A review by booksandbesitos
Here for the Wrong Reasons by Lydia Wang, Annabel Paulsen

adventurous emotional funny hopeful lighthearted 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? It's complicated

4.75

This book was great! Big thanks to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC; I can’t wait to buy it in paperback.

To start off, I chose this book because the premise was similar to something I’d read before and enjoyed -Reality TV dating show contestants fall for each other instead of the guy. However, the last time I read something like that, it was YA, and I feel like it works a lot better with older characters like in this book. It made the feelings and experiences feel more realistic.

Meet our main characters, Lauren and Krystin—an impressive duo, a rodeo queen, and a Content Creator. But they’re also sort of rivals at first and love interests as well. You get it all in this book. You also get both points of view. The dual POVs work very well the dating show setting, immersing you as a spectator.

There were also friendships and rivalries formed between the other characters. You didn’t always know who was being genuine and who was faking it to stay on the show since they’re all competing for the same guy. And the contestants compete in different challenges or go on different dates throughout the book. You never really knew what was coming next, and I was so engaged with it. My favorite was definitely the fashion challenge.

It really did feel like watching a dating show. The characters' profiles at the beginning really helped sell it. And after someone got eliminated, the 'interviews' gave you a little more insight into the other contestants. Seeing them outside of the main characters' point of views made it feel like they weren’t just filler characters, since no two were alike. 

Watching them leave one by one made the tension rise, especially with Lauren’s scenes. Because you wanted her to stay long enough to explore what could happen with Krystin, but it was also nerve-wracking to see her get closer and closer to being the finalist and having to end up with Josh, the guy. 
Which she had made it very clear wasn’t her goal. But of course the other characters don’t know that she’s “Here For The Wrong Reasons”
Rising tension as well! 


I recommend this book those craving a more diverse The Bachelor, (Fingers crossed for an on-screen adaptation!)  fans of both dramas and romance, and readers who enjoyed Never Ever Getting Back Together but wished the characters were aged up.
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