For fans of Survivor and Less, this fast-paced debut novel shines an unflinching light on the drama of reality TV when a gay man returns to the cut-throat show he won in his youth after his adult life begins to unravel.

Following the car accident that ended his football career and left his body scarred, twenty-two-year-old Luke Griffin joins the cast of Endeavor, a new competition-based reality show that pits the tabloids’ darlings against one another in tasks of endurance and problem solving. At first, he thrives, effortlessly forming friendships and even a romantic relationship that he thinks will last a lifetime. But Luke has aspirations far bigger than the show’s million-dollar prize, and soon a series of betrayals leads to irreversible tragedy, changing the course of his and his fellow contestants’ lives forever.

Ten years later, Luke’s world looks very He is now a father of two and the stay-at-home husband to America’s only openly gay senator. When his husband’s serial cheating is exposed, Luke impulsively joins the cast of Endeavor‘s latest season in a desperate bid to earn some fast cash. Back on set, he is confronted with everything he tried to leave in the bitter rivalries, shattered friendships, and crushing guilt, all of which threaten to tear down the walls he’s spent a decade building. As Season 20 of Endeavor kicks off, Luke must give everything to the game, even as he finally learns what it means––and what it costs––to face the truth.

Combining the fabulous rivalries of The Traitors with the epic physical stunts of The Challenge, THE BOOK OF LUKE offers a grounded portrait of what it means to reinvent yourself when no one will let you forget your past – especially if it’s immortalized on streaming services.

This book came along at exactly the right moment, even if I almost missed it entirely. I’ll admit it. I was offered an ARC and turned it down because I wasn’t sure it would be for me and my TBR was already overflowing. Then the rave reviews started rolling in, curiosity won, and I picked it up after release. I’m so glad I did. This book has everything I love, and once I started, I was completely hooked.

At its core, this is a story about reinvention, public scrutiny, and the messiness of loving people who may not deserve you. It’s also a reality TV competition novel that absolutely understands the genre it’s playing in.

Luke Griffin is a former football star whose career ended abruptly after a devastating car accident. At twenty-two, scarred and adrift, he joins the cast of Endeavor, a brutal competition show built on endurance, strategy, and personality clashes. He thrives on camera, builds friendships, falls in love, and believes he’s found something real. Then betrayal strikes, tragedy follows, and everything falls apart.

Ten years later, Luke’s life looks very different. He’s a stay-at-home dad, married to America’s only openly gay senator (a Republican no less), and quietly holding together a life built on compromise and denial. When his husband’s serial cheating becomes public, Luke makes a reckless decision. He returns to Endeavor for its twentieth season, chasing fast cash and maybe a sense of control he’s lost along the way. What he gets instead is a reckoning.

What impressed me most is how vividly the reality TV elements are rendered. Translating a competition show to the page isn’t easy, but Holder absolutely pulls it off. I could picture the locations, the physical challenges, and the behind-the-scenes tension with ease. The twists land with the same shock and excitement you’d expect from shows like The Traitors or Drag Race. I was buckled in and fully invested, the same way I am when I’m watching an episode unfold in real time.

Luke is a deeply sympathetic, deeply flawed protagonist. He makes questionable choices. He avoids hard truths. He stays too long in situations that hurt him. And yet, it’s impossible not to root for him. His ex-husband is the kind of character you love to hate, a philandering, slimy, gay Republican whose public image and private behavior are in constant conflict. That dynamic adds another layer of tension and commentary without ever feeling preachy.

The structure of the book works beautifully. We move between Luke’s original season and the present-day competition through well-placed flashbacks that slowly reveal where things went wrong the first time. Those revelations are devastating, not because they’re shocking for shock’s sake, but because they deepen our understanding of Luke’s guilt and unresolved grief. The past isn’t just backstory. It’s a living thing that follows him into every decision he makes.

There’s also something really compelling about how the book examines fame, memory, and permanence. Luke can’t escape his past because it’s been edited, streamed, and replayed endlessly. His worst moments are frozen in time, available at the click of a button. Reinvention becomes harder when the internet refuses to forget, and the book handles that tension with surprising emotional weight.

This is an addictive, dramatic, and emotionally grounded read. It’s about reality TV, yes, but it’s also about identity, regret, and what it costs to keep pretending you’re fine. If you love competition shows, messy relationships, and stories centered on flawed but sympathetic queer characters, don’t sleep on this one.