I definitely got the Jane Austen vibes from this story. Of course, there's a modern twist, which I appreciate - but the longing and tension, the family dynamics and the interconnected relationships all felt like a Jane Austen novel. And of course the 'dream role' in a tv/movie production of Pride and Prejudice was a nice touch. I thought the story was well done overall. Lots of characters to love and a couple of family members to 'hate' all tied together to give the two main characters enough of a pull to keep them coming back into each other's orbit.

While a little formulaic at times, overall this was a very satisfying romance and the narration was very well done. I was a little skeptical about having one narrator while the story is dual POV, but the narration was done in such a way to differentiate the POVs and keep me engaged throughout. Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the ALC!

I want to start by saying that giving Give Me a Reason two stars doesn't mean I thought it was a terrible book—just that it didn’t really work for me overall. The story felt like it dragged, with a lot of longing and unresolved tension between Anne and Frederick that lasted the entire book. Once their past was brought to light, I expected them to start moving forward, but instead, there were more assumptions, miscommunications, and plot points that didn’t quite add up or resonate with me.

The supporting characters were fine, but none really stood out. One thing I did appreciate was how the book explored the pressure Anne faced to provide for her family—especially how unappreciated she felt, even as she gave up her own happiness. That part felt honest and well done. Frederick, on the other hand, came across as a bit bland to me. I honestly can’t remember much about his personal life, which didn’t help me connect with him as a character.

What kept me going was the narration. Michelle H. Lee was fantastic—her voice is strong and expressive, and she really brought Anne’s character to life. I'm already listening to another book she narrated. Greg Chun also gave a solid performance, and he did a good job capturing Frederick’s quiet heartbreak and inner conflict. The audio experience was definitely the highlight of this read.

This was a sweet, second chance romance. The characters are likeable and well developed. You get to see how the family obligations can affect a romantic relationship to the point that you have to choose your own happiness sometimes.

A well written slow paced romance.

While I like a good slow burn I do think this was was too slow for my personal taste. The characters were well written and I enjoyed them. the writing style is really good. The romance is where we started to lose me a little bit, I did find the characters cute together second chance romance is one of my favorite tropes and it was done well. My issue was the pacing, this was slower than molasses in January. Like I was screaming into a void for 70%.

The audiobook was excellent! 2 POV's with 2 narrators are always a win!

Give Me a Reason is a second chance romance retelling of Persuasion, featuring a K-Drama star and the firefighter she left behind for stardom a decade ago.

I really wanted to love this one. I LOVED the cover. I loved the author's marketing of this book which promised swoon-worthy romance with yearning to make the stars jealous. Unfortunately, it just felt...flat.

I think my main issue was how often the story was told to us rather than showing, particularly how the past affect both Anne x Frederick's future. The most of the past we get is from Frederick's letters to Anne which are filled with love, heartbreak, and yearning. The letters were my favorite part as we got to hear Greg Chun breathe life into our mmc. I wish production had decided to give Chun the opportunity to read Frederick's POV rather than Michelle H. Lee reading it. In my brain, it didn't make sense why Chun was reading Frederick's letters but not his perspective?? I digress...

Overall, it's a sweet (and spicy) retelling of a beloved classic filled with moments of intense yearning and love.

I am so obsessed it isnt funny. I could not stop listening to this! I haven't read the jane austen this is adapted from but you bet I will be reading it as soon as possible. This was such a fun and angsty book that I loved from start to finish.

The story and audiobook I didn’t know I needed. I loved this! The tension, the emotions, the second chance of it all. The narrators really brought the emotion in this to life and I loved every moment of it.

A contemporary Jane Austen retelling? Sign me up and don't text me until I've finished reading.

Just like Persuasion, this book was full of yearning. Anne and Frederick had both grown a lot over the past ten years, learned who they are as people, but after their chance encounter they realise that the one who got away might not be so unreachable after all... I ate this book up. No notes. The narrators did an amazing job too.

I voluntarily listened to and reviewed an advanced copy of this audiobook. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This second chance romance gives us the love story between a K-drama actress and the man she left behind.

I love a Jane Austen retelling and when I saw that this was going to be a contemporary take on Persuasion, I knew I needed to read it. The thing with retellings, especially when you are very familiar with the original work, is that you know what’s going to happen but not really. Jayci Lee kept true to the general storylines that make up Persuasion while giving readers a fresh look at a well loved novel.

I highly recommend the audiobook! It’s dual narrated by Michelle H. Lee and Greg Chun. Give Me a Reason has quite the large cast of characters and the narrators did an excellent job keeping all of the voices distinct.

Give Me a Reason has a great blend of sweet and spicy moments. If you are looking for a second chance romance with all the angst, this may be a great fit for you.

ok audio wise this is great. I would said the narrators are doing an amazing job . You can feel all the emotions thru the audio and that is on my opinion the best audios . easy to understand even with foreign words.
on the plot side I would said I enjoy the longing of this two characters . I like the road they have to take to find each other again . not only to find each other but to let go of the past to start their new future. overall really enjoy and like always love Jayci books.

Give Me a Reason by Jayci Lee is a captivating romance that hooked me from the very first chapter. Jayci Lee’s writing is vibrant and heartfelt, bringing to life characters who are relatable, complex, and full of chemistry.

The love story is both passionate and tender, with just the right mix of emotional stakes and feel-good moments. I especially loved how the novel wove in themes of family, self-discovery, and the courage to take chances on love. Every page drew me deeper into the characters’ journey, and by the end, I didn’t want to let them go.

If you’re looking for a romance that will make you swoon while also touching your heart, Give Me a Reason is an absolute must-read.

Give Me A Reason is a lovely romance retelling between Anne, a K-drama actress back in CA to attempt a shift to Hollywood, and Frederick, a fire chief - and the love of her life - whom she broke up with 10 years ago to pursue her dream. They were hoping to avoid each other, which proves to be impossible as Anne’s cousin marries one of Frederick’s friends and coworkers.

A satisfying, slow burn of angst and longing, I loved this story! Jayci Lee did a superb job in showing Anne and Frederick’s initial courtship and current difficulty in trying to resist the “one who got away.” The family and friend dynamics were also rich additions to the story, too. The audiobook was so well done!

Narrated by Michelle H. Lee and Greg Chun, I felt like I was completely immersed in Anne and Frederick’s world. The chapters narrated by Greg, in form of Frederick’s past letters, were especially emotional and impactful. I Received an advanced reading copy, receipt of which did not impact my review.

A modern retelling of Jane Austen's Persuasion. An enjoyable, quick read. Gave a lot of K-drama feels, with tons of yearning and brooding, so much so that it takes up 60-70% of the book. There's family drama, misunderstandings, plenty of overthinking, and a lot of memorable side characters (loved Katie!). It's a delicious second chance romance that will keep you thoroughly entertained. Did I mention the male main character is a firefighter?? He's a firefighter that ALSO writes the sweetest letters, not at all afraid of telling his girl just how much he loves her. The female main character, Anne, is strong, dependable, kind, and always puts everyone else before herself. I loved seeing her growth in the story to finally choosing herself and placing her own needs first, including fighting for the love that she'd lost.

This was my first time listening to the audiobook while also reading the book and I must say it's an enjoyable experience! Listening to the story brings another layer of depth to the story. Michelle H. Lee and Greg Chun did a great job with the audiobook! They added so much emotion to the storytelling! Though, I did wish Frederick's voice was a little bit deeper. But that's my own personal preference.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the ALC!

Such a beautiful story of heartbreaking circumstances and beautiful second chances.

The tension between Anne and Frederick is palpable from their first encounter after Anne returns to the US. This book does a great job at portraying the ups and downs of the close-knit lives in asian households.

Anne drops out of College to pursue an acting career in Korea to support her nearly bankrupt father. In a devastating turn of events, he aunt convinces her to leave her boyfriend to make this happen for her family.

Ten years later, after being pushed around the industry, Anne decides to return to Los Angeles. As fate has it, Anne and Frederick end up in very close quarters as a part of the same wedding party. Anne knows there is no possibility that Frederick will forgive her or give her a second chance because of how badly she broke both of their hearts. But as love goes, Frederick cannot kick the habit of taking care of and yearning for Anne.

This was such a beautiful and tragic journey back to love for this couple and I HURT for them every time they couldn't seem to get it right. While there were some scenes that I would have loved to have seen, not just briefly mentioned, the story came together beautifully.

Greg Chun and Michelle H. Lee did a great job with the audiobook. The way they portrayed each character was so unique, especially each individual elder! LOVE!

Thank you so much Macmillan for the alc. The audio version was this book's saving grace. If I was reading this on my Kindle, I probably would've given up early on. The premise of the book intrigued me, there were mentions of Pride & Prejudice, but I never truly felt that connection throughout the story. There was enough angst to be invested, but ultimately, the overall story fell flat. They both spent the majority of the book reminiscing on their past relationship/what they could have done better and pining after one another, but took too long to do anything about it. It wasn't written poorly or anything, it just felt like nothing truly stood out. I also thought the audio was going to be dual POV, which technically parts of it were, but it was not quite how I imagined, which was disappointing. Thank you again for the arc, I did give this one a shot!

I am going to preface this by saying I do not like second chance romance as a rule, but that I do really enjoy Jayci Lee so I was willing to give it a shot and I will not let my dislike of the trope impact my overall rating cause thats such a dick move.

I am a KDrama girlie, and loved that this was in that realm by being in the aftermath, and it was really poignant to experience her burnout and feelings as she was navigating through try to transition out of kdrama and into hollywood.

I didn't like that nearly all of the MMCs trauma over their breakup and their time apart was due to miscommunication (my other least favorite trope) it seemed like had they actually spoken any time during their breakup or after so much would have been resolved so it was a bit hard to really suspend disbelief and not get annoyed with the story.

I loved the characters and was very happy with the ending.

✨ 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.

I will say Asian narrators are either a hit or miss for me, and Michelle H. Lee and Greg Chun were a hit! The two voice actors did not have the stilted speech some others do, and I immediately became invested in the characters with their performance. I thought Michelle’s sweet voice and Greg’s gruff one balanced well with the dual narration. A great listen!

Okay, so first things first—if you have a male narrator for the audiobook, why not let him narrate the male POVs? Instead, the female narrator read both POVs and the male narrator just read aloud the MMC’s letters to the FMC. It just felt like a missed opportunity. I love hearing the MMC’s POV in a man’s voice.

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, Macmillan Audio, and Jayci Lee for this free, advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

This was an enjoyable listen overall, though I found myself wishing for more direct interaction between Ann and Frederick. While their longing for one another is clear, there are only a handful of scenes where they’re actually together, which made the romance feel a bit distant at times.

The narration was solid and helped bring the story to life. This is a slow-burn romance with mild heat—perfect for readers who prefer their love stories on the softer, more emotional side.

⭐️⭐️⭐️ — A solid 3-star listen for me.