‘Give Me a Reason’ is a heartfelt, second chance romance that delivers all the longing and angst of a classic second-chance romance novel.

If your looking for a story set against the glitzy backdrop of K-drama fame wuite similar to some k-dramas, than this is the perfect read.

We meet Anne and Frederick who reunite after what seems forever in their tension filled and unspoken feelings journey of journeying back together slowly.

However, the emotional push-and-pull can feel repetitive at time. Many of the plot holes and story line also felt fimiliar- and once again repetitive to this idea of “k-drama fame led to breaking up then falling in love again” type of story. I felt the raw emotions for the story, but also not enough to really make me shed a tear which I was hoping for.

That being said, the book had well-developed characters that would make this a solid read for fans YA romance filled of bittersweet love stories and dramatic reunions!

✨Book Review : Give me a reason by Jayci Lee✨

3/5 ⭐ 2/5 🌶️ (2 scenes)

🌹 What I Loved:
• A cheesy second-chance romance—perfect for when I don’t have much reading time!
• Dual POV (Anne & Frederick)—my favorite way to read books in general.
• The cover? Absolutely adorable!

🥀 What Didn’t Work for Me:
• It’s a Persuasion retelling, and I’ve yet to find one that truly impresses me.
• So. Much. Miscommunication. Not my favorite trope!

I flew through this book—it’s an easy, entertaining read that did its job! Thank you Netgalley for the free ARC exchange my honest review.

Wrenching, emotional, and gripping story of second chances, mistakes not forgotten, and the balance of self and family - ultimately identifying self worth and what is really important. Miscommunication and insecurities plague Anne and Frederick, and you can't help but root for them all along.

Anne was such a sweet and caring FMC, and I loved that her kindness was portrayed as a strength. So often in books, kind characters are forced to "grow a backbone" as part of their development, but for Anne, her journey was more about finding the courage to express her love for Frederick rather than changing who she was. It was refreshing to see her character remain true to herself while still growing.

While I haven’t read a Jane Austen novel before, I think this book did a great job of capturing the essence of her storytelling. Austen’s novels are often about enduring love, overcoming obstacles, and characters finding their way back to one another, and this book definitely stayed true to that theme.

Frederick was a fantastic MMC, and I truly enjoyed all of the characters, including the side characters, who added depth to the story. This was my first book by this author, and I really enjoyed it! If you're looking for a slower-paced, second-chance romance, I highly recommend checking this one out.

I wanted this book to be good so badly, but the writing itself was something I couldn't overcome to even think about enjoying the characters. I'm a certified Persuasion fangirl, and this book did not do the story even the slightest bit of justice.

Reading Give Me a Reason is like stepping into the heart of a slow-burning K-drama—one filled with longing glances, unsaid words, and an emotional weight that lingers long after you’ve turned the last page. From the very first chapter, the book immerses you in Anne and Frederick’s world, where love is not just about passion but about timing, choices, and the pain of regret. The novel tugs at your heartstrings with its deeply emotional prose, making you feel every bit of Anne’s internal conflict and Frederick’s quiet, simmering resentment. There’s a constant push and pull between them that keeps you turning the pages, wanting to see if they can break through the walls they’ve built around their hearts. The chemistry is undeniable, but so is the ache of missed opportunities and the fear of risking it all again.
The author does a fantastic job weaving in Korean cultural elements, Hollywood and K-drama influences, and the pressures of fame, adding layers of depth to the characters' experiences. Fans of Persuasion will appreciate the faithful adaptation of key themes—love lost and found, personal growth, and the courage to seize happiness before it’s too late—while newcomers will be drawn in by the emotionally charged storytelling and swoon-worthy romance. Overall, Give Me a Reason is a compelling, beautifully written novel perfect for lovers of second-chance romances, K-drama enthusiasts, and anyone who enjoys slow-burning but deeply satisfying love stories.
If you enjoy the longing and emotional intensity of Austen’s work with a modern twist, this book is a must-read.

This is what the angst lovers want! The yearning! The pining! The tension!

Give Me a Reason fed my angst loving heart. I gobbled this book up. I really liked the elements of Jane Austen's Persuasion that was used but this still felt like it's own story. The beginning sucks you in and you cannot put this down.

Would recommend!

This is a modern retelling of Jane Austen’s Persuasion. I will admit I’ve never read that so I went into this one knowing nothing about the plot. As someone who has enjoyed other Jayci Lee novels this didn’t disappoint. Anne and Frederick are the MC’s. Korean influences abound in this novel. I really enjoyed it.

I enjoyed this book very much, however, there are a few reasons why I didn't give it the 5th star. Let's start with talking about the story. Anne and Frederick met in college and were an all encompassing love. They were in deep. Anne's father and older sister are the absolute worst. Anne's mother passed away a few years earlier and her dad and older sister acted indifferent to her. Her younger sister gets a bit of a pass since she was barely a teenager when this happened. Her aunt assumed the mom role and did the best that she could, but made a mistake underestimating the love between Anne and Frederick. She convinces Anne that they're too young and she's better off walking away and starting a career that can save the family home. Poor Anne was/is insecure and did what she thought was the best thing to do. It broke Frederick and Anne never got over it either. Fast forward 10 years and they meet again because they're both in Anne's cousin's wedding. The proximity is difficult and they both had a hard time dealing with it. Frederick held on to anger and hurt and Anne was hurt and wanted to apologize. There's a few misunderstandings(to put it lightly) and they weren't on the same page about what their relationship to each other was. This story was full of noncommunication. Anne was so"independent", no one knew of her relationship with Frederick from 10 years ago or her challenges with it now, except Katie, Frederick's friend's wife. I liked the development of that friendship. It started off combative(on Katie's side) and ended up being helpful. I like how her relationships with her younger sister and cousin improved, but there's no redeeming the dad. Frederick was broken by Anne and had a way to go to put his pieces back together and find his way back to her. After more misunderstandings and total lack of communication, they don't speak, but realize that they still love each other very much. Here's why it didn't get the last star. I get that they were afraid, but they were too afraid to have conversations that could have saved them months of heartache over and over again. I really would have loved to see Anne stand up to her lousy dad and older sister. She did with her aunt and they slowly started to mend fences. Frederick leaned on his friends, but not until the end. It was a little unbelievable the few amount of people who knew about their history. I get that it was 10 years ago and painful, but at no point when they were together for wedding stuff could either say, hey, we dated in college.i digress. Maybe I'm nitpicking. I did end up enjoying this book and the growth of the characters, no matter how slow moving.

A really emotional and romantic retelling of Jane Austen's Persuasion with a twist. I thoroughly enjoyed the book, however, my favorite part was the cover, it perfectly captured the emotion of the novel.

The gorgeous cover caught my attention but the story within the pages kept it and still hasn’t let me go!

I love all things Jane Austen and a modern retelling is always a must for me. Anne and Fredricks story though inspired by one of my favorites from Austen, stands on its own!

I loved the emotional angst. A story that pulls at my heart and has me choking up is one that I know I won’t let go not for awhile!

I have come to love Lee’s books and this one has flown to the top on my favorites list. The characters are charming and hilarious. The storyline easy to follow and one that captures your attention immediately. The drama isn’t over the top and though yes communication is key I get why both the hero and heroine struggle to get it all out. So much is wrapped up in who they once were and who they want to become and the fear of pain drives them to walk a fine line.

A must read Persuasion retelling no one will want to miss!

This is my first retelling of Jane Austen’s Persuasion. I think it’s hard for any author to tackle a Jane Austen retelling because you’re setting yourself up to be compared with the gold standard.

So… with that intro, I have to say that this retelling was cute but yeah…. lol. While I appreciated the switching perspectives of Anne and Frederick to know what they’re each thinking, this book was so much more sappy, semi-unbelievable/cheesy romance than the deep novel of Persuasion. This retelling took the plot points of Persuasion but it kind of lacked the believability of Persuasion.

I was at first curious about Frederick’s perspective but his character was your typical romance male—completely devoted and blindly in love. His only thoughts were on Anne’s good qualities and her perfection. (Over and over again.) I found it kind of unnecessary to read his side since it didn’t add anything special to Persuasion. (Sorry!)

And for those curious~ yes there are smutty scenes. (And cuss words for those who care.)

Anyways, that all being said above, I read this book in 2 days, was entertained in the general sense (so long as I tried not to compare it), and appreciated the Asian American characters based in LA.

Overall… 2.5 but rounding up to 3.
The cover is gorgeous btw.

The author weaves together a beautiful love story, alternating between the past and present, and POVs. Anne's loyalty - her duty - to her family has an all-too-familiar sting. Some of the scenes with her father, sisters, and other relatives felt like it could have been written about my family (except with a lot less money). In fact, Anne's desire...her need...to be the dependable anchor, the perfectionist, the one who gets things done...the pressure (self-imposed and otherwise), was just so damn relatable. And between Anne and Frederick's sense of wanting to be part of a loving family and their sense (or lack of sense) of worth...this story hit so many feels.

A lot of the book takes place in the characters' heads, which is great because it reveals what the characters are truly thinking and feeling. Honestly a lot of the characters' internal back-and-forth is probably something we've all been through. While the pacing of this can feel slow, it also felt perfect for the storyline. There's a lot of feelings that need to be given time to digest. The author did surprise me a couple of times (the spice is worth the wait!). The ending is perfection: romantic, swoon-worthy, and worth alllll the build up.

I loved the age of the characters. I loved the reflection of many stereotypical (and true) Asian lives - both in terms of generational trauma being given and received. I loved Southern California being reflected quite accurately (anything below 60 IS cold. I will die on this hill).

Line that made me laugh, because I have said this to my husband: "Not for the first time, Frederick wondered what kinds of jobs these people had to take such leisurely lunches in the middle of the week."
Moment that made me want to hug the FMC: "She had to do more than become a little selfish and take up some space. She had to start living for herself and step out into the light at long last."
One of my favorite lines: "The only things we can change are ourselves and what we choose to do in the future."

I'm sorry, but the cover is the best part of this book 😭 (the found family fire crew is a far second, but they're nowhere near compelling enough to make up for everything else.)

Hi, my name is Veronica, and I once spent five months reading every modern Jane Austen retelling I could get my hands on, so yeah, I kind of like modern takes on Austen's classic, but I also kind of have a lot of thoughts about them (more so than other books, if you can believe that.)

As your friendly neighborhood Asian American book blogger and Jane Austen retelling enthusiast, I had to pinch myself when I discovered When Give Me a Reason and found a copy in my inbox. Not only was it a modern Austen retelling, it featured an AAPI cast and had gorgeous cover art (shout out to @einlaup), but it was a Persuasion retelling?! I honestly think Persuasion is one of Jane Austen's more underrated books and deserves so much more love, so I'm always on the lookout for more. I also get that it's a hard story to modernize since it features a quiet protagonist and an incredibly slow slow-burn that relies more on second-hand information from other characters than the main characters actually interacting with each other, but here's my thing: if you're going to write an Austen retelling, write an Austen retelling. If you aren't going to try to honor the source material, write your own second chance romance and leave poor Anne Elliot out of it--the girl's been through enough 😩

I'm going to split this review into two parts--reviewing it as a Persuasion retelling and reviewing it as a story in general--because I get that it can be hard to have your merits as an author judged with the specter of Jane Austen's ghost lurking around (though, again, if you're setting out to write an Austen retelling, I feel like you kind of set yourself up for it.) Unfortunately, Give Me a Reason gave me zero reasons to like it on both accounts.

As a Persuasion retelling, Give Me a Reason is incredibly disappointing. I get that a book where the main characters don't interact until chapter 8 (if half-catching the other person's eye and hearing his voice counts as "interacting") might not go over well in the day and age of BookTok, but Jayci Lee doesn't even capture the spirit of the original. Persuasion is a story about regret. It's a story full of angst and longing, yearning and heartache, with a slow-burn so smoldering a snail's pace is faster than the pace of this romance.

Give Me a Reason has none of the subtlety or aguish we find in Persuasion. The original can be agonizing slow (even for the most diehard K-drama fans who've gotten used to (or been resigned to) holding hands being a big deal,) but it fit the story and made the eventual payout all that much more satisfying. Again, I get that you might need to change up the pacing when modernizing Persuasion, but, at their core, Anne and Fredrick are very different characters in Give Me a Reason and their dynamic is completely different from the way Austen portrays it.

In Persuasion, Anne is someone who's so easily persuaded by the opinions of others she ends up letting the love of her life go and now has to deal with 8 years' worth of regret, and Captain Chip-on-his-Shoulder Wentworth is a dork in denial about the lingering resentment Anne's rejection left him with. The two are thrown into the same social circle and suddenly have to deal with the aforementioned feelings of regret/resentment while trying to avoid the other person at all costs and also avoiding the inconvenient fact that they're still in love with the other person.

I can't help but wonder if Jayci Lee and I read the same book because her version of Persuasion seems way more focused on attraction than angst. Give Me a Reason, starts off pretty antagonistically right off the bat--Anne chases after Fredrick, who's curt and rude--and then continues to be an emotional see-saw of alternating (forced) antagonism and attraction (lust). Unlike Wentworth's "cold politeness," Fredrick is openly mean to Anne. I can't say isn't warranted but it...isn't Wentworth? And Anne will become all sultry and flirty at the most unexpected times, which is a rare enough trait for any Austen heroine, but is definitely not something that seems appropriate if your name is Anne Elliot. Not only do both characters feel extremely out-of-characters, but they're also extremely aware of the other person's attraction to them. Even if Lee tries to write it off simply as "chemistry," that's not Persuasion. It's bad enough that I had to read the words "pity sex" in anything with even remotely associated with Jane Austen, but Fredrick is far from the Captain looking to marry "any pleasing young woman who came in his way, excepting Anne Elliot." When he isn't sharing too much information about what's going on in his nether-regions, he's constantly waxing poetic about Anne and gives off major "man written by women" vibes. I'm willing to overlook that since he is based off the man who wrote "you pierce my soul. I am half agony, half hope" and "I offer myself to you again with a heart even more your own than when you almost broke it, eight years and a half ago," but I can't overlook the fact that his character lacks any kind of depth or meaningful development.

The biggest travesty is that we were robbed of a romantic, climatic scene. I still remember the first time I read the "half-hope, half-agony" scene and swooning and squealing and screaming at my friends because where has Captain Wentworth been all my life?? But the "I'm torn between hope and agony" was a lot less impactful since the reason for Fredrick's conflicting emotions stemmed more from the mixed signals he and Anne kept giving each other. (Seriously, if denial is a river, these two were drowning in it.) The reason the miscommunication trope is such a hated trope isn't so much because miscommunication isn't a realistic source of tension but because it's often lazy writing used to create unnecessary drama, and my biggest issue with Jayci Lee's version of Persuasion is that she never gives me a reason to believe that Anne and Fredrick can't be together. The two are willfully ignorant about the other person's feelings even when they're spelled out in flashing neon lights. I mean, Fredrick spends way more time with Anne than Bethany (the stand-in for Louisa,) who really only appears when it's convenient to have a love rival, but it's so inconsistent I had a hard time believing Anne thought anything was going on between her cousin and Fredrick.

I get that incorporating a letter into a modern romance can be hard, but it's the iconic scene from Persuasion. If you're going to tackle a classic, you need to at least try to capture the magic of the original, even if you don't totally nail it, but the letter writing itself felt so forced, I couldn't even try to appreciate the scene because I was too incredulous at the way Lee shoehorns it in. What makes the Captain Wentworth's letter so powerful in the original is that Anne and Wentworth spend a good chunk of the book being worse than strangers and when they're finally on the brink of coming to an understanding, some swarmy cousin pops onto the scene to ruin everything. It seems that all hope is lost when Wentworth writes this gut-wrenching, swoonworthy letter, and you're texting friends "where was this Wentworth for the past 233 pages?!"

But the letter scene in Give Me a Reason falls woefully short because the build-up leading up to it is a chaotic amalgamation of misunderstandings and every other romance trope under the sun except the ones that actually fit the story. "Let's just be friends" and drunken confessions and slightly aggressive bouts of possessiveness are all well and good, but if you want to include them in your book, don't 👏🏻 call 👏🏻 it 👏🏻 Persuasion.

I made it through about 40% of the book before I finally gave up any hope of getting a book that resembled Persuasion in any meaningful way and tried to judge Give Me a Reason as a standalone second-chance romance for the rest of the book, but it didn't fare much better.

It's fitting that the story opens up in a second-grade classroom because it sounds like an eight-year-old wrote it. It's all telling, no showing, and has absolutely zero feeling. The writing itself is overly simplistic and is even grammatically incorrect at times, but most importantly, fails to convey any kind of emotion. (This is more a personal preference, but the humor just isn't for me. It comes across as cringe and trying too hard and is like salt on the wound when combined with the stilted and robotic storytelling.) The story is primarily made up of the narrator is telling us every single thought that goes through our protagonists minds and breaking down every emotion Anne and Fredrick have (including gems like "she wanted to wrap herself around one of his legs like a koala hugging a tree and never let him out of his sight," "what kind of man because aroused touching a woman's /nose/?," and "her ex looked extremely handsome and virile.") Everything, from Anne and Fredrick's inner dialogue to each person's motivation, is spelled out for us and because there's no real plot, the whole thing just falls flat.

Even after I gave up the hope that Give Me a Reason would be the Persuasion retelling I've been looking for, it was such a struggle trying to be emotionally invested in the story. I just couldn't bring myself to care about either of the characters who are so bland and undeveloped I could barely think of any distinct characteristics by the time I got to the acknowledgements section. Anne's character arc feels forced and clunky, and both she and Fredrick are so hot-and-cold it's hard to believe either of their motivations at any given time.  

It doesn't help that the story has no cohesion. Instead, it jumps from scene to scene--which, in reality, aren't so much scenes as much as excuses for Lee to throw Anne and Fredrick together--but there's nothing to hold these forced interactions together. I get that Jane Austen isn't necessarily known for writing the most plot-centric stories, but if you're going to take creative liberties with a text, why not give your readers some better transitions between scenes?

It's bad enough that I was subjected to sentences like "she was too beautiful for his sanity" and "he was far from a womanizer but no monk," and "a rush of respect and affection lit a bonfire in her chest. She was afraid smoke would billow out of her mouth if she opened it," but the weak storyline and bland characters were the last straw. The best character is a firefighter's wife who barely makes an appearance, which says a lot about the quality of the cast.

I appreciate the attempt to bring some diversity into a oft neglected Jane Austen book, but this really didn't work for me.

Review: 3.75 stars

I’m a suck at pretty covers, and when I saw this cover, I decided why not!
I have read the author's previous works, which are more fantasy romance, and this was a nice change for a rom-com.

This romcom is based on a retelling of Jane Austen’s Persuasion and is about a second-chance romance featuring Anne and Frederick. They met when they were in college and broke up due to Anne’s family circumstances and her leaving the USA to pursue an acting career in Korea. They unexpectedly meet again 10 years later and discover that Frederick’s close friend and lieutenant, Joe, is engaged to Anne’s cousin, Caroline. Can they put their painful past behind them to rekindle their romance?

Oh boy, talk about the emotional roller coaster ride this one put me through! Given their painful past, Frederick harbours some resentment towards Anne…which Anne feels that it is her fault. The angst between them and the shimmering feelings when they interact just throw me for a loop, especially when I feel like this problem could have been fixed if they communicated. Instead, both assume things, leading to more misunderstandings, especially in the book's first half. This does drive me crazy at some moments, especially when both choose to wallow in their misery…but it remains true to the story.

This story is told in the dual POV of Anne and Frederick, as well as some flashbacks of their past and current state. I admire Anne as a character; she displays quiet strength and is always there for friends and family so much so that she chooses to leave school and leave Frederick to support her family's needs and was never given so much thanks. Since then, she has come such a long way that she is now choosing to do what she wants and putting herself first. The supporting cast of characters featuring Frederick’s crew and Anne’s family and cousins throws in some interesting moments and fun.

Given that this is an adult romcom, there was some smut, and the epilogue tied everything up perfectly. It stays true to Persuasion, featuring the most romantic of letters in the end. If you are looking for a second chance romance with the feels and love of Jane Austen, this one shouldn’t be missed.

Thank you, SMP/Gryffin, for the lovely eARC