✨ The Vibes ✨
A Persuasion retelling for fans of romance with a lot of yearning

📖 Read if…
✨ You’re always up for a creative Jane Austen retelling
✨ You love a good K-drama
✨ You want your romances to have a lot of tension and yearning

Jane Austen fans, this book is for you!

Give Me A Reason is a modern retelling of Persuasion that casts Anne as an actress who’s turned her back on LA to become a successful K-drama actress in Korea in order to rescue her family from financial ruin, and Frederick as firefighter. The two are forced to reconnect during a wedding leading them to reconsider the dissolution of their relationship a decade before.

Persuasion is not my favorite Austen novel, but I really enjoyed this book! Jayci Lee does a great job of including all of the iconic moments from the original book, while updating them in a way that feels true to the story and modern society. This is definitely a book that is full of longing and tension and angst (which is honestly my favorite type of romance), but I know that’s not everyone’s cup of tea, so just be aware of that before diving in.

I liked that even though the story was told largely from Anne’s POV, there were glimpses into Frederick’s perspective as well, via the letters he sent Anne years ago. The duet narration really made this pop in the audio format, and I thought both narrators really captured the longing of both Anne and Frederick.

Give Me A Reason is out now. Thanks to St. Martin's Griffin and Macmillan Audio for the advance copies in exchange for an honest review.

Ten years ago, Anne broke Frederick’s heart because she thought it was what was best for him. In the present day, their paths cross again and it is so very obvious that they still love each other, albeit they are very confused about their feelings. Can they get over the past to create a second chance to be together?

Anne was pissing me off because she made dumb choices almost every step of the way. She seems genuinely sweet, but she’s an airhead. There were so many chances for her and Frederick to hash things out properly and she just wouldn’t because she was too dumb to see the signs. And then after the Bethany fiasco.. I was like, “Does he need to spell it out for you???” And even with Andrew.. I’m like, “Wtf”. To be honest, she doesn’t really deserve Frederick.

Overall, it was an entertaining and quick read. But, I was so frustrated throughout the whole thing😩 Happy for the ending though😮‍💨

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the free advanced copy.

I’d like to preface this by saying that second chance romance generally isn’t a trope I enjoy. (I’ve only liked the trope in a few books.) I wanted to enjoy Give Me a Reason, but I ended up dnf’ing it 33% of the way in. It just wasn’t for me.

This second-chance romance follows Anna, a former k-drama actress, and Frederick, a firefighter captain. They were high school sweethearts/young lovers, but Anna ended their relationship to pursue her acting career in Korea. The story begins as she returns to the U.S. after many years and runs into Frederick again. The story flips POVs between the 2 MCs.

The premise itself sounded intriguing, but I just didn’t get hooked on it. For the first 1/3 of the story, both Anna and Frederick are silently pining after each other, and also sulking and being depressed about how their relationship ended. This is a normal response in their situation, but it felt like this mindset dragged on too long and was repetitive (i.e. “I shouldn’t be thinking about him/her,” then actively continues to keep thinking about him/her). For example, Frederick repeatedly talks about how perfect and beautiful Anna is, and how he can’t stop thinking about her. But when they actually interact on the page, it’s kinda awkward.

They are clearly still interested and/or in love with each other, but every interaction is kinda stiff or awkward. It just wasn’t quite what I expected.

There are also scenes where they “rescue” each other from problems (small injury, car problems, processing loss). So far, that didn’t develop much and the MCs are still in the same state of pining from afar.

Their friends clearly keep telling them to stay away from each other but that doesn’t work. Wasn’t a huge fan of the secondary characters either.

Unfortunately, this book just wasn’t it for me. But cheers to anyone who does enjoy it!

I am not nearly as familiar with Persuasion than I am with Pride and Prejudice, but I’m familiar enough with the plot to appreciate the parallels. This entire book is a love letter/homage to the source material— even the title is an allusion!

I loved the ways that the two hundred year old story was subtly shifted into a modern day romance. I especially loved that Captain Frederick is a firefighting captain rather than a naval officer. Anne and Frederick have been apart for over a decade and now they are meeting again under very different circumstances.

The one potential downside is that there are some aspects of the plot that don't translate as well and come off as dated. For example, Anne’s aunt forbade her from seeing Frederick ten years ago. This anachronistic plot point might raise some eyebrows when viewed through a modern lens, but it’s important to remember the source material. You can’t have a modern-day Persuasion without the couple being forced apart by a meddling relative.

In addition to the second chance trope, there is also a slow burn romance. This is understandable, as there are a lot of big feelings to process. Frederick and Anne both grieved the end of their relationship and moved on with their lives. They aren’t going to be able to simply pick up where they left off. Long story short, it takes time for them to acknowledge the possibility that the tender feelings are still there after all these years.
I would absolutely recommend Give Me a Reason. This book is perfect for fans of Jane Austen and Korean dramas. I’ve read a couple of Lee’s books, and I’ve started to look forward to a new one every year.


I received a digital ARC of this book from St. Martin’s/NetGalley.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing this ARC 💕

This book was just not it for me :( and I’m so gutted because I loved the premise and the cover is gorgeous!

I just found the dialogue a bit clunky and the plot was not enticing enough for me to want to keep reading it for long periods.

The aspect of our FMC’s cousin having a crush on the MMC was a bit odd in my opinion and kind of offered nothing to the plot other than when she had to go to hospital and then it was resolved so quickly.

Such a shame that I didn’t love it as much as I thought I would.

This book starts out with so much potential. Anne and Frederick seemed to have so much chemistry. They hadn’t seen each other in 10 years, yet still felt that pull as soon as they saw each other again. The yearning was jumping off the page. And then…nothing. Well, things were happening, but not enough. There was so much telling with only a smidge of showing and I was getting frustrated. Let me try to break this down in a way that makes sense.

I know many people love a slow burn. It’s not a favorite of mine, but when done well I can get fully on board. I don’t even know if I can consider this a slow burn because Frederick and Anne rarely spent time together. They thought about each other a lot, but didn’t share a lot of time on page. When they did, it was often with Frederick being aloof and even downright rude to Anne. Sure, he’d regret hurting her in hindsight, but he never told her that.

This is a second-chance romance, which is something I usually love. Since it’s been 10 years, it only stands to reason that Anne and Frederick have changed. I mean, I hope they’ve changed from the time they were in their late teens/early 20s, or what have they been doing with their lives? Yet it’s said, over and over, how they know each other better than anyone else does. Really? They haven’t seen each other or talked in a decade. That makes no sense, especially because (as I’ve mentioned) they aren’t spending any time together currently. That means they aren’t getting to know each other again. So yes, they’re still in love with each other. I can get on board with that. But know each other? Know how they take their coffee and their favorite place to eat? I don’t think so.

Anne has a lot of self-discovery and growing to do. She has taken up the mantle of being the responsible one in her family. Everyone, even her nicer and more aware family members, takes advantage of that. Internally, Anne starts to realize how much she has given up for her family and that she needs to live for herself and not others. But she never really does much about that. She never confronts her dad or older sister.

All of the chemistry I felt between Frederick and Anne in the beginning gradually seeped away. The yearning was on point, but when on for too long. I started doubting the connection the more time it took for them to give in to their feelings. For goodness sake, at least give me a brush of the hand! The bones for a phenomenal story are there. After all, it’s a Persuasion retelling, and that’s my favorite Jane Austen book. Unfortunately, it fell short.

The first book I read by this author, I adored. Each book since that one has held my interest less and less. It’s time I realize that my reading style and her writing style don’t mesh. But that cover! That cover sucked me right in to wanting to give her another try. It just wasn’t a good fit for me.

3.5/5 stars

This is a second chance romance. It is a modern retelling of Jane Austen‘s Persuasion.

For the last ten years Anne Lee (31) has been an actress in Korea (K-dramas). She has now returned home to California. When she left she broke up with Frederick.

I really liked the Korean rep in this book. And I enjoyed the closeness of most of Anne’s family. Frederick is a fire captain. And I also really enjoyed his friendships with his crew.

The book is dual POV and alternates between the male and female POVs. It was nice to get both main characters’ thoughts. However the miscommunication and misunderstandings were so frustrating.

Anne’s cousins wedding preparations are the backdrop for much of the story, which was so fun.

I did like the Anne and Frederick romance. But I just wish that the characters would have communicated better. I really enjoyed the last part of the book. It was definitely my favorite part of the story.

Story-wise, I went in thinking, “Wow, these two characters are seriously burning for each other… maybe it’s one of those long-lost love stories where they were childhood friends?” But nope—they’d only known and dated each other for six months a decade prior I’m sorry, but that made it a lot harder to buy into the intensity. I get that this is a modern Persuasion retelling, but if you’re already updating a bunch of things, why not tweak the backstory to make it more believable in a present-day setting?

And did I mention that these two are weirdly intense about each other? I worried a lot that their chemistry is too intense to last—and instead of talking through any of it, they just… don’t. The miscommunication trope is one steroids in this book.

Weirdly enough, I found myself more invested in the side characters—until things suddenly escalated into a surprise wedding, which felt super rushed and out of nowhere.

Overall, this book had some potential but definitely needed a stronger edit to rein things in and make the character dynamics more believable.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press | St. Martin's Griffin, and Jayci Lee for this free, advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

This one started off so strong, but ultimately fell a little flat for me. I figured there’d me some miscommunication, but this much?! I wanted to go through the screen and shake some characters!!!

Overall the yearning, angst, and tension made this book. If you want a second chance romance that will torture you then pick this up.

Thank you to NetGally for an arc!

⭐️: 4.25

"If Anne Lee was near, Frederick Nam gravitated toward her."

The yearning, guys. The YEARNING. I was hooked on the story, and couldn't put it down because I was simply dying over every one of Frederick and Anne's interactions.

I loved Anne as an FMC. I felt I could relate to the burnout she was feeling, and sympathized with the complicated relationship she had with her family. I would have liked to see her confront her dad and Juliette, but I am glad that Tessa came to realize how much they took advantage of Anne. With Frederick, it's clear she wants to make things right, and I appreciated how quickly she shared the full story of why she broke up with him. While the miscommunication between the two of them can be a lot at times, it just makes the angst that much better.

Being able to read both POVs was the highlight of this story. I loved the anticipation of getting the other's internal monologue and insight into what they were feeling at any given moment. Getting so much of each of their POVs made the yearning feel so much stronger, as they were trying to reconcile with feelings that haven't faded despite not seeing the other for ten years. I especially loved Frederick's inner monologue, as he was having a historic spiral trying to rationalize the feelings he still has for Anne. Even with their fraught past, they can't resist each other, which was simply so adorable.

The supporting characters in this were lovely. Bethany was an absolute sweetheart, even though I wanted to hold her hand and say "Girl, he's just not that into you." I loved how protective Katie was of Frederick at first, and I loved even more how quickly she comes to understand and befriend Anne.

If you're looking for an at times messy and angsty second chance romance with plenty of yearning, then you should check this one out!

for ten years, anne lee told herself that frederick nam was in her past. when she went to korea to be an actress, she left him behind so he could build his own future. frederick has spent the time since missing her, hating her, and finally, trying to forget her to move on. now, though, the two are thrown back together as they attend a wedding. even though frederick is cold and distant, anne can’t deny that she’s never gotten over him.

i’ve been wanting to read jayci lee’s books for a long time, so i was very excited to start this one! i loved all the tension between anne and frederick, since they were together when they were younger and haven’t seen each other since. of course, being part of the same wedding gives them the opportunity to reconnect, but even when they start being honest with themselves about their feelings, there’s more bumps along the road, such as thinking the other was seeing someone else, but i appreciated seeing how they worked through these moments. overall, this was a lovely second-chance romance. i’ll be reading more of jayci lee’s books in the future!

3.5 stars - Give Me a Reason is a second chance romance following a K-drama actress and her firefighter ex-boyfriend. I think this book is part romance part family drama and I spent most of the time reading being pretty frustrated with the main characters and their family/friend group. But I couldn't put it down even so. I think you will like this book if you like a lot of drama in your Romance.

When Ann moves back to California after living in Korea for 10 years she runs into Franklin in her cousins elementary school classroom giving a career day presentation. Ann has somehow hid the fact that she dated this man from her entire family for the last ten years when fate brings them back together on opposite sides of a wedding party. I found it mind boggling that these two people had so much chemistry, couldn't keep their eyes off each other, always ended up next to each other in the room and their family and friends just weren't seeing them?? Kept trying to set him up with one of her cousins?? So much that even Ann thinks he might actually have feelings for her cousin AFTER they eventually hook up?? Girl this man is obsessed with you!! <i>Please</i>

Thank you to St. Martin's Press | St. Martin's Griffin, Jayci Lee, and Netgalley for the e-ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I’m a sucker for books with Korean representation and this one also had some San Diego representation! The two MCs went to UCSD and SDSU and as a UCSD alumni it was a lot of fun to see it mentioned! I haven’t read Persuasion so I have no idea how this compares, but it stands all on its own. My heart was aching and screaming at Anne and Fredrick to tell each other how they feel.

After turning 30 and being offered her first role as an ajumma, K-drama actress, Anne, decides it’s time to leave Korea and come back home to California. And it’s perfect timing because her cousin is getting married!

Only, her cousin’s fiancé? He works as a firefighter with Anne’s ex, Fredrick. Her one true love she left behind to pursue acting in Korea. The one whose heart she broke in college.

Ten years ago, Anne Lee broke up with Frederick Nam when she dropped out of UC San Diego to pursue an acting career in Korea to save her father from bankruptcy. She thought it would help him get over her, but Frederick spent the time with his love until it twisted into hating her. He's now a firefighter in Culver City and has no need for romance. The two meet again when Anne is her cousin’s bridesmaid and Frederick is his friend’s groomsman. The two never really got over each other, but Frederick doesn't plan to forgive her.

Inspired by the novel Persuasion by Jane Austen, this second-chance romance follows K-drama actress Anne and Fire Chief Frederick. She had to drop out of college and act nonstop in Korea to fund her father's and older sister’s lavish and elitist lifestyle, and we see early on exactly what they think of that. Her father takes it as his due and doesn't recognize her efforts, so she continues to placate him, and her sister thoughtlessly makes cutting remarks. Her younger sister is a grad student, and her cousins are remarkably down-to-earth, giving her emotional support. Frederick has family in the form of his team at the station, but most have no idea what happened between them years ago. There are continual meetings between Anne and Frederick for bridal party planning and celebrations, and feelings are rekindled. Because of the past and reluctance to break each other's hearts, both dance around each other and their intentions until the final part of the book.

Even if you're not familiar with the story Persuasion, you will still understand the tension and romantic undercurrent between Anne and Frederick. The family members on both sides help or hinder the romance at times, adding to the confusion they have about the future. I find it funny that it's the men teaching Frederick what a grand gesture is, but both unwind and reveal their enduring love for each other. That's the stuff of romance novels that keeps us coming back.

If I had to use one word to describe Give Me a Reason, it would be pining. There was so much pining that although the characters’ feelings always felt sincere, the story was somewhat overshadowed by the repetitive pining.

Give Me a Reason is a story of how two unlikely people (Ann, an independent soul and Frederick, a team player) fell in love again. Ann and Frederick’s first love story ended in heartbreak. Years later, as they met again, the pain and trauma resurfaced. Every reunion of theirs was emotional. I wish it didn’t take so much time for Ann and Frederick to clear the air. But I also appreciate that they were able to maturely resolve misunderstandings. Both took some much-needed time to sort out their feelings.

Give Me a Reason had wonderful support systems. Ann had her cousins while Frederick had his coworkers. Although clueless, they were awesome people. Though I didn’t like Ann and Frederick keeping their shared past a secret from their tight knit group, I understood why. Ann and Frederick needed to be the ones to settle their messy history. Especially when their past was marred by so much hurt.

If you enjoy second chance love stories that’s full of longing with a side of adorable friendships, then Give Me a Reason is the book for you.

Jayci Lee is wonderful! I'm usually skeptical of Jane Austen retellings but this one was well done! I also enjoyed the K-drama connections. There was a lot of angst and slow burn, but that's so true to the original. I felt like the payoff was satisfying.

Thank you Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the eARC!

I did not realize this was a Persuasion retelling when I first saw or picked up the book. To be very honest, Jayci Lee's past works were not for me and that is okay. I was pleasantly surprised to find that I very much enjoyed this book! Maybe it was the beautiful cover, maybe I woke up feeling extra benevolent today but I really enjoyed this book. Also, I am so proud of Jayci Lee for growing as an author and improving her writing.

Give Me a Reason by Jayci Lee follows Anne Lee, a Korean American and for the past 10 years, Korean drama actress. Anne helps her cousin out and unexpectedly bumps into her ex, Fredrick Nam. The funny thing about love is that when it is for you, it will come back to you.

I really enjoyed the glimpses of their past relationship and the letters Fredrick would write Anne. The character writing was so strong in this book and I am excited to see Jayci Lee continue to improve as a writer. :)

Suggested areas for improvement, discussing and depicting the effect Korea and the Kdrama industry had on Anne (particularly in the way it changed how she moved through time and space).

I had fun reading this book. I was engaged and entertained. I had a grand time.

ARC Review
Thank you Net Galley!

Give Me a Reason is a second chance romance centered around Anne & Frederick. I've read enough on this story to know it is meant to be a retelling of Jane Austen's Persuasion, but I've never read it, so I will not be comparing it this way.

I truly love the second chance romance trope. I'm a sucker for them! I love the Korean cultural representation. On the surface, you might not have felt that it was prominent, but quite a few of the nuances were there, especially in the familial dynamics, as well as with Anne and how she didn't speak up for herself and put herself last, taking her duty of caring for the family as the guiding principle driving her decisions.

I didn't love the amount of misunderstanding/miscommunication throughout the story. I understand it's been 10 years and there is unresolved hurt and trauma, but MAN! There were times I had to push myself through. The fact that this relationship only lasted 6 months (and 9 days), I found it difficult to believe that they pined over each other fot 10 years, that the break-up damaged Frederick so deeply for years, I mean, I guess that is a powerful love, but I do feel like the story would have benefitted from a longer relationship.

Also, I feel like we spent so much time on the demise of the relationship, along with the intense yearning, that we aren't really able to watch a present tense story be constructed. Yes they have a couple of tender moments, which was great. The plot just felt a little lost for me.

Overall, not a bad read!

This story made my heart ache—in the best possible way—for Anne and Frederick. T^T

As the eldest daughter in my own family, I deeply related to Anne’s sacrifices. Her inner monologue often felt like it could’ve been pulled straight from my own thoughts. She’s someone who instinctively takes care of everyone around her and shoulders everything on her own, but I appreciated the subtle shift in her mindset—especially the quiet moments when she reminds herself, “Let someone else handle it.”

Frederick is torn between his heart and his sense of duty, and Jayci Lee beautifully captures the emotional tension in his longing. I truly felt his pain, his confusion, and the depth of his pining.

Their unexpected reunion in Los Angeles after ten years apart had me hooked. Reading about the places they visited made me want to plan my own “Give Me A Reason” tour—especially since I'm not too far from many of the locations mentioned. ;)

I also loved the way Korean culture was woven into the narrative, especially the contrast between the entertainment industries in Korea and America. It added a unique and thoughtful layer to the story.

I was intrigued by this book because of its stunning cover. The story is based on the retelling of Jane Austen’s Persuasion. It’s a second chance romance about Anne and Fredrick who meet after 10 years after their breakup. Their break up was due to Anne moving to Korea to become an actress.

Since it’s a second chance romance, there was lots of angst and unspoken words between them. While I generally love stories with lots of angst and tension, I did feel it dragged on a bit too long. The miscommunication between them went far too long, that it took away from the story progressing. As a reader it frustrated me and I wish both characters communicated better with each other. It was still an enjoyable read.

Thank you St.Martin’s Press for this ARC. All opinions expressed are completely my own.