Genre Fiction
![Rachel Lindsay - [object Object] author](https://res.cloudinary.com/readsomnia/image/upload/authors/a_B0BRQWKP2M.jpg)
Real Love: A Novel
Reality-TV love may look tempting, but real love could change everything in the debut novel from the Bachelorette star and author of Miss Me with That.
Maya Johnson lives her life according to The Plan: to become the youngest-ever female director of her company, marry her college sweetheart, and build a fabulous life in Miami. Seeing as she's almost near checking every last one of those items off her list, she doesn't feel the need to go on the nationally beloved reality dating show Real Love. So when she's offered the chance, she turns it down and tells the producers that her best friend, Delilah, should take part instead.
But as she watches Delilah become the lead, fall in love, and change her life, Maya begins to wonder if she's as happy as she thought-she doesn't have much in the way of a work-life balance, her relationship isn't quite where she thinks it should be, and very little in her life is sparking joy.
When Maya's free-spirited whirlwind of a little sister, Ella, blows into town for a surprise visit, Maya finds herself newly intrigued by Ella's unrooted existence-and she's equally intrigued by Ella's gorgeous friend and fellow world traveler, Kai.
At a crossroads with both her professional and personal happiness, Maya will have to decide which path to choose: The Plan she's worked so hard for, or something new entirely.
Maya Johnson lives her life according to The Plan: to become the youngest-ever female director of her company, marry her college sweetheart, and build a fabulous life in Miami. Seeing as she's almost near checking every last one of those items off her list, she doesn't feel the need to go on the nationally beloved reality dating show Real Love. So when she's offered the chance, she turns it down and tells the producers that her best friend, Delilah, should take part instead.
But as she watches Delilah become the lead, fall in love, and change her life, Maya begins to wonder if she's as happy as she thought-she doesn't have much in the way of a work-life balance, her relationship isn't quite where she thinks it should be, and very little in her life is sparking joy.
When Maya's free-spirited whirlwind of a little sister, Ella, blows into town for a surprise visit, Maya finds herself newly intrigued by Ella's unrooted existence-and she's equally intrigued by Ella's gorgeous friend and fellow world traveler, Kai.
At a crossroads with both her professional and personal happiness, Maya will have to decide which path to choose: The Plan she's worked so hard for, or something new entirely.
Editorial Reviews
"A beautiful battle between head and heart punctuated with punchy dialogue and vibrant scene setting . . . this vibrant tale of self-discovery is sure to win fans."-Publishers Weekly
"Pure fun, a fizzy and relatable mixture of female friendship, romance and career struggles, with a dash of behind-the-scenes reality TV."-BookPage
"Pure fun, a fizzy and relatable mixture of female friendship, romance and career struggles, with a dash of behind-the-scenes reality TV."-BookPage
Readers Top Reviews
Loved the novel. Great characters. Rachel did such a good job writing this!
lololovesfilmsMeg Ch
DNF @ 30%. I am not enjoying "Real Love" at all. I'm only 1/4th of the way through it, and so far, it feels like absolutely nothing has happened. Nothing really reigned me in and kept my attention. It's so shallow and superficial. I'm not too fond of the main character and her friends. Despite being a people pleaser, Maya is really vapid. I have a feeling I know where this story is going to go: Maya will learn to step outside of her strictly regimented comfort zone and find her own self-worth when the guy she least expected turns out to be better than her ex-boyfriend (Vaughn) ever was. And also, "Real Love" is obviously a double entendre. I don't watch reality TV, but that doesn't mean I don't enjoy books about it, and I've read several other, better books that revolve around reality television. Thank you, next. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Meredith Schorr
I read in the author's interview at the end of the book that Rachel was inspired to write this book when she wondered how different her life would have been if she hadn't gone on The Bachelorette. I actually think that's a pretty clever and original concept. There are so many books about reality shows but this is the first about the would-be contestant who says no. I admire Rachel for not taking the "easy" way by writing what she knew. This was a fast, enjoyable read with great character development and snappy dialogue/internal thought. It ends on a cliffhanger, which will probably bother some people, but I think it's still pretty obvious what choice Maya makes. Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for my complimentary ARC. All opinions are my own.
StroopWafels
Real Love is a charming story set in Miami that explores friendship, romance, family relationships and, ultimately, carving your own path. Maya is about to turn 30. She is great at her job and is feels content and stable in her long-term relationship. Her comfort soon dissipates as she watches her best friend, Delilah, thrive and find love as the lead on the reality show competition Maya turned down. Is Maya really actually happy or just living according to societal expectations? We follow her as she grapples with this realization, strengthens her relationship with her younger sister, and meets an intriguing and kind man with many talents (cooking and glassblowing - what a combo!). We also follow Delilah's journey on Real Love with mini recaps of the show. I enjoyed reading this and witnessing Maya figure out what she wants to make of her life - it is a light, breezy, and fun story. 3.5 stars. Thank you to the publisher for the opportunity to read a copy.
Heather F.
I was excited to learn that Rachel Lindsay was going to be writing a novel. I have followed Rachel since her time on The Bachelor/Bachelorette and was excited to read this book. Maya Johnson is a young woman who is nearing her thirtieth birthday who is working to obtain a promotion in her finance job. While she tries to do her best at work, she's also always trying to make her Mom proud; that's one of the most important things to her. We embark upon a journey with Maya as she tries to accomplish her goal of the promotion all while balancing her relationship with her longtime boyfriend, Vaughn, and her friendships with her colleague/friend, Bailey and her best friend Delilah, who is the lead on the Bachelor/Bachelorette type show "Real Love". The book, to me, was more women's fiction than romance, as Maya really found out who she was as she was finding out what was important to her. The romance was there, but it didn't feel as organic as I thought it could have and it felt rushed at the end. I wish it would have been more fleshed out. Overall, I thought this was a good debut and I would definitely check out another novel by Lindsay in the future!
Short Excerpt Teaser
1
I hit ignore when my phone starts to ring . . . again.
I'm never late to anything, so I understand why everyone is calling. They're probably worried my old ladyish driving skills finally brought forth my demise against some hotshot street racer on my way to Delilah's.
Or they're wondering where I am because this party is being broadcast live on national TV. Traipsing into Delilah's living room late like I don't have a care in the world could possibly mean making a fool of myself-and/or Delilah-for all the world to see.
Not that I'd ever admit it out loud, but I've been dreading tonight for months.
Don't get me wrong, I'm over the moon for Delilah. She was one of my very first friends in Miami. She threatened to poison Mark's spinach wrap when he hushed me-actually, literally hushed me-during my first meeting at Wright, Ghoram, and Degrate. She understood me on a level nobody else ever has and has been a constant in my life . . . right until she up and moved across the country for three months to find a husband on a reality show.
The ringer on my phone goes off again. My finger hovers over the ignore button, ready to send the call to voicemail, but at the last second, I decide to answer it. What if Delilah finally came to her senses and took off to a small village in Mexico where nobody would ever recognize her from that one American TV show where she spent twelve weeks kissing strangers? That's news I'd want to hear in real time.
"Hello?" I say.
"Where are you? This is live, we can't wait for you!" Bailey's southern accent slips through in her panic. She moved to Miami from Georgia at eighteen for college and she never went back. She's a southern belle with roots in pageantry and she specializes in subtle shade, but she's very much a Florida girl now.
"Relax." I mimic the deep breathing techniques the teachers do when she drags me to yoga class with her. "I'm on my way." I leave out that I may or may not still be in my apartment. "I'll be there soon enough, but if I'm late, I'll just wait outside until one of you calls me in. I promise not to ruin Delilah's big moment with a late entrance."
This is the first time I'll see Delilah since she threw her life into a tailspin, and I'm a little nervous. What if this happily-ever-after she bet everything on takes a turn for the worse? Maybe things are great now, but what about in a week? A month? A year? When all that's left of this is unemployment and endless GIFs and memes plastered across the internet?
And what makes me even more nervous, the part I definitely wouldn't admit out loud, is what if the person I loved so much before she left is gone? I fully understand that growth means changing and evolving as a person. But old Delilah was one of my favorite humans-what if I don't recognize this new version of her? Or worse, what if this new version of her doesn't like me?
"Oh my god." Bailey huffs into the phone, and from the fading noise in the background, I know I've annoyed her into changing locations. "This isn't about you being here for her big moment. This is about you being here because she loves you and knows she wouldn't have had this opportunity or her fairy-tale ending if it weren't for you turning the opportunity down."
Even though she can't see me, I narrow my eyes in suspicion-that sounds a little too earnest for the Bailey I know. I sit on one of the pristine white stools tucked beneath my even more pristine white countertops. "And?"
"And you're the only person who will drink whiskey with me. I don't want to have to drink wine all night and end up snoring on her couch during a live broadcast!"
Yup.
There it is.
I'm not a drinker per se, but I do enjoy a Crown and Coke on occasion . . . and also every Thursday for happy hour and whenever someone suggests grabbing a cocktail. A girl's gotta have her signature drink.
"Ulterior motives." I tsk without malice. She gets so worked up it's just fun to play with her emotions. Especially when mine are already on the fritz. "But since you were so honest, I'll even go five above the speed limit and be there as fast as I can."
"Five above? Whoa there! Be careful, I don't want you getting whiplash from driving so fast."
"Smart-ass." I slide my feet into my Rothy's and grab my classic Chanel bag off the counter. "Just for that,...
I hit ignore when my phone starts to ring . . . again.
I'm never late to anything, so I understand why everyone is calling. They're probably worried my old ladyish driving skills finally brought forth my demise against some hotshot street racer on my way to Delilah's.
Or they're wondering where I am because this party is being broadcast live on national TV. Traipsing into Delilah's living room late like I don't have a care in the world could possibly mean making a fool of myself-and/or Delilah-for all the world to see.
Not that I'd ever admit it out loud, but I've been dreading tonight for months.
Don't get me wrong, I'm over the moon for Delilah. She was one of my very first friends in Miami. She threatened to poison Mark's spinach wrap when he hushed me-actually, literally hushed me-during my first meeting at Wright, Ghoram, and Degrate. She understood me on a level nobody else ever has and has been a constant in my life . . . right until she up and moved across the country for three months to find a husband on a reality show.
The ringer on my phone goes off again. My finger hovers over the ignore button, ready to send the call to voicemail, but at the last second, I decide to answer it. What if Delilah finally came to her senses and took off to a small village in Mexico where nobody would ever recognize her from that one American TV show where she spent twelve weeks kissing strangers? That's news I'd want to hear in real time.
"Hello?" I say.
"Where are you? This is live, we can't wait for you!" Bailey's southern accent slips through in her panic. She moved to Miami from Georgia at eighteen for college and she never went back. She's a southern belle with roots in pageantry and she specializes in subtle shade, but she's very much a Florida girl now.
"Relax." I mimic the deep breathing techniques the teachers do when she drags me to yoga class with her. "I'm on my way." I leave out that I may or may not still be in my apartment. "I'll be there soon enough, but if I'm late, I'll just wait outside until one of you calls me in. I promise not to ruin Delilah's big moment with a late entrance."
This is the first time I'll see Delilah since she threw her life into a tailspin, and I'm a little nervous. What if this happily-ever-after she bet everything on takes a turn for the worse? Maybe things are great now, but what about in a week? A month? A year? When all that's left of this is unemployment and endless GIFs and memes plastered across the internet?
And what makes me even more nervous, the part I definitely wouldn't admit out loud, is what if the person I loved so much before she left is gone? I fully understand that growth means changing and evolving as a person. But old Delilah was one of my favorite humans-what if I don't recognize this new version of her? Or worse, what if this new version of her doesn't like me?
"Oh my god." Bailey huffs into the phone, and from the fading noise in the background, I know I've annoyed her into changing locations. "This isn't about you being here for her big moment. This is about you being here because she loves you and knows she wouldn't have had this opportunity or her fairy-tale ending if it weren't for you turning the opportunity down."
Even though she can't see me, I narrow my eyes in suspicion-that sounds a little too earnest for the Bailey I know. I sit on one of the pristine white stools tucked beneath my even more pristine white countertops. "And?"
"And you're the only person who will drink whiskey with me. I don't want to have to drink wine all night and end up snoring on her couch during a live broadcast!"
Yup.
There it is.
I'm not a drinker per se, but I do enjoy a Crown and Coke on occasion . . . and also every Thursday for happy hour and whenever someone suggests grabbing a cocktail. A girl's gotta have her signature drink.
"Ulterior motives." I tsk without malice. She gets so worked up it's just fun to play with her emotions. Especially when mine are already on the fritz. "But since you were so honest, I'll even go five above the speed limit and be there as fast as I can."
"Five above? Whoa there! Be careful, I don't want you getting whiplash from driving so fast."
"Smart-ass." I slide my feet into my Rothy's and grab my classic Chanel bag off the counter. "Just for that,...
