Be the Bombshell: What Love Island Teaches Us About Dating

Written by Rebecca Jennings

Narrated by Rebecca Jennings

Date better, raise your standards, and learn to be true to yourself with these heartfelt lessons from the Villa.

“Can I pull you for a chat?” “Where’s your head at?” “Maybe we should call it the ‘friendship island’?” “Do I put all my eggs in one basket?” “Am I a mug?”

These are the questions that plague the Love Islanders competing for love in their sun-soaked villa—and those of us in the trenches of modern dating. They share the dilemmas that keep us up at night as we swipe, text, and ghost our way to finding a romantic spark. The #1 hit reality TV dating show does more than offer riveting poolside drama, genuinely touching romances (and bromances), and hours of contestants in bikinis having the most mundane conversations on the terrace. It provides an unvarnished portrait of dating, with plenty to say about love, self-worth, and putting yourself back together after a brutal recoupling.

Be the Bombshell is a cheeky, laugh-out-loud playbook to navigating singlehood by embracing the absolute ten-out-of-ten, proper fit, total bombshell that you are. Feeling awkward about approaching people in public? Here’s how to pull someone for a chat. Overcome by an “ick?” Maybe you just need to move beyond your “type on paper.” Recently been pied—or dumped? Invest in yourself before choosing to go out there again.

In this unofficial title, Rebecca Jennings takes the most iconic and unforgettable moments from Love Island to remind us dating should be fun—not just tolerable. A witty love letter to Love Island superfans, hopeless romantics, and serial swipers, Be the Bombshell will teach you to demand what you want unapologetically and to tell the difference between what’s worth the compromise and what’s settling for less than you deserve. Your very own group chat to the best, worst, and weirdest parts of dating, Be the Bombshell steers you through the highs, lows, and the DMs you probably shouldn’t send.

Are you ready? A hot new bombshell has entered the Villa!

This book is not authorized, sponsored, or affiliated with the television show Love Island.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio
• Release date: May 27, 2025
• ISBN: 9781668147979

Rebecca Jennings

Rebecca Jennings is a features writer at New York magazine. Previously she worked at Vox, where she covered social platforms and the creator economy with a focus on how social media is changing the nature of fame, fashion, money, and human relationships. Her work has explored everything from the joy of reality television to the rise of TikTok and why it feels like suddenly everyone’s an influencer now. She lives in Brooklyn with her husband and cat.