"I love you in a real, certain way, and I know I'm not good at, like, feelings and words, but I think I've been trying to tell you that for a really, really long time now. And I want to keep doing it, Krystin. For as long as you'll let me."

+ lesbian main characters, queer side characters
+ reality dating show

what made me read this was the dating show theme and the wlw relationship. i was hoping for more because the romance isn't that clear until the last 20% of the book.
some people might argue that the protagonists were very manipulative with which i can agree in a bit, Lauren was in the show only to gain followers while Krystin actually wanted to experience love.

although it wasn't peak wlw romance i had fun while reading this and in my opinion, it is a perfect beach read this year. we've got romance, a little bit of adventure, and a happy ending.

Krystin, a Rodeo Queen is going on the TV reality competition, Hopelessly Devoted, to find love. She had had no luck with the men in Montana. She hopes to win the heart of this year's Hopeless Romantic, Josh Rosen. But she keeps getting distracted by the dazzling Lauren. Lauren isn't there to win. She doesn't even like men. She just wants to gain enough followers to become a full-time influencer and maybe come out on her own terms. They never expected to fall for each other and the challenge of the game would actually be a challenge of their own identities.

Honest and to the point narrative, it's like your enthusiastic friend who's a great storyteller and a bit gossipy telling you what's what. Often endearing and emotive. Other times real and raw. The two POVs each have their own distinct voice. I enjoyed seeing the gradual growing of feelings and the awkwardness and misunderstandings.

I really like that the lead characters are so different: Krystin is sweet, kind, maybe a little naive, and I appreciate how nice she is. A lot nicer than the other contestants. But she is competitive and no pushover and she tries to play the game. Lauren is the 'I know how to impress and I'm not ashamed to do so' type and she goes for what she wants. I like how clever she is and how she uses every opportunity she can to her advantage. Yet they are the same in the loneliness when it comes to relationships.

You feel like you're really watching the show with the interjections of the the contestants' confessionals etc and the appropriate cheesiness and guilty pleasure appeal. It really puts a spotlight on the none reality of reality TV, fake it till you make it blown out of proportion. That fakeness which unfortunately is a protagonist in our socials and spills into everyday life too.

The secondary characters felt underdeveloped, so much so that I kept forgetting who was what. Even Josh was 'meh' but maybe that was the point? There were also bits of lulls that stuttered the pacing. I often needed the drama to feel more... important, if that's the right word? But I did like the leads' inner dialogue: intimate, truthful and natural.

This is a book about discovering yourself. About being who you are without reservations. Liking who you are. How things can change so unexpectedly. There was fun, there was drama, there was reflection about life and who we are. There was an ending you do predict, and a kickass one at that.

4.5 stars. This was really fun, if you like The Bachelor, you’re going to love this book. It’s fun and flirty and queer. Would recommend!!

I will always be drawn in by the premise of two women falling for each other instead of a milquetoast man.

In Here for the Wrong Reasons, Krystin and Lauren are on a Bachelor-esque type show called Hopelessly Devoted, competing to win the affections of Josh Rosen. Krystin is a "horse girl" but also hot and good at seemingly everything. Lauren is an aspiring influencer who sees herself as machiavellian and thus undeserving of good things.

The novel contains a lot of details regarding the show: interactions between contestants, group dates, and one-on-ones with Josh. The first half felt pretty slow to me - the story really picked up once Krystin and Lauren started secretly fooling around.

Overall, a cute, fun read, but I wanted more personality for both leads, and more interaction between the two of them. I believed their chemistry but felt like I didn't really get to see their connection build.

I am a huge sucker for reality dating shows so I was excited to read Here for the Wrong Reasons. Any reader familiar with The Bachelor will immediately see the parallels in this book and that series. I really enjoyed reading and seeing how the authors slightly tweaked the show premise to write the book. It was a fun, easy read that I'd suggest for anyone who loves these type of reality shows.

I was really looking forward to this book because of gay twist on the bachelor. Unfortunately, I could not get into the story due to the writing. I kept cringing at the dialogue and I found all of the characters super annoying. Definitely not a book for me.

Sweet Sappho this book was incredibly, WONDERFULLY gay!! This was a five star read for me!

As someone who only casually has watched dating shows over the years, I’m still quite familiar with some of the main themes, mainly the glaringly heteronormative themes. Here for the Wrong Reasons pokes fun at those while still giving a lot to those of us who enjoy them. I think you could honestly like this book regardless of your interest in reality dating tv, but there’ll be many things to appreciate if you do.

First, we have Lauren, successful content creator and closet lesbian. She was nominated for the show by her sister who didn’t know she was gay. But Lauren has no qualms about going on a show like Hopelessly Devoted. She’s been watching it for years and is pretty sure it’s all fake anyway. Who could actually fall in love in that kind of environment after all? Lauren figures she’ll go home just before hometown visits and get a bunch of new followers for her social media. Who could really get hurt?

In the meantime, there’s Krysten, Montana rodeo queen and sweet as they come. If you were to check with her, Krysten is actually on the show for the “right reasons.” She’s never had a serious boyfriend, positive it’s where she lives, and she feels strongly that Josh, this year’s contestant, could be the one. She just hasn’t had the right opportunity to find true love.

When Lauren and Krysten are bunked in a hotel room together, they’re both forced to reckon with the truths they’ve been avoiding, including a sizzling attraction between the two of them. Lauren feels things she’s never felt for anyone and Krysten… well she’s starting to realize that certain things are different between Josh and her compared to Lauren and her.

This novel is steamy and romantic all in one. It questions compulsory heterosexuality and how it can be so ingrained in us. It demonstrates what happens when happy queer couples aren’t in your sights growing up too. It’s funny, snarky, and creative, similar to the experience of watching and enjoying a reality show with more! Lauren and Krysten tug at the heart strings of the reader to create this incredible sapphic story and I can’t recommend it enough!

This book is especially good for fans of shows like The Queer Ultimatum, The Bachelor, etc and for books like The Charm Offensive by Alison Cochrun and Never Ever Getting Back Together by Sophie Gonzales.

DNF at 50%. I think this is a case of it’s not the book, it’s me. Romance hasn’t been working as much for me lately. This was an easy read and I was listening as I did some chores - but honestly it felt very similar to other books I’ve read and I found when I set it down I just didn’t care to get back to it. Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the free ebook and audiobook to review.

May 22
Title: Here for the Wrong Reasons
Author: Annabel Paulsen and Lydia Wang
Summary: ​​Krystin knows exactly what she wants: a husband, a horse, and a place to hang all her competitive rodeo blue ribbons. But when none of the eligible bachelors in Montana end up being right for her, she turns to reality TV. On Hopelessly Devoted, Krystin will compete against dozens of other women for the heart of this season’s Hopeless Romantic, Josh Rosen. She’s determined to win the perfect life she came here for—if she can just ignore the glossy brunette whose crimson smile gives her goosebumps.
Lauren has never done anything for the right reasons—and she’s definitely not on Hopelessly Devoted to win Josh’s heart. Lauren’s plan is simple: stay on the show long enough to build her social media following, and then gracefully leave when it's her turn to be eliminated. With enough followers, she’ll finally have the clout to do whatever she wants—including come out of the proverbial walk-in closet. But the longer she stays on the show, the more she finds herself tangled up in a certain blonde’s lasso.
Neither contestant expects a heteronormative dating show to challenge their own deeply-ingrained ideas of who they are—and what they want. Fans of The Charm Offensive and Love Island will swoon for this sparkling debut romcom.
Review: This is a delightful read that ultimately hits the mark. While it started off a bit rocky for me with its jumping around from character to character, and the plot feeling a tad predictable, don't let that deter you. As you delve deeper, you'll find yourself engrossed in the lives of the characters, rooting for their triumphs and sympathizing with their struggles. Paulsen and Wang's writing style is engaging and witty, making it easy to get swept up in the drama and romance of the story. Despite its initial challenges for me, "Here For The Wrong Reasons" delivers a satisfying reading experience overall, leaving you entertained and invested until the very end. Copy provided by @netgalley in exchange for an honest review. @alcovepress #NetGalley #LateBloomer #LGBTQIA #LGBT #WLW #Fiction #FF #LesbianRomance #booksbooksbooks #queerbookstagram

This was hilarious. A silly lesbian romcom novel and I really enjoyed it. two girls go on this reality show looking for love and end up falling for each other. So good, I would recommend reading this book.

If you are a fan of reality dating shows, then this story will be right up your alley-with a twist. Most of us know that these shows are pretty much scripted for the most part. We also know that many (if not all) the contestants are in it for their five minutes of fame. What happens when two of the contestants fall for each other? A fun, albeit fiction, look behind the scenes of some of the most popular reality shows. I'm not a dating reality show fan (except for one Bachelorette season that had a girl from my hometown as the Bachelorette), but I enjoyed this story.

Here For The Wrong Reasons is a fun take on the ‘Bachelor’ style romance, with contestants Krystin and Lauren falling for each other instead of the male lead. I liked the characters and the premise but thought the romance happened too suddenly. The conflict was realistic and the ending was satisfying. It was a four-star read for me.

Here for the Wrong Reasons followed many of the same elements of The Bachelor. Our two female main characters, Krystin and Lauren, are both on the dating show Hopelessly Devoted for very different reasons. Krystin, a rodeo Queen, has never had a serious relationship and wants to try something different to fall in love. Lauren is a social media influencer who is trying to raise her status online. 

This is a slow-burn romance, mostly because it handles a lot of identity exploration between Krystin and Lauren. It also reads more like a reality show (which, I guess, is the point, but it does take away from the romance), so I would not go into the book expecting romance early on. I do love a good reality TV show, so after I adjusted to the plot beats, I thoroughly enjoyed reading all about the drama!

Throughout the "season," there are transcripts from confessions that show what other contestants think of different scenarios. I really enjoyed these transcripts at first, but towards the middle, I felt like they started to get a little too repetitive and didn't actually add anything to the story. Toward the end, they packed a little more of a punch, but it wasn't my favorite aspect of the story. I think some of them could have been skipped.

Another complaint I have is that we don't really get much personality from the other characters. While all the contestants are given different backgrounds and bios, they really start to blend together. Toward the end, I couldn't tell you exactly which ones were still there. Similarly, Josh, our Hopelessly Devoted lead, could have been a much stronger character. He was such a sweet guy, and I really think he could've added so much to the end if Lauren and Krystin had left the show a little earlier. 

However, I liked a lot about Here for the Wrong Reasons. I loved the way Krystin's story was handled, especially as she began to grow more comfortable with her sexuality. When I first started reading, I did not think I was going to like Krystin's character because I often find the "rodeo girl" character to be stereotyped. Thankfully, that was not the case. 

While I did like Lauren overall, there were instances where I did not understand her choices. She was on the show for social media fame, and she was very open about it. But I felt like her plotting went on for too long. Listen, I know that many people go on reality shows to get social media cred. However, it really made me question why anyone would want to be around her after that. Even so, the sexual tension between Krystin and Lauren throughout the show was great! It really made the story even more complicated. They each had their own goals for being on the show, but their attraction to each other started to get in the way. 

Overall, Here for the Wrong Reasons reads like a Bachelor season, so if you are into those reality TV show elements but also want a sapphic romance, I recommend this one.

4.5 Stars

Sapphic
Queer awakening
Reality dating show

Giving me all the feel good brain tingles I get watching the bachelor without ACTUALLY watching the bachelor (…because reasons).

Kristen is a Rodeo queen who’s never really explored herself and what she wants. She know’s what she wants and never really thought of how she’d get there or what it would look like.

Lauren is a social media influencer who know’s who she is. She know’s she likes women and being on a heterosexual dating show is a vehicle to additional success.

Josh the third wheel in this relationship, is just a mediocre yt dude.

This book being in dual POV is great. It really allows the reader to understand the train of thought of the women. Considering Kristen is coming to terms with both her future and her sexuality, it’s a HUGE component of the story.

The whole book was super enjoyable, the ending fit perfectly. It didn’t feel rushed or artificially delayed.

At the ripe old age of 23, Krystin is passing down the mantle of Rodeo Queen Montana and stepping into the next phase of her life. . . if only she knew what she wanted that to be. She does know she wants a stable and happy partnership like her parents’ and that marriage and kids are what she’s supposed to want. However, her few attempts at connection with men left her unmoved (and somewhat squeamish). As a fan of the romance reality show Hopelessly Devoted, Krystin watched as Devotee Josh’s heart was broken on national television. When that sweet, likable man is announced as the next Romantic, Krystin signs up for the show. After all, how could she not fall in love with him if she puts the same determination and work into getting married as she does as a competitive athlete?

Lauren doesn’t do anything for the right reason, and she’s ok with that as long as she achieves her goals. Her new goal: use her tenure as a Devotee on Hopelessly Devoted to increase her subscriber count and land sponsorships. The show is her favorite, and she has every “plot” beat, every choice consequence, and every angle for favorability down to a science. She knows being at least one of the final six Devotees will earn her enough sympathy to boost her following. Sure, Lauren’s secretly a lesbian, but it’s all fake anyway, so who could possibly get hurt?

What Lauren doesn’t expect is earnest and trusting Krystin. Lauren is almost shocked that Krystin’s sweet näiveté isn’t an act and that she’s truly there to marry a stranger. Lauren’s also shocked and displeased that she’s drawn to the horse girl and helps keep her around. When an unexpected kiss upends both their worlds, will Lauren and Krystin open up and reach for what their hearts desire or make all the wrong choices?

Until the Golden Bachelor, the closest I’d come to watching a romantic reality show was a drama about making one, but I’d always wondered what might happen if queer contestants were attracted to the people they truly spent the most time with. Here for the Wrong Reasons promised to answer that question and seemed like gloriously messy fun. And it is so, SO messy. Krystin’s queerness is buried so deeply, she can’t help but see straight. Her only close female relationship is with her best friend, so she believes the draw towards girls is a universal female experience and the sickness at meeting new guys has to be butterflies. She desperately pursues validation of her idea of herself and that her path to the happiness missing from her life outside the rodeo ring is heteronormative conformity.

Conversely, Lauren can admit her attraction to Krystin, but is so determined to boost her career, it’s a hindrance. Lauren is manipulative, aloof, and jaded; she deems everyone to be like her—outwardly artificial and only concerned with their personal agendas. However, she isn’t as callous or villainous as expected by her own characterization. She avoids the drama to look good, sure, but also isn’t inclined to meanness, and her manipulations are targeted at Josh. His apparent nice guy schtick doesn’t stop him from cheerfully capitalizing on being pursued by thirty odd attractive women and the copious opportunities to make out (and in quick succession). I found Lauren’s cynical asides, utter confusion at her helpfulness, and allergy to even a whiff of vulnerability funny. I also appreciated that her unapologetic unlikability doesn’t magically disappear as she falls in love.

Though expressed differently, Lauren and Krystin are both closed off and alone, and their intense connection confuses and scares them. Krystin sacrifices self-awareness to tightly lock down her queerness and forget its existence. She has no identity other than her external one of Rodeo Queen. Her attraction to Lauren makes her face that she clings to the idea of marriage to Josh to stay anchored to the “correct” identity and future. Lauren has never felt good enough and walled up her true self to avoid anyone judging her inadequate. Her only real connection is with her best friend, but that’s partly due to them fake dating. They’re both hiding their queerness, and it’s a situation where being only good enough can’t hurt her. Both women’s inner conflict and personalities are conveyed more by telling than showing, but it works for the environment and extra baggage the narrative carries because of the contest structure.

The show is modeled beat for beat after The Bachelor(-ette), so YMMV on how much you enjoy the inevitable friction, falseness, and game-playing. However, I think the authors succeed at giving just enough of these interactions to create the appropriate atmosphere without becoming too bogged down in elements, such as alliance building and villain creation. I also appreciated the look into how much projection the pursued in a show like this does as they are ensnared by the fantasy; Josh’s feelings of so much chemistry and passionate, emotional union in his kisses with the MCs have more to do with him than their acting. I also liked that confessionals provide humor and quick overviews of character motivations, but one or two could have been skipped, especially since the characters aren’t fleshed out and/or some don’t appear until the confessional and eliminations. This excess drags the pace early on and makes Lauren and Krystin’s lack of interaction more obvious. There is a spark upon meeting, but they spend the time before their first kiss at odds. Knowing where the book is going, I could infer Krystin’s steadfast anger and occasional hints of discomfort at masking attraction, but I was as startled as the MCs by the kiss. I had to go back to make sure I hadn’t missed some internal monologues to reach that point. Frankly, it’s not earned, but for me, the authors do enough to make it believable for why a character initiated it out of nowhere.

Honestly, I think the entirety of Here for the Wrong Reasons is your mileage may vary, as it’s more about the vibes and what might give people the ick about a show like this—the forced polyamory, the queer erasure, and the playacting. The book is a bit too long, has jarring transitions from the lack of scene change designations (at least in the ARC), and has thin secondary characters. Lauren and Krystin’s change in status is abrupt and based a lot in good sex, especially for the innocent Krystin. However, the writing style and tone are perfect for the narrative, and for me, the MCs’ journeys to self-discovery and emotional accessibility (and the promised messiness) are enough to carry the story.

I don’t tend to read much LGBTQ which I really should! It always hits different than a romance on two straight characters.
I did struggle with the writing style with this one hence the lower rating but it was still so fun and enjoyable and a good palette cleanser in between my fantasy era!
Thank you for sending me the arc :)

I really enjoyed this book! I’ve found a few Bachelor type romances before, including one where the lead fell for a crew member (an M/M that was fantastic), but this sapphic romance where two of the cast members ended up interested in each other, and actually made it really far in the series, was such a great plot! Everything that happened throughout was perfectly done.

I also really liked finding out that the authors fell in love while co-writing the story! Such a sweet way to find love!

A definite recommendation from me, especially for fans of the Bachelor franchise and sapphic romance in general, or those who just enjoy a darn good romance.

I received an advance copy from NetGalley and Alcove Press, and this is my honest feedback.

I love The Bachelor franchise and any romance book with a dating show premise! This was a fantastic sapphic love story and had so many good details and it made me wonder if anything like this has actually happened behind-the-scenes on the show… A very fun and sexy read!

This was actually a super fun take on your modern dating shows. Two women are cast in a dating show to compete for the heart of a man. One is clearly there for the wrong reasons since she is into women and the other becomes confused when she starts to figure out what she actually likes. Lauren is clearly there for the wrong reasons, aka getting a social media following and hiding who she is. Krystin finds herself when she rooms with Lauren and their friendship turns relationship starts as a rivalry. I also think Josh is pretty comical and the whole dating show thing is so cringy. But as a bachelor nation fan, I enjoyed this one!

𝚁𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐: 4⭐️
𝙶𝚎𝚗𝚛𝚎: contemporary romance📚

𝙼𝚢 𝚃𝚑𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑𝚝𝚜:
A fun and sweet read that I wish focused more on the relationship between women

𝚁𝚎𝚊𝚍 𝚒𝚏 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎:
The Batchelor/ reality tv shows
Romantic comedies
Sweet sapphic romance
Slow burn
Rodeo queen / influencer

𝚃𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚜 𝙸 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎𝚍:
How different Lauren and Krystin’s paths were

𝚃𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚜 𝙸 𝚍𝚒𝚍𝚗’𝚝 𝚌𝚊𝚛𝚎 𝚏𝚘𝚛:
I felt like there was too much reality tv content and not enough relationship building
Felt a little childish at times
Miscommunication