I think that everyone has a guilty pleasure or two in this world, something that we love to indulge in, even though it might not be held in the highest regard by others. If you have been reading this column, you already know about my completely shameless love of romance novels. Not necessarily the bodice rippers that my grandmother enjoyed. She liked those paperbacks with a life-like painting of Fabio on the cover, his long blond locks blowing in the wind, his shirt ripped open, and some damsel in distress swooning in his arms.
My romance novels are a little bit more modern and humorous – there is a lot less swooning, and they are Fabio-free – but they are definitely still romance. My second guilty pleasure is that I am a hardcore reality TV junkie. I am enraptured by The (not so) Real Housewives of Just About Anywhere. Bachelor Nation? I am in. I am glued to the entire 90-Day Fiancé universe and Summer House and don’t even get me started on Below Deck. You name it, I love it. I don’t care if it is fake or not exactly reality - I live for a big old helping of trashy reality TV.
I guess these guilty pleasures should carry some degree of embarrassment for me, but I love them both shamelessly and love talking about them as much as possible, which embarrasses my teen and tween daughters enough for all of us. I guess romance novels and reality TV are my not-so-guilty pleasures, and they are both things I never want to live my life without.
Imagine my excitement this week when I picked up “The True Love Experiment,” the newest book from Christina Lauren, and discovered that it fully embraces both. In this book, we are introduced to Conner Prince, a single dad and documentary filmmaker who is reluctantly thrust into a reality TV production by his budget-minded boss. As a producer on a new bachelor-type dating show, Conner is desperately searching for a female lead when, completely by chance, he runs into Felicity “Fizzy” Chen.
Fizzy happens to know a thing or two about romance. Despite having written several bestselling, and very spicy, romance novels that are all loved by her legions of fans, she is currently struggling, not only with a case of writer’s block but with a love life of her own that is more dry toast than hot and spicy. Conner convinces Fizzy to star in his show, where she is matched up with a group of men that are each handpicked and guaranteed to make must-watch TV. As the nation watches Fizzy’s “journey to true love” (if you have watched these shows, you know the drill) play out, the chemistry between Conner and Fizzy turns out to be so hot that it threatens to derail the entire show.
I dare readers not to fall head over heels in love with Fizzy, she is hilarious. This woman has no filter at all, and she gets what she wants without apology. Conner is a strong and quiet type, who tempers Fizzy perfectly. And that chemistry I mentioned above? It is absolutely on fire. If you have read Lauren’s previous books, you may recognize Fizzy from “The Soulmate Equation,” which centered around her best friend.
While it is kind of a follow-up to “The Soulmate Equation,” rest assured that “The True Love Experiment” is an awesome standalone, and you can read it on its own and still love it. Or heck – just go grab both of them and enjoy. You won’t be disappointed. You can come and thank me or maybe just discuss Below Deck Sailing Yacht on Instagram, where I am always reading and rambling about all of my not-so-guilty pleasures daily.
Allison Diegel is the Executive Chaos Coordinator at the Diegel Home for Wayward Girls and Their Many Pets here in her hometown of Fallon.
She has been reading since before she could talk, and now she likes doing lots of both. See her readings and ramblings [email protected].
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