Where to start? I guess the first thing I should mention is that I absolutely hate dating shows. It feels so horrible and barbaric to throw people’s feelings around for “quality” entertainment. For me, it basically promotes cheating because you’re dating several guys/girls at once and are allowed to sleep with the ones you choose. So, with that being said, I wasn’t sure how I was going to react to this novel. However, I think One to Watch surprised me in more ways than one and I’d definitely read more books by Kate Stayman-London.

The plot I thought was very entertaining and it made me realize why people love reality TV so much (it still isn’t for me, though). It was dramatic and a whirlwind of feelings, emotion, and “what’s gonna go wrong next?” I loved Sam and Asher. They definitely had the best character development. There were a lot of other characters that I didn’t like, though, but I’ll save that for the spoilers.

As far as the main character, Bea? She definitely didn’t resonate with me. I didn’t hate her either, though. More of just meh. I wish the writer would’ve shown a little more of her personality (her blog, what she likes to do besides that) before throwing her into a reality TV show.

I think the message of this book was great and I think loving yourself is one of the most important things you can do. It’s hard to love someone else when you can’t love yourself and this book shows that perfectly. I liked the diverse cast (although I often forgot they were diverse due to lack of mention), but there were a few things that bugged me. Sometimes throughout the book it did feel like plus sized men weren’t given the emotional support that I think they still need in the world today. I don’t remember the exact line, but Bea mentions that they don’t have the same issues as plus sized women. While I agree that’s true to a degree, I think they get the same amount of scrutiny as plus sized women do, they just get thrown on the backburner a lot more because women are always front-and-center.

Spoilers ahead.

I hated Luc after he slept with Lauren, but I can’t say I didn’t see it coming. His character always felt off to me and it just proved me right when he did that. Not to mention, how the hell did Lauren think it was okay?? She was trying to empower Bea this whole time but only made it worse for her in the long run. Also, am I the only one who hates the fact that on these dating shows the main character has the choice to sleep with whomever they please? Like, excuse me? That literally just screws up everyone’s feelings and if I were on a show like that, the only thing I’d think is “well they obviously don’t love me enough if they can sleep with two other people within the same week.” That’s just a hell no from me.

As far as the ending goes, I could’ve imagined Bea with Asher or Sam. I liked them both so much that I really wouldn’t have been disappointed with either. Although, I would’ve felt bad for Asher’s kids. As far as Ray popping up out of nowhere? Thank God she rejected the heck out of him.

Overall, I really did enjoy the message of this book, but I can’t say it was my favorite. I still won’t watch reality dating shows (personal preference, nothing against those who do), but I feel like I understand them a little more. If you’re in love with The Bachelor or The Bachelorette, you’ll seriously enjoy this book.

Source: Audiobook from Audible