A cute story, with potential! I liked the development of the characters but the humour wasn't my cup of tea. A quick and easy read, perfectly for in between :)

Here for the Wrong Reasons takes a humorous, yet insightful look at the world of reality TV, love, and the search for personal meaning. The characters are wonderfully flawed, and the story is full of clever moments that both entertain and make you think. A fun, eye-opening read that keeps you hooked.

I enjoyed this book, but it didn’t stick out to me and while I thought it was a good premise, it’s not super original. Entertaining book and I’ll definitely try this author again!

Thank you to the publisher for the gifted copy! I'm always down for a sapphic romance and this did not disappoint! I loved the Bachelor/competition dating vibes and of course the romance. This was a fun one with great chemistry and banter. Romance & Bachelor/Bachelorette fans alike rejoice - this is a gem!

This was a really fun take on reality dating shows with a sapphic take. I really enjoyed the premise and I’m very eager to read more from these authors.

This story is based on a reality TV show following a Bachelor-style format, with the idea being that group of ladies compete for the affections of the Bachelor, in this case good guy Josh.

Lauren's not in it to win it, she knows she's gay but has a game plan. If she can make it to the top four and get voted off before the home visits, she reckons she'll gain thousands of new social media followers, boosting her profile as an influencer and with them the potential for brand endorsements and deals. She always approaches everything with a plan of what she wants and how to get it - she’s been ok with that up to now when she starts falling for fellow contestant, Krystin.

Krystin is the reigning Rodeo Queen from Montana and knows exactly what she wants out of life - a good husband, a home and a family and her horses. Josh seems like he may just be the one - but as she gets closer to her fellow contestants doubts begin to grow. As the weeks pass and her relationship with Lauren develops behind the scenes, she grows confused about where her feelings lie and if her masterplan is truly what she wants for her future.

I've never really been a fan of shows like the Batchelor but they've been around for long enough I am familiar with the concept and what they involve. I enjoyed this as the premise for the story, I felt it helped to drive the story along. The sapphic romance I felt was well handled and not overdone, if anything I would have liked a bit more! It made a nice change from a hetero romcom romance, which I think would have felt a lot cheesier than this one did. If you enjoy reality TV and a sapphic twist then this will be right up your street

Here for the Wrong Reasons is an entertaining, thought-provoking exploration of love, relationships, and self-discovery. The story delves into the experiences of individuals who find themselves pursuing connections for the wrong reasons—whether it’s for validation, societal expectations, or simply because they think they should be "here" rather than truly being there for themselves.

The author's writing is sharp and insightful. There’s a lot of heart in the narrative, as the authors carefully explore the tension between romantic ideals and the reality of personal flaws. The way they handle themes like self-worth, societal pressures, and the search for real connection feels fresh and relevant.

What makes this particularly engaging is its ability to show the journey from confusion to clarity. It’s a story of growth. By the end, the characters are in better places, not just romantically, but emotionally and mentally as well.

This book is ideal for fans of contemporary fiction who enjoy complex characters, witty dialogue, and stories of self-discovery. It’s light but never shallow, and its message will resonate with anyone who has ever questioned their own motivations or struggled with figuring out what they truly want from life and love.

Thank you for the opportunity of reading!

You know what? Yes. Okay, fine, I ate this up. It's full of drama, but it was just some very entertaining stuff -, sort of like a car crash you can't look away from but in a good way. I only wished we'd spent more time developing the sapphic romance but other than that, very fun.

I’ve definitely read this book before. Two female contestants on a show similar to “The Bachelor” end up falling for one another. It wasn’t a very original idea, and while it was billed as a sapphic romance, the story was more about the reality show than about the relationship. As I said, the story didn’t feel original, and just wasn’t for me.

Thanks to netgalley for the ARC, all opinions are my own.

This was a cute story about a woman afraid to let other people in and a woman afraid to look inside herself. The banter was fun and I found myself rooting for the characters early on.

This book really just took me for a ride. I loved the build up, the character development, and the writing. I would definitely read more from this author!

Wonderful story, great character development, great writing! Highly recommend this book. I thoroughly enjoyed it

Leider hat mich das Buch überhaupt nicht abgeholt. Die Prämisse fand ich zwar super spannend, aber die Umsetzung war nicht mein Fall. Die beiden Protagonistinnen hatten zwar interessante Hintergründe, doch ich hatte Probleme, eine Bindung zu ihnen aufzubauen und ihre Ziele nachzuvollziehen. Viele der Teilnehmerinnen der Reality-Dating-Show waren austauschbar in ihren Persönlichkeiten, die Confidential-Einwürfe dementsprechend schwer, den einzelnen Charakteren zuzuordnen. Davon mal abgesehen, haben sich die seitenlangen Passagen teilweise auch sehr unnötig angefühlt. Gleichzeitig hat sich die Handlung sehr überdramatisiert gelesen, so dass ich nach einem Drittel beschlossen habe, das Buch abzubrechen.

Here for the Wrong Reasons* by Annabel Paulsen & Lydia Wang is a delightful sapphic romcom that blends the drama of a reality dating show with the magic of unexpected love.

Krystin is a small-town cowgirl with big dreams: a husband, a horse, and a perfect life back in Montana. Joining *Hopelessly Devoted*, a *Bachelor*-esque competition, seems like the best way to rope in her ideal match. Meanwhile, Lauren—a social media-savvy city girl—joins the show with ulterior motives, aiming to boost her follower count rather than find love.

From the start, Krystin and Lauren couldn’t be more different. Yet sparks fly as the cameras roll, the competitive stakes rise, and their interactions shift from friendly banter to something much deeper. Suddenly, the romance they never expected—or thought they wanted—is brewing right under Josh Rosen’s nose.

This debut is full of humor, heart, and sizzling chemistry. The reality TV setting brings plenty of over-the-top moments and sharp commentary on modern dating culture, while the relationship between Krystin and Lauren offers a refreshing exploration of self-discovery and breaking free from societal expectations.

Perfect for fans of *The Charm Offensive* and *Love Island*, this book is equal parts fun and heartfelt, with a swoon-worthy romance at its core. A must-read for those who love chaotic dating shows, sapphic romance, and finding love in the most unexpected places.

This book follows the Bachelor-style format, following the women competing for the affections of good guy, Josh. Closeted influencer Lauren has a plan. Make it to the top four-ish, get voted off before the home visits and gain major social media followers. She’s never really done anything for the right reasons, and she’s ok with that, until she starts falling for genuine contestant, Krystin.

Rodeo Queen Krystin knows exactly what she wants out of life, a good husband and her horses. Josh may just be the one, but as she gets closer to fellow contestant, Lauren, she begins to doubt her plan, and her feelings.

I wanted to like this one because I enjoy watching sating reality shows as anthropological research, but this one just didn’t do it for me. I liked it way more than if it had been a hetero romance, but sometimes romcoms are hit or miss for me. It’s a fun premise, though, and if you like The Bachelor and some sapphic rep in your media, you might like this one.

I’ve followed The Bachelor franchise since almost the very beginning, so this was right up my alley!
Rodeo Queen Kristyn has searched for her husband in Montana, but no cowboys there are right for her, so she turns to reality TV.
Lauren is definitely not on the show for the right reasons (like most of the contestants), ultimately just trying to make it far enough in the season to grow her online following.
In their quest to win the leading man’s heart, an unlikely romance between the two women develops.
This was so cute and fun! I’ve been begging the bachelor franchise for years to have a season that includes only bisexual contestants. I think it would be the most entertaining season, and Here For The Wrong Reasons gave me a taste of what I’ve been asking for!
I found there to be a good amount of depth in this story to go alone with the fun romance. The discussions of queer identity, closeting, and sexuality were very well written.
If you’re looking for a fun and sapphic novel, please read it!

While I'm grateful to NetGalley and the publisher for providing access to the ARC, the final result didn't quite meet my expectations. The story was a bit hard to follow, felt stretched out at times, and seemed to lack a strong drive towards the ending. That said, it was still an enjoyable read!

I was excited for this novel but didn't love the leads that much and o coudnl't get invested in their figuring out their love for each other.

I really wanted to love this. The premise sounded so fun to me! I don't watch reality tv, especially dating shows, but I did recently watch re-runs of the 7th season of the Australian Bachelorette because it featured the first ever bisexual Bachelorette who had 10 male and 10 female contestants, as well as her being the first Indigenous Australian lead. I had hoped that this book would give me similar vibes, but sadly it did not.

We are following two women who are both contestants on a Bachelor type show in which 35 women are competing for one mans love, however the two women end up falling for eachother. As I said, sounds fun. However the first half of the book had me feeling like I was reading the beginnings of a thriller with the way that ALL the women we were reading about were bitchy and unlikable. It felt like we were about to find out that they were going to be murdered one-by-one, because a few thrillers I've read feature a large group of unlikable characters who get slowly picked off. Sadly, one of the main characters was terribly unlikeable. She was even described in the book as “cold, calculating and careless” so tbh it was kind of hard to root for her to fall in love because she was quite awful to literally everyone.

I did also start to feel a little icky that the women were beginning to lead the Bachelor on. In the beginning it was fine, as one woman did not yet know she was a lesbian, and the other woman was on the show purely to boost her social media (which I think is quite common on reality tv anyway), but it did start feeling wrong once both women started having sex regularly with eachother and yet still stayed on the show. Maybe if the Bachelor had've been a jerk I wouldn't have cared, but he was painted as a clueless golden retreiver type man, so I did start feeling a little bad.

I did have to push through the book, however the final few chapters I did start to enjoy a little more. If it weren't for the conversations about coming out and comphet, I would've had to rate lower. Both women were in the closet at the beginning of the book, so I did enjoy them both figuring out their sexuality and learning to embrace and be proud of it. And I will always appreciate discussions about comphet!

I hope this book falls into the hands of the right readers, I'm so sad it wasn't me.

I absolutely loved this! The Bachelor references were a delight and I loved the character growth. So fun!

Will be in a roundup on my newsletter, Crooked Reads, in the future.