Seyoon and Dean, Unscripted
-
- Pre-Order
-
- Expected Apr 7, 2026
-
- $9.99
Publisher Description
Two teens compete to win a reality show in the woods of the Pacific Northwest, but the producers frame them as rivals-to-lovers, in this hilarious YA romance—perfect for fans of Lynn Painter and Emma Lord.
Winning is Seyoon Shin’s middle name. Okay, it’s not, but she is a winner—despite what her critical dad says. Dean Parker, on the other hand, isn’t beating anyone to the finish line. His strengths are more brain, less brawn.
When a wilderness game show with an eccentric host and a cult following announces a reboot, they both jump at the chance to win the prize. Seyoon’s competitiveness fuels a fire in Dean he’s never felt before, and his hunger to prove himself rivals hers.
To get to the finals, they realize they need each other. Seyoon and Dean form an alliance, which the opportunistic producers are quick to frame as romantic. The rivals-to-lovers angle is good for views and intimidating the competition, but their chemistry is just for show . . . right?
As the lines blur between friendship and romance, reality and reality TV, Seyoon and Dean can’t ignore that the finale is fast approaching—and that only one of them can win.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Witherspoon (Bingsu for Two) gleefully invokes reality show television tropes in this twisty rom-com. Twenty years before the book's start, the series finale of a popular wilderness reality competition show concludes with one of the final three betraying his alliance to claim victory. Now the show is being rebooted with the finale's winner, Garrett Moxley, as host. The cast of the series' opening season is populated entirely by legacy contestants, including teens Seyoon Shin and Dean Parker, whose mother and father, respectively, were Moxley's former allies. Though Dean and Seyoon are initially combative, they soon overcome their apparent rivalry to form first an alliance, then a fake showmance, hoping to keep the showrunners happy and improve their odds of winning. Seyoon wants the cash prize to help her financially struggling family; Dean wants to make his dad proud and prove he's ready for independence. As they navigate the competition's challenges and surprises, the teens grow closer, but both know there can only be one winner. The intersectionally diverse cast is entertaining and memorable, particularly the charismatic leads, whose resolve to overcome personal weaknesses—like Seyoon's over competitiveness and Dean's low self-worth—while cultivating trust in others shines bright throughout this satisfying if sometimes predictable romp. Ages 14–up.
