How freaking CUTE! This book is FILLED with laughs, anger, and betrayal. What else do we expect when it comes to dating shows? Right?

Although the book is told in Cara’s perspective the author did a phenomenal job show casing her mother, Julia, too. Their relationship is really the star of the book. Even though they join the show in hopes to find mama some love.

Cara’s thoughts and actions towards her dad and step-mother are completely understandable, and not to mention believable. Sometimes with a teen main character they tend to over exaggerate, or become annoyingly immature. Happy to report neither of those things come into play in the book.

Honestly the only couple I was routing for was Cara and Connor! The adorable nature between the two was absolute perfection! One specific scene made me literally say “AWWWW” out loud.

I enjoyed the pacing, and content, nothing seemed out of place, and everything flowed nicely. If you’re looking for a good clean YA romantic comedy, this is it!!

Thank you NetGalley, Turn the Page Tours, and Margaret K. McElderry Books for providing me an eARC of All the Right Reasons. This review is being left voluntarily, all opinions are my own.

I wanted to read this one mostly because of the cover, haha. I love illustrated covers and this one also reminded me of an older comic like Jughead. How could I resist the urge to request?

The book is told from one point-of-view and it comes from Cara Hawn. She is seventeen and trying to manage life with divorced parents who don’t get along. Throw in a stepmother and it’s one thing after another to deal with. I have not had to deal with divorced parents personally, but my husband has and from his own stories I can understand how relatable Cara will be. It’s a hard situation to deal with and when you have your own feelings it can be hard to express them because you don’t want to cause more issues among them, let alone start another round of fighting. Cara also just wants what is best for her mom who she adores. It’s easy to see why this is being compared to Gilmore Girls. Their relationship is very fun and sometimes more friend-like than mother/daughter. It’s good to see a close bond between a parent and child.

I have only read a handful of books that have a show as a setting. It’s always a unique experience because the show is always quite different minus it usually being a reality one. Second chance dating is a fun trope and adding a family dynamic made it all the more better. It was cool to see the children of the parents interact and sometimes cause chaos! It was never a dull moment, especially if you know how wild reality shows can be.

My biggest complaint about this book would be the romance. There are two different ones going on. Cara has found her own love interest but it was hard to tell if she was doing it to add more to the show for the producers or if she really was interested. It could very well be the first and she required feelings along the way but I’m just not totally convinced. As for the mother, I hated how she didn’t listen to her daughter as much once the show started and that not only impacted their relationship but also who she wanted to end up with by the end. I do like that ending was very much a surprise and she came to her senses. Although, it felt very much like insta-love which isn’t my thing. I do understand that it is a shorter book so the author has to cram everything in.

Overall, this was a light, fun, and fast-paced read.

All the Right Reasons primarily takes place on the set of a reality television show called Second Chance Romance. When Cara’s video journal accidentally gets posted publicly instead of privately, her and her mother, Julia, go viral, and end up catching the attention of the Second Chance Romance producers. The next thing Cara and her mother know, they’re the new leads of Second Chance Romance, and have found themselves in Key West. Second Chance Romance operates as follows: While Julia gets to know the contestants, Cara’s getting to know their children so she can better know her potential stepsiblings. There aren’t a lot of rules to Second Chance Romance, except for where there are — contestants and leads aren’t allowed to eat on dates, they’re filmed at all times, and the usual rules that come along with a reality dating show. But when Cara starts developing feelings for a contestant’s son, how does she juggle between her growing feelings for him, and helping her mom choose a bachelor that’ll fit into their life, while dealing with the pressures of reality tv?

As a lover of The Bachelor, I loved the concept of Second Chance Romance. I found it to be a cool twist on the standard reality-tv show, and I really liked how it was family-focused, rather than just between Cara’s mom and the bachelors. The way Second Chance Romance functioned felt authentic to the point where I felt I was reading a behind-the-scenes article about The Bachelorette. From group dates, to all the questionnaires and testing, it truly was a believable television show, and I’m a little disappointed that it isn’t real. Something that really charmed me about All the Right Reasons was how all the characters were so vivid. I found so many of the characters endearing, whether it was Cara, Julia, the production team, contestants, or the contestant’s kids. If there was ever a spinoff, I’d definitely be down to read it.
While this was marketed as a romance, the heart of All the Right Reasons lies in Cara and Julia’s relationship. I love mother-daughter duos, and found their dynamic so heartwarming. The two of them work through a lot of things, including communication style, but at the end of the day, you know that they both care very deeply for one another. Despite their disagreements and differing opinions, Cara and Julia just want what’s best for their family. Cara and Julia’s bond was incredibly sweet, and I just loved how fiercely protective they were of one another. The pressure of Second Chance Romance caused some tension to their relationship, and reading how they navigate that tension was so wonderful.

Another highlight of All the Right Reasons for me was Connor, our love interest, who has Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, but that isn’t his entire identity. Rather, we get to fall in love with Connor — he’s sweet, funny, sensitive, and compassionate, and at no point does anyone try to “fix” him. Watching him and Cara fall for one another was adorable, although I wish we’d gotten to read more of their interactions. I felt like Cara and Connor’s relationship was a little more lackluster in comparison to the relationship between Cara and her mother, but I didn’t find myself caring too much.

All the Right Reasons was a fast-paced book, and before I knew it, I was already done with it! I do wish that the book had been longer, and felt the pacing was a little off at times. Ultimately, I’d highly recommend All the Right Reasons to fans of The Bachelor, strong mother-daughter bonds, and anyone looking for a short read.

I found this a really cute, fun read. The book has a good dose of romance, drama, and humor as we experience the behind the scenes of what it's like to be on a Bachelor-type dating show. Things haven't been easy for Cara and her mother, and this dating show might just be their shot at a happy ending. But it can't be that easy, of course, and they also have to deal with cutthroat divas, lying producers, and forbidden romances. I enjoyed getting to see more about each of the different contestants as the book went on, and there is definitely one family that readers will love to hate. This isn't a book with too many major surprises, but it's a cute story with likable characters that kept me enjoying the story throughout.

I really enjoyed the representation in this book. Cara, our protagonist, is biracial (Korean and White) with a mom who is adopted. There's some disability rep with a character who has Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, which I've never seen in a story and was excited to see represented here. Cara's mom is super athletic and strong, and I love seeing this portrayal of women more and more. And I love that all of these parts of the characters are just natural aspects of them that flow into the story.

I also love the mother-daughter relationship in this book, which I think sets it apart from a typical YA romance. Cara and her mom definitely give off Lorelai and Rory vibes and have several cute habits that show how amazing their bond is. The show definitely puts pressure on that bond though, and I liked seeing them figure out how to navigate this new dynamic they find themselves in when there are strangers and cameras everywhere they turn. I like their relationship arc even better than any of the romantic ones. (The romantic ones are totally adorable too, though!)

All in all, I think this is a great read for any YA romance lover. It's a quick read, engaging with cute moments as well as many funny moments. Definitely recommend!

All the Right Reasons follows Cara and her mom Julia as they navigate life after a messy divorce. When a private video not-diary ends up online and takes the world by storm, Cara and Julia are offered a shot at building a new family on a new reality television show. However, being on a reality show isn’t all that it seems, and by the end, Cara is worried she won’t end up with the new dad she hoped for.

This book is incredibly fast-paced. The plot consistently jumps to the next point in a way that flows well and holds the reader’s attention without feeling too brisk or rushed. Although I thought the book would take a while to get to the reality television aspect, Mangle created a timeline that worked well and felt reflective of how quickly something like a viral video can change someone's life.

After I finished reading, I wished there had been more exposition in some parts. While I enjoyed the pace of the story, there were times when I felt like I didn't know the entire backstory of an event, which made me unsure how to feel when that event caused another situation to arise. However, I think it goes well with the idea that a viewer or participant of a reality show never quite knows the entire story, whether it’s because the viewer gets the television edit or the participant is left out of the decisions made by producers. With that in mind, it does make the reader feel like they are filming the show with Cara and Julia, which adds to the readability of the book.

All the Right Reasons gives a fun behind-the-scenes view of reality dating shows but also has a storyline that, in my opinion, would never happen in an actual dating show, which makes the ending unexpected. It is a great surprise that, as a reader, I was desperately hoping would come back up somehow, and when it does, it’s worth the wait. It also gives the satisfaction you don’t always get from a reality dating show, and for that alone, I was pleased. The epilogue gives us a view of Julia and her new husband’s life, and it’s everything you want the life of a dating show contestant to be after the lights go out on their season. Overall, this book gave me everything I feel reality dating shows lack, which made for a gratifying experience.

While the show is meant to help Julia find a new husband, Cara also ends up finding a love interest. While aspects of the plot revolve around Cara and her crush, their storyline always ties back to Cara’s goal of helping her mom find a new husband who will treat her miles better than her first husband. The main love story of Julia and her contestants never feels overshadowed by Cara’s, which was a nice touch.

All the Right Reasons is an enjoyable read if you like dating shows or reality television and want to see a unique ending. What starts as a story about a single mom and daughter turns into a great adventure to find love and everything that journey brings with it.

This book was fine. At times, it was cute and funny and tried to bring a couple good topics to the forefront (specifically, different kinds of relationships with parents, a disability rep and second-chance love). At other times, it was way too rushed, the characters were somewhat one dimensional and it was too dramatic. I wanted to really like this, but I just never fully connected with the characters, However, I really did love the very beginning and the ending. This book just wasn't for me.

Rating: 4.5 Stars

After accidentally going viral, Cara and her mother are invited to participate in a dating reality show. Though Cara is pretty much done with love, she cannot argue that it was a great opportunity for her and her mother. Would Cara’s mother find love again, and would Cara’s faith in love be restored?

I couldn’t stop screaming about Mangle’s debut, Prepped. It was smart and funny with plenty of emotional depth. Though All the Right Reasons was a bit lighter than its predecessor, it still had those elements that made me fall in love with Mangle’s writing.

The star of this book was Cara who won my heart with her snark and wit. Cara was a bit bitter, and I didn’t blame her one bit. After her father blew up their family, he continued to make things difficult for her mother. I empathized with her and truly felt her pain and anger as Mangle explored the effects of her parents’ divorce.

But she gave them a silver lining with the reality dating show. With its unique premise of a parent seeking a second chance at romance with their child in tow, it was an interesting twist to the dating show genre. As expected, the addition of children to the show resulted in some shenanigans, but also presented Cara with many opportunities to grow and strengthen her relationship with her mother.

Though Cara’s romance was not really front and center, it was one I enjoyed. It made me sad to see this young woman soured on love at such a young age, and therefore, I was happy a boy who gave her butterfly flutters came into her life. He was a total cinnamon roll too.

Though I wish the epilogue had gone a little deeper, I was grateful for the post-show peek at Cara and her mother’s lives. I was already elated from that little twist, and this made my smile even bigger and brighter. Overall, the mix of drama, romance, and reality TV was a fun one for me, and I am looking forward to reading more from Bethany Mangle.

I had high hopes for this one but it didn't live up to my expectations. It was okay but I didn't feel any spark at all between the mom and the contestants or Cara and Connor. And I really wanted to like the two of them. It was a fast read but not something I loved.

Plot: I really liked it! Reading about Cara and her mom on the reality show was fun, and I liked how everything was wrapped up at the end!

Characters: Cara was a good main character, and I liked how her relationship with her mom was a big focus of the book. The other characters were all really different from each other, with some being really likable, and others you absolutely can't stand!

The Cover: It's cute!

Overall: This was a fun YA novel that I enjoyed reading as an adult, and I know it would have been a favorite when I was a teen! Overall, I would definitely recommend it!

I received an e-ARC from the publisher.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC of this novel ! 3.5/5 stars.

The synopsis of this was so cute. I love Cara as a main character because she felt like a normal teenager compared to others I read in YA. She had big feelings and she didn't shy away from them. I also like how it centered around a reality tv show. While this could be considered a rom-com, and Cara does have a romance -- and it's in the synopsis -- I feel like the romance element of it took a back burner. Connor and Cara were a thing and they developed throughout the book, but it was lackluster compared to the relationship between Cara and her mom -- and her mom on the show trying to find a second chance.

Like, I wanted more of Connor and Cara at the end. It was VERY abrupt, and then the epilogue really didn't give any additional information.

Also, I appreciate the various reps in this and many of the bachelors were a+ guys except for the guy who was adequately named Brad -- as they are.

Cute, quick read but not sure how much of a 'romcom' this would be versus just a ya contemporary with a unique element.

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5

I loved this book. I had so much fun reading this that I'll recommend it to any contemporary lovers. And the cover is so sweet!!

Bethany Mangle does it again! I'm going to preface this by stating its not really my genre, but I read Prepped and loved it so was excited for All the Right Reasons. I was instantly drawn to Cara's voice, and the awful situation she's in with her parents divorced and fighting over the gym they both own and Cara caught between them. When a video of Cara goes viral, she and her mother are invited to a Bacherlotte style TV show, only with single dads and their kids. Only problem is that one of the kids is a cute boy and Cara definitely wants to get to know Connor better, except this is supposed to be her Mum's opportunity for love and starting afresh.
It doesn't help when Cara suspects the contestant her mother is most interested in of foul play against another contestant, and the producers in the background are playing merry hell manipulating everyone, including encouraging her feelings for Connor.
Lots of drama but a lot of fun too. Mangle has a lovely voice and I adore her quirky characters, twisty fun story lines, and a happily ever after I didn't see coming, but definitely made me tear up.

This is my second book I’ve read by Bethany Mangle and she continues to prove why her books deserve a spot of my shelves. I loved this novel. The characters are authentic and relatable, and the pacing moves along well. I love this concept of a YA set during a reality show and feel like Bethany did a great job to give an insider view of the dynamics that come with a romance-based reality show. This book has everything: humor, romance, some twists, and serious moments as well. It’s easy to root for Cara and the antics she gets herself into. This was a quick, fun read, and my only critique would be more scenes between Cara and Conner because they have some great chemistry.

This novel is different than “Prepped”, though just as well-written, and I feel it shows her writerly depths and ability to make all kinds of stories pop off the page.

I’m a fan for life and can’t wait for what else Bethany has in store for her readers.

This was a cute and fun quick read of a YA rom-com. The talented author, Bethany Mangle, is a Korean-American adoptee and has a disability called Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS), and it’s wonderful to see the representation in this book; the main character is biracial, and the love interest is disabled with EDS.

It was great fun to watch through Cara’s perspective as her recently divorced Mom becomes the leading lady in a dating show, where single fathers and their children compete to potentially become her new Stepdad and stepsibling. All the wild, unbelievable antics of a reality TV show mixed well with family drama and a mother-daughter relationship.

Readers with strained relationships with a parent should know that Cara’s relationship with her father is justifiably terrible.

Cara and her mom end up on a reality dating show and their semi-messy life gets even messier. We see the relationship between Cara and her mother and how they changed and grown since her father left after their divorce.

There is some romance in this book, they are on a reality show trying to hook them up. But you really see the strengthening of Cara and her mother's relationship.

A few twists that I wasn't expecting.

Thanks NetGalley for this ARC!

As soon as I read the summary of this book, I immediately added it to my TBR list. The premise sounded so chaotic, especially the dating show aspect of it. All the Right Reasons is a fun story that follows a mother-daughter duo on a reality show to find love.

Cara‘s life has been in upheaval ever since her father left her mother for another woman; since then, they fight constantly, still having to interact because of their co-owned gym. When Cara accidentally posts a private rant about her father, she attracts the attention of a TV producer who is casting for a reality show about single parents finding love. Cara and her mom Julia are cast as the main contestants and fly to Florida in a whirlwind. There, they discover that as messy as reality shows seem on TV, they’re even messier to film.

This book was a lot of fun! Cara has a very distinct voice, and I liked following her point-of-view throughout the story. The show itself was pretty interesting; single dads compete for Cara’s mom’s hand, having brought their children along. Cara and her mom go on the show for the money to be able to move away from her dad, so I understood their determination to have the show go well. We also get to see a lot of the behind-the-scenes of a reality show, which fleshed out the surrealist nature of their experience.

A lot of this book focuses on Cara’s relationship with her mom. They’re very close, especially after the divorce, where her dad has alienated her mother from their mutual group of friends and making her out to be an unfit mother. However, while they initially begin the show on good terms, their relationship becomes strained after Cara tries and fails to convince her mom not to pursue one of the contestants who is controlling and whose daughter is petty and mean. Julia likes him and doesn’t see Cara’s argument, leading them to fight constantly. However, obviously Cara still wants what is best for her mom and she embarks on a mission to prove their bad intentions.

When one of the sons of the contestants, Connor, walks in, Cara immediately finds him cute; of course, since this is a reality show, one of the producers picks up on this attraction immediately and he begins to push a narrative of her liking him. She knows that they need to make good television for the show to be success, so she leans into this narrative but genuinely develops a crush on him. Connor’s one of the few people Cara can trust on the show, and I thought their relationship was cute!

I will say that the romance was lighter than I anticipated and wasn’t as developed as I thought it could have been. However, this didn’t occur for no reason; instead, the book focuses far more on Cara and her mother, their relationship and their time on the show. So, the lack of focus on the romance wasn’t necessarily a bad thing.

Also, I just wanted to mention that Julia is a Korean adoptee, and Cara briefly mentions how she and her mother experience certain microaggressions. This is not central to the story, which I liked because the author clearly wanted to normalize this experience, one that we don’t see often in YA.

All the Right Reasons was a fun, cute story that navigates the complexities of a reality show and a surprising twist. I flew through this book and was invested in the protagonist and her mother. If you’re looking for a family-oriented rom-com with a fun premise, you definitely pick up All the Right Reasons!