The Villain Edit: A Sharp Rom-Com Featuring a Romance Novelist, Reality Show Drama, and Unexpected Passion

by Laurie Devore

Emily Henry meets Fleabag ...and The Bachelor ! An irresistibly sharp and sexy dramedy about a cynical romance novelist who goes on a  Bachelor -like reality show to revive her flagging career, only to discover that while she may have just met the love of her life, the producers have turned her into the show’s villain.

Good villains make good TV.

Romance novelist Jacqueline Matthis’s big career has gone bust and she’s ditched the bright lights of New York City for her more affordable South Carolina hometown. Desperate, Jac dreams up a comeback plan—she is going to be a contestant on the 1, the most obsessively watched reality dating show in the world.

After all Jac is a romance writer—she knows how to pull off a meet-cute and create a spicy plotline.

On set, Jac quickly establishes herself as a front-runner for bachelor Marcus’s heart, but she’s shocked to discover who’s actually pulling the strings. How was she to know that Henry Foster, her last one-night stand before the show, was actually a longtime producer on the 1? Henry is just as horrified…but they can’t seem to keep their hands off each other.

As Jac plays the game and the show unfurls, she slowly discovers that she’s getting the villain edit. They say there’s no such thing as bad publicity, but as Jac’s secret plan begins crumbling around her, she’s not so sure. What happens if Marcus chooses her? Worse, what happens if her affair with Henry comes to light? What if, in trying to save her career, Jac has ruined her life?

Heartbreaking, smart, and sexy, this novel is for anyone who has ever secretly rooted for—or felt like—the villain.

Genres: Romance, Fiction, Contemporary, Audiobook, Chick Lit, Adult, Contemporary Romance

336 pages, Paperback

First published July 2, 2024

Reviews

[Meagan✨ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.8 🌟

A scandalous, fun, drama filled read.

"Some things are better left buried so they don't eat you alive"

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

"Still I hate these girls and their love for these wedding dresses, and I think its wrong they dont hate themselves too."

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.

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

✨Thanks to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager Publishing for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review✨

[Shelby *trains flying monkeys* · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another reality tv book. I think I'm hooked on the drama.

This one got lots of drama. I've never seen even the first episode of any of the "Bachelor" type shows but now I'm kinda interested in seeing one to see if I can spot the fakeness.

Jac is painted as a heifer just because she speaks what ever is on her mind and points out the fakeness. That kinda pissed me off when everyone was on the hate Jac wagon. I can see it really being like that though. Women's opinions especially when we do not go with the flow is painted as bitchyness.

Booksource: Netgalley in exchange for review.

[Kristy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Who knew a book focused on a reality TV show could make me feel so much and keep me glued to the pages? This is so much more than a romance. I’d hesitate to even call it that even though there’s definitely romance. It’s more a searing look into the word of reality TV and how people’s assumptions of who we are inevitably affect the way we see ourselves too. It’s about loosing yourself while simultaneously finding yourself.

Jac is made to be the villain on the show but to me she was just so real. She wasn’t always likable, but she was definitely always relatable and I felt seen many times. I loved each character even if they were manipulative or deceitful or selfish. Jac has great chemistry with all the characters and the tension between Jac and Henry leaps off the page.

I read this in one sitting on my plane ride home and anything that can make you escape from a cramped 10-hour flight is a winner.

I received an advanced copy through Netgalley in return for an honest review.

[idiomatic · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOMEN'S WRONGS!

[ReneeReads · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was really interested in reading this book because it gives a "behind the scenes" view of reality shows like "The Bachelor". I am a sucker for a good reality show and romance books so when you put the two together, it sounds like it is something that I would absolutely love. I do think this book is written well, and I did enjoy it even if it wasn't a 5 star read for me. It is sexy and entertaining and I love a good villain even when she is frustrating most of the time. I'm not quite sure how I feel about the ending but all in all it was a fun, entertaining read. 3.5 stars

Thank you NetGalley, Avon and Harper Voyager and Laurie Devore for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Pub Date: 7/2/24

[Cindy (leavemetomybooks) · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF at 42%

“Emily Henry meets Fleabag” = FALSE

I get where this was trying to go (see: EH meets Fleabag) - but it was boring, predictable, and not even remotely funny. Our main girl Jac is so busy “I’m not like the other girls”-ing and being so much prettier than everyone else (of course) and making out with Marcus and maybe having real feelings for him (?) but also lusting over Henry and maybe having real feelings for him (?) because of course both men are hot to trot for her (see: not like all the other girls) while being constantly manipulated by the producers (including Henry) while thinking she’s so above it all because she’s A Writer who lived in NEW YORK CITY (!) and she is NOT LIKE ALL OF THOSE OTHER GIRLS GODDAMMIT.

I don’t even care where this story ends up enough to skip ahead and read the last chapter because everyone in it is terrible and not in a fun way. MEH.

I absolutely 5-star LOVED Devore’s last book (A Better Bad Idea), but this one was clearly not the book for me.

* NetGalley copy from Avon / Harper Voyager

[Breanne · Rating 2 out of 5]

five stars for creating what is now my new favorite playlist.

if you read this and you don't recognize the chapter titles as song titles, you're either too young or uneducated in scene culture and we can't be friends (side note but this and Taylor shouting out The Starting Line in the Black Dog is what is saving me this year)

this book is almost good but the writing style definitely prevents it from crossing that line. i hate that the author chose to present this story the way she did. if it was marketed as being satirical or written with a little more of an over-the-top edge, i could almost get on board with it. but omg this is nearly as boring and predictable as every episode of the bachelor/bachelorette/paradise that i've ever seen. none of the characters are likable, the pacing is atrocious, and of course jac sold her story at the end i mean hello what else would happen. i will say though, the ending was very satisfying.

legitimately don't know if i enjoyed a single part of this book.

so yeah i think i hated this but it also brought me back to my early 2000s alt-pop-punk/reality tv roots so i cant be too mad

[Jenna Godwin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m confused. A woman goes on a reality dating show and somehow seems surprised at how fake and brutal it all is, but yet feeds into it by being a super bitch, and is then surprised she is portrayed as a villain? Like who doesn’t know those shows are super staged? At many points it appeared as though she knew exactly what was happening and “what the producers and audience wanted” and gave it to them, and then turned around and whined about it. I honestly couldn’t figure it out. Like, if you don’t want to be miserable then don’t go on national television on reality TV?!

I finished it because I had to find out how certain conflicts resolved and was left utterly annoyed by the whole thing 😅

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

An entertaining, gossipy romcom PERFECT for fans of books like The One to watch or The one by Julia Argy. It's also excellent if you enjoyed the show Unreal starring Sheri Appleby.

Full of drama, a great love triangle and excellent critiques of the Bachelorette franchise. I absolutely loved this one, especially on audio narrated by Stephanie Nemeth-Parker.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Librofm for an early digital and audio copy in exchange for my honest review!

[michelle (magical reads) · Rating 5 out of 5]

read my full review on my blog

rep: biracial (Malaysian, white) love interest, sapphic Vietnamese-American side character
cw: mentions of death of a parent (mother) from cancer

**I received an ARC from the publisher through Netgalley. These are my honest opinions, and in no way was I compensated for this review.**

Great television. That’s all I existed for to them. I knew what creating a moment was; I knew before I got here. I wrote them all the time, and I’d never fully considered what it meant to live in one. (I considered it a lot over the next few months as I watched this play back. The pain of giving in to your worst impulses and seeing it replayed as good television. Seeing the way the world reacted to you, the way they hated you.)

A friend brought this book onto my radar after we had a lengthy conversation about celebrity/fame books, and man am I glad she did. This is actually my second full five-star read of 2024, and I am just so genuinely obsessed with it. Spectacularly fucked up and messy, The Villain Edit explores what it means to be the villain in everyone’s story—and how to find your happy ending no matter the cost.

Jacqueline Matthis is a romance author whose career recently crashed after her publisher cancelled her books. After a few months of wallowing, she suddenly decides to go on the 1, a Bachelor-type dating reality show, as a means of improving her public persona. Once Jac arrives, she has instant chemistry with Marcus, the lead, but everything soon comes crashing down when she runs into Henry Foster, the only producer she hadn’t met prior to the show—and coincidentally the man she had a one-night stand with the day before filming started. As she navigates the complexity and toxicity of a reality show set, she soon discovers that she’s getting the villain edit and must decide what she actually wants.

Again, I cannot stress how genuinely obsessed with this book I am. I read maybe 20% in one day and was like, okay she’s good, and then somehow the next day I got so sucked in and read the rest of the book in one sitting over the course of some 7 hours. So yeah, it’s that serious for me.

I loved how complex Jac’s characterization is. Her voice is snarky and up-front and not afraid to get on your bad side, a self-admitted bitch. On the other hand, though, she’s so tired of being “too much” for every guy she’s ever dated; she just wants to find love, someone who will finally accept all of her. She wants so badly to be special and to be recognized for being special, and when her career came crashing down, she didn’t really know how to cope. Going on the show is clearly some amount of self destruction (and a lot of her actions on the show are too).

There’s also something to be said how her character shines even in this over-produced and heavily-manipulated reality show setting. Jac is so contrary and stubborn that she won’t play the game and ingratiate herself to the other contestants. While she doesn’t necessarily do anything to provoke them (that’s mainly the producers’ job), she doesn’t exactly try to make them like her in any capacity. That’s not the type of person she is: she’d rather be real than good, someone people love to hate just because they’re not doing the same thing as them.

read the rest of my review on my blog

original review:

y’all. Y’ALL. y’all. THIS FUCKING BOOK god I was obsessed from the first chapter. so toxic and compelling and messy and absolutely impossible to look away from. I loved how complex both Jac and Henry are too (foils, dare I say) etc etc I have a lot to say but want to get into it in my full review bc otherwise I will be writing a full rambling essay rn. I’m honestly so looking forward to rereading this and I think this might be my second full 5-star read of the year (it is mid-april, this is so sad)

[Jessi ❤️ H. Vojsk [if villain, why hot?] · Rating 5 out of 5]

"I said all the things I said at some point or the other," I concede. "Sometimes, I didn't mean them, or sometimes, context was removed, but that's the job of the show. To tell a story. You just don't realize at the time that you're the villain in the story they're telling."

I love when people write books about reality TV.
This was definitely darker than I imagined but still so gripping and horrifying.

I definitely enjoyed the whole book and I loved Jac and her f** off attitude. Henry was such an interesting character.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Who says good villains don’t make good TV? Haven’t we seen a lot of them on The Bachelor TV series? Well, guess what, readers need go no further than this book, because this story is about a romance novelist who decides to go on a Bachelor-like reality show to revive her own writing career. And, guess what one producer decides to do with her “character?”

Well, at least Jac thought going on this show would be her best idea yet. What better way to come up with a meet-cute and spicy plotline than to be a part of one? Especially when she can be a front runner for the bachelor Marcus’s heart. But Jac didn’t count on Henry Foster being a producer of this same show. And, guess who Henry was at one time? Would you believe a one-time one-night stand of Jac’s? What better way for Henry getting back at her than to give her the villain edit on the show? (Hence: the title of the book!) And, typically villains don’t get the Bachelor’s heart. So, what will become of Jac? And, her book idea?

Fun, smart, sexy, cute, heartbreaking and somewhat predictable as any rom-com is expected. So, will this be the book where readers actually root for the villain?

[KristynRene SwissCheese JellyBean · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Advance Review Copy kindly provided by Edelweiss and the publisher.

THIS IS THE ULTIMATE SUMMER BEACH READ

I have so many incoherent thoughts and emotions after finishing this book. The social commentary, the hidden depth, the true Will-They-Won't-They, the reality tv setting and grim Behind-The-Scenes machinations, this book absolutely had me by the throat!

Laurie Devore did the research. All of it. Every single bit. And it shows all the way from start to finish.

You can't help rooting for the villain when she's so damn lovable. Jac is a fully realized character with ample flaws and plenty of strengths, selfish yet refreshingly honest. The love interests (YES! PLURAL!) were fleshed out and fascinating, entirely different from one another, keeping me guessing who was endgame and who would be left in the dust.

There's a little bit of suspense to this story too, an element of reality tv I never considered: Contestants are hostages to their contracts. The Villain Edit delves very deep into that fact, leading to very tense situations that would have me panicking if I was the one experiencing them. Not to mention, the Social Media chapters interspersed throughout the novel gave insight to public opinion as episodes aired and fed into the suspense as moments were referenced before we read them and how they actually happened.

Wow. I will be ordering as many copies as possible for my bookstore because this sneaky book will have a lasting ripple effect on the Romance genre, and I highly suspect a movie deal in its future. This story has so much to say in such an understated way. Dystopian future? Nah. Dystopian present reality.

Reading this book was addictive. That "One More Chapter" mantra set my sleep schedule so off course I had to up my insomnia prescription; the adrenaline alone had me wired.

I made time to devour every word!

The plot had the perfect momentum to plunge the snowball down the hill at maximum speed without a second to waste. Every page was progress. For a while, I expected no HEA to be lying in wait at the end. The odds were stacked up so high the sky could no longer be seen.

AGHHHH! THIS BOOK HAS ME IN A CHOKEHOLD

Needless to say, highly, highly, highly recommend.

[Steph · Rating 3 out of 5]

this is such a fun and messy read! in recent years i've developed a taste for novels with premises involving reality tv (patricia wants to cuddle, one perfect couple, the compound).

but the villain edit is the first i've read that really delves into the mechanics of reality tv, its intrinsic corruption, how the producers shamelessly manipulate contestants to craft an entertaining story. being on one of these shows seems like hell, but even moreso now that i've read about the utter lack of autonomy that comes with the deal.

our protagonist, jaq, is a writer who thinks she's too smart for the bachelor-style show that she signs up for. she's unapologetically snarky and of course becomes the show's villain character. there's a lil love triangle and a romance that didn't do much for me, but i still had fun with all the drama. i liked the gotcha ending, where jaq really learns how to play the game and ultimately benefit from being used by the twisted money machine of a dating show.

[megs ☪︎ · Rating 4 out of 5]

“I'm nothing anymore except an open wound, and maybe that was the only logical way this could end.” — Jacqueline Matthis

This was such a wild ride and I sincerely enjoyed all of it.
Jac, they could never make me hate you!

Even though she gives off some “pick-me” vibes in the beginning and is generally rude to everyone, I honestly couldn’t help loving her. I found so much depth in Jacqueline’s character and I saw a lot of myself and my own issues reflected in her. (Which sucked lmao).

I really related to her past relationships and how they ended because of her overthinking everything and becoming “too much” for her boyfriend. I have honestly felt that my entire life, not just with romantic relationships but with like, everything. The way Jac internalized everything was kind of hard to read. You can see how strongly she wants to be different but the manipulation from the producers negates her ability to do that.

I enjoyed her friendship with Rikki a lot. They were so good to each other and I’m glad that Rikki still stood up for her to the other women on the show. (Fuck you, Marcus, they’re WOMEN, not girls).
Marcus was an interesting character. I mean, major sociopath vibes who looooves the patriarchy and holding shit over on women, but still interesting. I feel like he was written well. Don’t we all know at least one guy like that? That is to say, I hated him.

Now, Henry. I am on the fence about Henry. I did really like him for Jac but at same time hated him. They were really good together, when they could finally be alone for real. I was definitely rooting for them by the end.
I feel like Charlotte deserves a mention as well. You beautiful snake of a woman, I loved you.

A very strong 4 star read for me. I love how messy and entertaining it all was. I ate this shit up! I hope Laurie Devore writes more books for Adults because I really enjoyed this!

[charlotte, · Rating 4 out of 5]

this was sooo messy & so good the only thing(s) i would say is there was, early on, quite a bit of back & forth where i thought jac had understood something only for her not to have & then it becomes an angsty plot point. & also, henry & jac were great but the author kept feeling the need to tell me how hot they were together & how much tension there was because actually, it wasn't the sort you could feel as a reader. BUT overall, so much fun

Rep: biracial Malaysian li, Vietnamese-American sapphic side character, Black side character

[Kait Lawson · Rating 5 out of 5]

So easy to binge! I read this in one sitting!

[Manda · Rating 4 out of 5]

For anyone who has watched The Bachelor, this is an eye opener on how production works. I liked the style of writing and was a very quick and easy read. The snarky humor and the drama was a good mix for this book. At times, I found the FMC unlikable but also realized that this was also the point. This was partly a defense mechanism but also that women shouldn't have to change to become more desirable to anyone else if they are are happy with themselves in any aspect of their life. The MMCs were not all that likable either, but the chemistry was really good. I think what draws you in is that you are living through the eyes of the the FMC essentially. I thought the ending was way too rushed, and didn't give enough closure to the story, but it was enough. I just feel like after all the struggles it would have been really nice to have an epilogue with a bigger HEA. I really did enjoy reading this book, this is just me being critical over the reading. It does draw you in right away.

3.5 stars

[Tell · Rating 3 out of 5]

I LOVED the first half of this, and then the last half absolutely did not work for me. This is the second book this year I've read where self-loathing is used in lieu of characterization, and dozens of pages of conversations about how sad and tortured the MCs are really took the air out of what was an exciting and original novel.

I'm bummed because I love reality tv and complicated relationships but I think trying to create a ~tortured love story~ really took me to a place of what emo aughts teens believe relationships look like vs an actual relationship. I'm reminded of the Orson Welles quote:

"He is arrogant. Like all people with timid personalities, his arrogance is ­unlimited. Anybody who speaks quietly and shrivels up in company is unbelievably ­arrogant. He acts shy, but he’s not. He’s scared. He hates himself, and he loves himself, a very tense situation."

A very tense situation indeed.

[Em (semi-hiatus) · Rating 2 out of 5]

Heroines who are involved in reality TV but end up falling for their producers are becoming my favorite thing to read about, and I enjoy it. However, the constant push and pull didn’t add to the angst; it made the hero come across as annoying, juvenile, and a major red flag, which he was. Despite this, I found myself devouring the book for the theatrics of it.

[cossette · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 rounded up!

[Madeline · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.25/5 ⭐'s

I'm not even going to lie and pretend this book didn't put me through a roller coaster. For a while I thought it would be a 4.5 ⭐ book. The concept was so enticing to me. A romance novelist going on a reality tv show looking for love. If the bachelor came out with a novel it would be this. So as someone who loves reality tv of really any sort I went in really excited.

Jac is a romance writer who basically wants to go onto The 1 for promotion. She thinks that going on the show and being on as long as possible will get her book sales up, since she's technically a failed author at this point. A big shot that moved to New York after making a $1 million dollar contract for her first two books. Why is she a failed romance author? Because at the end of her debut novel she made the FMC pick her career instead of the love interest. At a certain point in the book I though Laurie would do the same thing.

The day before the first day and meeting Marcus, the love interest of this season of The 1, she meets Henry. But she doesn't know who Henry is, but they of course end up meeting at a bar and hooking up. Who is Henry by chance? A producer on the show! You might be wondering how the hell didn't they recognize each other right? Because of course on casting day, the day the girls meet all the producers, Henry is out due to a "family emergency." We later learn the sad reality of Henry's family life and history.

I liked Jac a lot in this book. I liked that she was the bitch of the season. I liked that she went on the show at first for book sales, but the started to fall for Marcus. I enjoyed her snotty comments towards the other girls on the show. Just like how i always love the "bitch" on most reality tv shows. But one this is for certain and that's you can't always trust what's happening around you. Especially in the world of television.

Anytime the producers were around, which is majority of the time, they are always trying to create a story. Literally produce the girls and Marcus into what to say and do. What will give them good scenes and allow them to get the most views possible. Honestly, even though I know this is true in the back of my mind, I never viewed reality tv like that. To be reading a book about what happens to these women, though it is fiction, makes me believe it's not far from the truth.

So, we have a love triangle essentially throughout the book. The bitchy FMC, the "innocent" MC Marcus, and then the bossy Henry. There was a point in time that I couldn't pick who I wanted her to be with. By the time it got through half the book I really loved both of the options Jac had in front of her. It was obvious that she was going to win, at least get in to the top 4, so what caused me to drop from a 4.5 ⭐ to a 3.25? Jac herself.

Jac is so self sabotaging it's insane. Yes, both men were manipulating her for TV just like how she was trying to manipulate the audience, but she just was starting to get on my nerves for a period of time. Always worrying if Henry is producing her and setting up everything for TV. Always falling for Marcus' bs, even when reality was shared with her about who Marcus truly was (a person who mirrors everyone so they like them), she always went back to him. At one point in time I was so frustrated I wanted to DNF but I couldn't get myself to do so.

At the ending I was satisfied. It wasn't like any other romance I've read. The FMC wasn't a bitch that turned soft, she stayed a bitch and that's what I admire. The relationship she accepted at the end made the most sense based on everything they went through together. It was a decent book that made me frustrated at times, which I would say is exactly what Jac would want her audience to feel while watching the season she was on.

[Bekah Groop · Rating 3 out of 5]

For Bachelor fans, you’ll get a kick out of this book! This is a mediocre romance book for me, but a fun and entertaining one nonetheless.

[Alisha · Rating 5 out of 5]

THIS BOOK!! This was one of the smartest, wittiest, most unique books I’ve ever read. I absolutely devoured it in just about 24 hours. I couldn’t put it down. The FMC was so authentic. Her character acknowledged the real parts of who we are as human beings. She was such a breath of fresh air in comparison to the cookie-cutter, untouchable characters we often see in novels. There were parts of the book that made me laugh so loudly. The phrasing and the way the story was told was exquisite and captivating. I was dying to see how it all turned out and I was not disappointed. As a person who does not particularly care about The Bachelor, I still found so much to love and appreciate in this story. I highly recommend it! Thank you Net Galley and the publisher for this amazing ARC.

[Randi A · Rating 3 out of 5]

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.

[Hasini · Rating 5 out of 5]

this is the kind of book that begs a re-read, I genuinely can't get my head straight

there were some moments that I was convinced it was going to be a one star read and I would flip to the next chapter and just feel this beautiful like analysis of life taking place like I was going to watch a butterfly go through metamorphosis (as in a for sure 5 star read)

I think the way the author described the process of creating reality shows and just this specific type of television was so well done, from the itm description to showcasing how intense and maddening being brainwashed and manipulated can be

the relationships between jaq and Marcus and Henry were insane, just the copious amounts of manipulation juxtaposed with the jarring vulnerability that trauma bonding with a person can lead to was so interesting to read

the first read was kind of going with the flow of the book and just seeing how the plot pans out, but I think in order to truly understand the book I have to really pay attention to every character and how they are developed and how they interact with each other, so yes I honestly can't rate this without a reread

was it good? I have no idea, but I can say I very much enjoyed it and I most definitely would recommend it (even if only cause I need people to talk to it about)

[Anna Marie Switzer]

YES. Loved this book, and I need yall to read it too. It’s a romance (?) about a failed novelist on a reality TV show in a love triangle with the season’s bachelor and one of the producers. I never watched much reality TV growing up (other than American Idol, our house was an ESPN zone), but my roommates in college introduced me and now I can never go back.
Everyone knows reality TV is misogynistic, exploitative, and capitalistic. However, we still fall victim to the narratives they promote, both on the shows and in real life. Women are rarely allowed to be complex characters. When a woman makes a mistake in a piece of media, she’s crucified without nuance. (see: criticism of Carrie Bradshaw, Cassie from euphoria, belly from tsitp). This book uses this phenomenon to its advantage.
As the title suggests, the main character is given the villain edit on her show, but it’s not completely unwarranted. At times, she was in fact a bit evil, which is always fun. It’s even more fun, though, when you’re encouraged to give her forgiveness. Nuance!!! I love it.
There were a couple times where I couldn’t follow the banter/plot, and I kept expecting the main character to be a bit more strategic. Mostly, though, this was a juicy read with topics I like to think about.

[Mona · Rating 3 out of 5]

i really enjoyed this book, especially Jac as an unapollogetically mean heroine.
but her ending up with henry wasn't deserved on his part. he really left her hanging und did nothing to redeem himself.

[Lilly of the Library 📖🌿 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rounding down to 3.5

✨Reality TV show setting
✨Mean girl with hidden depth
✨Fame and reality TV criticism/commentary
✨Forced Proximity
✨Forbidden Love (ish)

As a fan of the bachelor, which this book is clearly offering commentary and depicting, this was unlike any book I've read. It was just as entertaining reading a reality tv show as it was watching one. It very much felt like a behind the scenes of reality TV, giving the reader an insight into the cutthroat and manipulative editing, producing tactics behind these shows and disregard for the mental healthy of its contestants. With that being said, the story line was thoroughly juicy. I didn't like the FMC, or the choices she was making over and over again, but in a way that invested me enough to see her demise through. I love anything with a reality TV setting, so I was bound to enjoy this one and it delivered!

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve never been a romance girly, but maybe I could be??? Because I ate this up!

I loved the rom-com vibe, I loved the drama, I even loved the mostly unlikable main character. And of course, as a hate-watcher of The Bachelor for many years, I found the reality show setting super fun. Can’t wait to discuss this one with my book club gals 💌