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Reality Check
After college graduation, Lucy Kendrick heads home with big plans for work, travel, and relishing her freedom—which means no romantic entanglements. But her two best friends have other ideas. Lucy is seriously steamed when she realizes they’ve signed her up to be a contestant on the reality dating show Soulmates, but she decides not to renege and soon finds herself in Los Angeles—a small-town Mormon girl vying for the love of millionaire bachelor Ethan Glass.
At first this cute, smart, fun young woman, who would rather pray than party, bewilders Ethan. But his interest and admiration grow with every encounter. However, the conniving associate producer is determined to stir up some made-for-TV drama and takes strides to make this reality television show anything but real. When the show finally airs, Lucy has been recast as someone she unquestionably is not. Lucy is left humiliated in front of the world, and Ethan is left wondering who the Lucy is that he was falling in love with.
Will the duplicities that have created this humiliation ever come to light? And will the truth emerge too late for the would-be soulmates?
At first this cute, smart, fun young woman, who would rather pray than party, bewilders Ethan. But his interest and admiration grow with every encounter. However, the conniving associate producer is determined to stir up some made-for-TV drama and takes strides to make this reality television show anything but real. When the show finally airs, Lucy has been recast as someone she unquestionably is not. Lucy is left humiliated in front of the world, and Ethan is left wondering who the Lucy is that he was falling in love with.
Will the duplicities that have created this humiliation ever come to light? And will the truth emerge too late for the would-be soulmates?
286 pages, Paperback
First published June 1, 2012
12 people are currently reading
859 people want to read
About the author
Karen Tuft
13 books330 followersKaren Tuft was born with a healthy dose of curiosity about pretty much everything, so as a child she taught herself to read and play the piano. She studied composition at BYU and graduated from the University of Utah in music theory, where she was a member of Phi Kappa Phi and Pi Kappa Lambda honor societies.
In addition to being an author, Karen is a wife, mother, pianist, composer, and arranger. She has spent countless hours backstage and in orchestra pits for theater productions along the Wasatch Front. Among her varied interests, she likes to figure out what makes people tick, wander through museums, and travel whether it's by car, plane, or paperback.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 187 reviews
October 9, 2019
Bachelor-themed romances are some of my favorite books! Karen Tuft is an excellent author who gave me a great escape through the pages of this book. I can't wait to read more from this author!
June 1, 2013
Holy cow I'm at war with myself with this star rating! Part of me want to say "Yeah...sure...a three is okay" and another part of me wants to scream "Two stars to you horribly cliche MoChickLit!!!!!!!" So to start off what I liked-this was cute! As far as the writing goes...bravo! It was engaging! I liked the reality TV show idea! I can dig that! I kept reading and was entertained! Her friends in the story were awful giving us the perfect villains! I don't mind cheesy now and then! I mostly embrace cheesy! Now for the bad when I read the second to last page and wanted to throw the book against the wall! For an example of how I felt I will now attempt to write my own MoChickLit novella/paragraph for you in this review! Pressure!
Once upon a time there was a girl who was LDS and she didn't drink and had strong moral fiber!! She fell in love with a boy but to our horror he wasn't LDS. (But no worries readers, because he is super rich, a BABE...think chiseled by Michaelangelo himself, famous, and amazingly down to earth and humble) Sparks fly but always in the back of their minds they wonder if their morals just don't exactly match up! The girl of course talks about her Young Women days and maybe even what she's learned from her Trek reenactment days...why not! Those handcart pulls can be rough! These two struggle through the trials of not being the same religion coming to the climax causing them to spin off into their own depressed corners of the universe. (Love can be a biddy sometimes) But, alas, our walking Adonis has secretly read the Book of Mormon in one night and has been secretly taking missionary discussions! Our star crossed lovers reunite and celebrate that our hero has been baptized and they can now be married for time and all eternity! (Pick any temple location to put into your mind...I personally like Logan!) And once again we learn that, hey, sometimes it's okay to flirt to convert! The end!
It's tough love on this review but hey...reality check...let's get some new story lines flowing baby!!!! P.S. Nobody better steal my paragraph story line because let's face it darlings...it's been done before! ;)
Once upon a time there was a girl who was LDS and she didn't drink and had strong moral fiber!! She fell in love with a boy but to our horror he wasn't LDS. (But no worries readers, because he is super rich, a BABE...think chiseled by Michaelangelo himself, famous, and amazingly down to earth and humble) Sparks fly but always in the back of their minds they wonder if their morals just don't exactly match up! The girl of course talks about her Young Women days and maybe even what she's learned from her Trek reenactment days...why not! Those handcart pulls can be rough! These two struggle through the trials of not being the same religion coming to the climax causing them to spin off into their own depressed corners of the universe. (Love can be a biddy sometimes) But, alas, our walking Adonis has secretly read the Book of Mormon in one night and has been secretly taking missionary discussions! Our star crossed lovers reunite and celebrate that our hero has been baptized and they can now be married for time and all eternity! (Pick any temple location to put into your mind...I personally like Logan!) And once again we learn that, hey, sometimes it's okay to flirt to convert! The end!
It's tough love on this review but hey...reality check...let's get some new story lines flowing baby!!!! P.S. Nobody better steal my paragraph story line because let's face it darlings...it's been done before! ;)
November 28, 2017
This was a good LDS read. I'm not big into religious books where the people have a major life change in the course of a couple of pages. Maybe because I am not a convert to my religion, I have lived it all my life and honestly find it crazy that people want to join us in our crazyness:} And anyone who reads LDS romances knows someone is going to get converted......so kinda a spoiler....sorry about that. I don't know why I devoured this book so quickly. I guess it was a good storyline. The romance needed more meat and sometimes I just wanted to skip over descriptions and get to the good stuff. There was a major irritation in this book for me, I was irritated ever time they said Soulmate.......I'm not sure but it must have been said at least 1000 times:} So yes, weird review, I know but I'm still wondering why I stayed up and read this.....
July 16, 2012
I know I probably shouldn’t but I love the Bachelor/Bachelorette reality show. I use the term “reality” lightly, since I doubt much of it is actually real. When my husband was going through school we got hooked watching the Bachelor together and it’s kind of turned into a fun date night for us. So, I probably just like spending the time with my hubby more than the show itself, although the contestants usually provide some fun entertainment. I’ve only read one other book that was based on a reality dating premise (Count Down to Love), but I’m quickly finding I like the genre quite a bit. It’s fun to see a bit of what goes on behind the scenes and at least in books there is the HEA that we don’t always get from the TV shows.
Reality Check was a fun read, I really enjoyed it. Lucy was a very likable heroine. She was nice, witty and had good morals. I think that is one of the things I liked most about her. She had a strong testimony and was able to share her beliefs without being judgmental or preachy. I thought she was easy to relate to. Our bachelor, Ethan, was also pretty likable. I had a hard time getting a read on him at first. While I think they had good chemistry together, I did feel like they were missing something. Maybe I just wanted to see them together more on the dates and have a few more interactions. I just thought their feelings grew rather fast considering they really hadn’t spent that much time together. It felt like it was based more on observations during group settings than actual time together. Although their times together were nice. Lucy is LDS and Ethan knows very little about the Mormon faith, so I thought that aspect of the story was interesting. Being an active LDS member myself I could really relate with Lucy and her unexpected feelings for Ethan. I liked Ethan’s conversion story and that while Lucy introduced him to the gospel, he really took it upon himself to find out about the Church and gain his own testimony.
Overall, a very fun read. I liked it a lot and look forward to reading more by Karen Tuft.
Content: Clean.
Reality Check was a fun read, I really enjoyed it. Lucy was a very likable heroine. She was nice, witty and had good morals. I think that is one of the things I liked most about her. She had a strong testimony and was able to share her beliefs without being judgmental or preachy. I thought she was easy to relate to. Our bachelor, Ethan, was also pretty likable. I had a hard time getting a read on him at first. While I think they had good chemistry together, I did feel like they were missing something. Maybe I just wanted to see them together more on the dates and have a few more interactions. I just thought their feelings grew rather fast considering they really hadn’t spent that much time together. It felt like it was based more on observations during group settings than actual time together. Although their times together were nice. Lucy is LDS and Ethan knows very little about the Mormon faith, so I thought that aspect of the story was interesting. Being an active LDS member myself I could really relate with Lucy and her unexpected feelings for Ethan. I liked Ethan’s conversion story and that while Lucy introduced him to the gospel, he really took it upon himself to find out about the Church and gain his own testimony.
Overall, a very fun read. I liked it a lot and look forward to reading more by Karen Tuft.
Content: Clean.
July 15, 2012
I don't get into The Bachelor (or The Bachlorette), but I love these reality tv books. In this story, Lucy's two best friends sign up her up (without her knowing) to be on a new reality show, "Soulmate." She is accepted and decides to do it. Ethan is a very wealthy, very good looking man who is starring in the show as a favor to an old college roommate. Lucy is genuinely nice, but editing is done to change her image and boost ratings. Can a famous millionaire and a down-to-earth Mormon girl find love? Or will she get the boot?
I loved the storyline, the side story, and the unexpected ending. The charm bracelets were a great idea! And of course, the characters were awesome! Lucy is a rock to stand up for her beliefs the way she did. A fun, clean romance that takes you through to the very end.
I loved the storyline, the side story, and the unexpected ending. The charm bracelets were a great idea! And of course, the characters were awesome! Lucy is a rock to stand up for her beliefs the way she did. A fun, clean romance that takes you through to the very end.
May 12, 2025
Oh boy. I don't know that I have ever given a book this low of a rating. I just did NOT like this book...at all. Don't get me wrong, I am all about a good Mormon romance novel, however this one was not believable at all. It was so ridiculously cheesy that I had a hard time even getting through the book. I feel bad giving it such a low rating--part of it may be because I don't care for the show "The Bachelor"--and this book uses a "game show" with that same idea.
April 18, 2018
I couldn't put this down! There's plenty novels out there taking advantage of society's love affair with reality TV dating shows. I've read a few of them, despite not being a fan of any of these Bachelor type shows at all. I have never read one that had a religious element. That being show contestant, Lucy Kendrick. She is surprised by the offer of a spot on the show, especially since she didn't even put in an application. She has her two best friends to thank for that. She is a devout Mormon, and after praying about the decision to accept the offer, decides to go ahead. There's no surprise really that despite having a rather naive take on what this experience would entail, she never really expected to get past the first elimination ceremony. Now she finds herself having to defend her standards, in ways she hadn't contemplated.
Ethan Glass, self made billionaire, has agreed to part fund the new TV venture 'Soulmates' as a favour to his friend, who will be running the show. He's ready to settle down, and is prepared to see if the promises that the techniques claim they will be using, will help him meet his perfect match. On that first night he meets the 25 women & is impressed with Lucy. In barely as many words as you can count fingers, passing between them, he senses there is something different about her. Something he's willing to pursue.
As time goes on, and Lucy finds herself 'still in the game', and facing less thoughts of doing this whole thing for fun and adventure, she’s falling hard & her heart is now on the line. Her ideals are being tested and mocked and she knows that the time has come in which she must lay it all on the line with Ethan. Will he be able take the challenge or will it all prove too much? Can two hearts overcome such a great barrier that is Lucy's faith?
Of course, there is lots of lightness and fun as you read what is, essentially, another predictable tale of reality dating TV - but as the producers feel the pressure to come up with a show that will snag those elusive valuable ratings - lines are crossed. How far will they go, and to what end will the damage be done?
As a youth I went through a lot of bullying over my faith. What did it mean to me to be LDS, surrounded by kids who just didn't get me or my standards? Yes they appear dull, o outdated and perhaps odd even to my friends. Thankfully my true friends always had my back. Whether they truly understood me or not, they stood by me and my choices. It was a refreshing to see Karen write a book addressing this issue of how we perceive or judge those who stand out, are different, whether it be through religion or not. Many Christian readers would pick up this book and perhaps struggle to understand why she couldn't wear sleeveless dresses. Or was so defiant about her not drinking coffee. I suppose some of those things are what set us apart. We are Christians too, yet we choose standards that are viewed as extreme by others. In society today we are surrounded by excessive judging. Social media has shed light on the ugliness of human nature, to say/type whatever we want. Or shame publicly those we don't understand. Is any of this right? I think as we read what happened primarily to Lucy, we can get an inside look on the damage it can have on the heart, and the relationships we share with each other.
I never expected this story to remind me of the treasure of my faith. That despite all the hurt and pain I suffered, I will never regret standing strong by my beliefs and choosing to hold true to myself. Over the years, I've had multiple situations in which I've been judged falsely due to gossip, or hearsay. One thing has stuck with me. I overcame it then, I can do it again, with courage because I know that God knows me, my heart & the reasons for the choices I make in this life. We owe it to others to respect them, and do unto others as we would like them to do to us.
Ethan Glass, self made billionaire, has agreed to part fund the new TV venture 'Soulmates' as a favour to his friend, who will be running the show. He's ready to settle down, and is prepared to see if the promises that the techniques claim they will be using, will help him meet his perfect match. On that first night he meets the 25 women & is impressed with Lucy. In barely as many words as you can count fingers, passing between them, he senses there is something different about her. Something he's willing to pursue.
As time goes on, and Lucy finds herself 'still in the game', and facing less thoughts of doing this whole thing for fun and adventure, she’s falling hard & her heart is now on the line. Her ideals are being tested and mocked and she knows that the time has come in which she must lay it all on the line with Ethan. Will he be able take the challenge or will it all prove too much? Can two hearts overcome such a great barrier that is Lucy's faith?
Of course, there is lots of lightness and fun as you read what is, essentially, another predictable tale of reality dating TV - but as the producers feel the pressure to come up with a show that will snag those elusive valuable ratings - lines are crossed. How far will they go, and to what end will the damage be done?
As a youth I went through a lot of bullying over my faith. What did it mean to me to be LDS, surrounded by kids who just didn't get me or my standards? Yes they appear dull, o outdated and perhaps odd even to my friends. Thankfully my true friends always had my back. Whether they truly understood me or not, they stood by me and my choices. It was a refreshing to see Karen write a book addressing this issue of how we perceive or judge those who stand out, are different, whether it be through religion or not. Many Christian readers would pick up this book and perhaps struggle to understand why she couldn't wear sleeveless dresses. Or was so defiant about her not drinking coffee. I suppose some of those things are what set us apart. We are Christians too, yet we choose standards that are viewed as extreme by others. In society today we are surrounded by excessive judging. Social media has shed light on the ugliness of human nature, to say/type whatever we want. Or shame publicly those we don't understand. Is any of this right? I think as we read what happened primarily to Lucy, we can get an inside look on the damage it can have on the heart, and the relationships we share with each other.
I never expected this story to remind me of the treasure of my faith. That despite all the hurt and pain I suffered, I will never regret standing strong by my beliefs and choosing to hold true to myself. Over the years, I've had multiple situations in which I've been judged falsely due to gossip, or hearsay. One thing has stuck with me. I overcame it then, I can do it again, with courage because I know that God knows me, my heart & the reasons for the choices I make in this life. We owe it to others to respect them, and do unto others as we would like them to do to us.
September 13, 2012
I was taken by surprise and actually really enjoyed this book. I'm not a huge fan of the reality TV...in fact we don't even have TV at my house so I am clueless when it comes to all these popular Reality TV Shows....but I had a friend who loved this book and wanted me to read it...so I thought what the heck:)?
Lucy is a recently graduated college student who returns home ready for adventure and a new job. To her dismay, she ends up being chosen to be on a Reality TV Dating Show that her two best friends signed her up for. She definitely ends up finding adventure.:)
I thoroughly found myself liking Lucy. I found her personality to be so fun and very courageous. She's a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and finds that on national tv she is being judged for her beliefs, and challenged because of her standards. I loved how she stood up for what she believed in and stayed "true" to who she was, even if others thought it made her look foolish or if it meant loosing the "love of her life".:o)
The only problem I had with this story was the fact that Lucy, whom I loved, was having to share her "Dream Guy" with all these other women!! Icky! I was jealous for her...annoyed for her...and hurt for her through atleast half of the story. Yes, I know, that was the main part of the whole book right? She goes on this dating show and has to compete for this guys heart with 24 other girl's...BUT honestly..who in their right mind would be willing to do that? It's crazy! INSANE actually! Anyway, the ending made up for it and I forgave Ethan(a.k.a Lucy's Dream guy) entirely...and ended up cheering for him as well.:) It just made me ever so glad that I met my "dream guy" (a.k.a awesome husband) in a completely NORMAL way and have never had to share him a bit since he first said hello:)
Clean Romance/Humor
Lucy is a recently graduated college student who returns home ready for adventure and a new job. To her dismay, she ends up being chosen to be on a Reality TV Dating Show that her two best friends signed her up for. She definitely ends up finding adventure.:)
I thoroughly found myself liking Lucy. I found her personality to be so fun and very courageous. She's a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and finds that on national tv she is being judged for her beliefs, and challenged because of her standards. I loved how she stood up for what she believed in and stayed "true" to who she was, even if others thought it made her look foolish or if it meant loosing the "love of her life".:o)
The only problem I had with this story was the fact that Lucy, whom I loved, was having to share her "Dream Guy" with all these other women!! Icky! I was jealous for her...annoyed for her...and hurt for her through atleast half of the story. Yes, I know, that was the main part of the whole book right? She goes on this dating show and has to compete for this guys heart with 24 other girl's...BUT honestly..who in their right mind would be willing to do that? It's crazy! INSANE actually! Anyway, the ending made up for it and I forgave Ethan(a.k.a Lucy's Dream guy) entirely...and ended up cheering for him as well.:) It just made me ever so glad that I met my "dream guy" (a.k.a awesome husband) in a completely NORMAL way and have never had to share him a bit since he first said hello:)
Clean Romance/Humor
August 14, 2012
Mormon chick lit.
Alright. This book was an interesting thing for me. I started out thinking it was going to be a bit of a waste. Didn't really start clicking with the story for a while. The dialogue seemed contrived. And I was worried that a story about a reality bachelor-type TV show was going to be a bunch of hype and drama. (I don't watch those shows in real life, so I'm not really sure why this title appealed to me in the first place. Oh well.)
Anyway, as the reality show got started, I got sucked in. I think it was well done. The female protagonist, who finds herself on this show thanks to a crazy-headed friend, is really a very down-to-earth, spunky, likeable girl. Pleasure to read. And the hero, the rich business-owner bachelor, Mr Glass, was a great guy, too. I think the fact that both of these characters didn't really seem sold on the reality format yet found that they really were attracted to each other made the whole story-line easier for me to handle.
I would call this a fairy-tale style novel, complete with princes, chateaus, ugly step-sisters (or roommates), villains, and happy endings. But that's not always a terrible thing. Great literature? Probably not. Fun summertime romance read? Absolutely.
Alright. This book was an interesting thing for me. I started out thinking it was going to be a bit of a waste. Didn't really start clicking with the story for a while. The dialogue seemed contrived. And I was worried that a story about a reality bachelor-type TV show was going to be a bunch of hype and drama. (I don't watch those shows in real life, so I'm not really sure why this title appealed to me in the first place. Oh well.)
Anyway, as the reality show got started, I got sucked in. I think it was well done. The female protagonist, who finds herself on this show thanks to a crazy-headed friend, is really a very down-to-earth, spunky, likeable girl. Pleasure to read. And the hero, the rich business-owner bachelor, Mr Glass, was a great guy, too. I think the fact that both of these characters didn't really seem sold on the reality format yet found that they really were attracted to each other made the whole story-line easier for me to handle.
I would call this a fairy-tale style novel, complete with princes, chateaus, ugly step-sisters (or roommates), villains, and happy endings. But that's not always a terrible thing. Great literature? Probably not. Fun summertime romance read? Absolutely.
July 10, 2012
As you might guess from the blurb above, this is an LDS fiction book as the main character is a Mormon. :) A Mormon girl on a reality dating show? Just the idea of it is amusing to me.
Okay, so this reality dating stuff is big right now. This is the third book in the last year that I've read based on a kind of reality dating kind of idea.
Reality Check was a fun, easy reading kind of book. I enjoyed Lucy. Her friends (if you can really call them that) were something else all together. I think Lucy needs new friends. Just wait until you read the book. I think you will agree.
Ethan is awesome. I love the whole charm bracelet idea instead of roses at the ceremony. The whole charm thing was completely sweet and romantic. I want one of those. I think it was Ethan who stole the show for me. I loved his flirty banter and his desire to please and defend Lucy.
Was this book a bit unrealistic? Yes. But so is every princess fairy tale you read. I happen to like dreaming and I especially like happily ever after endings.
Okay, so this reality dating stuff is big right now. This is the third book in the last year that I've read based on a kind of reality dating kind of idea.
Reality Check was a fun, easy reading kind of book. I enjoyed Lucy. Her friends (if you can really call them that) were something else all together. I think Lucy needs new friends. Just wait until you read the book. I think you will agree.
Ethan is awesome. I love the whole charm bracelet idea instead of roses at the ceremony. The whole charm thing was completely sweet and romantic. I want one of those. I think it was Ethan who stole the show for me. I loved his flirty banter and his desire to please and defend Lucy.
Was this book a bit unrealistic? Yes. But so is every princess fairy tale you read. I happen to like dreaming and I especially like happily ever after endings.
June 24, 2012
One of those books that I just couldn't put down. Finished in one day! I'm tired now. I just have four little words. I. Love. Deseret. Book. - that is all. :)
August 5, 2012
Sebelomnya aku nga terlalu semangat baca ini buku, solanya YA sih dan kebanyakan YA yang d baca terlalu membosankan buatku. Tapi ternyata ini comtemporary, setelah menelusuri chapter demi chaptr, malah jadi nga bisa lepas bacanya. Sehari aja udah ngebut sampe chapter 5, sebenanrnya bisa lebih panjang lagi kl nga tidur siang karena ngantuk.....hehehehe
Cerita di mulai dengan 3 sahabat yg lagi kumpul2 bersama. Yang satu membicarakan pernikahan nya, yg satu lagi biasa2 aja, ikutan ngobrol aja, yang satu lagi mencari pekerjaan lewat internet, yg ini yang akan jadi pemeran utama cerita kita, namanya Lucy Kendrik.
Saat mereka sedang berbicara, sambil Lucy mengisi application buat melamar pekerjaan di mana2, karena dia bilang mau adventure dulu ke kota2 lain, sebelom benar2 menetap di kotanya. Salah satu teman Lucy, Allie, melihat majalah2, dan di situ ada tertulis tentang seorang milliuner yang mencari pasangan hidup, pertunjukan nya di sebut Soulmate dan akan di tanyangkan di telivisi sebagai reality show Soulmates.
Si milliuner ini bernama Ethan Glass, handsome, kaya, dan sukses di usia muda, juga menjadi incaran banyak cewe. Yang terjadi sebenarnya Ethan cuma mau membantu teman nya sebagai produser reality show Soulmates ini. Jadi walau sudah memilih pemenang nanti, belom tentu akan di nikahi, rencananya bila nga cocok, satu dua bulan di putusin, sisten alesan klasik...^^
Beberapa hari kemudian, Lucy menerima surat, dia pikir itu surat yang mengatakan dia di terima bekerja, setelah beberapa kali lamaran pekerjaan nya di tolak, girang bukan main. Dia pun membaca surat itu dengan suara yang keras, tidak sadar apa yng di bacanya samapi muncul 'kontestan', barulah Lucy sadar surat apa yang di bacanya.
Kebingungan Lucy bertambah, karena dia tidak pernah mengirim formulir untuk ikut Soulmate show, tapi di curiga yang mengirim application itu adalah dua sahabatnya, Grace and Ellie, tampa sepengatuan nya. Setelah di temui, keduanya mengaku mereka memang mengirim application itu, tp tidak pernah menduga akan di terima. Mengetahui hal tersebut, mereka membujuk Lucy untuk ikut, dengan alasan sesuai dengan tujuan awal Lucy yang ingin melihat kota2 lain dan adventure sedikit. Hal apa lagi yg lebih tepat daripada show ini, apalagi mereka pikir belum tentu Lucy jadi pemenang. Akhirnya dengan sedikit ragu Lucy menyetujui ide mereka, mengatakan hal tersebut pada keluarganya dan pergilah dia ke show Soulmates tersebut.
Di show soulmates ini, pada tahap pertama, dari 25 wanit yg terpilih akan gugur 10 orang, Lucy yg gugup karena akan di sorot kamera ternyata lolos dari tahap pertama, dimana dia mengira dia akan langsung gugur. Karena penjurian nya cuma berjalan sebentar, kira2 dua menit bersama Ethan, memperkenalkan diri.
Ethan yang merasa ertarik pada Lucy, karena dia berbeda dari yang laen dan merasa penasaran, di mana semua peserta memakai pakaian yang indah2 dan sexy, Lucy tidak sama sekali, pakaina yg di kanakan lebih banyak menutupi dirinya. Di kencan kedua, terbagi 2 grup, di mana Ethan mengajak jalan2 para wanita grup pertama, memperkenalkan kota yg mereka kunjungi, di akhir acara, di adakan kontes menangkap babi, di mana yg menang akan kencan dengan ethan selamasisa hari tiu. Lucy yg memang lebih suka kegitan di luar malah gembira dengan adanya kontes tersebut, dia pun dengan semangat beruhasa menangkap satu, dan berhasil. Tentu saja hadiahnya kencan dengan Ethan dan babi yg di tangkap Lucy....hehhehe
Dalam kencan2 mereka yg bergantian ama cewe2 lain, perlahan2 Lucy jadi suka sama Ethan dan Ethan juga merasa Lucy orang yg menyenangkan. Setiap bersama Lucy, Ethan tidak perlu pasang muka milliuner, nga ada yang kencan romantis dan merayu2, ato memuji2 juga, kiss nya juga paling ringan2 aja, di pipi ato kecupan sekilas aja, nga hot. sama cewek2 yang lain pada romantis, juga si cewe pake baju seksi terus, kebalikan ama Lucy yg cuan piknik, naik kuda ato menyelam.
Akhirnya dari kencan2 tersebut, sisa 3 orang yg tersisa dengan Lucy salah satunya. Tiba2 aja si Ethan punya ide buat pertunjukan yang ke 3. Dia mau di adakan kencan satu2 selama 3 hari, dengan cara kenalan sama keluarga cewek dan jalan2 di kota yang di pilih sama si cewek.
Saat mengunjungi Lucy, Ethan berkenalan sama orang tua dan saudara2 cowok Lucy. Di situ dia menerima ujian sebagai calon pacar, dan di sukai. sementara itu tanpa sepengatahuan Ethan, kru yang laen mulai mencari2 cerita tentang Lucy dan peserta yang laen, untuk di gunakan sebagai bahan menaikkan rating, dimana fokusnya mencari keburukan para peserta, yang akan di ungkapkan bila peserta gugur.
Untuk Lucy, mereka mewawancara sahabat2 Lucy, yang mana demi mendapatkan rahasia Lucy, salah satu kru yg bernama Melanie membayar sahabat Lucy untuk memberitahukan bagaimana sifat2 Lucy. Melanie berharap mendapatkan cerita yang bagus, karena selama ini Lucy di kenal sebagai cewek yg religius dan baik2. Namun ternyata itu adalah kesalahan yang fatal, karena Allie mempunyai sifat sedikit agak liar, dan sangat bersemangat untuk masuk TV. Karena di minta cerita yang dramatis atau penus sensasi, kl nga salah sih, Allie malah berbohong dengan mengatakan Lucy sudah banyak sekali memutuskan pacar, karenan si cowo nga masuk kriteria nya ato apa. Grace yang waktu itu menemani Allie di wawancara berusaha mencegah kebohongan tersebut dan bingung kenapa Allie bertingkah seperti itu, tapi tidak berhasil, apalagi di akhir wawancara Allie berkata Lucy pernah diam2 pacaran dengan Mike, pacarnya Grace, yang membuat Grace sangat shock, sehingga di hati Grace ada keraguan tentang Lucy. Setelah wawancara, Melanie yg percaya kata2 Allie pun langsung memberitahukan pada sutradara bahwa Lucy itu cewek yang licik, penuh kebohongan, dan dia bukanlah cewe yang selama ini dia tunjukan. Dan melanie pun bertekad membuka kedok Lucy yang polos.
Sementara itu, hari ke 3, dimana Lucy dan Ethan jalan2 mengelilingi kota sydney, dan malamnya mereka akan makan malam yg romantis di restoran hotel. Saat mereka tiba di hotel, Lucy menyadari kalau dia ama Ethan tinggal di Suite, yang berarti walau kamar tidur terpisah, tp tetap satu ruangan dan bilang Ethan kalau dia nga bisa berada dalam situasi seperti ini. Bagaimana pun ini adalah hal yang paling di hindari Lucy. Ethan yang mendengar hal tersebut berusha meyakinkan Lucy kalau tidak akan ada apapun yang akan terjadi, tapi Lucy tetap berkeras. Akhirnya Ethan menyerah dan dia memindahkan barang2nya ke kamar lain, juga meminta tidak ada kamera di suite tersebut.
Melanie yang mengetahui hal tersebut, diam2 memerintahkan seseorang memasang kamera tersembunyi dengan alasan untuk membuka belang Lucy. Setelah mereka makan malam, Lucy dan Ethan menghabiskan waktu berdua saja, dengan berpikir kalau tidk akan ada kamera lagi, mulai berbincang2 tentang banyak hal, terutama Ethan bertanya tentang kepercayaan Lucy. Karena Ethan sudah sangat suka dengan Lucy, tapi dia ragu2 untuk memilih Lucy karena perbedaan kepercayaan. Mereka membahas kepercayaan Lucy, bahkan Lucy membaca buku dan brosur tentang agamanya, yang di baca Ethan, dan Lucy menunggui Ethan yang membaca hingga ketiduran di sofa.
Esoknya, Ethan yang di hadapkan dengan kepercayaan Lucy merasa jurang di antara mereka makin lebar, dia berpikir tidak sanggup mengikuti kepercayaan Lucy dan jg ragu, apakah benar Lucy adalah solumate nya. Karena keraguan nya, Ethan pun mengeliminasi Lucy, dan mengatakan dia tidak siap dengan hal yang ada di antara mereka, terlalu banyak perbedaan.
Lucy pulang ke rumah, dengan patah hati, karena ternyata dalam prosesnya, Lucy jatuh cinta dengan Ethan dan sudah siap mengambil langkah dalam hubungan mereka. Sedang Ethan masih dalam pertanyaan2nya, kebimbangan dan terus berpukir tentang Lucy. walau pertunjukan terus berlangsung dan Ethan sudah memilih soulmate nya, tapi Ethan tetap memikirkan Lucy dan keputusan yang di ambilnya, apakan dia memilih jalan yang benar.
Beberapa hari kemudian, Soulmates pun mulai di tayangkan. Lucy yang berusaha melupakan Ethan pun memutuskan untuk tidak menonton Soulmates, dan juga dia malu di tonton oleh teman2 saudara laki2nya. Sementara itu Ethan yang masih memiliki keraguan dengan pilihan nya, terus bergulat dengan perasaan nya, dia bahkan datang ke gereja untuk mendalami kepercayaan Lucy, namun tetap ragu2 dan akhir untuk pertama kalinya mencoba untuk berdoa.
Malam itu Lucy di minta keluarganya untuk menonton episode tentang dirinya, saat yang sama Ethan di telepon teman nya untuk menonton episode malam itu. Berkata mereka harus melakukan sesuatu tentang Lucy. Saat di lihat , Ethan terkejut, karena episode itu ternyata untuk menghancurkan Lucy sepenuhnya. Dimana ada adegan kamera tersembunyi yang Ethan menggendong Lucy yang tertidur ke tempat tidur, namun di potong hingga di situ, yang pada kenyataan nya adalah setelah itu Ethan keluar lagi untuk membaca buku. Di episode tersebut dikesankan kalau dia tetap tinggal di kamar Lucy.
Melihat episode tersebut, Ethan langsung terbang dan menghubungi temannya dan kru yang membuat episode tersebut. Dimana Ethan menyadari, peserta yang lain tidak di serang, namun di episode tsb di maksudkan untuk menyerang dan mencemarkan nama baik Lucy. saat mendengar alasan mereka, Ethan pun memutuskan bahwa dia berubah pikiran tentang pilisan suolmate nya, dia ingin kembali memilih Lucy dan memerintahkan semua orang bekerja untuk memulihkan nama baik Lucy.
Sedangkan Lucy, yang harus menguatkan diri ddengan paprazzi dan pertanyaan, juga kecaman yang ada, tiba2 di telepon oleh Melanie, yang berkata Lucy harus datang untuk taping dn tidak bisa menolak karena kontrak yang mengikat. sedang Ethan yang berusaha memikirkan cara untuk memdpatkan Lucy kembali, Ethan sadar dengan episode yang di tayangkan, dia harus lebih keras lagi meyakinkan Lucy untuk menjadi soulmate nya, dimana Ethan memperkirakan Lucy pastilah tidak akan mempercayai dirinya lagi.
Yang jelas, Ethan di sini berusaha sangat keras meyakinkan Lucy, bahkan dia sempat menerima bogem mentah dari kakak Lucy, yang marah dgn hal yg terjadi. Di sini Lucy menolak menjadi soulmates Ethan, dan Ethan harus beberapa kali membuktikan cintanya pada Lucy.
Buku ini sangat ku rekomendasikan untuk di baca, kita nga bisa lepas dari ceritanya karena penasran akan hal selanjutnya. Yang jelas di buku ini tidak ada adegan adult, cuman kissu2 ringan, tapi tetap enak di nikmati :)
Cerita di mulai dengan 3 sahabat yg lagi kumpul2 bersama. Yang satu membicarakan pernikahan nya, yg satu lagi biasa2 aja, ikutan ngobrol aja, yang satu lagi mencari pekerjaan lewat internet, yg ini yang akan jadi pemeran utama cerita kita, namanya Lucy Kendrik.
Saat mereka sedang berbicara, sambil Lucy mengisi application buat melamar pekerjaan di mana2, karena dia bilang mau adventure dulu ke kota2 lain, sebelom benar2 menetap di kotanya. Salah satu teman Lucy, Allie, melihat majalah2, dan di situ ada tertulis tentang seorang milliuner yang mencari pasangan hidup, pertunjukan nya di sebut Soulmate dan akan di tanyangkan di telivisi sebagai reality show Soulmates.
Si milliuner ini bernama Ethan Glass, handsome, kaya, dan sukses di usia muda, juga menjadi incaran banyak cewe. Yang terjadi sebenarnya Ethan cuma mau membantu teman nya sebagai produser reality show Soulmates ini. Jadi walau sudah memilih pemenang nanti, belom tentu akan di nikahi, rencananya bila nga cocok, satu dua bulan di putusin, sisten alesan klasik...^^
Beberapa hari kemudian, Lucy menerima surat, dia pikir itu surat yang mengatakan dia di terima bekerja, setelah beberapa kali lamaran pekerjaan nya di tolak, girang bukan main. Dia pun membaca surat itu dengan suara yang keras, tidak sadar apa yng di bacanya samapi muncul 'kontestan', barulah Lucy sadar surat apa yang di bacanya.
Kebingungan Lucy bertambah, karena dia tidak pernah mengirim formulir untuk ikut Soulmate show, tapi di curiga yang mengirim application itu adalah dua sahabatnya, Grace and Ellie, tampa sepengatuan nya. Setelah di temui, keduanya mengaku mereka memang mengirim application itu, tp tidak pernah menduga akan di terima. Mengetahui hal tersebut, mereka membujuk Lucy untuk ikut, dengan alasan sesuai dengan tujuan awal Lucy yang ingin melihat kota2 lain dan adventure sedikit. Hal apa lagi yg lebih tepat daripada show ini, apalagi mereka pikir belum tentu Lucy jadi pemenang. Akhirnya dengan sedikit ragu Lucy menyetujui ide mereka, mengatakan hal tersebut pada keluarganya dan pergilah dia ke show Soulmates tersebut.
Di show soulmates ini, pada tahap pertama, dari 25 wanit yg terpilih akan gugur 10 orang, Lucy yg gugup karena akan di sorot kamera ternyata lolos dari tahap pertama, dimana dia mengira dia akan langsung gugur. Karena penjurian nya cuma berjalan sebentar, kira2 dua menit bersama Ethan, memperkenalkan diri.
Ethan yang merasa ertarik pada Lucy, karena dia berbeda dari yang laen dan merasa penasaran, di mana semua peserta memakai pakaian yang indah2 dan sexy, Lucy tidak sama sekali, pakaina yg di kanakan lebih banyak menutupi dirinya. Di kencan kedua, terbagi 2 grup, di mana Ethan mengajak jalan2 para wanita grup pertama, memperkenalkan kota yg mereka kunjungi, di akhir acara, di adakan kontes menangkap babi, di mana yg menang akan kencan dengan ethan selamasisa hari tiu. Lucy yg memang lebih suka kegitan di luar malah gembira dengan adanya kontes tersebut, dia pun dengan semangat beruhasa menangkap satu, dan berhasil. Tentu saja hadiahnya kencan dengan Ethan dan babi yg di tangkap Lucy....hehhehe
Dalam kencan2 mereka yg bergantian ama cewe2 lain, perlahan2 Lucy jadi suka sama Ethan dan Ethan juga merasa Lucy orang yg menyenangkan. Setiap bersama Lucy, Ethan tidak perlu pasang muka milliuner, nga ada yang kencan romantis dan merayu2, ato memuji2 juga, kiss nya juga paling ringan2 aja, di pipi ato kecupan sekilas aja, nga hot. sama cewek2 yang lain pada romantis, juga si cewe pake baju seksi terus, kebalikan ama Lucy yg cuan piknik, naik kuda ato menyelam.
Akhirnya dari kencan2 tersebut, sisa 3 orang yg tersisa dengan Lucy salah satunya. Tiba2 aja si Ethan punya ide buat pertunjukan yang ke 3. Dia mau di adakan kencan satu2 selama 3 hari, dengan cara kenalan sama keluarga cewek dan jalan2 di kota yang di pilih sama si cewek.
Saat mengunjungi Lucy, Ethan berkenalan sama orang tua dan saudara2 cowok Lucy. Di situ dia menerima ujian sebagai calon pacar, dan di sukai. sementara itu tanpa sepengatahuan Ethan, kru yang laen mulai mencari2 cerita tentang Lucy dan peserta yang laen, untuk di gunakan sebagai bahan menaikkan rating, dimana fokusnya mencari keburukan para peserta, yang akan di ungkapkan bila peserta gugur.
Untuk Lucy, mereka mewawancara sahabat2 Lucy, yang mana demi mendapatkan rahasia Lucy, salah satu kru yg bernama Melanie membayar sahabat Lucy untuk memberitahukan bagaimana sifat2 Lucy. Melanie berharap mendapatkan cerita yang bagus, karena selama ini Lucy di kenal sebagai cewek yg religius dan baik2. Namun ternyata itu adalah kesalahan yang fatal, karena Allie mempunyai sifat sedikit agak liar, dan sangat bersemangat untuk masuk TV. Karena di minta cerita yang dramatis atau penus sensasi, kl nga salah sih, Allie malah berbohong dengan mengatakan Lucy sudah banyak sekali memutuskan pacar, karenan si cowo nga masuk kriteria nya ato apa. Grace yang waktu itu menemani Allie di wawancara berusaha mencegah kebohongan tersebut dan bingung kenapa Allie bertingkah seperti itu, tapi tidak berhasil, apalagi di akhir wawancara Allie berkata Lucy pernah diam2 pacaran dengan Mike, pacarnya Grace, yang membuat Grace sangat shock, sehingga di hati Grace ada keraguan tentang Lucy. Setelah wawancara, Melanie yg percaya kata2 Allie pun langsung memberitahukan pada sutradara bahwa Lucy itu cewek yang licik, penuh kebohongan, dan dia bukanlah cewe yang selama ini dia tunjukan. Dan melanie pun bertekad membuka kedok Lucy yang polos.
Sementara itu, hari ke 3, dimana Lucy dan Ethan jalan2 mengelilingi kota sydney, dan malamnya mereka akan makan malam yg romantis di restoran hotel. Saat mereka tiba di hotel, Lucy menyadari kalau dia ama Ethan tinggal di Suite, yang berarti walau kamar tidur terpisah, tp tetap satu ruangan dan bilang Ethan kalau dia nga bisa berada dalam situasi seperti ini. Bagaimana pun ini adalah hal yang paling di hindari Lucy. Ethan yang mendengar hal tersebut berusha meyakinkan Lucy kalau tidak akan ada apapun yang akan terjadi, tapi Lucy tetap berkeras. Akhirnya Ethan menyerah dan dia memindahkan barang2nya ke kamar lain, juga meminta tidak ada kamera di suite tersebut.
Melanie yang mengetahui hal tersebut, diam2 memerintahkan seseorang memasang kamera tersembunyi dengan alasan untuk membuka belang Lucy. Setelah mereka makan malam, Lucy dan Ethan menghabiskan waktu berdua saja, dengan berpikir kalau tidk akan ada kamera lagi, mulai berbincang2 tentang banyak hal, terutama Ethan bertanya tentang kepercayaan Lucy. Karena Ethan sudah sangat suka dengan Lucy, tapi dia ragu2 untuk memilih Lucy karena perbedaan kepercayaan. Mereka membahas kepercayaan Lucy, bahkan Lucy membaca buku dan brosur tentang agamanya, yang di baca Ethan, dan Lucy menunggui Ethan yang membaca hingga ketiduran di sofa.
Esoknya, Ethan yang di hadapkan dengan kepercayaan Lucy merasa jurang di antara mereka makin lebar, dia berpikir tidak sanggup mengikuti kepercayaan Lucy dan jg ragu, apakah benar Lucy adalah solumate nya. Karena keraguan nya, Ethan pun mengeliminasi Lucy, dan mengatakan dia tidak siap dengan hal yang ada di antara mereka, terlalu banyak perbedaan.
Lucy pulang ke rumah, dengan patah hati, karena ternyata dalam prosesnya, Lucy jatuh cinta dengan Ethan dan sudah siap mengambil langkah dalam hubungan mereka. Sedang Ethan masih dalam pertanyaan2nya, kebimbangan dan terus berpukir tentang Lucy. walau pertunjukan terus berlangsung dan Ethan sudah memilih soulmate nya, tapi Ethan tetap memikirkan Lucy dan keputusan yang di ambilnya, apakan dia memilih jalan yang benar.
Beberapa hari kemudian, Soulmates pun mulai di tayangkan. Lucy yang berusaha melupakan Ethan pun memutuskan untuk tidak menonton Soulmates, dan juga dia malu di tonton oleh teman2 saudara laki2nya. Sementara itu Ethan yang masih memiliki keraguan dengan pilihan nya, terus bergulat dengan perasaan nya, dia bahkan datang ke gereja untuk mendalami kepercayaan Lucy, namun tetap ragu2 dan akhir untuk pertama kalinya mencoba untuk berdoa.
Malam itu Lucy di minta keluarganya untuk menonton episode tentang dirinya, saat yang sama Ethan di telepon teman nya untuk menonton episode malam itu. Berkata mereka harus melakukan sesuatu tentang Lucy. Saat di lihat , Ethan terkejut, karena episode itu ternyata untuk menghancurkan Lucy sepenuhnya. Dimana ada adegan kamera tersembunyi yang Ethan menggendong Lucy yang tertidur ke tempat tidur, namun di potong hingga di situ, yang pada kenyataan nya adalah setelah itu Ethan keluar lagi untuk membaca buku. Di episode tersebut dikesankan kalau dia tetap tinggal di kamar Lucy.
Melihat episode tersebut, Ethan langsung terbang dan menghubungi temannya dan kru yang membuat episode tersebut. Dimana Ethan menyadari, peserta yang lain tidak di serang, namun di episode tsb di maksudkan untuk menyerang dan mencemarkan nama baik Lucy. saat mendengar alasan mereka, Ethan pun memutuskan bahwa dia berubah pikiran tentang pilisan suolmate nya, dia ingin kembali memilih Lucy dan memerintahkan semua orang bekerja untuk memulihkan nama baik Lucy.
Sedangkan Lucy, yang harus menguatkan diri ddengan paprazzi dan pertanyaan, juga kecaman yang ada, tiba2 di telepon oleh Melanie, yang berkata Lucy harus datang untuk taping dn tidak bisa menolak karena kontrak yang mengikat. sedang Ethan yang berusaha memikirkan cara untuk memdpatkan Lucy kembali, Ethan sadar dengan episode yang di tayangkan, dia harus lebih keras lagi meyakinkan Lucy untuk menjadi soulmate nya, dimana Ethan memperkirakan Lucy pastilah tidak akan mempercayai dirinya lagi.
Yang jelas, Ethan di sini berusaha sangat keras meyakinkan Lucy, bahkan dia sempat menerima bogem mentah dari kakak Lucy, yang marah dgn hal yg terjadi. Di sini Lucy menolak menjadi soulmates Ethan, dan Ethan harus beberapa kali membuktikan cintanya pada Lucy.
Buku ini sangat ku rekomendasikan untuk di baca, kita nga bisa lepas dari ceritanya karena penasran akan hal selanjutnya. Yang jelas di buku ini tidak ada adegan adult, cuman kissu2 ringan, tapi tetap enak di nikmati :)
May 14, 2018
This was an excellent read.
What I like:
I liked the concept of a "bachelor" type of story line but with an LDS twist. I have stopped watching that type of reality show because it has become racy and the reality taken away (kind of like what they were doing in this book) but the whole premise of finding true love within a reality show always fascinates me.
I liked the characters. They were very relatable, especially Lucy. I also liked Ethan and his family background. The only ones that I didn't like were Melanie and Allie. I didn't quite get where there animosity was coming from.
I liked the charms as part the symbol of moving forward for the contestants. It was darling and I liked the charms that Lucy got.
I was a bit afraid of reading a fiction book that was so heavy with the LDS religion. I fear that it might become a story that only members of the church would get. But I like this one. Being that Ethan wasn't a member it talked about some perspectives of non LDS people. It was interesting.
What I didn't like:
The reality of a devout LDS single lady to get through the "hell" of reality show that Lucy did was quite unbelievable. I don't buy that she was only affected by a bit of gossip and some media outfit staking outside of her home. I would think that in our day and age, the rumination of someone would be worse. I know that sounds awful but I've seen people go down for lesser things.
I also thought that for the amount of secondary characters within this book, I find some of them to be really just nuisance or names that don't have much weight into the story line. I thought that Ethan's buddy/chosen brother would end up having something with the nurse but it was just a one scene thing. I don't like having to commit names within my memory only to realize that it didn't matter in the long run.
I wish it did end in a temple marriage. That would have been really cool, especially with all the talk of forever. But I guess we will just have to assume that they did it a year later.
Over all, the book was still very entertaining and the love story cute.
What I like:
I liked the concept of a "bachelor" type of story line but with an LDS twist. I have stopped watching that type of reality show because it has become racy and the reality taken away (kind of like what they were doing in this book) but the whole premise of finding true love within a reality show always fascinates me.
I liked the characters. They were very relatable, especially Lucy. I also liked Ethan and his family background. The only ones that I didn't like were Melanie and Allie. I didn't quite get where there animosity was coming from.
I liked the charms as part the symbol of moving forward for the contestants. It was darling and I liked the charms that Lucy got.
I was a bit afraid of reading a fiction book that was so heavy with the LDS religion. I fear that it might become a story that only members of the church would get. But I like this one. Being that Ethan wasn't a member it talked about some perspectives of non LDS people. It was interesting.
What I didn't like:
The reality of a devout LDS single lady to get through the "hell" of reality show that Lucy did was quite unbelievable. I don't buy that she was only affected by a bit of gossip and some media outfit staking outside of her home. I would think that in our day and age, the rumination of someone would be worse. I know that sounds awful but I've seen people go down for lesser things.
I also thought that for the amount of secondary characters within this book, I find some of them to be really just nuisance or names that don't have much weight into the story line. I thought that Ethan's buddy/chosen brother would end up having something with the nurse but it was just a one scene thing. I don't like having to commit names within my memory only to realize that it didn't matter in the long run.
I wish it did end in a temple marriage. That would have been really cool, especially with all the talk of forever. But I guess we will just have to assume that they did it a year later.
Over all, the book was still very entertaining and the love story cute.
October 30, 2019
I didn't read a ton over this summer and when I did, I didn't record the books in Goodreads, like I said I would. I got Reality Check as a hand-me-down from my Mom. I thought it might be a little "too sweet" and perfect for the young LDS girl, whereas I am a middle age - old LDS girl and not as easily impressed with happily ever afters and small town Mormon girls impressing the heck out of big city men who haven't every seen someone so beautiful and pure and captivating.
Perhaps because it's been a tough few months emotionally for me, but I enjoyed the heck out of Reality Check. The first couple chapters were slow and cheesy as I expected, but once Lucy got onto the reality show with Ethan, I really enjoyed their banter, the friendship with other girls, and the antics of a reality dating show.
Spoiler Alert: I'd read one reviewer who was very put out because of the happily ending where everything turned out just the way young girls dream, but not the way old women have experienced, but I didn't mind at all. My happily ever after didn't happen with most of the young, non church going men I dated, but I also didn't have an answer from the Holy Ghost that dating and falling in love with them was a good thing to do either. Answers to prayers and spiritual impressions changed my expectation for Lucy in the book.
After you get through the first couple chapters, it was a very light hearted, easy read that really hit the spot for me in the chick-lit category.
Perhaps because it's been a tough few months emotionally for me, but I enjoyed the heck out of Reality Check. The first couple chapters were slow and cheesy as I expected, but once Lucy got onto the reality show with Ethan, I really enjoyed their banter, the friendship with other girls, and the antics of a reality dating show.
Spoiler Alert: I'd read one reviewer who was very put out because of the happily ending where everything turned out just the way young girls dream, but not the way old women have experienced, but I didn't mind at all. My happily ever after didn't happen with most of the young, non church going men I dated, but I also didn't have an answer from the Holy Ghost that dating and falling in love with them was a good thing to do either. Answers to prayers and spiritual impressions changed my expectation for Lucy in the book.
After you get through the first couple chapters, it was a very light hearted, easy read that really hit the spot for me in the chick-lit category.
July 15, 2017
I would have given this four stars, because I loved the story line. But there were a few things keeping me from really loving this book.
The biggest problem for me was the excessive use of flashbacks and memories. It made those parts of the story feel like they were being skimmed over. And unfortunately they also happen to be the parts of the story I was most interested in reading. This book was about a reality dating show and most of the dates were relayed to the reader through memories and weren't very detailed. This made me feel more like the friend that was getting a go over of the date after the fact. Rather than the silent observer that I prefer to be in my books.
Speaking of detail, this wasn't the only way that the book was missing detail. After reading the book I still am not sure what Lucy or Ethan (the main characters) look like exactly. This is all I gathered on Lucy - she is tall, slender, long straight golden hair, pretty-but not gorgeous. Ethan is extremely good looking, tall and muscular, and I think it was mentioned that he was dark (tall dark and handsome perhaps?) It was lack of detail like this, that kept me from really getting into this book.
I do have to say that for an LDS book I didn't feel like it was overly cheesy, and most of the issues the character faced because of her beliefs I could appreciate. They are things that I would think about, and that would be important to me too.
The biggest problem for me was the excessive use of flashbacks and memories. It made those parts of the story feel like they were being skimmed over. And unfortunately they also happen to be the parts of the story I was most interested in reading. This book was about a reality dating show and most of the dates were relayed to the reader through memories and weren't very detailed. This made me feel more like the friend that was getting a go over of the date after the fact. Rather than the silent observer that I prefer to be in my books.
Speaking of detail, this wasn't the only way that the book was missing detail. After reading the book I still am not sure what Lucy or Ethan (the main characters) look like exactly. This is all I gathered on Lucy - she is tall, slender, long straight golden hair, pretty-but not gorgeous. Ethan is extremely good looking, tall and muscular, and I think it was mentioned that he was dark (tall dark and handsome perhaps?) It was lack of detail like this, that kept me from really getting into this book.
I do have to say that for an LDS book I didn't feel like it was overly cheesy, and most of the issues the character faced because of her beliefs I could appreciate. They are things that I would think about, and that would be important to me too.
January 26, 2021
The Bachelor and Bachelorette is a guilty pleasure for me. My husband and I usually like to hate on the same people and cheer on those who are nice. 🙈 Anyone watching this season of the Bachelor? Who are you rooting for? Is Victoria even real?! It’s amazing how much fun a little bit of drama can be! Reality Check is it’s own version of the Bachelor and it’s amazing!! 🙌🎉👏
About the book:
Put together a bunch of single ladies who are desperate for an attractive man and one wealthy said man and you get a pretty entertaining story of Reality Check. 🤣 There are girls who are willing to strut their stuff and do anything for attention. I loved the main character, Lucy! She stands for what she believes in and doesn’t give into the pressure when on live TV. Lucy is a beautiful and competitive girl who grew up with only brothers. That started her competitive streak to not be pushed around in an all male family. This helped in the Bachelor when Lucy is vying for the attention (and heart) of millionaire, Ethan Glass.
The spark between Ethan and Lucy is amazing! You always know you’ve found the right person when they bring out the best in you. Lucy does that for Ethan even if he doesn’t recognize it at first. You’ll just have to read the book to see what happens. 😊
One of my favorite scene involves pigs and mud. If you’ve read this, what was your favorite scene?!
About the book:
Put together a bunch of single ladies who are desperate for an attractive man and one wealthy said man and you get a pretty entertaining story of Reality Check. 🤣 There are girls who are willing to strut their stuff and do anything for attention. I loved the main character, Lucy! She stands for what she believes in and doesn’t give into the pressure when on live TV. Lucy is a beautiful and competitive girl who grew up with only brothers. That started her competitive streak to not be pushed around in an all male family. This helped in the Bachelor when Lucy is vying for the attention (and heart) of millionaire, Ethan Glass.
The spark between Ethan and Lucy is amazing! You always know you’ve found the right person when they bring out the best in you. Lucy does that for Ethan even if he doesn’t recognize it at first. You’ll just have to read the book to see what happens. 😊
One of my favorite scene involves pigs and mud. If you’ve read this, what was your favorite scene?!
September 19, 2020
Do you have a book you could reread multiple times?? Well this book is a reread for me💕
Lucky Kendrick has just graduated college when her friends secretly submit her resume to a new reality TV show called “Soulmates”
You follow Lucy as she goes on the adventure of a life time. She keeps telling herself that she is only on the show for new experiences but is love also on the table??
This is a Finish in one sitting type of book ❤️ I just love Lucy’s spunk and drive COULD NOT PUT IT DOWN!!
Lucky Kendrick has just graduated college when her friends secretly submit her resume to a new reality TV show called “Soulmates”
You follow Lucy as she goes on the adventure of a life time. She keeps telling herself that she is only on the show for new experiences but is love also on the table??
This is a Finish in one sitting type of book ❤️ I just love Lucy’s spunk and drive COULD NOT PUT IT DOWN!!
July 1, 2018
3.5
It was a fun read and I liked the inclusion of being in the world and not of the world sort of thing with Lucy standing up for her values and such. It made you feel good. I also liked her take on eternity; I hadn't thought about it like that and I liked the symbolism with the stars. As far as the writing style goes it was okay. Repetitive at parts, but you can get through it.
It was a fun read and I liked the inclusion of being in the world and not of the world sort of thing with Lucy standing up for her values and such. It made you feel good. I also liked her take on eternity; I hadn't thought about it like that and I liked the symbolism with the stars. As far as the writing style goes it was okay. Repetitive at parts, but you can get through it.
February 24, 2019
2.5 stars.
I couldn't believe her lifelong friends could turn on her so easily. I also had a hard time remembering who was who because there were no many characters and they were mostly shallow or types. If the book was more entertaining I could have forgiven these faults. It was so light that I felt myself skimming ahead to see when something would actually happen.
I couldn't believe her lifelong friends could turn on her so easily. I also had a hard time remembering who was who because there were no many characters and they were mostly shallow or types. If the book was more entertaining I could have forgiven these faults. It was so light that I felt myself skimming ahead to see when something would actually happen.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 27, 2019
For some reason I really enjoyed this book. Maybe because I never watch the show on TV where they have a guy and all these girls vie for his attention. That was this book. Lucys friends send her name in to be on the show without her knowledge. It was a fun book about a small town Mormon girl who would rather pray than party. Really light reading.
October 22, 2019
I needed a sappy book to read as I had time but that wouldn't suck me in too bad and this was perfect. There is really only one realistic ending and it went the most predictable way, though the author threw in a few curve balls to add a little spice. Overall, I enjoyed it, but nothing to rave about... :)
July 12, 2020
I really like this book. The deviation in format from standard romance is a welcome change. Neither person had a preconceived notion they loved the other, they learned this over the course of the dates which is actually why people date.
Standard romance novels, one of the two is madly in love with the other. They are just waiting for the other to catch up.
Standard romance novels, one of the two is madly in love with the other. They are just waiting for the other to catch up.
February 8, 2022
I liked this cute look at what it would be like for a Mormon girl to be on a dating show. I did not like the "big conflict". It made me angry. No girl should have to deal with all of that. Lucy and Ethan are a cute couple though. And even though "the bad guys" don't necessarily get what they deserve, the end is mostly satisfying.
June 26, 2017
After reading Elizabeth Smart's book, I needed some brain-candy. This book was perfect! A fun read.
Lots of drama as a dating reality show bachelor goes through 25 girls to find his one and only true soulmate.
Lots of drama as a dating reality show bachelor goes through 25 girls to find his one and only true soulmate.
September 29, 2017
This book was just a fun book to read. I enjoyed the reality tv show aspect of this story and also enjoyed that one of the characters was LDS. Reality Check is a fun romantic drama/comedy with a strong female lead.
November 27, 2018
I LOVED IT!! Th entire concept that is similar to the bachelor but with a mormon girl and then him switching to be a mormon boy!! I loved it, the drama led up to the perfect ending. I am so appy that they got married in the end of the book. This book just makes me happy!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 10, 2019
I have it 4 stars cause it started out a little odd/confusing with the characters. I found her friends annoying. But then it resolves itself......and that’s when I couldn’t put it down!
Great romantic story and a good take on a reality tv show, that has a more realistic ending.
Great romantic story and a good take on a reality tv show, that has a more realistic ending.
February 11, 2022
Good writing. Liked the idea. The friends weren't fleshed out very well and everything kind of wrapped up a bit too happily ever after for me. But I enjoyed it enough to stay up till midnight to finish it! 3.5 stars rounded up to 4
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March 14, 2024I forgot I read this until I saw a post on my poetry instagram account. Apparently I had included a quote from this book on there. I don’t remember anything about it tbh. One of those classic cheesy lds books I guess.
June 12, 2018
Cute story, although there were a few things I didn’t love. I felt like there were a lot of details missing.
3.75 stars?? Maybe a 4
3.75 stars?? Maybe a 4
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