4⭐⭐⭐⭐

⭐Jane Austen Retelling
⭐Second Chance Romance
⭐Actress x Firefighter
⭐POC FMC/MMC

I absolutely loved this retelling! When I had time to pick up a book I was reaching for this!

I am from the South Bay area in LA so this book felt so close to home in terms of imagery and location.

Anne Lee made a decision back in college that she can’t take back, but she went on to make a famous career for herself as a K-Drama star. As wildly successful as she is, she’s finally being pulled back home.

Frederick Nam is a star firefighter that has spent years trying to get over Anne. When they run into Anne discovering they’re both in the wedding party - tension is at the forefront.

While we definitely have some communications issues which prevented me from giving this 5 stars. I absolutely loved the main characters and many of the supporting characters. I love the growth we see in each Anne and Fredrick. The way the characters were driven apart was also such a realistic decision for people to make at their age that it was a great modern take on such a popular historical piece.

While I enjoy a good Austen retelling, this one fell somewhat flat for me. I was eager for the Asian American representation, which was definitely refreshing, but the high amount of inner-monologues in a dual-POV format do seem to make the information very repetitive. The second half also tends to drag more than the first, which is a bit of a shame because I did want to spend more time with Anne and Frederick in general.

I received this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was an engaging read! I enjoyed the concept but think it needed a bit of work

Give Me a Reason is the first novel I’ve read by Jayci Lee, and I really enjoyed it. Anne and Frederick are college sweethearts who meet again ten years later. Their relationship ended unexpectedly when Anne got an acting job and moved to Korea. Anne initiated the breakup, but both of them were devastated and heartbroken by the split. Anne is now back in California, and adjusting to life when she runs into Frederick. This novel is a modern retelling of Jane Austen’s Persuasion.

Anne and Frederick continue to see each other regularly since Anne’s cousin is marrying Frederick’s close friend and colleague. Both are in the wedding party, and they often cross paths at wedding events and family get-togethers. At first, their encounters are tense and angry, especially on Frederick’s side. The more time they spend together, they remember all of the things that they loved about each other, and they find themselves wanting to be together again. Anne eventually is honest with Frederick about the reasons behind the breakup, and that really eases his mind and helps him let go of bitterness and anger.

The chemistry between Anne and Frederick is intense. Each time they see each other, they are drawn together like magnets. I loved the slow-burn, second-chance romance tropes in this book. The author builds the chemistry and feelings between the two main characters slowly but very effectively. I did feel a little impatient as the book progressed but Anne and Frederick kept flirting but never went further. As the book is wrapping up, they finally get together, which felt like a really rushed ending to me. I would have liked to see more of their current relationship and how they were together, ten years after initially falling in love.

I loved the relationships and family dynamics in this book. There were many close friendships and it was great to see how many of the characters supported each other. The bond Anne and Frederick share is strong and they are true soulmates who never fell in love with anyone else after they parted ways. The author weaves in flashbacks to their college relationship, and Frederick’s sweet letters to Anne from that time, and it really shows the reader the depth of their love for each other.

I also loved the Asian American representation in this story, and the support of Anne and her professional goals by her family and Frederick. Anne blossoms under this encouragement as she settles back into life in California. This story was very satisfying to read.

Jayci Lee has written a powerful love story in Give Me a Reason, and I really enjoyed Anne and Frederick’s story. I’m a huge fan of second-chance, slow burn romance over many years, so this story really worked for me. I strongly recommend this book!

Thank you to Jayci Lee, St. Martin’s Griffin, and NetGalley for an advance reader’s copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

I really liked the cover of this book, it’s actually what drew me in. I'm also a big fan of Jane Austen retellings, so I was pretty excited to give this one a try. The first half was enjoyable and had a cozy vibe that I was into. It felt like the story was setting up something really sweet and nostalgic.

Unfortunately, the second half kind of dragged and started to feel a bit repetitive. There’s definitely a lot of angst and warm, fuzzy feelings throughout, and it honestly reads a bit like a Korean drama at times, which I didn’t mind! But the dual POV, while interesting, made things feel a little repetitive, especially with how much internal dialogue there was. I kept thinking some of the drama could’ve been avoided if the characters had just talked to each other more.

I also wish the romance between Anne and Frederick had been developed more. After being apart for so long, it would’ve been nice to see them reconnect more deeply and get to know each other as the people they’d become. That would’ve made their relationship feel a lot more believable.

Overall, it’s an okay read if you’re into second-chance romances and want something light and emotional. But as a Jane Austen retelling, it didn’t quite land for me.

Thank you so much st. Martin press for an early look. I was really excited about the plot of the book because my mother and I boned over k-dramas, however, the author doesn’t have a strong voice. It felt very flat, not exciting and I was easily distracted quite a lot trying to read this book. The romance felt a bit juvenile and we didn’t get much of a back story to feel connected for the second chance.

Thank you St. Martin’s and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange of a honest review.

This was okay. However, it's not my type of book. I chose it because I love K-drama's and it gave off that vibe. After I began reading it, though, I found myself distracted and it took me a while to finish it. While I supported the main characters' reunion, I wasn't engrossed enough to stay the course. Despite its promising premise, the story didn't hold my attention. While it had moments that reminded me of K-drama, the overall execution fell short of my expectations, leaving me somewhat disappointed.

Unfortunately there was too much exposition in this story to make it enjoyable. I loved Persuasion which is why I decided to pick this up. And maybe somehow Anne was more annoying than in the original?!

I think this could be a light beach read, but one that I just couldn't get into. I loved the idea, just wasn't executed as well as it could have been.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Griffin for a copy of this ARC!

I loved the characters Jayci created and their backstories as well, also loved this was a retelling to persuasion. However, the yearning/lusting after really over took the narrative in my opinion, it felt like they were adults until it came to themselves towards each other. At times it felt very high school vibes, but overall I enjoyed her interpretation and wish that this part was done differently.



Thanks to St. Martin’s and netgalley for the eARC in exchange of a honest review.

This book wasn’t my favorite. I love k dramas so I thought it would be a good fit. It felt more academic and wasn’t much of a page turner. I was rooting for the main characters reconnecting but there wasn’t enough keeping me locked in to the story. I was easily distracted while trying to read it and kept clicking out.

I opted to read this having enjoyed two of Jayci Lee's previous books, and the description of this one sounded compelling. I was surprised and disappointed to find Give Me a Reason extremely difficult to get through. The characters' emotions seemed overdrawn, and the interior dialogue stilted. I felt mostly frustration and secondhand embarrassment when reading....

A modern day Persuasion retelling that unfortunately kind of missed the mark for me.

To start, I did enjoy most of the characters and found them truly delightful to read about. The first half of this book was enjoyable and I was liking the vibes of the story.

Unfortunately the second half kind of dragged and began to feel a bit repetitive. I think that the book being dual POV kind of hurt it a bit and contributed to that repetitive feeling - I wish it had only been Anne's POV. I also think this book needed another round of edits, as there were several inconsistencies throughout (did Frederick help her to audition for the k drama, or did he actually not know about it?). The writing itself also could be a bit repetitive - in the first chapter alone the phrase "greedy eyes" and similar is used 3-4 times. I found the initial reason for the couples split to be quite flimsy as well. Obviously I get that they were young but it just... didn't entirely make sense to me?

The one issue I had with the characters is that I wish we'd gotten more about the selfish dad and sister. We're told they're narcissistic and not good people but truly they're barely mentioned or seen past that. The aunt almost seems to be a bigger villain considering she's the one who convinced Anne to initially break up with Frederick 10 years prior.

Overall I do think this is a cute second chance romance with some very likable characters and nice moments. I would recommend this book to anyone who's looking for a quick, light-hearted read with a lot of mutual pining.

This is a Persuasion (by Jane Austen) retelling, and it follows the original pretty closely—beat by beat—but set in our modern world. Persuasion is my favorite Jane Austen novel (not counting Pride and Prejudice, of course), and this retelling gave me everything I was hoping for.

Now, if you’re reading this and thinking, “Jane Austen who?” or “Regency romance is not my thing,” don’t worry. What you’re getting here is a beautiful second chance romance set in Los Angeles and the surrounding areas. He’s a firefighter. She’s a retired K-Drama actress.

Anne left ten years ago to pursue her acting career in Korea, leaving Frederick heartbroken. Now she’s back, and fate has thrown them together again as part of the same wedding party. Cue awkward run-ins, unresolved feelings, and the kind of emotional tension that makes you want to scream just kiss already!
I do wish there was more cultural references to the character's roots.

There is so much longing in this story, and that’s what made it unforgettable for me. The original Persuasion is, in my opinion, the blueprint for longing, and this book captures that perfectly. Both characters try to hide how they feel, and it makes total sense given their history. Our heroine, Anne, is constantly taken for granted by her family, while Frederick? Total hero material.

Give this beautiful story a chance. Whether or not you’ve read Austen, it’ll sweep you up in all the feels.


This book is for you if you like:

-Second chance romance
-Firefighter heroes
-Slow burn with aching tension
-Weddings and forced proximity
-Longing that *hurts* (in the best way)
-Modern retellings of classic literature
-Found family vs toxic family themes
-Quiet strength and emotional growth

Thank you St Martin’s Griffin for this ARC via NetGalley

I wanted to like this book, but this one wasn't for me. This is a Jane Austen retelling, so the frequent f bombs were really off putting. The other issue I had was the (long and) graphic sex scenes.
This book captured the longing between Anne and Frederick pretty well. It also seemed to differentiate between love and lust, with lust being the stronger factor for Anne and Frederick. If it had just toned down Frederick's language and cut out the bedroom scenes (which were not needed), I would have liked this book.

The first thing that drew me in was the cover. I loved it so much and needed to read the story behind the art, feel the yearning that was sold to me before I even opened the book. Unfortunately, the book didn't deliver what I was looking for and I was left waiting to see how the feelings played out in the second half of the book without having as much emotional investment as I would have liked. I do wish we had learned more about Anne and Frederick in present day and got to see falling in love again with each other's present day selves but I think for the limited page count we got a good story overall.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an E arc in exchange for an honest review. All views are my own and in no way influenced by the publisher.

Ok, I love that it’s a Persuasion retelling. It’s a really great modernized adaptation. The problem I had was in the literal way this book was written. The style led to an immense amount of inner-monologues, but with fewer out loud conversations. This led me to question how the MCs could be so in love after ten years (!) when they’ve barely spoken or reconnected. Or maybe I’m just cynical. Thanks to St. Martin’s for the ARC.

i am a sucker for a second chance romance; while i don't want the characters to be hurting for an overlong amount of time during their break/breakup (and this couple broke up 10 years ago..), there's still something about how there's already a foundation between the leads. even if there isn't a ton shown about it.

i also am hardcore relating to anne (clearly not the k-drama actor part, but the familial dynamics), so i had a good cry through some of it.

i really liked the first half, but then the misunderstandings and lack of communication in the second half were long and kind of frustrating. i also wished that anne's dad and older sister got some sort of comeuppance, or perhaps some sort of recognition from either of them or her younger sister about anne's sacrifices for them, but that never materialized.

i'm not a huge fan of how there were a few very quick and random engagements that happen at the end of the book, which i didn't find necessary at all.

not my favorite jacyi lee book, but i did appreciate the emotional weight of the book, even if i wasn't a huge fan of the plot choices in the second half.

note that i received an arc for free through netgalley.

A Persuasion retelling. It's emotional and you root for them. However, Persuasion is hard to adapt to modern situations.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own

If you are retelling Jane Austen I am SUMMONED. This is a contemporary take on the once scorned turned second chance “I am half agony half hope” angsty romance that’s one of my favorites. In this we have a successful but lonely FMC who moves back home to LA after a decade of success as a Korean drama star and an MMC who was once a starry eyed 19 year old turned fire chief.

This might be a hot take but I actually liked the changes Jayci made from the original, it’s not a one size fits all I would like for every Persuasion retelling but it made it HERS. One big one is dual POV, I was worried it was going to pop all the tension out of the angst but it was just as intense for me, as they mutually pine, he gets set up with another woman (no love triangle), and she regrets the past. I actually felt his hurt more viscerally this way as well.

Also, the family drama is not as much of a present side plot line. Her sister and dad are still just as vapid but I liked taking a break from the usual oppressive family turmoil/underappreciation. This FMC has a softer arc and has some friends and family who do appreciate her from the start, which actually makes this angstier with their forced proximity as they are in the same bridal party of people who are becoming mutual friends. The fates can’t help but intertwine their lives all over again.

Also this is a first Austen retelling for me that’s open door 🤭 it’s the usual slow burn but like okay modern day! Thank you to SMP Romance for the eARC.

Thanks NetGalley for the ARC!!

Hate to say it, but the cover is indeed the best part of this book. I was quite excited by the cover art and the premise: a kdrama actress + firefighter second chance?? sounds amazing!! but i realize i really cannot deal with a second chance where the couple was together for only 6 months TEN YEARS AGO. That's such a long time to be soooo hung up on someone and still be in love with them (people change!!!)

There was also so much turmoil and inner monologue. I usually love a dual POV but it was so PAINFUL just hearing over and over how much they loved each other but wouldn't do anything about it. There was no tension, just stupidity in the lack of communication.

I really wanted to like this book but there really wasn't much to like.