Book Review Wednesday: The Villain Edit by Laurie Devore

The Villain Edit by Laurie Devore wasn't on my TBR list until I heard it mentioned on a podcast and from the elevator pitch alone, I was hooked. I put a hold on my Libby app and within a few weeks, she was mine. It has been taking me a little longer than usual to finish reading books but this one took me less than a week.

Does anything sound more enticing than following a reality dating show villain through the creation of her arc? I love a story that involves the behind the scenes of a television show, especially a reality one where you know there is a good chance some of this stuff is true.

The Villain Edit was thrilling, disturbing, frustrating and enthralling...it was all the -ing adjectives and I couldn't recommend enough.

Publisher's Summary

Good villains make good TV.

Romance novelist Jacqueline Matthis’s big career has gone bust and she’s ditched the bright lights of New York City for her more affordable South Carolina hometown. Desperate, Jac dreams up a comeback plan—she is going to be a contestant on the 1, the most obsessively watched reality dating show in the world.

After all Jac is a romance writer—she knows how to pull off a meet-cute and create a spicy plotline.

On set, Jac quickly establishes herself as a front-runner for bachelor Marcus’s heart, but she’s shocked to discover who’s actually pulling the strings. How was she to know that Henry Foster, her last one-night stand before the show, was actually a longtime producer on the 1? Henry is just as horrified…but they can’t seem to keep their hands off each other.

As Jac plays the game and the show unfurls, she slowly discovers that she’s getting the villain edit. They say there’s no such thing as bad publicity, but as Jac’s secret plan begins crumbling around her, she’s not so sure. What happens if Marcus chooses her? Worse, what happens if her affair with Henry comes to light? What if, in trying to save her career, Jac has ruined her life?

My Thoughts

I really enjoyed this book and I enjoyed pretty much all of the characters; they all their flaws but had decent development throughout the arc of the novel. My one issue with Jacqueline is that her internal flaws seemed very surface level.

She kept saying she was a mess, a broken person, someone who was unlovable but truthfully, none of that made sense to me. Was this all because she had a book flop? From what it seemed, she had a loving family, no money troubles, a decent career up until that point-- it just felt kind of shallow. It didn't feel like her problems were worth her reaction and that made me less inclined to care about her turmoil. Maybe I was missing something but it didn't feel risky enough for me. 

I did really like the book though, and I liked the behind the scenes look at how a reality show can really mess with people's minds, especially the producers. It was incredibly interesting and kept you on your toes, because you really didn't know where the story was going.

Was Jac really the villain? What was making it to air that made it seem like she was a disaster? You found all of this out through the use of mixed media, which is my favorite literary device as of late. There were interviews, reddit threads, social media posts, all relating back to the 'the 1' and what viewers are watching on television as Jac becomes TV's most hated villain. You really got to see the show through the public's eyes, while also knowing what was really going on behind the scenes.

It was the best of both worlds. 

There were tons of characters to keep track of, which was difficult at times, but paid off in the end because everyone had their roles. It was really fun to see it all come together the way it did. 

At first I was really rooting for Marcus & Jac, but then Henry won me over and I was desperate to know how this book was going to end. I had my feelings but nothing concrete...and nothing was better than what the actual ending was. It was perfect. 

The writing in The Villain Edit was superb; it was smart, funny, interesting and thoughtful. It was a book that made you think about the TV you consume and how you look at reality TV villains; it also made you think about the how you perceive people, not just on TV but in real life too.

It was also deeply entertaining and a really great novel to sink your teeth into.

What are you reading this week?
xoxo
B