Net Galley ARC received from Escape Publishing Australia for an honest review

4 Reality Rose Stars

February being the month of love and romance, I could not resist diving into a short romantic fling (aka. novella) to honour the week. She’s The One is a reality show based on the ever popular Bachelor and Bachelorette, and the reader is introduced to - bad boy, man-whore, millionaire, winter gold medallist - Banjo Grahams as the lucky Bachelor. Before filming begins, Banjo develops cold feet and show producer, Eliza Peterson, is forced to step into the contest and Banjo’s life by her father- to save the company. As the show plays out they begin to discover the person behind the fake persona and their own dreams for a future with someone they love.

Perfect for fans of the reality TV shows, She’s The One is well paced, developing a believable connection between Banjo and Eliza. Both characters have familial and relationship complications that play into their romance, but they are not acknowledged only to be brushed off but are considered and cause emotional obstacles to hurdle. The sterile and controlled reality TV environment is another hurdle that they are forced to tackle, but time alone and stolen moments allow their relationship to flourish away from the cameras. The writing is strong and wonderfully visual, allowing me to bask in the humidity of a Port Douglas summer.

If you want a fun, quick romance with plenty of heart to win over your weekend, then definitely pick up She’s The One.

She's The One by Bronwyn Stuart is a super quick romantic read. Cashing in on the popularity of shows like the Bachelor and the Bachelorette, She's The One is a novelisation of two unlikely candidates finding love in the most sterile and set up of locations - reality TV.

For Eliza, being demoted from producing 'She's The One', to starring in it, is pretty much worse case scenario. Forced into a roll she doesn't want on a show she doesn't really believe in to begin with, she is forced to steer the show and it's annoyingly chauvinistic playboy 'prize' Banjo into a situation that she could ultimately live with - i.e. not with her. Banjo on the other hand, having signed up to the show to prove his 'maturity' and his desire to settle down to the board of his father's company, is intrigued and mesmerised by Eliza. What ensures it's a battle of the wills and there can only be one winner ...

I was totally and utterly hooked by the opening of the novel, and while I didn't particularly love either of the main characters, I was pretty open to where the novel would go and the promise it held. In fact I think I was fairly content with the novel's direction until the end, where everything was happening and I was in the moment of the drama and the book kind of just ... ended. Yes it's a satisfactory ending, but I really really really wished it had been extended for just a bit longer and not felt quite so rushed.

That said, I did really enjoy the power play between the two lead characters and thought they were well matched. Both Eliza and Banjo are stubborn and selfish characters whose every move is dictated in order to gain a specific outcome - For Banjo, it's the trust of the board, for Eliza it's her father's love and the documentary airing. But unwillingly both Eliza and Banjo are drawn to each other and I did really enjoy seeing the chemistry develop between them and how they navigated a rather awkward and produced segment of TV. More importantly though, I enjoyed witnessing how the pair slowly fell in love on what could have been a very public forum, particularly in the case of Banjo who I felt developed most as a character over the course of the novel.

All in all, She's The One is a quick and engaging read that is sure to delight anyone who loves a good romance tale. With characters who know their own minds, and a set of cameras pointed at them more than either would like, the outcome is sure to be entertaining.

She's The One is the perfect beach/summer read, so sit back and enjoy the sun as Eliza and Banjo discover what reality TV is really like.

Loved this one! Eliza works for her father as a producer for a TV network. She wants to produce the reality dating show She's the One, but her father tells her no....she is to be a contestant instead! (Man I'd be furious!)
Banjo (yep....Banjo) is a millionaire who, while drunk, thinks it would be a great idea to sign up for this show so he can sleep with the most beautiful women in Australia. After sobering up however, he finds out it is not gonna be that simple. This is a great spin on the "reality" shows such as The Bachelor and The Bachelorette and was a really enjoyable book.