Comment

Jan 19, 2017s390325 rated this title 2.5 out of 5 stars
This book had more substance than I expected, and was not as "juicy" as I thought it would be. If you are a fan of the show and watched any of the seasons that starred Andi or Josh Murray, you will probably enjoy this book. I used to be a die-hard Bachelor/ Bachelorette fan and I got this book out in part because I was hoping for more details of what the "contestants" go through and what living in that house is like. That aspect of her story was barely mentioned at all. I also wondered why she kept referring to Josh as Number 26 (26th breakup from the shows) rather than by his real name; perhaps she had an agreement with the network about what she could and couldn't say because not much is said about the show itself. (One detail about the show that she mentions in the book is a scene edited out of the show, when Josh is upset with her after the "lie detector" group date, even though she did not pick out the activity and everyone had to participate. This gives you some clue about what the show is trying to do with its editing process). I did not like the structure of the book as a guide to get you through your breakup, because I doubt anyone is reading it to get advice from her. The format of writing in the present tense as if she is quoting from a diary or talking to you right after the breakup, and then switching back to the past and revealing what actually happened in their relationship, made the book rather choppy, and gave it a sense of implausibility because I find it hard to believe she really wrote or could recall in great detail about exactly what she was doing each day. She could have incorporated the "how she got through it" part in a more subtle way, using the past tense, at the end of the story. The little "lessons learned" at the end of each chapter were a bit contrived. When I started reading the book I thought she came across as rather shallow, probably because she referred to a lot of drinking to ease the pain of the breakup, and because at 26, despite having a promising legal career, good relationship with her family, and a group of close friends, she was so concerned that she wasn't in a relationship when all of her friends were married or engaged that she gave into her friends' peer pressure to go on the Bachelor casting call. I wish she did not feel that she had to be in a relationship to be okay and that she was a 3rd wheel even in her own family. Her story was very interesting and I am glad that she wrote it so that perhaps someone else who is in a controlling/ abusive relationship might see the pattern and realize that they too could get out of such a horrible relationship. I remember on the show that she kept saying that Josh was "her type", which she also mentions in the book, and I really hope that she has learned to open her mind and heart to men who are not "her type" because extremely attractive ex-pro athletes don't seem to have worked out so well for her so far! Josh said what she wanted to hear when he was still trying to lure her in, and changed his tune after the end of the show. He was very controlling, jealous over really petty things, and emotionally and verbally abusive. I am glad that she found the courage to leave him despite all the hardship she knew she would have to go through, not just her own pain about the breakup but also the publicity because of the show.