ABC Reveals Details of Upcoming Season of THE BACHELORETTE

Emily Maynard, the beautiful, sweet, young mom who captured America's and Brad Womack's heart on the 15th season of "The Bachelor," finally thought she had her happy ending. She accepted Brad's proposal but unfortunately their relationship ended, along with her dream of moving to Austin with her daughter, Ricki, and starting a family. But Emily is ready for her luck to change and to bring her the love she so richly deserves. It's hard to meet men as a single mom, but Emily will have her pick of 25 bachelors when she gets a second opportunity to find love starring in the eighth edition of "The Bachelorette," the female version of ABC's hit romance reality series, premiering MONDAY, MAY 14 (9:31-11:00 p.m., ET), on the ABC Television Network.

Instantly popular with "Bachelor" fans, Emily's strength, passion and southern charm - as a mother and as a woman - would make anyone happy to make her his wife. She feels incredibly grateful to have found her first love when she was very young, although her fiance, famed NASCAR driver and team owner Ricky Hendrick, tragically died in a plane crash. She then discovered she was pregnant with their child, the apple of her eye - Ricki. Despite not having dated a lot, Emily, 26, knows what it's like to be truly in love. In the past seven years, she has been looking for someone with the same spark she has for life, and she believes that she will find her soul mate on "The Bachelorette."

On the premiere, "Episode 801," Emily's journey begins in her hometown of Charlotte, North Carolina, where she lives with her six-year-old daughter, Ricki. After saying "good night" to Ricki, Emily arrives at a southern mansion where she meets her 25 potential soulmates who have traveled across the country. They include a biology teacher, a mushroom farmer, a marine biologist and a ex-professional football player. Emily is nervous, but her anxiety slips away and soon turns to laughter as a single dad produces a glass slipper and proclaims her a princess; a youthful entrepreneur swoops in on a skateboard; a party MC shows off his dance moves; and a southern gentleman brings something special that symbolizes his dedication to protecting her and Ricki. But although one man's grand entrance in a helicopter impresses Emily, it only makes him a target of jealousy and ridicule from the other bachelors.

Inside the mansion, the battle is on among the eager suitors vying for the attention of the southern belle. A confident man is eager to charm Emily, but he is upstaged by a single father of six excited to show off his family photos to her. One handsome man wins her over with a pair of custom bobble head dolls, but another bachelor is extremely nervous when he reveals his career, fearing that it will remind her of her late fiance. The night turns more emotional when another single dad brings her a heartwarming letter from his 11-year-old son. The competition erupts into a full-fledged competition when Chris Harrison brings out the coveted first impression rose. A tough-talking entertainer confronts the wealthy suitor who dropped in via helicopter, accusing him of being selfish and insincere. But unaware of the tension, Emily is stolen away by the skateboarder, whose soft-spoken and self-confident ways impress her. Everyone holds their breath as Emily gives out the first impression rose to one charming bachelor, but no one can blame her for choosing him. By the end of the night, Emily will have 19 men left to compete for her affections and, in the end, her heart.