Bachelor Villain Courtney Robertson's Book is "Winning!"

  

The only thing in life that I am addicted to (other than Chapstick! LOL) is The Bachelor/Bachelorette franchise. I know it's sometimes a trashy show, or as my husband loves to call it - "Mind-numbing TV", but I love it! As a busy mom, I spend my days multi-tasking and running rampant. At the end of the day sometimes, I just want to kick back and relax and not think too much. This is the perfect antidote for me. I love reading Reality Steve's spoilers and little gems of otherwise unknown info about the show, seeing the different dynamics amongst the contestants, and the pursuit of love. And who doesn't enjoy a little TV drama now and then? I can't lie! LOL

When I heard that Courtney Robertson, (A.K.A. the girl most people loved to hate from Ben's season) was writing a book, I couldn't wait for it to come out. I got my hands on a review copy of I Didn't Come Here To Make Friends - Confessions of a Reality Show Villain from HarperCollins, and started flying through the pages!

It's such an easy and enjoyable read. So much so, that I was actually disappointed when it ended. Courtney writes about her childhood, all the way up to getting engaged to Ben Flajnik and to present day. The book sheds light on just how isolated the contestants are during the filming process (think hamster wheel!), and how it can affect their mindset. There's a lot of insider info a variety of cast members and how things are run on the show during taping. It also goes into detail about her relationship with Ben and her perception and experience of their downfall. In fairness, I'd be curious to know what Ben's side of it was.

There is a little feature throughout the book that she calls "Keeping It Real". It includes tips that are mostly written by various cast members throughout various seasons of the franchise. You will hear tips from Kalon McMahon, Arie Luyendyk (who is rumoured to be in the running to be the next Bachelor), Michelle Money, Graham Bunn, Chris Bukowski, Ashlee Frazier, Casey Shteamer and others. Tips range from how to get noticed in an application to be on The Bachelor, 5 questions to ask the suitor, Arie's tips on kissing, and even how to throw the best Bachelor viewing party!

Ina Garten (A.K.A. The Barefoot Contessa) should be thrilled that she got a free plug in Courtney's book for her awesome meatloaf recipe! This recipe is our go to recipe for meatloaf too and I highly recommend you try it out! You won't be disappointed, I'm sure!

In my opinion, there are two important things to take away from this book. First, as a viewer (and even as a fellow contestant), you never really know what a person is going through and you often times will see what they want you to see. Not necessarily what is really going on. So try not to judge people, you just never know what that person is actually struggling with behind the scenes. And for those young ladies (and men) on the dating scene, the importance of self-awareness and self-worth, and being aware of red flags and patterns in your own dating history that prevent you from being with the right choice for you.

Courtney readily takes responsibility for her part in her portrayal on TV. Obviously the show has their prerogative on how they want to portray the show, but in truth, if you didn't say certain things (in the right or wrong context) it can't be used against you. I like her honesty in the book, even if she is a bit catty at times. I do think though, and did when I watched her season, that most of that is probably chalked up to a misguided sense of humour and her own insecurity with the other women on the cast. That is not unlike many of us, myself included sometimes. Other times in the book, Courtney addresses struggles and frustration with other contestants, such as The Bachelorette "OG" Trista Sutter who was allegedly all over her on social media during the airing of her season.

People can hate on her all they want, but I love and totally respect that she is ambitious and is not afraid to go after what she wants, regardless of what people think about her, and despite her own insecurities and/or fears. It may not always be the right way of going about it, but we've all been guilty of doing something or saying something that hurt or offended people along the way. When you read her book, I am confident that you will find that she recognizes her mistakes and has learned from it. Something that takes courage and guts to face and admit.

My final take on the book? In the words of Courtney Robertson, one of The Bachelor franchise's most famous villains, my verdict is "Winning!" LOL (For those of you who don't remember, this was her repetitive catch phrase during her season.)

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