Romance, kind of, this is more of a literary fiction, but also one with a super specific interest in Brad Womack's second season of being The Bachelor (season 15, 2011) and John Barryman. Unfortunately, I'm more familiar with the franchise (though not Brad's seasons- I only started watching in 2017), but I DO fall into that peculiar niche of overeducated Bach fans who recognize its horribleness while being fascinated with the way the show fits real people into narratives, and the blurring between fantasy and reality in a constricted environment, which is EXACTLY what I suspect the author is doing with the unnamed narrator.

I can never tell with lit fic how much of the specific details are thinly veiled people and actions from the author's life, or well done research to place us in a given area. The House Above the Morning Clouds is real, and actually burned to the ground in a 2017 fire (and ironically, a year later the mansion that Bachelor films in almost burned to the ground in another California wildfire).

I enjoyed it, but I can definitely see how the cover could mislead a reader into thinking this was a light romance rather than a wry, self-deprecating meditation on relationships by a 29 year old with no direction (referring to the narrator, not the author). It scratches my pretentious Bach fan niche itch. ( )

DNF at 52% last year on this one.

Admittedly, I'm a sucker for "The Bachelor" franchise as a whole. Of course, that meant this one was a must read...

I loved the writing and the plot. I loved the characters. I loved the feelings that this evoked. I can absolutely see this being played out in real life - and I'm sure it does happen. Reality TV is addicting. It's the lessons we never really learn that cause us to repeat the past and this book showcases that so well. ( )