This was super cute! I like Rachel a lot, so I was intrigued that she had written a romance novel. I did feel like it could've cooked for a little longer, but still had a good time. Keep going, girl!

Unfortunately I did not like this book as much as I wanted to. The beginning was good but as I kept reading my interest started to fade. The romance was extremely rushed. I swear I blinked and Maya was falling for someone new. I liked Kai but I wanted to see more of a build up to their relationship. The dating show aspect and the random blog posts felt a bit strange to me. They didn’t seem relevant to the rest of the story. I do think that readers who are familiar with Lindsay and are fans of The Bachelorette will enjoy this. I did love the overall message of the book though. It’s all about taking risks and finding your happiness which is something we all need!

I have followed Rachel Lindsey since her bachelor days and can appreciate that she sticks to her guns and fights for what she believes in. When I saw the book was fiction, I was really excited to read it and it did not disappoint. I felt like we got little glimpses into her life and being a woman in a male dominated field even if it was not exactly the same job she had and I love the reality dating show concept and seeing how the journey for Maya evolved into her going after what she wants, not what she thinks she needs. There was some romance, girl drama, friends, and lots of laughs in this book and I enjoyed it. I do think the ending was a bit rushed but it does leave it open for potentially a second one.

Thanks to NetGalley, Penguin Random House, and Rachel Lindsey for the advanced copy!

I was excited for this book, but I'm having a hard time getting into it. This feels more like a story of Maya's own personal development and less like a romance. I'm about 35% in and we just met the love interest.

Also, we keep getting the blog posts about Delilah's time on the show, but they don't feel relevant. Almost as if I'm reading two different stories.

I'm going to try this one again in a few days and see if I'm able to get a bit more attached to the story. So far, I'm a bit bored.

Where would the road not traveled have taken us? It's interesting to imagine how saying no to opportunity may end up being exactly what we need sometimes. Not every offer is meant to be taken! Rachel Lindsay knows romance and doesn't rely too heavily on the reality dating show plot line (which I worried about heading into this one). A solid debut!

This is the debut novel of former Bacehlorette star Rachel Lindsay. How perfect that the main character is going on a reality dating show. Now for the review- I would give this a 3.25, I really love the cover, and I loved the idea concept. A girl with a plan, and then in a battle with herself on whether to stay the course or go after something new. I really think the characters could have been developed more, and the romance built up a little more. The rushed ending made it hard to see actually happening. I would have liked to have connected more to the characters, but that's where I think the character development could see improvement.
For a debut novel I think this was a good read.

As a massive fan of the Bachelor franchise and of Rachel Lindsay herself I was so excited for this book! And it certainly delivered considering it’s a debut in this genre. It’s sweet, funny, hilarious, and overall a great time to read. Can’t wait for more from Rachel Lindsay!!

Thank you to Net Galley + Rachel Lindsay + the publisher for this copy of an ARC.


Let me start this out by saying I’ve been a huge fan of Rachel since the world was introduced to her on the Bachelor/Bachelorette - I followed her season closely, ran to my local target to buy her memoir “Miss Me With That”, and have followed her career pretty closely.

“Real Love” is the story of Maya Johnson, a 29 year old trying to advance in her finance career and make her mom proud. Alongside Maya is her younger sister who is her polar opposite, long term former NFL player boyfriend Vaughn, her colleague/friend Bailey, and her best friend Delilah who is the star of a show similar to The Bachelorette called “Real Love.”


As I shared before, I’ve been a fan of Rachel’s since her debut on reality tv. I saw many pieces of her stories shared over the years intertwined in this book, and felt like I got more out of the book as a result.

That being said - I give this a 3-3.5 out of 5 (rounding up). The romantic connection in the book felt a bit forced, and the ending also felt a bit rushed to me. The depth to which Maya explores her own desires vs. meeting parental expectations is the most interesting part - as well as her friendship with Delilah. With the last 10% or so feeling rushed, the finale just was not fully believable to me.

It’s pretty decent for a debut romance novel, but more could’ve gone into the development of the romances shared.

First of all, I LOVE the cover. It's so gorgeous and definitely drew me into the book. The story itself let me down a little bit. The writing was just so-so and I didn't really connect with the characters. Beyond that, I didn't feel chemistry between the characters themselves which made the romance hard to believe. The plot felt disjointed and the ending felt rushed. I didn't hate it but I was hoping for a bit more.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

SUCH A FUN READ ✨

I loved the premise of this one, especially considering the author! Maya and her friends are so relatable and so well-written. I want to join their friend group! The love story was beautiful and I was so happy for them in the end.

Can’t wait to read whatever Rachel comes up with next!

As a devoted Bachelor Nation viewer who found Rachel Lindsay's Bachelorette season far superior to any of her fellow franchise leads, I was intrigued to learn she was making the leap to be a fiction novelist (yes, I know she already penned a memoir of essays). Color me surprised, but Lindsay can write and deliver such a well-written, compelling women's fiction story full of intriguing language. Honestly, I was a touch surprised that is was well-written for a Bachelor alum and further proving that Lindsay is way more than just a typical reality TV personality turned influencer because she's got a serious talent for writing.

I did enjoy Real Love over MIss Me With That, her memoir, with a particular fondness for its ability to inspire readers to follow their own hearts because Maya's journey is beautiful, vulnerable, inspirational and authentic. And like, I get the point of the open-ended conclusion, but, like I need answers in the form a sequel STAT because I need answers.

It took a few chapters to get into the story but once I was I was definitely invested. The MC is relatable and sweet. Maya is set on achieving high goals, too bad they aren’t hers. Still, she’s being the good daughter, sister and friend. We quickly realize how focused she is and wish for more for her. That more pops up rather quickly and it’s hard not to be invested in it. Everything leads up to that ending which is just….. not it. You feel duped and confused. I’m all for a switch up but that ending didn’t even make any sense. That ruined it for me. That sucks because I really, really liked it.

*Thank you to Dell via NetGalley for the ARC recommendation*
 
Regarding Real Love, I do have a couple disclaimers.  First, I watched Rachel’s season as the Bachelorette, but I didn’t watch her season as a contestant. This is only relevant because when I saw she had written a novel, I was excited to read it since she’s been making quite a name for herself with her various projects outside of Bach Nation.  Also, I prefer to address authors by their last name in reviews, but Rachel is just…Rachel, so Rachel she shall remain.  Furthermore, I probably read more romances than is normal, so I’ve been through a lot of tropes, phrases, moments, euphemisms, etc.  Let’s just say I’ve been around the block when it comes to contemporary romances and women’s fiction.  Like around the neighborhood really.
 
Now on to the book itself.  Real Love is about a high-powered finance analyst, Maya, who has recently turned down the chance to be the lead on a reality dating show (sound familiar?) to stay on track with her plan of getting a coveted promotion at her job that is just within her reach.  Instead of being confident in her decision to decline, Maya finds herself at a crossroads as to what truly makes her happy not just in her career, but also in her relationships (family, dating, friendships), and even in herself. 
 
Upon reading, Rachel’s solid writing was apparent.  I haven’t read her first book but I know she’s a great speaker so I wasn’t surprised that her storytelling flowed well but I couldn’t help but feel everything sounded familiar already (see second disclaimer above).  It felt like the phrases and internal musings were cobbled together from other novels.  Like if there was a phrase generator specifically for contemporary romances, Rachel’s pulled from it at least 10x.  It all just felt…been there, done that? Not to say Rachel’s spin on the premise wasn’t different from other romances, since she included the reality dating show subplot (I thought it would be more like One to Watch, honestly), but the overall vibe was just...basic.
 
Speaking of...Maya has some confidence issues, which is perfectly fine, everyone does, but what I couldn’t wrap my head around was her constant self put-downs and comparisons to the other female characters, especially since we’re supposed to believe she had the Je ne sais quoi to be picked for the lead of Real Love (the dating show the book is also titled after).  Not only that but SPOILER!!! Maya was offered the opportunity AGAIN. So twice she was picked! The lady who is as drab as her beige apartment, freely admits “it’s become abundantly clear that I’m just flat-out boring” like yes, girl. You are.  But you’d be a perfect candidate to date multiple men at once on national TV. Not.
 
Ok character assassination aside, (I’m so sorry, I really was rooting for Maya and her HEA), the pacing of the book felt off since there was so much world building and back stories in the beginning (and honestly like 15x too many mentions of Miami) and the part that I love the MOST about romances, the woo (the getting to know you and falling in lust/love and butterflies), felt honestly glossed over and instead we basically get a recap of feelings.  If you can’t make me fall in love along with the characters, you’ve lost me.  Even if this book was supposed to be about self-love and growth for the main character, it fell flat.
 
With that said, I do think people who are fans of Big Rach and who don’t normally read excessive amounts of love stories like I do, could enjoy this book.  It has funny moments and there is solid advice about not lowering your standards to be happy.  There’s also a great redemption arc…for Maya's sister.  Overall, the book was a 2.5/5 for me.  I think Rachel is a good writer and I have no doubt she’ll have better luck with her next book, but I couldn’t get on board with this one.  Also, the casual shitting on Chicago on one of the show recaps? Not cool. Real Love publishes in March 2023.

Thank you, NetGalley for this ARC.

I’m sad to say that I did not enjoy this book as much as I thought I would based on the synopsis. The plot was frustrating and the ending was confusing,

So much fun! I do think that it’s more women’s lit than romance, I love a good “woman gets her life together” story. It makes me feel good in my hot messiness.

It’s really cool to read a fictional story from someone I watched on television! I think it was a great story and Rachel should keep up the good work!

I am a huge fan of Rachel Lindsay from the Bachelor/Bachelorette and loved her first fiction/romance Real Love. The main character was so relatable and I loved the story. Plus, a storyline about reality tv, sign me up. I would definitely recommend!

4.5 stars rounded up

Thank you to the author, Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Dell, and NetGalley for providing an early copy to review!

I liked this book, it was very engaging and I wanted to know what was coming next. It is marketed as a romance, and I don't think it is. It is more a coming of age type story for an adult. There is a little romance in it, but that is not the center of the book. Overall good.

I just don’t know how to explain this book. While I thought I was really gonna like the plot, it was kind of all over the place. I did enjoy the MC, Maya. She had a lot
Of growth throughout the book and I loved that for her. I enjoyed that Ella, her sister, never gave up on trying to get her to fulfill her dreams. And Kai was adorable.

This book was like if The Charm Offensive met How to Loose a Guy in 10 Days, and I absolutely loved it! It felt like a true romcom captured in a lovely book, and I don't feel that way often with typical contemporary romances, as the common tropes get used over and over again in my opinion. For anyone looking to fall in love with a new incredible cast of characters, check this out!