Give Me a Reason by Jacyi Lee was a delightful, captivating read from start to finish. This is my first book by this author. I hope it won't be my last.

I totally enjoyed reading this second chance love story. It was filled with wonderful side characters, friends/relatives/co-workers, who surrounded the leading characters, Anne and Frederick, and contributed much to their story. The writing was terrific, with plenty of fun, quick-witted dialogue as well as serious insights and conversations. I especially enjoyed that it was written from both leading characters' point of view giving the reader insight into Anne and Frederick's thoughts and feelings as their story unfolded. Their insecuriies and vulnerabilities were front and center contributing to their actions. Knowing their differing points of view really helped to understand them.

This story held my interest, was easy to read, emotionally charged and ultimately satisfying with a lovely ending that made me smile and shed a happy tear. Can't ask for more than that. I hope you'll read it and enjoy it as much as I did.

ARC review-
this book was so cute!! at first i was hesitant with the second chance start but i quickly got sucked into the story. there were a couple scenes that were not my favorite but overall this was a fun book! i would recommend :)

I picked up Give Me a Reason expecting a steamy romance, and it definitely delivered, but what surprised me was how much heart it had too. I loved the depth Jayci Lee gave to the characters; they felt real, flawed, and easy to connect with. The emotional tension pulled me in just as much as the romantic chemistry. It’s the kind of story that had me turning pages late into the night. I’ll be thinking about these characters for a while.

Ever since promo for this book hit my Instagram ads and showed me that beautiful cover, I was obsessed and anxiously waiting for its release! A huge thank you to NetGalley for making that wait just a bit shorter. Now I just need to wait a bit to get my book trophy to add to my shelves. I had the best time reading this book! As a Korean American myself, I thoroughly enjoyed having the representation and the little bits of Konglish that was thrown in here and there. I was kicking my feet and giggling at times and also shouting at the book at times out of frustration at the choices of the characters. Regardless, Give Me A Reason was a fun time and a quick read if you're looking for a little palate cleanser between your heavier reads!

This was such a good book. I loved the story and the writing so much. The characters were great and the story flowed smoothly. Will definitely read more books by this author in the future.

Based on the blurb and book cover, I had really high hopes for this book This book just wasn't for me. I had to really push myself to finish this. The actually plot and the relationship between the main characters was just very lackluster. There was a bunch of info overload that was just unnecessary and in my opinion, it didn't need to be added.

This was an entertaining read. A modern retelling of Jane Austen's Persuasion, it features a Korean-American cast of characters, including the leads, Anne, a former K-drama star and actress, and Frederick, a firefighter Captain. As former lovers, you will very much root for their reconciliation. Their attraction and respect for one another were palpable, as Lee effectively uses language and mood to deliver the tense build-up between the once-lovers, who are now forced to be civil with one another, given the upcoming nuptials of their mutual friends and family.

The cover gravitated me towards this book and I’ve never read a persuasion retelling so I said why not? While it was very wordy and a little slow at some points, it was still interesting to read about the characters journey. I didn’t love it but it was still a fun read.

My sister loves K books. Whether they center around dramas or pop music they always draw her in with their future settings. I read a lot of them as well from her recommendations. This was such a fresh addition to that genre. It felt full of heart and depth in a way that touched me. Plus i love a wedding setting. Official review below.

A heartfelt and vibrant second-chance romance that brings Jane Austen’s *Persuasion* into the glittering, high-stakes world of K-drama stardom and Los Angeles heat.

Jayci Lee delivers a poignant update to a classic love story with Anne Lee, a once promising student turned K-drama actress, and Frederick Nam, the steadfast firefighter she left behind. A decade after their painful goodbye, fate brings them back together as members of the same wedding party, where old wounds and unspoken feelings simmer just beneath the surface.

Anne’s sacrifice for her family’s financial survival is rendered with clarity and compassion, and her emotional journey toward self forgiveness is as moving as it is satisfying. Frederick is equally compelling, his quiet strength and guarded heart giving the story both gravity and tension. Their reunion is marked by restraint, longing, and the kind of rich, slow burning chemistry that rewards every page.

Lee writes with warmth, nuance, and deep cultural resonance. The blend of Korean American identity, contemporary romance, and Austenian longing feels both fresh and timeless. As Anne and Frederick navigate the spaces between past and present, duty and desire, readers are treated to a romance that is tender, mature, and deeply earned.

A smart, stirring, and emotionally generous love story. Perfect for fans of modern Austen retellings, K-drama flair, and lovers who deserve another chance.

The cover drew me in. The story was okay. I haven't read Austen's Persuasion, so I'm unable to make the comparison.

I was excited to start this book because I have enjoyed Jayci Lee's previous novels and I love modern Jane Austen adaptions. The settings were beautiful and I loved the feeling of extended family and warmth the characters shared with one another. The main characters were compelling and the family motivations and back stories had real depth. The only downside was that I felt the language used in the dialogue was oddly formal for a group of 20-somethings. The word choice and selection took me out of the story at times because it felt strange. Overall, the book was a relaxing and romantic but there were certain areas that made it hard to believe.

Jayci Lee always delivers the most romantic, the most heartfelt, the most sweet books! I loved everything there was to love about this book! The characters gave me all the feels, and I loved both of their character arcs in this book! I have been reading Jayci's books since day one, and I am completely in love with how she has evolved as an author! Her work was delightful in the beginning, but it is breathtaking now! Can't wait to see what is in store for us next!

This follows a story of one Anne Lee and one Fredrick Nam in their tale of rekindling lost love and the art of yearning. Jayci Lee has written these characters and their namesake as homage to Jane Austen’s "Persuasion", with a modern retelling of Asian protagonists: Anne Lee, a K-drama actress and Frederick Nam, a firefighter. This captures a glimpse of their past as well as their present in their second chance at love.

This is a dual POV of Anne and Frederick that had the chance to explore their perspectives over the last ten years — the guilt, jealousy, tension, and the yearning. I admire Anne’s quiet perseverance as well as her selflessness that finally bloomed into a protagonist who owned up to her wants and realized her worth. Though, nothing can compare to the yearning Fredrick has gone through with those letters.

However, it may come to a question — did Anne fall in love with the Frederick of the present or was she stuck in loving the version of Frederick in the past and vice versa? A lot can happen in ten years and I hoped there would have been more build-up in encouraging the characters to know each others’ present selves.

this was a super easy and cute read!
I loved that it did feel very kdrama but light, definitely a good book for a palate cleanser!

💔 He’s Still the Reason

This one got me right in the feels. If you love Persuasion, second chance romance, or K-dramas that make you want to scream into a pillow—this is for you.

Anne and Frederick? Whew. These two broke up ten years ago, but the love (and the tension) never left the building. She’s now a K-drama star with emotional walls higher than Seoul Tower. He’s a firefighter with enough unresolved feelings to fill an entire drama series. And when they end up in the same wedding party? Let the slow burn begin. 🔥

The yearning was delicious. Like… I wanted to shake both of them and yell, “Just say it!!” But also? I totally got why they didn’t. The emotional baggage, the family pressure, the guilt—it felt real and heavy and so beautifully written.

Frederick’s quiet loyalty? Anne’s growth arc? The letters? The proposal?? I was gone. I loved that both characters had space to grow on their own, not just as a couple. Also: bonus points for a killer supporting cast and found family vibes.

It’s tender, it’s swoony, it’s frustrating in that “I need them together now but also I love this slow torture” kind of way.

If you’re in the mood for something soft, angsty, and full of emotional payoff, Give Me a Reason is it. I was grinning, crying, and kicking my feet like a total fangirl.

This books was recommended to me by another reviewer and the cover immediately drew me in. Unfortunately the cover was the best part. It was a fight to make it through this for me. The writing style felt far more telling than showing in a way that left me bored and hunting for the sparse moments of dialogue.

This was a very cute, simple contemporary romance read. I don’t think it introduced anything new or groundbreaking for me but it was an enjoyable read overall.

✔ The pining in the first part of the story was so so good. The angst made everything that came after sweeter.
✔ Both of the characters were flawed and those flaws contribute to the continued angst, rather than relying on tropes or excessive miscommunication to keep the story rolling.
✔ I loved this take on Persuasion and specifically how the themes fit really well into Asian or Asian-American families and the related expectations. Family pressure is tied into both themes and the combination of them was an enjoyable new interpretation.

✖ There was a lot of inner monologue rather than actual dialogue between the two love interests - it seemed like they fell back in love with their past selves rather than spending a lot of time getting to know, which is always disappointing in a second chance romance.

3.5/5 stars!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I was so excited to hear Lee was writing a Persuasion retelling and the first third of Give Me a Reason was so good. It was angsty and Frederick and Anne had so much sizzling tension. But then it just fizzled out. While I loved the whole cast of characters and the places they went throughout the story, but for a story with so many characters there was too little dialogue, especially between Anne and Frederick. There was also too many instances of “ they inhaled a sharp breath” to the point of being distracting. I just really wanted more dialogue and less internal monologues of the characters because then it didn’t feel genuine that they resolved anything or grew as characters by the end.

I love Lee’s writing, but this one just didn’t quite meet my always high expectations when it comes to a retelling.

(Thanks to NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for a review!)

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin’s for the ARC!

By the gorgeous cover I was excited for the story, but unfortunately it really didn’t work for me. The author did a lot of showing versus telling and I didn’t really buy into the characters’ chemistry or feelings for one another.

This is a book for all the other Austenian girlies like me! Give Me a Reason is a modern version of Jane Austen's Persuasion, starring Anne, a K-drama actress, and firefighter Frederick. The pair were first loves who reconnected 10 years later in time for their mutual friends' wedding. Give Me a Reason, just like author Jacyi Lee's other novels, brings a slew of compelling language, witty dialogue, and authentic characters. This book read quite quickly and did have, like, one-or-two steamy scenes, which definitely didn't overpower the plot. All in all, I just wanted to keep reading this sweeping, modern Austenian adaptation. It's fun and cute -- especially for all the other Austen fangirl freaks like me. (Which, yes, I wear that with a badge of honor. Loud and proud.)