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2.75⭐️ Rounded up to 3.

I loved the idea of a Jane Austen retelling with some Korean culture woven into it and the storyline seemed interesting. Unfortunately I really struggled to get into this one. I think it was Lee’s writing style that fell flat for me. This is probably a “me” thing but right off the bat the third person narration stopped me from ever really feeling immersed into the story. Usually I can push through it but that combined with the author telling her readers more than actually showing us made the writing come off robotic and one dimensional. That combined with the misconception trope made this hard to get through. Hey, the cover was gorgeous though and the story itself is good so I’m sure there are many people out there who will really enjoy this.

As far as the audio production, I enjoyed the narrators voices. I think Greg Chun and Michelle H. Lee did a great job. I’m really digging Greg Chun’s voice. I’m wanting to check out what other books he has narrated.

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The longing from both sides was a cruel punishment for a reader but oh was it good for Fredrick and Anna’s characters. 10 years of being heartsick and alone they unknowingly reunite for her cousin and his friend upcoming wedding. They didn’t really talk until the very end but the journey was very much worth it.

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Quick Summary: A multicultural, Austen-esque romance

My Review: Give Me a Reason by Jayci Lee is a 2025 contemporary romance that is loosely based on the Jane Austen classic, Persuasion. It is scheduled for release on 7/29/25.

About the Book: "In this modern retelling of Jane Austen's PERSUASION, a K-drama actress gets her second chance at love with the man she left to save her family, if only she can work up the courage to risk her heart on forever…one last time."

In My Own Words: After ten years apart, Anne Lee and her one true love, Frederick Nam, are reunited, but circumstances are not ideal.

About the Audiobook: This novel was narrated by Greg Chun and Michelle H. Lee. The duo was perfectly matched. They communicated the story with all of the heart and emotion that was needed to portray these beloved characters. I listened to them without pause. They made the story come alive in a fresh way. As Persuasion is one of my favorite novels, I was excited to hear their take on it. I was not disappointed.

My Favorite Scenes (coded, so as to avoid spoilers):

- A Slice of Pie
- Fire and Flames
- Just One Kiss
- You.

The entirety of these scenes choked me up. I could not look away from what was happening between Anne and Frederick. My heart melted.


My Final Say: Oh, how I adored this modern retelling of Jane Austen's Persuasion! Lee used the K-drama storytelling style to bring this classic to life, and I was totally here for it. The marriage between the classic and the emo-rich K-drama was genius. This version was beautiful, angsty, tense, and heartfelt. I was thoroughly entertained.

The spicy heat was unexpected but it fit in without distracting from the story.

Rating: 4/5
Recommend: Yes
Audience: A
Re-read: Yes
Keeper: Yes
Favorites Shelf: Yes
Status/Level: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
ARC Format Reviewed: Audiobook
Cover: 💖

Sincere appreciation is extended to the author, to the publisher (Macmillan Audio), and to NetGalley. Thank you so very much for granting access to an audio ARC of this incredible work. It was an absolute pleasure to review. Jayci Lee is an amazing author who always delivers. I look forward to reading/listening to more from this gifted writer.

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Oh how I love the story of Persuasion! This was a fun reimagining! I enjoyed the characters devotion and all the things that were used as ways to showcase the storyline like the classic. The authors writing was beautiful and easy to follow! Love that!

My 3 star review is for the language., why sooo many F-words, there are so many other words to use in the English language and the intimate scenes were way too detailed and took the story down a few notches for me. I feel like Jane would roll in her grave that someone put that kind of intimacy in her story.

Be that as it may, read with that in mind. You can tell when they begin the sex scenes to forward through,, but you can’t cut out the language. I will not be reading more from this author.

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Persuasion is one of my favorite Jane Austen's works, it is a story of yearning and second chances, and here it is brought to modern times but keeping the flavor of the original.

Years ago, Anne and Frederick loved each other, until her family and a career choice separated them, leaving both heartbroken. Now his friend is marrying her cousin and Anne and Frederick are thrown together once again. They have grown and matured in the meantime, of course, and Anne is learning to put her own needs before those of her relatives, but there is anger and resentment and their feelings may not be enough to bring them back together.

I appreciated the small changes made to the original plot, as I feared they would not work so well in a contemporary setting. The longing is palpable, the character development is on point, and the romantic moments left a smile on my face.

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This book was a wonderful remake of Persuasion. The author modernized the story in a unique way that fit perfectly. She captured the essence of Persuasion but the characters still had their own voice. The book had a couple of continuity errors but they didn’t impact the plot so it wasn’t a big deal it just made a couple of chapters not flow well. Overall, I loved the story and would definitely read more by the author.
The narrators did a wonderful job with the story. I liked the unique way it was recorded with the female narrator doing the whole story but the male narrator reading Frederick’s letters. You feel like you got both voices. The female narrator did a great job voice acting each of the characters.

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