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You’re the Reason

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Welcome to Crestwood University...
Where smiles conceal secrets.
Gossip runs rampant.
And everyone hides the truth.

Sophia Galloway has no idea what she’s walking
into when she transfers to Crestwood University.
Returning to Texas was her only goal.
But nothing could prepare her for stepping foot
on a campus where no one is what they seem.
In a world where frat guys think they can do no wrong.
And sorority presidents think they run the show.
Sophia’s about to find out what happens when she
unknowingly crosses the wrong guy,
pisses off the wrong sorority sister,
and refuses to play by anyone else’s rules.

A life will be lost.
Lies will be told.
Hearts will be broken.
And secrets...well secrets are meant to be revealed.

Is there anyone she can trust?

189 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 24, 2020

125 people are currently reading
961 people want to read

About the author

J. Nathan

15 books1,582 followers
J. Nathan is the author of new adult romances with cocky heroes and sassy heroines. When she's not writing, she's a crazy baseball mom who loves iced coffee, country music, and guys in backward hats.

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5 stars
267 (39%)
4 stars
215 (31%)
3 stars
154 (22%)
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29 (4%)
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9 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 159 reviews
Profile Image for Michele.
1,697 reviews
June 18, 2020
4 1/2 "smoking hot" stars!

Wow!! I definitely did not see that coming!

You're the Reason is a college romance blended with a little mystery. Sophia is a transfer student to Crestwood University. She's thrown into the competitive world of sorority life. Not because she is pledging, but because she's randomly assigned a roommate who is the current president of Alpha Phi. Alpha Phi has been suspended from living in their house after the apparent suicide of a pledge the year before. Needless to say, Sophia doesn't feel very welcome.

Then she meets Chase. He's the head of a fraternity on campus and is the object of Sophia's roommate's obsession and possibly affection. He's also unreasonably rude to Sophia when they first meet. This leaves Chase far down in her approval rating. Of course, she ends up in classes with him. Naturally, he continues to be hot and cold with how he treats Sophia.

Regardless of all the reasons they shouldn't, Sophia and Chase are undeniably drawn to one another. But with so many barriers in their way, can this really work? Will this put Sophia in the crosshairs of the Alpha Phi sorority girls? And can she even really trust Chase?

Let's just say, I read this little gem in almost one sitting. It had me sucked into the plotline and wondering what would happen next. I could hardly put it down. I've read a few books by this author previously and have always enjoyed them. For this reason, the fact that I burned through this book so quickly was no surprise to me.

Thank you to the New Adult Book Club (NABC) and the author, J. Nathan for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Profile Image for Dali.
2,087 reviews591 followers
June 26, 2020
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5 STARS ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ NOW LIVE!
In what I hope to be the first of a new college romance series, J. Nathan takes readers on a witty, swoony, enigmatic and wholly satisfying story.

A Texas native, Sophia Galloway started college at the University of Maine, but wanting to be back home she transfers to Crestwood University thinking it would be easy only to discover that being at Crestwood would be anything but.
Her roommate is the head mean girl... ahem… sorority president. The annoyingly gorgeous guy who seems to be in all her classes is not only standoffish, he’s the object of her roommate’s affection. She feels an air of secrecy around her but can’t quite put a finger on it and isn’t sure who to trust. And when all is revealed, she’s not sure who’ll be left standing.


If you follow J. Nathan on social media, you know this is Sophia and Chase’s story. And since this is a New Adult standalone romance a happy ending is expected, yes? What’s a mystery is how these to get there. And I’m honestly reluctant to tell you because I don’t want to spoil what I guarantee will be a pleasurable and satisfying read. So I’ll say this. I’ve read and loved all of Nathan’s books, but I believe she not only loves to write college romances, she excels at them.

J. Nathan creates two very appealing characters I couldn’t help but want to get to know. Chase is closed off and on the surface can’t seem to decide whether send hot or cold signals to Sophia, but if you truly pay attention you’ll notice he’s observant, protective and prefers to show rather than tell. Sophia is self-assured, nice and super down to earth who has a comeback for everything and isn’t afraid to put Chase in his place.


The relationship between Chase and Sophia is a delicious slow burn that starts off with them being mostly in the enemy zone with witty exchanges, but slowly develops into a lovely friendship with incredibly chemistry destined to be more. I mentioned in my quick review Sophia’s bucket list and Chase’s hand in helping her with it. I could totally imagine a movie like montage of them doing this. The story unfolded at a perfect pace and made me smile, gasp, laugh and swoon with happy giddiness by the end.

You’re the Reason is a standalone college romance by author J. Nathan. It is told from the heroine’s point of view with a happy ending. Sub-Genre: romantic suspense.

* I was given an ARC of this book courtesy of the author. The excerpts are from that copy. I am voluntarily reviewing this title. *

Amazon -> https://amzn.to/37sUuyp

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Profile Image for Diane Plourde TDC Book Reviews.
1,859 reviews31 followers
June 24, 2020




I basically read this 6 star story in one sitting. An amazing read on a Friday night next to a camp fire. It was perfect

Sophia is a transfer from a Maine college back to her home state. She’s starting over. Sitting on a sidewalk after a drunken frat party, Chase is the ultimate jerk to her. It’s hate on first site for her.

It started with the amazing cover with an enticing blurb. But the intensity of this story is unimaginable. I never saw any of the storylines perfect twists come my way. I loved the characters. Sophia was a take no bullshit from anyone. Chase was a jerk but a protector. It’s an highly entertaining and addicting story. It was written to perfection. Bottomline this is a 2020 must read.

Standalone told in Sophia’s POV with an HEA. I strongly recommend this story.
Profile Image for Dora Koutsoukou .
2,256 reviews721 followers
June 30, 2020
3 🤔🤔❤️⭐️s

An interesting but predictable superficial romance read.
Chase and Sofia were nice characters yet their chemistry and relationship were not so deeply rooted, just touched the surface. The whole story didn’t evoke many romantic feelings...it felt flat.
The plot was suspenseful and unfolded with a fast pace. I was surprised with the sudden twist towards the end which I never saw coming.
To be honest, it didn’t excite me that much. 😔
Profile Image for Sheena ☆ Book Sheenanigans .
1,519 reviews436 followers
June 19, 2020

I'm not too sure how to feel about this. On one hand, it was a fairly alright enemies turned lovers romance. It was fast paced and direct to the point. Then the other hand, there was major confusion on how Sofia showed up and turned everything in Chase's life on its head. His words, not mine.

The characters both lacked depth, the storyline was non-existent, there was no chemistry or real connection between them, the characters interactions were bare minimal (I think the longest conversation they had was when they spoke about Sofia's bucket list) and it everything felt too high schoolish.

It's sad to report that this bland romance didn't do much for me but there is definitely potential and I look forward to this authors future releases.

Profile Image for thecrazyreadingblog.
97 reviews14 followers
November 5, 2020
The book was great. I did really love it, mostly because I loved Sophia and then I started loving Chase although there was a moment where I actually hated him.

Would definitely recommend and that plot twist at the end... woww.

Love K
Profile Image for Lauren ♡.
210 reviews38 followers
June 23, 2020
Sophia, the main heroine (h), is recently a new transfer at Crestwood University, after having a terrible experience at an out of state college in Maine. After deciding to be closer to her home city which is in Texas, she hopes to embark on a new and better college journey. Sophia is assigned to room with Chantel who is President of Alpha Phi, as well as share a dormitory with the other sorority sisters in that sorority chapter as they are unable to live in their sorority house. Sophia does not hit it off well with Chantel and the rest of her sorority sisters, as they are very different, essentially they are polar opposites. Against her better judgement, Sophia attends a party with Chantel and her sorority sisters, where she meets Chase, who is 'seeing' Chantel.

Since the initial meeting did not go well between Chase and Sophia, they try to avoid each other. Unfortunately, the universe had another plan for these two and they end up having to spend time together. Chase can be really rude, demanding, and cocky. However, he can be sweet and caring as well. Then other times, he appears aloof. He runs hot and cold so much, no wonder the h had whiplash from his constantly changing moods. Sophia is no pushover though. She does not back down from any challenges Chase throws her way. When pushed, she pushes back 10x harder. Chase and Sophia had an easy witty banter back and forth. Anyways, the large question as the story unfolds is -- when secrets are at risk at being exposed and intentions from others in Sophia life are being questioned, will Sophia be able to find out who to really trust?

Opinion of book
To me, this book was presented as an enemies-to-lovers college romance with a twist of mystery and suspense. I did feel that the mystery and suspense was definitely there. There was also some enemies-to-lovers vibe that showed good promise but did not fully meet the expectations I had for this book. Unfortunately, this story really fell flat to me. I felt that the characters appeared superficial. There seemed to be some promise of backstories being explained and potential subplots but they just disappeared into thin air. Also, some side plots that were introduced/made in this story were rushed and I felt hastily thrown into this book. Basically, the characters both lacked depth. Besides the lack of character development, I really did not feel the chemistry was strong between the characters. Honestly, their conversations generally maintained at a surface level. Granted, there was some meaningful conversations such as Sophia's bucket list mason jar but it still wasn't enough for me to feel their connection.

Things I did like about this book
➢ The heroine was independent and had a backbone, she did things on her own term.
➢ The banter was fun between the characters and I did find myself laughing at times with the comebacks that they would say to each other.
➢ I also liked how the case surrounding the Alpha Phi sorority unfolded.

Overall, this was a 2.5 stars read.

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review
Profile Image for Vanessa Gayle ⚔️ Fangirl Faction.
1,128 reviews853 followers
June 25, 2020
3.5/5 Stars

Disclaimer: I received an Advance Reader Copy at no cost from the publisher/author. All opinions in my review are my own.

This is a story that was very unexpected and in all the best ways. You think that you know what you are getting into when you start this book but trust me, you don't. This book will spin you on your axis. I was so hooked on this story.

The author had a splendid way of keeping me locked on the pages of the story. She kept the story extremely compelling. I thought that she did a great job of setting up clues and rocking the foreshadowing in the book. There is definitely suspense added into the story that really makes it exciting. I enjoyed the author's writing style. It was comfortable and easy to read. The pacing was a little too quick for my taste, but still allows for a good story.

The thing about this book that I had an issue with was the lack of depth. While Sophia and Chase are certainly likable and relatable characters, I felt that their personalities and backgrounds were just absent from most of the story. We do get bits and pieces of them here and there to let us know what kind of people they were but it just didn't feel like enough. So while I enjoyed reading about them, I was wishing for a little more meat on the bone, so to speak.

The romance in this was a mixed bag for me. Yes, I liked the romance for the most part. I was definitely rooting for Chase and Sophia. The romance starts off as an enemies-to-lovers trope. I did love the banter between the two of them while they were going back and forth with each other. I loved the way that Chase helped Sophia with her bucket list. It was actually pretty freaking romantic. And the way that he was protective of her and wanted her safe was nice too. While Chase and Sophia definitely had some chemistry, it just seemed that their relationship didn't have much substance. It just felt like the spark didn't burn bright enough. So while the romance was enjoyable, it wasn't necessarily memorable.

Overall, this was a light and fun story that kept me on my toes. If you like a story with plenty of secrets, strong heroines, and a compelling storyline then you've found a winner with this book. This was my first time reading from this author but I definitely look forward to more!

More reviews on my blog: Novel Nerd Faction
Profile Image for Anna Theurer (Anna's Bookshelf).
771 reviews60 followers
June 29, 2020
I absolutely loved this book! The author has crafted an enticing story that is sure to draw the reader in from the first page and you’ll find that you’ll be unable to put the book down until you have to read every last word. The storyline is solid & interesting and the characters are captivating & likable.

This new adult romance is set on a college campus and has all of the things that you expect among the college such as sorority sisters, parties, dorm mates, and the potential for finding love. I adored Sophia as I really liked her personality and would love to have her as someone in my corner. She tries to navigate the college experience all while dealing with a roommate/sorority girl who isn’t exactly the nicest person around. Chase is a character that you’ll both love and hate in that he is constantly going back-and-forth with his emotions and interactions with Sophia. When you find out why, you will forgive him. The book not only has romance & some steamy encounters, but it also has a dash of suspense. There’s an underlying mystery which I found entertaining and the twist was also unexpected.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book for its well executed story, it’s engaging characters, and this author’s beautiful writing style. You’re The Reason is perhaps one of my favorite books by this author, although I feel like I say that after each one of her new releases.
Profile Image for Thuy Taylor.
1,402 reviews19 followers
June 24, 2020
Sophia is getting a new start in college. A transfer from Maine, going to Crestwood U, closer to home in Texas. This story is more than just a simple college romance. First few days, its just not going well, a mean girl for a roommate, also a guy who's given her the worst attitude. But there is something about attitude brooding guy that she can't shake. Chase is his name, and these two are at each other's throat. It doesn't help that her evil roommate is also territorial over him.

This book had a bit of twist and turns. Chase is mysterious, easy to dislike but also easy to love when his walls are down. He’s also good at keeping secrets. This was a quick, unputdownable read. I couldn't wait to find out what happened with the mysterious black cloud that hovered over some of the students. I loved Soph and Chase together. That epilogue filled every little hole in my heart with all kinds of happiness. One of the best epilogues I've read in awhile. Loved this story.
Profile Image for Rain ♡.
156 reviews8 followers
July 13, 2022
3.5 ⭐
I enjoyed this story, I really did!
But it was short and lacked a loooot of details!
Profile Image for Patricia (Spellbound Stories Trish) .
2,828 reviews116 followers
June 24, 2020
I can not contain the giddiness I am feeling after reading this book!

What you might think you know is nothing compared to what is! Mystery, surrounds everything that Sophia has encountered but the one truth? She can’t escape the desire she feels when she sees Chase!

The fake facade is instantly shown, hate is felt instantly and Sophia starts to see that sometimes coming “home” may not always be best!

I love J. Nathan’s ability to surprise with twists and turns! The shock and awe of her books keep me addicted to her writing and You’re the Reason is another phenomenal book that has me drawn to her work even more now!

Take a chance and enjoy this amazing story!
Profile Image for Annie's reading corner.
493 reviews30 followers
December 23, 2020
I don't like when I don't feel any chemistry between the MCs and that's exactly what happened here. I didn't feel that spark to make me believe in this couple. It was too much, too soon, and yet not enough. Sadly, this book wasn't for me.
Profile Image for Peggy M.
832 reviews8 followers
June 15, 2020
I received an ARC of this book and this is my voluntarily, honest review of it.

The writer J. Nathan is one of my favourite new adult writer. Especially her two series, ‘For you’ and the ‘Savage beasts’ are both great series. So I was very excited when I discovered that she had a new book (You’re the reason) coming out. A book that wasn’t part of a series but was a standalone novel. Curious like I am, I couldn’t wait to discover what this story was about. Only the blurb made me even more curious and intrigued because it sounded so mysterious (and vague).

This story is about Sophia Galloway, she’s a history student who transferred from a different university to be closer to home and to a place where the winters are warm (one year of a cold winter was enough for her!). Of course, a new university means that she has to start anew, new surroundings and making new friends. The first person that she meets is her new roommate Chantel and through her she meets Valerie (someone who will become a good friend). And then you have handsome, arrogant Chase. A guy who shares a few classes with her and also the guy that her roommate Chantel is ‘seeing’. But also the guy that Sophia is fascinated with. Sophia will learn with time that some people have good intentions and some have bad intentions. The question is will she find out on time who she can trust and who not? In the end Sophia will learn that nothing is like it seems!

When I started reading the story, I quickly realised that there was a reason why the writer had giving us a ‘vague’ blurb. Because this was a story that you needed to discover for yourself, a story with many layers and many secrets and it was only at the end that you would know what was really going on.

So that means that this story had me guessing for the most part, my mind was going in different directions and to many scenarios. And because I didn’t really know where the story was going, I felt a bit unsure what to feel or think about some situations and about some characters. One of the characters who had me confused was Chase. Almost from the beginning you could feel that there was something between him and Sophia but because of his contrary behaviour, I found him hard to gauge. For a long time he stayed a mystery to me. But having read other stories of this writer, I had total faith that she would give me the answers to all the questions that I had and leave me with a good feeling and she totally did!

I don’t want to tell too much of the story, I really think it’s a story that you have to experience for yourself but I can tell you one thing and that is that this story managed to surprise me and I really liked that if that happens in my books. The story went in a direction that I hadn’t expected but that explained everything.

Sophia is a strong character, likeable, intelligent, friendly and confident. Just like me she was conflicted about her feelings for Chase but that was totally understandable.

Although Chase didn’t started as a very friendly character he did redeemed himself later on and his reasons for his behaviour were a real surprise. Sophia’s friend Valerie was a great secondary character, she was sweet and friendly.

‘You’re the reason’ isn’t a dark read. The story is told from Sophia’s POV. We do get Chase’s POV in the epilogue. I’m really happy that the writer have us both in the end.

I enjoyed this story very much.

Profile Image for Jeeves Reads Romance.
1,683 reviews797 followers
June 19, 2020
It's not often that I'm so taken aback by a twist that it makes me look back at every scene with fresh eyes and contemplate rereading the book immediately, but that's exactly what happened with this one. Nathan did an excellent job laying down the foundation, ratcheting up the tension until I was on edge, and then making all of the pieces fall into place with ease. There's a level of mystery to the book that will both intrigue and irritate you - I wanted to slap the hero several times, demand answers, and understand where his head was at. So even when I wasn't 100% confident in my love for him, I was still absolutely hooked on the story. My advice to you is this: trust the author. I've loved everything that I've read by Nathan in the past, so I was willing to let things play out, and it was definitely worth it.

The story follows Sophia, a college student who just transferred to a new school. Her new roommate is a sorority sister without a home, because a student died last year under questionable circumstances. While at a party, Sophia runs into Chase and they clash immediately. He's moody one minute and likable the next, so Sophia never knows what to expect from him. The two continue to run into each other - he's in some of her classes, casually dating her roommate, there to lend a helping hand when she least expects it. It's not long before that friction sparks into something else, but Sophia can tell that Chase is still holding back.

I really had no idea what to expect from this when I started reading, and I think that's the best way to go into it. My experience with Nathan's writing comes from her rock star series, so this was very different but still features some of the same elements - a light feel with shots of angst, tension, compelling characters, a slow burn executed very well. But this one is decidedly New Adult and based on a college campus, complete with mean girls, frat boys who do dumb things, and everything else that comes with that (plus a little bit of TRIGGERING content). It's mysterious and engrossing, making me stay up late to see how everything turned out. And I'll tell you right now - I did not always love our hero. Nathan pushed me to my limits a few times, making me want to shake him and demand answers. Had there not been a twist, my rating likely would've been different but I was invested in the story from start to finish. Not having Chase's perspective on events was exceptionally frustrating at times, but everything clicked into place towards the end. So does this one have some elements I didn't love? Yeah, definitely. Am I happy with how it all worked out? Absolutely. If you're in the mood for a romance that will put you through a range of emotions and keep you on your toes, then this is the one for you. I received an ARC via Give Me Books and am voluntarily leaving a review of this intriguing New Adult romance.
Profile Image for Annie Brewer.
Author 14 books789 followers
September 18, 2020
Amazing!!! I loved Chase and Sophias story so much!! Just what I needed to get out of my funk!! I barely worked today...it was a free day, kinda so I just read cause I couldn’t stop, for needing to know where this journey was going. It kept me engaged and glued to the e-pages.

I’ll say, Chase comes off as a dick at first but he has his reasons. And it’s not like he’s a douche for the whole book- just the beginning. And Sophia was a heroine that I admired. She was strong and quirky and didn’t take Chase’s shit- or anyone else’s for that matter. She didn’t bow down or kiss anyone’s ass. She was a solid character with heart and soul. I hate doormat heroines and J Nathan never writes her women as weak- thank fuck!
Valerie was a terrific side character. I loved her friendship with Sophia when they first meet.

This is set in college and surrounds the sorority life and all the crazy shit people do to get into those things. Some are just awful. It was interesting to see what happens when you let others control your life. To me, it’s not worth it but hey, to each their I own I guess. Anyway, my favorite thing about this book was the push and pull between Chase and Soph, as he called her. She brought out the best in him and seeing his strong walls crumble was so endearing!! I loved him so much!! I swear, Nathan writes the best heroes!!

And I was ecstatic to see she’d released a new book this year- which had escaped me somehow. I can’t wait to read the other one I missed as well. She’s an automatic read for me. If you haven’t read her books yet, I encourage you to do so. They’re all different but equally compelling and worth the time!

5/5 ⭐️
Profile Image for Aly.
3,181 reviews
June 29, 2020
This book took me by surprise. I thought I knew how it was going to play out, but there were some great twists that kept me guessing.

Sophia is a great main character. She's smart, strong, and willing to stand up for herself. Her roommate Chantel is immediately rude to her, but she pushes back and doesn't let her walk over her. She also stands up for her new friend Valerie, even when Valerie is clearly keeping secrets from Sophia. I'd love to have Sophia as a friend, she's fun and up for adventure while not partying too hard and keeping up her grades.

Chase was so hot and cold that sometimes I struggled to like him and thought Sophia could do better. But then he'd flip and be so sweet and treat her well and suddenly I'm team Chase again lol. He was also keeping a secret and boy I did not see that coming. Great job by the author for keeping that secret until the perfect moment!

This read quickly and I finished it in one sitting. J. Nathan is a fabulous author and now I'm excited for more books from this author!

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Profile Image for Jen (jensdreamylittlereads).
966 reviews122 followers
June 22, 2020
You’re The Reason was an unexpectedly gripping story. This was wasn’t the run off the mill NA college romance, but rather, a dramatic, hot and just fantastic story. There was an unexpected dimension to the story with some suspense and intrigue woven into the plot which kept me guessing throughout.

Chase and Sophia are two very appealing characters who immediately drew me into this story. Their relationship begins with a delicious slow burn that starts off with them being largely in the enemy zone with witty banter and exchanges between them, but slowly develops into this sweet friendship with an incredible chemistry that was destined to be more.

You’re the Reason is a such an enjoyable read. A college enemies to lovers romance with twists and turns that I never saw coming. There is mystery, secrets, angst, gorgeous sweet moments and has a swoon worthy ending.
Profile Image for ReadonReader.
2,625 reviews6 followers
February 14, 2022
This book was absolute perfection for me. Sophia was this incredible character who was comfortable in her own skin and being who she was unapologetically. Sophia thinks that by moving back home to Texas things will look up for her and she will enjoy herself, little does she know she is about to swept up in a drama storm. I felt so bad for Sophia her roommate is a sorority nightmare, everyone that follows Chantel is like a sheep, and the hot guy she had a bad run in with ends up being the guy her roommate wants. The drama was a perfect amount it wasn’t too over the top and it wasn’t too little either and Chase is just WOW. Chase is this hot guy that is shrouded in secrets, yet almost everyone at Crestwood has something they are hiding and he and Sophia butt heads from the start. Sophia just doesn’t understand why Chase is always so hot and so cold towards her but she is awesome and she doesn’t fall into his charms when he bats his eyelashes at her, but there is something about him that intrigues her. There were a lot of things I thought I saw coming, then there were some twists that had me stunned at the end and never saw coming. I love Chase and his charisma, and I loved Sophia for not laying down and changing who she was just to fit in or get the guy. This book was full of things that I absolutely loved and can’t get enough of and has easily became a favorite read that I will go back to time and time again.
Profile Image for Desi.
2,667 reviews86 followers
October 18, 2021
**1.5 estrellas

Ugh, fue bieeen meh!!

No me gustaron ni me convencieron los protagonistas ¬¬

Y lo que vi más interesante de, qué fue lo que verdaderamente pasó con la estudiante que había muerto, al final fue de lo más estúpido.... no sé, esperaba algo mucho más oscuro por cómo ponían a Chantel como una Hitler
Profile Image for Yoneidis.
2,149 reviews12 followers
June 18, 2020
Sophia Galloway is a 19 year old girl who has just moved from Maine to her native Texas to continue her university studies. Her new roommate, Chantel, is an Alpha Phi. She and her sorority sisters have to live in the dorms bc the university has closed their house bc of the mysterious suicide the previous year of pledge girl. Chantel introduces her to the rest of her sorority sisters, but Sophia doesn’t get along well with them and their world, except for Val, who quickly becomes her friend.
At her first party she meets Ryan, frat boy, and Chase, Chantel’s pseudo boyfriend. Chase is quite rude with her every time he sees her, and what’s worse, he is Sophia’s partner in some projects from some of their classes.
Chase gives Sophia whiplash every time, sometimes he is nice, other time he is edge. She doesn’t know what to think of him, and Chantel has made it quite clear that she should stay away from him.

“A frat boy with a chip on his shoulder? A protector of meek girls in libraries? A deep guy offering advice in a coffee shop? Satan?”

“You are the most infuriating girl I’ve ever met,” he said, his blue eyes staring into mine. As nervous as I felt, I wouldn’t let him see my fear. “Then let me go and you never have to see me again.” “Oh, I wish it were that simple.” I swallowed around the lump that had shot to my throat. “I can’t stop thinking about you, Soph.” My eyes widened. “And it’s driving me fucking crazy.”“What does that even mean?”“That means I’m gonna kiss the fuck out of you right now.”

One of the things that I liked the most besides the continuous banter between Sophia and Chase😂😂😂😂, has been discovering the secrets that the rest of the characters hide.

“Don’t say anything, dear. Allow Madame Rose to tell you what you need to know. Come.” She took my hand. “Let’s read your fortune.”“There are secrets. Lots of secrets being withheld from you…from various people in your life.” “Who?” I asked. “Friends. “Her head twisted toward Chase. “Him.”

This is the first book I read from this author, but it will definitely not be the last.
Profile Image for Marybeth.
1,752 reviews
June 24, 2020
Oh my WOW! I literally inhaled this book last night!! I was not sleeping until I was done, no way!! It is absolutely fantastic!! If I could give it more than 5 stars I would because not only are the characters amazing and wonderful with so much depth (well most of them anyway lol-not Chantel-but she has her purpose) but the plot line is positively brilliant!! As I was reading I kept thinking, wow this would make a great movie!! And believe me, I do not say that for every book I read because not every book could transition easily into a movie, but I think this one could! This is not your typical new adult/college romance. It is so much more including a story that is a bit of a mystery. I honestly love both Sophia and Chase, even if at first I was quite skeptical about Chase. But I refused to give up on him! I love the way they start off not exactly on friendly terms (at all) but he turns out to be her biggest champion in so many ways. I absolutely adore this couple and their story.
I always know when I pick up one of Jen Nathan's stories that I am going to get reeled in- hook, line and sinker; but this one, I do believe she has outdone herself. This is definitely one of my favorites!!
1,008 reviews18 followers
June 24, 2020
From the moment I began reading “You’re The Reason”, I sensed that secrets and lies were swirling around the picturesque college campus. With catty sorority girls and wild fraternity parties, I never knew what could possibly happen next. I was definitely surprised and shocked as I tried to see through all the deception.

Sophia was glad to be back home in Texas to attend college, and her mom living close by was an added bonus. She was at Crestwood to study, hopefully make friends and to start over. I really like Sophia because she never let the mean girls get her down and she stood up to them when they were rude and nasty. She did find a kindred spirit in Valerie and even though she was in a sorority, they had a lot in common.

Chase was a distraction that Sophia didn’t need or want. His dogged pursuit of her affections was fun to watch, and he was determined to make her smile and have fun while they got to know each other. Sophia often wondered where Chase disappeared to when he wasn’t in class. He may be attentive and caring but he rarely talked about himself and was somewhat secretive about his past. She enjoyed spending time with him, but could she really trust him? Sophia sensed that something wasn’t quite right at Crestwood. Was her next assignment solving the mystery, or should she leave well enough alone?
Profile Image for Jennifer Pierson.
11.7k reviews188 followers
June 23, 2020
Sophia has transferred to Crestwood U, which is closer to home for her. However, it's not going very well from the jump. Her roommate is a horrible mean girl, with a dude named Chase going out of his way to be hateful to her, plus that mean girl roommate feels like Chase is hers. You can only imagine what Sophia is going through as she's trying to get her degree. The thing about Sophia though, is she's strong and won't let others treat her badly without putting them in their place, so definitely tipped the broody Chase's world off its axis. As time goes on, they start developing a real friendship with possible feelings being caught, as they have a huge amount of chemistry. Still, there are all the lies & secrets which don't make friends, but allow me to drop loud f-bombs since the twists are crazy every time any are revealed. I couldn't put You're The Reason down, and now it's your turn to experience all the intensity! HIGHLY HIGHLY HIGHLY RECOMMEND!
Profile Image for Amazeballs Book Addicts.
2,811 reviews243 followers
June 24, 2020
You're the Reason is a great read. This one is just a perfect story. Sophia is a Texas girl and after spending a year in Maine she transfers to college back in Texas. She a nice,down to earth girl. I liked her. She get a roommate, Chantel. There is nothing nice about Chantel, she pretty much the worst roommate you could get. Chase is a frat guy. He comes off as cold at first but he has layers. I really didn't like him at first but the more he Sophia interacted the more I liked him. There's a few other things going besides just romance in this story and there was a twist I didn't expect.
Profile Image for Rochelle.
1,642 reviews
June 29, 2020
Loved this story. Quick read that will have you vested in the characters as well as the story. Sophia and Chase were so good together. They had a love -hate relationship that turned to romance and I was loving every minute of it. When I saw that she had a new story coming out, I was so excited. I can’t wait to read more from her.

I read an early review copy of this book and I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

Profile Image for Nerdy Dirty & Flirty.
3,985 reviews363 followers
June 20, 2020
-Sara, ☆☆☆☆☆

I was so sure by the third chapter I had figured out the big plot. The more I read, the more it made sense but holy moly I was wrong! That is a plot twist that had me shocked.

Sophia just transferred colleges to be closer to home, she was excited to be home but nervous to start over. Her roommate ends up being a total monster but is able to build a close relationship with some. She first met Chase outside of a party and right away he is a total jerk and doesn’t let up anytime soon. Her obvious attraction to him and his split personality starts to wear down her feelings for him. Once she has given him her full trust he reveals his huge secret! Will she be able to get over his lies and get her happily ever after.
Profile Image for Tai Nelson-Barnes.
2,833 reviews76 followers
June 30, 2020
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* New to me author

I really enjoyed this story. I started this story after reading a very long and boring book and it was around 10:30 at night. So I thought wth let's jump in. The next time I looked up it was around 1:30 and I was just finishing. I could NOT put this book down. J. wrote a beautiful story and Chase and Sophia are characters that I needed after a couple of crappy books.

Everything about this story is perfect. I would highly recommend this book!
Profile Image for Sandra Braun.
769 reviews4 followers
October 3, 2021
Prvi put se susrećem sa radom ovog autora/autorke i nadam se da ću imati priliku da pročitam još koju knjigu.
Sofia ima 19 godina i upravo se prebacila sa Univerziteta u Mejnu, gde je završila prvu godinu, na Univerzitet u Hjustonu. Ima dva razloga, prvi da bude bliže kući jer je iz Teksasa a drugi, stvarno mrzi sneg. Pri dolasku upoznaje cimerku Čantal, savršenu plavokosu lutkicu, koja je predsednica nekog poznatog Alfa sestrinstva. A zatim upoznaje Čejsa, predsednika Kapa bratstva. Njih dvoje nisu u vezi ili možda jesu? Uglavnom šalju zbunjujuće signale pa ni Sofija nije sigurna. S obzirom da Sofiju uopšte ne interesuje bratstva a ni sestrinstva i pripadnost istim, uopšte se ne trudi da ih impresionira. Uskoro Sofija shvata da ljudi oko nje imaju više lica. Čantal je sva slatka ali često pokazuje lice hladne kučke. Čejs je arogantni kreten a ponekad tako drag. Koja su im lica prava? I zašto joj se čini da svi imaju tajne? Da li su te tajne povezane sa prošlogodišnjim samoubistvom brucoškinje i pripadnice Čantalinog sestrinstva? Tajne se gomilaju...
Od Pogodbe i Hane nisam upoznala draži ženski lik kao što je Sofija. Ona ima samo 19 godina ali nema nesigurnosti koja obično prati tako mlade književne likove. Ima svoj stav ali to ne šteti njenoj dopadljivosti jer i dalje je nežna i ljubazna prema onima koji to zaslužuju. Meni je knjiga bila zanimljiva. Čitala sam je bez pauze od prvog do zadnjeg slova i dajem joj ocenu 5 ☆ i da ne zaboravim stil pisanja je tako lagan, jednostavan bez suvišnih ukrasa i sl. pa sam imala osećaj da gledam film dok mi se radnja odvijala pred očima.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Christy Almeida.
88 reviews4 followers
June 24, 2020
J Nathan never gives me what I expect. It’s one of the reasons why she’s a favorite author of mine. When I see the hot covers of her books, or read the blurb, I first think, “Yes, another quick, fun New Adult read!” Then I dive in - and she gives so much more and honestly, I’m always more than a little blown away. You’re The Reason is yet another enjoyable and engrossing surprise!

Normally, what gets me with J Nathan’s books is all the emotion and feels. She loves to tie me up in knots. This time was a bit different, though. It was more of a quick attraction - love/hate relationship that was fun- but it wasn’t the relationship that initially grabbed me. ALL the mysteries from the death of one to the many questions about the main characters kept me hooked. I NEEDED to know why and what happened and who was Chase and Sophia really?

I stayed up well beyond my usual bedtime to finish this book. While the mystery was what initially grabbed me; the slow-burn relationship and discovering all about Chase and Sophia had me fall in love with them. They snuck up on me and soon became some of my favorite characters. So yup! J. Nathan did it again.

You’re The Reason had depth, a great slow-burn,-slow reveal of characters, and an intriguing mystery. It finished with an amazing bang too- with an epilogue from Chase’s point of view that left me with a huge smile on my face. This is definitely a book I will re-read again.

I received an Advanced Reader Copy of this novel. I am voluntarily and freely providing an honest review.
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