Her once promising writing career stalled, romance author Jacqueline decides to become a contestant on a reality dating show with the goal of getting her name out in the public and hopefully revive her book sales. On the night before she gives her life over to the tv show, she has a sizzling one night stand with a stranger named Henry.

When she arrives on set for her first day of shooting, they’re both shocked to see each other- because it turns out that Henry is one of the producers. Jacqueline’s supposed to be winning the heart of the show’s star Marcus, but she can’t seem to keep away from Henry. Their forbidden love affair is as hot as it is messy as they risk blowing up both their lives if they continue to give into temptation.

Devore’s novel is full of entertaining behind the scenes drama that will appeal to fans of reality shows.

3.5 ⭐️

The book follows Jac, who goes on a Bachelor-like show and winds up being the villain.

You could really tell the author did a lot of research into the show. As someone who's watched it off and on for years, the details were spot on. I like how it highlighted the toxic environment, the manipulations by producers, the toxicity of fans and social media, and so much more. I liked that Jac wasn't the most likable person, but I still rooted for her. I also loved Henry, one of the producers, and their romance, but I wanted more of it. The ending was a little unsatisfying. I wanted to see their reunion!

Overall, this is one of the first books based off the Bachelor that I've enjoyed.

Thank you to both #NetGalley and Avon Harper Voyager/Avon for providing me an advance copy of Laurie Devore’s latest novel, The Villain Edit, in exchange for an honest review.

#TheVillainEdit is the written love child that results when you combine elements plucked from TV shows, such as #TheBachelor franchise, #Unreal, and #Younger, along with commentary from various #socialmedia, and set it to #emopop from the early noughties. If that description does not scream #Millennial author, then I don’t know what does! Regardless of your generation, the book is a super entertaining romp that will be gracing beach blankets across the nation this summer.

Jac Matthis, our “Villain”, is a failed romance author who attempts to revive her stagnant career by auditioning for “the 1”, a fictional reality show modeled after The Bachelor. While Jac is mostly insufferable, she reads more antihero than true villain. I struggled to make sense of her character partly because she never felt like a proper villain, but mostly due to the sudden personality changes and the fact that her geographical backstory seemed inauthentic.

Stupidly, picky! I know, but the switch from #NYC aloof waif to SoCo drinking southerner was no less jarring than the mood shifts from melancholy to cheery “y’all” in the span of a page. Sensing an editor may have removed darker material from the plot…

Moving on, for some inexplicable reason the book title kept reminding me of the quote, “You either become the hero or stick around long enough to become the villain," and I realized that the “V” is better suited for the show’s producer, Henry Foster. Henry’s behavior is strongly reminiscent of the showrunner characters from Unreal. He is arrogant, manipulative, and somewhat cruel, which is the perfect archetype for a producer on a mainstream reality dating show. On the other hand, he is also dark, brooding, and attractive, which makes for sizzling chemistry with Jac.

Then there is Marcus, Mr. Prince Charming on the 1. Although it is easy for the reader to discern both his motives and physicality, I’m on the fence about his character. Given the prominence of his role, he deserved a better sendoff or at minimum some final scenes on par with the jacuzzi and Cancun drone shot.

To wrap up, let's start with the pros: engaging plot, a love triangle of deplorables, and satirical social media posts at the end of each chapter that even include a blind item from #DeuxMoi, production casting notes, and a hilariously meta #Goodreads review. There were also some heartfelt scenes about difficult topics that were nicely interwoven between the pages of what is otherwise primarily a spoof of #realityTV dating shows.

As for the cons: my nitpickings about the main character, seemingly unnecessary time jumps nearing the conclusion, and unclear intention for why Jac was telling the story post viewing rather than in real time--at least in regard to the parentheticals peppered throughout her narrative. I also debated whether some of the side characters should be more fleshed out, but it is possible that would detract from the main point of the novel.

Overall, I would rate this fun #beachread a 3.5 rounded up to a 4, depending on final edits. P.S. I enjoyed the story despite having only watched one season of The Bachelor, #PilotPete, though I have a sneaking suspicion that some of the cast from that season make an appearance on the 1.

This review has been posted on my Goodreads account

3.8 🌟
A scandalous, fun, drama filled read.

Brief Summary-
Jacqueline Matthis’s is a romance novelist and her career has definitely taken a turn for the worst. Desperate to find herself, love and make a new buzz in her career Jac’s decides to join the Dating Reality TV Show called The 1. Her first day on set she meets the man that will be the Bachelor, Marcus, who she finds attractive. Durning her meet and greets with everyone she notices him…one of the producer of the show who happens to be Henry the man she had a one night stand with just a few days before…..Durning the 12 weeks of filming Jacqueline and Henry can’t keep their hands off of each other. But this show is about Marcus finding love?? And Marcus seems to be falling for Jacqueline… Everything starts to get complicated and Jac’s realizes the show is producing her to be the villain….

What To Expect-
💋Reality Tv Show Drama
💋Semi Love-Triangle
💋Grumpy/Bossy FMC
💋Spice Level- 🌶️🌶️.5

My Thoughts-
This book had me hooked from page one. I loved the drama. I love the secrets that were unfolding on each page. I could not get enough.

I enjoyed the writing in this book. It was told from Jacquline point of view. Also read like a tv script. You really feel like you are on set with all the characters being filmed for this reality tv show. Some parts you get to see what the outside world is thinking about the show. You read the tabloids, the podcast and interviews. It was a very interesting way to portray this story and kept the pace going.

There's a number of characters in the book and they were all filled with their own drama and it really pulled you in. I really enjoyed Jacqulines’ character's development it was remarkable. I really was rooting for her throughout the book. I laughed and cried with her.

❤️‍🔥I recommend this book if you like dating shows like The Bachelor. If you like drama filled stories. I think this book will be a fun summer read. This is my first book by the author and I look forward to her future work..

The author did a wonderful job having each chapter named after a song.. The song the author picked are amazing, really brings me back to my emo days. So my playlist is just a few additional songs to go with the story.

<b>Playlist- </b>
🌹West Coast- Lana Del Rey
🌹Bejeweled - Taylor Swift
🌹All I Wanna Do- Sheryl Crow
🌹Venice Beach- Lana Del Rey
🌹Getaway Car- Taylor swift

loved this romance that happens with a writer and producer from a bachelor like show. she finds love and writes a book. she even finds some friends along the way. loved the time frame .

Jac is a romance novelist and a bit of a misanthrope. Her big debut flopped and she finds herself signing up for a Bachelor-esque reality dating show in hopes of gaining new readers and selling more books. She plans to be herself on camera but she doesn’t realize the producers have other plans…

This was a treat! Jac makes questionable decisions throughout the story but I found it easy to root for her and enjoyed her personality, quips, and self-awareness. There is a sense of tension throughout the novel and I could never quite predict what would happen next. There is also a sense of anxiety and a bit of disorientation as it is hard to tell who on set is genuinely being kind, who is being truthful, and who is being manipulative. Would highly recommend to fans of reality dating shows, Unreal, and anyone looking for an inventive take on a romance novel.

Thank you very much to Avon and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this.

Always nice to read a book by a fellow pit dweller (s/o to the huju) - as a bachelor fan, this obviously had lots of nuggets and homages to the actual franchise and its characters (Shailene is absolutely inspired by Hannah B, for example). I struggled with Jac as a character - we have this 32 year old writer who claims she created this character prior to arriving on the show and within mere hours of the show beginning is making all these mistakes and blunders on camera. It didn’t fit the character to me, and I don’t feel like I ever really understood her motives. The love story between her and Henry was steamy, but felt toxic - way more lust than love. I didn’t want to root for any ending other than Jac being alone (like the characters in her own novel) and figuring her shit out. I didn’t dislike this book, but I think books like One to Watch and The Charm Offensive did a better job with a bachelor show centric love story plot.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I keep reading novels about reality TV looking for one that's basically like the TV show UnReal in book form, and this is the one that has come closest so far. I did feel like the ending was the weakest part, but not so much that it kept this from being a five star read overall for me, and it's great to see Laurie Devore--a criminally underrated YA author--finally writing adult fiction!

Oh man I almost quit this book like 15 times because I wasn’t sure if it was going to pay off on its own premise but it sure DID

Confession time: I am a former avid watcher of Bachelor Nation. For years, I watched every show that ABC cared to show us, read all the behind the scenes gossip that I could get my hands on, and listened to all the podcasts I could possible listen to. A few years ago, though, it all just got to be a little too much for me, and I stopped watching. I still read the spoilers, and listen to the podcasts on occasion, but I no longer consume officially sanctioned Bachelor Nation content, and to be honest - I don't feel like I'm missing much. That all being said - when I tell you that I devoured The Villain Edit, I mean it - I ate this right up. This gave me all the things I used to love about Bachelor Nation, but with the added acknowledgement about the unreality of it all. I loved the idea that Jac would go on to promote her stalled writing career. I loved the manipulations of the producers, and the idea that you never quite know if you are being produced or not. And I loved the ultimately happy ending. This was just so, so much fun to read, and I really appreciated how the author has clearly listened to a lot of the same podcasts I have - the little insider-y tidbits made me so happy (shoutout to the huju!). Will definitely buy for our collection, and will be recommending to all current and former denizens of Bachelor Nation.

*Thank you to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for providing this book, with my honest review below*

The Villain Edit by Laurie Devore was a snarky take on The Bachelor with a huge dollop of romance and a smattering of heartache. Well done writing had me enjoying this immensely, as I loved the premise before I read it and this lived up to it.

Jacqueline (Jac) is a romance author who decides, during a writer’s block, that going on a show that is basically the Bachelor with a different name could boost her back title sales. She’s definitely not unhappy when she first meets the bachelor character, Marcus, but things really heat up when she realizes her past lover Henry is the producer.

I thought the dive into reality show culture and editing was fascinating and that the way we got to know Jac and other characters was perfect. I didn’t quite find her as edgy or charming with her biting takes as I believe I was meant to (she was fine, she didn’t offend or win me over), but she did stand apart in context of her co-stars. My only criticism, but it is significant, is that after so much time spent following Jac during the show and building up to the climax, I felt the after show exploration and ending was rushed and not as well done.

I would recommend this for anyone who wants a romance with a very uniquely written premise (especially if you’re a fan of The Bachelor or in general are intrigued by reality show concepts in books). I felt this book sets itself apart than others in the romance genre as well if you’re tired of formulaic plots.

I'm a sucker for reality show novels but I particularly enjoyed this! The structure of the story was pretty great -- though I would have loved to see a little more of the post-show fallout -- and I loved the way the main character was constructed. I thought the author did a really good job of crafting someone relatable -- where you could see how all one's own millennial wryness and irony could easily translate into villainy (though some of Jac's decisions were ... questionable, which is good texturing).