Book Review :: Here for the Right Reasons by Jodi McAlister

Here for the Right Reasons by Jodi McAlister
ISBN: 1761104969
Published by Simon & Schuster Australia
on 6 July 2022
Genres: Adult, Romance
Pages: 336
Source: NetGalley, Simon and Schuster
Goodreads

When Cece James agrees to be cast as a ‘Juliet’ on the next season of the hit television show Marry Me, Juliet, it’s certainly not for the right reasons. She’s knee deep in debt and desperate for the associated paycheck. The last thing on her mind is the hunky ‘Romeo’ waiting for her at the end of the gravel driveway.

But Dylan Jayasinghe Mellor isn’t your usual fame-hungry TV star. An Olympic gold medallist with calloused hands, kind eyes and a propensity for panic attacks, it turns out he’s not here for the right reasons either. As spokesperson for a men’s mental health foundation, and the franchise’s first non-white male lead, Dylan’s got a charity to plug and something to prove.

When Cece gets eliminated on the first night, it seems like her and Dylan’s awkward first meeting will be their last conversation. But when the TV set is shut down unexpectedly, Cece and Dylan suddenly get a little more time together than they’d expected.

Will love bloom when the cameras stop rolling?

Last updated on 13 February 2023

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What is Here for the Right Reasons by Jodi McAlister about?

Here for the Right Reasons is about Cecelia, who has lost her job due to the pandemic. When she signs up to be a contestant on  The Bachelor-esque TV show, ‘Marry Me, Juliet’, she doesn’t really think she has a shot. But then she’s in, and suddenly she and the other women try to win the heart of the bachelor, Dylan. Cece, however, unlike the rest of the contestants, is really in it for the wrong reasons – the money – and she doesn’t make a great first impression, either (being camera-shy and a bit all over the place will do that).

Cece doesn’t make the first cut. Usually, contestants who didn’t make it through would leave the show. But at the time of a pandemic, the leaving contestants need to be in lockdown on set, so Cece and the following women who are kicked off the show live in a villa on set, no longer part of the show, but not being able to go back home due to the lockdown.

But then Cece and Dylan click. And the show decides that it will make for good TV if the two of them become good friends on the show, rather than love interests. As Cece and Dylan play out their friendship on camera, off camera Cece is definitely falling for Dylan.

What will happen when Dylan needs to make that final call and pick a Juliet? What will happen to their friendship?

My thoughts on Here for the Right Reasons

Here for the Right Reasons was a fun book. It was entertaining to read a game-show Bachelor/Bachelorette-esque story, which I’d never read before, and it was an interesting and up-with-the-times addition that it was set during a time of Covid and lockdowns.

The characters were a mix of people, with the ‘Juliets’ ranging from nurses to dramatic contestants, though Cece as a character did annoy me. She was very outspoken and over the top, and did and said things that were just bit dramatic. Dylan was an okay love interest, and while this wasn’t toooooo insta-love vibes, they do seem to fall in love in the space of a few weeks, and honestly … does that happen in real life?! It was a bit of a gripe for me.

While it was a fun and quick read, and I did enjoy most of it, I wouldn’t read it again. If you’re a fan of romance, The Bachelor / The Bachelorette, friends-to-loves sort of vibe, then pick up Here for the Right Reasons and then let me know what you think!

If you’ve already read it, let me know your thoughts in the comments!

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I received this book from Netgalley for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my thoughts and all opinions are my own.