You know, I think the reason I became a recording artist was because the music I was listening to at the time was inspirational, exciting; it wasn't obvious [...] And that's what I wanted THIS album to be.

"[5] Orange critic Chris Long found that "for the most part, The Reason is as solid a pop-soul album as you'll find and, while it does struggle to hit greatness, there is nothing across it that dips below decent [...] While [it] does suffer from over-polished production that lessens its emotional blows and occasionally strays toward the edge of sterility, it still manages to deliver a clutch of songs.

"[6] Peter Robinson from The Observer called the album an "enjoyably addictive listen" that is at "best when [Lemar] grasps the electronic R&B coat tails of US stars like Ne-Yo and Chris Brown.

"[3] AllMusic editor Jon O'Brien noted that "it's undoubtedly a more concerted effort to halt the worrying career slide [...] But rather than panicking and overloading its ten tracks with processed beats and Hi-NRG trance riffs, The Reason wisely plays it more subtle, bridging the gap between his old-fashioned previous output and a more modern electro-focused sound [...] While [its] lack of originality still leaves Lemar searching for a full body of work that lives up to the standards of his vocal talents, its blend of old school and new school is a marked improvement on his previous vintage soulman routine.

"[2] Similarly, Priya Elan from The Times wrote: "Lemar proves that he is good enough to compete with his US counterparts (Chris Brown, Ne Yo) [...] There is a problem with the faster songs – too many of them drift by and lack the hooks of the more epic numbers.