// This giveaway has closed. The winner has been announced HERE on Rafflecopter. //

When TLC Book Tours asked me to review one of their latest books, REAL HAPPY FAMILY, by Caeli Wolfson Widger, the email exchange went a little something like this:

Them: “Are you interested in reviewing a book that is focused around pop culture and reality TV?”

Me: “Hold on, let me turn down the Real Housewives of (Insert Favorite Bravo Franchise Here).”

In all honesty, once I dug into REAL HAPPY FAMILY, it wasn’t quite what I expected. Reading about pop culture and reality TV seems like it would be a pretty cushy gig, but this book is much darker and grittier than those topics let on.

The story follows a family, mainly a mother and a daughter, who are trying to survive in Hollywood, eventually ending up on an intervention-style reality TV show… which kicks off in a Reno hotel room, of all places.

I’m still finishing up the last few chapters of REAL HAPPY FAMILY and while it took me a few chapters to pull the story together, the characters kept me going. I loved that this wasn’t a fluffy-take on reality TV or a profile of a “struggling” actress. It feels real and borderline scandalous in a man-behind-the-curtain way, without being sensationalized with the glitz and glamour of typical celeb-fiction reads. To top it all off, it’s smart and witty, in all of the right places. My favorite.

There were times when I had to put it down to take a break from the almost painful family interactions. I felt as if I were peeking straight into the lives of Lorelei and Colleen, like I was watching them on Real Happy Family (the reality show they land on) myself, rather than reading a piece of fiction.

I’d certainly recommend REAL HAPPY FAMILY, especially if you’re a self-confessed reality TV junkie, like me. (I have no shame.) Your secret is safe with me. Looking forward to seeing how it all wraps up… I still can’t tell if there is a happy ending in the works or if this family will dive right into tragedy, yet again.

Find REAL HAPPY FAMILY:
Pick up your own copy on Amazon. (The Kindle-version is under $5 right now!)
Save it to your Goodreads account.
Follow author, Caeli Wolfson Widger on Twitter.

To enter to win a copy of REAL HAPPY FAMILY, please click on the Rafflecopter giveaway link below:

// This giveaway is closed. Please click the link below to see the winner. Thank you for participating! //

bellingFAM Giveaway for REAL HAPPY FAMILY, A NOVEL

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A copy of REAL HAPPY FAMILY was provided for the purpose of this review. Giveaway provided by TLC Book Tours. All opinions are my own.