Reality Bites - by Amy Mass (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

A wickedly funny debut romcom in which a young scientist reluctantly becomes a contestant on a reality TV dating show to save her lab--and realizes her secrets are threatened when romance unexpectedly finds her behind the scenes.

Grace Lambert's entire family are all influencers. Her mom runs an HGTV-like Instagram, her dad operates a Yoga for Men Youtube channel, and her brothers are famous on Tiktok and Twitch. Grace, however, is a scientist devoted to saving the Southern Mountain yellow-legged frogs from extinction, who has never had social media.

When her mom signs her up for a dating show with a cult-like following, Grace hangs up on their lawyer, Andrew, immediately. She has no interest in reality TV--until her lab loses its funding, and her coworkers learn about not only the show's worldwide viewership . . . but the cash prize.

Arriving on set, Grace immediately feels like a frog out of water. She doesn't know how to mug for the cameras, make effortless small talk with the contestants, or watch her tongue in an interview--making her a constant thorn in Andrew's side.

The more time Grace spends competing in challenges, unexpectedly flirting with contestants, and making Andrew's life a living hell, the more she realizes that being there for the wrong reason and keeping it secret might be trickier than she thought--not to mention just how much trouble an illicit, off-screen romance can bring.

Review Quotes

"If Ali Hazelwood and Lynn Painter had a book baby, she'd probably be a wildly lovable, frog-saving scientist with a PhD, a social media blindspot, and a reality-TV moment she never wanted. REALITY BITES is that smart, sharp, swoony rom-com I didn't know I needed--Laugh-out-loud funny, heartfelt, and brilliantly original, Amy Mass's debut leaps from science to mainstream reality tv with a heroine who learns that saving a species might be easier than surviving a reality dating show...especially when the real chemistry is off-camera." - Jordan Roter, author of Moms Like Us

"Binge-readers beware - this book is sharp, delicious, full of laughs, and utterly addictive."
Rachel Griffiths, author of The Trouble with Anna

"REALITY BITES is the book your beach bag is begging for! It's smart, snappy, sun-soaked fun that's juicier than a season of Love Island and funnier than your favorite sitcom. You'll be rooting for Grace through every ridiculous physical challenge and every new romantic encounter on her madcap journey toward self-discovery and real love."

- Timothy Janovsky, USA Today bestselling author of The (Fake) Dating Game

"Reality Bites is a sexy romp that had me doubling over in laughter! Mass's charming debut is The Love Hypothesis meets Love Island, with a snarky, buttoned-up scientist jumping into the deep end of the reality show pool--to save the frogs, of course! I cheered for Grace as the competition launched her out of her comfort zone, and then fell head over heels for her deliciously forbidden romance behind the scenes. This rom-com is pure fun!" - Jessica James, author of For One Night Only