Review of One To Watch by Kate Stayman-London

 One To Watch by Kate Stayman-London 

Well, this certainly was a fun book to read! If you are a fan of any love reality show you need to go pick this one up like yesterday! It a hilarious, heartbreaking, powerful novel that makes you remember to love yourself before you can love someone else. Styled in a way that you feel like you are actually watching the show, it's a mash-up of texts, emails, blog posts, tweets, entertainment news articles, and some amazing narrative writing. You'll find yourself rooting and booing, oohing and awing throughout the entire show as if its actually really on! The thing I really liked about this story was the self-love and body positivity which were major themes throughout. This book will have you wondering who you've given your love to and if they truly deserved it. This was an easy read, that I'm shocked took me so long to pick up! Also, ANY BOOK that promotes Chris Evans is a winner for me! 

The story centers around our main squeeze, Bea Schumacher who is a plus-sized fashion blogger who has never really seen herself as the main character of her own story. Having failed at love it more ways than one, she is asked to be the new contestant on a reality show called The Main Squeeze (think the bachelorette but way more cheesy). At first, Bea is convinced she will be a joke but then sees it as a chance to show that a plus-sized woman can in fact be the main character in a love story. It's filled with uncomfortable, romantic(I mean the first one-on-one date with Sam? Talk about a dream!), heartbreaking, hilarious, and empowering moments. And honestly, you really have no idea who Bea will end up with! 

Stand out Quote: 

"How they think we're such idiots that we'll swallow their garbage versions of Cinderella year after year, that we can't possibly want more for ourselves - or expect more of the men we fall in love with. Beauty queen, wife, mother. As if that's the totality of everything we could ever want to be." pg 43 

Some questions to ponder: 

1. Would you sign up for the experience of being on a love reality show? Why/ Why not? 
2. Do you think the writing style added or took away from the storyline? 
3. Bea is confident (most days) in her size, what are your views on the body positivity movement? (think of the conversations on page 124) 
4. Who would you have chosen? Why/why not?

Thanks for stopping by! 

-MDB