ok OKAY ok! This book seriously had me hook from the first page. I’m not a big bachelor book girly because I think the concept is gross (sorry not sorry but its gross to think about, I’m a jealous girl lol) but my bestie told me I wouldn’t regret this one because its so different.

you’ll want to pick this one up because:
💋 our main girl doesn’t give a shit, it’s so real and relatable
💋 there’s a semi love triangle (but we’ll get to that soon)
💋 so much drama
💋 commentary notes about how certain aspects aired in the show, loved this

The behind-the-scenes writing is absolutely fabulous and refreshing. I love that while our main girl Jac works as she can with the producers of the show she also makes it her own by playing the role of the villain. The drama and story is so messy, but its real. I hated and loved Jac. I hated and loved parts of Henry. I hated and loved parts of Marcus. Everything in this book had a hate and a love aspect that I couldn’t get enough of.

I will say the biggest aspect of this book that I hands down hate was the ending. I won’t spoil, I promise, but it felt like there should be an obvious way to end this book and that wasn’t it.

Thank you NetGalley, Avon and Harper Voyager and Laurie Devore for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book gives a scathing view of reality TV dating shows. It was well written, entertaining, and drama filled. Some may call it a romance, but in my opinion the romance while present, wasn't the main point. The manipulation, and un-reality of a reality dating show was what the reader gets the most. As a person who doesn't enjoy this type of television I don't believe I am the target auidence for such a book, and after a while it just became too much for me. This book will be devoured by those who love reality dating shows. They will get a great thrill out of reading a fictionalized behind the scenes perspective.

I love a reality dating show and I love a romance novel. What’s better than a romance novel about reality dating show staring a romance novelist and the producer ?!

This book started off a little slow for me which made it hard to get into. But the story got interesting and it was a very entertaining read. I did appreciate the soul searching/reflectiveness of the main character while going through the reality tv show experience. I felt like it added a level of complexity to the story. That being said, the pacing of the actual romance in this book threw me off a bit. I felt like it started really slowly but then the ending was way more rushed than I wanted it to be. All in all it was still an entertaining book.

📚 #BOOKREVIEW 📚
The Villain Edit by Laurie Devore
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / Pages: 336 / Genre: Contemporary Fiction

In an effort to revamp her career as a romance novelist, Jac Matthis goes on The 1, the biggest dating reality show currently on TV. But she was unprepared for the mind games and humiliation she would have to endure during the 12 weeks of filming. She also wasn’t prepared for the complications that would arise from having a one-night stand with one of the producers of the show the night before her first day. Oops.

I loved Jac. I loved how unapologetic and tough she was but also relatable because we got to see how vulnerable she really was behind the scenes. But she didn’t bitch and cry and whine, she just kept going, kept trying to figure out the best move for herself. It was also really fun and interesting to be on the set of one of these shows and see how the producers manipulate the contestants and the situations to get the storyline they want. This is the perfect beach read for the summer.

Thank you @NetGalley, @Avonbooks, @HarperVoyagerUS, and @Laurie_Devore for my gifted copy. I loved it!

This was a well-written book. The storyline held my interest and kept me reading. There were parts that were sweet, fun, steamy and heartwarming, though the main characters had their flaws and there were some toxic behaviors demonstrated. Overall I enjoyed this book.

Jac ends up as a contestant on “The 1” when her life in New York City is not living up to her dreams. She is a romance writer whose first book did not have a HEA, but she is hoping she will find hers on The 1…or if not she will at least up her book sales. She quickly becomes a front runner for Marcus’ heart until she realizes that the producer who was missing during her in person interviews happens to be her one-night stand, Henry, from right before she left for the show. Henry is pulling all the strings behind the scenes and is manipulating Jac to act the way he wants on camera and still getting in her head off camera. Jac learns she is getting the villain edit and it starts to get to her. Will she be able to wins Marcus’ heart or will she win Henry’s and have the world find out about her secret affair.

This story had me cracking up the entire time. I am a hugeee bachelor fan and I am always wanting there to be more drama with production and I can only imagine the things that go on behind the scenes. While Jac was not the nicest to the girls in the house, she was just being herself and she is just blunt. She did not want to play into the other girls emotions. Marcus and Henry were both jerks and I was really not a fan of either, especially when Marcus was holding over Jac’s head the fact that he knew about Jac and Henry. I loved the twist at the end and Jac playing the producers for her benefit for once. Overall, I really enjoyed this one!

"Emily Henry meets Fleabag and... The Bachelor" is what made me pick up this book. Our main character is a romance novelist who joins "The 1" (aka The Bachelor) to garner publicity for her failing career. Little does she know, the man she hooked up with just before going on "the 1" is one of the shows producers. THE DRAMA. This book was an entertaining commentary on how overly produced and fake reality TV is. It makes you wonder how much of what we see on these shows is actually the result of producers playing puppeteer. There is some romance in the book, but it is more of a subplot, so keep that in mind if you think you are picking up a rom com. Overall, I think this would be a good book to read on the beach this summer!

Thank you to Avon and NetGalley for the ARC!

3.75 ⭐️

Jaqueline Matthis is a failed romance novelist who decides it will be a great career move to become a contestant on the nations premiere reality tv dating show, The 1. She figures a handful of weeks on the show should translate into plenty of likes on social media and increased sales of her books. Besides, being a good contestant should come easy for her, she knows exactly how to write a love story! Jac’s plans immediately go sideways when it turns out, Henry, her last one night stand happens to be a producer on the show! As Henry and Jac try to fight their chemistry, the show lead, Marcus, zeros in on Jac. Their relationship puts Jac at odds with the other girls, and when she discovers the producers are giving her the villain edit, suddenly Jac is no longer thinking about selling books. She’s just trying to escape unscathed back in the real world.

I’ve read a few Bachelor type romance novels in the past and they weren’t exactly riveting. On the other hand, I simply could not put this down!

The Villain Edit definitely brings all the drama! At times it felt like I was reading a thriller just wondering what was going to happen next. The Villain Edit is so much more than a romance book. Jaqueline is such an intriguing main character. She often calls out the misogynistic and patriarchal ideals that uphold dating shows like The 1, and the media excerpts between chapters help underline a subtle commentary on the intersection between reality tv and culture.

Devore does an excellent job highlighting the conflicting motives between executives, producers, and contestants. She is so effective at describing the toxic filming environment many of the actual former stars have exposed.

All of the characters are developed. They are messy and real, and the filming environment draws out their worst tendencies. I highlighted half the book trying to really understand both Jac and Henry. Not only does the writing allow the reader to really explore their insecurities, but it’s also poignant and sharp. Lines like “love is a chaos agent” will have you grimacing and nodding in agreement.

All together, The Villain Edit is a fantastic adult novel debut from Laurie Devore! Even former fans of The Bachelor/ette will love this darker romance.

Thank you to #NetGalley and Avon for providing a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

If you’ve ever imagined what a good Bachelor producer you’d be if you didn’t have to sell your soul, this book is for you.

The Villain Edit by Laurie Devore (out July 2) focuses on prickly Jac, a contestant who joins the show for the wrong reasons but gets a little too caught up in the journey. Jac is brutally honest, frustrated, and unlucky in her edit, but she’s also compelling on the page. Just as interesting are Devore’s behind-the-scenes details about long production days, producers’ interference, and the less glamorous side of the franchise. She’s done her research and presents a nuanced idea of how insane it would be to find love in 12 weeks on TV.

And while I thought the first half of the novel was better paced than the end — if you like reality TV or thorny female narrators, this is a fun summer read.

Jacqueline Matthis’s career as a romance novelist has seen brighter days. She goes on the biggest reality dating show, the 1, in the hopes of her books and writing career to get a resurgence. When filming starts, Jac runs into Henry, the man she had a one-night stand with before going on the show — and there is still a spark between them. Jac quickly becomes a front-runner for the bachelor and realizes she is being given the villain edit.

Reading this felt like watching a season of The Bachelor. I’m obsessed with bachelor nation — I watch all the shows, listen to all (most) of the podcasts, read all the books, etc 😂

It was very entertaining to read a book told from the perspective of the season’s villain, while the show is being filmed. The producer manipulation and the contestant/producer romance made for some DRAMA.

I loved how Bachelor inspired this story is. A lot of the terms come straight from the franchise. My two favorite Bachelor podcasts were even mentioned in the acknowledgements! (@gameofroses + @dearshandy) 🌹

It was such a fun ✨journey✨ reading this book!

An entertaining, gossipy romcom PERFECT for fans of books like The One to watch or The one by Julia Argy. It's also excellent if you enjoyed the show Unreal starring Sheri Appleby. Full of drama, a great love triangle and excellent critiques of the Bachelorette franchise. I absolutely loved this one, especially on audio narrated by Stephanie Nemeth-Parker. Many thanks to NetGalley and Librofm for an early digital and audio copy in exchange for my honest review!

4.5 stars

Jac Matthis is a romance author who was just forced to move back to her Southern hometown from NYC after her book deal was canceled due to low sales. Determined to drum up more readers, she hatches a plan: she'll go on "the 1" a Bachelor-esque dating show. After all, who knows better how to craft a love story than a romance author? Once she gets on set she finds herself connecting with the lead, Marcus, as well as a producer, and clashing with some of the other women in the house. Jac is compettitve, and as the saying goes, she's not there to make friends. But will getting the villain edit help her book sales, or will she end up sabotaging herself?

I'm not a huge Bachelor fan, so I don't think you need to be to get into this--if you were as into the "unREAL" TV show as I was, though, this book is absolutely for you. The reality show framework provided an interesting and refreshing story structure, but what I really loved were the characters of Jac and Henry. They are both terrible people, but you can't help rooting for them, and their relationship dynamic was both toxic but also so compelling. They felt like real people that I wanted to shake. I also loved the mixed media inserts showing how the show and "behind the scenes" gossip impacted the characters both in the real world as well as the world of the show. This is the perfect beach or pool read, and will be especially enjoyable to people who write or read romance books or women who have ever felt like the villain. Thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for the advance copy in exchange for my honest review!

If you love reality television (specifically #BachelorNation fans and also closeted fans) - read the hell out of this book. With undertones of “UnReal” (on Lifetime and then… something else? Starring Shiri Appleby, Constance HotPants of House of Cards fame, and Kostos!!!) that feel more believable and less [UNREAL SPOILER] covering up murder.

A treat. Easy breezy beautiful c**ty girl. Fun plot twists that will keep you turning the pages — particularly because our heroine has a penchant for fucking shit up (relatable) — and a not entirely predictable ending.

Pre-order this lil’ treat so you can hide from your family (or with your dog, from all the fireworks) on the 4th of July and look so interesting and/or hot and aloof and uninterested (please adapt to your needs depending on your age bracket and affinity for people pleasing).

No pressure or anything but to imagine my review in gif form, picture the Parks and Rec (a show which I have never watched, but know every detail of because I am Very Online) gif of Mona Lisa (Jenny Slate) with her hand out saying “MONEY, PLEASE!!!!”

Me @ Laurie Devore: “100 MORE, PLEASE.”

The Villain Edit is a blistering commentary from inside the world of reality television. In a desperate attempt to gain popularity and revive her failing writing career, Jac Matthis decides to compete on a hit reality dating show (a la The Bachelor). The night before filming begins she has a hot one-night stand with a stranger named Henry only to discover that he is a producer on the show - pulling the contestant’s strings behind the scenes. But Jac is determined to stay focused and charm the show’s lead Marcus into keeping her around. As Jac continues to progress week after week, her relationships with Henry and Marcus become more complicated than she could ever imagine. And what happens when she discovers she is receiving the season’s dreaded villain edit?

It was so much fun to be inside Jac’s head. She was certainly not on the show for “the right reasons” and her inner commentary was brutally honest - biting in a way that made her unlikable until you stopped and put her situation into perspective. The manipulation tactics that the producers took made it easy to get swept up in their web of deceit and it’s no wonder Jac had to build up walls and arm herself for metaphorical battle. Jac’s struggle with low self-esteem also contributed to her defensiveness, shutting her off further from the fellow contestants. The rampant misogyny perpetuated between contestants (often by female producers) was intense, and it made me feel for real life contestants on reality dating shows and question how their mental health is impacted.

The chemistry between Jac and Henry was scalding - if they weren't lusting after each other, they were epically fighting to regain control of their situations. Author Laurie Devore created an intriguing character study of both contestant and producer that humanized them from the inside out, exposing all their flaws and vulnerabilities. Marcus (the show’s lead) was also a labyrinth of complexity, a cunning attention seeker wearing the mask of Prince Charming. The dynamics between Jac, Henry, and Marcus were erratic which made for titillating scenes where the three jockeyed to maintain power.

If you’re a fan of The Bachelor or Bravo I would highly recommend this book. It is a take on reality tv that I have not yet seen, and I think Devore did a wonderful job at researching real life programs to compose a realistic peek behind the curtain of one of America’s guilty pleasures.

Thank you to Avon and NetGalley for providing me with this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

All in all entertaining. The MC was honestly more relatable as the story progressed and if you are into reality dating shows you will find this a fun read.

This story wasn’t what I was expecting. I thought it would be a relatively lighthearted, humorous romp through the world of reality dating shows like The Bachelor. Instead, it was a biting, searing indictment of the ugly truth behind the scenes and the traumatic toll production machinations, vicious fans and TV critics, and ironclad contracts and NDAs can take on contestants. In the case of The Villain Edit, romance author Jacqueline (Jac) Matthis received a million-dollar payout for three books, but her first book was mismarketed and sold poorly. The second one fared worse, and the third was cancelled. After five years in NYC, blowing through her cash living what she assumed was her “best life,” she’s forced to move back home to Charleston, SC. With nothing to lose and the hope of reviving her flagging career and book sales, she impulsively becomes a contestant on “the 1,” never anticipating that her natural honesty, cynicism, skepticism, and intellect (with creative editing) will paint her as the villain of the season. When the bachelor, Marcus, chooses her as an early favorite, the other contestants claws come out.

If that weren’t bad enough, soon after she enters the mansion, she discovers that her hookup from the night before, Henry, is one of the producers. What follows is twelve weeks of forbidden growing attraction between them (despite her questioning how much of his attention is genuine versus manipulative for the sake of the show), concerning revelations about Marcus and other contestants, diminishing physical and mental health thanks to little sleep and missed meals (who knew contestants couldn’t eat while being filmed ), and Jac’s growing concern that it will all blow up in her face, destroying both her reputation and her livelihood. This villainization was well-illustrated by snippets of social media commentary, press releases, author chat groups, and blog articles interspersed throughout the novel.

Author Devore did extensive research on The Bachelor to give authenticity to the story. Jac, Marcus and Henry are all flawed characters, so the pseudo-love triangle is often hard to navigate because you don’t know what is the truth and who actually deserves a happy ending. The rampant misogyny is hard to stomach, especially since much of it is perpetrated by female producers and contestants who are pitted against each other in the name of “great television.” Devore’s compelling descriptions of the harsh reality of regimented schedules, overconsumption of alcohol, the absence of books, devices, and anything else that would draw attention away from Marcus, emotional manipulation, and food deprivation painted a really clear and disturbing picture of the dangers of these shows.

Although this is a romance, it doesn’t follow any formulaic tropes. There are definitely steamy scenes, many stops and starts, and love interests dealing with emotional baggage, and, in Jac’s case, low self-esteem coupled with defensiveness. You still can’t help but root for a happy ending, even if it’s not clear for most of the story which, if either, man she’ll end up with. I recommend this to anyone looking for a smart, complex, love story with several twists.

I received a complimentary ARC of this book from Avon through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

Thank you to Avon and Harper Voyager and Netgalley for this ARC for in exchange for an honest review.

The story follows Jac, a failed romance writer, who thinking to boast their social media presence and perhaps fix their career, decides to apply for a dating reality show (think The Bachelor). She of course gets chosen and during her last free day before shooting is to begin she meets up and hooks up with Henry Foster. Neither recognizing each other until they met again the next night during the filming of the first episode. Henry of course is one of the producers and they know this will spell trouble for the two of them, so the vox to keep it secret. But secrets have a way of surfacing when alcohol and cameras are always there.

Through this all, she slowly discovers that they have made her the villain of this season. Her carefully constructed plans unravel under the pressure of the other girls, the cameras, Henry, and let's not forget the "One" she went on the show to supposedly fall in love with. Jac likes to think of herself as a tough girl, but it's going to take a lot to survive this season.

I seem to be in my villain era lately with my book reads. Although this was definitely better then the last one I read, I would put it about 3.25 stars. It was good, but the beginning for me dragged. Thankfully the second half picked up and the story got more interesting. The ending was very satisfying if a little rushed, but I won't complain I was ready for the story to end at that point.

3.5⭐️

This book was honestly a really fun time and an entertaining take on the behind the scenes of reality dating shows specifically “The Bachlor”. If you look at the storyline or characters too closely you will find some headscraching plot lines and motivations but I think that’s all part of the fun. I felt like there was slightly too much flip-flopping between love interests in the love triangle which took me out of the story a few times especially because I didn’t particularly like any of the people involved.

Overall this is a fun summer read if your looking for a messy and entertaining love story (juries still out in the love story part).

This book is addicting and I absolutely devoured it! I could not read this book fast enough. I loved the toxicity and chaos present throughout this book. Not a typical romance book nor is it heavy on the romance, but so much better. I am not a big reality dating show fan but I loved the show UnREAL and this book absolutely filled the void I’ve had since that show ended!

Thank you to Netgally for providing this ARC.