Rating: 3.5/5 stars

Here for the Right Reasons by Jodie McAlister is a fun, charming romance that offers a fresh take on the reality TV dating trope. With its light-hearted tone and relatable characters, it was an enjoyable read, though not without a few minor drawbacks.

The premise itself is great—a contestant on a Bachelor-style show who isn’t just looking for love but also for a way to turn their life around. This backdrop of reality TV provided plenty of drama and humour, which kept me engaged. McAlister does a good job capturing the behind-the-scenes tensions and ridiculousness of the genre, giving readers a fun insider’s look.

The chemistry between the main characters was believable, and I liked how their relationship developed. There was a good balance of humour, romance, and heartfelt moments, which made their connection feel genuine. I appreciated the way the characters’ vulnerabilities were explored, adding a layer of depth to what could have easily been a surface-level romantic storyline.

However, I did feel like the pacing was a bit off at times, especially in the middle where the story started to drag. The plot lost momentum in certain sections, and there were moments where I wished things would move along a little faster. Additionally, while I enjoyed the main characters, some of the side characters felt a bit underdeveloped and could have added more dimension to the story.

Despite these issues, Here for the Right Reasons is still an entertaining and feel-good read. It’s the kind of book that’s perfect if you’re in the mood for something light and breezy with a bit of reality TV drama. While it didn’t completely blow me away, it delivered a satisfying romance that I think many readers will enjoy.

The year is 2020, and on a drunken whim, Cecelia "Cece" James applies to be a contestant on romance reality show "Marry Me Juliet" (clearly a fictionalised version of The Bachelor). When the offer to be on the show comes through at the same time as she is stood down from her job due to the lockdowns, Cece leaps at the chance for the most honest reason of all - she'll be paid.

Sharing the Juliet Villa with scripted villain Lily, hero-nurse (this is set squarely at the start of the Covid pandemic) Dylan G and ultra-nice girl Amanda, among others, Cece has her work cut out if she's to win the heart of Romeo Dylan JM. But can she stand the pressure of being in front of the cameras AND the financial hit if she gets sent home early? And with the lockdown bubbles in place, what happens to those who get evicted?

This was a fun, multi-layered tale of reality shows, of lockdown life, and of course, relationships.
For a light, quick read (I smashed through this in an evening!) there is a surprising amount of depth, as we explore racism and diversity, foster care, mental health support (especially men's mental health) and the lengths people will go to for their aspirations.

Cece is an awkward everywoman with an unusual backstory; Lily is the stereotypical bitchy reality show villain; Dylan JM - the romantic lead - is the idealised perfect romantic hero. The fictional show was selling a fairytale, and that's exactly what we get in this book. Of course there are twists, and the Happily-Ever-After ending is unsurprising.

This is cosy, it's funny, it's honest about the realities of foster care, of POC representation, of "reality" shows, and more.

I really enjoyed this, and I'll definitely be looking for the other books in the "Marry Me Juliet" series.

~ Many thanks to NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Note: I also purchased the audiobook of this through Audible~

I loved this book so much! It was sweet and swoony and so much fun. Loved the Bachelor setting! Can’t wait to read the rest of the series

I was unable to open my copy of this book back when I had requested it, however I've since read it and thought it important to come back and leave a quick note to say how much I adored it.

It was sweet and well-paced and I would absolutely read from this author again.

This was a fun, fluffy read that was great as a holiday read. An interesting premise, especially for those who are fans of reality shows! While it did feel a little slow to start, it's hooked me enough that I'm off to check out book two in the series.

After drunk-applying for reality show Marry Me, Juliet (aka The Bachelor in the real world), Cece finds herself accepted as one of the girls hoping to catch the eye of ‘Romeo’ Dylan, a handsome ex-Olympian sailor who now runs a charity foundation.

Let’s be honest, we all suspect (know?) that these shows are scripted and none of the girls are really there ‘for the right reasons’ and McAlister doesn’t dissuade this line of thinking. Just about every girl on the show has an ulterior motive, including Cece, who desperately needs to stay on the show as it's 2020 and she needs to earn money after recently losing her job due to the pandemic.

The book started well. I thought, at last!, we had a winner in the [incredibly tricky to get right] chicklit arena! However, I will admit my attention did wan at about the 75% mark. I think my main issue was the two leads. I found Dylan terribly bland and Cece’s constant crying made me want to slap her silly. In contrast, supporting characters Murray and Lily were much more interesting.

I did like the way McAlister poked fun at reality shows. I’m not sure I was supposed to find the ridiculousness of the contestants’ challenges and their staged arguments more interesting than the romantic relationship of the main couple but, there you go.

The ending was a little predictable, especially if you read the blurbs from book 2 and 3 in the series (try not to, the spoilers did take away from my enjoyment). But, McAlister definitely has potential. 3 out of 5

Actually a really good romance. A bit silly, but lots of fun and with a believable and touching romance.

I normally struggle with watching reality TV so was hesitant with starting this book and if it would be able to capture my attention, so was shocked when I absolutely loved it! First time I have been able to appreciate a cliffhanger, cannot wait for what's next!

Loved this book - a nice, light, fun read. It was an enjoyable and fluffy way to while away a weekend, and while it wasn't the height of literature, it was silly and fun and sometimes that's exactly what we need from a book.

In all honesty, the plot was not engaging enough to make up for how slowly it moved. Although having a character from Bangladesh as the primary character was good, I prefer it when a character of colour as the main character when more of their culture is discussed. Since the love was present and all, the book may have been finished in ten chapters, but the narrative could have been stronger.

I recieved an advanced copy of this for free thanks to @netgalley in exchange for an honest review that I am leaving completely voluntarily.
Cheesy, fun, light, easy reading.. all come to mind when I think of this book. It’s all drama and warm fuzzy feelings and just an all round good time!
I chose this read as was drawn to its bright cover. I was initially a little worried due to not long finishing a book with a similar theme (The Charm Offensive) but I needn’t have been as it didn’t stop me enjoying this one by any means. I found I was actively reaching for this for the next update to see what happened next.. one could say I was invested in the storyline.
As much as this was light hearted and enjoyable, I did find it somewhat predictable and quite surface level in terms of plot lines. It heavily focussed on the blood shed competitiveness of the female contestants and the bitterness that brews in a pressure cooker environment that it felt at times a little repetitive.
I really loved that amongst all the hate there was some kindness hidden amongst the scenes. After all.. it is a book based on love. The forever romantic within me found myself smiling at all the heart warming cheesy one liners! They were most definitely my favourite part of this read! Even if some were a bit corny and cringey!
It was really refreshing to have the book referencing current day times and controversial topics such as multi race contestants and covid restrictions. Normalising the world we live in is something I would like to see more of.
I did like the tug of war analogy between the head and the heart in regards to doing the right thing over doing what you want. It showed varying angles of this emphasising what people will do in the name of love.
I did feel a little let down with the ending as it felt rushed in that details seemed to be skimmed over or left out entirely.
Unsure if this was intentional but I would have liked to see more of how it all unfolded when they both came clean. I do also appreciate the art of letting the reader fill the gaps!
All in all a hilarious and heartwarming romcom examining all things love blooming in unlikely yet staged environments. I recommend this read.

I loved this book. It was an easy read, hard to put down and very entertaining. It’s one of those warm fuzzy stories that you expect to have a happy ending, but you just never know. A nice light book that is perfect after reading an emotionally exhausting book that took me forever to get through. If you like light hearted rom-coms, this book is for you! Lots of giggles and gasps throughout. I’d give it a solid 4.5 stars if that were possible. I look forward to enjoying more work from Jodi McAlister.

Thank you to the publisher for providing me with an advance reading copy in return for my honest review.

Can’t say I enjoyed this book. The main character Bachie is too reminiscent of a recent season of The Bachelor; which was not enjoyable. The forced close proximity due to the pandemic worked for the story, however, the desperate main female character was annoying to read.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an e-arc for review. I had been in a streak of reading lots of bachelor-esque style books and have been enjoying them! Here for the right reasons definitely went in a different direction than I thought it would. I’m not sure whether I liked it or not? I guess Cece being eliminated right away meant it took away the main charm of the book I was hoping for…but I guess it worked. I liked Cece and Dylan and their chemistry and relationship, but I think sometimes it felt a bit too….perfect? Overall, I enjoyed the book and I think it covered some good issues but I wish it had a bit more drama/other characters in it surrounding the main characters!

Jodi McAlister is a phenomenal Australian voice. A fan of hers ever since I picked up Valentine on a whim and devoured it on one sitting, I knew I was going to love this book based on name alone. And I was right, it was an easy transition from the writing I was familiar with to this new experience reading this book and I loved it every second of the way. An auto-buy author for sure.

If you love the Bachelor, you’re going to love this! Hilarious take on reality tv and looking for love.
Cece is all out of luck, Jamie just wants to bring awareness to mental health and race. Their worlds collide and sit back for a hilarious ride.
Thanks #netgalley for the advanced copy.

After losing her retail job due to the pandemic, criminology student and Marry Me, Juliet fan Cece drunkenly applies to be a contestant on the reality TV show.
Her Romeo is Olympic sailor Dylan but then Cece is eliminated on the first night after a run-in with villain Lily results in her falling in the pool.
However, due to stage four restrictions, Cece can’t leave the site so she agrees to being filmed in extra scenes, where she lends an open ear to her new friend Dylan. Both Cece and Dylan are here for different reasons than finding love but is romance still on the cards?
I really enjoyed this story, much more than I was expecting to, with its different take on the reality TV genre in Cece being an early evictee. Her background of being raised in foster homes added an extra dimension to her character. The book has been publicised as the first in a series set on the dating show, so I’ll be keeping my eye out for the next.

One of my favourite romance sub genres right now is "reality tv romance", where the two characters meet on the set of a reality show and things go from there. This book ticked all my boxes, and was such a sweet read!

Cece is not a fan of reality tv, but her almost empty bank account leaves her few options, and she agrees to appear on Marry Me, Juliet. Dylan has a charity to promote and something to prove as the show's first non-white male lead. Cece unfortunately blows it and is voted off in the first eliminations....but the pandemic shuts everything down and the show ends up in its own bubble. What will happen to Cece now? And how will Dylan cope with the pressure?

Touching on mental health, the unreality of "reality" tv, the pressures of being a diversity cast, this wasn't all cotton candy fluff. But it was also charming and sweet, and even the other contestants weren't catty caricatures - they all had their own reasons to be there, and you couldn't help but cheer them on for all their future endeavours. The relationship that develops between Cece and Dylan is charming and feels quite organic. I also loved the ending with the Big Gesture (I do love a well done romance trope!) and this is definitely a reality tv romance I would be happy to rec to all my friends.

Here for the Right Reasons was a fun book. It was entertaining to read a game-show Bachelor/Bachelorette-esque story, which I'd never read before, and it was an interesting and up-with-the-times addition that it was set during a time of Covid and lockdowns.

While it was a fun and quick read, and I did enjoy most of it, I probably wouldn't read it again. If you're a fan of romance, The Bachelor / The Bachelorette, friends-to-loves sort of vibe, then pick up Here for the Right Reasons.

A sweet romance novel that shows that sometimes love can be found in the most expected place such as on a dating tv show. Can Cece and Dylan love still bloom both on and off the screen?

I'm really enjoying books that have the dating show element in the book. You know that there is going to be heartache but you don't know the implications that arise and Here for the Right Reasons really showcase the true power of love when you are in it for the right reasons.

I love that McAlister included people of colour in this book, it was a nice change especially because in most love show stories where most participants are usually caucasin.

The characters in this book truly showed their flaws, which sadly in turn I couldn’t connect with them. I know that sounds a bit harsh to me judging them because of their flaws but to me it felt a bit unrealistic. But a camera shy person who goes into panic attacks going on live tv, come on! Seems a bit OTT!

Overall, a good romantic book with some good redeeming qualities.

Thank you Simon and Schuster and Netgalley for the digital copy of Here For The Right Reasons.