for more socially conscious, heartfelt and romantic reads by this great author.

Calling all Bachelor Nation fans! One to Watch is the book you're looking for this summer since the Bachelorette won't be airing (thanks covid).

Bea is a fashion blogger who also loves to tweet each season of Main Squeeze (a la Bachelor).  When the new season of Main Squeeze airs she's had WAY too much wine and decided to write a blog post about the disappointing season premiere for Main Squeeze and the lack of diversity on the show.  When it comes time to select the new suitor on Main Squeeze the new showrunner comes to Bea to see if she's up for the challenge.  Bea is grappling with her own heartbreak after sleeping with her engaged best friend.  Although Bea knows trolls will come for her on the internet she decides to join Main Squeeze.

Although One to Watch was predictable at times I really enjoyed it.  If you've watched the Bachelor/ette then you'll see quite a few comparisons.  It's the nice version of Unreal (a now cancelled Lifetime show based on the Bachelor show).  I enjoyed Bea's journey to find love even though she wasn't quite sure if she's ready to take that leap at the beginning.  The fictional Main Squeeze also had more diversity than the Bachelor/ette and I hope they'll take a cue from this book.  Even if you're not a fan of the shows that make up Bachelor Nation I think many will enjoy this book that is about self acceptance, love and learning to take a leap in life.

During this book you get to follow Bea, who is a plus size fashion blogger, on her journey to find love. Main squeeze is a show a lot like the bachelorette. During the book you see Bea struggle with a lot of things including her own self confidence. 

Personally I LOVED this book. It was amazing to see a character like me in a story. Once I started reading I never wanted to put it down!

This book was so refreshing! I loved getting to see this perspective. As a huge fan (and critic) of the bachelor series, it was great to see an out of the box contestant and I wish we saw more of that in person! Absolutely loved. Thank you for telling this story.

While this is a fun, light read, it wasn’t quite as well-written as I’d hoped. I like the use of alternate forms of storytelling, but there were a few too many forms of social media incorporated into the book. I also wanted a bit more depth to the characters. All in all a fun book, but it could have been better with more character development.

Awesome book! 5/5. I loved the background information of what happens on a reality tv show. For the most part,I knew how the story would end but there were a few twists that were unexpected! I highly recommend this book!!

This book was so. much. fun! A perfect summer release, this romcom about a Bachelor-esque show's first plus-size bachelorette had me engaged and rooting for Bea (and my favorite of her suitors) at every turn. The plot is interspersed with fun internet paraphernalia relating to the show - tweets, a podcast transcript, online articles, a recurring fan chat with my favorite subplot - and I found those just as entertaining as Bea's POV of events.

I don’t like to watch shows like The Bachelorette or Bachelor and this book is kind of like that but it’s so fun. It’s not as cheesy and played out as the actual shows.
I love the diversity and Bea is an all around like able  character. This book had me hooked from start to finish The little boy in there is so much like my little boy.
It makes me happy to see something  in a book that more people  can relate to and the author definitely touched on quite a
few things in this book. I would definitely rate this book 100 stars out of 5!!  I would Definitely read more books by this author

"One To Watch" by Kate Stayman-London is a novel following the journey of a plus size fashion blogger as she looks for love. Bea is a self-made successful woman who finds herself extremely single after pining for a man that is now engaged to someone else. So what does this famous fashionista do? She joins the cast of a notorious dating show called, "Main Squeeze" where she gets to choose one man from 25 of the most eligible bachelors in the country. During the filming of the show, Bea will change and learn some hard lessons but the real question is... will she find love?

Reading this book felt just like watching "The Bachelor" but with a new, behind the scenes spin. Author Kate Stayman-London does a wonderful job of crafting an entertaining story. The book includes snippets of reports, social media postings and other writings, discussing the featured show. These items were funny but sometimes ran a little longer than I would have preferred as a reader. However, I loved the book and I couldn't put it down. The book includes some pop references including Chris Evans, which was a personal favorite of mine! #CallChris This book is sure to be a hit with readers looking for an entertaining romance! 

Reviewer's Notes: 
Special thank you to Random House and NetGalley for providing a free copy of this book to me in exchange for an honest review. 

Full review will be posted on 7/7/2020 at www.literatureandlattes.net and shared via Instagram and Twitter.

3.5 Stars! Cute, fun, predictable romantic comedy. 

The story follows Bea, a plus size fashion blogger living in California. While Bea is confident in her career and fashion, she is struggling in her love life. For almost a decade Bea has been in love with Ray, one of her best friends. Though it’s a toxic relationship- Ray has been taking her for granted, sending mixed signals, and continuing to pursue Bea while engaged to someone else. 

Just when Bea swears off men she is offered the chance to star on the reality show called Main Squeeze (similar to The Bachelorette). 25 men are selected to fight for her attention, and date her with the hopes of a proposal. I really liked how each of the guys felt completely different from each other, and cared about her in their own ways. Loved the epilogue!

What I didn’t like was how the book changed between normal text, to emails, phone texts, messages, blogs posts, tweets, dialogue transcripts, etc. Because of this format, we missed some of the big moments in the book- instead we read about them from a news article. I would’ve liked to have seen Bea’s reaction in the moment. 

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for sending me an ARC.