I've been watching reality television since season one of Survivor, so I figured I would give this one a shot. I am familiar with the Real Housewives franchise although I have never watched it, so I did not know initially that the author has been on a reality show. It was an interesting story that had a lot of insight into the backstage workings of reality shows and was an entertaining story.

This was a super interesting read and in incredibly big roller coasting of emotional feelings. Reading this book reminded me of when I used to watch reality TV , like a lot, and obsessed over every little petty drama that went on. I haven't gotten back to it like I used to, but this was refreshing and also a big throwback to the world I used to love. I felt frustrated at times against mainly all the character, but I think that represents just how juicy and realistic the plot and writing it.

A delicious rompy swipe at the world of Reality TV from one of the Real Housewives of Toronto. This novel lays bare the seedy manipulations of reality TV production and the participants' desire to craft certain narratives about themselves. A pacey read that makes you question perception through well-drawn characters and engaging plotlines. Lots of humour, this novel asks pertinent questions without ever seeming preachy or lecturing. A great summer read.

While I’m not one to spend my free time on reality tv I was excited to read this book. It follows women who are filming a reality tv show all for varied reasons, the crew who is trying to manipulate and capitalize on their cast and is told from several points of view. You can tell the author has intimate knowledge of the industry and all the secrets of filming it and it was a solid read. I enjoyed the humor, deceit, and bonds between women.

Most Hated is much more entertaining than reality TV. While it starts a little slow, this is a book I stayed awake until the middle of the night to finish. I felt actual angst for what was happening in these characters lives and I’m so happy with how it ended. This book is unique, clever, and an emotional roller coaster that points out the “reality” of reality TV.

This delicious read gave me all the Desperate Housewives mixed with the OC. I love a good drama filled plot with characters you either love or hate. I flew through this!

I enjoyed this fictitious, behind-the-scenes look at the making of a reality TV show. It was a fun read, though there were a few things that felt a little difficult to follow; I thought that some of the dialogue could have used more tags to follow who was saying what, though that may have just been in the galley copy from NetGalley and have been sorted in the final edit. It also seemed a little strange to have two of the points of view (Zoe and Sabrina) be written in third person, and the other point of view, Dahlia, written in first person, as though the story was mostly centered around Dahlia, when that didn't really seem to be the case; it felt equally centered around the three of them, or at least around Sabrina and Dahlia. But overall, it was a fun read, especially if you're interested in reality TV.

Wow, this was such a rollercoaster for me!

At first, I was not enjoying this book at all. It took forever to really "get started", and I think there could've been a better way to introduce both plot and characters, because it felt way too dragged out and even a bit redundant or repetitive at first. I also didn't quite enjoy the structure of it, of the story being told from one first-person pov and other third-person povs, because in the end they all sounded the same, so I was confused for a good portion of the book about whether Dahlia telling everyone's stories from her perspective, but as an omniscient narrator or maybe an unreliable one, or if it was just a choice by the author to voice Dahlia in a different manner, but in the end, like I said, the result ended up being that all the narrating was very homogenic. If this was meant to be understood in the plot, I missed it entirely. But as I progressed in the reading, I dropped this confusion and just went with it because it didn't really hinder the plot in any way. Another weak point for me was that the book felt unfinished, not plot-wise, but in its writting. There were typos and missing punctuation and poorly formatted dialogue all over the place, and even some sentences felt like they were actually missing words that would set the meaning, like what I read wasn't the final_FINAL_ACTUALLYFINAL.doc version, but merely the final_FINAL.doc version, you know what I mean? It felt like it needed editing and a sharp set of eyes on it to make an extensive set of corrections, and for me this is hard to get by and ignore, probably because I do a lot of beta reading and grammatic revisions in my line of work, but I think any reader who is more attentive to detail could feel derailed by this aspect of the book.

But I really enjoyed the plot and the way the story progressed after the filming of the show actually started. It was very easy to forget that there were cameras rolling during the tension, and often I would read a big portion of it before thinking wait, were they mic'd during this? Which I think is a very positive trait for a book that centers around a reality TV show to have: to give the reader the same self-survaillance paranoia that would inevitably happen to its participants. The fights always felt out of nowhere and extremely petty but at the same time painfully intense and life-and-death-ish, which is exactly what reality TV fights are like. The book was extremely competent in setting the tone of what watching a show like that would be like, which I think would make it a very enjoyable read even for people who never gave reality TV a chance. Which is not my case at all – I even watch Sister Wives, if you must know.

By the way, did you know that the sudden rise in reality TV shows in the late 2000's in the US was directly tied to the 2007 writers strike? I always think about that. If studios weren't so greedy and so prone to violating basic labour laws, maybe we wouldn't have gotten the Kardashians, at least not as they are. Makes you really think about how the Fates work. Anyway.

As for the characters, I enjoyed their stories and developments, though some of them felt too much like parodies of real-life people in a very non-subtle way, particularly Nicole. The one thing that bothered me a little was that they all felt extremely Manichaean: some were poor little clueless victims filled with good intentions and always falling into misunderstandings, while the others were evil cunts who were constantly lying and scheming against the first group. Zoe in particular is the worst of all in this sense: she is ugly, envious, heartless, frustrated both sexually and professionally, hates everything and everyone, is willing to do crimes for ratings. All she's missing is a hunchback and a big hairy mole on her nose. It felt most of the time like the book was trying to make a very black-and-white statement: reality TV is made up of evil Zoes trying to destroy beautiful Dahlias. When the reality of reality TV is anything but black-and-white, as the iconic song “Blame It On The Edit” by Rupaul will gladly tell you. To me, the most interesting character in the whole ensemble is Lexi, exactly because she isn't just one thing: she is aloof and ditzy and too much of a millennial influencer-type, but she is also genuine and clever and honest, but she also makes some very questionable decisions, but she is also a real friend. Lexi is layered where everyone is just kind of one-tone to hammer down the point that reality TV is not “really reality”. But I think exactly because I am a filmmaker and a reality TV enthusiast I am already too familiar with this fact and I think it is almost boring to make it, however when I think about the way most people interact with media and I remember that until a little while ago people in my country would literally scream and chase down actors who played villains on soap operas, I realize that maybe there needs to be more voices like Kara Alloway's – or Budgie's on that one scene that made me crack up – who won't stop saying ”we are filming a TV show” until people finally get it.

This book is like the Gossip Girl series meets the Real Housewives series, but you have VIP tickets to peek behind the curtain. It gets the job done in being both entertaining and in reminding you that what you see on a screen is never the full picture!

𝗔𝗥𝗖 𝗥𝗘𝗩𝗜𝗘𝗪 📖
𝗠𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗛𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 - 𝗞𝗮𝗿𝗮 𝗔𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄𝗮𝘆
Release day - May 30th 2023

5/5
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I. LOVED. THIS. BOOK. Being a lover or reality tv, I dove into this one head first. Reading it felt like I was truly behind the scenes of a reality tv show and I was able to picture everything going on in my head. If you want a book that has unexpected twists, unhinged and calculated characters, and drama this is the book for you!

Six very different women take on the challenge of a reality tv show and three are hoping to to revamp their lives. What they don’t expect is how much their lives will be permanently altered from the experience. Zoe, the assistant running the show has different plans to win over the shows head producer no matter the cost. It’s not just entertainment for tv, she’s manipulating actual lives and the length she’s willing to go to achieve success is utterly shocking. At the end of it all, one of them is going to deem the title “most hated.”

Thank you to @netgalley and the author for providing me with a copy of this book for an honest review.

Read If you like:
Drama
Manipulative characters
Reality TV
Celebrity gossip

"Indulge in a delightful and addictive summer read with 'Most Hated' by Kara Alloway. This debut novel is the perfect companion for lounging by the pool, relaxing on the beach, or even cozying up by the fire in the Southern Hemisphere. With her background as a self-proclaimed 'villain protagonist' on the Real Housewives of Toronto and experience as a reality TV show producer, Alloway brings a wealth of insider knowledge and expertise to her writing.

'Most Hated' combines all the drama and melodrama of a reality TV show with keen insights into the motivations of those who willingly reveal their dirty laundry (and clean lingerie!) for the world to analyze. As readers dive into the book, they'll find themselves engrossed in a world of intrigue, where every twist and turn keeps them guessing until the final pages. Alloway's storytelling effortlessly guides us through the ups and downs, creating a narrative that is hard to put down.

What sets this book apart is its underlying depth and timeliness. Amidst the glitz and glamour of reality TV and society's obsession with influencers, Alloway provocatively examines our relentless pursuit of perfection—not just in our bodies, but in every aspect of our lives. In the age of constant scrutiny and judgment, 'Most Hated' challenges us to reflect on the price we pay for societal validation and its impact on our mental and physical well-being.

While 'Most Hated' is a fast and funny read, it holds a mirror up to our current zeitgeist, sparking important conversations about the consequences of our obsession with appearance and public approval. It's refreshing to see a beach book tackle relevant and thought-provoking themes without sacrificing the entertainment factor.

Whether you're a fan of reality TV or simply seeking an engrossing and timely read, pre-order 'Most Hated' now and prepare to be hooked from May 30. Alloway's debut novel offers a compelling blend of gossip, reflection, and sheer enjoyment, making it a standout choice for your summer reading list."

Thank you #Netgalley

As an avid reality TV watcher, this book caught my attention. When a group of women is pulled together to film a reality show, they each have their own hidden agendas that they may or may not even know about. Some are looking to reclaim their image, others are looking to make their own name, etc. This book has each chapter from a different characters perspective from the stars of the show and the executive producer. The book gradually makes you despise the executive producer, I would cringe at times reading her portions. Though this book is hopefully illustrating the extremes, I found it entertaining and interesting!

I ate this up, even though I’m not a Real Housewives fan! It reminded me of the the show Unreal, where you get a peek behind the scenes of vindictive producers stirring up trouble for better ratings.

If you have any interest in pop culture and backstage reality show drama, you’ll love this book.

It wasn't that the book wasn't well written it was more I am not a fan of reality tv and thus I found it difficult to get into and connect with any of the characters. Just not for me and that's ok.

I'm a sucker for books about trash tv, and when I saw this one it was no different. With a synopsis that promised glamorous drama and unexpected twists, this book delivered a juicy, behind-the-scenes peek into the ruthless world of reality television.

Zoe, the ambitious producer, kept me hooked with her relentless pursuit of ratings and drama. Dahlia's struggle to salvage her picture-perfect marriage while battling the pressures of the show had me rooting for her even when I found her a bit insufferable. And Sabrina,, the Countess of Controversy, had me constantly on edge, waiting to see how her life would unravel.

However, there were moments when the pacing of the story felt a bit uneven. Some scenes dragged on while others could have used more development. Additionally, the plot twists, although entertaining, sometimes felt a bit predictable. Nonetheless, these minor flaws didn't dampen my overall enjoyment of the book and the peek it gave into the dark side of reality tv.

Thanks so much to re:books as well as NetGalley for the opportunity to read an eGalley of this book in exchange for my honest thoughts!

Gloriously trashy! It's reality TV escapism in book form. Thank you for the opportunity to read and review.

3.5 if I could. This definitely gives love island/ the bachelorette vibes which you most definitely have to be in the mood to read. The multi POV keeps the story moving quickly and the plot is pretty juicy for reality lovers.

LOVED IT! Kept me on the edge of my seat, I couldn’t wait for the next page! Such a fun read. So much drama! I can’t wait to read more of this authors work! Thanks NetGalley!

Although this book didn't have me hooked from the beginning, and dragged in the middle, the last third of this book is what made me love it. The character development shown by the main characters, the humorous dialogue, and the unique and creative storyline are what make this book great.

I had problems with Most Hated from the very start because I had absolutely no interest in (on?) the subject matter. Basically, we're following a group of rich women who will star pretty much in a version of Real Housewives. I'm sure there are people who love this show, but I don't for many reasons, the main ones being I am not American so that's not at all relatable and I don't watch TV in general, so I wouldn't choose to watch this. I gave this a couple of tries, then soft DNFed it, then hard DNFed it, but while I was trying to read it, I kept asking myself about the type of reader who would enjoy this novel. I asked myself this because it is about this reality show that I know many people love unironically, but it tried to be a satire and to provide some commentary on how fake and frivolous these shows are, which is okay, but again, who would read this? If I love a show, I wouldn't read a novel that mocks said show, but if I hate a show, I wouldn't read a novel about said show, even if it's a satire. That would be too much time and effort spent on something I'm not into. And I guess that's why I ultimately didn't finish this book...I didn't see the point, and hopefully other readers do.

Most Hated is a glimpse at what goes on behind the scenes of reality television shows. I had no idea who the author was before requesting the book on NetGalley; I was just intrigued by the cover art and description. With the author having been on Real Housewives, it definitely adds to the plausibility of different (wild) scenarios in the book.
Pros: Fun, fast read; easily digestible
Cons: Lotsss of characters to keep track of (I had to use an iPhone Note); lack of strong plot/conflict/twists (just kind of follows the women from location to location)