Bachelorette #1

by Jennifer O'Connell

Sarah Divine Holmes is a 34-year-old suburban wife and mother leading a normal life as a freelance writer when she is offered the magazine assignment of a lifetime - to pose as a hot young single on the latest TV reality sensation, "The Stag." Sarah can't resist the opportunity to skewer the women desperate enough to go on TV to snag a man, and the man shallow enough to view dating as a ratings game. Armed with a killer wardrobe, sun-kissed highlights and her reporter's notebook, she sets out to discover what happens at the posh California resort when the cameras stop rolling.

What she discovers is that this alternate reality is more seductive than she ever expected. The other women aren't all brainless bimbos, but are attractive, self-confident women with their own agendas. And "The Stag" isn't the arrogant jerk she imagined. Caught up in a whirlwind of moonlight swims, limo rides, and champagne toasts, Sarah stops working on her article and starts wanting to win. As she dodges hard-core husband hunters, slimy producers, voyeuristic cameramen, and her own burgeoning feelings, she comes to discover the real-life adventure behind love, marriage, and motherhood.

Jennifer O'Connell's snappy heroine, savvy voice, and timely premise give readers a sensational story. BACHELORETTE #1 is a fabulously fun and fast-paced novel that looks at one of the major trends of recent years.

Genres: Chick Lit, Romance, Fiction, Contemporary, Ebooks

256 pages, Paperback

First published July 22, 2003

About the author

Published teen fiction under the name Jenny O'Connell.

Although she's written about a reality dating show, a prescient pastry chef, and a woman who inspired an 80's rock hit, Jennifer has not spent hours dissecting The Bachelor, she can barely follow the directions on the back of a Betty Crocker box, and she can only dream of a long-haired, guitar-thrashing rocker even giving her a second glance.

While she cringes at the thought of being called Jenny again after all these years, her first teen book PLAN B, was published under Jenny O'Connell by MTV Books (March 2006). Jenny's second teen book, THE BOOK OF LUKE, arrived in April 2007, and her Martha’s Vineyard Novels, LOCAL GIRLS and RICH BOYS, were published in June 2008.

Her days as a high school senior may be long behind her, but Jennifer did receive her B.A. from Smith College and her M.B.A. from the University of Chicago.

You can e-mail Jennifer at jennifer@jenniferoconnell.com.

Reviews

[Charlotte · Rating 3 out of 5]

Na een non-fictie moet er wel even een 180 worden gedaan en gaan we heerlijk naar de overdreven felgekleurde chicklit waarbij je door de pagina’s heen vliegt.

En heel eerlijk, dat deed ik met dit boek ook.

Waar ik in het begin nog wilde schrijven over hoe make-up artiesten, stylisten, hoge piefen in de tijdschriftenmarkt en moeders in de dertig altijd zo stereotyperend worden neergezet en of mensen in die vakken nooit gewoon kunnen zijn, heeft ook mijn mening een 180 gedaan. Het was een zalig boek om te lezen, een goeie guilty pleasure. Waar het in het begin niks anders was dan de typische “ik ben een moeder dus daarom zie ik er slordig uit en vindt iedereen dat ik wel een opleving kan gebruiken als die vlotte vrouw die ik nog was tijdens mijn trendy studententijd tijdens de opdracht van mijn leven waarin ik weer die tijd ga herbeleven” werd het eigenlijk steeds meer een verhaal over hoe juist al die stereotyperingen incorrect zijn en er meer achter iemand zit zodra we moeite doen om ze te leren kennen.

Wel met behulp van nog meer bijpersonages die enorm stereotyperend beschreven worden, ironisch genoeg.

Maar het had absoluut grappige momenten - ik moet sowieso enorm lachen op de veelzijdige manieren waarop seks wordt beschreven - , heerlijke interactie tussen de “wijfies” met elkaar en de cameraploeg en verrassend veel realistische momenten waarbij niet iedereen zo tweedimensionaal meer leek. En natuurlijk gaat het veel te gemakkelijk en is het ontzettend voorspelbaar - op het einde na moet ik toegeven - , maar is dat ook niet de hele reden van een chicklit? Gewoon lekker lezen zonder na te denken? Want dat is voor mij heerlijk gelukt.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought for sure I knew the outcome of this book but I didn't. It was just an easy, non thinking book to read that I enjoyed. If you are going to the beach or staying in bed, read this as it requires no thinking.

[Michele · Rating 3 out of 5]

Married mother of a toddler goes on a “Bachelor”- type show to write a magazine article. Although it’s a quick, easy read, I liked that it had layers. It discussed the choices that people make in their relationships and their motivations for what they do.

[Deb · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bachelorette #1 was a cute quick read. I wonder how close it is to the TV show?

[Tessa · Rating 4 out of 5]

3,5 ⭐

[Tara Majuta · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my second time I loved it this time as I did the first time! It’s still fresh and fun! I highly recommend it if you want a quick, fun, breezy read!

[Anastasia Cynthia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pernah nonton "Beauty & the Briefcase"-nya Hilary Duff (yang juga adaptasi dari novel "Diary of a Working Girl" karya Daniella Brodsky)? Um, "Bachelorette #1" bisa dibilang mempunyai plot yang setipe. Tentang seorang penulis artikel yang tiba-tiba saja ditugaskan untuk memata-matai obyek sasarannya, tapi bedanya Sarah Divine dalam "Bachelorette #1" terkesan lebih labil ketimbang tokoh Lane Daniels yang memang berperangai gegabah sesuai dengan umurnya. Selain itu, "Beauty & the Briefcase" juga, mematok sasarannya hanya kepada seorang laki-laki, sedangkan "Bachelorette #1" tak ayal membaurkan target tulisannya ke dalam lika-liku perasaan perempuan dewasa, terutama bagi mereka yang merasa putus asa dalam meraih cinta.

Ada beberapa hal menarik yang dapat disimak dalam "Bachelorette #1", kendati plot yang ditututrkan Jennifer O'Connell terlihat sangat klise dan dapat terbaca hingga ke lembar akhir. Konfliknya tidak begitu menonjol, ada sedikit permainan melodrama antar wanita, seperti yang sering dipertontonkan TV show ala barat, American Next To Model, bisa menjadi contohnya. Hingga menjurus kepada beberapa hal yang melibatkan perselingkuhan dan perasaan bersalah menjadi seorang ibu. Sarah Divine bukan salah satu tokoh terbaik, tapi perannya sebagai narator cerita ya, bisa dianggap lumayan, kendati di beberapa part, mungkin pembaca sempat dibuat tidak percaya dengan kekuatan aktingnya yang agak dibuat-buat.

Sedari awal, "Bachelorette #1" memang tidak berniat membuat ceritanya menjadi banyak siku. Konfliknya hanya satu, yaitu tentang reality show bernama The Stag, yang memiliki misi seperti pemilihan "bachelor" pada umumnya, tapi kali ini dibalik, yaitu seorang bujang bernama Chris alias Si Stag, yang sangat kaya raya, akan memilih pasangan hidupnya. Berdirilah 24 hen (istilah buat kandidiat perempuan yang bakal dipilih oleh Stag) di tengah Ritz-Carlton, tempat TV show itu berlangsung. Sarah sudah dipersiapkan sebelumnya, berdandan layaknya seorang wanita berumur 20-an dengan pakaian trendy, pun sederet fasilitas kelas satu.

Kejanggalan memang sudah terasa, terutama saat Sarah yang sesungguhnya berumur 34 tahun, bisa dengan sebegitu mudahnya lolos seleksi dan lebih dekat kepada si Stag. Segalanya terasa magis, mungkin, dan sangat accidentally. Ini yang membuat agak kurang nyaman, terutama perangai Sarah yang terkadang tidak mencerimkan sikapnya, padahal di bagian epilog cerita, ia terasa sangat keibuan, dengan Katie di sampingnya. Juga Jack, si suami bego. Kalau Sarah bisa dianggap sedikit labil, Jack lebih tepatnya sangat-sangat labil lantaran terlalu percaya kepada sang istri, mengizinkannya berpelesir dalam reality show yang jelas-jelas bisa menjadi biang pemecah rumah tangga mereka. Nah, jadi jika ingin disimpulkan, sesungguhnya faktor pengganggu di cerita ini bisa saja seorang Jack.

Di samping Jack, Chris sebagai seorang Stag juga agak kurang menyenangkan. Sefamili dengan Sarah, kemungkinan, kerap berceloteh besar tapi sedikit aksi. Ada momen-momen yang ganjil sebenarnya saat Stag yang sudah menguar sinyal-sinyal ketertarikan kepada Sarah, malah melakukan tarik-ulur, tapi ya, bisa jadi ini yang menjadi daya tarik novel ini agar tetap menarik dan menuai rasa penasaran pembacanya.

Kalau diungkap secara keseluruhan, "Bachelorette #1" merupakan kisah sederhana ala chicklit yang disajikan sangat klise, tapi tetap menarik saat dibaca lantaran pemerannya yang mirip serial barat, bisa saling tikam, saling mengkhianati, juga bisa saling adu. Asyik deh pokoknya.

[Oky Septya · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sarah Divine seorang istri dan seorang ibu berusia 34 tahun. Karena bosnya menginginkan artikel untuk menguak betapa dangkalnya gadis-gadis yang ikut acara (semacam who-wants-to-marry-a-millionaire) The Stag, CMIIW. Tadinya Sarah juga berpikir gadis-gadis itu dangkal karena terobsesi dengan diri mereka sendiri dan ikut acara tsb untuk membuktikannya. Jadi Sarah didandani agar terlihat menarik dan lebih muda kemudian mengaku berusia 26 tahun. Ia siap berkompetisi bersama 24 gadis lainnya memperebutkan The Stag, Chris (ini julukan buat bachelornya) sekaligus mencari-cari kedangkalan para gadis.

Ternyata banyak sekali gadis-gadis yang berkepribadian menarik dan jauh dari prasangakanya semula. Dan mereka berteman. Crish, si Stag rupanya sangat sopan dan charming. Bahkan Sarah selalu merasa bersalah pada suaminya, bukan karena selingkuh, tapi karena ia menikmatinya. Ada juga para produser yang hanya mempedulikan rating tanpa mempedulikan perasaan peserta. Sarah menyadari, adegan realiti yg ditayangkan hanyalah penggalan kecil dari seluruh kejadian nyata yg dikemas sedemikian rupa agar mereka (terutama episode-episode sebelumnya) tampak konyol. Karena itu yg diinginkan kebanyakan penonton, yaitu gadis-gadis dangkal dan seorang lelaki yang kelebihan libido. Di samping itu, bosnya merongrong Sarah untuk segera menyelesaikan artikelnya.

Dengan alur cepat dan emosi Sarah yang bagai diaduk-aduk sebenarnya ide ceritanya sangat menarik. Mengingatkan saya pada film Miss Congianelity (bener ga tulisannya?) minus action dan bom. Kita di bawa pada tema pembuktian diri (dalam masalah cinta, tentu) para bachelorette. Bagaimana perasaan-perasaan tiap gadis mempengaruhi Sarah dalam menulis artikelnya. Dan bagaimana Sarah menikmati dirinya menjadi 'lajang' kembali. Ia merasa cantik, percaya diri dan diinginkan. Pertentangan batinnya antara suami dan anaknya yang menunggu dirumah dengan sikap Chris, The Stag yg tampaknya sangat tertarik padanya.

[Pewter · Rating 2 out of 5]

Originally posted on Dining with the Muses

I don't know for sure what I just read. Initially, I was like great! She's written a book mocking these stupid show on tv, and she did but somewhere along the way the mocking decreased and then we totally came to a different ending.

The story starts with Sarah, an ambitious journalist going under cover to get the scoop on the reality show called The Stag where women make utter fools of themselves in order to get the bachelor. It had some humor, I did chuckle a bit but it could have been way more.

As it happens, I have seen both the bachelor and the bachelorette and what goes around during the filming of these two is so over the top and dramatic. It's crazy psycho stuff, a lot more crazy then that's shown in the book I think.

It felt like Ms. O'Connell couldn't really make up her mind whether to mock it, or take us to a different angle. So, Sarah does end up bonding with some of the superficial, shallow females but they seem to be not as bad as she initially thought. I personally felt, the book should have concentrated a lot more about the things that went on inside the stag house but it didn't.

In the end, Sarah gets her piece and she returns to her own life and somehow the whole book becomes about her personal life. Her life with her husband, Jack and daughter Katie. Honestly, I didn't even know something was amiss from their relationship. They seemed like a perfectly happy, normal busy couple. It just didn't gel together in my humble opinion.

Anyways, I'd give this book 2.5 stars because I did finish it and it made me grin a bit with all the craziness of the Stag and the hens.

[Rebecca · Rating 1 out of 5]

Worst chicklit book EVER. Okay, not worst because it was super short and I finished it in two days (long books are hell to me) but as content goes, so lame! The reason for this book to even exist doesn't exists! And so many loose strings that never get answered or finished. All around lame. Girl has it all and is a working mom and for some reason, her freelance editor wants her to go on some BACHELOR type game show. Why she would send a married mother on this assignment is beyond me and why the women would accept just goes over my head. Oh boo hoo, my life is perfect, I want to fuck it up. Lame. Anyway, of course, the women gets on the show and goes all the way to the end, but before the final ceremony, realizes that she does love her life (duh!) and leaves. There are so many contradictions in this book. Like the women lies on her application and they never catch her? And they make a point in saying that there are hidden mics and cameras everywhere, yet the women risks calling her editor and family, knowing this. And when something does happen to one of the other girls, it's like she realizes this for the first time and "vows to be more aware next time". So lame. Why someone like this would go on this assignment anyway is beyond me. Like there aren't any single girls at her magazine that want to do this? PAH-LEEZE! And she talks about the other women on the show, but I couldn't keep any of them straight as there were like 10 of them with all white-generic names. Whatever.

Grade: FFFF

[Julie Ritenour · Rating 3 out of 5]

The heroine is a supposedly successful 35-year-old writer, wife, mother and former businesswoman who agrees to pretend to be a 26-year-old single woman in order to appear on a "Bachelor"-type variety show. Whe then proceeds to react as if she were single, and thought the guy wasn't dating anyone else. And what part of "you can be filmed at all times...there may be hidden cameras" didn't she understand? Although frankly, I would have expected MORE hidden cameras. After all, they never figured her out, even though she made plenty of slips in front of the cast and crew, and called her editor and family from her hotel room.

Even though I thought the heroine was supremely naive, there was enough interesting material to keep me reading to the end.

[Angelic Zaizai · Rating 3 out of 5]

pernah nonton reality show The Bachelor ?
yang cowo ganteng kaya dll nyari calon istri..
nah novel ini pake latar reality show itu.. tapi jadi Si Stag [mungkin The Stag kali ya:]
Sarah ikutan acara itu demi artikel tentang cewe2 yang mau ikut acara itu di majalahnya padahal dy udah punya suami dan anak
rencananya sih paling juga 2 minggu, dy keluar
eh tapi dy malah suka sama Si Stag .. hidup di hotel mewah, liburan di tempat keren2..
si Stag naga-naganya juga suka sama dy.. ;D

serunya sih ada cerita di belakang layar reality shownya, interaksi sesama peserta kontes
dikejar2 kameramen kemana-mana
dilecehin/diremehin sama produser

lumayanlah, udah lama ga baca chiklit..
bikin penasaran akhirnya Sarah selingkuh kaga ya.. ketahuan kaga ya... :D

[Erin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well. First, I thank my bestie for getting me this book (she knows exactly why I needed to read it). So, I am glad I read it. It wasn't a terrible book, but it wasn't an on-the-edge-of-your-seat read either. There were a few times I didn't want to continue, and other times I wanted to know what some of the characters would do.

My main problem throughout the entire book was that Sarah was married and chose to go into this situation. I understand her reasons why, but it just seemed wrong knowing a family was back home. And on the flip side, her husband knew about the show, why in the world would he even agree to letting her go to begin with.

I was pleased by the ending. Getting there was certainly interesting.

[Lyssrose · Rating 4 out of 5]

You know, everything about this book screams "cheesy", from it's white and magenta cover with the blurb "She's flirting with disaster..." to it's Reality TV Show plot line; however, despite the odds, this was a truly enjoyable creampuff of a book! By no means great literature, it managed to grab my attention from practically the first page, and kept me entertained until the very end. I didn't even plan on reading this until after I had finished a few other books that were lined up, but like I said, once I scanned the first page, I was hooked!

[Fatema · Rating 3 out of 5]

Found this at the faculty library, read about twenty pages, had to stop because finals was in three days and was at the library to force me some thermodynamics, not to feed me some fiction. Left it there, now it's gone. :( Must find again soon!

I did think it could be one of those predictable chick lits, but there's a touch of reality to it - the main character has a husband and a child. It's quite close to reality, and that's how I like my books. :)
Uh, unless the story's blatantly a sci-fi/fantasy, of course.

[Meredith Miller · Rating 2 out of 5]

Hmmm, what can I say?? A married,
attractive woman goes on a reality show
like The Bachelor. She is supposed to
write a story about the behind the scenes
goings on. I am not a fan of this show, so perhaps I have a jaded view. The
book was interesting, but not exactly a
page turner. Predictable, but also
not plausible. I would hope that the women
on these shows are screened more
thoroughly. Fresh idea, but not very
thought provoking.

[Bridget · Rating 1 out of 5]

I thought this book would be an easy, "chick lit" book and relaxing break from reality that I ever so need; something that I could lose myself in, but sadly I could NOT get through this. Too cheesy, too predictable, and too boring. And this is coming from someone who loses oneself in reality tv and the Bachelor. Had I not been active on Goodreads in a while and had a pressing reading challenge to complete, I would have put this book down long ago. Yuck.

[Cathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed it enough to keep reading, but was disappointed in it in a lot of ways. There were just so many interesting places this book could have gone, and it didn't go to any of them. I won't reveal what happens, but I thought it was a cop-out. This is the second book I've read lately that seems to end before the story really ends.

[Kimiarm0900 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well I'm not a fan of the Bachelor so the premise of the book wasn't my cup of tea, but, once you get past that fact it ends up being a good book!
Some of the themes of the book are totally relatable. Most of the characters are people you know in your life, especially Holly, everyone knows a Holly lol
Over all it was a good quick read, nothing heavy or too complex!

[Listiyani Puspita · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this book on sale shelves. After read the review on back cover, I think the story is nice enough and this book is suitable for fun.
But I found this book no too much interesting. Although I like the ending and I also like it's talk about choice we choose. But that's all, nothing very special from this story.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun read. One I started reading, I had a really hard time putting the book back down.

Sarah is married with a young daughter. She's working from home, and her boss gives her an unusual assignment. She's to go onto a Bachelorette type tv show as if she's really single and 10 years young than she really is...

[Ellen Harger · Rating 4 out of 5]

A far more fun and cute read than I anticipated. This was one of those, "ugghhh, but I want something to read that isn't heavy." I was happily surprised at the approach. The author/protagonist shared my attitude which was a fun way to begin and then I was engaged enough to enjoy the cute romance. A light read but far better than a pool book (no loss if it falls in). I'd read it again, even!

[Livia Winata · Rating 1 out of 5]

Worst-novel-ever.
Boring to death. Cannot deal it if not because of my fucking-perfectionist-habit. I was hoping the story will have a little spice at least as pages down. But well, nothing happened till the end of the book! Sarah, oh dear, she has no character at all. She went here and there inside her mind, until the end.

[Karina · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book seemed to be lacking some plot. I felt like the author couldn't truly convince me of how quickly the MC forgot about her family after getting caught up in the 'game'and then switched roles about the end. The supporting characters lacked dept somewhat like you didn't really get to know them. All in all an ok book.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. It was a good easy read. It was an inside look at what happens behind the scenes of a Bachelor-like show. The girl goes on the write an expose on the show and the women but finds out things are totally not what they seem.

[Jody · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute book especially if you are a fan of "The Bachelor" TV series.

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun book. It was a super easy read and kept your interest. I enjoyed it!

[Courtney · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'd give it one star, but it did keep my interest. Without giving anything away, the middle made me uncomfortable and the ending didn't wrap things up the way it should have.

[Erica · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you like to watch the Bachelor TV show you will like this book.

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very quick read about a journalist who goes on a reality TV show like The Bachelor and has to pretend to be a single girl looking for love. Fun and simple - great to read by the pool!