I definitely enjoyed Here for the Wrong Reasons. I'm a total sucker for reality tv show based books, sapphic romance, and incorporation of scripts, texts and other media. If those apply to you, or you loved One to Watch, you should definitely pick up a copy of this book!

The premise is set on a bachelorette style show, and for lovers of the premise, I think you'll have a good time. The one drawback for me was the lack of a show host. Without a cheesy Chris Harrison style character, it felt like the lead had to carry some of the cheesier components of the "show" which kept him a little flat to me.

I listened to this as an audio ARC, and I think that is a great way to enjoy Here for the Wrong Reasons! Thank you to NetGalley and Alcove Press for the ARC!

I love behind-the-scenes stories of dating shows and this one had a huge emphasis on the show and its format which was fun. The characters were OK and while this was a dating show, it also had a big chunk of exploration and finding a way to being true to yourself. I get all that. I just also wasn’t a fan of the deception to stay on the show (which I know is rampant on the actual shows) but you get to know Josh and he seems like a great catch for someone and I was sad for him. And because there are so many dating scenes for the show, you don’t really get the romance so much with Krystin and Lauren; it’s just all of a sudden and they’re together. All in all, it was OK but not sure if I would recommend this.

For anyone who appreciates The Bachelor franchise at all, this book is a perfect sapphic version. Krystin and Lauren are selected as contestants vying for Josh’s heart on Hopelessly Devoted. While Krystin is a rodeo queen from Montana genuinely looking for a husband, Lauren is a closeted lesbian looking for a social media boost. While they don’t initially hit it off, Krystin and Lauren develop a palpable chemistry between themselves while dating the same man, who is oblivious to their budding romance. Both women have to choose what they are willing to risk to figure out what they really want.
I found both their journeys, and even Josh’s journey, to be really fun to follow. I appreciated how they addressed the heteronormativity of reality shows, especially romance reality shows. The book felt like it was pulling back the cover (hehe for the pun) on a dating show and letting the reader see inside the drama. There was a good balance of humor, spiciness, genuine feelings, and character growth. The dual perspective allowed for seeing deeper into both characters’ mindsets and I felt like I got to know them both as friends. The ending really wrapped up the book perfectly and all the “confessionals” within the novel really added humor and the right dose of reality tv in book form. I wish the two narrators had more different voices because it sometimes got confusing whose perspective was being told. This was more confusing at the beginning when there were so many characters and also in some of the very long chapters. Overall, this book was a really excellent read that was a sapphic take on a traditionally heteronormative reality romance tv trope. 4.5⭐️, 2.25🌶

4.5 stars rounded up!

An affectionate tribute to the dating show genre, this book is cute, steamy, and just plain fun!

I was instantly hooked by the premise of this book and was so excited when I was able to get an ARC of the audiobook. I was so excited, in fact, that I was a bit worried that the book might not live up to my expectations and I would be disappointed... but this book did not disappoint in the least! I am so impressed by this debut novel from Annabel Paulsen and Lydia Wang. It was gloriously executed, and I enjoyed every moment of it - even the sad parts that I wanted to be over sooner! Ultimately, this book was just so satisfying.

What worked for me:
- First of all, the narrators did an excellent job! I really liked how Krystin and Lauren had such distinct narrative voices that matched well with the way each of their perspectives were written.
- I really liked the cast of characters in this book. They were just cheesy and cliched enough to fit for the genre, while also being developed enough to keep them interesting and unique from each other! Even though I feel like some of the character reactions to situations were a bit unrealistic, it was in a way I was willing to forgive because it made for a more enjoyable/satisfying story at times.
- The spicy scenes were so well done. I often find myself skimming through the spicy content because it can just be so awkward at times - especially in audiobook form! - but the scenes in this book were executed so well.
- It was just so entertaining. I don't even watch dating shows, and I still had a great time with this!
- Krystin's journey of delayed self realization was so real and relatable.

What didn't work for me:
- My only real complaint was at the very, very end where some of the stuff that is said by side characters and in the wrap up content regarding being an "ally" put me on minor alert, but there is nothing specific that I could point a finger to.

Overall, this book was such a fun read and I enjoyed it even more than I'd hoped!

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the authors for providing me with an ARC of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

3 stars.

"Here For the Wrong Reasons" by Annabel Paulsen and Lydia Wang is a "fine" book. This will likely be a huge hit with fans of "The Bachelor" franchise, or people who love reality television. While I don't love either, I have read several successful books with this premise that have garnered my attention and praise. To me, I thought the concept was better executed in Sophie Gonzales' "Never Ever Getting Back Together." I thoroughly enjoyed that book... this one didn't always do it for me. I don't love the idea of one of the main characters, Lauren, only being on the show to get followers so she can be a full-time influencer/content creator. I'm sure there are plenty of people who actually go on dating shows to further their own careers in some way, but it felt like the lie went on way too long and manipulative to Josh Rosen (the main character of the reality show, the one looking for love). It made me feel some type of way about Lauren. I'm not saying that reality TV shows are the bastion of truth telling, but it really rubbed me the wrong way. This story becomes an enemies-to-lovers romp because Lauren and Krystin eventually end up hooking up, relatively out of nowhere. They apparently feel a spark with each other at some point, but I don't think the authors properly build the tension and connection between Lauren and Krystin like they should have. Apart from their one personality trait each (Lauren is a content creator, Krystin does rodeo horse stuff), they are very one-dimensional people and are not very interesting to follow apart from the queer love story (which, as I mentioned, is not all that strong). The spicy scenes did not feel particularly epic, again, because of the lack of connection between them. Very forced to an extent. I did enjoy the end of the book, though, and I like how my expectations of the situation were not correct (in a good way). Mara Wilson and Lindsey Dorcus are great audiobook narrators, and they bring these characters to life. I love Mara Wilson's narration in particular. Like I said, some readers will gobble this up, but I had many complaints.

Thank you to NetGalley, Annabel Paulsen, Lydia Wang, and Dreamscape Media for the complimentary ALC of this book. All opinions are my own. I was not compensated for this review.

This is a cute and sweet romance. I think if you're into reality tv romance, this could be a good pick, although I frankly think there are better options out there. Krystin is a little too naive, and Lauren is just not super interesting or likeable, but contrary to several of the reviews, I did feel they had good chemistry. I was interested in their coming out storylines. I think we were supposed to like Josh, but why? I guess I've been fairly negative here, but I definitely didn't hate this book. I think for people like me who read a whole lot of sapphic romance, this isn't necessarily revolutionary, but if you were reading as someone who took a longer time to realize you weren't straight, I can imagine this feeling super relatable.

I do think audiobook narrators Mara Wilson and Lindsay Dorcas added to my enjoyment.

Grateful to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for early access to the audiobook.

OH MY GOD
THIS BOOK
It had me kicking my feet and screaming. I love them your honor. Honestly at Costa Rica I was just begging for them to just dump him but like I get it. And the ending was so good.
The narrators were phenomenal. Josh was annoying at times. I’m glad he reamed himself and ended up with Mckenzie. Krystin and Lauren were adorable and I just love them so much. Watching my baby gays fumble and find themselves was wonderful and also watching them come out to their friends was great. I eat up a reality show book and I’m so so glad to have read this one. Ugh the after season live episode and coming out and declaring their love was so cute and perfect for them.

I will say meeting the contestants as blocks of text at the beginning of the book was a bit difficult to track it’s something that I would’ve gone back to in a physical book that was hard to do in an audiobook. Otherwise it was truly amazing

My favorite trope and done very well. If you're into queer Bachelor contestants falling in love like I am, definitely read this one.

The Bachelor type dating show but what happens when two of the contestants fall in love with each other and not the bachelor? Absolutely loved this queer spin on heteronormative television. It was fun to listen to and the pacing was absolutely perfect.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the ALC in exchange for an honest review.

This is a fun listen set in a world similar to The Bachelor and Rock of Love (a personal favourite) which follows Krysten and Lauren as they attempt to win the heart of Josh on a national television show. Unfortunately for them - and Josh - the girls' hearts have other plans.

The story is easy to listen to and the narrators Mara and Lyndsey do a good job of using tone and pitch to really separate the characters to avoid them sounding too similar.

Truthfully, the pacing is a little chaotic and things go from nought to one hundred really quickly. This combined with the third act breakup/miscommunication trope really should have put me off but there's something so easy and enjoyable about the title that I wasn't.

One issue I did have with the ALC, however, was the fact that most of the characters were given a biography at the very beginning which, in a physical title, you could cross reference, though you can't do this with the ALC.

I am such a fan of reality shows where people are there for love. I know there are many reasons that people go on these shows and just like this book. It is not always for the right reasons. I love when people on the show actually find love. This book was exactly how I wish some of the reality shows would end up. It is good to read about characters that have emotional intelligence because not everyone has that. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who likes those kinds of shows and loves a happy ending.

Thanks Netgalley for the advance listening copy.

I don’t even watch the bachelor but I sure do love the queer women find love on heteronormative dating shows troupe! I have to say, this is the BEST iteration of this I have seen yet.

Lauren is a social media influencer from NJ, on the show for clout, and hiding her sexuality when she meets Kristyn, a gorgeous, if inexperienced rodeo queen from Montana. After initially butting heads, sparks fly between the girls as Kristin begins to realize maybe her interest doesn’t lie with this season’s most eligible bachelor, Josh. Kristyn's journey to coming to terms with her sexually is handled beautifully - I do think seeing a novel with two lesbians struggling with the outward expression of their sexuality under the lens of a public TV show was fascinating. It plays a little bit with the fact that we make assumptions about both characters based on their outward appearances, but the reality of who they are is quite different.

I could have done with 50% less Josh but I do think he was in it for the bare minimum amount of time.

I love that Lauren is in it only for exposure - that is the realest thing I have ever seen portrayed in one of these books. Also poor sweet Kristyn - so many signs including her "friendship" with Delilah. As Taylor Swift said, I don’t want you like a best friend….

Thank you to Netgalley and Alcove Press for the ARC!

There's just something about a book featuring reality TV that gets me to request it every time. I don't even watch that much reality TV, so I don't know what it is! I enjoy it all the more when the contestants fall for each other instead of for the lead. The Charm Offensive is one of my all-time favorites!

What I didn't love about this one was how long the lying went on. I get going on a show to further your career or because you feel like dating a man is the "right" thing to do, but I couldn't believe how long these girls strung Josh along for! I felt so bad for Josh the whole time that it was hard to focus on the romance.

Lauren and Kristin's romance also felt quite abrupt. It seemed like they went from not interacting at all to sharing a room and hooking up. I wanted more buildup and tension to make their relationship sweeter when it happened.

While the romance was fun and there was chemistry once Lauren and Kristin got together, the lying and second-hand embarrassment on Josh's behalf took me out of the story, even though he was supportive in the end.

I liked the audio production and was so glad I had this as an ALC, because I likely would have DNF'd if not for the narrators' performance.

Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for providing me with early access to this audiobook in exchange for my honest feedback.

This was a wonderful book! I listened to it at 2x speed and finished it in a day! If you enjoy messy reality tv shows, this is the book for you. It was the perfect escape from real life and I fell in love with the characters. At times, it was like a train wreck and other times it was pulling at your emotions - but at no time was it boring or uninteresting.

I hope there is a follow up novella!

Thank you Dreamscape Media and Netgalley for providing me with an audio arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I love me a reality tv romance, especially when it’s queer, so I was super keen for this.

I felt it started really strong. I enjoyed getting to know these characters and what makes them tick and I absolutely loved the budding tension between Lauren and Krystin.

However the longer the book went, the less I enjoyed it. While the drama between our two MC’s felt believable given they were both in the closet and were both on the show looking to get very different things out of it, I hated that they strung Josh along for so long. Making it to the final two made me incredibly uncomfortable, not gonna lie.

This is still a fun, easy read, though, which I enjoyed.

Love love loved this! Sooooo much fun! I really enjoyed it and I will definitely recommend it to my friends.

I'm not a fan of Bachelor or such TV dating shows, but I did enjoy The Charm Offensive. That said, this one was just as full of toxic and manipulative characters and dynamics that I always expect from these situations. The narrators did as good a job as they could, but the narrative itself was inane to the max.

This forbidden romance set in a reality dating show was such a fun and sweet read! It was basically a perfect mixture of The Bachelor and a cosy romance read, and I devoured this steamy audiobook in just a couple of days.

The story revolves around Krystin and Lauren who both are contestants on the reality show Hopelessly Devoted - but for very different reasons. Krystin is really there to find a husband, whereas Lauren just wants more attention and followers on social media. As the show progresses the dreamy main guy Josh falls for both of them, but they fall for each other instead.

I really enjoyed this read! I liked that none of the characters were perfect and that the relationship between Krystin and Lauren felt very realistic. The miscommunication was kept to a reasonable level and the chemistry between them was spot on! The reality show setting was also very fun and captivating.

In addition to reading an ARC of this story I was fortunate enough to get an audiobook as well. I enjoyed the book the second time around and the narrator's, Mara Wilson and Linsey Dorcus, did a great job with the story. I gladly recommend either version of the story depending on your preference and my original review for the book is below.

Very fun and clever romance set on a dating reality tv show called Hopelessly Devoted. The book is almost as much about the tv show as it is the romance and I found that fun. The fakeness of the situations, the competition between potential fiancees, and the smarmy lines of the bachelor had me laughing out loud. Lauren is a super fan of the show and knows that she isn’t there to win. She has a growing career as an influencer and wants to get far enough into the competition to increase her number of followers and improve her brand. She is masterful at saying and doing the right things to get further.

Krystin on the other hand is looking for love. She is a rodeo queen from Montana and has always wanted that marriage and family that her parents have. She initially clashes with Krystin but then finds they click and she can talk to her. Lauren knows she is a lesbian but she isn’t out to her family or fan base. Krystin’s story arc is more interesting as she finds her sexuality. She has lived in a heteronormative world. I did think the ending was drawn out too long but I love how things worked out.

As such a big Bachelor fan, this take on a *similar* show was so fun to read. The writing and storyline of the most dramatic reality TV season of all time was incredible. It was not groundbreaking or life altering, but it was a quick and exciting read.