Give Me a Reason is an interesting take on the "second chance romance" trope but it lacked depth and character development. There were way too many side characters who did not contribute to the story and not enough dialogue between Anne and Frederick. It’s hard to feel connected to these characters when the reader doesn't get a lot of background, especially into Frederick's past. There also were a lot of topics that were touched on, but never delved into, such as Anne's issues with her family. There were a lot of conflicts that felt unresolved at the end of the story. The romance was lacking in the story, and did not feel genuine.

LOVED this book!! When we said bring back a yearning man THIS IS WHAT WE MEANT!! It was truly the definition of a down-to-earth man, and I loved every second of it! Frederick and Anne were so cute and truly were everything I could've asked for. I loved their relationship and how much he LOVED her even when he didn't want to believe he did.

The cover of this book is so beautiful! I don’t ever pick up second chance romance book so I decided to give this one a try. When I read that it is a Persuasion retelling that also drove me in. Unfortunately this book fell very flat for me. The romance itself was frustrating considering that it was built mostly lots miscommunication. It just seemed a bit unrealistic that they were together for only SIX months TEN years ago. This is a dual pov but the inner monologue from both characters was too much at times. It was at times painful to read over and over how much they loved each other but wouldn't do anything about it. I liked our FMC, Anne Lee. I thought she was very sweet and selfless but I honestly didn’t care much for the MMC, Frederick Nam. The side characters though were so much fun. I loved Anne’s cousins and younger sister, Tessa as well as Frederick’s fighter fire crew. They were definitely the comedic relief!
Also there is spice! I personally don’t read spice so it was easy to skip over but just a heads up that there is open door scenes.

Because this is an ARC some chapters may be different from what will be published.
Give Me a Reason comes out on July 29th! Thank you St. Martin Press and NetGalley for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review !

The yearning!!

If you love a second chance romance full of yearning, this one is for you! Told through dual POVs, Anne and Frederick are both lovable main characters, and there are many fun side characters as well! There are some really sweet moments and it was enjoyable to see the characters growth both MCs go through. Plus, the added K-drama and firefighter elements were fun!

I loved the yearning aspects, but really didn’t love how much miscommunication/misunderstanding goes on throughout the book. A lot of this is told through the main characters’ internal monologues, so we find out a lot about what they are each thinking. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but it felt like not much happened plot-wise. After not seeing each other for 10 years (during the time in our lives where people tend to do a lot of changing and growing up) they are back in love after seeing each other maybe 3 times. I wish we could have seen more interactions between these two!

I do think this book would be really enjoyable to those that are more into the main tropes than I am!

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

As a big Jane Austen stan and a big K-Drama enjoyer, I was really hoping to like this, but unfortunately it was not my cup of tea.

For me, it felt like a lot of the book was the author either (1) telling you directly that the two main characters are in love with one another (with their "wild chemistry") or (2) the main characters pining over one another instead of talking like human beings (and I absolutely love slow burn! But this was just a lot of the main characters talking over themselves about how the other could never love them again and was so in love with someone else every five seconds). It was a lot of telling, not showing, and even after reading 350 or so pages, I'm still not invested in their relationship and don't even really care that they ended up together.

Additionally, a lot of the dialogue felt a bit unnatural to me -- this could be because this is an early copy and editing wasn't finished, but it sorely stood out to me and made it very hard to connect with the characters or feel any interest in them (as they were also very one-dimensional to me).

I think this could have benefitted from using more flashbacks -- the first chapter jumps right into the main characters meeting again after 10 years, but I had no reason to think that was a big deal (besides that I read the synopsis), so it had no emotional impact. I think this is what the letters were trying to accomplish, but they unfortunately didn't help too much in showing me the (supposed) depth of Anne and Frederick's past relationship.

I'm sure there are aspects of this that other readers may like, but unfortunately this just was not for me (though I am admittedly not a miscommunication girlie in the slightest).

Thank you to NetGalley and St.. Martin's Press for the ARC in exchange for a review!

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, Macmillan Audio, and Jayci Lee for the chance to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

I thought this was a lovely K-drama retelling of Austen's Persuasion. I don't know much about K-Drama- but that didn't affect my enjoyment! I thought that the storyline was very clever- how the author brought Anne and Frederick back into each other's lives through his job and her family. This story had so much yearning and pining. I loved that. They both tried so hard to put the years and time behind. Anne's constant trying to let it go that her cousin was interested in Frederick was endearing but painful! LOL! Girl, he loves you- not her!

Thank you, St Martin's Press and NetGalley, for the advanced copy of Give Me a Reason.

I heart Frederick. Always and forever. This is a retelling of Jane Austen's Persuasion. From reading other reviews, it seems you either love or hate this one. While it is not a masterpiece, it was enjoyable. If you're looking for a fun, lighthearted read or even a palate cleanser, this is one that you will be glad you picked up.

Anne Lee left everything behind to pursue a career as a Korean drama actress, hoping to save her family from financial ruin. Her aunt made her believe that her romance with Frederick was just a silly dalliance and that Anne would be doing them both a favor by leaving for Korea. But it wasn't a silly dalliance, not for Frederick. He spent years heartbroken over Anne until he finally started living life for himself. He became a firefighter and made friends with his fellow firefighters. When Anne returns to the States to be a bridesmaid for her cousin, she is shocked to find Frederick as a groomsman. He has ingratiated himself into her relationships unbeknownst to Anne. Forced proximity to the rescue! Pick this one up and enjoy the love story that unfolds.

I'm not too into contemporary romance, second chance romance, or the miscommunication trope...so tell me how that Jayci Lee magic had me obsessed with Anne and Frederick?!?!?! Yes, I wanted to shake them both for most of this book. Some people I wanted to trip or punch. Every time I put it down to do something, my brain would wander back to the story and the characters. I needed to know what was going to happen next. I loved how much these characters loved each other. Anne has a complete Hamilton moment with her cousin Bethany. She is so selfless and doesn't want to hurt anybody, but she never puts herself first. I wanted her to be selfish and take what she wanted. Luckily, it all worked out regardless. It was so kdrama sweet that I wasn't expecting the level of spice it had, and I loved it! I thought I was going to get closed door, but I got fire! Yearning from start to end. Miscommunication trope went hard! Extended family, new friendships, forgiveness, healing, and oh so much love. All done in such a sweet, lighthearted, and humorous way. Loved it.

For me “Give Me a Reason” felt at once fresh and current while also having a classic timeless quality, wrapping itself around my heart in a deeply satisfying way.  A modern day retelling of Austen’s “Persuasion,” I’m not sure if I would have felt quite the same way had I read Persuasion already, but I do feel this book stands on its own footing and I was completely enamoured.  I found myself stopping what I was doing several times while listening to the audiobook to sink into the nearest chair to enjoy the tale and narration by Michelle H. Lee and Greg Chun.  I occasionally switched over to the ebook, though even then I could still hear Lee and Chun’s narration voicing the characters.

I related to both characters’ anxiety as they struggled with their tumultuous emotions as well as what to reveal.  I really appreciate when a book, particularly a romance, uses a realistic timeline.  For me, this allows the characters and situation to feel much more believable.  “Give Me a Reason” takes place over several months in California and briefly in England.  Author Jayci Lee’s writing is steeped in longing and overcoming your fears.  #givemeareason makes me want to read Austen’s work and makes me want to find a really good K-drama to watch as well.  I was emotionally invested in our two main characters - I loved that the story was told from Ann Lee’s perspective and that sections of the story were separated with letters written to Ann in the past by then-boyfriend, Frederick Nam.  By happenstance, Ann and Frederick run into each other ten years after splitting up, despite their obvious love for each other, when Ann moved to Korea. Young at the time, Ann didn’t offer much in the way of explanation and both are inevitably crushed by the breakup.  Now that Ann and Frederick have run into each other again long buried emotions, hurt, frustration, lust, longing, and insecurities return in force as the two come to terms with their new proximity to each other thanks to being in the same wedding party.

Yearny, swoony, dramatic fun!

Full disclosure, I've never loved a Jayci Lee book. And I told myself that it wasn't fair to either of us for me to read another one, but I honestly couldn't resist with how pretty this cover was and I was actually pleasantly surprised with how much I enjoyed this book! I also want to keep this review positive so I'm not going to go into the reasons I haven't vibed with her books in the past, but I will say that Jayci Lee especially did a really great job with second chance and the Persuasion retelling in this book.

The beginning didn't immediately hook me into this story because it starts off with some info dumping and very little dialogue which really overshadowed setting the tone and getting me interested in the characters. But once I read a little further and got a feel for Anne and Fredrick and all of their yearning and lusting, the emotions really sucked me in.

Is there a lot to the plot? No, not really - one of the characters has a goal but it's not something being actively worked towards until the last quarter of the book. BUT this is a Jane Austen retelling and for me Jane Austen books aren't really about the plot, they're about the characters and the emotions (and the drama)! Jayci Lee did an excellent job capturing all of those crucial elements in Give Me a Reason and that's why I enjoyed this book. Definitely give this a read for all the Jane Austen vibes!

A second chance romance, the story of Anne and Frederick. Based on Persuasion so you know what will happen, but a good game on the classic novel.

This is a beautiful book with very realistic characters and situations. It is a second chance romance but the fallout was truly based on misunderstanding. Frederick and Anne were so realistic that their story could have been real life. Unfortunately, because of how realistic this book is, the pacing is very slow and the interactions between the two leads get quite repetitive and redundant.

This book was okay and I wanted to love it so badly. I thought it was slow and took a while to get into. The last quarter was definitely the best part of the book but the first three quarters was a lot of miscommunication, will they/wont they. It was frustrating to me since it was obvious they were both reading each other so wrong and doubting each other when they kept saying they knew each other best. This was not my favorite Jayci Lee but I would still recommend her other books.

Did I know this was a Persuasion retelling when I started this, nope sure didn’t?! However after the first paragraph it was blatantly persuasion coded (I mean their names are Anne and Frederick).

So we have a Jane Austen story, with a K-Drama take, but Americanized… I was prepared to either hate it or love it. I fell closer to love so 4 stars! The story is 100% Persuasion and the only changes really are that it’s about Korean American’s.

Pros:

- the pining hits the mark
- we get a lot of Frederick’s POV
- the sexual tension and chemistry was good between the characters

Cons:

- some of the secondary characters fall flat (especially her father and eldest sister)
- the jumps back to the past told via epistolary (letters) wasn’t for me
- there were a few moments where everything was just too overly dramatic haha

Normally I wouldn’t be this nit picky but Persuasion is my favorite Austen novel!

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and Macmillan audio for my eArc and ALC of this book. All my opinions are my own!

I actually cannot believe some of the negative reviews on this. This is as good a Persuasion retelling as you’ll ever get. This was real yearning and a real slow burn. I get the dislike of the miscommunication trope but Anne gave him up to help her family. She was bound by what she felt was duty and that changed her. Repeatedly in the story she talks about how she’s trying to learn to take up space. She’s always been a people pleaser and put others before herself and she’s unlearning that. Frederick is HURT. He cannot get past that hurt to be open and honest. It all makes sense why they are the way they are and watching them figure it out and come back to each other was fantastic. I loved this. Could not put it down. Easily one of my favorite romances all year.

This was inspired by Jane Austen's Persuasion which I have not read yet.
Another beautiful and romantic story from Jayci Lee!
Full of interesting characters and swoony moments…. I was all over this book!
This book exceeded my expectations; it was such an amazing story, and the characters were so memorable. I was totally engaged throughout the entire novel.

This book unfortunately takes an extremely melodramatic approach with two lovers who are reunited after the female protagonist Anne returns home to LA from Korea. Anne is also a successful actress from Korea whereas her ex-boyfriend Frederick is a fireman from Culver City.

It’s extremely slow and reminds me of the worst parts of Kdrama - it’s 2025, and I wish we could lay the tired trope of cold, harsh male protagonist with a quick temper coupled with emotionally sensitive female protagonist. Their relationship just doesn’t seem healthy. The narrative relies on a lot of telling rather than showing, so it’s not very convincing that they should be together.

I was surprised this is a Jane Austen retelling because I usually like Austen’s work. In this case, I would just rather read the original Persuasion.

Special thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest, independent review.

Rating 5⭐
Star 🌶️🌶️

ARC REVEW

Soooooo did I know what I was getting into? Kinda, did I know I was going to cry? NO NO I DIDN'T KNOW THAT WAS GOING TO HAPPEN. The pain, THE PAIN. MY INTERNAL TURMOIL AND SCREAMING.

I really enjoyed the story and I also couldn't stand it. Why why?! WHYYYYY. ahem The plot is more character driven and I kinda hoped we got more into the family issues. As in Anne fully stepping out and not dealing with her famlies treating her like crap. She may have thought of it, but not really true actions. You know? I would have liked that.

I also wouldn't mind if the book would first person. just to you know...to give that me that more emotional hit than it already did.

That's my only "con" I have against the book. I overall really really liked it. The emotional impact the story had and ugh my heart. My already broken heart. I wanted to crawl into a hole and never come out.

Give Me a Reason is a comtemporary second chance romance story where we read the perspectives of Anne and Frederick. Anne has returned to America after being away for nearly a decade to be a Korean actress in Korean. Frederick has become a captain firefighter and dedicated his life in his work. When the two meet again, the rage and heartbroken resurfaces, but they will now have to be near each other for a mutual wedding they're a part of.

I received the ARC through Netgalley and approved by St. Martin's Press. This is my true and honest thoughts.

3/5 stars
2/5 spice

Tropes:
Persuasion retelling
Second chance romance
Asian MCs
Close proximity
Slow burn
Mutual pining
Dual POV

There are aspects of this book that I liked but what it lacked left me frustrated. If you’re going to do a second chance romance with mutual pining then miscommunication cannot be the main reason for conflict. I was dying inside while these two grown adults couldn't figure out how to just talk to each other. Did it create A LOT of angst... yes definitely. But after halfway through the book I expected some progress towards a resolution. And that in itself created a very slow burn. Which can be sweetly torturous on its own but was not the case in this book.

With that being said I did enjoy Anne's growth and coming into her own. I think it's very relatable even at her age to not have everything figured out or having to start again. I also loved the flashbacks via letters by Frederick. I also loved the Asian rep. I read another Austen retelling with all Asian characters and really enjoyed it. So this added a nice element to the modern version of Persuasion.

I think overall it was a good story but needed a bit more for me to truly get immersed. I would still recommend this book for people who don't mind reading miscommunication as the main conflict.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own and offered voluntarily.

I received an advanced copy of this book for review. All opinions are my own. Thanks to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for the ARC.

I will be completely honest, I requested this for the cover. And the cover completely encompasses what the book is.

I saw a bunch of negative reviews, and I understand that a lot of people don't appreciate overthinking, but as an overthinker (and reader of fanfic about people who are Very Sad ™️) this hit the exact right place for me. I <i> felt </i> all the things the characters felt. There's a scene where Anne gets nauseous because she realizes there's a possibility that both her sister and her cousin might also have the hots for her man, and my tummy was churning along with hers.

Give Me a Reason is a Persuasion retelling (sorry I know nothing about the original) set in modern California that still somehow managed to keep an Austen vibe. Anne and Frederick broke up a decade before our story begins, and we start by seeing these people who still hold onto the heartbreak. There's a lot of pain and assumption and a huge lack of communication, but we get there in the end.

I really enjoyed this! I don't have much to compare to, but it feels like a K Drama to me, with all the emotional whiplash.

4.5/5