Life after college isn’t as seen on TV: Jen’s low-paying job is uninspiring, her boyfriend won’t commit, and she just got evicted. The most exercise she gets comes from dodging debt collectors. Then she sees aån ad seeking competitors for a new reality show with a $250,000 prize. She desperately needs money and the lottery isn’t looking good, so she applies, never expecting to get the call. Until she does. With nothing to lose, Jen packs a bag and heads for the Hollywood hills to star in The Fishbowl. Most of the contestants want to create drama to gain viewer votes, but Jen is all about the joy of the game. Unfortunately, she becomes embroiled in a love triangle and battling another woman for the attention of a fellow contestant. It’s tricky balancing act to hold onto viewers without lying, cheating, or backstabbing—things that don’t bother her opponents. When Jen discovers that she’s on the verge of elimination, she must decide whether “winning” means sacrificing the money, love, or her sense of self.

Sugar, Sea Salt, And Show Biz Jen Reid's life after walking off a reality show has been great-she's gone from being a broke twenty-four-year-old Seattleite with no love life and no job to the twenty-five-year-old who got the guy, moved to Miami, and is starting a bakery with her best friend. She thinks her showmance boyfriend might be about to propose. And with mouthwatering goodies based on everyone's favorite shows, her business, Sweet Reality, is destined for success. That is, until a killer competitor opens right across the street. If she's going to save Sweet Reality, Jen has to come up with a secret ingredient-like the recipe that won Totally 80s Bake-Off. Jen can get it-if she steps back into the spotlight. Soon she and her boyfriend are out to sea on a cruise ship full of reality stars, including her nemesis, Ariana; her lying, cheating ex; and some wicked producers looking to bring the drama. Separate cabins, "surprises" from her past, and scenarios tailor-made to spark fights are just the beginning. But with her self-respect, her business, and her future on the line, the fallout from this made-for-TV plotline will be all too real . . .

SAY ‘I DO’—OR ELSE When Jen Reid escaped a reality TV cruise with her relationship intact—if not her hair—she swore she was done with the cameras for good. Sure, she and Justin met, had their first kiss, and got engaged with tape rolling, but manufactured drama and ruthless producers have shaken them up more times than she can count. With Jen’s reality-themed bakery just getting started and her brand-new lawyer fiancé in a pile of debt, they’re a long way from glitz and glamour, and that’s fine by Jen. Until the Network calls and tells her that unless she says “I do” to a wedding special, Justin will be out of a job. Now Jen has two weeks to plan an all-expenses-paid “dream wedding”—and dodge the tricks and traps of a showrunner happy to mess up her future in the name of ratings. Luckily for Jen, she’s got plenty of experience with cake and popcorn. But when real-life drama and reality TV twists collide, the cliffhangers may just follow her right down the aisle . . . Praise for America’s Next Reality Star “Smart, witty, and really freaking good, America’s Next Reality Star is a fun read that has you cheering from the first paragraph through the last page. Laura Heffernan spins an entertaining tale, expertly mixing the main character's real life events with the reality show's challenges. With enough drama to not only satisfy fans of reality TV shows, but readers who thrive on a good story with humor and romance, this book is a perfect read.” —Kerry Lonsdale, Wall Street Journal bestselling author “Reality TV fans, this is your book! Laura Heffernan captures all the drama and over-the-top craziness in this fun and flirty romance.” —Amy E. Reichert, author of Love, Luck, and Lemon Pie “America’s Next Reality Star is one sweet, sexy brain-candy read! You won’t be sorry you indulged.” —Leah Marie Brown