Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.74 AVERAGE
3.74 AVERAGE
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
✨BOOK REVIEW✨
📚Can I Steal You For a Second? - Jodi McAlister📚
After reading Here For The Right Reasons and loving it, I was so excited to read the next instalment and the timing worked out perfectly with this readalong being the next day! 🥰
To begin with I didn’t realise this was following the same storyline as book one but under a different POV - it worked so well and I really loved where Jodi took these characters 😍 Part of me really wants a book three with Lily’s POV 🙈😂
This was such a fun book, full of tension, blossoming friendships and romance. Jodi writes with such emotion but in a lighthearted, comedic tone which I just adore. Fans of rom-coms will absolutely love this series and I highly recommend! 🥰
What you can expect:
🎥Friends to lovers
🎥Reality TV drama
🎥Sapphic romance
🎥Bachie-vibes
🎥Mutual pining
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
QOTD: Do you watch reality TV and what’s your favourite show?
Thank you so much to @tandemcollectiveglobal @simonschusterau and @jodimcalister for having me as part of the #TandemReadalong for this book and for sending me this to review 🙏🏻
#CanIStealYouForASecond #CISYFASReadalong #TandemReadalong #TandemCampaign
*AD-PR Product #Gifted
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
sad
medium-paced
emotional
hopeful
informative
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This review was published on Lost in a Good Book - https://wp.me/p3x8rS-2Rv
This is a sequel in the Marry Me, Juliet series but it reads perfectly fine as a standalone or a first read if you’re going out of order. I didn’t realise when I picked it up and when I learnt there was a second book I assumed it was a companion book from a new perspective. That one is next on my list but if you’re starting here like I was there is nothing wrong with this being your introduction to these characters.
This is the second behind the scenes dating show book I’ve read and I enjoy seeing the manufacturing of shots and dialogue, but at the same time trying to maintain a true love element. Mandie’s love of the show allowed some creative imagined scenarios that sounded plausible and it added a fun element as she imagined how conversations would play out on TV.
McAlister has written characters that felt real, that had their own flaws and made mistakes. I loved that a lot of conflict was internal and character driven - Mandie’s own self-doubt being a key factor as well, but at the same time the external situation of being on a literal dating show added problems too.
There were great surprises and revelations which adds nice drama. There were big reveals and twists but they never felt like they came from nowhere. McAlister uses the characters incredibly well in driving the plot and with each character comes their own wants and needs, not to mention their flaws and misgivings which interact and clash with other people. You really get a sense of being on reality TV, locked up with strangers, vying for the same goal while still trying to appear happy and supportive.
Seeing Mandie’s emotional development through the book was great, she wasn’t a wallflower by any means before, but her blindness to her ex and their behaviour was clear, and I loved the slow reveal that made us realise it too. The positive influence of Dylan was real and never felt sanctimonious or sappy. It always felt like it came from genuine friendship and support. I loved the relationship between Mandie and Dylan and it was nice to see support between two people who were essentially in competition with one another.
I’m definitely going to dive into the first book now and get more goss on the other contestants and the different side of the competition. McAlister has so many players to work with it will be great to see another perspective on the reality show and the different possibilities it can bring.
Content Warnings
Minor: Toxic relationship
This book was kindly sent to be by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
The one where two reality dating show contestants fall for each other instead…
With the wounds from her breakup with her ex-girlfriend Jac still fresh, Amanda is desperately looking for something to shift her focus and help her move on. And that something just happens to be applying to her favourite reality dating show Marry Me, Juliet. At the audition, she’s still struggling with her heartbreak and whether the show is even for her when she is comforted by fellow applicant Dylan. The pair exchange numbers and strike up a friendship and are ecstatic to learn that they’ll be on the show together. They’re both vying for the love of Olympian Dylan, but now that they’re living together in the Juliet Villa, Amanda can’t help but feel a stronger connection with her Dylan and questioning whether Dylan also feels that connection too. Torn between her growing feelings for Juliet-Dylan, wanting to get to know Romeo-Dylan, and still struggling with the scars left by ex-Jac, Amanda has more to worry about than just how she’ll be edited once the show goes to air…
I always try to take at least like a one-book break between books in a series, but I really couldn’t with this one - I just had to see Amanda and Dylan’s story unfold after the taster we got of their romance at the end of book one! Jodi gave us literally the smallest of glimpses into their story in Here For The Right Reasons so I was already hooked for Can I Steal You For A Second?! Within the reality dating show trope, I think my favourite romance is one between contestants, especially when it’s a sapphic romance. And this book definitely lived up to my expectations and more.
Once again, I really enjoyed how Jodi ultilised the pandemic in this story - with Dylan being a nurse it allowed for a raw insight into the experiences of frontline workers and the toll it takes on them and their families. And a big struggle for Dylan was being on the show instead of being out there helping during the pandemic, even though she was doing the show in order to step away from being a nurse and eventually have more time for her son when she returned home. Jodi once again balanced the anxiety surrounding the pandemic and feeling helpless with the uplifting hope of a new romance.
Right from the get-go I really enjoyed Amanda and Dylan’s dynamic, to the point where I would have happily followed their romance had it not been on a reality dating show - they just had a really fun connection and their chemistry was evident from their first interaction. Like with Cece and Dylan in the first book, Amanda and Dylan’s romance was a slow burn with a lot of angst on Amanda’s part as her inner monologue struggled to come to terms with her feelings and questioning every single interaction she had with Dylan and what it meant.
Because Amanda actually got to be a contestant for most of the time the show was being filmed, we got to learn a lot more about some of the other women competing for Romeo-Dylan’s heart. And there’s definitely at least one more who could be a leading lady in another book - I don’t know if or how many books Jodi has planned, but I have a really good feeling that there’s one more about a potentially super messy couple that I am SO looking forward to (and I’ll be really disappointed if it doesn’t come to fruition!). After learning only a few tidbits about these characters in the first book, it was nice to be able to flesh their personalities and stories out a little more.
As I mentioned in my review for Here For The Right Reasons, Jodi’s writing style lent itself really well to the inner monologues and flashbacks scattered throughout, and I like with Cece, I really felt myself getting into Amanda’s head, maybe even more-so. Amanda has a lot of conflicting thoughts and struggles with the verbal scars of her ex throughout this book, and Jodi so easily pulled me into that mindset. And once again, as someone who loves alternating perspectives, there were times when I wish I could have had a moment inside Dylan’s head - there was obviously so much going on with Dylan without questioning her own feelings for Amanda, so it would have been interesting to get a taste of that too.
While you definitely don’t have to have read Here For The Right Reasons before diving into this beauty (and look, I can’t blame you for wanting to start with this one), I’m definitely a bit of a sucker for trying to read companion novel series in publication order. You don’t need to know about Cece and Dylan’s story in order for Amanda and Dylan’s to make sense, but I think it’s nice to set the timeline a little more with that first book. And I kind of enjoyed piecing the two stories together as we got mentions of how Romeo-Dylan was acting at certain times and I knew it was because of something I had already read about in the first book. So not necessary, but recommended. At least be sure to read both books, whatever the order!
If you’re a sucker for a sapphic twist in your romance books, and can’t get enough of trashy reality television, this is a book that needs to be near the top of your TBR!
The one where two reality dating show contestants fall for each other instead…
With the wounds from her breakup with her ex-girlfriend Jac still fresh, Amanda is desperately looking for something to shift her focus and help her move on. And that something just happens to be applying to her favourite reality dating show Marry Me, Juliet. At the audition, she’s still struggling with her heartbreak and whether the show is even for her when she is comforted by fellow applicant Dylan. The pair exchange numbers and strike up a friendship and are ecstatic to learn that they’ll be on the show together. They’re both vying for the love of Olympian Dylan, but now that they’re living together in the Juliet Villa, Amanda can’t help but feel a stronger connection with her Dylan and questioning whether Dylan also feels that connection too. Torn between her growing feelings for Juliet-Dylan, wanting to get to know Romeo-Dylan, and still struggling with the scars left by ex-Jac, Amanda has more to worry about than just how she’ll be edited once the show goes to air…
I always try to take at least like a one-book break between books in a series, but I really couldn’t with this one - I just had to see Amanda and Dylan’s story unfold after the taster we got of their romance at the end of book one! Jodi gave us literally the smallest of glimpses into their story in Here For The Right Reasons so I was already hooked for Can I Steal You For A Second?! Within the reality dating show trope, I think my favourite romance is one between contestants, especially when it’s a sapphic romance. And this book definitely lived up to my expectations and more.
Once again, I really enjoyed how Jodi ultilised the pandemic in this story - with Dylan being a nurse it allowed for a raw insight into the experiences of frontline workers and the toll it takes on them and their families. And a big struggle for Dylan was being on the show instead of being out there helping during the pandemic, even though she was doing the show in order to step away from being a nurse and eventually have more time for her son when she returned home. Jodi once again balanced the anxiety surrounding the pandemic and feeling helpless with the uplifting hope of a new romance.
Right from the get-go I really enjoyed Amanda and Dylan’s dynamic, to the point where I would have happily followed their romance had it not been on a reality dating show - they just had a really fun connection and their chemistry was evident from their first interaction. Like with Cece and Dylan in the first book, Amanda and Dylan’s romance was a slow burn with a lot of angst on Amanda’s part as her inner monologue struggled to come to terms with her feelings and questioning every single interaction she had with Dylan and what it meant.
Because Amanda actually got to be a contestant for most of the time the show was being filmed, we got to learn a lot more about some of the other women competing for Romeo-Dylan’s heart. And there’s definitely at least one more who could be a leading lady in another book - I don’t know if or how many books Jodi has planned, but I have a really good feeling that there’s one more about a potentially super messy couple that I am SO looking forward to (and I’ll be really disappointed if it doesn’t come to fruition!). After learning only a few tidbits about these characters in the first book, it was nice to be able to flesh their personalities and stories out a little more.
As I mentioned in my review for Here For The Right Reasons, Jodi’s writing style lent itself really well to the inner monologues and flashbacks scattered throughout, and I like with Cece, I really felt myself getting into Amanda’s head, maybe even more-so. Amanda has a lot of conflicting thoughts and struggles with the verbal scars of her ex throughout this book, and Jodi so easily pulled me into that mindset. And once again, as someone who loves alternating perspectives, there were times when I wish I could have had a moment inside Dylan’s head - there was obviously so much going on with Dylan without questioning her own feelings for Amanda, so it would have been interesting to get a taste of that too.
While you definitely don’t have to have read Here For The Right Reasons before diving into this beauty (and look, I can’t blame you for wanting to start with this one), I’m definitely a bit of a sucker for trying to read companion novel series in publication order. You don’t need to know about Cece and Dylan’s story in order for Amanda and Dylan’s to make sense, but I think it’s nice to set the timeline a little more with that first book. And I kind of enjoyed piecing the two stories together as we got mentions of how Romeo-Dylan was acting at certain times and I knew it was because of something I had already read about in the first book. So not necessary, but recommended. At least be sure to read both books, whatever the order!
If you’re a sucker for a sapphic twist in your romance books, and can’t get enough of trashy reality television, this is a book that needs to be near the top of your TBR!