I absolutely loved this!! Jodi has created such fun and loving characters in this series and I love how easy they are to read! Thanks so much to the publisher for allowing me to receive an early copy!

It was great to read a story taking place at the same time as book one but from someone else’s point of view. This fictional universe is exciting to read about. I will always be a fan of this authors work.

This is a great sequel! A sapphic bachelorette book is all I want and what I got! It was so swoony, I loved the development of the romance between our two leads!

After reading the first book, Here for the Right Reasons, in the Marry Me Juliet series I was super keen to read this one and it didn't disappoint.

I loved that is was the same story as the last one just told from a different perspective.

It was very well done and utterly enjoyable.

McAlister holds a finger to the pulse of reality TV in this showy Romance that the producers themselves never saw coming!

As someone guilty of indulging in the theatrics and skewed realities of the Bachelor and the Married at First Sight sorts, everything about this series sang to me, luring me in by the promise of drama and a whirlwind romance that brewed behind the scenes.

Once more McAlister returns to the Juliet Villa, this time boasting a behind the scenes look into life at the villa through the eyes of Amanda, a bi mechanic, taking their shot while nursing wounds still raw following a toxic breakup. I just loved the friendship built between Mandie and Dylan G, and the believability of these two women supporting one another and finding love in the midst of the chaos on set. Their relationship developed naturally, and I admired the narrative McAlister has spun in lieu of Mandie and Dylan’s friendship and a break from the toxicity so often disclosed on screen between contestants with these reality shows.

Mandie and Dylan’s unexpected love affair carried a lot of emotional weight, a generous dose of humour, and enough chemistry to ignite the whole scene. I was relieved to see their battles were often more personal and heightened by the setting as opposed to a cause of it. I enjoyed seeing Mandie wrestle with her confidence and self-esteem, tending the verbal scars and insecurities of a relationship past, while coming to terms with the strong feelings brewing towards the ‘wrong’ person in the eyes of the audience. And every step of the way Dylan remained her constant in spite of everything; a picture perfect pairing that deserved their happy ending.

This was the perfect companion to HFTRR as it captured both sides of the show, and brought forth two beautiful, unexpected love stories. For a slowburn that packs plenty of angst, fun, and friendship, look no further than this emotionally engaging and enlightening romance, available now!

💍 Friends to Lovers
💍 Love behind the scenes
💍 Lockdown Romance
💍 Sapphic Romance

I received an advanced copy thanks to Netgalley and Simon and Schuster Australia, and I am voluntarily leaving my honest review.

This was such a fun read! I love a sapphic romance and this had the following tropes:
🌹 Bachelor-style reality show
♥️ Friends to lovers
🤭 Forbidden romance
👀 Forced proximity
❤️‍🔥 Lots of good tension
🚪Closed door romance

I loved reading from Mandie’s POV and seeing how her relationship with Dylan went from friends to more. I was rooting for them the whole time! Definitely recommend!

While I was super excited to get Mandie and Dylan’s love story in Can I Steal You for a Second?, I did have one small reservation, which was whether McAlister could make the broader plot feel fresh and exciting when we’ve also already seen it from the perspective of Cece and Dylan in Here for the Right Reasons. I feel like she absolutely nailed this – seeing events unfold around Mandie and Dylan and their developing relationship worked so well for me. So much so that I had my fingers crossed for a third book in the Marry Me, Juliet series around another couple, and I was so pleased to read that this will be happening.

The relationship we see grow between Mandie and Dylan was really lovely. Like in the first book, the feelings between them felt natural and the pacing worked well for me. I thought Dylan was a great character and I thought the tension she feels as a nurse facing down the growing pandemic and feeling torn between wanting to help and wanting out felt quite authentic to me. I wasn’t quite as sold on Mandie, who – for me – was really right on that border of being almost too down on herself for me to enjoy spending time in her head. She did have some great moments though, and I loved seeing he start to be kinder to herself and grow in confidence a bit.

Overall this was a sweet and fun read. McAlister manages to keep things feeling fresh and swoony, while tackling some more serious themes too. I definitely recommend this one to fans of romcoms and reality tv, and I will be hanging out to get my eyes on the next installment!

I felt a strange sense of déja vu as I read this book, to the extent that I wondered if it had been plagiarised. It had not.
This is the second of a pair of stories that are best read together, though you would enjoy either of them independently. The first is Here For The Right Reasons, also a thoroughly entertaining and highy recommended read.
Set during the filming of reality show Marry Me, Juliet, this story gives an alternative view to proceedings during the filming. Romeo is the same in both books and is jaw-droppingly handsome, kind and considerate, in short, perfect hero material. The difference is that book one is told from a different Juliet’s perspective to this one. Mandie is a likeable heroine. She’s a beautiful pixie, who’s been working in a man’s world as a mechanic. She’s entered the show after a devasating break-up and is hoping to prove to herself that she can move on. She’s also bisexual, something she hasn’t revealed to the producers, though her attraction to women becomes apparent to readers from early in the story.
This book was tender, thought-provoking and emotionally engaging but it also had its funny moments. I galloped through it and finished with a smile on my face.

In Can I Steal You For A Second, we follow Mandie, a contestant in the Marry Me Juliet reality tv series, who is vying for Dylan’s heart. Unknown to almost everyone at the time, it’s another Dylan who captures her attention.

The story progresses through the filming of episodes but given the dates were detailed in Here For The Right Reasons, we see more of a behind the scenes in the mansion angle. Because I had finished the first book less than a week earlier, I was attached to the characters and rooting for their developing relationship. Mandie and Dylan are just as relatable as Cece and Dylan. Both also have their own struggles and it’s easy to imagine they were someone you know. I was proud of how Mandie overcame the self esteem issues left behind from her previous toxic relationship.

I was turning the pages on the second book even faster than the first, reading it within about 5 hours. If this is Jodi McAllister’s style, then I’m keen to see what future books she has up her sleeve. I’d love to see the series rounded out with Lily and Murray’s story.

I only realised after I finished this that this is a sequel novel travelling the same timeline as Here for the Right Reasons. Definitely happy I picked this one up first, however, given it gave me the combination of a sapphic romance as well as the reality TV show setting that I'm so growing to love the trend of.

Mandie is a bit of a train wreck after her girlfriend breaks up with her. She moves back into her mum's house and basically stagnates, still hearing the echo of the unkind things Jac said to her throughout and at the end of their relationship.

When her favourite reality TV show comes to look for applications, Mandie realises that she's in a position to actually apply given that she's single this season.

One of the other applicants she meets on the day is Dylan. Or, Dylan G as she's about to be called, because the name of the man they're all going to be vying for is also called Dylan. Mandie and Dylan (G) quickly become friends in the span of time before finding that they have both been accepted for the show.

There's a lot of commentary in this book about how these shows pitch women against each other, and how these two in particular try to get around that narrative, maintaining their strong friendship at the same time as coming to terms with attraction. We only get Mandie's PoV throughout, but it's pretty clear that she's not the only one feeling the things she feels.

They are both bisexual women and there's a twist at the end which leads to an incredibly satisfying ending, which probably won't be a surprise to people who actually read these books in the intended order.

Can I Steal You For A Second was a really fun romance to read. Having read Here For The Right Reasons, I really enjoyed getting to see what life was like in the villa for contestants who weren’t eliminated on the first night. I also really enjoyed Dylan and Amanda as characters and getting to see Amanda’s feelings for Dylan develop. I do wish it was a dual POV story because it would have been great to see Dylan’s thoughts and feelings throughout the story too.

I read Here for the Right Reasons which is based in the same reality tv show last year and really enjoyed it, I love Jodi McAlister's writing style she completely immerses you into the world.

This book is set at the same time as that book but from the perspective of another couple. I really liked the friends to lovers aspect of this even though it's not my favourite trope usually. The Bachelor-style tv show called 'Marry Me Juliet' is such a fun concept as it shows the behind scenes perspectives from the contestants. We get glimpses from Cece the main character in the first book but I liked that we got to see the different points of view from Amanda and Dylan this time around.

I loved seeing their friendship develop from the auditions to a closer bond throughout the show. It felt more realistic that way as they had gotten to know each before the show. Please note that the book is set around the pandemic and the strict lockdowns that were in place at the time so if you don't want to read about that this book might not be for you. I did find this difficult at first as I don't want to relive those years ever again! It was interesting seeing Dylan struggle with being a nurse and also caring for her son at the same time.

I really loved Amanda as a main character and how she touched on how previous bisexual contestants on the show had found it hard because media portrayal is still an issue. I liked the journey she went on and seeing her grow into her confidence as her ex had completely destroyed that previously. I didn't like that she had to be in a relationship for her to accept that she was okay with telling the audience about her sexuality, I feel like it could have been done in a different way and still be impactful.

I did prefer the first book compared to this one as I wasn't as invested in Amanda and Dylan's relationship. The jealousy was implied but I wish we got Dylan's pov because it would've added so much to the story. Due to the book being in Amanda's pov you saw her feelings for Dylan but it wasn't very obvious from Dylan's pov.

I am really excited to read more books by this author and hope we get a book based on Lily Fireball because that would be so fun! If you love reality tv I would definitely recommend these two books they are a fun time.

Thank you so much to Negalley and the publisher for providing an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

The one where two reality dating show contestants fall for each other instead…

With the wounds from her breakup with her ex-girlfriend Jac still fresh, Amanda is desperately looking for something to shift her focus and help her move on. And that something just happens to be applying to her favourite reality dating show Marry Me, Juliet. At the audition, she’s still struggling with her heartbreak and whether the show is even for her when she is comforted by fellow applicant Dylan. The pair exchange numbers and strike up a friendship and are ecstatic to learn that they’ll be on the show together. They’re both vying for the love of Olympian Dylan, but now that they’re living together in the Juliet Villa, Amanda can’t help but feel a stronger connection with her Dylan and questioning whether Dylan also feels that connection too. Torn between her growing feelings for Juliet-Dylan, wanting to get to know Romeo-Dylan, and still struggling with the scars left by ex-Jac, Amanda has more to worry about than just how she’ll be edited once the show goes to air…

I always try to take at least like a one-book break between books in a series, but I really couldn’t with this one - I just had to see Amanda and Dylan’s story unfold after the taster we got of their romance at the end of book one! Jodi gave us literally the smallest of glimpses into their story in Here For The Right Reasons so I was already hooked for Can I Steal You For A Second?! Within the reality dating show trope, I think my favourite romance is one between contestants, especially when it’s a sapphic romance. And this book definitely lived up to my expectations and more.

Once again, I really enjoyed how Jodi ultilised the pandemic in this story - with Dylan being a nurse it allowed for a raw insight into the experiences of frontline workers and the toll it takes on them and their families. And a big struggle for Dylan was being on the show instead of being out there helping during the pandemic, even though she was doing the show in order to step away from being a nurse and eventually have more time for her son when she returned home. Jodi once again balanced the anxiety surrounding the pandemic and feeling helpless with the uplifting hope of a new romance.

Right from the get-go I really enjoyed Amanda and Dylan’s dynamic, to the point where I would have happily followed their romance had it not been on a reality dating show - they just had a really fun connection and their chemistry was evident from their first interaction. Like with Cece and Dylan in the first book, Amanda and Dylan’s romance was a slow burn with a lot of angst on Amanda’s part as her inner monologue struggled to come to terms with her feelings and questioning every single interaction she had with Dylan and what it meant.

Because Amanda actually got to be a contestant for most of the time the show was being filmed, we got to learn a lot more about some of the other women competing for Romeo-Dylan’s heart. And there’s definitely at least one more who could be a leading lady in another book - I don’t know if or how many books Jodi has planned, but I have a really good feeling that there’s one more about a potentially super messy couple that I am SO looking forward to (and I’ll be really disappointed if it doesn’t come to fruition!). After learning only a few tidbits about these characters in the first book, it was nice to be able to flesh their personalities and stories out a little more.

As I mentioned in my review for Here For The Right Reasons, Jodi’s writing style lent itself really well to the inner monologues and flashbacks scattered throughout, and I like with Cece, I really felt myself getting into Amanda’s head, maybe even more-so. Amanda has a lot of conflicting thoughts and struggles with the verbal scars of her ex throughout this book, and Jodi so easily pulled me into that mindset. And once again, as someone who loves alternating perspectives, there were times when I wish I could have had a moment inside Dylan’s head - there was obviously so much going on with Dylan without questioning her own feelings for Amanda, so it would have been interesting to get a taste of that too.

While you definitely don’t have to have read Here For The Right Reasons before diving into this beauty (and look, I can’t blame you for wanting to start with this one), I’m definitely a bit of a sucker for trying to read companion novel series in publication order. You don’t need to know about Cece and Dylan’s story in order for Amanda and Dylan’s to make sense, but I think it’s nice to set the timeline a little more with that first book. And I kind of enjoyed piecing the two stories together as we got mentions of how Romeo-Dylan was acting at certain times and I knew it was because of something I had already read about in the first book. So not necessary, but recommended. At least be sure to read both books, whatever the order!

If you’re a sucker for a sapphic twist in your romance books, and can’t get enough of trashy reality television, this is a book that needs to be near the top of your TBR!

3.5★s
Can I Steal You For A Second is the second novel in the Marry Me, Juliet series by Australian author, Jodi McAlister. Barely three months since Jac dumped her, and twenty-seven-year-old petite blonde mechanic, Amanda Mitchell is far from over it. In an effort to put it behind her, or maybe as revenge(?), she signs up for Marry Me, Juliet, knowing how much Jac hates the program. If she can win the Romeo’s heart, it will be proof she’s fully recovered.

But at the audition, she’s comforted in a teary moment by a gorgeous woman also vying for a place in the program, and her attraction is instant. She and Dylan Gilchrist become texting friends, and when they are both chosen as part of the initial fifteen women, Mandie has trouble keeping her loving gaze off Dylan.

She’s quite certain, though, that Dylan will ultimately be the Romeo’s choice: “now I was going to lose my perfect rebound man and my hopeless crush to each other”

Still continually plagued by Jac’s super-critical whispers in her head (You rely too much on validation from other people, have you no self-respect?), Mandie soon realises how much better a friend Dylan would be, and is determined to keep her friendship.

McAlister’s twist on the (sort-of) love triangle is certainly original: a bi-sexual woman attracted to both the Romeo and one of her fellow contestants. COVID lockdowns, program producer machinations, a nasty ex, same-name characters, and a myriad of personalities amongst the Juliets add some interesting wrinkles to the plot.

Anyone who has watched a reality TV dating program will agree that McAlister certainly conveys her setting well, and the story is likely to appeal to fans of these programs, quite probably in their twenties or thirties, readers who won’t be irritated by, or perhaps even notice, the many grammatical errors of the I/me type. Others of a certain vintage will have their dislike of such programs confirmed by the goings-on that McAlister describes.

McAlister’s second novel is entertaining if a little too long. There are spoilers for the first book, Here For The Right Reasons, in this one, so this is probably a series best read in order. Readers of a certain vintage are bound to enjoy this happy-ever-after romance.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Australia.

Thanks to Netgalley for a copy of this book for an honest review.

Having read the first book 'Here for the right reasons', it was interesting to see the competition from Dylan G and Mandie's perspective. Now need to read Lilly's story!!

Can I Steal You For a Second is a fantastic follow-up to McAlister's first in the Marry Me, Juliet series, Here for the Right Reasons. We rarely see a female romantic pairing, and the chemistry, connection and depth of Mandie and Dylan's relationship is beyond lovely. I love that this series has a Roshomon approach - we're seeing the same story play out from so many perspectives, and I cannot wait to read the final instalment to have the final piece in place. McAlister is a thoughtful, smart and funny voice for our bookshelves, and I am so glad to see the representation (cultural, sexual and national) on the bookshelves!

The book is a fun look at reality tv, all the while shining the light on emotional abusive relationships and their long term effects.

I did find not all ends of the story were wrapped up well but I have since learn this is actually a second book in a series where we are reliving the same season of the show but this time from the POV of different characters.

I went into this book not even realising that it was the second in the series and set at the same time as the first book.
Mandie signs up for a reality dating show called "Marry me Juliet" to try to get over her ex. She hopes to find love whilst hiding the secret that she is bi. She also ends up falling for someone in the mansion that isnt the Romeo.

This is a fun romance set in the bizarre world of a dating show during Covid lockdown in Australia. It really shakes up the story and puts extra pressures on an already stressful experience.

If another story is set on this show I already have a guess to who the romance would be between.

This is a wonderful novel, fun and light to read, but with an underlying seriousness about the emotional decisions. I thoroughly enjoyed this.

It’s not exactly a sequel to “Here for the Right Reasons”. It’s not only set in the same reality show, but in the same season of the same reality show that featured in that novel, so it occurs simultaneously with the events of that novel. So, if you’ve read that (and you really should, it’s good), then you know within two pages who’s going to wind up with who. Mind you, even if you haven’t read it, you’ll know by page five. No-one reads romances for the surprise ending.

People do read romances for exploration of relationships, genuine emotional weight, and empathetic characters. “Can I Steal You For a Second?” offers all of these, plus a generous dash of humor.

Mandie is determined to get over her ex and move forward, and as part of that process she applies for the reality show “Marry Me, Juliet?”. She’s watched every episode of every season. Obviously she hopes to win, but even if she doesn’t, it might shake her world up. The only tiny little glitch is that Mandie is bi… and it’s soon apparent that the Romeo isn’t the person on set who makes her light up.

The situation is complicated by the onset of the COVID pandemic. They’re trying to film this season just as stage 4 restrictions go into force, and that affects the show in multiple ways. I thought this a clever way to make this very contemporary, and raise serious issues, but also keep them far enough away that they didn’t undermine the light tone of this novel.

Look, there’s really not much more to the plot than that. If you’ve read “Here for the Right Reasons”, you even know some of the significant events that take place. But this is nevertheless enormously enjoyable. McAlister eyes romantic reality shows with just the right combination of cynicism and hope to make the background believable. I definitely enjoyed the “you can’t take this too seriously” element a great deal.

But she does take her characters and their emotional lives very seriously. Mandie is a very real person, and whether you’re straight, gay or bi yourself, you’ll likely empathise deeply with her dilemmas. They’re realistic and believable, and anyone who’s ever had a bad ex, or gazed tremulously at the possibility of a new romance, will see reflections of themselves in her.

While Mandie is the focal character, and we get to know her best, other characters are also vivid and real. Even the “cartoon villain” of the show is credible.

I thought I saw the seeds in this novel of a third set in this season – I’ll be very interested to see if I was right, and if a third novel would be about the characters I suspect. (Lily and Murray, if you’re wondering. Yes, I’d like to read that story.) If so, McAlister would have pulled off something unique, setting three different stories within the one season of a reality show.

Bottom line? This is a well crafted, really enjoyable contemporary romance with just the right amount of humor. Readers of McAlister’s debut, “Here for the Right Reasons” are likely to enjoy this, both for itself and for the chance to revisit an enjoyable setting. New readers will just straight out enjoy it, and likely will want to read the first, too. Highly recommended for romance readers or those looking for something contemporary and not too heavy.

You may be interested in my review of “Here for the Right Reasons” by Jodi McAlister:
https://otherdreamsotherlives.home.blog/2022/07/21/here-for-the-right-reasons/

I had the best kind of reading experience with this book - I just couldn't put it down! McAlister's previous Here for the Right Reasons was a charming and easy read, and this, its successor, is no different.
Mandie is a bi woman who works as a mechanic and is getting over a tough breakup. Dylan is a nurse with a son who is burnt out and wanting to escape the frontlines of the oncoming pandemic.
Set in the same timeline as the previous book, the story follows them as they are falling in love on a TV dating show. Unfortunately, it's not with the person they're supposed to - ie. the "Romeo", a Bachelor-style leading man (who as we know from the previous book, is falling in love with someone unsuitable all on his own... ).
They first meet at the auditions and a firm friendship is struck up between them. When they get locked down together in the Juliet mansion in the show's quarantine bubble however, sparks fly and both of them are conflicted about their growing feelings for each other. And of course they have to hide it from everyone, including the other cast, the production crew, the Romeo and each other.
The book is told from Mandie's POV and she's a very sympathetic character - strong-willed, determined, smart and capable but also very impulsive and craving external validation. I love behind-the-scenes books like this (even though I hate most reality tv) and clearly McAlister knows her stuff. This was an enjoyable sapphic love story filled with yearning, angst and a HEA that left me smiling.
I just need to know now - will there be a third book?? Because I MUST know about Lily and Murray...