3.5 stars:

Two years after Maya broke up with Jordy, the boyfriend who cheated on her, he comes back into her life in a whirlwind as a now-famous royalty of a small European country. She is aghast when he reaches out to her to star in his reality tv show where he brings on his ex-girlfriends in order to find the "one who got away". At first, she refuses to be anywhere near him again, but then decides this might be her only chance to deal him the perfect act of revenge. She doesn't account for Skye, the girl Jordy cheated on her with, being on the show too and has to attempt to survive being her roommate for the entire filming process. However, as the contest goes on, Maya and Skye realize they might have more in common than they originally realized and maybe even have chemistry they never thought possible. 

This book is definitely a reality tv-crazed whirlwind! The author truly did nail down how I imagine shows like the Bachelor are really filmed and the hysterical irony of it being called "reality tv". The setting was such a fun idea (again with reality shows becoming so popular) for a queer romance where the girls fall for one another instead of the bachelor. It made it quirky and made any revenge on Jordy that much more satisfying. However, the ages of Maya, Skye, and the other contestants just didn't feel right. I kept forgetting that most of them were only 18 when it felt like they were AT LEAST 21, but if I could age them I would say 25. They were on a dating reality show for a boy who they dated when they were 16 -- I'm sorry, but most people in my experience do not care that much about their high school baes. How did he even have time to date all of those girls!? They were also doing things like drinking jello shots and champagne (which was passed off because they were in Europe and the drinking age was 18) and spending nights alone with a boy on national television (sexual acts definitely insinuated and expected). I know all of them are legal adults, but what parents would really be so willing to send their fresh out of high school baby into that lions den!?  Again, the aging just seemed a bit off for the maturity of the situation these girls were in and in general didn't make sense for a lot of the life experiences the girls talk about in the plot which I felt pulled me out of the story more than once. 

Regardless, I really liked Maya's spunk and her knack for jumping head on into her rage-filled tyrades. Jordy was the worst and deserved every minute of it. I found Skye a little bland as a character, but I think that was somewhat redeemed when she was paired with Maya's energy. Opposites truly do attract. They were a cute couple and I commend the author with having two very femme queers fall in love. There is usually the trope of a girly girl queer with a butch masculine queer and I'm glad that we didn't fall into that usual trap. I also loved loved loved the camaraderie of all the contestants together and was very happy it turned into a supportive girl squad situation instead of a shaming one. 

Overall, I was pretty happy with the ending. As much as I wanted explosive revenge because again Jordy was THE WORST, I think the finish was wrapped in a nice little bow. Even though I wished I had personally liked it a bit more, it was still a fun, quirky, and quick read that was enjoyable and one that I would recommend. The narrators did an awesome job and helped bring Skye and Maya to life. I think if the ages made more sense, I would have been enamored by a more believable plot and felt more connected to the characters themselves.

Thank you NetGalley & MacMillan audio for an early look!