The return of The Bachelor is now upon us, and what better way to celebrate with some Bachelor-inspired books! I have watched every Bachelor franchise installment since Rachel Lindsay's season of The Bachelorette in 2017, and I am so excited for Zach Shallcross to find love on The Bachelor! I have an exciting ~announcement~ at the end of this post, so be sure to read to the end for it! Now, onto the book recommendations.
These five books are ones that I have compiled that either imagine a version of the beloved franchise with a twist or have themes that reminded me of aspects of The Bachelor. I tried my best to go beyond just romances, but I didn't get too far with the inclusion of a women's contemporary fiction novel and a memoir. I have read all but one of these books and really enjoyed them (the lowest I've rated any of these books is 4/5 stars), and my hope is that you will read and love them as much as I do! :)
One to Watch by Kate Stayman-London
This book is most prominently Bachelor-like, where it imagines Bea, a fashion blogger, as the first plus-size lead of "Main Squeeze." This show is similar to the structure of the well-known franchise with fancy dates around the world, hometowns, and a proposal expected to be on the horizon. I liked how this book imagined how more inclusive body types would be welcomed (or not) in the world of reality TV dating, but I felt this book felt a little short with the insistent mentions of how big Bea is and the neatly wrapped up ending. Another detail I really loved about this book is how all of the dresses that Stayman-London features that Bea wears while she is on "Main Squeeze" or features on her fashion blog are actual plus-size dresses by authentic designers.
The Charm Offensive by Alison Cochrun
The Charm Offensive is the one book on this list that I haven't read (I'm as surprised as you are!). Based on the Goodreads summary, it imagines a world where there is a producer, Dev, of a reality TV dating show called "Ever After," and he is a hopeless romantic. Charlie is cast as the next season's star, and he's not the typical "Ever After" bachelor. Dev tries every strategy he has to get Charlie to connect with the 20 women he's supposed to date, but Charlie realizes he connects better with Dev than any of his contestants. Essentially, it's a lead falls in love with the producer situation, which is SO messy and sounds SO fun! I recently read Cochrun's sophomore novel, Kiss Her Once for Me, and that was absolutely incredible, so if her first novel is anything like her holiday-inspired romance, I bet the romance, wittiness, and humor will be a worthwhile read to get you in the mood for the messiness and drama that is The Bachelor.
Good in Bed by Jennifer Weiner
As on any reality TV show, any contestant is subject to scrutinization from social media and other news outlets releasing personal information about them. But what happened if it was your ex writing a column about you in a national women's magazine? Good in Bed is about Cannie Shapiro, who is a journalist at The Philadelphia Examiner, and how her ex starts writing a dating column about what it was like to date "a larger woman." Cannie tries to discover herself beyond this column and being a plus-size woman. This book has a lot of humor and wit, as can be expected from Jennifer Weiner. Not only do we share the same name, but Weiner is one of my favorite authors and is a queen of the beach read (I will not say "the" because we also stan Emily Henry on this blog.). Even though this was Weiner's first novel, her lovable heroine and her dog will quickly warm their way into your heart.
From Scratch: A Memoir of Love, Sicily, and Finding Home by Tembi Locke
One of the most romantic parts of The Bachelor outside of finding love and the romantic proposal is the weeks in various countries around the world. From Mexico and France to Thailand and the Netherlands, The Bachelor visits some of the most beautiful places on Earth for the most romantic dates. How could you *not* fall in love in a country as beautiful as Italy? From Scratch is a memoir that begins when Tembi Locke arrives in Florence, Italy to study abroad, where she meets her late husband, Saro, a chef from Sicily. The memoir chronicles their love story, their travels to and from Italy, the adoption of their daughter, and Saro's lost battle to cancer. This book made me really *feel* all of the feelings; it made me laugh, but it also made me cry. From Scratch was named a Reese's Book Club in May 2019, and it was recently adapted into a limited series in Netflix (released in October 2022), which will also make you feel all the feels. The book also has recipes in the back so you can eat the authentic. mouth-watering Italian cuisine that is featured throughout the book.
Love & Other Disasters by Anita Kelly
This book isn't closely Bachelor-related, but it is still about finding love on reality TV. Love & Other Disasters is about Dahlia and London, who are two contestants on a cooking reality show called "Chef Special." Dahlia is trying to win the prize money so she can get herself out of debt and reinvent herself after her divorce. London is trying to prove themselves, their dad, another contestant, and the other trolls wrong and follow their passion for cooking. As Dahlia and London get closer, they begin to form a relationship and fall in love, but the show's end threatens the future of their relationship. MasterChef is another reality TV favorite of mine, so reading this book was such a good comfort read. I loved how Dahlia and London challenged each other, and the emotional and physical intimacy between these characters is *chef's kiss* (pun intended). This was also the first book that I had ever read that featured a non-binary character, and seeing the nuances of this taught me more about this identity and the challenges they face.
I hope you look into these books and enjoy them! You can click on the book covers, and it will take you to Goodreads so you can add it to your TBR.
As for the special announcement: I will be recapping The Bachelor this year on the blog! I always have so many thoughts on the episodes, so every week, I will post my recap to my "Lifestyle" category. I'll be sure to warn you if there are any spoilers, so you don't have to worry about ruining the surprise for yourself if you're not caught up. Thank you for reading this far if you have! Happy Bachelor season to all who celebrate!
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