I loved this perfect, feelgood summer read. The Dating Game is a gorgeous slow-burn romance with whip-smart humour threaded through every page.
Abby has been coerced into taking part on a dating show in Sydney to help inform her as she writes snarky reviews of each episode as her hilarious alter-ego, Anastasia. Whilst there, her relationship builds with the handsome producer, Jack, and I was rooting for them to get together all the way through.
This book isn't a simple romance though, it is also a book that testifies to the strength of female friendship even when these women are pitted against each other.
Sandy Baker writes with such wit and warmth that it’s impossible not to get totally invested in this story and I frequently laughed out loud as we followed Abby and the other Does from one hideous Stag date to another. Wonderful, feelgood romcom escapism and highly recommended.

There’s a right way to do slow burn romances, and this is it!
Also, as a fan of The Bachelor franchise, how could I not enjoy this?
I thought it was funny and cute, and I couldn’t put it down! I also found Abigail relatable, which is always a plus.

Having lapped up Sandy Barker's previous novels, I was extremely excited to get a chance to read The Dating Game, her highly anticipated next release.
And I was not disappointed!
Abby is a woman with dreams of becoming a serious journalist. But right now, she's ended up on a gig where she writes as her alter-ego, Anastasia Blabbergasted, a hilarious gossip columnist whose recaps of reality shows grasp the attention of the masses.
Somehow, she ends up being railroaded into taking part in The Stag (think The Batchelor), purely for fly on the wall, research purposes, where she is asked to pretend to be one of the Does (the women hoping to be chosen by The Stag), so she can get close to the action, and write really juicy recaps of the newest series.
So that is Abigail the journalist Abby the Doe and Anastasia the columnist. Quite a lot of personas for one person to juggle!
What she didn't expect was to feel the flutterings of romance building up from a totally different source, as well as finding out she really likes some of her fellow contestants!
Okay, so if you are looking for a straight-up romance, it ain't gonna necessarily come from this book, but that doesn't mean, by any way, shape, or means that there isn't any sizzle. Add to that, the fact that he's a hot Aussie hunk... who isn't The Stag... There is hidden romance and plenty of laughs, so it firmly sits in the Rom-Com sector, for me.
I do love a bit of reality TV, and having watched series like The Batchelor, it was great to get a feel for what possibly happens behind the scenes! The dynamics between a group of women vying for the attention of one man, for very, very different reasons, was a great avenue to explore.
Add in all the different locations they visit on dates, in and around Sydney, and I felt like I was on holiday, myself! (Much needed in this climate, I'll have you know!)
A fun, light-hearted read to give you a giggle!
Many thanks to NetGalley, Harper Collins Uk and One More Chapter for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is a delightful romantic comedy with engaging characters, witty humor, and a lovely slow-build romance. The sparkling writing carries the reader along effortlessly, in several places causing me to laugh out loud. The story has all the best features of the '80s and '90's-era heyday of romantic comedy movies. The film Miss Congeniality is referenced and the heroine definitely has that Sandra Bullock vibe! The reader looking for an effervescent light read with a sweet romance will enjoy this one.

I loved this! A funny insight into reality TV shows and what goes on behind the scenes. A modern-day romantic tale that was easy to read and unputdownable!

I enjoyed this book a lot!!
This was such a funny and cute book! The main character Abby was hilarious and truly such a gem. The book in itself was fun and just like an actual reality show! It was super fun reading as Abby hilariously conquered the challenge of reality dating. The book was a bit slow at times but was overall enjoyable. One thing I liked was how relatable Abby was throughout the book. Though I did not fall in love with the characters/book as I hoped I still think this is a solid read! I recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of reality tv dating shows.

Abigail, a satirical wittier under a pen name, gets dragged into the show she has been reviewing, becoming one of the person she has been so critical about …

Honestly the story was way above my expectations. I thought it would be some kind of romance born out of a comedy show, with some comedy of course but with nothing else to it. It was completely different though. Of course there was the romance, but it was not hidden nor silly, more smart actually.

Let it be clear, it has been a long time since I have out of the young adult and romance novels. There was a breaking point in my reading life when it was not just for me anymore. This book is way different, catching and entertaining. It has everything: some drama, some complicated love, but also a good lot of fun, chill, and above all some nice values messages - friendship, truthfulness, audacity.

I am so glad I read it and went past my prejudices. This book is a great summer read, a nice escape from your daily routine and it will definitely bring you joy and a good laugh.

Let’s be clear, the plot is nothing extraordinary, we can quickly see how thing will turn out globally, there is not much surprise, but damn is so satirical and self laughing, the characters are gems, that it turns out really worth it and good entertainment.

Let’s dive a little into it.

What I really liked anyway was that « the dating game » aka « the stag » was not the plot of the story - who will win? - but rather we saw the upside downs, the machinery behind it, and how it is all fake and acted. How the characters got stuck into it and no one war really here for the show, but all had other personal reasons.

The characters are all deep and with such a different backstory that in the beginning you would think “how the hell will they get along?” And then the show - or rather their despise for the show - brings them together.

This book is more about dealing with one’s life, sorting things out, and connecting back with one’s inner purpose. All of this within this bubble of fakeness and not-so-reality that are reality shows.

Most importantly, this books is a true friendship story. It heals the heart.

So if you want to spend a good time, bring your mood up, go for it.



Special thanks to Netgalley and One More Chapter / Harper Collins UK for sharing a digital copy of this book with me in exchange for an honest review.

The Dating Game was a bit of a mixed bag for me. It's an easy, lighthearted romance, but lacks any real substance. The premise held so much potential - Abby is an aspiring journalist who writes snarky recaps for a Bachelor-style reality show to pay the bills. When she receives the opportunity to go undercover on the show as a fake contestant in order to help the show drum up publicity with her insider recaps, she hopes to get her big break by simultaneously publishing a tell-all expose on the reality show. But things get complicated when she hits it off with the show's producer in charge of getting her ready for the show and she also establishes friendships with some of her fellow contestants. The story was charming and funny in some places, but I felt like it was lacking in some areas - I just felt like it was a little flat and could have really had so much more fun and there were a few missed opportunities for drama and comedy. Overall, an easy frothy summer beach read. Thanks to Sandy Barker, Random House/One More Chapter and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book so that I could share my honest review.

Unfortunately this book didn’t do it for me. I don’t watch much reality tv to begin with but thought this in a book setting might be fun! None of the characters stuck out to me to leave an impact

Thank you NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review

Overall, this was a good read. I'm really into these romcoms that are set up with an unlikely contestant on a reality dating show. The story was great but I will say reading the uncorrected manuscript was very rough, there were no separations between conversations, etc so it was hard to tell which what content was in the news articles or a self thought from Abby. Which I know will be fixed with publication, but just a thought. I would definitely recommend this read!

The Dating Game by Sandy Barker is the first book that I've read from the author, so I didn't know what to expect. Therefore, when I read this book, I can't help but feel slightly disappointed. I tried my best to continue reading the book, but I failed. Since I'm not the type to finish a book that I didn't enjoy, I had to stop myself from continuing. The main reason why I didn't really enjoy this book is because I felt like the story is pretty flat. It didn't give me enough excitement to turn the next page in order to know what's going to happen next. Moreover, I don't really feel the chemistry between the characters. The romance element in this book was pretty lacking. Overall, this book isn't really my cup of tea, which was pretty unfortunate. However, if you're in the mood to read a book about reality show, then I think you will probably enjoy this book.

To me the writing style was a bit rough at the beginning especially with all that British jargonism but either it grew on me or as the story went along the book redeemed itself (from 2/3 onwards I was really enjoying it). The story was funny and the intensity of the romance quite strong. It also showed the gritty details behind the scenes of reality show, but in real life unfortunately producers are probably not as nice as Harry and Jack.

But sometimes I wondered whether Abby was really that intelligent as the book was trying to portray. Was her writing really that great? Did she really expect that her expose on the reality show would bring her any serious journalism awards? It was a case of more telling the readers of the qualities of Abby rather than showing it. So sadly I didn't enjoy Anastasia's posts that were the main aspect of the story so for me, it didn't add much value and in some cases confused me whether the post ended and where Abby's thoughts began (it would go back and forth without any clear indication). . Maybe it was British humour that I didn't get.

It seems to be common in women literature but it would be nice if all the self-pity and insecurity talks about having no boyfriend, being fat or not pretty enough could be reduced. Are we women really that pathetic? Do we really need to know every single thought that runs in a woman's head? Also, ​throughout most of the book Abby who is a single woman in her 30s with no past long-term (and very few short-term?) relationships seems to be so sad and almost pathetic when it comes to her self-esteem, often having to rely on her bestie for advice or cry on her shoulder, but at the end coincidentally with meeting a guy she becomes this confident, all-together woman who knows what she wants and stands up for herself. Do we really need to send a message out there to girls that the only way to be confident and have self-esteem is through meeting someone?

Maybe I am taking it too seriously because it was meant to be a light book. Overall it was a fun book to read so I will give it 4 out of 5. Thanks NetGalley for a free copy

Reality TV is all the rage these days. Survive on an isolated island or find love whilst battling a dozen other beauts or beaus... Sandy Barker delivers a one-two punch with The Dating Game!

Abby is a writer; a serious writer who moonlights as a snarky dating show synopsis weaver with an outrageous moniker. Hiding behind this persona, she is commanded to go undercover as a contestant on the latest iteration of a popular British dating production that will take place in Sydney, Australia. Enter the squees as she embarks on an adventure that she quite gets tangled up in.

The Stag, or male prize at the end of the show, turns out to be a total lout, but there are antics abound by the other female contestants. Abby is drawn to one of the crew on the show, and she learns several lessons about herself along the way.

The snark is marvelous as the reader delves into the "behind the scenes" of mansion life with so many women, mostly all vying for the same prize. There are plenty of laugh out loud sequences, and times where you are on the edge wondering just how Abby will get out of a scrape. There are villains that you will love to hate, and the sweet ladies you will love to adore.

Reading this makes me wonder just how "put on" these reality tv shows really are! It was very enjoyable, and I found it hard to put it down at times.

Thank you to HaperCollins UK, Sandy Barker, and NetGalley for this ARC. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I went into this book thinking it was going to be a romance but instead it's more of a behind the scenes of a dating show, in this case the show is The Stag.

What I liked:
-It took place in Sydney and you got a little tour of Sydney on some of the dates
-The friendships Abby forms with some of the other women
-Abby and Jack's relationship

What I didn't like:
-it was hard to follow sometimes because there were multiple POVs for Abby
-it mostly focused on the dating show, the behind the scenes, dates, and the women on the show. I thought this was going to be more of a romance/romcom
-the story got kind of repetitive towards the middle but did have a sweet ending.

Overall I would only recommend this book to people who are big fans of The Bachelor or other dating shows. Or if you want a fun quick read. If you're looking for your next romance read, this book isn't it. The romance part was more of a side story in this one.

Thank you @netgalley and @onemorechapterhc for this digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Although I read this novel in one-sitting and enjoyed my time with it, the characters and the specifics of the story did not really stick out to me. I would definitely see it as a movie or a mini-series, though, as it was gripping and fast-paced.

This was hilarious, and a timely read with Love Island on screen right now. It shows the (fictional of course) murkier side of reality tv and how scripted and edited shows are and ties it in nicely with a slowly developing real life romance. Some of the does were caricatures rather than characters in their own right but it was an entertaining read and good for a beach book!

First of all, thank you netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.


This book is a perfect read for a sunny day. The plot was very lighthearted and fun, the banter between the characters are great and I laughed out loud a couple of times.

Abby is a fun character, she’s smart and sarcastic, very charismatic, and her chemistry with Jack is undeniable.

This was a fun book for me, I enjoyed it very much, although sometimes it felt a little slow paced for me.

3.5 stars!

I loved this book so much!!!!!! I’ve not read anything by this author yet but it was so much fun!! A really brilliant book suitable for the summer

I adored this romantic comedy. I’d have thought the clue in the title would explain to some of the reviewers here that it is not supposed to change your world view. It’s entertaining, it’s funny, it’s romantic, it’s a candid look at the world of ‘reality television’.

The format of the book does not make it clear when it is the main character’s POV vs when she is writing as ‘Flabbergasted’, but that is not the author’s fault. Once you work it out as the reader, it is clearer as the tone is quite different, as is the use of hyperbole and other styles to help delineate the two different POVs.

I enjoyed the expose of ‘reality television’, especially when it comes to ‘finding love’ - and how manufactured it is.

Whilst there are a lot of characters to keep track of, I didn’t get confused at any point as to who was who and the storyline is really fun.

I hadn’t expected to find myself crying happy tears, but they were well deserved for the author’s plot, themes, and characters.

I’ve read Sandy’s other books - a trilogy and a stand alone Christmas book - ‘The Dating Game’ has become my new favourite.

reality shows are my guilty pleasure and this book hit the spot. i haven't read a romcom in this setting before and really enjoyed it! it was a fun cute read and i really enjoyed watching the characters come together. i like how the author included small details about Australia, it really added to how fun this book was.