Book Review: All the Right Reasons by Bethany Mangle
The Details
Media Type: Print Book (ARC)
Title: All the Right Reasons
Author(s): Bethany Mangle
Publisher: Margaret K. Elderberry Books
Pages/Length: Hardcover; 304
Release Date: February 15, 2022
Source: Publisher/Turn the Page Tours
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
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The Bachelor meets Gilmore Girls in this laugh-out-loud young adult romance about a girl who joins her mother on a reality dating show for single parents—only to fall for a contestant’s son.
Cara Hawn’s life fell apart after her father cheated on her mother and got remarried to a woman Cara can’t stand. When Cara accidentally posts a rant about her father online, it goes viral—and catches the attention of the TV producers behind a new reality dating show for single parent families.
The next thing Cara and her mother know, they’ve been cast as leads on the show and are whisked away to sunny Key West where they’re asked to narrow a field of suitors and their kids down to one winning pair. All of this is outside of Cara’s comfort zone, from the meddling producers to the camera-hungry contestants, especially as Cara and her mother begin to clash on which suitors are worth keeping around. And then comes Connor.
As the son of a contestant, Connor is decidedly off-limits. Except that he doesn’t fit in with the cutthroat atmosphere in all the same ways as Cara, and she can’t get him out of her head. Now Cara must juggle her growing feelings while dodging the cameras and helping her mom pick a bachelor they both love, or else risk fracturing their family even more for the sake of ratings. Maybe there’s a reason most people don’t date on TV.
The Review
Can I please tell you how excited I was for this book? All the Right Reasons screamed rom-com to me, and the fact that it featured a reality dating show just had me giddy! I adore books where parents and protagonists work together. Stories that show the bond that can exist between a parent and their child are my favorite. Throw in a bit of TV drama, and you have a book that was screaming at me to read it. I’m happy to report that it was a fun ride!
Cara Hawn is a wonderful main character. Full of fire, honest to a fault, and the kind of person who I just really wish to be friends with. The way this book opens tugged a bit at my heartstrings, because I understood where she was coming from. Being in the middle of a divorce is rough, especially when it’s a messy one. However this beautifully set up the relationship between Cara and her mother. Their bond made me smile so much! With the whole world trying to smash them, they stood strongest together.
The story that follows is heartfelt, laugh out loud funny, and just oh so sweet. When Cara’s mom is chosen for a reality dating show they go into it head first. The two of them have to navigate the world of reality TV, while dealing with all sorts of new feelings. The humor in this book is top notch! Cara’s snark, her mother’s snark, ah they were a thing of beauty. I truly felt like they were real people, and I wanted nothing but the best for them.
Oh, and the disability rep in this book is stellar! Seeing a character who has EDS be represented, without making that his whole personality, was so refreshing. Better still, at no point did the story try to fix him. I’m sure some of you know what I mean. Connor was Connor, throughout the whole story. His character was loveable, hilarious, and downright adorable. All without harping on his disability. It was no surprise to me at all that Cara found him dreamy. Same, Cara. Same.
Now I will admit that this book starts a little slow, and can get a tiny bit formulaic. I kind of expected it, to be honest, because there is a certain ebb and flow to all tv dramas. However that didn’t take away from my enjoyment of the story. There was so much to giggle over, so much to smile over, I found myself absolutely devouring this book. If you’re looking for something fun, light, and just downright swoon worthy? All the Right Reasons is absolutely a story for you!
Bethany Mangle writes young adult contemporary fiction, but her tastes as a reader are extremely varied. She has a particular love of fantasy and science fiction. When she isn’t writing, she enjoys baking questionable cakes and spoiling her dog.
Her debut novel, PREPPED, was published in 2021. Her second, ALL THE RIGHT REASONS, releases Spring 2022. Bethany is represented by Jennifer Wills and Nicole Resciniti of The Seymour Agency.
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