Most Eligible by Isabelle Engel is basically Unreal (the Lifetime TV show) in book form. Georgia is a freelance journalist desperate for a full-time gig as a music columnist, and she’s been offered a shot at it if she can take down one of the producers of Love Shack, a Bachelor-style reality show. Her plan: win the heart of this season’s bachelor, tennis pro Roland Marchetti, and expose the producer from the inside.
The underdog career angle is what makes this work. Georgia’s job desperation gives the story actual stakes beyond the romance. The first night she’s blindsided by the new host Rhett Auburn, who ghosted her and knows her secret, and that tension drives the plot forward.
What I loved about this book is how it handles the reality TV dynamics. The show cast Addison as the villain, and Georgia gets pulled into the good vs evil contestant drama. You also get to see which characters aren’t there for the right reasons. The book nails the reality show atmosphere with quirky contestants like Olie (who calls Roland “rolie” in a cute and dumb way) and behind-the-scenes details that feel authentic even if I have no idea how accurate they actually are.
The characterization gets shaky in places. The author tries to make Georgia seem unconfident and easily manipulated by her friend, which doesn’t track for someone with investigative journalism experience. Monica, another tennis pro who knows Roland, hints at backstory that never gets fully developed. But the Georgia/Rhett romance worked well enough that I could overlook the unreality.
Overall, 4 stars. If you want a reality TV romance with actual behind-the-scenes intrigue and parallel deceptions, this delivers.
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