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: Young Adult, Romance, 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

[Elisabeth M · 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!

[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!

[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! 💕🎬✨

[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

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC - 4.5 - Review to come

[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