Unscripted

by Megan Lynch

Six weeks. One fake relationship. The UK’s most popular dating show. What could go wrong?

When American girl Poppy Devlin is fired from her dream job working for a famous film director in London, she finds herself desperate for both an income and a reason to stay in England and avoid the problems she left behind in the States. Enter Bella Amore, the most popular dating show in the United Kingdom.

Going in for what she believes to be an interview for a production assistant gig, Poppy ends up in a casting meeting where she is offered a spot on the show in front of the cameras, not behind them. Reluctantly accepting, Poppy joins the cast and is whisked off to Italy for the shoot.

There, she meets fellow castmate Callum, a brooding jerk she immediately dislikes. Despite their rocky start, Callum soon makes her an offer she can't refuse: pretend to date each other in order to stay on the show for its entire six week run. Not wanting to actually find love yet needing to stay on the show for the paycheck, Poppy agrees. As the steamy summer moves along, she’ll have to navigate the ins and outs of being on reality television, one very grumpy partner and whatever else production throws her way.

385 pages, Kindle Edition

Expected publication September 25, 2026

About the author

Megan Lynch is a writer with over ten years of experience working in various roles across the entertainment industry. She took her love for books and movies and began to write her own.

When she’s not writing, she’s usually picking up a new hobby (needlepoint, adult ballet, etc.), rooting on the Dodgers or watching the Seattle Aquarium’s sea otter live stream.

Megan lives in Los Angeles with her husband.

Reviews

[Nikola]

Thank you Netgalley for a copy of this ARC.

This book was a five star read that I escape too. I had all the drama and Love Island vibes. I loved how at the beginning Callum and Poppy were not getting along and Poppy could nof figure out why. I also liked the fake dating for a reality tv slowly turned into something more. The slow burn and knowing the internal thoughts of Poppy was amazing and kept me invested to learn if Callum felt the same way. The ending was also crazy just as I would expect from a reality tv show. Overall it was a crazy ride from start to finish that transported me into a fun reality tv setting. Honestly I loved the drama and wish there was a sequel to be honest.

[Karine Haché]

Une lecture divertissante, cozy et tout simplement parfaite pour décrocher! 🥹✨

Dès que j’ai lu la description de cette histoire complètement loufoque, avec cette vibe de Bachelor in Paradise ou même d’Occupation Double, j’avais tellement hâte de me plonger dedans… et je n’ai absolument pas été déçue!

À travers l’histoire de Poppy et Callum, j’ai eu l’impression de vivre une petite dose de fantaisie tout en faisant semblant d’être moi-même dans une télé-réalité. 😂 Pendant quelques heures, c’était comme si j’étais plongée dans l’une de mes saisons préférées, à m’attacher aux personnages, à suivre leurs péripéties et surtout… à vouloir tourner la prochaine page pour découvrir qui allait en sortir gagnant!

C’est exactement le genre de lecture légère, amusante et cozy qui fait du bien. Une histoire qui ne se prend pas trop au sérieux, mais qui réussit parfaitement à nous divertir du début à la fin 💕

Bravo à l’autrice pour cette belle histoire et un immense merci de m’avoir permis de la découvrir avant sa sortie officielle! 🫶🏻

📚 Le livre sera disponible pour tout le monde dès le 25 septembre — et je vous le recommande si vous avez envie d’une lecture fun, légère et pleine de vibes télé-réalité! ✨

[Cadence Boudreaux]

This is by far the BEST Love Island book I’ve ever read. Oh my goodness, this was so much fun! It truly brought the magic of the show to the page.

My only “complaint” is that I wish it were longer. The whole climax could’ve been another ten or twenty pages, but even without that, I LOVED it.

I would’ve loved to see the other girls reunite and yada yada, but obviously Poppy was sad.

I also wish we got to see more of their chats, but either way, I loved this so much.

[Been Busy Reading]

Thank you to NetGalley and Park Miramar publishing for the ARC!!!

Unscripted by Megan Lynch gave me the escape I didn’t know I needed!

This book had total Love Island vibes, and I was absolutely eating it up. From the Italian summer setting to a villa full of people looking for love, this story had everything I love about a good romance.
Following the story through one of the cast members gave me a fun glimpse into the reality TV world while watching her fall in love with Callum and build friendships with the other girls in the villa. I loved the combination of romance, friendship, and drama. It felt like I was right there with them, soaking up the sunshine, dreaming of a beach vacation, and getting completely invested in everything happening around the villa.

This book truly hit everything I look for in a romance: a great escape, a swoon-worthy love interest, meaningful friendships, and plenty of drama. I was kicking my feet, fully invested in the characters, and genuinely did not want this book to end.

If an Italian summer escape in a villa filled with hot people looking for love sounds like your kind of read, you need to pick this one up!

My only critique is that I would have loved an epilogue showing us more of the main character’s future. While I enjoyed the ending, it left me wanting more of the characters and their lives beyond the book. But I guess that’s what happens when you become so invested in a story!

I’m already hoping for a second season of Bella Amore and can’t wait to see what Megan Lynch writes next. This was such a fun, feel-good escape, and I would happily return to this villa anytime!

[Ashling B]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Is this Love Island? Yes. Was it predictable? Yes. Did I enjoy it? Yes.

This was such a fun read and gave me exactly what I wanted from a reality TV romance.

From the start, Poppy and Callum just felt destined to end up together. I loved their chemistry, the secret meet ups and watching the fake dating slowly turn into something very real. I knew where things were going, but I was enjoying every second of watching them get there.

Then there was Sara 👀 She definitely brought the drama, but I loved how it pushed Poppy out of her comfort zone and had her making some very bold choices of her own.

I also saw the friends and family drama coming a mile away, but that actually made me more excited for it. I was waiting for everything to come to a head and loved seeing how it all played out.

By the end, I was so invested that I just wanted more. More of Poppy and Callum working through everything together, more of what comes next for Poppy, especially knowing why she went on the show in the first place, and honestly more of the other couples too. After Chateau Desire, I was invested in everyone’s drama 😂

That is probably the biggest compliment I can give this book. I finished it still wanting more from these characters.

Overall, this was such a fun time and somehow made me want to go back and rewatch a few seasons of Love Island.

Tropes ✨
📺 Reality dating show
💋 Fake relationship
🤭 Secret meet ups
🏝️ Forced proximity
🔥 Slow burn chemistry
🇮🇹 Summer in Italy

[Ruby :)]

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC!

This book was such a fun read! I love books about dating shows just as much as I love spending endless hours watching shows like The Bachelor and Love Island on my TV. So, unsurprisingly, this book was right up my alley!

Honestly, I had a hard time getting into the book in the beginning. I found Poppy to be a little stuck up and Callum just rude for no reason. But, as the book progressed I started to understand Poppy's perspective and sympathise with her. I also started liking Callum more once he started to be nicer to Poppy and actually be serious about their whole fake dating plan.

About the fake dating, I really liked it! The tension between Poppy and Callum also built up really well. There were so many times in the book where I was wondering with Poppy if Callum was actually going to stay with her. I definitely appreciated that Callum stayed loyal to her throughout the book. I would have LOST IT if he had paired off with one of the bombshells!!

I also loved the close relationships Poppy formed with some of the female contestants, particularly Chiara and Ella. I thought Ella was going to be an antagonist at first but seeing her warm up to Poppy and support her was truly heartwarming.

Overall, this book was definitely a very fun and light read, perfect for fans of Love Island! I do wish we could have seen more of Callum and Poppy's life together after the show though.

[Zoe]

I abhor reality TV love shows, and yet this book almost made me a convert?!

*Unscripted* by Megan Lynch brought a surprising amount of insight into just how complex and carefully planned reality TV can be. It also highlighted how incredibly invasive the filming process and the entire setup can become, and honestly almost made me rethink how I view the whole business.

With that in mind, I was on edge for so much of this book, wondering how everything was going to work out for Poppy, our FMC, and, more importantly, whether Callum was actually being genuine. Which, I suppose, is exactly the adrenaline rush viewers of these shows are chasing!

I also loved the lack of cattiness and the influx of camaraderie among the female contestants. It would have been so easy to lean into the stereotypical reality-TV drama between the women, and I really appreciated that the book went in a different direction. I genuinely enjoyed every minute of it.

My only feedback? I would have loved an epilogue! After spending so much time invested in Poppy and Callum—and questioning everyone's motives along the way—I desperately wanted a little glimpse of where they ended up.

[Chloe Hanson]

I picked up this book because the premise looked promising. I love reality TV and I like a fun, easy romance. This is definitely a quick and easy read, but I felt that the premise fell short of its promise. Most of the conversations between the FMC and MMC that would establish their relationship happen off the page, with the FMC telling the reader that they talked about xyz. Since we rarely, if ever, actually witness those conversations, it's hard to understand the connection between the two characters. This is also true for almost all conflicts in the book. There's exactly one moment at the very end where something actually happens on the page, but otherwise it's just suggested. This felt like the ultimate example of someone telling rather than showing, which is a bummer, because the setup could have been really fun. If you want to read something like this, I'd suggest Murder on Sex Island, which is not as romantic, but also takes place on a reality dating show and is a lot more fun. I'd also recommend Patricia Wants a Cuddle if you want a reality tv show novel with a weird girl bent.

[Katie Woelke]

I absolutely loved Unscripted by Megan Lynch! The plot was so well done and beautifully written that I genuinely felt like I was watching everything unfold alongside the characters rather than simply reading it. Honestly, can we get this made into a movie?!

I usually enjoy books with dual POVs, but I actually loved the mystery surrounding Callum and getting to wonder what his real reasoning was for being on the show. That kept me curious and made me want to keep turning the pages to find out more.

I also really enjoyed the friendships between the women in the house. I loved how supportive and close they became and how well they all seemed to get along—although, Sara… we’re looking at you! 😂

Overall, this was such an entertaining read, and I’m definitely hoping we get a second book because I am very much requesting book #2, please! I’m not ready to leave this world just yet.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Firetruckmama]

I received an eARC of this book from NetGalley and the publisher, for which I thank them.

“Unscripted” is by Megan Lynch. What I liked about Unscripted was how it took a slightly behind-the-scenes look from a production viewpoint for a reality TV show. I am not a fan of reality TV, but I decided to give this book a try because while it was predictable, it seemed like it could be a fast fun read. It was a fast fun read - and was also predictable. Did I like it - maybe, kinda. But I know that in a few weeks I won’t remember anything about this book other than “oh, yeah, the reality TV romance book.” Ms. Lynch did try with backstories for the main characters, though the reappearance of someone in Poppy’s life felt a lot forced. I also never really felt like I knew any of the other contestants - but a) there were a number of them, and b) they were minor characters. Overall, it was a fun escapism read.

[Entisar Ali]

This gave me exactly what I wanted from a reality TV romance, fun, predictable, and easy to fly through. Poppy and Callum's fake dating setup felt destined from the start, but honestly watching them get there was still enjoyable even knowing the outcome. Poppy came off a little stuck up early on and Callum rude for no reason, but I warmed to both once their dynamic deepened. I appreciated Callum staying loyal throughout the fake relationship, and the friendships Poppy builds with other contestants, especially Ella, added nice warmth to the story. My main critique is that a lot of the relationship building happens off page, we're told conversations happened rather than shown them, which made some of the emotional connection feel thin. Still, this is a fun, light escapist read, perfect for Love Island fans wanting something similarly fun and dramatic.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.

[Tiffany Bee]

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

I LOVED this book!! ❤️ I flew through Unscripted in two days and honestly did not want it to end.

I’m always a sucker for a reality dating show storyline, and this one was SO much fun. Poppy was such a great main character, and I absolutely loved all of the contestants. The banter between them was hilarious, and every character brought something to the story that kept me completely invested.

This was funny, entertaining, romantic, and just an all-around good time. Exactly the kind of book you pick up and suddenly realize you’re 100 pages further than you thought. 😂

And now… I NEED A BOOK 2. Like, Megan, please. I’m not ready to say goodbye to these characters yet!!

Such a fun read and definitely one I’d recommend to anyone who loves reality dating shows and a good rom-com! 💕

[Richelle Geiger]

✨ARC Review✨

Wow...what a blast! Poppy, an American who is used to working behind the camera, is a fish out of water (in more ways than one) on a Love Island-UK style dating show. Hilarity and sun drenched fun ensue. This is a grade A beach read. If you're a fan of reality TV or well written contemporary romance, read this book.

Lynch's writing is visceral. I felt like I knew the characters. I felt Poppy's butterflies. I became a Bella Amore fan.

I am giving this book as a gift to my Love Island UK loving sister in law this Christmas. Thank you, Megan, for this page turner!

[August]

Fake dating on reality tv - with cameras everywhere - means there is no opportunity to drop the act. I wasn't sure how I felt about the premise picking this up, I'm not really a reality show girlie. But Unscripted turned out to be a super fun fast paced romance, that sucked me in almost immediately. Poppy is really likable, Callum is hot, and I loved watching their fake relationship slowly become something more. The ending felt a little rushed, but overall it was such a fun easy read and I flew through it.

[Pía]

First, thank you, NetGalley and the publisher, for letting me get an e-ARC of this book.

5/5 — stars

This is the perfect book if you love Love Island, The Bachelor, or any reality show about dating.

Poppy was such a treat to read, and I normally wouldn’t give 5 stars to a single-POV book because I love dual POVs, but I loved it here. It makes you wonder along with Poppy if Callum actually likes her


- Reality show
- One POV
- Deal
- Force proximity