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.

In ‘The Dating Game’, we meet Abigail Jones, a young woman who writes a tv show recap column under the pen name of Anastasia Flabbergasted. The show, cleverly called ‘Stag and Does’ is a fun spin on the Bachelor. When her boss and the tv show’s producer come up with a scheme to put Abby undercover on the show to get a more detailed look into the behind the scenes, she is swept off to Sydney, Australia for filming.

While Abby is pretending to be looking for a mate, the perfect guy inserts himself into her life in the form of producer, Jack. Abby has to juggle not only her writing gig, but also the many relationships amongst her fellow ‘does’, her crush on Jack, and trying to play the game well enough to stay on the show until the end.

I enjoyed this different take on the behind the scene look at a dating show. The different ladies on the show were fun to get to know, and the book as a whole seemed completely believable. I think fans of the Bachelor and Bachelorette franchises will really enjoy this fun take on the show!

Thanks to Netgalley and One More Chapter for the ARC given to me in exchange for my honest review.

Yes, yes, yes! As a lover of all reality TV shows and romcoms, this book is it!!!! I don't even want to give anything away because I loved this book. It was such a fun, cute, and easy read!! I've been reading some books that take a lot of energy to get through and this book was such a breath of fresh air! In love. 10/10.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and One More Chapter for this ARC.

Sandy Barker is a new author to me, and like any new author, I'm always more excited to read their work. There are a ton of reality/dating competition shows nowadays, and The Dating Game reminded me of a mix of a few shows. This book felt very comparable to reality TV for me: mindless entertainment. This book wasn't bad, but if you're looking for 'the next great romance' book, this isn't it. If you go into this book knowing that, you may find it more enjoyable.

The story was easy to follow but the characters didn't stick out at all. While this book didn't really bring anything new to the genre, I don't think it was trying to accomplish that either. I do wish some more risks were taken with the plot/dating show aspects. Nothing major happened, and I wish there was more drama and excitement to get you hooked.

Overall I think this book will be much more suited to reality TV show lovers who find those short of shows appealing.