Running into your ex-boyfriend who you broke up with to move to Korea and become an actor while visiting your cousin’s kindergarten class is one thing. That’s just a moment of your time. It’s when you realize that you’re both in a wedding as bridesmaid and groomsman… and you are forced to be near each other for an extended period of time. Now that’s when things get a little more intense.

I haven’t ever been a Jane Austen girlie. Yes, I’ve seen Pride & Prejudice (the Keira Knightley version), but I’m more of a fan of the “and Zombies” version. I have no obsession with Persuasion to look at Give Me A Reason through the lens of. I only know what’s clearly right in front of me. And what I can say is that I loved this.

Anne Lee and Frederick Nam used to be in love. They used to be a lot of things, actually, but then to save her family from utter devastation (really it was just her father’s many mistakes that led up to it and her aunt’s pushiness), Anne broke up with Frederick to start a career starting in K-Dramas… all the way over in Korea… without him.

Now, as she’s moved back to Los Angeles to hopefully pursue a career in Hollywood, he’s happy. He may still be holding a grudge for how she left him, but he finally has his life figured out. He’s working as a firefighter, a job he truly enjoys and excels at. This is when his biggest regret walks back into his life.

I’ve been a second chance romance hater for so long that it hurts to admit when I’ve been wrong. This year, authors have been making feel like I’ve put my whole foot in my mouth with books that make me want to eat my words. Am I a second chance fan now? Who am I???? This was exactly what I wanted it to be. It was fun, funny and forced proximity. Ohhhhhh! And while there wasn’t spice until the second half of the book, it was def there. We just had to work our way up to it. I definitely blushed!🫠

I really enjoyed this! I love everything Jayci Lee writes tbh! Gimme moreeeee! 😍

Thank you to the publisher for my gifted ARC and NetGalley/publisher for the ALC.

This was such a fun modern retelling of Jane Austen’s Persuasion !
Was it a cheesy second chance romance? Yes
Did it absolutely consume my life? Also yes.

I listened to the audiobook - which it self was beautifully done. Michelle H. Lee narratives most all of it - both POVs while Greg Chun narrates the letters the MMC had written.

This is a love story that goes through heartbreak - but ultimately highlights that the heart will want what it wants regardless of time. Contemporary romance is not always my go to genre of choice - I did not feel that off, unrealistic feeling that I often do with them. Though having the MFC, Anne be a mostly success somewhat retired KDrama actress gave me pause at times, it does setup the dynamic between the two that gives reason for some of their understandings and troubles. The whole - she’s well off, while he’s an orphan who needs to build himself a life. Two worlds collide.
Fredrick was undeniably compelling, and there was no doubt to his role as the lead love interest.

This was such a fun read, and I feel so silly that I didn’t realize that this was a Persuasion retelling until about half way through. It was a fun surprise!! I really appreciated it more as a retelling than I might have as just a romance. The setting of the non bachelorette/bachelor party was great! This will be a go to recommendation for anyone looking for a good retelling!

As a huge fan of kdramas I’m always drawn to any story that involves such. I was a little worried about it being a Jane Austin retelling because (don’t hate me) I’m not a huge fan of her work 😅 however, this one hit right to me. As someone who normally isn’t a fan of second chances and often DNF’s them, this one was well done. I tend to be a fan of second chances where they’ve gone on with life but run into one another randomly in the future v pining for years on end. This story was cute, culturally accurate, and a sweet day read. Thank you Macmillan audio and NetGalley for this alc in exchange for my honest review.

Yesterday I finished GIVE ME A REASON by Jayci Lee. This book was fully of secret pining, longing, and angst. Our two main characters dated when they were young, but broke up when Anne had to move to Korea for an acting opportunity. In present day, she has just moved back to the States when she runs into Frederick--and continues to run into him.

I enjoyed this dual performance of Greg Chun and Michelle Lee. Both performers seemed perfectly suited to their characters and did a great job of drawing me into the performance. This is one of those books that I might not have finished if I was eyeball-reading, but since the performance was so enjoyable I kept listening.

There was perhaps a little too much angst for me at times. I just wanted these characters to sit down and have an adult conversation, instead of making assumptions! I couldn't get over Anne assuming that Frederick wanted to be with Anne's cousin when he obviously wanted Anne. (And it wasn't important to the plot, but the cousin got engaged in the two weeks that Anne was in England for work?? Two weeks??).

I'm not a K-drama consumer, but fans of K dramas will love the hints to that industry that this book provides.

I have to admit, this was a total cover request on NetGalley. I knew nothing going into this book. So initially i assumed (based on the cover) this was going to be a sweet young adult romance. It’s not. The fmc tells us she’s 31 in the first few pages. So there’s a bit of spice. And this book is HEAVY on the miscommunication trope. Dang. Like 90%. It’s just not my jam. Just have an HONEST convo damn. The dialogue is a bit cheesy for me. The inner monologues are just overthinking dragged on and on. By the time anything happened it lacked the emotional impact. This was just ok.

thank you to NetGalley & St. Martin’s Press for the ALC!

DNF. as someone who has never read persuasion, i was looking forward to a more modern version of an old story. i tend to have a hard time working through old english, so i figured with this second-chance retelling with a k-drama star and more modern take i would enjoy it. unfortunately, this book fell flat for me very quickly. the miscommunication was really jarring in this sense, and i felt the storyline of frederick being in therapy but still acting the way he does unbelievable. as someone who is close with many who are and in therapy myself, these reactions and habits typically at least have less rash reactions and/or are worked through more healthily than is seen in frederick's character. storyline wise i also felt like the dual pov in third person made this a bit difficult on audio, especially given the larger ensemble, as well as it feeling like it leaned more telling not showing. the pining in this was a lot, and if that's your thing, by all means, go for it. overall, this unfortunately was not for me!

I'm a sucker for anything Jane Austen. (I have my dad to thank for that.) I loved Give Me a Reason by Jayci Lee, a Persuasion retelling featuring Anne, a K-drama actress, and Frederick, the man Anne gave up years earlier.

This second chance romance followed all the main beats of the original Persuasion, but with a modern, updated feel--and more steam (obviously). At 21, Anne left California (and Frederick) behind to act in K-Dramas in South Korea. There she found success and saved her family from financial ruin, but even a decade later, her heart never forgot the love she was persuaded to give up. It's her single biggest regret. Now, years later, she's back in LA, and she and Frederick find themselves in the same wedding party. Their forced proximity means they have to actually address what happened in the past, instead of just running from it. *swoons* The yearning, the pining--it translates well into the modern context, and I loved that Jayci included love letters from Frederick to Anne, just like the original.

Greg Chun and Michelle H. Lee delivered fantastic narrations The book is written in the third person, interspersed with letters from Frederick to Anne. Michelle performed the main portion of the book, with Greg reading Frederick's letters. I loved the narration choices. It was a great audiobook experience.

Give Me a Reason by Jayci Lee
Contemporary diverse romance. Second chance troupe.
Anne Lee left her home, family and boyfriend for an acting career in Korea. She’s had a successful ten plus years starting with bit parts and moving all the way to the lead in a Korean drama. But she paid for her success in losing touch with family and walking away from the love of her life. Frederick Nan would have gone with Anne but she refused him.
She back in California now, deciding on what’s next in her career and is pressed to be in her cousin’s wedding. Frederick, now a firefighter, is one of the groomsmen and the two must at least appear to get along for their friends and family’s comfort. It’s time for them to finally talk.

🎧 I listened to an audiobook version narrated by Greg Chun and Michelle H Lee. Both did a marvelous performance and their voices were similar in pitch so volume or speed did not need to be adjusted between them. I clearly felt and heard their anguish as they get thrown together and their longing. Anne and Frederick came to life in the audiobook and kept me listening and hoping they could work things out.
I listened at 1.5 and slightly higher to more closely match local conversation speeds.

Romantic self sacrifice for an altruistic reason = honorable. Starting over from a different place in life is harder than it should be, but so worth it. Older and wiser.
Heartbreaking backstory. Hopeful future and deeper love. Beautiful second chance story.

I received a copy of this from NetGalley and Macmillan Audio.

✿ BOOK REVIEW ✿

Thank you so much to Macmillian & the author for this ALC!

👍🏻𝑳𝑰𝑲𝑬𝑫 / 💗𝑳𝑶𝑽𝑬𝑫: 💗

𝑹𝑬𝑨𝑫 𝑰𝑭 𝒀𝑶𝑼 𝑳𝑰𝑲𝑬:
♡ Persuasion retelling
♡ K Drama actress x Firefighter
♡ second chance romance
♡ SO MUCH TENSIONNNNNN

𝑻𝑯𝑬 𝑻𝑯𝑶𝑼𝑮𝑯𝑻𝑺:
This was my first book by @jaycie and I will absolutely be coming through her other books because this book was everythingggggg!

I had the privilege of being able to listen to this audiobook and I highly recommend. The character’s emotions and sass were so well portrayed and both the FMC & MMC’s narrators really scratched my brain in all the right ways 😍

The tension in this book was off the charts. Anne Lee made a hard decision to pursue her K Drama career over her relationship with Frederick and 10 years later the choice still haunts them both. Frederick’s conflicting desire for Anne Lee and whether or not to let her in was heartbreaking. He just wanted to guard his heart but in the end, he wanted him more. Anne Lee’s struggle to figure out what he wanted from her was something every girl has gone through.

I loved seeing Frederick yearning for Anne and them coming together in the end. I mean, he sits down the table from her and orders all of the same wines as she does & watches for which ones she likes?? He collects rocks for her?? That man had it baaaad. I hope there’s a book following another couple too!

Give Me a Reason is a modern retelling of Persuasion by Jane Austen. It has a little spice, a lot of yearning, and heaps of what-ifs and second chance opportunities.

Anne is a k-drama star who comes back home to the US and immediately comes face to face with the love/loss of her life Frederick who is now a firefighter.

Anne and Frederick find themselves in the same wedding—she as her cousin’s bridesmaid and he as his friend’s groomsman. Even though he is cold and distant with her, she can't deny that she never got over him. As for Frederick, needing to take care of Anne is a habit he can't seem to kick, but that doesn't mean he has to forgive her.

I thought this was a good modern take on Persuasion. I would like to see a little more of our main characters and do think it would be interesting to see additional stories come from this world and their support system (friends and family) who I believe could all have fun stories of their own due to their bonds and budding relationships.

Audio review: I really liked the narrators for this one and felt like they captured their character's vibe.

Just finished this audiobook and it was amazing. Both narrators were fantastic. As for the story, the longing and wait for our main characters to finally reunite is worth the wait! The tension that is built between the two was incredible. Such a great read and highly recommend!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

As a proud Jane Austen fan, I knew I’d enjoy this modern retelling of Persuasion—and I was right! 😍📚 From the very beginning, Give Me a Reason hooked me with its emotionally rich narration, the deep yearning (SO STRONG it practically jumped off the page 💔🔥), and the surprisingly zesty spice scenes (🔥🔥🔥).

There’s also something really fresh and charming about the K-Drama vibe woven throughout the story. I loved that Anne, the FMC was the celebrity! The heightened emotion, the second-chance romance trope, the passionate glances across the room? Loved it. 🎬❤️‍🔥

That said, I did get a little frustrated with the classic FMC and MMC's communication struggles. 🙄 Anne and Frederick spent way too long stuck in their own heads, refusing to believe the other cared—even after multiple friends basically shouted, “HELLO, you two are still in love!” 📢 There were spicy scenes between them and then they STILL felt like they wouldn't be together 👀 At a certain point, their mutual obliviousness made me wonder if they really deserved that happily ever after. JUST TALK TO EACH OTHER!

But even with that hiccup, this was such a fun, emotionally satisfying read. A swoony, dramatic, slow-burn second-chance romance with a fresh twist and plenty of steam. 🫶🌶️

Thank you to the Jayci Lee, NetGalley, and Macmillan for the advanced copy! 💌✨

Macmillan Audio ALC
I should've read closer when requesting this book because I don't like Jane Austen retellings. I have read and liked this author before, which is why I requested it. I still gave it a go. Both narrators did a fantastic job and they're the reason I made it so far in the book. However, with the story, I felt like nothing happened. It was slow and tedious. There wasn't anything that made me want to root for this couple. It fell flat for me.

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!

Narration was incredibly well done by both narrators. I think bringing in a voice for Frederick's writing was very smart.

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.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for a free advanced reader’s copy. I received this copy in exchange for my honest review.

As someone who’s currently doing a little re-reading of Austen’s work, I can tell you that the lasting feeling I got from this book was that it was a true Austen adaptation. I thought the tone of the narration was perfect and kept that sense of keeping everyone at your forefront even while Fredrick and Anne were obviously your main characters. The interpersonal dynamics between every character felt Shakespearean almost with how entangled everyone was in the drama which, so real of them. I thought this was a great modern take on the story of persuasion overall and now I’m even more excited to get reacquainted with the original work!

I’d say the one weakness I found in the story was the pacing. Without the constraints of Victorian society present in Austen’s novels, it felt like the characters were playing a tug of war with nothing, especially when conflicts were dealt with so instantaneously. The characters no longer have the heavily gendered social norms breathing down their neck that would allow for difficulties in communication or directness so the struggles they felt came off a bit empty and their thinking felt circular and pessimistic. Anne and Fredrick are the worst offenders of this, where they constantly make decisions about what the other means when there is nothing really to translate in their actions towards each other, they need only ask and yet…they don’t. I took it in stride because it didn’t feel too discordant with the intention behind the choices made but I would have loved for a weightier explanation or maybe a new, period accurate reason for these misunderstandings beyond not speaking to each other.

The narrations done by Michelle H. Lee and Greg Chun were phenomenal. Michelle absolutely owned every single voice she made, and I remember having to do a double take when I first heard her do her Fredrick voice (I’m a sucker for women who can do a masculine voice justice). Greg Chun also totally embodied Fredrick’s emotions in his snippets throughout the book, it made Fredrick feel so much more real beyond the explanations of his emotions in real time and was a great nod to the original source material.

Overall, I thought this was such a great read and a wonderful adaptation of Austen’s Persuasion. I would highly recommend it to anyone who’s looking for a romantic fix that leans towards the dramatic!

2.5 ⭐️

💛Second Chance Romance
💛Childhood Friends to Lovers
💛Forced Proximity
💛It was always you
💛Dual POV
💛2.5/5 Spice

First off, the cover! It’s absolutely stunning and was a big reason I was excited to dive in. I enjoy a second-chance romance now and then, and the story sounded really promising, but sadly, the book didn’t fully work for me. The idea was great, and there are cute moments for fans of second chances. The slow start, fast ending, and lack of deep feelings made it hard to really love the book.

It took a while, like 40% in, before I felt anything for the characters. The pacing felt off, and even though the setup had potential, the emotions didn’t feel real. I didn’t quite get why Anne Lee still loved him so much after ten years, or why he still loved her. I get it loving someone but making your whole personality is annoying.

Some parts were just confusing. particularly when the male narrator read letters from the past. It took me a minute to realize what they were, and even when I did, I felt they didn’t add as much emotional weight as intended. They seamed forced ways to remind us that he loved her.

That said, the book had its shining moments. One scene in particular gave me all the feels with great character growth. I just wish there had been more of that because after that, things kind of fell apart. Also, why did he wait two weeks The miscommunication dragged on unnecessarily.

And the ending? Everything was wrapped up way too quickly. Everything felt super rushed and unbelievable. The book moved so slowly at the beginning, I really wish the pacing had been more even throughout.

Even though this one didn’t fully work for me, I’m still curious to read more from this author. I can see myself enjoying her other books with a different story.

Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the advance audiobook copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley, Macmillan Audio, and the author for the ALC of Give Me a Reason! This modern Persuasion retelling had me hooked with its emotional depth, longing, and that slow, aching burn between two people who never really let go.

Anne Lee, a Korean American actress fresh off a decade in K-dramas, returns to the U.S. and unexpectedly crosses paths with her first love, Frederick Nam—now a fire captain and still very much wounded by their past. Their chemistry is intense, their pain palpable, and the pining? Perfect.

Anne’s personal growth was deeply relatable, especially in how she learned to take up space after years of sacrificing for others. I adored the support from her cousins and the overall theme of rediscovering your worth.

Michelle H. Lee's narration was stellar, and Greg Chun reading Frederick’s letters? Absolute perfection. I only wish we had full dual POV from both narrators.

This was a beautiful, emotional, and satisfying listen. Full of angst, yearning, and swoony love letters—it checked all the boxes.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 5
For fans of:
🔥 Second chances
💌 “It was always you”
💔 Longing + unresolved tension
📚 Austen-inspired slow burns

Thank you to Macmillan audio for an early listening copy.

Jayci Lee's latest contemporary romance novel is a Persuasion retelling, featuring a K-drama actress as she returns to the US and meets her former flame, who is a successful firefighter. This book did a good job of following the structure of Persuasion, and adapting it to a new timeline and the different characters. While this book was an enjoyable read, Lee did focus more on telling us about Anne and Frederick's romance, rather than showing us.

The audiobook narrators did a good job with each character, however, I wish that Frederick's chapters had been narrated by the male voice actor.