"the wedding game" by amy matayo

About the book (from Amazon): Cannon James has a plan: Sign on as a contestant for his father’s new reality show, marry a blonde hand-picked by the producers, and walk away two million dollars richer. It’s all been arranged. Easy. Clean. No regrets. Until Ellie McAllister ruins everything by winning the viewer’s vote. Now he has to convince America that he’s head over heels in love with her. Not easy to do since she’s a walking disaster.

Ellie McAllister has her own problems. She needs money, and she needs it now. Despite her parents' objections and her belief that marriage is sacred, she signs on to The Wedding Game…and wins. Now she’s married to a guy she can’t stand, and if she wants her hands on the money, she has six months to make voters believe she loves him. Not easy to do since he’s the most arrogant man in America.

It doesn’t take long for Ellie and Cannon to realize they’ve made a mess of things…even less time for their feelings for one another to change. But is it too late for them? More importantly, can the worst decision they've ever made actually become one of the best?

My take: As a long-time fan of the Bachelor/ette franchise, I was eager to read a book that takes place behind the scenes of a similar show. And it incorporates something I've long thought should be a part of the franchise (because we all know it's pretty fake, anyway!): the viewer vote.

When the viewers pick Ellie to be Cannon's bride instead the woman the producers wanted, the producers change the game. Now Ellie and Cannon have to convince the world they're truly in love if they want to win the money.

While The Wedding Game is ostensibly a look at reality TV, it's basically just the story of two people falling in love. And it's a pretty entertaining story at that! It does suffer from the same problem that's found in many romance novels: the conflict between the hero and heroine could be cleared up with a simple conversation—yet it's a conversation that doesn't happen until the end of the book. If Ellie and Cannon had just been honest with each other about their motives for marriage, their lives would have been easier ... and the book would have been much shorter!

That said, The Wedding Game is highly entertaining, and I stayed up far too late reading it. I will definitely be watching for Matayo's next book!

My rating: 4 stars

Buy the book (or borrow for free with Amazon Prime).

About the author: Amy Matayo is a graduate of John Brown University. She is a former writer and editor for DaySpring Cards. Her first contracted novel, The Wedding Game, won the 2012 ACFW Genesis Award.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I borrowed this book through Amazon Prime and reviewed it of my own free will. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."