I was absolutely ecstatic to read ONE TO WATCH because it had so many elements that I love. Body image issues, a plus-size/normal size woman, reality TV; my trash TV heart was just all over it. This book was freaking phenomenal. I loved every minute of it. Bea is a plus-sized fashion influencer and after a drunken online rant of their Bachelor equivalent show, she is asked to be it's star. Obviously anybody that knows the Bachelor franchise knows nobody is on this show that is over a size 2 so there was a lot to develop.
I loved how the author handled the plus-sized heroine in the public eye. It broke my heart so many times but also lifted it up. I think that it was shown very realistically how brutal it can be. I love books dealing with body image and weight and self-love because I have had—and still struggle with—weight and body image issues, so when I get to read a book that handles this subject realistically I feel like I'm working through my own issues and it almost feels like therapy to me. I almost never wanted this book to end, I loved it so much!
I was rooting for Bea the entire book; I laughed with her, I cried with her, I was angry with her, I cheered with her. I hated the men who judged her and the trolls who came for her but Bea was such a great blend of realistic human nature, part self-deprecating, part hopeful beyond, part fatalistic, which I think we all have within us depending on the circumstance.
The reality TV component fed the petty dragon inside me. I am an only slightly ashamed lover of The Bachelor franchise because I just love trash TV. I loved the nods and parallels to the real-life Bachelor show--Reality Stefan, anyone?--and I'm always a fan of behind the scenes of how these shows actually run and how people are manipulated.
And finally, I loved the clothes. I loved reading about the clothes. I loved imagining the clothes. I loved thinking about shopping for the clothes. ALL OF IT! The fashion, Bea, the trash TV show, the discussion of maturity and adulthood measured by romantic relationships is also another theme I loved and related to, the different men and relationships, EVERYTHING! If you've stayed with me, read this book!
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