Thanks to Netgalley and Simon and Schuster AU for the eARC!

Cece James is a criminology student and because of the pandemic, now unemployed. Needing to make a bit of quick money, she decides to participate in the hit reality show 'Marry Me, Juliet'. She ends up getting eliminated in the first episode but because of the pandemic, the eliminated contestants end up staying in a house on location until the entire shooting of the season is over. That's when Cece and our handsome hunk of a bachelor Dylan (who is the main guy of the show) get to know each other a little more.

Happy publish day to the book and the author!! This book was such a delight to read. I used to love watching the bachelor so this was right up my alley. The whole book was just so fun. There were a few twists and turns here and there, the writing was easy to read and the plot was fun and super easy to follow along. The characters had depth and weren't one-dimensional. Each chapter brought something new and I just loved everything about the whole book!

Some shows are designed to binge, some books also. And Jodi McAlister’s ‘Here For The Right Reasons’ could easily be both!

In the rise of a pandemic with lockdowns imminent, job loss and financial insecurity reigning, Cece James’ last hope lies in her success on the hit reality dating show, Marry Me, Juliet. Her reasons for vying for“Romeos” attention may not be right in the eyes of the producers - not many, including our Romeo’s are - but, sometimes, right has a funny way of coming about in the end.

Cece and Dylan steal the show in this golden rom-com that hits all the marks for angst and tv drama for hours of entertainment without the ad breaks. McAlister crafts with humour and heart, showcasing a raw beauty to the mutual respect and vulnerability between these characters and the underlying messages that have been conveyed. The mental health advocacy was strong, and I admired the reminder woven throughout that we all need people, and that’s okay.

Dylan was an absolute sweetheart, and the stolen moments off-screen between these two when everything was real and untarnished by the spotlights and re-enactments was the highlight of this read. The execution of both Dylan and Cece’s characters were clear and layered, and their backstory‘s respectful and well portrayed. There was an added depth to the comedic elements, and the two of them shared a natural friendship and an unscripted chemistry despite the roles forced upon them.

For a rom-com that hits a little deeper, a sweet love story, and one hell of a fireball for a side character, I cannot recommend this book enough!

Thank you Netgalley and Simon and Schuster Australia for the advanced copy of this book. 4.5⭐️

Thanks to Simon & Schuster Australia, Netgalley and the author for an ARC of this book. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Even though I have never watched Dating Reality TV shows, it's always fascinated me how audiences are carried away on these 'love stories' and how they really are a vehicle for people to promote their own interests. I never expected to like the characters in a story told from the perspective of a contestant on a show like this, but I really did. Firstly, all those Juliets can get out of my way, Dylan Jayasinghe Mellor is mine!! Kidding (obviously) - but I can totally understand why Cece falls for him. He is absolutely wonderful - and his charity (despite the unfortunate name) is inspired.

I adored Cece as well and the way her character's decisions are informed by her past without making her seem like a sympathy case. Although I really did sympathise - my heartstrings were officially tugged. I'd like to tell her that Sri Lankan curry fixes all ills, so she should hit Dylan's Mum up for a buriyani ASAP.

I loved the other characters and how they seemed real in a completely surreal environment. Lily was fantastic. She needs her own book.

This was a great story - the romance is beautifully told and there was wonderful depth to it. One of my favourite romance reads of the year.

I really enjoyed this book. I found the formatting of the e-book challenging to read so will be buying a paperback when the book is out! I strongly recommend this book for all readers who love reality tv especially if they love the bachelor. It was a four our of five star read for me.

A fun yet romantic read that will keep you laughing.
I am not a reader of romance books but love books that re fun and make you smile and laugh and this book did that for me. It has all the aspects of a romance with some humour thrown in and a bit of fun as well.
The characters are delightful and the twists are fun and relatable to a point with a bit of craziness thrown in. Dating game shows, pandemics, people thrown together in strange circumstances. It all adds up to a quirky read.
I loved that it is an easy read, with easily relatable characters and delves into personalities and the way the world has changed over the years. It is a fun book, light-hearted and as I say it is a romance.
Recommended for light reading, romance and fun!

This one reminded me so much of the tv series UnReal, which I absolutely loved. It’s The Bachelor with some pandemic caused twists.

This would be the first book I have read that is set in the time of the pandemic. I thought I would hate it due to pandemic fatigue, but it fit the story quite well.

I love that the story really focussed on the whitewashing that The Bachelor franchise is quite famous for. It was a diverse mix of characters in every sense of the word. High powered attorneys, nurses, scientists and students. A range of ethnicities.

It bothered me that the LGBTQ+ representation was thrown in during the final pages. It made it feel like it was thrown in as a box to tick, rather than as a genuine story arc.

Overall, it was an entertaining read. Highly recommend for fans of the Bachelor franchise format!

An entirely predictable and forgettable take on the Bachelor reality show series and what really happens behind the scenes.

CeCe signs up to be a Juliet when the pandemic hits because she's flat broke and she hears they pay $100 a day. The key now is to make it to the final four and make payday.

Since Cece James first started watching Marry Me, Juliet, she became hooked and readily agreed be a contestant. So when she meets Dylan, there is something between them. The only problem is that Cece is eliminated on the first night, but then an opportunity arises, leaving Cece and Dylan to spend more time together.
An interesting book, which highlights how people are more than their first appearances. These are two characters whose past history has shaped them into the people they are today. Cece is not the typical contestant in this show, which makes her all the more interesting to Dylan, who is also more that just his good looks. Their initial friendship made for a more realistic romance when it came about.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Set during a COVID lockdown, Cece James is a Criminology student, who loses her only source of income at the start of the pandemic. As she was brought up in foster homes she has no family to fall back on, so worried about paying rent and actually being able to eat she does what any student might do - gets drunk with her friends. While riding high with drunken bravery, Cece applies to compete as a Juliette on the reality show ‘Marry me Juliette’. Twelve Juliette’s are chosen to compete against each other to be the last one standing who marries the handsome Romeo. Cece doesn’t expect to be ‘the one’ but she does expect to get well paid and solve her financial difficulties. Yes we’re talking a Batchelor-type show but this is from the other side, the side viewers don’t get to see. The side which seems to imply what we all suspect, that everything is manipulated - right down to who the lucky winner is going to be from the start.

Because of the pandemic, the Romeo, Juliette’s and production team all have to exist in a bubble. So as the Juliette’s are removed they have to bunk down in a small house on the grounds of the Main house. Cece has a phobia about cameras and on her first night she freezes in terror - our handsome Romeo, Dylan, recognises her panic attack and calms her down. He removes Cece the first night to spare her further trauma. He visits her after filming stops and comes up with a plan for her to continue in the show in the background as an advisor. These segments are filmed without her being able to see the cameras.

I loved the story - most of the other contestants were selfish, catty and shallow, just as you would expect. Then there were the gems, again you know some are there to find real love rather than furthering their careers or online status. ‘Here For the Right Reasons’ is a fun spoof on dating shows and had me rooting for our Ill-fated couple as one wall after another was thrown up. The main one being - how can Romeo pick her when she is no longer in the running!

On a drunken night, Cece and her friends, all single, decide that applying to be on Marry Me, Juliet (essentially the bachelor) is a fabulous idea. When Cece is called with the offer of being on the show, she is hesitant - until she discovers how much money she could earn. Broke and jobless, she will take any chance she can. The only aim - to stay on the show as long as possible.

I devoured this book in less than 24 hours. It was so easy to read and was like watching a series of the bachelor, but from the (unedited) perspective of one of the contestants. I’m not going to say much else as I went into this fairly blind, but do yourself a favour - read it.

Thanks to @netgalley and @simonschusterau for the review copy.

Thanks NetGalley for my advance copy of here for the right reasons. There is a reason I don’t watch reality tv — it’s totally fake and unrealistic and I am afraid this is just the same in written form and not that well written. Sorry not my cup of tea and totally relieved to have finished it.

I absolutely loved this story, it was just entertaining from the very first page. Here for the Right Reasons grabbed me and made me feel like I was involved in the dating show. I loved the drama, twists, friendships and love. The book being set during the pandemic added some modern day realism to the storyline. So much fun.

Thank you NetGalley and Simon & Schuster (Australia) for a copy of this ARC. All thoughts are my own.

Cece James agrees to be a "Juliet" on the next season of Marry me Juliet - one of a swath of ladies competing for the affection of the Romeo. Less interested in finding a partner, and more interested in a steady paycheck during the pandemic - things get complicated when she begins to feel an attraction to the Romeo.

This is a Romance in the vein of a Bachelor style reality tv program. Everyone has their reasons for being there, some of them might even be there hoping to find love. For a fun twist, this is the first novel with this setting that has included how it could play out at the same time as the COVID pandemic. I appreciated the way it acknowledged the difficulties of the time but also found a way to still have good things happening.

This was a mostly sweet slow burn, with a touch of heat. I enjoyed the characters, and found it a good story to zone out with.

If you like the reality tv setting give this a go.

When you start skimming pages at 50% in, you know this isn't the book for you. I liked the reality show setting and I didn't even mind the use of the COVID Pandemic in the story but the romance was just blah. I didn't feel the chemistry at all between the main characters. Cece's constant internal dialogue was very annoying especially as she seemed to be rehashing the same thing over and over. The male lead kept apologizing and the crying! From both of them! Ugh! How he fell in love with such a boring girl who can't defend herself and is camera shy (you're on a tv show for cripes sakes!!) is still a mystery to me. Sorry Jodi but this was a big miss for me.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

Unfortunately a 58% DNF for me :(

Firstly, a massive thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for this ARC. I was really excited by the book's description, but when I started reading it I realised it just wasn't for me.

The main characters for starters were just a bit bland. I really wanted to care about them, but there was no reason to. I also felt like the COVID-19 plot was a little 'too soon'. Personally, I read to escape from everything happening in the real world, so to be reminded about it throughout the book was a downer for me. Also feel like there were a lot of topics the author tried to touch on which lacked depth and just seemed unnecessary.

Overall an easy read (up to where I got to atleast), and I feel like avid Bachelor fans would enjoy this book a lot.

Thank you @netgalley and @jodimcalister for the eARC of this book.

I’m not really a fan of dating shows, I’ve never watched the Bachelor or Bachelorette but I found this an easy, enjoyable read.

I liked that male mental health, anxiety and panic attacks were major themes in this book. I found this made the characters relatable and shows that no one is perfect and that’s ok.

I didn’t like the majority of the female characters though. They came across as catty and not very nice people, which I get makes for good ‘reality tv’ but I felt that some of the bullying of the main character went a bit far.

I found the whole story incredibly predictable, but I’ve come to expect that from most romance novels!

Overall I liked the book, the spice level was pretty low, possibly more of an older teen read. I did finish it in a day, and I’m hoping that the hint to another romance at the end means there will be a sequel.

So, I'm usually a spice romance reader, often tending to the Carolina Reaper end, but sometimes a little lemon pepper goes a long way!

This was a slow, but inevitable burn, however Jodi McAlister still found an amazing twist at the end that added to the diversity sprinkled throughout the read. This diversity was so relatable in the book, from a dating show that has online complaints that there is little diversity, to characters explaining how casual racism and the obstacles that come from not being white affect them.

Although fade to black usually grates in romance books for me, it was used really well in this context to show the relationship was more than sexual.

McAlister also made the SARS-CoV2 pandemic work well with the storyline. It was used effectively and yet, it was more than a 'Covid' or 'Lockdown' story.

For other Aussie readers, you will probably also read 'Z's' character and hear Osher's voice in your head! It was perfect!

Thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Australia for the ARC. No contracts were signed prior that might otherwise have affected this review!

A totally enjoyable rom-com! Delightful, witty and fun to read.

Cece James is a Criminology student, who loses her P/T jib at the start of the pandemic. Brought up in foster homes, she has no family or safety net to fall back on so finds herself during a drinking bout with her friends applying to be on a Bachelor style reality show called ‘Marry me Juliet’. She and her friends love watching this show in which a group of ‘Juliets’ compete to attract a handsome ‘Romeo’, being whittled down one by one until the last one standing is his chosen girlfriend (well at least for three months according to their contract). Cece doesn’t expect to find true love but will be paid well if selected to be on the show and can expect to make a fortune later on Instagram.

So, a format we know well – but wait, this one has a twist! Due to the pandemic the contestants and production crew have to live in a bubble and cannot leave so the eliminated contestants cannot leave the location and are sent to live in a separate house the crew nickname the nunnery. This adds another dimension to the show and takes it in an unexpected direction.

There is the usual mix of contestants. The kind and beautiful ones, the total bitch, the NHS ‘hero nurse’ and then there is Cece, who is full of insecurities and camera shy but totally relatable. Romeo is a handsome Olympic gold medallist, of Sri Lankan ethnicity, with his own reasons for agreeing to do the show and his own insecurities. Of course, we can all guess where this is heading (because we all want a happy ending, right?) but the plot is not totally predictable and there are some interesting twists that keep you guessing about how it's all going to play out. I would definitely recommend this to rom-com fans, those who enjoy reality TV series and those, like me, who just enjoy a really fun read.

A solid 3.5 for me,

I wasn't really sure about this book when I started reading it.

It started a little slowly and came across a little juvenile - I was initially worried I was in for a quick, trashy read that wasn't going to be to my taste.

I'm pleased to say that this book did grown on me.

I still struggled to find any kind of connection to the characters but I did get quite invested with the story as it went along and enjoyed the inside look into the "behind the scenes" of reality TV. Once it got going, I became quite invested in how it was going to play out. I was sure it was going to be a happy ending but I was kept wondering just how that ending was going to come about right up until the last few chapters. There comes a point where something one of the characters says makes the penny drop and you can see where it is likely to be leading, but you still need to see how it gets there.

I actually felt that Murray was one of the more interesting characters, along with Lily and I'd be interested to see where each of their stories goes if they happen to end up in subsequent books.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Am I glad I read it - yes
Was it a waste of my time - no
Would I sit down and read it all over again - probably not
Would I read more by this author based on this book - I'd be interested in seeing more on this series

What an absolutely lovely story!! I just loved Here for the Right Reasons by Jodi McAlister. Set during the pandemic with stage 4 restrictions in place a reality show called Marry Me, Juliet is being filmed in a ‘bubble’ so even those who are eliminated can’t leave the area. This presents a very interesting perspective of a ‘I’m here to find love’ reality show.

A very easy read but also keeps you captivated as well as entertained. The main character Cecelia (Cece) is particularly engaging especially as she only completed the application for the show when she was very drunk and that she is freezes when facing cameras which is hilarious when entering a reality show that has many many cameras all of the time!

Dylan Jayasinghe Mellor, an ex-Olympian, is the much sort after Romeo. The array of Juliets competing for his attention leads to lots of drama with one particular Juliet, Lily Fireball, whipping up as much storm and tempest as possible.

This has romance, mystery, drama as well as humour.

Highly recommended read as I found it very enjoyable.

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher Simon & Schuster Australia via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.