Most Eligible is everything I want from a contemporary romance—sharp, charming, and full of heart, with enough behind-the-scenes drama to keep me flipping pages late into the night. If you’re a fan of reality TV chaos, smart heroines, and romance that simmers with real emotional tension, this one’s a must-read.

Set against the backdrop of a televised dating show, the story follows Georgia, who enters the spotlight with eyes wide open. She’s not naive about the game, which makes watching her navigate the twists and turns of a manipulated environment all the more compelling. Told entirely from her perspective, the single POV was a brilliant choice—it left just enough mystery around Rhett’s intentions to keep me constantly questioning: is he playing the part or falling for real?

Georgia’s voice is witty, grounded, and refreshingly self-aware. She knows the odds, she knows the stakes, and yet she lets herself feel anyway—which makes the emotional payoff incredibly satisfying. Rhett, the brooding musician and show’s leading man, is a perfect mix of sincerity and secrecy, and their slow-burn, push-and-pull romance is the definition of tension-filled chemistry.

And let’s talk about the cast. Every one of the contestants felt distinct and real—quirks, flaws, cheese businesses and all. The friendships, rivalries, and unexpected connections gave the story real texture and warmth.

What makes Most Eligible stand out in a sea of rom-coms is how balanced it is. The romance is central, but the plot doesn’t disappear into it. Instead, we get stakes, ambition, vulnerability, and a thoughtful take on what it means to put your heart on the line while the world is watching.

For readers who like:
-Reality TV tropes
-Slow-burn, high-stakes romance
-Banter, drama, and heart

Final Verdict
Most Eligible is a sparkling rom-com with depth, drama, and a heroine you’ll want to root for from the first page. Funny, fast-paced, and full of charm, it’s the kind of summer read that leaves you smiling long after you’ve closed the book. Isabelle Engel is definitely one to watch.

Grateful to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press and Isabelle Engel for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this story in exchange for an honest review.

This has to be a top romance coming in 2026. Easiest five stars I have given this year to a book. I absolutely devoured this book. I am so impressed by Isabelle's writing, characters, and story that this book is going to be living rent free in my mind for quite a while. As soon as I read the synopsis I knew I would be hooked and this book did not disappoint. A rom-com based on a bachelor contest? Sign me up! You will want to pick this book up when it releases. Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for a honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Just okay, but gave UnREAL vibes

This book reminded me of the Netflix show UnREAL, which is probably the only reason I stuck with it. The behind-the-scenes dating show angle had potential—but unlike UnREAL, this story lacked the drama and tension that would’ve made it truly binge-worthy.

The love story? Pretty underwhelming. The main character kept bouncing between two love interests so often it started to feel more exhausting than romantic. Like… girl, pick a lane! Instead of feeling the chemistry or rooting for anyone, I mostly felt confused and a little annoyed.

It wasn’t bad, just kind of flat. Not something I’d recommend, but not a total waste of time either.

I was skeptical about reading a book with a reality tv show plot but I enjoyed this book so so much. We have Georgia who is one of the contestants but she’s not there to find love, she’s there to expose the world of reality tv. Georgia was a very likeable character playing her role well but also being kind to the other characters and trying to get her job done. I liked that Rhett made sure she was always okay and that he didn’t expose her to anyone. Every other character made this book just as enjoyable and all the drama added to the fun. Thank you Netgalley for the arc of this book, I really enjoyed it!!

A cute romance that fans of the Bachelor will just eat up!

Georgia is determined to earn the journalism job she's always wanted, and has a chance to finally do so. How? By becoming a contestant on Love Shack, the hit reality dating show, and competing to win the heart of Roland, tennis pro and this season's lead. There she has the chance to go undercover and get the information needed to write a tell-all exposé on the producers. Only she doesn't expect to see her one-night stand, country star and former Love Shack lead Rhett Auburn there as the host. Between hiding her true reason for being there, dealing with the other contestants, and "falling" for Roland, Georgia may find love is the biggest risk she's ever faced.

I thought this was cute, and a better look into the drama that goes behind the scenes of a reality show. It reminded me of the tv show UnREAL, which I also really enjoyed so I had a great time with this book. All the side characters were so fun, and Georgia's relationships with each of them really added to the story and why she was struggling so hard to actually write the exposé. I also really just loved the drama of Rhett and Georgia's relationship: the secret meetings, the pained yearning confessions, the stolen kisses.

It did get to a certain point where I knew exactly what was going to happen, and I lost a bit of interest there. Once I knew what was going to happen re: what info was going to be shared by Serena, Georgia's friend and editor, I felt myself getting disconnected from the story, really only interested in what was going on between Georgia and Rhett. However, the end still had some surprises in it that I still really liked.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press | St. Martin's Griffin for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an arc of this book.
It was a really nice romcom that explored the world of reality tv. It definitely felt like the story could be real (nonfiction) which I enjoyed. I didn’t know it was a second chance romance and I usually don’t really like this trope, but this was well done. I particularly liked the friendship between the women contestants. They supported each other throughout this ordeal. The ending was surprising, just like any good reality tv finale. I definitely recommend this book, you’ll be entertained for sure !

I’m not usually a fan of reality TV, but after reading, Isabelle Engel’s debut novel “Most Eligible”, I may have to rethink it. I thoroughly enjoyed this romcom. The story was unique, and my characters were witty. At times I forgot I was reading a book and not watching a TV show unfold. For a debut author, I was impressed with the way Engel was able to keep track of so many characters and storylines. The main character Georgia was a great female lead however, I did feel the length of time she spent with the MMC she ends up with needed to be longer in order to make falling in love a little more believable. I also thought there should’ve been a few more character storylines could have been better tied up at the end, such as Monica. I would’ve liked to have seen what happened to her. Overall, I give the book 4 out of five stars and would definitely recommend it. Thank you to NetGalley and St Martin’s for the advance review copy.

I LOVED this story. Like ate it up. Couldn’t put the book down. Read it in one day. This was CUTE. I am out of Elsie Silver books and this gave me the same feelings her books do! I thought I wouldn’t find that anywhere but I was wrong! The only things I didn’t like was:

I really wanted to get to see a healing moment of when she wakes up and Rhett IS there and he makes her coffee or something . I was just so sad when it happened to her twice ! I wanted to see the time she opened her eyes and he was still there.

Her friend break up with Serena was too chill - I wanted more confrontation. Serena was a bad friend and they were friends for YEARS and it was just a blurry line of her casually breaking it off on the phone?

I never felt like we had a moment where Georgia over came the insecurity of know who she was and thinking Rhett wanted a girl who was confident in herself

This book was FUN. I binged it in two days and got that whole this-is-a-trainwreck-but-I-can’t-turn-away feeling that I get when I watch reality TV… so mission accomplished!

There was so much drama—which isn’t a bad thing at all given the premise, but I did feel that it made the romance a little less central. I wanted just a little bit more between Rhett and Georgia. But Georgia was such compelling FMC, and I couldn’t help but root for her the entire time. The entire cast of characters was endlessly entertaining. And everything that went down in the last 15% of the book had me cackling.

I’m so impressed that this was a debut. Hilarious premise, perfect pacing, and really fun characters. I loved it.

this book did not disappoint it gave me Bachelor vibes it also kind of gave me Love Island Vibes as well I really enjoyed this book a lot It was such an enjoyable read.

A fun romance with engaging characters. Those who love the behind the scenes action of reality tv will love this. The love story is built on the foundation that an instant connection was forged a year prior, but if you can go with that conceit watching everything develop is fun and exciting.

Most Eligible is a fun, hilarious romantic comedy about a journalist who enters a reality TV dating show to write an exposé on the producers... only to discover the host is her former one-night stand. I was rooting for Georgia the whole time, both with her exposé and her second-chance romance with Rhett. My favorite part was all the side characters (they were laugh-out-loud funny!) and the friendships that developed between them. Fans of shows like The Bachelor will get sucked into the reality show drama—I know I did. This is a must-read for reality TV and rom-com fans!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC, which was provided in exchange for an honest review.

This was a fun read. Basically, the main character went undercover on a reality dating show to try to expose that the producer was mistreating the participants. But, she runs into trouble as it gets more difficult, and she runs into an old flame as he's helping with the show.

But... jeez. Georgia/Gracie the journalist had a one night stand with this famous country singer one year prior and wow she is pining. But it got annoying real fast because I'm sorry but you cannot be that in love with someone you just met? Kristoff, anyone??? Anyway, not only that, but when she sees him again, she is in FULL-BLOWN LOVE. This insta-love was really pissing me off lol. They talked like twice. Also, let's talk about the ending. It was one of those endings where right before it, everything went wrong, and then suddenly, everything was magically fixed and the book ended. It was just too clean and just felt rushed and not well thought out.

But I dislike being negative Nancy so let's get to the good stuff --> it was a cool concept, it was funny, I had a sufficient amount of secondhand embarrassment (my favorite). So yay! Also the side characters and the friendships developed during the book were great. Honestly they felt more authentic than the actual romance (smh). Also, I liked this book because it brought up a good point of how what we see in "reality TV" is oftentimes extremely crafted.

Georgia enters the reality dating show Love Shack to expose the dirty secrets on the shows. Unfortunately, the new host is her one night stand from the year before. Lots of fun, drama, back-stabbing, banter.... A fun LOL book.

Thanks to the publisher for the arc.
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I really enjoyed this as a romantic comedy, it had that element that I wanted from a journalist on reality TV. It had that overall feel that I was looking for and thought it was a fun concept. I enjoyed getting to know Georgia and how she was there to create a expose. I was engaged from the first page and was invested in what was happening in the romance and how it was set up. Isabelle Engel has a strong writing style and was glad I got to read this. I'm excited to read more from the author as this was everything that I wanted.

I devoured this book so quick. I'm a sucker for anything that has to do with the "film business" and there was so much wonderfully delicious drama for this reality tv show romance.

I loved this book! Very fun and funny and also quite romantic. The perfect read for reality TV fans and skeptics alike!

A debut sure to make you laugh, smile, and swoon from start to finish! Perfect for fans of Miss Congeniality, The Bachelor, and Ava Wilder novels! I loved Georgia and found her funny and relateable. The chemistry between her and Rhett had me from the jump. All of the side characters add to the fun world-building and had me grinning with the zany and larger-than-life chaos. If you want a romance that has just as much comedy, this is an excellent read.

As someone who loves reality tv shows and good books, this is perfect. All the chaos and drama of a tv network, all within a few hundred pages. Perfect.

If you enjoy reality TV, and I do, you'll most likely be easily pulled into this delightful look at a reality TV dating show similar to "The Batchelor." The main character, Georgia Rose, gets herself a spot on the show in hopes of gathering enough info about the producers and all the tawdry behind-the-scenes drama to be able to write a tell-all article which will hopefully lead her to the journalism job of her dreams. If only it were that easy! Among her many obstacles, the one-night-stand she fell for a year prior, Rhett, who shows up as the host!

There's all kinds of things happening in this story, and I enjoyed them all! The laugh-out-loud moments were among my favorites. I found myself holding my breath at times and keeping my fingers crossed hoping all would work out for this poor, sweet misguided young lady. Georgia was a complex character chasing her dreams in a sea of chaos. I was rooting her on throughout the story! Most Eligible is a fun, second-chance at love rom-com that will keep you entertained as you turn the pages. Two-thumbs up from me!