This book contained primarily dialog and inner dialog with the exception of the spicy bits. This form of storytelling is not my style since I can’t picture most of the people and places. In contrast, insignificant moments are overly depicted, such as the eating of a Hawaiian roll. Pop culture references (ie Homer Simpson) are used as shortcuts. I typically enjoy retellings and the alternating views of the two main characters is a good touch. If the rest of the story had the same attention to detail the bedroom got, it could have been great.

First of all, thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

The book started off strong, brimming with potential as it explored the rekindling of Anne and Frederick’s relationship after ten years apart. With Anne having left for Korea to pursue a career in K-dramas, the story promised a compelling second-chance romance with forced proximity and undeniable chemistry.

However, around the 40% mark, the pacing started to drag. The story became repetitive, with too many unnecessary moments that didn’t add much to the plot. My biggest frustration was the overly descriptive portrayal of the characters’ feelings and chemistry—while impactful at first, it soon felt redundant, making it hard to stay engaged. Unfortunately, I lost interest and had to DNF at 63%.

I received an arc of this book thinking it would give me K-drama vibes. And it did! It was swoon worthy and fun and heartfelt. I’d recommend to anyone who wants a good second chance romance with plenty of tension.

3.5 stars

title: Give Me a Reason

author: Jayci Lee

publisher: St. Martin's Griffin

publication date: July 29, 2025

pages: 352

peppers: 3 (on this scale)

warnings: one scene in a hospital, a fall leading to a concussion

summary: This modern adaptation of Jane Austen's Persuasion follows Korean television star Anne after she quits her career to move back to California near her family. Once there, she crosses paths with her true love, Frederick, whom her aunt convinced her to leave ten years earlier.

tropes:

Austen remake
second-chance romance
cousin's wedding
same wedding party
family drama

what I liked: 

family dynamics
wedding prep scenes
pining

what I didn’t like: 

dual point of view works better when the two main characters have substantially different inner monologues. In this adaptation, they had the same basic longings, hopes, and fears.
Many of their issues could have been solved with actual conversations instead of jumping to conclusions.

overall rating: 3 (of 5 stars)

Wow, just wow! I do not have enough words to describe how much I loved this book! I was immediately immersed in the story and made to feel like I was actually a part of this wonderful story!

In this modern retelling of Jane Austen’s “Persuasion”, we quickly learn that our main characters, k-drama actress Anne and fire captain Frederick parted on bad terms a decade ago. As we meet Pete, Katie, Joe, Coraline, Bethany, Tessa, Aiden and Aunt Sharon, we get to experience Anne and Frederick’s not so subtle longing, along with seeing the two struggle to navigate their feelings. It was great to see Anne and Frederick’s friends conspiring to reunite the two happily, along with exploring the other characters’ personalities. You know what was even better? Seeing Anne and Frederick grow as people. Character development for these two was fantastic!

Meanwhile, no growth at all for Jonathan and Juliette. Although they were minor side characters, I would have loved to see those loose ends tied up nicely.

Overall, “Give Me a Reason” was amazing! It was a quick and easy read that felt even better than a k-drama! Seriously, I cannot recommend this enough!! This is something I could read over and over again, living through all the tears and frustrations along with Anne and Frederick.

Real Rating: 2.5

Honestly, I had several issues with this novel that can be put into two different categories: being a retelling, and the lack of any defining characteristics whatsoever. (It was fun to read though.)

Going into this I was incredibly excited to find any book that claims to be a Jane Austen retelling, (though Persuasion is only of my least favorite Austen novels) but this is also where I found I was unable to enjoy this regardless. Not only do the characters have the literal names of those in Persuasion (which isn't necessarily bad), but the plot events in excruciating detail are also translated into a much different context. I'd say it's very difficult to retell any Jane Austen novel--especially in the modern context--because of their general notoriety and popularity. The entire purpose of the original novels does not only revolve around the characters and the events, but also presents a complex situation as a result of the novel's setting. The setting adds depth to the characters' feelings, intentions, and societal standards. It seems to me that, for a novel that banked so much on being a retelling, there was just not any real endearment to its source material. Generally, most readers of Austen probably would not take too well to this book because of how it feels like being hit repeatedly on top the head by simple, surface-level details, which entirely ignore the true meaning of Jane Austen's Persuasion.

Onto the characters--there was just nothing to them. The characters all seemed to lack depth and bizarrely had few really human qualities, they seemed rather ignorant and a part of the problem is that there was nothing in their inherent personalities similar in any way to the original novel. First of all, what irked me most was that the male lead--Frederick--had ZERO constant personality traits. By the end, I couldn't even remotely recall how he was supposed to look, and his actions did not follow any sort of pattern that would add depth to the character. Instead he functioned just to act like an asshole, then we were expected to believe that he really was totally in love with her the entire time. His character came off as entirely flat. Secondly, while Anne had more constant traits, neither one of them seemed to actually grow as characters. They never seemed to emotionally grow together, as the final quarter of the book just felt extremely rushed only to get to the dramatic 'confession' scene (which was also underwhelming). The characters' relationship seems entirely superficial, as the first real connection they share after 10 years is having a one night stand??? Like---???

Okay but I did actually enjoy a few aspects of this book--take, the nice imagery, the reimagining of details of the original (Anne as an Actress, etc.) were endearing, and also the cover (who could not pick up that cover?). Overall, while some plot aspects were shallow, the novel presented a cute, fast-paced story about star-crossed lovers which did vaguely resemble Persuasion.

read as: Netgalley ebook arc

Enjoyed the dual pov of this book as well as the flashbacks of their current and past state.

This story definitely takes you for an emotional rollercoaster. I liked the tension and angst.

✷ 2025/03/14

asian contemporary romance? pretty cover? jane austen retelling? hehehee. i love love the cover so much like i've BEEN staring at it. unfortunately i didn't especially love the writing & plotline as much as the cover 🙈 dnf !

⤷ <u>thoughts</u>:

i thought rather than it being objectively bad, it j lacked some things that would've kept me interested. i wasn't rly a fan of the writing style but that's only my opinion, as well as the dual pov 😓 i thought it didn't especially help the plot or might have acc worsened it, and frederick's character felt a bit flat at times. i think this is definitely something you can enjoy w/out reading persuasion though (what i mean is i've never read it 💪). however to his credit frederick is our yearning final boss & if you like that then i think this overall still is a rly good read 😛

⤷ thank you to netgalley for the chance to review !

fun fact about me is I have never met a jane austen retelling that I have liked.

✰ 3.5 stars, I want to frame the cover and display it on my wall. however, the intense yearning, pining, tension that impressed me at the beginning fizzled out in the last half. this book’s primary downfall is the lack of page time allowing the characters to get to know the new versions of each other. they claim they are still in love with each other, but all they know is the version of their former lover from ten years in the past.

thank you to St. Martin's Press for the ebook arc in exchange for an honest review

platform: netgalley ebook arc

Ebook received for free through NetGalley

An adorably cute read that I’m glad I came across. Thanks

this had none of the subtlety of persuasion, none of the austen-level romance whirlwind, and none of the poetic writing romance should have.

everything gets told to us, rather shown. we immediately get thrown into them meeting, with repetitive info dumps occasionally explaining why the characters feel the way they do. and because it's dual pov, we can't guess at the characters' actions, we immediately know what they're doing. if it was single pov, at least we can guess at what the other character is doing, so that it makes it less of a miscommunication struggle, and more anticipatory rise to the climax, which is the letter scene. the reason why persuasion is so loved, is because of the final letter scene, and the beauty of how it suddenly happens, just as anne thinks wentworth is gone from her forever. having this as dual pov, makes it difficult to gasp and clutch our hearts when the climax does happen, because we know it's going to happen; the character told it to us a chapter ago. dual pov only works when there's no miscommunication involved, when both characters aren't actively avoiding each other. it's so that we can see things about the other character that they can't express in their own point of view.

the side characters...i have nothing to say about them, to be completely honest. they were just...there. i liked the firefighter squad, but the sisters were average. there was no resolution with the family, and very minimal character development.

the pining in this is at least 50% of the book, and if that's your thing, by all means, go for it. but as someone who wants a well-rounded romance, with pining done subtly and strong, rather than weak and plentiful, and more about falling in love rather than hiding feelings, i'd say this wasn't for me. sorry, netgalley, maybe next time.

I picked this up on a whim from Netgalley because the cover is gorgeous. (Thank you!) I am very much a sucker for all of the tropes presented in the beginning as well -- I'm a fan of Jane Austen, I love K-dramas, and I love when an author can make me yearn. I sped through this book in under two days, which is how I know I really did enjoy it. There are a few reasons why this isn't a 5 star read for me, but as far as raw enjoyment goes this was a fun ride for me personally.

Things to note: I've read P+P and S+S, but I never got around to reading Persuasion. I thought that I could understand what's going on even without that context, and I was correct, I absolutely could. I'm curious to see how fans of Persuasion feel about it, but I got an enjoyable experience out of reading this retelling. It was concise and cohesive and I followed the cast with rapt attention. I worry I missed out on the references, which may or may not have raised the score, but that's another thought for another time.

Give Me a Reason follows Anne and Frederick as they navigate their love story 10 years after it already came crashing down. Anne is now in her early thirties, a made actress, and successful in what she does. Frederick is a firefighter, with a crew that functions as his family. When the two are both invited to a kindergarten classroom to show off their professions, their reunion happens in public and is painful. One thing the book does really well is yearning--gotta be one of my favorite tropes. Frederick and Anne still hold one another as the love of their lives, but her breaking up with him led to serious trauma for both of them.

The beginning of the book is super good. I really enjoyed it. I think it started to lose steam about 50% of the way in, because after a while it sort of devolved into deep, continuous miscommunication between the characters, and that got annoying fast. It didn't overstay its welcome, though, I would say. It's a book with a HEA, it keeps the tension going until the end, and maybe it's because I never read Persuasion but I wasn't exactly expecting how it was going to end.

The things I didn't enjoy were that Frederick often didn't seem like a person outside of his love for Anne. I love yearning, but I don't think I know a single thing about him besides how much he loves Anne. We learn everything about Anne's family, even extended family -- and I believe it was stated that Frederick was adopted or orphaned because he has nothing to worry about besides worrying for Anne. It tends to be a trope in romance novels where the men are so obsessed with the women that it's scary, and sometimes I got that vibe from Frederick. It's more accurate to say that he has a found family in his Firefighting crew, but even while planning a wedding the conversation always came back around to Frederick (not the groom) either needing to fall in love or needing to be with Anne (not the bride). It gave good focus for Anne's career to shine but something about Frederick fell flat for me. Since we got so much of his perspective, I wanted him to be a real character!

I'm interested in trying Jayci Lee again, as I loved how the yearning played out and the prose was beautiful. This read was probably closer to a 3.5 stars than 4, but I'm all too glad to round it up.

I am a sucker for retelling and Give Me A Reason as hit every spot I need. Sweet and heartfelt, and capturing perfectly the essence of the original with its themes of love and loss and journey of growth, even if put in a new time an place.

Give Me a Reason feels like stepping into a slow-burning K-drama—full of longing glances, unspoken words, and emotions that linger long after the last page. Anne and Frederick’s story isn’t just about love but about timing, choices, and the ache of regret. Their push-and-pull dynamic keeps you hooked, while the rich Korean cultural elements, Hollywood influences, and pressures of fame add depth.

Fans of Persuasion will love its themes of lost and rekindled love, personal growth, and second chances, while newcomers will be drawn in by the emotional storytelling and swoon-worthy romance. If you love K-dramas and second-chance love stories, this is a must-read!

This was a very cute, slow burn, second chance romance. I enjoyed the dual POV. It allowed you to experience what each of the characters were thinking as they rekindle their relationship. I can connect and see them over thinking about how they react to situations.

I do appreciate the details and explanation of family dynamics of Anne’s family. It helps explain how Anne reacts and responds to people and events around her. The minor characters also stood out in this book with their own personalities and quirks.

I really enjoyed this book! The romance was emotional and beautifully written, with characters that felt real and had great chemistry. The drama kept me hooked! It was a heartfelt and satisfying read. Definitely recommend!

‘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.