OVERVIEW
Here for the wrong reasons is basically the story of what would happen if two contestants on The Bachelor (or any other dating show, really) fell in love with one another. There’s lots of drama, lots of romance, and entertaining characters. I genuinely really enjoyed the premise of this book. Although I don’t watch any dating reality television, I found Krystin and Lauren to be relatable and their circumstances to be incredibly entertaining.

CHARACTERS: 7/10
I generally enjoyed these characters. True to the dating show formula, they are quite archetypal. I can’t say that they stood out dramatically, but were more comfortably familiar.

ATMOSPHERE: 9/10
I LOVED the reality tv setting. At times, I felt as though I was in the house (or chateau) with those girls! The writing style blended well with the setting.

WRITING: 7/10
The writing style is fairly conversational, which works in this audiobook. Despite there being two authors, I could not hear their individual voices very well. The narration was pretty good; there were some moments when I was pulled out of the scene due to the way something was read, but overall there were few problems.

PLOT: 8/10
Again, I love the reality tv idea. Some of the romance felt a bit rushed, especially at the end. I’m not personally a fan of the third-act conflict. Still, the uniqueness of this plot shines through!

INTRIGUE: 7/10
I can’t say I couldn’t put this book down, but it definitely made my morning commute a lot more enjoyable. I finished the last two hours in one sitting because I wanted to know what happened!

LOGIC: 8/10
I haven’t been on reality tv, so I don’t know how it all works. Most of what happens seems pretty plausible.

ENJOYMENT: 7/10
I generally enjoyed this book, and I’ll definitely keep it in my queer romance recommendations.

FINAL SCORE: 7.5 = ✰✰✰✰

This is the perfect book for people, like me, who have had a hole in their heart since reading The Charm Offensive. The forbidden element to this, with it being between two of the show’s contestants, was *chef’s kiss*. This book would be perfect for fans of sapphic books, forbidden romances, and especially queer awakenings.

My one negative thing to say about this book is that it was confusing more towards the beginning when all of the contestants were talking about themselves. It took me a couple times to get into this as an audiobook because of that. It felt like an info dump which is hard for me to process, even if it made sense to the story.

thank you to netgalley for the advanced reading copy. I really enjoyed this and will be getting copies for my shop.

4/5 Stars 2/5 Spice

Tropes:
Reality TV Romance
Sneaking Around
Queer Awakening
Opposites Attract

Relationship: F|F

🎧 Narration: Lindsey Dorcus delivered an amazing performance. i loved how she portrayed so many characters differently & flawlessly. i listened on 2.25x & she was easy to understand at that speed & kept a natural cadence to her voice.

omg this was so fun. think the bachelor but two of the women fall in love instead. a girl there for the clout & a girl who was trying to find forever - both of them find something they weren’t expecting - each other. 🥰 i love sapphic romance & this one was so full of queer joy & also so many real issues for queer women & i felt like it was executed in a way that really did the feelings justice in a raw way. i really enjoyed this one & the audio was really good.

3.5

I loved the characters and the premise (and the steamy chemistry between K and L)! But I wish there had been a little more development on the main characters and their relationship. I liked the few tender and vulnerable moments we got to see between them, but needed more to be convinced it was the intense "love" story we rooted for in the end.

While some of the contestants, bachelor nation references, and storylines had me rolling my eyes, they were spot on and I think some readers will love them! I found it most frustrating that the big third act conflict came from such an obvious manipulation that the Lauryn (I'm not sure of the spelling because I listened to the audiobook) character should have seen through. It was out of character to buy into the shit stirring.

It pushed me into the deep rabbit hole that is the now-openly-queer bachelor nation contestants (and I'm not bad about it).

I recommend if you're looking for a fun and steamy NA Sapphic romance and love reality dating shows. But I think if you're not looking for that specifically, this could be a bit of a miss. I had to constantly remind myself how young the girls were.

Thank you NetGalley for the audiobook ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I listened to this audiobook and read along with the book cover to cover nonstop all the way through. Here for the Wrong Reasons is truly a book you cannot put down! I am a huge fan of reality dating shows and this hit all the right marks. I love how this story details a wlw romance that many fans of reality dating shows have been waiting to hear. The pacing was perfect, the characters were both believable and relatable, the setting was modern, and the plot was immaculate. I hope to read more books like this, and I have been recommending this book nonstop to friends, library patrons, and members of my romance book club!

This was not the book for me. I do enjoy a bit of reality TV and I do ultimately know that the whole thing is manufactured but still... something about the beginning of this book gave me the ick. I think the major problem I had was that Lauren was so manipulative in the beginning that she was immediately unlikeable to me. Her whole 'I know I don't date men but I'm just here for the likes' maybe could have worked if she wasn't a frontrunner but her tactics to gain attention and Josh's affection were mean and manipulative and affected other people. Also I get that Josh isn't the point in this sapphic book but the poor guy didn't deserve to be completely fleeced by Lauren. At least Krystin was figuring things out. The whole thing went on way too long. So since I started out hating Lauren I didn't really care when the two contestants got together. Mara Wilson and Lindsey Dorcus were good narrators. I paused the book to do something else and I'm probably not going to go back to finish it. Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

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.

Exactly like the Bachelor but with a great twist! Some contestant are in it for the money others for love. But love has something more planned for these lovely ladies. I loved the twist but definitely felt bad for the main man as he was definitely caught in the middle. It was fun, interesting, and I really enjoyed listening to this one!

I adored this debut novel by Annabel Paulsen and Lydia Wang, and I’m excited to read whatever they write next!

Krystin and Lauren are contestants on Hopelessly Devoted (a Bachelor-style dating show) and end up falling for each other instead of the leading man.

The book was fun, easy to read, and I found the characters compelling and well-rounded.

I thought the authors did a great job working within the dating show format! The book is structured around the traditional milestones we expect from a season of a dating show, without ever feeling restricted by that format. The book emphasizes (and satirizes) the heteronormativity of reality dating shows, which made me cheer even harder for the queer love Krystin and Lauren found.

I found the gradual development of Krystin and Lauren’s relationship believable and compelling. I loved that mud wrestling scene! Krystin and Lauren had great physical chemistry and I thought the authors handled their first time together with tenderness and realism.

The ending of the book didn’t feel predictable, and it gave me the sense of resolution I was hoping for.

I listened to an audiobook and thought the narration was great! I thought the audiobook format was especially good for the contestant confessionals/monologues to the camera.

All in all, I would definitely recommend!

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

Highlights:
- reality TV dating show
- lesbian MCs
- coming out
- that mud wrestling scene
- great narration by Lindsey Dorcus

Rating: 3.5 Stars

Here for the Wrong Reasons is set against the dramatic backdrop of the reality TV show Hopelessly Devoted. The story revolves around two main characters, Krystin and Lauren, who are entangled in a love triangle—or so it seems.

Krystin, a sweet rodeo queen, believes she wants to be with the "perfect" man, Josh Rosen, the bachelor on the show. However, she can't ignore the goosebumps she feels around the mean-looking brunette, Lauren. On the other hand, Lauren is rough around the edges and is certain she does NOT want to end up with Josh. She's on the show purely for clout, but things get complicated when genuine feelings start to develop for a certain blonde contestant.

While I found the book extremely cute and enjoyed the early audiobook provided by NetGalley and Dreamscape Media, I couldn't shake the plot's predictability. From the first page, it was clear how the story would unfold. Though I understand that romance novels often have happy endings, I was left wanting more depth and unpredictability in the storyline.

Overall, Here for the Wrong Reasons is a delightful read for those who enjoy light-hearted romance with a reality TV twist, but it may leave some readers yearning for a bit more complexity and surprise.

Thank you to NetGalley, Dreamscape Media, and authors Annabel Paulsen and Lydia Wang for the opportunity to enjoy this early audiobook.

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.

The audio was perfect. Having two narrators was such a good choice, it made the book dynamic and fun to listen to.

I LOVED THIS BOOK!
I didn't want it to end, both women were such brilliant characters and really felt like real people.
I love the forbidden romance/secret dating trop and this certainly didn't disappoint considering the unique setting.
I enjoyed the narration too at first I wasn't sold as it sounded very AI but as the audiobook went on, the narrators became more expressive and the acting became better with it.
I would love for this scenario to happen on more dating shows, it reminded me of the season of Love Island (UK) where the two girls found love and got together. Dating shows are always so straight and I'd love to see more queer representation in real life.

Thank you so much for this ARC Audiobook, I thoroughly enjoyed every minute!

I loved this book! I thought the characters were very charming and I genuinely didn’t know how the story was going to end. I was a little hesitant with how much the male main character was featured in this sapphic love story but he ended up being a great wingman! I love that they didn’t villainize him. Great for fans of the bachelor!

I received a copy from NetGalley.

I really enjoyed listening to the audiobook and I don't think I would have liked this as much if I had physically read it. Kristin and Lauren are really cute when they're in scenes together, but I wish the pacing in the second half of the book went a little faster. I think this is my issue with 'Bachelor' style books. The first half is always really good, but by the time it's down to the two main girls and the guy they're there for, I'm ready for the act three break up and scandal, but there's still 30% of the book left.

Comparatively to Never Ever Getting Back Together by Sophie Gonzales (which is very similar), I think I like this a lot more. If for no other reason than because at least it isn't a second chance romance with the Bachelor dude.

I loved the idea of this, but I just personally didn’t enjoy actually reading it or the characters.
The beginning is weird and goes on to list the basics of 30 women that are entered in the show from a tv show presenter perspective kind of thing? Which maybe is better to read than an audiobook.

I found it annoying going from the characters point of views into the show stuff and then having odd interviews with the contestants.

Overall I didn’t enjoy the writing either, it reads like an autobiography kind of style.
The characters feel younger than they are, basic and irritating, which made the book seem juvenile and trying to be too young and relatable. I’d be rich if I had a pound for every “like” “or something” “you know” not only in dialogue but also in the main body of writing.
It was very cheesy and not my kind of thing at all.

DNF @26%
I really wanted to like this book, but it was too difficult to like the characters. I thought the presentation style of the dating show was a cool concept, but something was missing.

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!

Thank you, Netgalley, the author, and Dreamscape Audio for the gifted audio-book! ❤️ #gifted. My review is comprised of my honest thoughts.

This just did not work for me. It was overly based on the show part, not the romance. I didn't feel any chemistry between the two. I didn't enjoy many of the characters.

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

I thought the narration was done well