Welcome, friend! Today I am chatting with author Jayci Lee, about her latest book, Give Me a Reason. This is a retelling of Jane Austen’s classic Persuasion in a modern setting. Enjoy the interview and let me know in the comments if you will be reading the book!
Give Me a Reason
A Korean drama actress gets her second chance at love with the man she left in order to save her family–if she can work up the courage to risk her heart on forever…one last time.
For ten years, Anne Lee told herself that Frederick Nam was her past. In order to save her father from bankruptcy, she left Frederick for an acting career in Korea. This was the only way she could stop him from following her and ruining his future. It was the best way she could love him.
After Anne left, Frederick spent years loving her, missing her, and hating her until he decided to live his life for himself. He followed his dream and became a firefighter in Culver City. He didn’t need romance. He had his work and his friends.
When Anne returns to Los Angeles, she and Frederick are thrown together in the same wedding—she as her cousin’s bridesmaid and he as his friend’s groomsman. Even though he is angry and distant with her, Anne can no longer deny that she never got over him. Not even close.
With so much hurt and uncertainty between them, Anne and Frederick suffer their love in silence. But all it would take is a single leap of faith to bring them together…
Get to know the author: Jayci Lee
Hi Jayci! It is a pleasure to have you on Armed with A Book. To start us off, can you tell my readers a little about yourself?
Well, I debuted in February 2020 as the first Korean American romance author. Since then, I have published 12 romance novels in the romcom, contemporary romance, and fantasy romance sub-genres. And I have my 13th and 14th novels coming out this summer, starting with GIVE ME A REASON on July 29th, then KING FORETOLD on August 26th.
Give Me a Reason is a second-chance romance inspired by Jane Austen’s Persuasion. What drew you to that particular story as a framework?
The iconic line “I am half agony, half hope.” I wanted to see what that really looked like. I wanted to see into Frederick’s tortured soul. Haha. So I decided to write a modern retelling in dual POV, so we can feel that “half agony, half hope” down to our toes when we read Frederick’s POV.
Were there any K-dramas that inspired you while writing this book?
I can’t name a specific K-drama, but I grew up watching K-dramas since I was a little girl. The K-drama format as we know it—the 16 episode limited series—started with the K-drama “Jealousy” in the summer of 1992. I remember watching that enraptured. I think that had the first onscreen kiss scene in K-drama history. Anyway, I was weaned on K-dramas. My story beats and certain dramatic flair have to be hugely influenced by all the K-dramas I watched growing up.
Are there other Jane Austen novels you’d like to reinterpret in your work?
My next project is a modern PRIDE AND PREJUDICE retelling. Eeek! I will begin writing that in the next couple of months. Double eeek!
What parts of Anne and Frederick’s relationship were most satisfying—or difficult—to write?
I did my best to write GIVE ME A REASON as a faithful retelling of the original in terms of the key plot points and Anne and Frederick’s relationship, so it was necessarily a slow, slow burn. I don’t think they kiss until 70% into the book! I loved writing about the yearning, but after the kiss, the angst gives away to tenderness as Frederick realizes he still wants Anne. It was difficult getting there, but it was satisfying when they finally got there.
The forced proximity of wedding parties always creates great tension! What made you choose that as the setup for their reunion?
I’m a discovery author, so I don’t plot extensively or write detailed outlines. The wedding party set up just “came to me.” I think some of the things I love most about Jane Austen novels is that the stories revolve around a community of friends and family. While that creates great opportunities for conflict, you also get multiple HEAs at the end! And in true Austen fashion, I thought multiple couples should get wedding bells.
Do you find yourself more drawn to writing slow-burn romances or instant chemistry? Where does Give Me a Reason land on that spectrum?
Why not have both? I think insta-love and instant chemistry are completely different things. My books usually always have instant chemistry, but is a slow burn in terms of the couple realizing they’re in love. GIVE ME A REASON is definitely a slow burn, but the chemistry and yearning between Anne and Frederick burns hot from the start, even if they hide it well.
How do you approach portraying the complexities of family obligations and sacrifice from a cultural lens?
It is a mix of what I experienced and perceived growing up as a Korean American and what I picked up from…K-dramas! But you’d be hard pressed to know what is real and what is from K-dramas, because Asian families are truly complex.
I think at the core of Asian and Asian American families, there is as much a deep-rooted sense of duty, as love and affection. Sometimes it seems unfair and burdensome, but there is also honor in it. I want to respectfully convey the family dynamics, because there is more good than bad in the strength of family ties in the Asian communities.
You practiced law for fifteen years—how has that past life influenced the way you write characters and conflict?
I am sure every aspect of my lived experiences influences the way I write fiction, because those things make me the person I am now. But my legal background, doesn’t so much affect my storytelling, as my work ethic. I write every day, Monday through Friday, while my kids are at school. I don’t skip a day to go out to lunch with friends, or to go on a hike, what have you. It is a job. And because I am accustomed to working under great time pressure from my litigator days, I am able to push past the panic of a looming deadline, instead of letting it paralyze me. I use my panic to make me more efficient and focused to meet that deadline.
Do you have a favourite quote or scene in Give Me a Reason that is especially meaningful to you?
During an early scene where Anne and Frederick are forced to spend Thanksgiving dinner together with their friends and family, Anne cuts her hand because Frederick’s well-meaning friend quietly warns her away from him. And Frederick, who has been cold and frankly kind of mean to her, can’t stop himself from taking care of her.
Here’s a snippet from that scene:
[W]hen dark blood dripped onto the counter, Anne gasped and stumbled back, the knife clattering to the floor.
“Oh my God,” Katie cried. “Anne—”
Frederick was by her side before Katie could finish her sentence. He snatched a white towel out of nowhere and wrapped it around Anne’s hand, applying pressure to her cut. He shot Katie a look of such fury that the woman blanched and took a step back.
And here is Frederick’s reaction when Anne’s cousin tries to take care of her instead:
Anne felt Frederick tense at her side, angling his body protectively around her. Her breath caught in her throat, and she instinctively shifted closer to him. With his head bent low toward her, only Anne saw him shut his eyes and exhale sharply through his nose, as though bracing himself. Then he relinquished her hand to Bethany in a slow, jerky movement. If Anne didn’t know better, she would’ve thought he had to force himself to let her go. And even though she did know better, her heart fluttered in her chest.
What do you hope readers walk away with after reading Anne and Frederick’s story?
I want them to sigh dreamily and wipe away the tears at the corners of their eyes with a soft smile on their face because love is beautiful even though it hurts sometimes.
If you could spend a day with any of your characters from any of your books, who would it be, and what would you do together?
I would want to spend a day with Tara from THE DATING DARE. She’s a master brewer at her family’s microbrewery, Weldon Brewery. I want to try some of her award-winning beers and spend the day away talking with her. She is so funny and loyal. I wish she was my best friend.
For readers who love Give Me a Reason, which other books or authors would you recommend they check out next?
Nikki Payne’s PRIDE AND PROTEST is amazing. But if you want to read more books by Korean American romance authors, we have two making their adult romance debut this year—Lyla Lee with LOVE IN FOCUS (5/27/2025), and Susan Lee with JULIA SONG IS UNDATEABLE (10/28/2025).
Is there anything else you would like to add?
I just want to thank you and all my readers for your love and support. I literally can’t do this without you. Each and every one of you pre-ordering and buying my books, or requesting them from your local library, makes a difference. Your support allows me to keep telling my stories with Korean American main characters. Please don’t let up. Thank you.
Thank you so much for taking the time to chat with me and share with my readers.
It was my pleasure. I had so much fun answering all your thoughtful questions!
Thanks for joining us! Connect with Jayci on her website. Add this book on Goodreads. It will be available starting July 29, 2025,
Many thanks to St. Martin’s Griffin for connecting me with the author and giving me a chance to highlight this book on my blog in exchange for an honest review. 🙂
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