Seyoon and Dean, Unscripted

by Sujin Witherspoon

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 Evergreen Expedition—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.

Genres: Romance, Young Adult, Contemporary

336 pages, Paperback

Expected publication April 7, 2026

About the author

Sujin Witherspoon is a Korean American author, artist, and lover of words she can’t pronounce. She gravitates towards stories that will either plague her nightmares or make her stomach hurt from laughter–no in between. She earned her degree in English from the University of Washington and now spends her time writing, thinking about writing, or exploring Seattle. You can find her online at sujinwitherspoon.com

Reviews

[Anahita Karthik · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sujin Witherspoon’s books are an absolute masterclass on the art of writing laugh-out-loud romances for teens. Bingsu For Two is one of my favourite books of all time and Sujin my favourite writer, and with Seyoon and Dean, Unscripted, I was reminded, once more, of why I’ll keep coming back for her books. Abundant with epigrammatic humour and a fresh spin on the classic fake dating trope we all know and love, this whirlwind romcom—with two leads who are both starkly different and yet complement each other perfectly—is going to be the book of the summer. Katniss and Peeta truthers are about to be served the reality show AU of their dreams.

[Betty · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 rtc

[zai · Rating 5 out of 5]

sujin is one of the best ya romcom authors !!!!
rtc

[lily ⊹ ₊ ⁺]

pre-read review
adding this after reading the 'bingsu for two' arc! i'd read anything by ms witherspoon now <3

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

- 4.5 -

Thank you to Sujin Witherspoon for sending me an E-ARC in exchange for an honest review!

The people who know me, knows that "Bingsu for two" is one of my absolute favourite books, so when I heard Sujin Witherspoon was releasing another book you bet I RAN to the ARC signups.

This is a SW book alright, it got that same feel and humor I adored in "Bingsu", as well as a pathetic (/light hearted) yet deeply layered MMC. I loved the interview bits as they added so much to not only the main characters, but the side characters as well, making a very well rounded cast.

I don't read a lot of YA anymore, I feel like I've slightly outgrown them, but "Seyoon and Dean.." is a good example of what I still enjoy in YA-books. It had that teenage drama, but it wasn't the main focus, if that makes sense? It was just a fun time, and the perfect palet cleanser at the time of reading. Also!! It gave me a lot of "Total Drama Island" vibes which I loved, as I really enjoy that show.

As I just said, the book was a fun time and was fairly "unserious" most of the time, but I really admire how Witherspoon manages to put in more serious topics, especially regarding family issues, without downplaying it. The funny bits doesn't take away from the serious bits and vice versa.

All in all, if you enjoy rivals-to-lovers and romcoms I cannot recommend this book enough, and I'm excited for the rest of the world to read it on April 7th.

[Elisabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a goshdarn delight! I love it when you finally find an author whose writing style you can trust to be a good and valuable read. Seyoon & Dean, Unscripted is just that: we see Witherspoon’s signature heart, charm and wit throughout its pages of behind-the-scenes reality show drama. I loved the unconventional trope dynamics that felt genuinely sweet and wholesome, and I loved the emphasis of friendships and intentional healing.
There was so much hilarity and youthfulness in this book, from the chapter titles to the confessionals to the playful banter. Witherspoon makes you fall in love (or proper annoyance ahem Carter) with characters, and it’s exciting to watch them grow during this pivotal time of their life. Thank you so so much to Sujin Witherspoon for this ARC, I will forever love your work and unforgettable characters!

[Mel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Seyoon and Dean, Unscripted just reminded me again why Sujin Witherspoon is one of my favourite romance authors, and I'll be forever grateful to have received an ARC of this book.

Sujin Witherspoon's books are the perfect blend of romantic tension, laugh-out-loud scenes, and unforgettable and diverse characters. Her writing is so bingable, and the chapter titles are always something to look forward to. Seyoon and Dean were such charming main characters, both with their own flaws and fun quirks, which made them who they are. The survival show itself had so many funny behind-the-scenes moments and creative challenges, I found myself cheering Seyoon and Dean on more than once. Reading from both of their POVs, understanding their thoughts and motives, and witnessing them finally realizing that they have feelings for each other made me love them even more.

I've been craving a good unputdownable Fake-Dating Romance for some time now, and Seyoon and Dean, Unscripted and Sujin Witherspoon certainly didn't disappoint me.

[snazzy pen ✰]

rtc!!

[Sydney Langford · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sun-soaked, hilarious, and full of heart this is the ultimate showmance you’ll be rooting for from episode one. Witherspoon is the queen of banter, deftly blending laugh-out-loud hijinks and important diverse rep with love, legacy, and being brave enough to forge your own path under the weight of expectations. An enemies-to-lovers romp that shines as brightly as a summer sunset!

[YSBR · Rating 5 out of 5]

When Seyoon Shin (Korean-American) and Dean Parker (white) end up forming an alliance while competing on the reality television show Forest Feud, they don’t expect the real challenge to be the chemistry between them.This is Sujin Witherspoon’s second book, and I am convinced the author can’t miss; this book had me cackling from page one.  Readers will love the witty banter between Seyoon and Dean, the reality show gimmicks, and the way the tension builds with each chapter as the main characters get closer and closer to the finale where only one of them can win.

While the circumstances of Seyoon and Dean’s appearance on Forest Feud may not be very relatable, readers - particularly teens - will absolutely see themselves in the insecurities and motivations of each of the main characters.  Seyoon is driven and competitive, almost to a fault.  She desperately wants to give Umma (her mother) a better life, while grappling with the emotional wounds left by Appa (her father).  Dean is awkward, timid, and lacking in confidence, always in the shadow of his more outspoken sister and powerhouse father.  With each challenge, Seyoon and Dean learn not only how to work together but also how to be better versions of themselves.  Some of this learning comes from their time with one another, but some of it comes through relationships with secondary characters (Seyoon) or the very nature of the challenges (Dean).

One other thing to note is Dean’s POV.  A lot of romance on the market features female (or female presenting) main characters and voices, so it’s always refreshing to see a romance book with a male/male-presenting protagonist.  If you have romance readers at your library craving this perspective, they’ll definitely enjoy both the adventure of the reality TV competition mixed with Dean’s POV of his first foray into romance. Link to complete review: https://ysbookreviews.wordpress.com/2...

[Ash · Rating 5 out of 5]

𝐀𝐑𝐂 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰
📚𝑺𝒆𝒚𝒐𝒐𝒏 𝑨𝒏𝒅 𝑫𝒆𝒂𝒏 , 𝑼𝒏𝒔𝒄𝒓𝒊𝒑𝒕𝒆𝒅
𝐵𝑦 𝑆𝑢𝑗𝑖𝑛 𝑊𝑖𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑠𝑝𝑜𝑜𝑛
𝑹𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈: 5★★★★★
𝑹𝒆𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒔𝒆 𝑫𝒂𝒕𝒆 : 𝐴𝑝𝑟𝑖𝑙 7𝑡ℎ 2026

𝙍𝙚𝙫𝙞𝙚𝙬:

I just finished my ARC of Seyoon and Dean Unscripted by Sujin Witherspoon, and oh my god, it was SO. GOOD. Like, genuinely, I can’t stop thinking about it!!

First off, huge thank you to Sujin Witherspoon and the team for having me on the street team because of that, I got to read the first ten chapters early, and from that moment, I was instantly hooked. Then when I got the full ARC a couple of days ago, I dove right in and couldn’t put it down. Every chapter just kept getting better and better! It’s giving Katniss and Peeta energy but set in a fun, chaotic reality TV world not deadly, just hilarious, romantic, and full of heart. The rivals-to-lovers tension? Perfect. The fake dating for the cameras? Absolute gold. And Seyoon and Dean… oh my god, I adore them. They’re so different, yet so similar in all the best ways. I found myself relating to both of them so much. The dual POV was done so well, and the dialogue had me laughing and squealing throughout. The writing, the chemistry, the humor, the chaos everything just clicked. I finished it way earlier than I planned because I couldn’t stop reading, and now I’m sitting here like… wait. That’s it?? I need more! What happens next? Did they date? Did Dean go back to Portland? I need a bonus chapter of them dating, please😭

Thank you so much, Sujin Witherspoon, for giving me this ARC and for letting me be part of the street team. This book was hilarious, heartwarming, and so addictive.
I loved every single page! 💕🎬✨

[Kayla · Rating 3 out of 5]

the premise of this was unique and overall this was a pretty cute and fun read with interesting characters and stakes but the details at the end just pissed me off LOL

the points leaderboard before and after the semi final challenge was literally wrong (somehow dean gained no points despite the fact that 4th place was supposed to get 10????) so like dean should have stayed anyway LOL and even if it wasn’t like….dean splits from seyoon to help her win and in turn she sabotages her friendship with vendredi for him to stay (even after agonizing over another failed female friendship the whole book???) and then at the finals again he lets her win like…we just did that guys like we could have had an actually high stakes final w seyoon vendredi and Carter bc we already know what dean is willing to sacrifice for her bc he literally did it like 20 pages ago man

but overall I had fun and even though fake dating isn’t high on my list I thought their fake relationship was buzzy and the transition from faking it to real feelings was so good

[Hannah Phillips · Rating 5 out of 5]

A game show reboot finds kids of past competitors competing again. Seyoon and Dean want to win, both for different reasons, and they drive each other crazy. When the production team tells them they should team up and do a showmance, they realize they’re going to have to put everything aside if they want to win.
I loved this book, and binged it so fast. I was obsessed with Seyoon and Dean, and most everyone else in the cast of Forest Feud. The challenges were creative, the banter was funny, the behind the scenes was fascinating, I just loved it. Yes there were a few times where the characters drove me crazy but that’s reality tv for you, so it didn’t knock any points off.
Thank you so much to Sujin for having me on her street team for this book and sending me an early copy!

[✯Priya •ᴗ•]

got an arc from da libraryyy

[chloë · Rating 5 out of 5]

THIS IS SO FREAKING GOOD AHHH I ADORE SUJIN WITHERSPOON FOR WRITING THIS AND I LOVE SEYOON AND DEAN SO MUCH

[juli · Rating 5 out of 5]

sujin witherspoon shaking up the ya romcom landscape yet again *nodding emoji*

[Bijuri]

RTC

[Laura Duarte · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC!! This is a great addition to any Library’s YA romance section!

[Angie · Rating 4 out of 5]

omg what a fun book when i tell you i had some good laughs throughout this book. The setting felt so immersive i literally felt i was right there with them .I love that dual pov felt so balanced and all the characters felt so distinct I did not want to book down. I love Seyoon and Dean relationship, they felt like they complemented each other well and their banter ugh just so cute .