Give me a reason A novel

Lee (That Prince Is Mine) unsuccessfully riffs on Jane Austen's Persuasion in this overwrought celebrity romance. After 10 years away, famed K-Drama actor Anne Lee returns home to Los Angeles, feeling disconnected from and resentful of her narcissistic family, whom she saved from financial ruin. Her biggest regret in leaving L.A. was breaking the heart of Frederick Nam, who offered to come with her to Korea but whom Anne suspected would have been miserable there and so she broke up with him for his own good. Frederick, now a fire captain, has never forgiven her and wrestles with lingering anger and hurt--especially when the pair are forced together as part of the wedding party for the marriage of Anne's cousin and Frederick's dear friend. Determined to be cordial and leave the past behind them, Frederick and Anne decide to be friends, despite their lingering passion. But when Anne plans a co-ed bachelor's and bachelorette's weekend, their feelings boil over. Complicating their reunion are copious communication issues and Anne's fear that her favorite cousin, Bethany, might have feelings for Frederick. The mutual pining between the leads will please those who like their romances on the angsty side, but the drawn-out miscommunication between them grows frustrating, and Anne's jealousy of Bethany feels out of left field. Only die-hard Lee fans need apply. (July)

The course of true love does not run smooth for former sweethearts who meet again. Anne Lee gave up her one true love in college, persuaded by her aunt that he was too young and directionless for her. Splitting up with Frederick Nam broke her heart, but Anne convinced herself it was the right choice for her, saddled as she was with family responsibilities. Ten years have passed and Anne is back from her decade in Korea as a successful K-drama actress. While her father and older sister are as cold and self-centered as ever, Anne is now determined to live on her own terms. Then she meets Frederick again in her cousin Bethany's second grade class, where he's telling the kids about being a firefighter. The encounter shocks them both but is followed by repeated meetings due to mutual friends. These social brushes, during which they are nothing but polite to each other, are interspersed with internal monologues in which they relive old griefs and regrets. Readers familiar with Jane Austen'sPersuasion will know how the plot unfolds, with both characters pining and hoping for a different outcome to their romance. Lee centers her rewrite of the classic novel on a Korean family in Los Angeles, recasting Captain Wentworth as an ex-finance guy and fire department captain and Anne Elliott as a dutiful Korean daughter who is learning to trust her instincts. The novel sticks closely to the beats of its inspiration, but the lack of communication between Anne and Frederick becomes tiresome without the original's powerful prose, especially after an abrupt sex scene. The device of including some of Frederick's old email love letters plus the dual point of view belabors the fact that they love each other but do not trust that they are loved in return. Die-hard fans of second-chance romance and the BBC adaptations ofPersuasion might like this retelling. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.