
Member Reviews

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).