How to Win the Bachelor

October 25, 2021
Novelist Kultgen (Strange Animals) and TV writer Pace, hosts of the Bachelor-themed podcast Game of Roses, take fandom to a new level with this entertaining how-to for snatching the final rose on the popular reality series. The authors—who watched every episode from the show’s 25 seasons (on double-speed) in a mere 74 days—believe “The Bachelor is a professional sport.” They treat it as such with unabashed zeal, diving into the show’s history as they determine the “best players of all time” and glean insight from “past plays” in order to help potential contestants win the game. They identify the objectives (with roses here being “the lifeblood”), and even offer statistics on players’ skill levels at securing roses. In addition to sharing effective tools for advancing in the game (such as playing The Good Girl archetype to one’s advantage), Kultgen and Pace pose provocative theories, including why the “First Flower” of any rose ceremony may be more telling than the “First Impression Rose.” Though contestants’ social media clout and deceptive strategies get heavy attention, they also shed light on the franchise’s less-than-flattering history, including former host Chris Harrison’s “racism-related scandal that erupted in Season 25.” Bachelor fans would do well to grab a highlighter. Agent: Alex Glass, Glass Literary.