Reality Check By Vicky Notaro

‘Reality Check’ is the debut novel by Vicky Notaro.

Portia Daniels’ life is sorted. She has a perfect man (Jason, a hot TV producer from Ireland), a perfect apartment (in lower Manhattan), a perfect job (writing for TV). Best of all for her, unlike the rest of her family, she lives in perfect obscurity. On the other hand, it’s all drama with her mother, Dessie, Kerry-born queen bee of hit reality show, Ladies of Los Angeles, and sisters, Vinnie, a supermodel-turned-Insta-guru and Ariel, a Tik-Tok teen sensation. When Jason drops a bombshell that leaves her life in tatters, Portia flees to be with her family. Her timing could not be worse though as scandal engulfs Vinnie’s empire and Ariel bratty behaviour gets out of hand. As for Dessie, she is clearly hiding something. It seems like the glamour and gossip on which Dessie built her empire might just be its downfall. But maybe Portia has been fooling herself about living a ‘real’ life? She might be about to get as big a wake-up call as her mother and sisters.

If you’re a lover of reality television then ‘Reality Check’ is just the book for you as it takes you even further behind the curtain giving you a glimpse of the glamour, the stress and the intrusion of it all. The story is seen through the narratvie of writer, Portia Daniels who’s life was going fine until her boyfriend drops the baby bomb and they’re no longer on the same page. As the pair take some space, Portia’s sister Vinnie love life is also falling apart after finding out her husband is cheating on her and with being in the public eye, everyone has an opinion. With their worlds falling in around them, the pair find solace and protection in their mother, Dessie. Thee ulimate reality star, Dessie is outwarming, bubbly, sassy and a fierce protector of her children, so when they become public property, her mothering instincts take over and she rallies the troops and helps put them back together, whilst dealing with her own drama.

I loved this story, the writing is snappy and fun with characters that are relatable, granted their lifestyle is out of my budget, but this book is the perfect escapism story and with chapters that are relatively short, it was easy to get whisked away to the busy streets of New York, the glamour of New York or the wilds of the Kerry. I loved Portia, she’s a great lead, inspiriational, determined and not afraid to stand by her beliefs, even if she is being judged by those around her. It was fascinatig to join her as she deals with the absence of a secure relationship and as she tenatively dips her toes into the world of dating, with delicious and occasionally disastrous results. The other supporting characters were also great and I loved how their lives intertwined throughout the story and coming seamlessly together at the end.

Fun, sassy and packed with glamour, drama and style, ‘Reality Check’ is a stellar debut that’s brimming with attitude and the hardships of being in the public eye and makes you wonder if it’s all really worth it for the likes and follows.

You can buy ‘Reality Check’ from Amazon and is available to buy from good bookshops.