 |
Once upon a time, twelve women joined the hottest reality TV show looking for love. Except one had a secret identity . . .
Abby Jones is a serious writer. Or at least she will be, one day. Right now, she spends her time writing recaps of reality television under a secret identity.
When a recap for The Stag – the must-watch dating show – goes viral, her editor thinks she should be on set, writing the drama as it happens. The good news: the next season will be filmed in Sydney. Sun, sea and a glamorous trip abroad, this could be Abby’s big break.
The bad news: the producers don’t just want Abby to write the recaps, they want her to be on the show. Abby can’t think of anything worse than being undercover and followed around by cameras. But her career depends on it, and when she meets gorgeous producer Jack, Abby begins to wonder if this job might not be so bad after all . . .
Review
Abby Jones pays rent by writing snarky recaps of The Stag, a Batchelor-type reality show where multiple women, nicknamed 'Does', vie for the affections of a handsome 'Stag'. When one recap goes viral, Abby is offered (ordered) the chance to go undercover as a Doe on the next season to write her recaps from inside the Manor. Armed with a makeover, a new background, and dossiers on her competition, 'Doe Abby' jets off to Sydney. Unfortunately, it's a lot harder to be clever when the subjects aren't just characters, they're fast becoming friends, and soon Abby is juggling her secret identity, the Stag, her competition, and the attention of one of the producers - as well as getting her recaps in on time!
I seriously enjoyed this book. It's a little slow to start as it introduces Abby and gets her to Sydney, but once she arrives at Stag Manor the book really gets going. This is a story about love, but it's also a story about friendship, as the friendships Abby makes among some of the Does drive the story just as much if not more than the eventual love story. I was a little apprehensive at the start, given Abby's rather catty review of the previous season of the Stag, and yes, some of the Does are written as Fillers or out-and-out Villains, but the majority of them are layered and complex characters with their own voices and motivations (and given the cast list is at the back, reducing some of the Does to stereotypes does help one keep track of who's who). Her mum gets one of the best scenes in the book.
Abby is a hoot and her recaps are entertaining if sometimes confusingly entwined with her inner monologue (I received an ARC so I'm hoping the formatting will make the distinction clearer in the final copy). I enjoyed watching her mature and learn to reconcile her multiple identities (Abigail Jones, would-be journalist; 'Doe Abby', hopeful contestant; Anastasia Blabbergasted, witty recapper) in order to claim her own happy ending.
Laugh-out-loud and deliciously entertaining, this book has all the drama of a so-called reality show but no celebrities were harmed in the making! Best enjoyed with a fruity cocktail while wearing some strappy stilettos
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher via Rachel's Random Resources; all opinions are my own
Purchase Links
Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Dating-Game-romantic-comedy-Santorini-ebook/dp/B096TBRT6B/
Apple Books: https://books.apple.com/us/book/the-dating-game/id1571261358
Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Sandy_Barker_The_Dating_Game?id=iwQyEAAAQBAJ
Nook: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-dating-game-sandy-barker/1139650830
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/au/en/ebook/the-dating-game-30
Author Bio
Sandy is a writer, traveller and hopeful romantic with a lengthy bucket list, and many of her travel adventures have found homes in her novels. She’s also an avid reader, a film buff, a wine lover and a coffee snob. She lives in Melbourne Australia with her partner, Ben, who she met while travelling in Greece. Their real-life love story inspired Sandy’s debut novel One Summer in Santorini, the first in the Holiday Romance series with One More Chapter, an imprint of HarperCollins.
Follow Sandy:
https://twitter.com/sandybarker
https://www.facebook.com/sandybarkerauthor
https://sandybarker.com/
https://www.instagram.com/sandybarkerauthor/
Thank you for the review and for being on the tour!
ReplyDelete