abigailjuice's review against another edition
4.0
This book was equal parts dark and delicious. I loved listening to the audiobook and I can't wait for pilot Pete's season to air!
aylacommet's review against another edition
3.0
This book was interesting for the first half then it got boring. The author commented in her acknowledgements about how she had to hit a certain word limit and was worried about that. I feel like the reader can tell bc it starts to drag on in the middle. The information she did have was very interesting though. I do wish she would have touched on why she thinks the bachelorette seasons are more successful than bachelor seasons.
juliescalzo's review
4.0
"And yet, I'd be lying if I said I didn't feel like somewhat of a failure of a woman because I haven't found a man to spend my life with. And, sometimes, those very feelings are exacerbated by watching The Bachelor. Those sad women who leave in the limos, questioning why they're not good enough to attract a special man? I've been that woman. On many a Saturday night, in fact."
The author ends the book with this and boy does that quote hit WAY too close to home for me. I checked this book out expecting fluff about my favorite fluff show, to be honest. But, I found something much deeper. It was definitely juicy in terms of background information and behind the scenes stuff, but what I liked most about it was the deeper look it took into The Bachelor and its deeper meanings. There was a section that talked about societal expectations of marriage that really blew my mine. Anyways, if you like or love The Bachelor like I do, you should read this. It is nonfiction, but it reads quickly.
The author ends the book with this and boy does that quote hit WAY too close to home for me. I checked this book out expecting fluff about my favorite fluff show, to be honest. But, I found something much deeper. It was definitely juicy in terms of background information and behind the scenes stuff, but what I liked most about it was the deeper look it took into The Bachelor and its deeper meanings. There was a section that talked about societal expectations of marriage that really blew my mine. Anyways, if you like or love The Bachelor like I do, you should read this. It is nonfiction, but it reads quickly.
tsubramaniam's review against another edition
3.0
I love it when journalists write books because they’re often thoroughly researched and sprinkled with little detailed nuggets of new information. This book delivered on both fronts. I thought the author did a good job of putting the show in context and I loved the academic insight. I had honestly assumed this book was published much earlier than it was so I was also pleasantly surprised to have heard of a few of the Bachelor Nation individuals cited within even though my viewing period was limited largely to my time in college. And in that vein, I appreciated the author’s note at the end which addressed some of the more recent criticisms of the show and that the book over all didn’t shy away from acknowledging the myriad criticisms about the show.
thatgirlrobin's review against another edition
3.0
As a fan of the series, I was super excited to read this because I love learning all of the background information. I’m nosy a nosy gal. This, though, fell short for me and I’m not sure why. I learned a lot, but I also felt like Amy spent more time talking about the how’s and why’s behind the show rather than the show itself? I don’t know, I just feel like I was looking for more and didn’t get it. Also, don’t appreciate that the Kindle version ends at 71% with a third of the book being an index and references? I mean I only paid $5 but I feel like I was ripped off?
jaclyn_sixminutesforme's review against another edition
3.0
I definitely don’t profess to be a fan of The Bachelor or The Bachelorette, but I was so intrigued by this! This was quite eye opening (and I feel like the US version is a lot different to the Aussie version!), but if you’re a die-hard fan I think you’ll love it!
lukeswinney's review against another edition
5.0
To be clear, I don’t watch The Bachelor franchise, but I do work in television and know many people who’ve worked on it. This book knocked it out of the park. Fascinating input from cast and crew, plus the right amount of dramatics and “BTS gossip”.
If you’re a Bachelor fan you’ll definitely be fascinated by this one, and even if you don’t I still think you could enjoy it.
If you’re a Bachelor fan you’ll definitely be fascinated by this one, and even if you don’t I still think you could enjoy it.
lynnaeaowens's review against another edition
3.0
I watch The Bachelor for several reasons:
1) Community - it gives me something juicy to discuss at work
2) Vicarious drama - it is lovely watching drama unfold that in no way will impact my real life
3) Mystery/intrigue - trying to predict who will do what next, who will win, and what "the edit" really reveals
Now this book touches mainly on the community aspect of the show or "Bachelor Nation" the mythic realm where show contestants and show fans interact. This part, along with a dissection of the show's history, were interesting. Unfortunately, he author tries to tie The Bachelor into current feminist discussion in a way that felt really forced. The ending tries to nail this concept but really it just sort of trails off like "the bachelor is pretty horrible towards women, and even men, but feminists can still watch it ya know?". Further, the inclusion of snippets from other celebrities who watch the show were repetetive and uninspired ("I kind of hate myself, but I keep tuning in every week" is the gist of every single "essay").
I was disappointed that there wasn't much drama in this book - we get a sense that this is a key component to the show's success, but most of the actual drama discussion is tied into discussion of production. This is where this book shines - Kaufman provides insider info into the contracts contestants sign, the techniques production uses to prompt "drama" or to edit clips in a way that creates a compelling episode, even if it misrepresents the truth. These tidbits were juicy, but unfortunately if you're already passionately steeped in Bachelor Nation, most of this isn't new ground. Even the show Unreal has illustrated most of these points in a more compelling manner.
3/5 - Detailed and interesting, but often revisits information that is readily available outside the book.
1) Community - it gives me something juicy to discuss at work
2) Vicarious drama - it is lovely watching drama unfold that in no way will impact my real life
3) Mystery/intrigue - trying to predict who will do what next, who will win, and what "the edit" really reveals
Now this book touches mainly on the community aspect of the show or "Bachelor Nation" the mythic realm where show contestants and show fans interact. This part, along with a dissection of the show's history, were interesting. Unfortunately, he author tries to tie The Bachelor into current feminist discussion in a way that felt really forced. The ending tries to nail this concept but really it just sort of trails off like "the bachelor is pretty horrible towards women, and even men, but feminists can still watch it ya know?". Further, the inclusion of snippets from other celebrities who watch the show were repetetive and uninspired ("I kind of hate myself, but I keep tuning in every week" is the gist of every single "essay").
I was disappointed that there wasn't much drama in this book - we get a sense that this is a key component to the show's success, but most of the actual drama discussion is tied into discussion of production. This is where this book shines - Kaufman provides insider info into the contracts contestants sign, the techniques production uses to prompt "drama" or to edit clips in a way that creates a compelling episode, even if it misrepresents the truth. These tidbits were juicy, but unfortunately if you're already passionately steeped in Bachelor Nation, most of this isn't new ground. Even the show Unreal has illustrated most of these points in a more compelling manner.
3/5 - Detailed and interesting, but often revisits information that is readily available outside the book.
sooperlooper's review against another edition
3.0
I enjoyed reading this. I always love a behind the scenes look into The Bachelor world, and this was pretty satisfying.