I wouldn't say I hated it, wouldn't say it was great, it was just a bit meh. Some good parts of the storyline but didn't keep me hooked.

Not my cup of tea, I'm afraid. It was inconsistent, there wasn't much depth to the characters, and the ending/the way the plot went didn't make up for any of it.

Interesting story of several girls who are filming a reunion show from when they were younger. The book goes back and forth between present day and each of the five seasons. The main character Belle goes through her perspective on how things were and how the host of the show wasn’t always fair.

I really enjoyed this book. I thought the concept was really good. I liked how it was throwback and then present. And the girls worked through all the stuff.

Good book with a few slow parts that did not drag the story down but did slow the pace of the story up. Overall it was good.

"The Real Deal" by Caitlin Devlin is a captivating story that delves into the complexities of fame, reality TV, and the power of secrets. As a fan of reality TV myself, I found the novel's premise intriguing and the exploration of behind-the-scenes drama compelling.
The protagonist, Belle Simon, is a complex and relatable character whose struggles with her past and her present are both heart-wrenching and thought-provoking. Devlin does a fantastic job of portraying Belle's internal conflict as she grapples with the decision to participate in the reunion special for The Real Deal.
The novel raises interesting questions about the nature of truth and fame. Is it more challenging to keep a secret when the world is watching or to tell the truth when no one is listening? Devlin skilfully navigates these themes, keeping readers engaged and eager to see how Belle's story unfolds.
While some may find the novel's pacing slow at times, I appreciated the attention to detail and the deep dive into Belle's emotions and motivations. Focusing on her inner turmoil added depth to the story and made her character feel more authentic.
Overall, "The Real Deal" is a thought-provoking and emotionally resonant novel that will leave readers questioning the impact of fame and the power of the truth. I would recommend it to anyone looking for a gripping read that goes beyond the surface of reality TV.

Sensationalism and reality tv crash together to create The Real Deal by Caitlin Devlin. What a fun book for anyone who loves Bravo! I could picture everything that was happening in my head and how it would play out on tv.

For fans of reality shows. This is a dual time line novel about Belle, who was a child star of sorts and then, when things went wrong (no spoilers) stepped away. But now she's been drawn back for a reunion. It's light, the chapters are short, and it's entertaining.

Ohhh this one was sooooo good! The Real Deal by Caitlin Devlin is a two timeline fiction about a group of young teen girls who are cast on a reality tv show (much like Dance Moms) and the fame and trauma that inevitably ensue. The second timeline is about a decade after the show ends, and explores a "reunion special" where the former child stars come back together.

As a Dance Moms fan I could not put this book down. There were so many similarities, but also enough that it was clearly a different story. I loved that it was focused on the girls as opposed to the moms and the mentor. While I found the first couple chapters a bit confusing, once the story gets going it unfolds in an addictive and unpredictable way. Anyone who enjoys reality tv or "behind the scene" docuseries/memoirs/podcasts etc. will love this book, despite being fiction it is very realistic and will definitely give reality junkies like me their fill. This one is out now so don't wait, grab your copy now!

I had high expectations for this novel based on the synopsis, and it fell flat for me. The characters were all completely unlikeable, and the plot did not keep me intrigued. I feel like it did a good job explaining the pressures that child stars have to endure, but I found the story to be very boring, unfortunately.

The premise is very simple, in my opinion. A group of young girls are trained under a star (Donna) in the entertainment industry to feature in a docu-series. Something happened that led to the abrupt end of the show after four successful seasons, but only Belle, one of the girls, is aware of the “real truth”.

The story is told through the lens of Belle and written in two different timelines, i.e. the present day and the flashback of the show. It starts in a way that suggests the main character, who is now grown, is conflicted about whether to go for the reunion of the show or not.

Before I get into how I feel about this book, I just need to say that the author did a superb job of depicting what the industry is really like. Few of the characters felt so real. You shouldn't miss that this is a good writer.

Now that that is out of the way, I didn't exactly appreciate the ending. It all just went flat after all that dragging. It felt like a big deal was made out of nothing, which isn't the case because abuse is a big deal. In a lot of books or shows, the reader or viewer is in the know most of the time and some characters are not. The reverse is the case in this book and, in my opinion, while that isn't a bad thing, it just means that how a person reacts to such a book is largely dependent on the ending, you know, the big reveal, the plot twist that would redeem all the secrecy.

The main character doesn't even make it easy, as she isn't very likeable. There was no character development. It says that “only Belle knows the real truth”. What truth? The one that Howie told her?

When I read the last line of the book, I was so upset. I kept screaming “What was the reason?” in my head. I don't know what to make of it honestly. There are three other directions that I think this book could have gone, but maybe it's just a preference thing. Sadly, this book isn't for me. Thanks to Lake Union Publishing via NetGalley for the ARC.

This book really took me by surprise. It was not at all what I expected.
I found this book to be so intriguing and was excited to find out more about the lives of the girls on the TV show. The double timeline was a great way to reveal plot points slowly and keep you hooked. Going back in time to the filming of the TV show, and then the present day where the reunion is being filmed.
The big reveal, (something that is continuously referred to, but not really revealed until the very very end) as to what Donna was accused of was a bit of a let down. The journey to get to the reveal was better than the reveal itself.

Overall it was an enjoyable read, but the ending was a bit of a let down and anti-climax!

Thanks to NetGalley, Lake Union Publishing, and Caitlin Devlin for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I went in not knowing what to expect, and ended up really loving this. Maybe it’s the Dance Moms fan in me? I found this really moving and emotional, and I think it’s a solid commentary on the many forms that abuse can take. I look forward to reading more of Devlin’s work in the future.

The description to The Real Deal sounds a lot more exciting than how it actually turned out. It felt like nothing really happened. It was very slow moving and quite boring. The chapters go back and forth between the past and the present. That was not an issue to moving the story along. There just was not anything thrilling to keep me wanting to keep reading. I could not read more than one chapter at a time because it would start putting me to sleep with how tedious it was.

I received a free review copy from the publisher in exchange for my honest unedited feedback but I am definitely going out to buy a physical copy for my bookshelf ASAP!

The story of a child reality TV star is given the opportunity to attend a 10 year reunion after the show ended in a shocking final episode. The plot was brilliant and is right up my street as a lover of reality TV.

My attention was grabbed straight away in the prologue and my attention was held the entire way through the book. The chapters were a nice size and I loved that they alternated between the past and the present to build the whole story. The writing is very detailed but flows well and is easy to read.

The characters and the way that the story was told felt so real; I can’t believe that it isn’t!

This was my first 5 star read of 2024 and I will definitely be recommending this to everyone. A very impressive debut and I can’t wait to see what Caitlin writes next!

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley to review.

If I had not needed to provide a review, I would have given up on this book about 25% of the way through. The beginning was slow. The middle was slow. And then I got to the end and I said out loud "THAT is what happened????"

I really thought the premise was interesting. As someone who watches a few reality tv shows, I was super interested in the "behind the scenes" aspect of this "reality show" but it fell flat for me. I expected to not want to put it down, but instead found that I had to force myself to pick it up.

Thank you netgalley and Lake Union Publishing for this ARC of ‘The Real Deal’ by Caitlin Devlin.

Firstly even just looking at the cover gave me Taylor Jenkins Reid vibes! And oh I was right. I cried so much which I was not expecting! I am completely in shock by how good this book actually was. It gave such a real and raw look at reality tv! Absolutely loved this!

When we are younger we dream of being TV stars. What we don't know behind the scenes could change our minds as we get older. Not everything is hunky dory as it may seem.

Belle is chosen to be on a TV reality show called The Real Deal at the age of 12. Belle follows in the footsteps of a TV star woman named Donna. When time goes on Belle finds herself in weird/not safe situations with Donna. Donna would have a different scary personality to the point where Belle is hiding for dear life. When Donna would calm down, Belle wouldn't be quite so scared anymore. Until eventually Belle has had enough.

At age 26 when Belle wants to get away from the cameras she is asked to come back to the finale reunion. She finds that she is going to be in more awkward situations that she is not comfortable with. After going on with her life the hard troubled past will Belle be able to continue on with the reunion?

This is a hard read for me. I struggled to read about the hardships that Belle had to go through. For example, being put in a position of losing your virginity on TV or walking away. The courage this woman had was unbelievable. There were situations she was put in that made her question who she was as a person.

I rated this a 3 because the story line is interesting which kept me wanting to read to find out how Belle changed her life outside of cameras. Even though this was a hard for me it doesn't mean it might not be a hard read for someone else. If you enjoy reading about people's lives behind the camera that you will enjoy it. Just know going into it that there may be some uncomfortable parts of the story.

Set in both London and Los Angeles, this book is VERY reminiscent of the show Dance Moms. It follows a small group of girls as they become part of a reality type show aimed at performance arts. The book is set in dual timelines, which adds interest to the book. I found it a bit slow and mundane at parts but overall interesting

The general synopsis is something I usually go for when reading, but the actual content is something that I've not read about before.

I do love a now and then story, and this was a perfect mix of that; seeing how the characters came to be who they are today. I can't imagine it's easy going through what they did at such a young age.

This is such a strong book for a debut, and I look forward to reading more from Devlin in the future.