Here for the Wrong Reasons is a fun take on the Bachelor-type dating shows with the twist being that two of the women competing for the lead fall in love with each other instead. Krystin is a rodeo queen from Montana. She hasn't really been out of her home state and hasn't really driven her life where she wants it to be. and believes the show will give her a shot at happiness with a nice man. Lauren is an influencer from Jersey, knows she isn't into guys, but joins the show to up her followers and get some new sponsorships. She is fairly aloof and figures she will be voted out before things get too serious with Josh, the eligible bachelor. Needless to say, things don't go the way either of them planned. They start falling for each other while Josh starts falling for them.

If you like the dating shows, you will love this book. It's an interesting peak into what they are like for the contestants. I'm not a particular fan of them, but was always curious how a group of men or women dealt with essentially all dating the same person and Here for the Wrong Reasons describes some of those scenarios, and especially acknowledges that the people on those shows are self aware of what has happened on previous ones...it gives it a sense of authenticity around it's subject.

The romance is sweet at times, though there were not very many hints that Krystin was into women until she just kisses Lauren one day. It's filled in better after that and both women have some self-reflection to do about their lives and how they are living them. I don't want to give any spoilers, and as this is a romance I think I can safely say everyone gets their happily ever after. My one complaint is I would have likes an epilogue to see how they were meshing their Montana/Jersey and cowgirl/influencer lives.

I received and ARC and am leaving an honest review.

This was a really fun book. I am not a big fan of reality TV, so was hesitant to read this one. Glad I did though. I was fun and quick read. I enjoyed that they highlighted everyone has their own timeline in coming out. Thanks Netgalley for allowing me to read this title early.

A very fun romance with some very spicy sex scenes. The premise of it being at a reality show is pop culture relatable for anyone whose ever watched even one episode of the Bachelor. It handles coming out in your 20's/coming to an understanding of yourself very well. A quick, upbeat, and sexy read.

★★★★ - 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰

Here for the Wrong Reasons by Annabel Paulsen & Lydia Wang
Book 1 - Spin off
༘Spoiler free ༘
⭐️3.75/5
🌶️
Rom-Com, Romance, LGBTQIA+
➳ Rom-Com
➳ LGBTQIA+
➳ Reality TV Dating Show
➳ Unexpected Pairings

✨If you’ve ever wondered what it would be like if a reality tv dating show and a book had a baby, you’ll love this book.✨

📚📚📚
✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

“Here for the Wrong Reasons” takes place within the setting of a reality dating show, which gave a unique twist on your standard Rom-Com narrative. However, I found myself wishing there was more emotional depth and buildup between Krystin & Lauren. Don’t get me wrong, I still found myself giggling and cheering for them… I just wanted a bit more to their story & connection. The side characters felt like satirical representations of how we generally see women represented on reality tv, and i wanted a little more depth & dimension to them. Side characters are often used for comedic relief, but in this sense it made it harder for me to feel fully immersed in the story.

Krystin’s struggle with comphet felt incredibly believable, and emotionally resonant. The exploration of that theme was much appreciated, as well has giving me the satisfaction of feeling some degree of personal growth for the characters. I think if the relationship felt less rushed I would’ve been a lot more moved by this story. Of course, this is a rom-com and when it comes down to it i definitely felt entertained, and felt the good warm feelings I’d expect from the genre.

This story definitely hit the mark on the comedy front, and I’d wager that for many it met their expectations for the romance area of the genre as well, I just seek a bit more buildup to generally feel the romantic resonance..

The themes of authenticity, compulsory heterosexuality (comphet) and self discovery were all central elements of the story, and when it comes down to it I felt the authors hit the nail on the head for the main characters in this regard. The struggle between Lauren’s genuine self and the persona that she presents to the public as an influencer is a feeling anyone can relate to.

The ending successfully resolved the major plot points & character arcs and i think i would have felt thoroughly satisfied had there been more emotional buildup and tension between Krystin and Lauren prior to end.

I found the humor to be incredibly engaging, but the pacing felt uneven when it came down to the romantic connection between Krystin & Lauren, i would’ve preferred a more gradual buildup.

There were some definite moments of cringey dialogue, which perfectly aligned with reality TV Dating shows we see in the real world. The authors really utilised a character-centric plot and honed their attention into making us love and fall for Lauren and Krystin despite their inherent flaws.

When it comes to a Rom-Com I expect Authors to deliver a feel good element, humour and romance. I found this nailed the “feel-good” element and humour, and was nearly there for the romance aspect. I wanted to be able to savour the romance and feel the nervous tension. If it had been a bit more gradual, it would’ve met that mark.

If you like the bachelor, love is blind, love island etc. I would definitely suggest you add this to your tbr. It’s more comedy than romance, but I think that’s the case with reality dating shows as well.

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

Here For The Wrong Reasons is a hilarious and sweet romance that takes place on a fictional Bachelor-style reality dating show called Hopelessly Devoted. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and think others will as well.

Our two main characters have come on the show for very different reasons. Krystin, a twenty three year old Rodeo Queen from Montana, has every intention of finding love. In fact, she hopes that being on the show will help her finally feel something for a man-- oh, Krystin. Lauren, a twenty five year old influencer, is there purely to gain followers. She's pretty sure that's what everyone's there for anyway, but is caught off guard by a particularly sweet and genuine Rodeo Queen.

There were so many laugh-out-loud moments as the book lovingly roasted The Bachelor-- from Josh, "The Romantic," having started a successful podcast after being a contestant, to twenty seven year-olds crying about "running out of time," to contestants with the same name being identified with their last initial.

I enjoyed both characters' arcs as they each found something they weren't expecting. Each had to come to terms with and work through their journey in their own way. I couldn't predict how the reality show element was going to conclude, so it was fun to see everything play out! It's always fun to have a queer book spin on our favorite guilty pleasure reality shows, and this book did not disappoint.

This was such a cute read, just the pick-me-up I needed after a week of hard work! I’m not even a fan of reality TV, but as a trope for some romance it’s a tried and tested recipe - and always a great fun when applied to queer romcoms. In that sense the book was very faithful to the genre and the trope both, and you pick this book up expecting just that, you won’t be disappointed! The personalities of the main characters are as different as it gets, and their motivations for being on the show a hilariously mismatched, but pitting the two together brought about some really fun chemistry.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC!

This was fun! As a late to life fan of the bachelor, this was a fun twist on a concept that I'm sure we've all imagined happening! It was fun, dynamic, sweet, and had a great pace.

I was really interested in reading this book after reading the summary. I am not the biggest Bachelor/Bachelorette fan, but the twist of having two women fall in love with each other made me want to read it! Lauren and Krystin come from two very different worlds but I think they balance each other out really well, and it was fun getting to watch them fall in love! I also loved the cast of women the author created to also be on the show. They really added to the story.
Fans of the Bachelor/Bachelorette will absolutely love this book! Thank you to Netgalley and Alcove Press for the ARC!

I really enjoyed this book. I don't like the reality shows where someone is looking for a wife or husband, but I did like this book.
There are many characters in this book, but it focuses mainly on Krystin, Lauren and Josh. Krystin wants a husband who shares her love of horses. Lauren is not interested in a husband but her friend sent in her name to the show. She thinks she can grow her social media fanbase by acting interested. And Josh is the bachelor.
The women do spend quite a bit of time together and Krystin and Lauren end up rooming together for one part of the show. From then on, they try to deny what is between them as more women get voted off the show.
I really enjoyed this book.
I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I don’t watch a lot of tv, let alone The Bachelor. But I enjoyed this so much! If you are a fan of the bachelor, you’ll eat this up. We have Lauren who is just there for the social media fame (and let’s be honest, I’m sure this also happens on actual show). And Krystin our rodeo queen. As a horse person, I do wish there was more from the rodeo side (BUT I get why there wasn’t). I liked watching Krystin find herself, and the spice. This story is what I imagined go on when the cameras are off, and ultimately I loved it.

Thank you Netgalley, publisher Alcove Press, and authors Annabel Paulsen and Lydia Wang for providing an eARC in exchange for a review! All thoughts and opinions are my own.
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"Here for the Wrong Reasons" is a strong 3.5, rounded up to a 4, because by the time I was finished with it, I was begging my significant other to get us a Hulu subscription so we could watch The Bachelor, which I've never watched before in my life. (Bless his heart, he actually did it, and watched with me for four hours!)

Let me be real blunt: I know The Bachelor and Love Island and Love Is Blind and all the other shows are scripted, fake, edited to hell, and completely manufactured. I know that. And yet, reality TV is popular for a reason: It's just plain fun. It's dramatic. And this book is exactly that. This isn't a profoundly deep or moving story, you won't have any grand emotional moments here, no tears, no slamming your book down, but you will absolutely laugh and roll your eyes and sit on the edge of your seat and wonder exactly when Lauren's, one of the protagonists, lies will catch up with her.

Lauren isn't a nice person, she's barely even a good person. She's dishonest, cowardly, manipulative, and self-centered. But that's what makes her fun to read about! We, as readers, know all the scheming and string-pulling she's doing to try to give herself an edge, and we get to peek behind the curtain and see the chess pieces she's moving on a board only she can see.

Krystin, the other main protagonist, is too trusting, too soft, too gentle, and frankly more than a little naïve. Despite this, she is not a pushover, which I loved. It's very true-to-life that someone could be optimistic but still defend themselves. Krystin is the type of person who gives second and third chances, but not a fourth.

Both characters have a decent amount of growth throughout this book, which was surprising but definitely welcome, and the main reason that, despite it being the novel-equivalent of a reality TV show, I chose to round the 3.5 stars up.

I would have liked to have some bisexual representation here, as I think it was a perfect opportunity to do so with multiple characters, but unfortunately like most forms of media, bi representation is scarce; you either like men, or women, but never both.

A thought about one of the female protagonists: It would have been so easy for Krystin to be bi, since she had a history of being with men. I felt it was cheap for her to say she never enjoyed those experiences. She even had a female friend in her youth with whom she experimented, which could have been a great segue into coming to terms with her bisexuality, but no.

A thought about the male protagonist, Josh: Josh could have been bi as well. I loved Josh as a character. I loved his patience, tolerance, and understanding that he was able to show despite being lied to, manipulated, and cheated on. Josh gets dumped three times very publicly and he still manages to conduct himself with grace. Josh gets the short end of the stick every single time, but I think it could have been extra heartwarming if he had sympathy for Krystin and Lauren because he had been there before. Instead, he just wants to be a white knight and reunite them after the show because he "has to be known for more than being the guy who got dumped three times on TV".

✏️ Author: Annabel Paulsen & Lydia Wang
📅 Pub Date: May 21, 2024
🌟 Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Krystin, a rodeo queen, and Lauren, an influencer, both apply to be on Hopelessly Devoted (think the Bachelor) for very different reasons. Krystin to find love and Lauren to gain followers and endorsements. But instead of falling in love with Josh, the perfect Jewish himbo with a door pun for every occasion and star of this season, they fall in love with each other.

First off, this book was so so real! Krystin is very unsure of her sexuality. She has never had a boyfriend and though she's experimented with her best friend, she's almost in denial about her love for women. Lauren knows she's a lesbian, but is hesitant to come out for fear of how it will affect her career, life, etc. What transpires is a beautiful romance between these two. Is it fast? Well duh! Its centered around a Bachelor type TV show. All of those relationships have to be fast! Even though it was a bit quick, that had absolutely no bearing on how well their stories were written or how believable they were. As someone who has dealt with questioning their own sexuality before, this was such a well written look at what its like to wrestle with those thoughts and questions and how no matter how accepting your circle is, it can still be hard to be true to yourself.

I loved this book! I loved it so so much. While it definitely addressed some heavier topics, it was also amazing to read about the various dates and the other show contestants. Having the plot center around a dating show was simply genius and added so much to their own self explorations both individually and together. I can't recommend this one enough!

🌟 🌟🌟🌟🌟/5

I received an advanced copy for free and am leaving this review voluntarily. Thank you to NetGalley, Alcove Press, and Annabel Paulsen and Lydia Wang. 🩷

Oh, I enjoyed this so much.
Krystin and Lauren are such an odd couple but it works within this book.
I liked the layout and style with the contestant interviews. I would have liked more interviews from Josh though, and maybe see some of the book from McKenzie's point of view.
I really hoped their declaration would have happened at the string cutting, like in the viral video of the Asian couple a few years ago. It would have made for more dramatic reading.
I enjoyed the end, how the women and Josh were able to move past everything and be happy.
I actually read this in one go because I couldn't stop turning the pages.
I received a copy via NetGalley and all opinions are my own.

I’ve never watched the Bachelor, but I read the hell out of this book.

Krystin is a rodeo queen who is just looking for someone to love. She’s goes on Hopelessly Devoted despite losing her best friend in the process. She’s hoping this season’s bachelor, Josh, will be the one.

Lauren is a lesbian who only joined the show for the airtime. She fully knows who she is and is really hoping to get some sponsorships, if nothing else.

Lauren and Krystin don’t hit it off right away. Lauren is clearly playing a game and Krystin is really there to find the one. She’s literally risking her whole rodeo queen title for this. L

When they do finally become close, they become CLOSE! Krystin and Lauren lean into the physical aspect of their relationship before the emotional. Lauren knows what she wants, but will Krystin choose Lauren or Josh?

This really felt like I was watching a good, dramatic reality tv show with behind the scenes footage. However, at the beginning it kind of fell flat and I found myself bored. I’m glad it picked up and I thoroughly enjoyed this until the end. The spice was light, definitely could have done with more, but it was tasteful.

I liked the development of both Krystin and Lauren. Lauren seems to know who she is, but she’s never really been tied down. Krystin has definitely been with men, but has never had a serious boyfriend and is starting to wonder why. I liked how they were able to help each other find out who they truly are.

This was a cute, fun read, but I just felt like it went on too long and something was missing.

Here for The Wrong Reasons is the story of two women competing on a dating show for one man, The Bachelor style, who end up falling for each other along the way. It’s such a compelling concept, and the story did not disappoint! I really enjoyed Krystin’s very obvious struggle with compulsory heterosexuality throughout the book, and her eventual coming to terms with being a lesbian. I think that representation of comp. het. is very important, and certainly not represented enough, especially in adult fiction. Overall it’s a very cute love story with a lot of important themes.

Krystin and Lauren compete with each other for the eligible bachelor Josh on the reality show Hopelessly Devoted. They end up falling for each other.

I like how differnt Krystin and Lauren are but they fit each other well. I like the reality show setting since I love reality shows books! The book is so funny and has so many LOL scenes. Really enjoy it a lot.

Overall this was a fun read following contestants in a bachelor-esq reality tv competition. The plot features two constants Krystin and Lauren as they and others compete for the chance to marry Josh. I'm not a giant fan of reality dating shows but I enjoyed reading this book. The author really leaned into the game within a game element of realty tv dating shows and that was fun. I felt like there were missed opportunities for further character development that would have added a richness to the overall (highly enjoyable) novel.

I really liked this one and I think it's going to be big when it comes out. I love a reality tv show premise and it's even better when it's sapphic. I would have liked even more time spent growing the relationship between Lauren and Krystin, because a lot of the time I think we were just told instead of shown about their chemistry.

If there’s one thing about me you should know by now, is that I absolutely adore queer books. If you ever want me to read about, just mention that is queer and I will devour it in less than a week.

The book I read this week, “Here For The Wrong Reasons” had me smiling from ear to ear, kicking my feet and twisting in bed. I am so excited for it to come out next year, and talk openly about it.

This book tells the story of Lauren and Kristyn, who participate in a reality show to win Josh’s heart. Lauren is an influencer who is only there to gain more followers and then be swiftly eliminated, while Kristyn is a Rodeo Queen who is there to find true love. Of course, they didn’t count on falling in love with one another.

While this book was definitely a fun and sweet read, I do think there was a little bit too much Josh. I would’ve liked for the main characters to have a more developed relationship, since in the beginning we barely see them interact. It was a bit out of nowhere, but nonetheless sweet relationship to read.

And talking about development, I would’ve liked for the other women to be more developed too. Look, I get it, developing 35 women who don’t really matter to the plot is a bit useless and not relevant, but I would’ve liked to see friendships blossom and a bit more of the dynamics inside the house. In general, I would’ve liked to see less of Josh, and more of the women.

I do want to note that Lauren and Kristyn’s relationship to their queerness, especially Kristyn’s comphet, was really well handled. I read some reviews of this book which said that the queerness was barely there, and this is what I think: this book gave us two closeted lesbians who each battled with two different sides of internalized homophobia, and to me, that was very clear. It wasn’t outright stated, but it influenced their actions and their dialogue, and it was both a nice and sad thing to see.

Rating: ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆

I’m neither usually a fan of the Bachelor or of romcoms, but I loved the premise of this story.. Within the patriarchy of “reality” television dating emerges a credible romantic discovery between two very different rivals. In their debut, the authors deftly capture the spirit and structure of the show while respectfully developing very likable and relatable characters, from the two leads and their rivals to the man in the spotlight and even the friends and family members. While there are some exciting, steamy intimate moments, they do not feel pornographic. Don’t sleep on this smart, mainstream coming of age lesbian romance. It’s bound to make it to the big screen.