Genre: Romance
Length: 432 pages
Audiobook Length: 8 hours
First Published: 2020
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Rachael’s Review
Successful plus-sized fashion blogger Bea Schumacher has everything in life but love. When her favorite Bachelorette-inspired reality show wants her to be the star, she says yes on one condition. She absolutely will not fall in love. Instead, Bea aims to inspire women by subverting the expected beauty standards and building her career. But the further along Bea gets, the more she wonders if happily-ever-after might actually be possible.
Mixing a charming romantic comedy with heartfelt commentary on harmful beauty standards, One to Watch was an excellent summer romance to read. Bea is a relatable heroine, independent and confident most of the time and yet she still struggles with those insecurities that are difficult to eradicate. A quick read, One to Watch would be the perfect uplifting beach read to pack for your next vacation.
Publisher’s Description
Bea Schumacher is a devastatingly stylish plus-size fashion blogger who has amazing friends, a devoted family, legions of Insta followers—and a massively broken heart. Like the rest of America, Bea indulges in her weekly obsession: the hit reality show Main Squeeze. The fantasy dates! The kiss-off rejections! The surprising amount of guys named Chad! But Bea is sick and tired of the lack of body diversity on the show. Since when is being a size zero a prerequisite for getting engaged on television?
Just when Bea has sworn off dating altogether, she gets an intriguing call: Main Squeeze wants her to be its next star, surrounded by men vying for her affections. Bea agrees, on one condition—under no circumstances will she actually fall in love. She’s in this to supercharge her career, subvert harmful beauty standards, inspire women across America, and get a free hot air balloon ride. That’s it.
But when the cameras start rolling, Bea realizes things are more complicated than she anticipated. She’s in a whirlwind of sumptuous couture, Internet culture wars, sexy suitors, and an opportunity (or two, or five) to find messy, real-life love in the midst of a made-for-TV fairy tale. In this joyful, wickedly observant debut, Bea has to decide whether it might just be worth trusting these men—and herself—for a chance to live happily ever after.
About Kate Stayman-London
Kate Stayman-London is an author, screenwriter, and political strategist. Her debut novel, One to Watch, was published in 2020. She currently lives in Los Angeles. Visit the author’s website →