Nothing says summer fun like the new lineup of summer reality television! Whether you are a fan of Love Island, Big Brother, or all those open concept floor plans on HGTV, there is a book to keep the drama rolling. Try one of these titles the next time your favorite show goes on hiatus.
- Happy and You Know It by Laura Hankin. Follow Claire as she adjusts to life as a nanny for a group of families living on Park Avenue. As she gets to know her employers better, she discovers secrets and twists that go beyond the next wellness craze. Find out what happens behind the social media posts.
- Tools of Engagement by Tessa Bailey. This one is for the home improvement fans! Bethany Castle and her brother take their sibling rivalry public on a renovation competition show. The race isn't the only thing heating up as Texan, Wes Daniels, joins Bethany's construction crew and the sparks fly.
One to Watch by Kate Stayman-London. Check this out if you wish for a little more body diversity on dating reality TV. Bea Schumacher gets to star as the first plus-size woman on the hit tv show Main Squeeze. As the dates get more fantastical, she discovers the reality behind reality television and that off-screen drama usually outweighs what's on the screen.
- Recipe for Persuasion by Sonali Dev. What if Jane Austen wrote about reality TV? That's exactly what Sonali Dev has done here, translating a classic Austen storyline for a modern audience. Ashna and Rico are exes who must work together on a cooking competition show. Can they handle the heat, or will they be forced to leave the kitchen?
- The Charm Offensive by Alison Cochrun. Dev Deshpande, reality TV producer extraordinaire, always crafts a happy ending for his shows. That all could come crashing down when Charlie Winshaw gets cast as the next bachelor on Dev's show Ever After. Determined to make the show a success, Dev coaches Charlie through all the romantic entanglements, and the two might just get tangled up themselves.
Honorable Mention- Reality Check: Making the Best of the Situation by Mike Sorrentino. Best known for his abs and antics on the Jersey Shore reality television show, Mike "The Situation" Sorrentino has come a long way from his days on the boardwalk. For anyone curious about the cost of reality TV, check out this story of redemption.
Whatever you're reading or watching this summer, make sure to check your library resources and save that vacation money!
Featured image: Miguel Pires da Rosa from Braga, Portugal, CC BY-SA 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons