Maya is comfortable with her life-- she's good at her job, she and her boyfriend have been together for ten years, there's really nothing to complain about. So when she's offered the lead in a reality dating show, of course she turns it down.
But then her boyfriend breaks up with her. And then her sister comes into town and is adamant that Maya isn't happy with her job, either. And Maya starts to wonder if maybe what she'd mistaken for happiness was actually a comfortable stagnation.

I really loved the first half of this book-- Maya clearly is too much of a people pleaser and really doesn't think about what actually makes her happy, and I loved watching how all of that played out, especially when it comes to her relationship with her sister and with her friends. Maya's relationship with her sister, Ella, is tense but loving, and I really loved watching them hit both of those extremes. Her friendships with Delilah (the woman who starred in the reality show in Maya's place) and Bailey were a nice contrast to her relationship with her Ella, and having them all together was great.
Watching Maya start to recognize her self-worth and just how much she settled with her ex, Vaughn, after meeting Kai was also wonderful--that change felt powerful and real and really, really sweet.
I also like the way the groundwork was laid, that Maya was good at her job and comfortable there, that she was recognized for her talents--and that maybe she was only there out of a sense of obligation she didn't even fully realize she felt.
All in all, the first half really drew me in, even though it wasn't at all what I expected.
However, the ending of the book was rushed in a way that made it feel like Maya never actually had any real character growth--rather, there was a character switch that was flipped.

Spoilers ahead for a lot of plot stuff, mostly focused on the ending.

Maya eases into living her life a bit more freely by taking an art class, which feels like a huge step to her. And then she allows her friends to throw her a party, which she's hesitant about the entire time (which doesn't really show much growth in that area). Her next real growth moment is... turning down the promotion she's been working on, quitting her job effective immediately, and buying a plane ticket so suddenly that she doesn't even have time to organize the movers to get her stuff out of her apartment. Frankly, even though this is the "growth" she was moving toward, I didn't find myself cheering her on; I wanted her to speak with a psychiatrist. The ending was so rushed that I didn't feel any of the justification for these giant life changes-- and, since they were things her sister and friends were pushing for, it just felt like she was leaning into the people pleasing (which is an established flaw that it seemed would be a focus of her character growth) rather than making choices for herself. If the ending had been slowed down more or we had seen more of Maya's internal monologue during these decisions I could have been really excited for her, but as it was it felt way too chaotic and unauthentic to the character.
She also is quick to forgive a few things at the end that, if she'd actually grown from her character-pleasing tendencies, would have at least been a bigger deal. I was hoping for a couple fights, a couple call-outs--something more than her just accepting the behavior, forgiving it relatively quickly, and moving on. While it does seem that she cuts out her friend, I needed more out of that interaction; she let her off way too easily, and it felt like her fear of confrontation was driving that interaction.
I do really like that, at the end, we don't quite know which choice Maya makes (though I do have my suspicions).

The rushed ending and lack of that solid character growth was enough to drop two stars from my review--up until then I really, really loved it. And overall, though I was unsatisfied with the ending, I did still like the book and would read more from this author.

I also went into this expecting a romance, because that's how it was marketed, but--spoiler alert here--it definitely is not one. We aren't introduced to Maya's new love interest until about a third of the way through, he's a bit of an afterthought for about half of the remaining book, and... we don't even know for sure if they end up together. While this book does have a romance, it is not capital-R, Romance as a genre.

Review I will be posting in Goodreads today and on Instagram tomorrow:

Okay first and foremost, this is by far one of the cutest covers I’ve ever seen. I can’t wait for March 7th to add this to my shelf!

From the first chapter, I was in love with Maya. She is relatable in the best way. She has her “plan” and believes that by sticking to it, she will find purpose and happiness. As a woman in my mid-20s who is still figuring out the career-life balance, I related so much to her struggle of striving to reach these high goals she has and of wanting to be happy and be present in her life. It was even further demonstrated with the pressure she felt in her older sister role. Maya’s relationship with Ella was frustrating at times, but it made it feel even more real. (And it made the sweet sister moments even sweeter. )

Now this book is not a slow burn. Maya and Kai have instant chemistry and click immediately. And at first, I was a little skeptical? But the more you get to know Kai’s character, the more you see his realness and enjoy the dynamic he brings! Also, even when there were some moments of conflict within the relationship, I feel like Kai actually approached the relationship maturely, and he was a breath of fresh air in comparison to Ralph 👀 (because yes I am with Ella when it comes to Ralph haha)

I appreciated Delilah’s character and how she was such a good friend to Maya through the story. I also appreciated that though the show “changed” her and her lifestyle, we get to see it as a change in a positive way instead of a change into a cliche. The Real Love (“Bachelorette”) plot line was really interesting! I enjoyed getting to read the updates of the season, and I liked that it wasn’t the main focus of the story. (Even though, I would LOVE if Rachel wrote a fiction story from the POV of someone going through the Bachelorette. I think it would be so fun to read as the weeks go on / the behind the scenes.)

Now, truthfully there was a side plot line that held it back from being a 5 star for me? But that’s a spoiler - so you’ll have to read it for yourself. And who knows, you may enjoy it, so I won’t add it here 🤷🏻‍♀️

* Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for this advanced copy of the book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. *

Notes to the publisher and author:
The spoiler I am referencing: I didn’t love the Bailey plot line. I almost wish it would’ve come out that she was the blogger or something along those lines? I was really sad that the big reveal was how bad she wanted to be the lead of Real Love over her friendships. And I was really rooting for the trio. I also hated that Vaughn was even a part of that. bleh. The birthday storyline was not it. 🥴 again, I understand why it was there? Kind of? Just wasn’t it for me. I’m not including it in my review - but wanted to share here! Also I loved this book and would love to read more fiction books by Rachel. Also would be interested if this became a series of sorts?? Getting to see Ella fall in love in her own book would be SO sweet.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.
While I haven’t watched much of The Bachelor or its various spinoffs on TV, I admit to finding some of the drama reported via social media engaging. And Rachel Lindsay is one of a small handful of stars from the franchise who really stood out for me, both for what she represented for the franchise and the fact that she still seems to be pretty genuine and down to earth. And Real Love struck my interest, because it sounded different both from the other “reality star” books out there, and it also seemed to be taking a the reality dating show concept in a completely different direction, with Lindsay even admitting the concept was inspired by her own thoughts of “what if she didn’t do the show?”
The result is a somewhat tropey, yet relatable story of coming into one’s own and figuring out what one really wants out of life. Maya, like many of us, is conditioned to push for success, and to have an immaculate plan for how to get it. And she’s seemingly gotten everything she’s dreamed of: a successful career, a “happy” relationship on course for marriage, and an overall dream life. I love the way the narrative also touches on how complicated the road was for her as a Black woman to achieve her goals, without making it the central part of the narrative, and thus taking away from the real message.
I love that Maya is inspired by different people in her life to take more chances. Delilah, who takes the slot on Real Love that Maya was initially offered, inspires Maya to think about what she may have been missing, even if reality TV isn’t exactly “it” for her (and there are wonderful updates on Delilah’s adventures, courtesy of a gossip columnist, reminiscent of the news articles I devoured during some of my “favorite” seasons of The Bachelor and Bachelorette). Maya’s relationship with her free-spirited sister, Ella, is sweet, and I love how Maya describes the occasional tensions between them over their differences, while also highlighting the love there.
Maya also starts a romance with Kai, a jet-setter friend of Ella’s, who further inspires her to step outside of her comfort zone. While the narrative is very much about her personal journey, I like how the romance and him as a love interest play a role in her development.
I really enjoyed this, and would read anything Rachel Lindsay releases in the future. If you’re interested in the book based purely on the name recognition, it’s more than worth giving it a try. And even if not, it’s a great book if you like contemporaries focused on self-discovery and taking chances.

After her friend convinces her to audition for the reality dating show, Real Love, Maya Johnson is offered the lead role and promptly turns it down. Going on the show does not fit into her life Plan. Not to mention, her boyfriend of 10 years would probably not like the idea. Instead, she suggests that her best friend, Delilah take her place. Maya sees how transformative the experience is for Delilah and begins to question whether everything she is holding onto is really what she wants.

I saw this on Netgalley and did a double-take when I saw Rachel Lindsay was the author. I did not realize the former Bachelorette was now writing romance?

Anyway, I enjoyed this more than I expected! The dating show aspect is not featured heavily, despite the synopsis being almost exclusively about that. It is categorized as a contemporary romance, but if you go into this expecting a traditional romance, I think you’ll be disappointed. I would say this is more the story of Maya’s self-discovery journey as she realizes who and what she really wants out of life. My favorite part of this was Maya’s relationship with her younger sister, Ella, and best friend, Delilah. There’s lots of female friendship and empowerment in this one!

I've never watched the Bachelor or the Bachelorette so Lindsay was new to me. This is not as I thought, a romance so much as it is about a woman thinking about her future in a new way. Maya has always been on the straight and narrow path while her sister Ella has been out and about. She gives a chance to be on a reality dating show to her friend Delilah and regrets it and then her sister comes home with the handsome Kai. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. So many tropes, so many slightly out there things but read as a light tale, it's fine.

I'm giving this 2.5 stars--I think if you don't read a lot of romance and are interested in this because you're a fan of the author and want a dose of reality tv in your fiction, you'll enjoy this, but if you are a big reader in romance (especially the deeper, upmarket romance that's more popular these days), you might find it lacking.

I'll start with the good--I did like Maya, even if her repetitive type-A obsession with talking about her plan was kind of annoying. I appreciate a hardworking heroine who doesn't apologize for her success. And there were some fun and clever moments that had me giggling, especially the subtle and not-so-subtle Bachelor references.

Sadly, though both the writing and the story kind of let me down. My main concerns were that there was a lot of repetition and the narrative didn't always flow which made it hard for me to invest in the story. Sometimes I was very confused about where we were in time and space, and there were so many characters who felt like filler. I hate to say it but I feel like what happened is a publisher snatched this up because Lindsay's name is attached to it and they knew it would have a built in audience, without really challenging her to make this the best book it could be. Which bums me out, because she's obviously very bright and hardworking and I feel like she could write a very good romance one day. My guess (but just a guess!) is that Lindsay doesn't read romance, and if she knew more about the genre this would be much better.

All that said, I would be interested in a future romance from Lindsay! There was enough here that if she knew romance and women's fiction better and honed her narrative skills I'd be very interested to see what she does next.

I was really excited for this one because I’m a big bachelor fan. I appreciate that Rachel Lindsay chased a dream to write a book. For me, this one wasn’t a total win. I could tell it was a debut novel because the inner monologue of the MC seemed kind of forced. The story was fine but overall just fell kind of short for me. But I’m still happy that the author pursued a goal and achieved it by becoming a published author! That’s great! I hope others love it 😊

3.5 stars
Thank you NetGalley for early access to this book! I’ve watched the Bachelor/Bachelorette for years, and it drew me into Real Love. Rachel Lindsay does a great job entering the romance genre!

I was expecting the novel to parallel Lindsay’s journey and I was surprised that it was more like Robert Frost’s “The Road Not Taken.” The main character Maya discovers that her happiness regarding love and her career are contrary to what she’s always believed. This self-discovery unfolds as her friend Delilah goes on a reality dating show (Bachelor connection). The female relationships (friendships and Maya’s sister) are developed with some complexity. Lindsay captures Bailey’s jealousy through her unraveling and it demonstrates how friendships can change with life events.

The love story feels a bit rushed. I liked Maya’s connection with Kai, but it felt secondary. Real Love is the name of the show, but it’s also about Maya finding her own “real love.” It was a good read and I think many readers will appreciate this book.

Real Love had a sweet premise. Though I enjoyed the main character's journey throughout the book, I wish there had been more romance and focus on developing the main relationship. A sweet book I am sure fans of Bachelor Nation will adore.

The book was OK - it's obvious she's not a writer, and I wish the story didn't have the reality tv element. The ending was fast paced which I liked, but the book just wasn't memorable for me.

I read in the author's interview at the end of the book that Rachel was inspired to write this book when she wondered how different her life would have been if she hadn't gone on The Bachelorette. I actually think that's a pretty clever and original concept. There are so many books about reality shows but this is the first about the would-be contestant who says no. I admire Rachel for not taking the "easy" way by writing what she knew. This was a fast, enjoyable read with great character development and snappy dialogue/internal thought. It ends on a cliffhanger, which will probably bother some people, but I think it's still pretty obvious what choice Maya makes.

I was really excited to read Bachelor Nation star, Rachel Lindsay's first novel. While it was definitely more women's fiction than romance than I was hoping for, I did like the reality dating tv insights and plot and liked the journey the female main character went on. Good on audio too. Much thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review!

Written by former Bachelorette star Rachel Lindsay, real love is a romance novel that follows Maya, who turns down a starring role in a popular reality show for the life she’s currently living. But where this novel differs is that, while Maya does find a love interest in a new partner, she also falls in love with her true self. Being 29 this book was poignant and I identified so well with Maya’s driven personality and need to do what’s “just right” rather than following her gut. Maya was the perfect blend of fictional character and real life person - I could easily see her being someone I know in real life (cause she’s me!) I really enjoyed the reality tv aspects, it felt like I was watching the Bachelorette, but I truly enjoyed watching Maya come into her own as a person. This was definitely a five star read for me and I’m so excited for my friends to be able to read this one soon.

This book was, to be honest, just fine.

Like probably everyone else, I gravitated towards this book because of the author. I loyally followed Rachel's season of the Bachelorette, and it will always be a good memory for me. So when I saw this book, I knew I owed it to my 2017 self to at least read it.

Now, I don't think that this book was bad in any way. I enjoyed the main character and her journey, I thought that the way that the story explored female friendship and difficult choices had depth and complexity in a way that I appreciated, but it wasn't what I thought it would be.

Real Love presents itself as a contemporary romance with elements of self discovery, the kind of book that has a nice happy ending and a love interest that is introduced early on and has their own character development. In some ways, I wish there wasn't even a romance in this book. It really isn't a romance novel, it's a self discovery story with some elements of romance thrown in to make it marketable as a romance. It was fine, it just felt like a book that didn't entirely know what it wanted to be.

Overall, I'm glad that I read this book, but I don't think it's anything special or memorable.

Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for providing me with an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

This was a DNF for me.
I honestly really love the reality TV trope, but I couldn’t handle the MC and her friends they whiny and kind of superficial and I just couldn’t get into the story.
Unfortunately this wasn’t the book for me 🤷🏻‍♀️

I was given an ARC by NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions are my own.

A cotton candy fluff of a story that unfortunately fell flat for me, but fans of the Bachelor/Bachelorette TV franchise might enjoy this very much. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher!

This book was alright! Less romcom and more self-discovery story. The characters are sweet and it was an overall quick read.

Thank you NetGalley and Rachel Lindsay!

Quick easy read. for those who enjoy The Bachelor/Bachelorette franchise, this may be for you. Thanks netgalley & the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I received this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was a fluffy read for sure. So so in my opinion.

Real Love was a miss for me. I only kind of liked the main character, Maya. I liked her little sister better, but she was just a side character. Also, we don't meet the love interest until somewhere in the middle of the book. I thought this was supposed to be a romance? It is more like a journey of self love and discovery, which is fine, but I kept waiting for the usual hallmarks of a romance to show up and ended up disappointed. There was no real falling in love, butterflies, swoony moment, and it didn't make me feel much for Maya and her love interest, Kai. Don't tell me, show me, or I won't feel engaged with the character, and I won't care about them so much.

The ending bothered me, as well, as it is open-ended. Does Maya end up happy? Maybe? It is unclear. I felt let down, not knowing where things were headed.

I wouldn't read it again, mostly because it didn't give me the feels. I do read a lot of romance, though, so someone who reads them less might still find this story enjoyable. There was a lot of talk about reality shows and the way things are run, which I'm sure are accurate, as the author was a contestant on the Bachelorette. I'm sure fans of Lindsay will happily devour the book.