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Love Shots
They're dying for a chance at love.
America’s #1 dating show, Love Shots, gathers young, sexy singles in a tropical villa to compete in cheeky challenges, find love, and win a huge cash prize—with no small amount of drama.
Things go off-script when a recently ejected competitor reappears in the villa. But she isn't the girl the cast remembers... Something is deeply, horribly wrong with her, and she’s not the only danger lurking in paradise.
These 20-year-old influencers must fight to survive against a security team they believed was there to protect them, an onslaught of terror they can barely comprehend, and producers who have a decidedly sinister finale in mind, all while desperately trying to escape an isolated island.
But what chance do they have when hundreds of cameras are aimed at them, watching their every move?
Love Island meets Jurassic Park in this twisted, thrilling satire from the author of Carapace and The Narrows.
America’s #1 dating show, Love Shots, gathers young, sexy singles in a tropical villa to compete in cheeky challenges, find love, and win a huge cash prize—with no small amount of drama.
Things go off-script when a recently ejected competitor reappears in the villa. But she isn't the girl the cast remembers... Something is deeply, horribly wrong with her, and she’s not the only danger lurking in paradise.
These 20-year-old influencers must fight to survive against a security team they believed was there to protect them, an onslaught of terror they can barely comprehend, and producers who have a decidedly sinister finale in mind, all while desperately trying to escape an isolated island.
But what chance do they have when hundreds of cameras are aimed at them, watching their every move?
Love Island meets Jurassic Park in this twisted, thrilling satire from the author of Carapace and The Narrows.
487 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 29, 2026
About the author
Travis M. Riddle
18 books410 followersTRAVIS M. RIDDLE lives with his girlfriend in Austin, TX, where he earned his bachelor’s degree in English Writing & Rhetoric at St. Edward’s University. His work has been published in award-winning literary journal the Sorin Oak Review. His novels "Flesh Eater," "On Lavender Tides," and "Spit & Song" were all semi-finalists in Mark Lawrence's SPFBO.
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Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
A dating show set in a sun-soaked villa, packed with gorgeous contestants, all of it unraveling into a nightmare where sun-kissed bodies become nightmare fuel. And... a surprising amount of reminders that women have breasts.
The first half is a beach read in the most literal sense. Love Island, but with a shadow lurking just out of sight. Which sounds promising, but it takes a while (about half the book) for anything to really happen. In the meantime, we get a lot of lengthy descriptions. From the exact location of every contestant in the villa to how food sits in a bowl. Don't get me wrong, I want some of these descriptions. I want the vibes. The tropical beach, the villa, and the fruity drinks, but sometimes less is more when it comes to details that, frankly, don’t add anything to the story or the atmosphere. We don't need a play-by-play of someone's breakfast unless the eggs are about to come alive and eat someone. (They don't)
The slow feeling is compounded by the characters. We're dropped into the season late, so we're told who these people are and who they're with, but we never saw any of it develop, which means we kind of just have to believe what we're told. He likes her? Ok. Not sure why or how, but ok. The constantly shifting POVs also contribute to the lack of emotional connection to the characters. Mind you, I don't think we're necessarily supposed to like them, but even disdain is an emotion. Just make me feel something for the characters!! I don't mind being a hater!
But then the horror begins to ooze in. Something wicked simmers beneath the sun and spray tans until, suddenly, the whole illusion shatters and chaos erupts.
The second half is so fun. It's a wild, visceral sprint. The body horror is gloriously grotesque, the characters are vapid and unprepared, and the action barrels forward with a momentum that reminded me of Jurassic Park and Deep Blue Sea. That sense of a controlled environment spiraling into an apex-predator nightmare. I went from a boredom coma to canceling plans to keep reading.
Interestingly, everything I found frustrating in the first half starts working in the book's favor. The shifting POVs now drive the pacing: one person sees something horrifying in the distance, and the next POV drops us right into whatever they saw. In a life-or-death situation, the influencer's vapidity finally becomes apparent, and the satire is obvious: Some are more worried about looking hot while they die than about the actual dying; they check each other out even when they should probably worry about other things. It’s dark, it’s absurd, and it’s really fun.
There’s some commentary here about influencer and hookup culture, and the double standards around sex and love, especially how men and women get praised (or dragged) for the exact same things, and the objectification of women. Even in situations where the men should be using their other head.
My biggest issue is how the women are sexualized in this book. Not by the characters (which would at least fit the reality show MO), but by the narrator. There are so many descriptions of breasts and nipples where it's completely unprompted that it starts feeling like the author just wants to remind you, repeatedly, that women have breasts. The author’s note at the end is thoughtful about representation and marginalized communities, and I could see that care throughout much of the book, which just made the constant breast commentary even more confusing. Every time I thought maybe I was just overreacting, it would happen again, and in the most random, non-sexual moments. If a character is described during a scene that is supposed to be scary and gross, do we really need to know what their nipples are doing at that very moment?
If you can overlook the evident male gaze perspective and the sluggish start, there is a genuinely thrilling, blood-soaked reward waiting for you.
A big thanks to NetGalley, Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op, and Travis M. Riddle for the ARC!
The first half is a beach read in the most literal sense. Love Island, but with a shadow lurking just out of sight. Which sounds promising, but it takes a while (about half the book) for anything to really happen. In the meantime, we get a lot of lengthy descriptions. From the exact location of every contestant in the villa to how food sits in a bowl. Don't get me wrong, I want some of these descriptions. I want the vibes. The tropical beach, the villa, and the fruity drinks, but sometimes less is more when it comes to details that, frankly, don’t add anything to the story or the atmosphere. We don't need a play-by-play of someone's breakfast unless the eggs are about to come alive and eat someone. (They don't)
The slow feeling is compounded by the characters. We're dropped into the season late, so we're told who these people are and who they're with, but we never saw any of it develop, which means we kind of just have to believe what we're told. He likes her? Ok. Not sure why or how, but ok. The constantly shifting POVs also contribute to the lack of emotional connection to the characters. Mind you, I don't think we're necessarily supposed to like them, but even disdain is an emotion. Just make me feel something for the characters!! I don't mind being a hater!
But then the horror begins to ooze in. Something wicked simmers beneath the sun and spray tans until, suddenly, the whole illusion shatters and chaos erupts.
The second half is so fun. It's a wild, visceral sprint. The body horror is gloriously grotesque, the characters are vapid and unprepared, and the action barrels forward with a momentum that reminded me of Jurassic Park and Deep Blue Sea. That sense of a controlled environment spiraling into an apex-predator nightmare. I went from a boredom coma to canceling plans to keep reading.
Interestingly, everything I found frustrating in the first half starts working in the book's favor. The shifting POVs now drive the pacing: one person sees something horrifying in the distance, and the next POV drops us right into whatever they saw. In a life-or-death situation, the influencer's vapidity finally becomes apparent, and the satire is obvious: Some are more worried about looking hot while they die than about the actual dying; they check each other out even when they should probably worry about other things. It’s dark, it’s absurd, and it’s really fun.
There’s some commentary here about influencer and hookup culture, and the double standards around sex and love, especially how men and women get praised (or dragged) for the exact same things, and the objectification of women. Even in situations where the men should be using their other head.
My biggest issue is how the women are sexualized in this book. Not by the characters (which would at least fit the reality show MO), but by the narrator. There are so many descriptions of breasts and nipples where it's completely unprompted that it starts feeling like the author just wants to remind you, repeatedly, that women have breasts. The author’s note at the end is thoughtful about representation and marginalized communities, and I could see that care throughout much of the book, which just made the constant breast commentary even more confusing. Every time I thought maybe I was just overreacting, it would happen again, and in the most random, non-sexual moments. If a character is described during a scene that is supposed to be scary and gross, do we really need to know what their nipples are doing at that very moment?
If you can overlook the evident male gaze perspective and the sluggish start, there is a genuinely thrilling, blood-soaked reward waiting for you.
A big thanks to NetGalley, Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op, and Travis M. Riddle for the ARC!
May 4, 2026
I went into Love Shots by Travis M. Riddle not entirely sure what to expect—but what I got was a wildly entertaining blend of thriller and horror that completely pulled me in.
At first, everything feels almost deceptively normal. We’re introduced to a glossy, addictive reality dating show set on a stunning island, full of influencers, drama, flirting, and competition. It has that familiar, slightly chaotic “love show” energy—egos clashing, alliances forming, romances sparking. You settle into it thinking you know exactly what kind of story this is going to be.
And then… it shifts.
The horror creeps in slowly at first—just enough to make you uneasy—before everything spirals into something far darker and far more intense. The transition from light, almost satirical reality TV to full-blown survival horror is one of the highlights of the book. It’s done so well that you barely notice the line being crossed until it’s too late, and suddenly the glamorous setting feels claustrophobic and dangerous.
What really makes this book stand out is how sharp and clever it is. Beneath the tension and brutality, there’s a clear commentary on influencer culture, fame, and the idea of constantly being watched. The fact that everything is happening under the eye of the camera adds such an unsettling layer—these characters aren’t just fighting to survive, they’re doing it while being observed, judged, and consumed.
And when the horror fully arrives, it does not hold back. The brutality of the killings is intense and, at times, genuinely shocking—but it never feels pointless. There’s a raw, chaotic edge to the violence that matches the unraveling of the show itself. The creature at the center of it all is especially effective—unpredictable, relentless, and deeply unsettling. What I loved most is how it’s not just a physical threat; it carries this constant sense of dread, like it could appear at any moment, turning even the quietest scenes into something tense. The encounters are written with such urgency and clarity that you can almost feel the panic, the confusion, and the sheer desperation of the characters trying to survive.
The characters themselves are another highlight. At the start, they seem like familiar reality TV archetypes—but as the story unfolds, more depth comes through. Watching them react as the situation unravels is gripping. Some rise to the occasion, some completely fall apart, and others surprise you in ways you don’t expect. I found myself genuinely invested in who would make it through.
And the tension—this book does tension incredibly well. Once it fully leans into horror, it doesn’t hold back. It’s fast-paced, unsettling, and at times brutal, but always engaging. I couldn’t stop turning the pages because it constantly felt like anything could happen.
Overall, this was such a fantastic read. It’s bold, intense, and incredibly entertaining, blending genres in a way that feels fresh and exciting. Travis M. Riddle has created something that’s not only thrilling but also smart and memorable. I’ll definitely be looking out for more from this author.
Thank you to NetGalley, Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op, and author Travis M Riddle for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Publishing date: May 29th 2026
June 3, 2026
Note: This review was originally published at FanFiAddict.
Inspired in equal measure by Michael Crichton’s Jurassic Park and reality TV’s Love Island, Travis M. Riddle’s Love Shots blends the concepts of beach-ready bodies looking for love (brains optional) and celebrity fame on a tropical island with gory, chompy-stompy monster horror.
Riddle’s premise is certainly an intriguing one, but it suffers under its own hefty weight. Love Shots is overly long, poorly paced, and unsure of what the central focus should be. The first half of the book is essentially a romance that centers almost exclusively around way too many witless, hapless, 20-something influencer-wannabes and their search for love via a streaming game show. After about 200 pages of reality TV fluff, Riddle decides to finally switch gears and deliver on the horror element, introducing the monsters secreted away on the island that he had been only very minimally teasing. This turns Love Shots into an all-out gorefest as doomed romances, battle-tested bonds, and maybe even that one true love rival an inexplicable cadre of carnage-wreaking monstrosities.
Unfortunately, by the time Riddle settles into his groove and delivers on the hook he lured us in with, it’s too little too late. So much of my interest had been squandered with the sophomoric romances and will-they or won’t-theys, and my patience tested with a handful of largely interchangeable young adults, none of whom are nearly as remotely interesting as Riddle has convinced himself they are. This aggravation wasn’t eased by two contestants sharing nearly identical names, Lara and Lauren, who are both vying for the same man, Tom. Tom’s narcissistic, sexist, and manipulative, and like all good manipulators he does a swell job hiding his flaws and fooling others. I was ready to see him violently slaughtered in the good name of catharsis by around page 150. By page 175 I was wondering where the hell the horror elements were and debating if I should tough it out for another 300+ pages (WTF) or call it quits.
The inherent structure of Love Shots doesn’t exactly make for a walk in this not-Jurassic park, either. At nearly 500 pages long, Love Shots has five, count ‘em, five whole chapters. I don’t typically have a preference for chapter length. I’m not on either Team Short Chapters or Team Long Chapters, but I have to admit, I do like to have actual chapters. Love Shots is an overwritten mess as it is, but having chapters that amount to three-plus hours of reading time makes for one long ass, exhausting slog. I didn’t feel any sense of progress working my way through this thing, and after several hundred pages of tepid romance and very little actual sensual island sexiness, I grew to loathe having to pick up this book at all. I was investing a hell of a lot of time in a book that refused to deliver either sex or violence, and readers, I was irate.
But then Riddle finally managed to surprise me on page 209. Love Shots was finally getting good.
For a little while, at least. The monster aspect is creative, original, and fun, and of course much of the horror devolves into stupid people doing stupid things and getting their comeuppance. To Riddle’s credit, there is a smart, and sadly still wholly necessary in this day and age, theme revolving around basic human rights and sexuality, as Love Shot Island is revealed to be a test pool for christofascists, eugenics, and the nightmare of conservative politics writ large. It’s a welcome bit of commentary here in the 21st freaking Century, in an America hellbent on rolling the clock back to the 1800s, if not earlier. Riddle just takes too damn long to get there with the whole point-making.
And that’s the central problem with Love Shots. It’s just all too damn much. The politics are spot-on and the horrors infesting the island are ingenious – they’re just saddled beneath too much mundanity and pointless explorations. The book is overwritten, to the point that we get a four-page long list of all the various things in life one young victim will never be able to experience. This is all laughably capped off with, “The list of things they had never done was endless.” But holy fuck, Riddle certainly gave it the old college try!
There’s a really good book or an absolutely killer novella in here somewhere. It just needs some severe content editing to help trim the loads of extraneous fat and gristle. Kurt Vonnegut advised writers to start their story as close to the end as possible. Riddle ignores this advice to his detriment, opting instead to start as close to the beginning as possible and then dragging every little thing out for as long as humanly, or perhaps inhumanly, possible.
Inspired in equal measure by Michael Crichton’s Jurassic Park and reality TV’s Love Island, Travis M. Riddle’s Love Shots blends the concepts of beach-ready bodies looking for love (brains optional) and celebrity fame on a tropical island with gory, chompy-stompy monster horror.
Riddle’s premise is certainly an intriguing one, but it suffers under its own hefty weight. Love Shots is overly long, poorly paced, and unsure of what the central focus should be. The first half of the book is essentially a romance that centers almost exclusively around way too many witless, hapless, 20-something influencer-wannabes and their search for love via a streaming game show. After about 200 pages of reality TV fluff, Riddle decides to finally switch gears and deliver on the horror element, introducing the monsters secreted away on the island that he had been only very minimally teasing. This turns Love Shots into an all-out gorefest as doomed romances, battle-tested bonds, and maybe even that one true love rival an inexplicable cadre of carnage-wreaking monstrosities.
Unfortunately, by the time Riddle settles into his groove and delivers on the hook he lured us in with, it’s too little too late. So much of my interest had been squandered with the sophomoric romances and will-they or won’t-theys, and my patience tested with a handful of largely interchangeable young adults, none of whom are nearly as remotely interesting as Riddle has convinced himself they are. This aggravation wasn’t eased by two contestants sharing nearly identical names, Lara and Lauren, who are both vying for the same man, Tom. Tom’s narcissistic, sexist, and manipulative, and like all good manipulators he does a swell job hiding his flaws and fooling others. I was ready to see him violently slaughtered in the good name of catharsis by around page 150. By page 175 I was wondering where the hell the horror elements were and debating if I should tough it out for another 300+ pages (WTF) or call it quits.
The inherent structure of Love Shots doesn’t exactly make for a walk in this not-Jurassic park, either. At nearly 500 pages long, Love Shots has five, count ‘em, five whole chapters. I don’t typically have a preference for chapter length. I’m not on either Team Short Chapters or Team Long Chapters, but I have to admit, I do like to have actual chapters. Love Shots is an overwritten mess as it is, but having chapters that amount to three-plus hours of reading time makes for one long ass, exhausting slog. I didn’t feel any sense of progress working my way through this thing, and after several hundred pages of tepid romance and very little actual sensual island sexiness, I grew to loathe having to pick up this book at all. I was investing a hell of a lot of time in a book that refused to deliver either sex or violence, and readers, I was irate.
But then Riddle finally managed to surprise me on page 209. Love Shots was finally getting good.
For a little while, at least. The monster aspect is creative, original, and fun, and of course much of the horror devolves into stupid people doing stupid things and getting their comeuppance. To Riddle’s credit, there is a smart, and sadly still wholly necessary in this day and age, theme revolving around basic human rights and sexuality, as Love Shot Island is revealed to be a test pool for christofascists, eugenics, and the nightmare of conservative politics writ large. It’s a welcome bit of commentary here in the 21st freaking Century, in an America hellbent on rolling the clock back to the 1800s, if not earlier. Riddle just takes too damn long to get there with the whole point-making.
And that’s the central problem with Love Shots. It’s just all too damn much. The politics are spot-on and the horrors infesting the island are ingenious – they’re just saddled beneath too much mundanity and pointless explorations. The book is overwritten, to the point that we get a four-page long list of all the various things in life one young victim will never be able to experience. This is all laughably capped off with, “The list of things they had never done was endless.” But holy fuck, Riddle certainly gave it the old college try!
There’s a really good book or an absolutely killer novella in here somewhere. It just needs some severe content editing to help trim the loads of extraneous fat and gristle. Kurt Vonnegut advised writers to start their story as close to the end as possible. Riddle ignores this advice to his detriment, opting instead to start as close to the beginning as possible and then dragging every little thing out for as long as humanly, or perhaps inhumanly, possible.
May 3, 2026
Thank you to NetGalley and Victory Editing for the eARC.
‘Love Island meets Jurassic Park’ is absolutely the perfect summary for this book, btw.
We join the cast of Love Shots as they experience the final two recouplings of the season and get more drama than they bargained for. The first section of the book brings you into the middle of it, where you are inundated with people who would definitely make mind-numbingly good hate-watch TV.
The twist? The summer of love promised by the producers is actually the cover for an underground lab where voted off contestants are sent.
I adored how the book 1984-ified heteronormative stereotypes and the continuation of pushing for traditional gender roles and interests whilst simultaneously being the opposite of conservative. Being able to do this in a comedy-horror writing style with an increasingly batsh*t crazy plot was kinda perfect.
Each character personality (especially those who were increasingly horrifyingly evil) shone through exceptionally well and made it so difficult to put the book down!
At some points I did question where else this could be heading before it ended but you just have to embrace the chaotic energy.
The ending made me incredibly happy. Karma. I love good Final Girl(s).
‘Love Island meets Jurassic Park’ is absolutely the perfect summary for this book, btw.
We join the cast of Love Shots as they experience the final two recouplings of the season and get more drama than they bargained for. The first section of the book brings you into the middle of it, where you are inundated with people who would definitely make mind-numbingly good hate-watch TV.
The twist? The summer of love promised by the producers is actually the cover for an underground lab where voted off contestants are sent.
I adored how the book 1984-ified heteronormative stereotypes and the continuation of pushing for traditional gender roles and interests whilst simultaneously being the opposite of conservative. Being able to do this in a comedy-horror writing style with an increasingly batsh*t crazy plot was kinda perfect.
Each character personality (especially those who were increasingly horrifyingly evil) shone through exceptionally well and made it so difficult to put the book down!
At some points I did question where else this could be heading before it ended but you just have to embrace the chaotic energy.
The ending made me incredibly happy. Karma. I love good Final Girl(s).
May 15, 2026
Thank you to Netgalley and Victory Editing for this arc in exchange for an honest review 🫶
4.25 ⭐️
I had absolutely no clue what I was expecting but it definitely wasn’t this, in the best way.
It was weird, disturbing, bizarre, and addicting just like reality tv. You’re dropped in the middle of production following the contestants and producer’s on the show Love Shots, and things just get weirder and weirder. This book was wild and entertaining, it kept me on my toes to the very last page. You’ll love this if you watch Love Island and other reality tv dating shows and also love horror/ thriller novels with some good body horror.
I loved the diverse cast of characters. I also loved and thought that the author did a great job discussing the underlying theme and social commentary on homophobia and heteronormativity in reality shows like Love Island and our government. Since it is so prevalent with everything going on today.
The reason this wasn’t closer to a 5 star read for me was probably more of a reader error. The start of the book we are introduced to so many characters that it got a little muddied in my brain trying to differentiate between everyone. Once I really got into it and understood everyone’s names, traits, and personalities it made it a far more enjoyable read. Again reader error haha.
4.25 ⭐️
I had absolutely no clue what I was expecting but it definitely wasn’t this, in the best way.
It was weird, disturbing, bizarre, and addicting just like reality tv. You’re dropped in the middle of production following the contestants and producer’s on the show Love Shots, and things just get weirder and weirder. This book was wild and entertaining, it kept me on my toes to the very last page. You’ll love this if you watch Love Island and other reality tv dating shows and also love horror/ thriller novels with some good body horror.
I loved the diverse cast of characters. I also loved and thought that the author did a great job discussing the underlying theme and social commentary on homophobia and heteronormativity in reality shows like Love Island and our government. Since it is so prevalent with everything going on today.
The reason this wasn’t closer to a 5 star read for me was probably more of a reader error. The start of the book we are introduced to so many characters that it got a little muddied in my brain trying to differentiate between everyone. Once I really got into it and understood everyone’s names, traits, and personalities it made it a far more enjoyable read. Again reader error haha.
June 7, 2026
I really wanted to like this one. Especially because I love the concept of a reality tv show with a dark twist.
I DNF'd at 30%.
This unfortunately was not for me. Lack of chapters and second guessing myself on whose pov I was reading. Some characters rambled on, and although there was a shock element where I was curious about what was happening behind the scenes, it wasn't enough for me to keep going.
Thank you so much to NetGalley for the opportunity to read the advanced copy. I hope this finds the right readers.
I DNF'd at 30%.
This unfortunately was not for me. Lack of chapters and second guessing myself on whose pov I was reading. Some characters rambled on, and although there was a shock element where I was curious about what was happening behind the scenes, it wasn't enough for me to keep going.
Thank you so much to NetGalley for the opportunity to read the advanced copy. I hope this finds the right readers.
April 29, 2026
✨ARC Book Review✨
Okay, yes! I’ve watched the shows the story parodies, so I fully get the horror twist 😂 Imagining those same kinds of shows but with a horror perspective is hilarious.
Honestly, what makes it so good is that the first solid 40% of the book really builds the relationships and sets the tone. Then you add in the monster hybrids, and you get pure horror comedy. Even the characters’ dialect felt on brand 😂👏🏻 When they were processing their situation, I honestly felt a kind of wicked joy 😈
It feels like an honest, chef’s kiss blend of macabre humor with a modern twist.
And the ending? Totally nailed it 👏🏻
Thank you to NetGalley and Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Okay, yes! I’ve watched the shows the story parodies, so I fully get the horror twist 😂 Imagining those same kinds of shows but with a horror perspective is hilarious.
Honestly, what makes it so good is that the first solid 40% of the book really builds the relationships and sets the tone. Then you add in the monster hybrids, and you get pure horror comedy. Even the characters’ dialect felt on brand 😂👏🏻 When they were processing their situation, I honestly felt a kind of wicked joy 😈
It feels like an honest, chef’s kiss blend of macabre humor with a modern twist.
And the ending? Totally nailed it 👏🏻
Thank you to NetGalley and Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
May 31, 2026
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If you love dating show and horror/thrillers, then this is going to be your new perfect match made in heaven... or maybe hell? It's a satire that Riddle pitched to me as "Love Island meets Jurassic Park" and honestly, that's a very apt description. Last year, I read Riddle's previous release while traveling, and this year I had another trip coming up so I figured, why not make it a tradition and read a Travis M. Riddle book while traveling again? And what a good idea that was, because this book kept me absolutely hooked.
Love Shots is inspired by the popular TV show with a very similar name, and if you are familiar with that show then you'll find yourself very familiar the general format and workings of the show portrayed in this book. We've got beautiful people in a beautiful setting... and yet, somehow, it ends up being a bit of a nightmare.
The story sets out fairly normally in the middle of a current season of the show, Love Shots, and we quickly get to know the many characters that are a part of it this time around. Riddle always puts a lot of time and development into his characters, so despite there being quite a large cast, I felt like I had a pretty good grasp of the main players due to the detailed introductions for each of them. Admittedly, I did mix up a few here and there, but no more than I usually would with a larger cast size. The relevant characters were are portrayed with layers and depth (though some may have had personalities that were, perhaps, slightly less naturally "deep" than others, but, you know...) and I liked getting to know all of them. Their backgrounds were all unique enough that I was engaged in learning about their personalities and how it affected their behavior on the show, and especially in seeing how they ended up reacting to different scenarios as the more intense events of the story unfolded.
The narrative is split among many different POVs from the contestants, as well as glimpses behind the scenes from the producer, editors, and a few others working on the show. These behind the scenes POVs are where we really first start getting hints that things might not be quite what they seem. From the beginning, we don't know exactly what is going to be happening to these contestants, and I think Riddle's slow trickle of clues worked extremely well for building that tension and anticipation as we slowly learned more and more about the more sinister aspects of this production.
I was actually a little surprised by how much time the book spent letting us readers settle into the "normal" life of the villa before things really kick off, but I didn't mind it at all because it gave me more time to get to know the character and better understand the dynamics among them and their within their current relationships. I also shouldn't have been surprised because one of my favorite things about Riddle's writing is how it never feels rushed and he really takes his time to describe thing and set a scene, and this is exactly what it felt like was happening here--something that I still really appreciate about his writing.
Love Shots does a fantastic job with its exploration of reality dating shows themselves and just how manufactured they can be. How much editing is done to tell narratives that are perhaps the exact opposite of what's actually happening? How do producers make sure fans are shocked by something that wouldn't really be shocking if they knew the reality? How is the outcome ensured to be exactly what the producer wants? There's much manipulation behind the scenes of these shows in real life, and I loved how Riddle explored all of that in this book. It really highlights the predatory nature of the show in some very intense and literal ways that I found excellently and cleverly done.
I also appreciated the commentary on and highlighting of some larger societal issues that are found within these types of shows. For example, he touches on things like the heteronormativity of dating shows (I mean, when you think about it, isn't it actually quite wild how aggressively straight these shows are in how they act like nothing else exists?) as well as the unique pressures and expectations placed on men and women alike, especially in the influencer era of these shows.
Without going into too many details to avoid spoilers, once sh*t hits the fan, there's truly no going back. This book absolutely basks in its violence and body horror, and I think that will make it a huge hit for fans of the genre. Once the story crossed a certain point, it was incredibly action-heavy for the remainder of the novel. It basically felt like a constant spiral into chaos that left me feeling almost as overwhelmed as the contestants themselves. At first, it's almost so weird or unbelievable that skepticism feels warranted, but then suddenly you can't look away as pure havoc is unleashed. The shifting POVs worked especially well because each character experienced some different aspect of what happened, and this really allowed for more variety in the storytelling itself. This also, of course, only added to the feeling of confusion and panic. It's brutal, relentless, and showed very little (if any?) mercy to anyone.
The book also doesn't take itself too seriously, and the satire is evident throughout. While it stands on its own, there are plenty of absurd and darkly funny moments woven into the narrative that keep things lighter and entertaining--after all, it is a reality dating show. People are expected to be at least a little vain, shallow, dramatic, and entertaining, and some of the decisions made throughout the story are exactly the kind of behavior that reality TV thrives on.
One last note I wanted to make was that I don't usually read too many reviews for books before writing my own because I don't want to be accidentally influenced, and I very rarely see reviews for Riddle's before writing my own reviews (since in the past I read them too early for there to be many reviews yet), but this time I noticed a couple comments mentioning some oversexualization of the women in this book. I completely understand where those readers are come from, and if that's how the book made them feel then that's absolutely valid and I'd never argue that or tell them they're wrong to feel that way. That being said, for me, having read many of Riddle's works, I personally felt like this oversexualization was actually very intentional and done to reflect how much these shows (and society itself) oversexualizes women in these absurd, uncomfortable ways as well. It felt more self-aware than accidental, and I think my own interpretation of this to me highlighted how much these shows do stuff that is just as egregious as some of what is written, if not more. That doesn't mean everyone will enjoy it or feel comfortable even knowing that, but I felt it could be worthwhile to note why it didn't bother me as much, since it felt like the book knew what it was doing and was commenting on those attitudes rather than embracing them and enforcing them.
While this wasn't my favorite of Riddle's work (and given how much I love so many of his books, that'd be a hard feat to accomplish!), it was still an absolute blast. I'd recommend this to fans of satire, thrillers, a little bit absurdity, and a hearty appreciation for some bloody moments.
If you love dating show and horror/thrillers, then this is going to be your new perfect match made in heaven... or maybe hell? It's a satire that Riddle pitched to me as "Love Island meets Jurassic Park" and honestly, that's a very apt description. Last year, I read Riddle's previous release while traveling, and this year I had another trip coming up so I figured, why not make it a tradition and read a Travis M. Riddle book while traveling again? And what a good idea that was, because this book kept me absolutely hooked.
Love Shots is inspired by the popular TV show with a very similar name, and if you are familiar with that show then you'll find yourself very familiar the general format and workings of the show portrayed in this book. We've got beautiful people in a beautiful setting... and yet, somehow, it ends up being a bit of a nightmare.
The story sets out fairly normally in the middle of a current season of the show, Love Shots, and we quickly get to know the many characters that are a part of it this time around. Riddle always puts a lot of time and development into his characters, so despite there being quite a large cast, I felt like I had a pretty good grasp of the main players due to the detailed introductions for each of them. Admittedly, I did mix up a few here and there, but no more than I usually would with a larger cast size. The relevant characters were are portrayed with layers and depth (though some may have had personalities that were, perhaps, slightly less naturally "deep" than others, but, you know...) and I liked getting to know all of them. Their backgrounds were all unique enough that I was engaged in learning about their personalities and how it affected their behavior on the show, and especially in seeing how they ended up reacting to different scenarios as the more intense events of the story unfolded.
The narrative is split among many different POVs from the contestants, as well as glimpses behind the scenes from the producer, editors, and a few others working on the show. These behind the scenes POVs are where we really first start getting hints that things might not be quite what they seem. From the beginning, we don't know exactly what is going to be happening to these contestants, and I think Riddle's slow trickle of clues worked extremely well for building that tension and anticipation as we slowly learned more and more about the more sinister aspects of this production.
I was actually a little surprised by how much time the book spent letting us readers settle into the "normal" life of the villa before things really kick off, but I didn't mind it at all because it gave me more time to get to know the character and better understand the dynamics among them and their within their current relationships. I also shouldn't have been surprised because one of my favorite things about Riddle's writing is how it never feels rushed and he really takes his time to describe thing and set a scene, and this is exactly what it felt like was happening here--something that I still really appreciate about his writing.
Love Shots does a fantastic job with its exploration of reality dating shows themselves and just how manufactured they can be. How much editing is done to tell narratives that are perhaps the exact opposite of what's actually happening? How do producers make sure fans are shocked by something that wouldn't really be shocking if they knew the reality? How is the outcome ensured to be exactly what the producer wants? There's much manipulation behind the scenes of these shows in real life, and I loved how Riddle explored all of that in this book. It really highlights the predatory nature of the show in some very intense and literal ways that I found excellently and cleverly done.
I also appreciated the commentary on and highlighting of some larger societal issues that are found within these types of shows. For example, he touches on things like the heteronormativity of dating shows (I mean, when you think about it, isn't it actually quite wild how aggressively straight these shows are in how they act like nothing else exists?) as well as the unique pressures and expectations placed on men and women alike, especially in the influencer era of these shows.
Without going into too many details to avoid spoilers, once sh*t hits the fan, there's truly no going back. This book absolutely basks in its violence and body horror, and I think that will make it a huge hit for fans of the genre. Once the story crossed a certain point, it was incredibly action-heavy for the remainder of the novel. It basically felt like a constant spiral into chaos that left me feeling almost as overwhelmed as the contestants themselves. At first, it's almost so weird or unbelievable that skepticism feels warranted, but then suddenly you can't look away as pure havoc is unleashed. The shifting POVs worked especially well because each character experienced some different aspect of what happened, and this really allowed for more variety in the storytelling itself. This also, of course, only added to the feeling of confusion and panic. It's brutal, relentless, and showed very little (if any?) mercy to anyone.
The book also doesn't take itself too seriously, and the satire is evident throughout. While it stands on its own, there are plenty of absurd and darkly funny moments woven into the narrative that keep things lighter and entertaining--after all, it is a reality dating show. People are expected to be at least a little vain, shallow, dramatic, and entertaining, and some of the decisions made throughout the story are exactly the kind of behavior that reality TV thrives on.
One last note I wanted to make was that I don't usually read too many reviews for books before writing my own because I don't want to be accidentally influenced, and I very rarely see reviews for Riddle's before writing my own reviews (since in the past I read them too early for there to be many reviews yet), but this time I noticed a couple comments mentioning some oversexualization of the women in this book. I completely understand where those readers are come from, and if that's how the book made them feel then that's absolutely valid and I'd never argue that or tell them they're wrong to feel that way. That being said, for me, having read many of Riddle's works, I personally felt like this oversexualization was actually very intentional and done to reflect how much these shows (and society itself) oversexualizes women in these absurd, uncomfortable ways as well. It felt more self-aware than accidental, and I think my own interpretation of this to me highlighted how much these shows do stuff that is just as egregious as some of what is written, if not more. That doesn't mean everyone will enjoy it or feel comfortable even knowing that, but I felt it could be worthwhile to note why it didn't bother me as much, since it felt like the book knew what it was doing and was commenting on those attitudes rather than embracing them and enforcing them.
While this wasn't my favorite of Riddle's work (and given how much I love so many of his books, that'd be a hard feat to accomplish!), it was still an absolute blast. I'd recommend this to fans of satire, thrillers, a little bit absurdity, and a hearty appreciation for some bloody moments.
May 5, 2026
Review of advance copy received by NetGalley
Thank you so much to Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for the ARC!
3.5 stars. I went into Love Shots as a dedicated Love Island fan, and the reality TV elements were painfully accurate in the best way. The first 40% is very character heavy, and while I get the setup, I did find myself wanting to skip some of the banter and get straight to the drama (very on-brand for reality TV, honestly).
But once things hit that halfway point? Absolute chaos. The mix of slasher horror with a dating show setting was wild and so entertaining. I was genuinely surprised by several twists and character fates…. I did not see some of that coming.
A few plot points didn’t fully make sense, and the ending felt a little underwhelming compared to the buildup. I would have loved a “where are they now” style epilogue (give me the reunion episode, please).
Overall, this was a super unique, messy-in-a-good-way read. If you love reality TV and don’t mind a little blood with your romance, I’d definitely recommend it.
Thank you so much to Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for the ARC!
3.5 stars. I went into Love Shots as a dedicated Love Island fan, and the reality TV elements were painfully accurate in the best way. The first 40% is very character heavy, and while I get the setup, I did find myself wanting to skip some of the banter and get straight to the drama (very on-brand for reality TV, honestly).
But once things hit that halfway point? Absolute chaos. The mix of slasher horror with a dating show setting was wild and so entertaining. I was genuinely surprised by several twists and character fates…. I did not see some of that coming.
A few plot points didn’t fully make sense, and the ending felt a little underwhelming compared to the buildup. I would have loved a “where are they now” style epilogue (give me the reunion episode, please).
Overall, this was a super unique, messy-in-a-good-way read. If you love reality TV and don’t mind a little blood with your romance, I’d definitely recommend it.
May 7, 2026
Thanks to Travis M Riddle and Netgalley for a copy of this arc
I don’t know what I was expecting with Love Shots exactly but it wasn’t this gracious of a take on the contestants of a reality show.
This book balances its large cast with a surprising ease and care thats a delight to read. I think it would be easy to lean into the in to the inherent campiness of the setting and deliver flat outlines of characters but thats not what Riddle chose to do here.
The plot is familiar enough to have nostalgic story beats, self aware enough to be a little silly and gory enough to pack a punch.
I had a really nice time reading this one and preordered it the second I finished.
Perfect for fans of life times unREAL and fans grady hedrix
I don’t know what I was expecting with Love Shots exactly but it wasn’t this gracious of a take on the contestants of a reality show.
This book balances its large cast with a surprising ease and care thats a delight to read. I think it would be easy to lean into the in to the inherent campiness of the setting and deliver flat outlines of characters but thats not what Riddle chose to do here.
The plot is familiar enough to have nostalgic story beats, self aware enough to be a little silly and gory enough to pack a punch.
I had a really nice time reading this one and preordered it the second I finished.
Perfect for fans of life times unREAL and fans grady hedrix
May 14, 2026
This book genuinely surprised me!
Admittedly I only read the beginning of the synopsis and gathered it’s a thriller that takes place on the set of a dating show. Perfect! Sign me up!
It ended up being WAY more than that.
Part thriller, part sci-fi, part horror… and it worked. A long-winded book yet it was still a quick and easy read, but don’t let the message get lost! This original and entertaining take on America’s desire for heteronormativity was refreshing and I’m very glad I read it. The whole book played like a movie in my head, and it was fun!
Definitely recommend if you’re looking for something different and niche! And read the acknowledgments!!
Thank you so much to Victory Editing for the ARC!
Admittedly I only read the beginning of the synopsis and gathered it’s a thriller that takes place on the set of a dating show. Perfect! Sign me up!
It ended up being WAY more than that.
Part thriller, part sci-fi, part horror… and it worked. A long-winded book yet it was still a quick and easy read, but don’t let the message get lost! This original and entertaining take on America’s desire for heteronormativity was refreshing and I’m very glad I read it. The whole book played like a movie in my head, and it was fun!
Definitely recommend if you’re looking for something different and niche! And read the acknowledgments!!
Thank you so much to Victory Editing for the ARC!
June 25, 2026
reading this while simultaneously getting updates about the villa on love island usa was an absolute trip lmao
campy, trippy, queer (happy pride y'all 🌈) and quite enjoyable. it was charming and i think I'm gonna pick up some more of Travis M Riddle's work.
campy, trippy, queer (happy pride y'all 🌈) and quite enjoyable. it was charming and i think I'm gonna pick up some more of Travis M Riddle's work.
June 18, 2026
Love Island meets UnREAL meets Jurassic Park (ish)
Love Island:
the setting is a dating reality show in which contestants are on a remote island under video surveillance to find love. at the end of each day/episode, contestants must be coupled up (or recouple) in order to continue on to the next episode.
UnREAL:
the readers gets a little bit of behind the scenes look at production for the show. it’s very messy, very money-oriented. the producer, Elizabeth, IS Quinn from UnREAL. you cannot convince me otherwise. like, visually, I only ever saw Constance Zimmer.
Jurassic Park:
it’s a fucked up world where rich people and organizations do whatever the fuck they want because they can. and we all have to suffer because of it.
I’ll be honest, I almost DNFd this at 5%. There are SO many POVs and quick cuts between scenes that it was so incredibly hard to keep up and follow along. After a couple of weeks of not reading it, I picked it back up while on vacation and was hooked.
This book was gloriously gory and I could so clearly see this as a slasher film. The multi-POVs and quick cut scenes that annoyed me at first really helped me visualize the storytelling in my head. I really do think that film would be the best format for this.
As for characters, all the men fucking SUCK. Honestly, not one good one out of the lot. But also, that was the point. Love Shots is a commentary on the heteronormativity of reality dating shows and twists it on its head. While we do have some LGBT characters, I really wish Riddle would have put more focus on these characters and their arcs. I understand that’s difficult with such a large cast of characters, but if a major part of this story is criticizing the hetero culture of reality dating shows, I would have wanted at least one specific change to have been made.
Overall, I really did like this book and was thoroughly entertained!
Thank you NetGalley for an advance copy!
Love Island:
the setting is a dating reality show in which contestants are on a remote island under video surveillance to find love. at the end of each day/episode, contestants must be coupled up (or recouple) in order to continue on to the next episode.
UnREAL:
the readers gets a little bit of behind the scenes look at production for the show. it’s very messy, very money-oriented. the producer, Elizabeth, IS Quinn from UnREAL. you cannot convince me otherwise. like, visually, I only ever saw Constance Zimmer.
Jurassic Park:
it’s a fucked up world where rich people and organizations do whatever the fuck they want because they can. and we all have to suffer because of it.
I’ll be honest, I almost DNFd this at 5%. There are SO many POVs and quick cuts between scenes that it was so incredibly hard to keep up and follow along. After a couple of weeks of not reading it, I picked it back up while on vacation and was hooked.
This book was gloriously gory and I could so clearly see this as a slasher film. The multi-POVs and quick cut scenes that annoyed me at first really helped me visualize the storytelling in my head. I really do think that film would be the best format for this.
As for characters, all the men fucking SUCK. Honestly, not one good one out of the lot. But also, that was the point. Love Shots is a commentary on the heteronormativity of reality dating shows and twists it on its head. While we do have some LGBT characters, I really wish Riddle would have put more focus on these characters and their arcs. I understand that’s difficult with such a large cast of characters, but if a major part of this story is criticizing the hetero culture of reality dating shows, I would have wanted at least one specific change to have been made.
Overall, I really did like this book and was thoroughly entertained!
Thank you NetGalley for an advance copy!
June 1, 2026
Thank you so much to NetGalley for this ARC!!
This book was fun to read. I watched the most recent season of Love Island so all the things relating between Love Island and Love Shots were things I recognized and I really enjoyed that aspect. I really loved who I thought was the main character Lauren, she was a great main girl and she was smart about most of her decisions and I appreciate that in a main character. I loved the setting and the monsters and how the monsters were made was really interesting. The Mimic was a cool like side villain and a cool creature to learn about. Also the bomb giving The Mimic a tummy ache did make me giggle.
Travis M. Riddle has a really great writing style in my opinion and some of the things that happened to these characters were very funny and ironic, it was an incredibly fun read.
The reason I’m giving this book four stars instead of five is a reason I have given quite a few books four stars and it’s because there are too many characters. Most of the side characters I didn’t care about really at all, they were just deaths I knew were coming and I didn’t care to read about them. I didn’t care for their perspectives much, the deaths were fine since I wasn’t attached to them at all. I liked Ana as a character and loved her and Lauren’s friendship, but honestly everyone else was just whatever to me. I was happy about Elizabeth’s ending, she was the actual worst. Also, I feel this book was a little too long, it was extremely detailed and I love a detail, but in my opinion there was just too much going on.
I look forward to reading more from Travis M. Riddle in the future!!
This book was fun to read. I watched the most recent season of Love Island so all the things relating between Love Island and Love Shots were things I recognized and I really enjoyed that aspect. I really loved who I thought was the main character Lauren, she was a great main girl and she was smart about most of her decisions and I appreciate that in a main character. I loved the setting and the monsters and how the monsters were made was really interesting. The Mimic was a cool like side villain and a cool creature to learn about. Also the bomb giving The Mimic a tummy ache did make me giggle.
Travis M. Riddle has a really great writing style in my opinion and some of the things that happened to these characters were very funny and ironic, it was an incredibly fun read.
The reason I’m giving this book four stars instead of five is a reason I have given quite a few books four stars and it’s because there are too many characters. Most of the side characters I didn’t care about really at all, they were just deaths I knew were coming and I didn’t care to read about them. I didn’t care for their perspectives much, the deaths were fine since I wasn’t attached to them at all. I liked Ana as a character and loved her and Lauren’s friendship, but honestly everyone else was just whatever to me. I was happy about Elizabeth’s ending, she was the actual worst. Also, I feel this book was a little too long, it was extremely detailed and I love a detail, but in my opinion there was just too much going on.
I look forward to reading more from Travis M. Riddle in the future!!
June 9, 2026
Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC!
If I had a nickel for every phenomenal reality dating show horror novel I'd read this year, I'd have two nickels. It's not a lot but I'm so grateful and hope more are on the way!
I really appreciated the sincerity and depth with which Riddle crafted this world and its characters. Patricia Wants to Cuddle (the other reality dating show horror I mentioned above) focused on the absurdity of the show's premise as filtered through the protagonist's feelings and ultimate rejection of it, though it was clear the author knew their stuff from the minute show-accurate details. In contrast, the first third or so of Love Shots is basically a straight reality TV script (with compelling hints at spooky experiments and science corruption) which, along with the many POVs and the time/space taken to know each character, set the novel up as a more serious and intensive examination of the genre. This seems to match the author's intent (according to the afterword) to highlight the toxic heteronormativity of these shows while also providing space for queer love and joy. Fantastic creature design, too! PLEASE release a physical copy so I can have this on my shelf!!!
If I had a nickel for every phenomenal reality dating show horror novel I'd read this year, I'd have two nickels. It's not a lot but I'm so grateful and hope more are on the way!
I really appreciated the sincerity and depth with which Riddle crafted this world and its characters. Patricia Wants to Cuddle (the other reality dating show horror I mentioned above) focused on the absurdity of the show's premise as filtered through the protagonist's feelings and ultimate rejection of it, though it was clear the author knew their stuff from the minute show-accurate details. In contrast, the first third or so of Love Shots is basically a straight reality TV script (with compelling hints at spooky experiments and science corruption) which, along with the many POVs and the time/space taken to know each character, set the novel up as a more serious and intensive examination of the genre. This seems to match the author's intent (according to the afterword) to highlight the toxic heteronormativity of these shows while also providing space for queer love and joy. Fantastic creature design, too! PLEASE release a physical copy so I can have this on my shelf!!!
June 21, 2026
I saw a TikTok describe this as “Love Island but make it horror” and was sold on reading what I assumed would be a cheesy, shallow read, but this was a genuinely great book.
If you’ve unfortunately seen Love Island before, you know the setup: a ridiculously beautiful group of strangers spend time on an island where they partner up and compete to be the number one best couple in the villa. There are challenges that always involve making out, ceremonies to couple up or dump whoever ends up single, and the contestants have no phones and no way of tracking time or any knowledge of what is going on in the outside world. It’s already kind of a dystopian horror in and of itself, but this book adds in an actual monster and a gruesome body count.
The horror in this is actually scary, as the type of monster involved is inherently creepy and unsettling. There were moments where I finally relaxed, thinking the character being followed during that chapter was finally safe, only to be absolutely wrong as they were killed.
The writing style in this also surprised me by how actually great it was. Every character, no matter how minor, had a distinct personality and detailed enough backstory to make me feel for them when they perished.
I also loved the ending!
If you’ve unfortunately seen Love Island before, you know the setup: a ridiculously beautiful group of strangers spend time on an island where they partner up and compete to be the number one best couple in the villa. There are challenges that always involve making out, ceremonies to couple up or dump whoever ends up single, and the contestants have no phones and no way of tracking time or any knowledge of what is going on in the outside world. It’s already kind of a dystopian horror in and of itself, but this book adds in an actual monster and a gruesome body count.
The horror in this is actually scary, as the type of monster involved is inherently creepy and unsettling. There were moments where I finally relaxed, thinking the character being followed during that chapter was finally safe, only to be absolutely wrong as they were killed.
The writing style in this also surprised me by how actually great it was. Every character, no matter how minor, had a distinct personality and detailed enough backstory to make me feel for them when they perished.
I also loved the ending!
May 12, 2026
I want to start off by saying that this book has a lot of positive reviews, but my opinion differs from them. I strongly believe I’m just not the right reader for this book.
I went into this novel thinking it would be fun to read a horror story surrounding a Love Island style reality show. Since I don’t personally enjoy those types of shows, I thought a horror version would be entertaining. What I didn’t anticipate was reading a book that felt so much like an actual reality show, complete with characters heavily leaning into reality TV tropes, and nearly 50% of this 511 page novel feeling like watching the show unfold.
I found myself forcing my way through the book just to reach the end. I dreaded picking it up and sadly just wasn’t having any fun while reading this one.
I don’t want to say much more than that because I really don’t like heavily criticizing books I didn’t enjoy. The author clearly put a lot of work into this story, and I know there will be readers who love it (The reviews prove it)
Sadly, this one just wasn’t for me.
⭐️⭐️ 2 Star
I went into this novel thinking it would be fun to read a horror story surrounding a Love Island style reality show. Since I don’t personally enjoy those types of shows, I thought a horror version would be entertaining. What I didn’t anticipate was reading a book that felt so much like an actual reality show, complete with characters heavily leaning into reality TV tropes, and nearly 50% of this 511 page novel feeling like watching the show unfold.
I found myself forcing my way through the book just to reach the end. I dreaded picking it up and sadly just wasn’t having any fun while reading this one.
I don’t want to say much more than that because I really don’t like heavily criticizing books I didn’t enjoy. The author clearly put a lot of work into this story, and I know there will be readers who love it (The reviews prove it)
Sadly, this one just wasn’t for me.
⭐️⭐️ 2 Star
May 25, 2026
Well I can honestly say I’ve never read a book like this before😳 I was definitely drawn to this for the Love Island element filled with drama, love interests, forced proximity and character development! Then when you throw in some horror, terror and suspense 🤯
I had a great time reading this, the first half of the book throws you right into what feels like your watching love island. Straight away you connect with characters with multiple POVs and I was discovering who I liked and who I DID NOT! Then when things take a turn for the worst, they get severely bad 🤣 as the reader you’re trying to work out to the ‘clubbers’ can trust. I was HOOKED till the very end.
Round of applause to the author writing multiple male and female POV’s, couldn’t have been an easy task and I was genuinely laughing out loud to how relatable the things they characters were thinking and saying👏
Thank you @Netgalley and the author was this ARC!!!
I had a great time reading this, the first half of the book throws you right into what feels like your watching love island. Straight away you connect with characters with multiple POVs and I was discovering who I liked and who I DID NOT! Then when things take a turn for the worst, they get severely bad 🤣 as the reader you’re trying to work out to the ‘clubbers’ can trust. I was HOOKED till the very end.
Round of applause to the author writing multiple male and female POV’s, couldn’t have been an easy task and I was genuinely laughing out loud to how relatable the things they characters were thinking and saying👏
Thank you @Netgalley and the author was this ARC!!!
June 16, 2026
This could’ve been an email
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you NetGalley and Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!
“Love Shots” by Travis M. Riddle is basically what happens if Love Island and Jurassic Park had a deeply unhinged horror baby. And somehow… it works.
At first, the book really does feel like a reality dating show. You’ve got the flirting, the staged drama, the awkward recouplings, the contestants trying way too hard to look unbothered, and producers manipulating everything behind the scenes for maximum chaos. It honestly reads like watching an episode of Love Island, and if you’ve ever seen those kinds of shows, the parody is painfully accurate in the best way.
The story follows contestants and production staff on this island dating show, and for the first chunk of the book, it’s mostly exactly that with messy relationship drama, eliminations, confessionals, hookups, and a whole lot of people you would absolutely hate in real life.
And yes, there are a lot of names. Between contestants, producers, editors, security, and secret lab people, it can feel like you need a whiteboard to keep track of everyone. Some characters definitely get more depth than others, while some are clearly there to become monster food later.
But underneath all the reality TV nonsense, there are little hints that something is very wrong. The contestants who get “voted off” aren’t actually leaving the island. There’s an underground facility. There are weird experiments happening. People’s social media accounts are being faked so the outside world thinks they’re fine.
Which, yes, requires a huge amount of suspension of disbelief, but honestly, once you accept the chaos, it gets fun.
Around the 40% mark, the book basically says “okay enough pretending to be subtle” and everything goes absolutely feral.
The eliminated contestants—aka the “losers”—have been turned into these aggressive, bloodthirsty monster hybrids. They still look mostly human at first, but mentally and physically? Absolutely not. They’re stronger, faster, increasingly animalistic, and once one escapes, the entire island turns into a slasher survival game.
This is where the book really shines.
Suddenly it’s less dating show and more “who is getting eaten first,” and the body horror gets surprisingly intense. Some of the transformations are genuinely gross in a very memorable way. There are some truly wild deaths, a lot of gore, and a few moments where I would strongly recommend not reading while eating.
What makes the monsters extra creepy is that some of them still have enough human intelligence to manipulate people, while others are just running on hunger and violence. That mix makes them way scarier than mindless zombies.
I also weirdly appreciated that most of the female contestants actually support each other instead of doing the usual reality TV “women fighting over one mediocre man” thing. There’s a strong female camaraderie running through the whole book, while most of the men are honestly kind of the worst. Sexist, arrogant, and exactly the type of men reality TV seems to mass-produce.
There are also a lot of sex and sex-adjacent scenes, which makes sense given the setting, but sometimes the placement feels strange, like jumping from “someone is being horrifically mutated” straight into hookup drama. Since there aren’t chapter breaks, those tonal shifts can be kind of jarring.
The explanation for the experiments gets a little info-dumpy near the end, and the actual motivation behind it all is weirdly specific, kind of bizarre, and somehow also rooted in greed, power, and some genuinely awful small-minded thinking. It doesn’t always make perfect logical sense, but it is entertaining.
And honestly, that’s the best way to describe this whole book: entertaining chaos.
The ending is really satisfying too with bad people getting consequences, the producer’s awful plans falling apart, and there’s a surprisingly hopeful finish underneath all the blood and screaming.
Overall, “Love Shots” is ridiculous, messy, funny, gross, and way more fun than it should be. If “trashy dating show but everyone gets hunted by experimental monster ex-contestants” sounds like your kind of nonsense, you’ll probably love this. It’s horror-comedy with absolute disaster energy, and sometimes that’s exactly what you need.
“Love Shots” by Travis M. Riddle is basically what happens if Love Island and Jurassic Park had a deeply unhinged horror baby. And somehow… it works.
At first, the book really does feel like a reality dating show. You’ve got the flirting, the staged drama, the awkward recouplings, the contestants trying way too hard to look unbothered, and producers manipulating everything behind the scenes for maximum chaos. It honestly reads like watching an episode of Love Island, and if you’ve ever seen those kinds of shows, the parody is painfully accurate in the best way.
The story follows contestants and production staff on this island dating show, and for the first chunk of the book, it’s mostly exactly that with messy relationship drama, eliminations, confessionals, hookups, and a whole lot of people you would absolutely hate in real life.
And yes, there are a lot of names. Between contestants, producers, editors, security, and secret lab people, it can feel like you need a whiteboard to keep track of everyone. Some characters definitely get more depth than others, while some are clearly there to become monster food later.
But underneath all the reality TV nonsense, there are little hints that something is very wrong. The contestants who get “voted off” aren’t actually leaving the island. There’s an underground facility. There are weird experiments happening. People’s social media accounts are being faked so the outside world thinks they’re fine.
Which, yes, requires a huge amount of suspension of disbelief, but honestly, once you accept the chaos, it gets fun.
Around the 40% mark, the book basically says “okay enough pretending to be subtle” and everything goes absolutely feral.
The eliminated contestants—aka the “losers”—have been turned into these aggressive, bloodthirsty monster hybrids. They still look mostly human at first, but mentally and physically? Absolutely not. They’re stronger, faster, increasingly animalistic, and once one escapes, the entire island turns into a slasher survival game.
This is where the book really shines.
Suddenly it’s less dating show and more “who is getting eaten first,” and the body horror gets surprisingly intense. Some of the transformations are genuinely gross in a very memorable way. There are some truly wild deaths, a lot of gore, and a few moments where I would strongly recommend not reading while eating.
What makes the monsters extra creepy is that some of them still have enough human intelligence to manipulate people, while others are just running on hunger and violence. That mix makes them way scarier than mindless zombies.
I also weirdly appreciated that most of the female contestants actually support each other instead of doing the usual reality TV “women fighting over one mediocre man” thing. There’s a strong female camaraderie running through the whole book, while most of the men are honestly kind of the worst. Sexist, arrogant, and exactly the type of men reality TV seems to mass-produce.
There are also a lot of sex and sex-adjacent scenes, which makes sense given the setting, but sometimes the placement feels strange, like jumping from “someone is being horrifically mutated” straight into hookup drama. Since there aren’t chapter breaks, those tonal shifts can be kind of jarring.
The explanation for the experiments gets a little info-dumpy near the end, and the actual motivation behind it all is weirdly specific, kind of bizarre, and somehow also rooted in greed, power, and some genuinely awful small-minded thinking. It doesn’t always make perfect logical sense, but it is entertaining.
And honestly, that’s the best way to describe this whole book: entertaining chaos.
The ending is really satisfying too with bad people getting consequences, the producer’s awful plans falling apart, and there’s a surprisingly hopeful finish underneath all the blood and screaming.
Overall, “Love Shots” is ridiculous, messy, funny, gross, and way more fun than it should be. If “trashy dating show but everyone gets hunted by experimental monster ex-contestants” sounds like your kind of nonsense, you’ll probably love this. It’s horror-comedy with absolute disaster energy, and sometimes that’s exactly what you need.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
✨I am reviewing an ARC of this book via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own. ✨
Wow, this one was a wild ride! I’m a big horror fan so when I received an ARC from NetGalley, I was psyched. Thanks for the opportunity!
There were many things about this book I liked. I’ve never read a horror novel centering around a dating reality tv show so that was enjoyable and fun. It made the story modern and relevant. Love Shots is your typical trash reality TV show filled with Love Island rejects desperate to somehow find love in the span of 3 weeks with people they screw before learning their middle name. And that’s the beauty of this book-the setting is PERFECT. The author really sets the scene well, which helped me truly immerse myself in the story. I felt like I was actually watching Love Shots on TV and, during the latter half of the book, I felt like I was a fellow contestant right there on that island next to our characters.
I also enjoyed the writing style. It was easy and fun to read. The language was modern and I found myself laughing at the stupid stuff some of the characters would say. I enjoyed reading about the characters and where they’d end up . There were some characters (sorry, not sorry, Tom and Harris) who I just continuously rolled my eyes at every time we switched to them but others who I rooted for (yay Lauren, Amani and Lara). The author was able to fully flesh out a pretty big character cast and make each memorable and distinct.
That being said, there were some things I didn’t enjoy as much either. I wish the discovery of what was truly happening on the island happened sooner than 70% into the book. While we get hints there’s something sinister going on, we aren’t told what until more than halfway through the book. I originally thought it was something dark like human trafficking but was surprised at the actual reveal. I was a little underwhelmed by what was really going on and felt like we didn’t really get an actual reason behind WHY it was happening. Sure, we’re (briefly) told that it’s so the “perfect heterosexual people” can enter society en masse but…why? What was the problem that led to this “solution”? It sort of came out of nowhere. We’re also told early on in the book someone is willing to pay $2mill for one of the Club Love monsters. Why? What do they do with them? That was left basically untouched and never mentioned again.
I am begging for some chapters too! I was SHOCKED when I opened up the book and there were only 5 chapters? Parts? It’s unclear. Chapter breaks would have been much appreciated, especially with the amount of characters we have running around on the island. During one part of the book, Lauren is thinking about all the things the Meagan monster hasn’t experienced and it was unbearable. For seven whole paragraphs, one almost an entire page long, we get a huge list of all the things the monster has never done. It was completely unnecessary and felt more like a word count needed to be reached than actually adding anything to the story. A couple sentences would have sufficed, we get it, there’s a lot of stuff the monster hasn’t done.
Lastly, the ending was a let down. We have all this action culminating to…a peaceful boat ride to where? What happened to the girls? Why did the monster just swim off into the sunset? There’s no explanation, no closure, nothing. I felt like the book just ended.
All in all, I thought the book was a fun read and I would recommend it to my fellow horror enthusiasts. It’s a fresh, exciting read. I enjoyed it!
Wow, this one was a wild ride! I’m a big horror fan so when I received an ARC from NetGalley, I was psyched. Thanks for the opportunity!
There were many things about this book I liked. I’ve never read a horror novel centering around a dating reality tv show so that was enjoyable and fun. It made the story modern and relevant. Love Shots is your typical trash reality TV show filled with Love Island rejects desperate to somehow find love in the span of 3 weeks with people they screw before learning their middle name. And that’s the beauty of this book-the setting is PERFECT. The author really sets the scene well, which helped me truly immerse myself in the story. I felt like I was actually watching Love Shots on TV and, during the latter half of the book, I felt like I was a fellow contestant right there on that island next to our characters.
I also enjoyed the writing style. It was easy and fun to read. The language was modern and I found myself laughing at the stupid stuff some of the characters would say. I enjoyed reading about the characters and where they’d end up . There were some characters (sorry, not sorry, Tom and Harris) who I just continuously rolled my eyes at every time we switched to them but others who I rooted for (yay Lauren, Amani and Lara). The author was able to fully flesh out a pretty big character cast and make each memorable and distinct.
That being said, there were some things I didn’t enjoy as much either. I wish the discovery of what was truly happening on the island happened sooner than 70% into the book. While we get hints there’s something sinister going on, we aren’t told what until more than halfway through the book. I originally thought it was something dark like human trafficking but was surprised at the actual reveal. I was a little underwhelmed by what was really going on and felt like we didn’t really get an actual reason behind WHY it was happening. Sure, we’re (briefly) told that it’s so the “perfect heterosexual people” can enter society en masse but…why? What was the problem that led to this “solution”? It sort of came out of nowhere. We’re also told early on in the book someone is willing to pay $2mill for one of the Club Love monsters. Why? What do they do with them? That was left basically untouched and never mentioned again.
I am begging for some chapters too! I was SHOCKED when I opened up the book and there were only 5 chapters? Parts? It’s unclear. Chapter breaks would have been much appreciated, especially with the amount of characters we have running around on the island. During one part of the book, Lauren is thinking about all the things the Meagan monster hasn’t experienced and it was unbearable. For seven whole paragraphs, one almost an entire page long, we get a huge list of all the things the monster has never done. It was completely unnecessary and felt more like a word count needed to be reached than actually adding anything to the story. A couple sentences would have sufficed, we get it, there’s a lot of stuff the monster hasn’t done.
Lastly, the ending was a let down. We have all this action culminating to…a peaceful boat ride to where? What happened to the girls? Why did the monster just swim off into the sunset? There’s no explanation, no closure, nothing. I felt like the book just ended.
All in all, I thought the book was a fun read and I would recommend it to my fellow horror enthusiasts. It’s a fresh, exciting read. I enjoyed it!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
A unique and fun take on dating shows, I truly enjoyed reading this!
We follow a cast of very...interesting characters on a dating show called "Love Shots", which is alot like Love Island and shows of that sort. What they don't expect is what this island and the showrunners are hiding....
Honestly, given the huge list of characters, I was expecting to be confused and overwhelmed trying to remember everyone. But Travis Riddle does an outstanding job at making them all memorable and easy to place. I have seen a small bit of the dating shows this is based on, and it feels hilariously accurate to the types of people who sign up for these kinds of shows.
The characters themselves are an array of irritating, idiotic, gullible, vapid, and some charming personalities. This is not at all a negative! It was actually quite fun to dislike some of these people, all while cheering for others. As shallow as some are, there are depths that are explored with some that lend them a well rounded story. I'm still shocked he was able to pull this off with the large list of contestants and cast.
Easy to read, and the writing was fun and made me laugh a lot. (And roll my eyes and groan in disgust especially at some of the men!) I had such a blast plowing through this!
The horror elements are soooo satisfying too! The descriptions are gory and detailed, graphic enough to hit that horror fan in me while also being able to picture the almost unbelievable monstrosities described. I've found that when some authors try to go outlandish with "creatures" they can be difficult to imagine, but Travis Riddle did a fantastic job at giving me a delightfully graphic visual.
The first half spends alot of time with the cast, and I actually enjoyed that time with them before the reveals. It made the second half hit harder, I loved the slow burn and tension, beautifully done.
My only critique personally that I didn't enjoy as much was the reasoning for everything-I found the idea a bit of a let down. But that being said, I also read the afterword and found myself appreciating the explanation and it made me feel less averse to it. It definitely fits the vibe of the story.
Also, that ending? Pure satisfaction. I was pleased at the final survivors. VERY pleased.
Definitely a 4.25 when all is said and done and Ive had a day to sit on it. Would highly recommend.
I received an advance review copy for free from NetGalley, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
We follow a cast of very...interesting characters on a dating show called "Love Shots", which is alot like Love Island and shows of that sort. What they don't expect is what this island and the showrunners are hiding....
Honestly, given the huge list of characters, I was expecting to be confused and overwhelmed trying to remember everyone. But Travis Riddle does an outstanding job at making them all memorable and easy to place. I have seen a small bit of the dating shows this is based on, and it feels hilariously accurate to the types of people who sign up for these kinds of shows.
The characters themselves are an array of irritating, idiotic, gullible, vapid, and some charming personalities. This is not at all a negative! It was actually quite fun to dislike some of these people, all while cheering for others. As shallow as some are, there are depths that are explored with some that lend them a well rounded story. I'm still shocked he was able to pull this off with the large list of contestants and cast.
Easy to read, and the writing was fun and made me laugh a lot. (And roll my eyes and groan in disgust especially at some of the men!) I had such a blast plowing through this!
The horror elements are soooo satisfying too! The descriptions are gory and detailed, graphic enough to hit that horror fan in me while also being able to picture the almost unbelievable monstrosities described. I've found that when some authors try to go outlandish with "creatures" they can be difficult to imagine, but Travis Riddle did a fantastic job at giving me a delightfully graphic visual.
The first half spends alot of time with the cast, and I actually enjoyed that time with them before the reveals. It made the second half hit harder, I loved the slow burn and tension, beautifully done.
My only critique personally that I didn't enjoy as much was the reasoning for everything-I found the idea a bit of a let down. But that being said, I also read the afterword and found myself appreciating the explanation and it made me feel less averse to it. It definitely fits the vibe of the story.
Also, that ending? Pure satisfaction. I was pleased at the final survivors. VERY pleased.
Definitely a 4.25 when all is said and done and Ive had a day to sit on it. Would highly recommend.
I received an advance review copy for free from NetGalley, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
𝗥𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴: 𝟰/𝟱
𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘰 𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘨𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘶𝘣𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘪𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯 𝘈𝘙𝘊 𝘪𝘯 𝘦𝘹𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘯 𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸.
Travis M. Riddle has crafted something remarkably unapologetic and self-aware. While the premise might suggest something light, this book is far from vapid. It’s a scathing social commentary wrapped in "historically horny" reality TV tropes. Riddle managed to touch on nearly every major systemic issue facing the US today—from toxic masculinity and gun violence to systemic racism and the way the government orchestrates a system that values the 'unthinking man' to maintain power. (Sound familiar? It should.)
𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐞𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐞:
The Cast: With a cast this large, it’s usually impossible to keep track of everyone. Riddle nailed it. By the end, even the "non-players" felt like distinct human beings. He successfully humanizes the very archetypes that corporate greed usually exploits for entertainment.
The Themes: I loved the exploration of how AI and... saying this without spoilers is hard, um, let's call it 'medical research', is weaponized by those in power. The book makes a beautiful case for why lived experience and mundanity are more valuable than anything tech or otherwise can replicate.
The Pacing: The first 25% sets the stage perfectly, and the remaining 75% is just pure, unadulterated chaos. It’s "Girl Power" meets high-stakes survival.
The Critique: As someone who sees how shows like Love Island reinforce heteronormative stereotypes, I found the subversion of those values incredibly refreshing.
𝗧𝗟𝗗𝗥:
Love Shots is a masterclass in campy horror that functions as a mirror to our own capitalist anxieties. It’s an ode to the golden age of slashers but updated for a generation wary of corporate greed, political interest, and AI overreach. I will be recommending this to anyone who likes their horror with a heavy dose of "eat the systems of oppression" energy and a lot of heart.
𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘰 𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘨𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘶𝘣𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘪𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯 𝘈𝘙𝘊 𝘪𝘯 𝘦𝘹𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘯 𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸.
Travis M. Riddle has crafted something remarkably unapologetic and self-aware. While the premise might suggest something light, this book is far from vapid. It’s a scathing social commentary wrapped in "historically horny" reality TV tropes. Riddle managed to touch on nearly every major systemic issue facing the US today—from toxic masculinity and gun violence to systemic racism and the way the government orchestrates a system that values the 'unthinking man' to maintain power. (Sound familiar? It should.)
𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐞𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐞:
The Cast: With a cast this large, it’s usually impossible to keep track of everyone. Riddle nailed it. By the end, even the "non-players" felt like distinct human beings. He successfully humanizes the very archetypes that corporate greed usually exploits for entertainment.
The Themes: I loved the exploration of how AI and... saying this without spoilers is hard, um, let's call it 'medical research', is weaponized by those in power. The book makes a beautiful case for why lived experience and mundanity are more valuable than anything tech or otherwise can replicate.
The Pacing: The first 25% sets the stage perfectly, and the remaining 75% is just pure, unadulterated chaos. It’s "Girl Power" meets high-stakes survival.
The Critique: As someone who sees how shows like Love Island reinforce heteronormative stereotypes, I found the subversion of those values incredibly refreshing.
𝗧𝗟𝗗𝗥:
Love Shots is a masterclass in campy horror that functions as a mirror to our own capitalist anxieties. It’s an ode to the golden age of slashers but updated for a generation wary of corporate greed, political interest, and AI overreach. I will be recommending this to anyone who likes their horror with a heavy dose of "eat the systems of oppression" energy and a lot of heart.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This book is trashy, bloody, campy fun, and I’m absolutely obsessed with it. Wow!
It’s almost time for the finale of Love Shots, the biggest reality dating show on TV, and the drama is amping up. Each of the hot singles in the show’s beachside villa are gunning for $10,000, even if they have to break some hearts and ruin some friendships to get it. Nobody questions where the eliminated contestants go, or why the security team hovers so closely. No one wonders if the producers have darker intentions. That is, until one of the eliminated cast members stumbles back into the villa, covered in blood - and things start to go very, very wrong.
Love Shots takes its time building up its cast of characters and fleshing out their interpersonal conflicts. It’s clear that the author is a true reality TV enjoyer, because the tone is spot-on. I could easily read a hundred more pages of the cast's messy drama without any horror involved. Importantly, Love Shots resists the urge to make these characters shallow parodies. Instead, they all have interiority and consistent motivations. I loved some, hated others, and found myself empathizing with almost all of them. Underpinning all of this are critiques of sexism, influencer culture, AI-driven misinformation, and heteronormativity that felt sharp and relevant.
Oh, almost forgot - this book is also a creature feature! And holy shit, the creatures. Just when I’d settled into the character-driven reality TV show plot, it snapped into intense survival horror. All the time spent setting up the large cast pays off as they’re relentlessly hunted across the island. The monsters have a super interesting, unique design and the body horror is absolutely stomach-churning. Once things pop off, they never slow down; the back half of Love Shots is a breathless, unhinged race, and I couldn't put it down. If you’d ever wished Love Island was a little more Cabin in the Woods, Love Shots is for you.
It’s almost time for the finale of Love Shots, the biggest reality dating show on TV, and the drama is amping up. Each of the hot singles in the show’s beachside villa are gunning for $10,000, even if they have to break some hearts and ruin some friendships to get it. Nobody questions where the eliminated contestants go, or why the security team hovers so closely. No one wonders if the producers have darker intentions. That is, until one of the eliminated cast members stumbles back into the villa, covered in blood - and things start to go very, very wrong.
Love Shots takes its time building up its cast of characters and fleshing out their interpersonal conflicts. It’s clear that the author is a true reality TV enjoyer, because the tone is spot-on. I could easily read a hundred more pages of the cast's messy drama without any horror involved. Importantly, Love Shots resists the urge to make these characters shallow parodies. Instead, they all have interiority and consistent motivations. I loved some, hated others, and found myself empathizing with almost all of them. Underpinning all of this are critiques of sexism, influencer culture, AI-driven misinformation, and heteronormativity that felt sharp and relevant.
Oh, almost forgot - this book is also a creature feature! And holy shit, the creatures. Just when I’d settled into the character-driven reality TV show plot, it snapped into intense survival horror. All the time spent setting up the large cast pays off as they’re relentlessly hunted across the island. The monsters have a super interesting, unique design and the body horror is absolutely stomach-churning. Once things pop off, they never slow down; the back half of Love Shots is a breathless, unhinged race, and I couldn't put it down. If you’d ever wished Love Island was a little more Cabin in the Woods, Love Shots is for you.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
First off, a massive thank you to NetGalley, Victory Editing NetGalley co-op for the eARC and to Travis M. Riddle for writing such a great book.
When I read the tagline "Love Island meets Jurassic Park", I immediately jumped at the chance to request the book, and I am so glad I did. Whilst I am not an avid fan of Love Island (I know what it is and what it is about), I am a huge fan of Jurassic Park (book and film).
Love Shots is a story about a group of men and women who are on an island as part of a dating show. The narrative is told by most of the characters, which I really enjoyed. The further you get into the story, the more you get to know the characters, their conflicts, their couplings, the drama, and how their appearance mattered. You also get to know some of the show's staff, who work behind the scenes.
The first part of the book is mostly focused on the game show and the couples. At first, I found this a little confusing about who was with whom (which is common when introducing multiple characters), but soon I got to know them, and the further you get into the story, the more you get to really know some of the characters. I enjoyed this part of the book because I felt I was getting sucked into the drama. The author really captured the game-show element and some aspects of modern-day society, such as influencer culture.
Once the show was in full swing, the book takes a nice turn, and then the chaos begins (don't worry, you're eased in at first and then boom!). At this point, I couldn't put the book down and wanted to know what happened next.
The book was very easy to read, and I found the flow nice. The switch between character narratives flowed nicely, and there wasn't a point that confused me.
Overall, I highly recommend this book. I enjoyed the modern-day element and a brilliant nod to Jurassic Park. Travis M. Riddle has given book lovers a spicy, gory book with a hint of humour and packed with entertainment.
Publication date 29th May 2026.
When I read the tagline "Love Island meets Jurassic Park", I immediately jumped at the chance to request the book, and I am so glad I did. Whilst I am not an avid fan of Love Island (I know what it is and what it is about), I am a huge fan of Jurassic Park (book and film).
Love Shots is a story about a group of men and women who are on an island as part of a dating show. The narrative is told by most of the characters, which I really enjoyed. The further you get into the story, the more you get to know the characters, their conflicts, their couplings, the drama, and how their appearance mattered. You also get to know some of the show's staff, who work behind the scenes.
The first part of the book is mostly focused on the game show and the couples. At first, I found this a little confusing about who was with whom (which is common when introducing multiple characters), but soon I got to know them, and the further you get into the story, the more you get to really know some of the characters. I enjoyed this part of the book because I felt I was getting sucked into the drama. The author really captured the game-show element and some aspects of modern-day society, such as influencer culture.
Once the show was in full swing, the book takes a nice turn, and then the chaos begins (don't worry, you're eased in at first and then boom!). At this point, I couldn't put the book down and wanted to know what happened next.
The book was very easy to read, and I found the flow nice. The switch between character narratives flowed nicely, and there wasn't a point that confused me.
Overall, I highly recommend this book. I enjoyed the modern-day element and a brilliant nod to Jurassic Park. Travis M. Riddle has given book lovers a spicy, gory book with a hint of humour and packed with entertainment.
Publication date 29th May 2026.
June 11, 2026
Imaginative, ambitious, and gory.
Love Shots is Love Island meets Lord of the Flies meets The Truman Show with a Fear Factor-Friday 13th twist. Somehow, it balances horror and satire perfectly.
You know how new contestants strut out of the ocean all dripping and glistening? Imagine if there was something much worse in that water.
It starts with that fun, shallow, easy-breezy reality TV energy and a cast full of love-to-hate characters. Then it slowly dims the lights and atmospheric dread creeps in. I loved the feeling that something terrible was lurking, waiting to devour them — and that it was all being orchestrated for our entertainment. The metaphor for reality TV and media consumption/influencer culture is chef’s kiss unhinged.
The deaths are brutally personal, tailored to each character’s deepest insecurities. The deaths are brutally personal, tailored to each character’s deepest insecurities. The gore is extensive (borderline too much for me — and I’m a horror fan, just more into psychological stuff than straight-up carnage). Still, it never feels gratuitous.
Honestly surprised this came from a male author (if it did) — it has a pretty sharp feminist edge running underneath. The twists are genuinely surprising without feeling cheap or “gotcha.” They’re earned, they make sense, and there are several of them. No random last-minute characters pulled out of nowhere. In fact, the whole idea of the booted contestants returning...but a darker version of themselves (interestingly paralleling the reality of returning to a group that booted or rejected you) was an EXCELLENT plot device. I could have kept going with that for a whiiiile.
I would’ve loved a reunion show. We were robbed.
Overall: I really liked it. It pulls a lot of things off. Needs a little trimming in some places.
Love Shots is Love Island meets Lord of the Flies meets The Truman Show with a Fear Factor-Friday 13th twist. Somehow, it balances horror and satire perfectly.
You know how new contestants strut out of the ocean all dripping and glistening? Imagine if there was something much worse in that water.
It starts with that fun, shallow, easy-breezy reality TV energy and a cast full of love-to-hate characters. Then it slowly dims the lights and atmospheric dread creeps in. I loved the feeling that something terrible was lurking, waiting to devour them — and that it was all being orchestrated for our entertainment. The metaphor for reality TV and media consumption/influencer culture is chef’s kiss unhinged.
The deaths are brutally personal, tailored to each character’s deepest insecurities. The deaths are brutally personal, tailored to each character’s deepest insecurities. The gore is extensive (borderline too much for me — and I’m a horror fan, just more into psychological stuff than straight-up carnage). Still, it never feels gratuitous.
Honestly surprised this came from a male author (if it did) — it has a pretty sharp feminist edge running underneath. The twists are genuinely surprising without feeling cheap or “gotcha.” They’re earned, they make sense, and there are several of them. No random last-minute characters pulled out of nowhere. In fact, the whole idea of the booted contestants returning...but a darker version of themselves (interestingly paralleling the reality of returning to a group that booted or rejected you) was an EXCELLENT plot device. I could have kept going with that for a whiiiile.
I would’ve loved a reunion show. We were robbed.
Overall: I really liked it. It pulls a lot of things off. Needs a little trimming in some places.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Love Shots by Travis M. Riddle is a romance, thriller and horror book with some genius elements. 🔥 It's about a reality show called Love Shots, which made me think of Love Island. Some hot people show up in a villa and start dating each other. 🤭 While being here and filming everything, things get dark pretty quickly and they need to fear for their lives. Literally!! How will these influencers and reality stars survive?! 🌈
Well, this was a wild ride. I think you can imagine that by reading the blurb. 😂 Everything starts with the classic dating show elements. Everybody needs an introduction and there are a lot of characters in this book. A LOT! You have the contestants, the production people, the security guys... So the first 40% is really needed to give you an insight in everyone who will be involved. And I know that is necessary for the storyline but it could have been a little shorter imo. ❤️
After the introductions this book became crazy!! While switching between POV's you can follow everyone's storyline and you can imagine how they are experiencing this. Even though the chapters were incredibly long, the story was well paced and I couldn't put it down. ✨️ I loved the ending and it wasn't predictable to me at all! The creepy vibes and body horror elements were also nicely done. 🔥 The only thing that didn't needed to be included for me were scenes where people were kinda molested?! Idk, not my vibe. That aside, the book also had a really messy and funny energy and I really think many people would enjoy this! 💐
If you are a fan of reality tv and horror this book was written for you! It's an original story and a really nice read 🫶🏼
Well, this was a wild ride. I think you can imagine that by reading the blurb. 😂 Everything starts with the classic dating show elements. Everybody needs an introduction and there are a lot of characters in this book. A LOT! You have the contestants, the production people, the security guys... So the first 40% is really needed to give you an insight in everyone who will be involved. And I know that is necessary for the storyline but it could have been a little shorter imo. ❤️
After the introductions this book became crazy!! While switching between POV's you can follow everyone's storyline and you can imagine how they are experiencing this. Even though the chapters were incredibly long, the story was well paced and I couldn't put it down. ✨️ I loved the ending and it wasn't predictable to me at all! The creepy vibes and body horror elements were also nicely done. 🔥 The only thing that didn't needed to be included for me were scenes where people were kinda molested?! Idk, not my vibe. That aside, the book also had a really messy and funny energy and I really think many people would enjoy this! 💐
If you are a fan of reality tv and horror this book was written for you! It's an original story and a really nice read 🫶🏼
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
It’s clear to me that the author had this fun idea about a Love Island type show where Something Happens and heads start to roll. It’s equally clear that the author didn’t really have a vision of where to take it from there.
The premise sounds like a great time, and this book does have a lot of potential. Even with the ridiculous plotlines past the half way point, this could have been good with a lot more editing. But if anything, this book suffers from an incredible amount of bloat. Instead of making the characters feel like real people through actions and internal monologue, we instead get asinine dialogue and random memories, not to mention an incredible amount of detail that has absolutely nothing to do with the plot. Chekhov's Gun or whatever.
There are a lot of point of view characters and each and every one of them feels very one dimensional. They are mostly vapid and downright moronic, and even the people who aren’t feel very one note. I would also like to think that even the ditziest of persons would in actual fact not think this much of dicks and balls and tits six seconds after seeing their friends effectively going though a meatgrinder. All in all, I didn’t care about the survival of anyone and actually cheered at a couple of deaths because I no longer had to read from their POVs.
I do think there’s definitely an audience for this, though. If you like gore and fast paced plots (well, fast paced after the first half), and aren’t too hung up on character building or realistic actions of said characters in the face of incomprehensible violence, this is very likely the book for you.
I received a copy of the book for free from Netgalley.
The premise sounds like a great time, and this book does have a lot of potential. Even with the ridiculous plotlines past the half way point, this could have been good with a lot more editing. But if anything, this book suffers from an incredible amount of bloat. Instead of making the characters feel like real people through actions and internal monologue, we instead get asinine dialogue and random memories, not to mention an incredible amount of detail that has absolutely nothing to do with the plot. Chekhov's Gun or whatever.
There are a lot of point of view characters and each and every one of them feels very one dimensional. They are mostly vapid and downright moronic, and even the people who aren’t feel very one note. I would also like to think that even the ditziest of persons would in actual fact not think this much of dicks and balls and tits six seconds after seeing their friends effectively going though a meatgrinder. All in all, I didn’t care about the survival of anyone and actually cheered at a couple of deaths because I no longer had to read from their POVs.
I do think there’s definitely an audience for this, though. If you like gore and fast paced plots (well, fast paced after the first half), and aren’t too hung up on character building or realistic actions of said characters in the face of incomprehensible violence, this is very likely the book for you.
I received a copy of the book for free from Netgalley.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I received this e-book as an ARC via NetGalley.
The concept of horror meets Love Island immediately grabbed my attention. I’m not an avid consumer but I’ve watched enough to know the beats and the tropes and dating reality shows are definitely a guilty pleasure for me. So, I jumped into this book with some expectations.
Sadly, this one didn’t quite hit the mark for me. I found the main story interesting enough, and the characters (mostly) likable enough though I don’t think there was success at getting deeper than what we see on these shows typically. The actual writing style was fine and kept me engaged, but the structure of the book made it a little difficult to read.
There are a lot of changing POVs and while I love that, it was hard to track in this book which has lots of characters and lots of names. If there had been better callouts or chapter breaks for whose perspective you were about to be with, it would have been more enjoyable for me I think. I’m the kind of reader who hates breaking mid-chapter so this one was difficult for that, too, because the actual chapters were quite long.
The twist wasn’t quite what I expected, but it also didn’t really do anything for me personally.
I will say - the main villain gets one paragraph at the end that as someone who used to work in the film industry and in the art department in particular truly set off my rage against them.
Long story short, I wanted to like this book more than I did, but I still had fun with it and the concept was strong regardless of how I felt about anything else.
The concept of horror meets Love Island immediately grabbed my attention. I’m not an avid consumer but I’ve watched enough to know the beats and the tropes and dating reality shows are definitely a guilty pleasure for me. So, I jumped into this book with some expectations.
Sadly, this one didn’t quite hit the mark for me. I found the main story interesting enough, and the characters (mostly) likable enough though I don’t think there was success at getting deeper than what we see on these shows typically. The actual writing style was fine and kept me engaged, but the structure of the book made it a little difficult to read.
There are a lot of changing POVs and while I love that, it was hard to track in this book which has lots of characters and lots of names. If there had been better callouts or chapter breaks for whose perspective you were about to be with, it would have been more enjoyable for me I think. I’m the kind of reader who hates breaking mid-chapter so this one was difficult for that, too, because the actual chapters were quite long.
The twist wasn’t quite what I expected, but it also didn’t really do anything for me personally.
I will say - the main villain gets one paragraph at the end that as someone who used to work in the film industry and in the art department in particular truly set off my rage against them.
Long story short, I wanted to like this book more than I did, but I still had fun with it and the concept was strong regardless of how I felt about anything else.
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