Here For the Wrong Reasons

Content warnings: Sexual content, Alcohol, Cursing

For a long time, I've wanted to visit Petals & Pages in Denver, a locally owned, queer-owned bookstore in downtown. I live just far enough away from the city to make it a trek for me, so I visited at the first opportunity.

It’s a cute store with a curated selection of books and stationery. They also have a bunch of reading groups, from poetry to sci-fi and fantasy. While I was there, I stumbled on a book I hadn’t seen making the rounds on social media. Here for the Wrong Reasons has the ubiquitous illustrated cover common for contemporary romances these days. I was sold when I flipped the book over and read that it takes place on the set of a Bachelor-type dating show called Hopelessly Devoted. I don't even watch reality TV and I was hooked, because it's a super interesting and different setting for a queer romance story. It also naturally creates off-the-wall scenarios like group dates on horseback and one-on-one paintball fights.

Our first MC is Lauren, a big fan of Hopelessly Devoted, and joins the cast of eager bachelorettes despite knowing she's a lesbian, because she wants to grow her social media brand. Krystin on the other hand is the epitome of a naive horse girl. Ms Rodeo Montana wants the relationship she sees between her parents and joins the show to find love.

After a mud-wrestling incident, some clandestine hooking up, and heart-felt karaoke, Krystin is forced to confront her sexuality. Lauren sticks around longer than she should to stay close to Krystin and things go sideways as the bachelorettes are widdled down. The two women have to deal with their insecurities and their mistakes with the world watching. It felt relatable despite the off-the-wall setting, and had cathartic moments that hit me in my feels.

I appreciated Krystin was grappling with her sexuality in her early twenties instead of always knowing she was queer. I would like to see more people coming to understand themselves and their sexuality later in life. Also, our understanding of ourselves can change and evolve, especially as our culture evolves. Transgender as a word has only been around for a few decades, but people experiencing gender dysphoria have existed since gender became a social construct.

Lauren isn’t out to anyone except her best friend when the story begins, and I was relieved when they didn’t dramatize either woman’s coming-out. We have enough coming out stories. At a certain point, it feels like trauma-porn for a straight audience. Coming out is often deeply stressful and traumatizing even when the coming out goes well. Only people who've never had to go through that process can enjoy watching the emotional rollercoaster as a spectator instead of an unwilling participant.

All in all, It’s a cute love story between two women in their twenties. I recommend Here for the Wrong Reasons for anyone who wants a quick and easy, heartwarming queer read.

Even cuter than their book are the two authors Annabel Paulsen and Lydia Wang. According to the back jacket, they met while writing the book, then started dating. 😍 Write that story! Please and thank you.

I did a little TikTok review of the book, if you want to check it out.

Have the day you deserve!

/rae ryan/