I love this author so I was really excited to get this as an ARC. It is a companion book to XOXO which I really loved. I love the way she writes her characters. The book starts off kind of slow, but if you stick with it it really picks up and you won't be dissapointed!

I thought this book was so cutie! I loved being able to keep up with other characters. The slower pace in the beginning is right up my alley. I just loved this!

I didn't realize this was a sequel when I requested it, and I haven't read the first book. So sorry for the confusion.

Sori wants to make her family proud and to be an easy child. With her mother as the CEO of a company and her dad as a politician, the expectations are high. After returning from school. it's time to start. But as Sori realizes that she doesn't want to become an idol, she promises her mother to train the newest idol to join a new girl group before figuring out what she really wants to do. Just as this happens, her ex boyfriend and member of the biggest boy band, Nathaniel, comes back into her life and Sori is forced to deal with him and not cause a stir with his fans or with her mother. Sori must make big decisions that may end up hurting everyone or herself.

This book was reaaallly great! I gifted the first book in this "universe" to my cousin and she loved it. With that still on my list, I was excited to get an ARC of this one and although I didn't know what to expect, it had me engrossed! I couldn't stop reading. it really was laid out like a korean drama and was interesting too, especially in the aspect of a young/new adult. it was so great and i'll definitely have to go back and read the first book!

I picked this one up without realizing it was a companion novel to "XOXO", but since I love the author, I figured I'd give it a shot! I do think you should read XOXO first if you want to read this one; while you aren't necessarily missing any important points for plot, a lot of the relationship between the main romance is clearly built in the previous novel. As someone who hadn't read the first book, I felt like there wasn't any reason for the main character to be so obsessed with this boy, who was basically a non-entity (besides showing up where she was at every possible chance). The romance did develop a bit more as the book went on, so eventually it was pretty believable. I thought it was cute, albeit a little predictable. I think overall, this book is for a younger crowd more interested in the idol culture than I am.

Thank you Netgalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review. Ahhhh this was so cuteeeee. I loved diving back into the XOXO world and visiting characters old and new. All the Jenny and Jaewoo cameos were so adorable. Nathaniel and Siri have my heart and I love them so much 🫰This one was a bit slower for me to get into but it was so good once I got started! The cute storylines and everything ahhhhh. I can’t with this book is makes my heart melt! ❤️ I love Axie’s books so much.

This book is like reading a kdrama instead of watching it. I would recommend to people who like this kind of stuff to try it out. Also I would recommend to read XOXO first as it does have some crossover!

This was so cute! I love returning to the world of XOXO and seeing how some of the other characters are living their lives and following their dreams. Sori and Nathaniel are a great pair.

After loving XOXO so much, I was beyond excited to read ASAP and be back with these characters. Axie Oh does YA contemporary so well and I know I sound greedy, but all I want is MORE!!

The sophomore/companion to Oh's first book XOXO didn't match the fervor for which I tore through and adored the first one because it was slow and awkward to start. I found myself picking it up and putting it back down because the romance wasn't front and center and the character interactions didn't build anticipation or excitement at the start.

Without the pizzazzy beginning, it was the rekindling old flames that was fine. And the family drama wasn't as high impact. It was a dud for me though those loving Kpop Kdrama life will want to pick it up as there is so much behind the scenes peeks into the world of living in the spotlight that they'd enjoy.

I think I went into this expecting it to be too much like XOXO. Well that’s what I wanted anyway. But it doesn’t even scratch the surface of my love for that book and that hurt for sure. It wasn’t terrible, but definitely not as good.

For the most part, what I had issue with was the romance. It just didn’t have the chemistry that the XOXO had. And I hate to keep comparing them, but it just didn’t seem real for me. And I KNOW I’m not the biggest advocate of enemies to lovers. But this one wasn’t even that. It was childhood friends to lovers, usually my favorite. But there was some second chance in there too, but I only like those if there’s some good groveling. And they’re teens, so there was none of that lol She just accepted that she was wrogn and hoped for the best. But even if that was the reasoning for it, I wish that the author had shown that. It was more told in like flashbacks and things.

I did like that it was still about K-Pop. In the last book we saw someone from the band and someone who just didn’t believe in fun. In this one we see someone in the band and someone else who wants nothing to do with K-Pop at all. For that to be their dynamic, I don’t think their relationship was that interesting. They were cute or whatever, but it was just ok to me. I didn’t really get it. I think I would have liked it more if we had seen some like, Idk more K-Pop stuff happening with the main characters instead of just around them from like shows or mentoring someone.

This wasn’t as memorable as the first one. And I think it really messed me up lol I hate that I’m writing this review, but it just wasn’t good to me. I can only hope that there is another one and it turns out better than this one. Because Lordt knows I don’t want this book to be the last note. (Pun intended)

My Thoughts:
From Axie Oh comes another feel good bubblegum romance with another member of the XOXO K-pop band falling in love and taking himself off the market. This time, the story centers around Korean American member Nathaniel and model, and up and coming K-pop idol Sori, the daughter of their entertainment company CEO.

Sori and Nathaniel were in a relationship a few years ago, but that was squashed by her mother, the CEO and her father, a rising politician. However, she was happiest with Nathaniel. When she realizes that she does not want to be an idol, and when Nathaniel is caught in a scandal, Sori offers to hide him. There is no need to guess with this one. Of course they will get together, but that is why readers like this kind of K-drama/romance. In addition, Jenny and Jaewoo, as well as other members of the band XOXO show up. In addition, when Sori realizes that she is good at helping to coach and manage a new member of the girl group ASAP, she also finds her solution for fulfilling her own dreams and ambitions over her mother's dreams and ambitions for her. This is a fast read and it will not disappoint. I hope Ms. Oh will tackle another XOXO member for her next book.

From the Publisher:
Sori has worked her whole life to become a K-pop idol, until she realizes she doesn’t want a life forever in the spotlight. But that’s not actually up to Sori—she’s caught between her exacting mother’s entertainment company and her father’s presidential aspirations. And as the pressure to keep her flawless public image grows, the last person she should be thinking about is her ex-boyfriend.

Nathaniel is off limits—she knows this. A member of one of the biggest K-pop bands in the world and forbidden from dating, he isn’t any more of an option now than he was two years ago. Still, she can’t forget that their whirlwind romance was the last time she remembers being really happy. Or that his family welcomed her into their home when she needed it most. . . .

So when Nathaniel finds himself rocked by scandal, Sori offers him a hideaway with her. And back in close quarters, it’s hard to deny their old feelings. But when Sori gets an opportunity to break free from her parent’s expectations, she will have to decide: Is her future worth sacrificing for a second chance at love?

Publication Information:
Author: Axie Oh

Publisher: Harper Teen (February 6, 2024)

Hardcover length: 352 pages

The follow up to XOXO, this time focused on Sori's plotline. Sori has spent years training to debut but now wonders if that's really the path she wants to take. She makes a deal with her CEO mother to help train another idol, Hyemi, who needs to debut quickly, and if she does well, to consider letting Sori end her contract to debut. Meanwhile, Sori becomes entangled with her ex, Nathaniel who is part of a very popular kpop group. As she juggles her reconnection with Nathaniel and works on helping train Hyemi, she's also trying to help save her mother's entertainment company. Overall, a solid sequel that delves more into the kpop world. It was great that Sori was able to determine what she was good at, even if she had to deal with the complications with her father and also deal with the fickle press.

I love Axie Oh's writing style so much! I really enjoyed XOXO and ASAP was just as good! I would def reccomend this book to anyone. I really love a second chance romance, and Sori's story is just so easy to read. I read this pretty quickly, looking forward to more from Axie Oh!! Thank you for allowing me to read this ARC, I already have a paperback copy for my shelves :)

Thank you NetGalley for sending me this book in exchange for an honest review.
This is the sequel to XOXO, which I liked but, ASAP I loved! Sori and Nathaniel captured my heart in the first book and when I saw this was their story continued I was ecstatic. I was not disappointed at all this book made me feel like a school girl all over again and I loved every minute of it. My only hope is that we will get to see other characters in the book get their own stories. Cause I’d probably cry if there was more to this world. 🩷

This book was very fun and such a good "continuation" from the first book and the ending was so cute :))))))))))))

I think I would have enjoyed this book slightly more if I had read XOXO, but overall it was a cute read! This is definitely a book that I would put in my personal "guilty pleasure" category. Overall the pacing was good and the characters had great chemistry. It was a slow-ish burn, but wrapped up quite nicely. I like that the characters had a life outside of each other—family and friend relationships were strong too.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review!

ASAP by Axie Oh is a sweet story following the daughter of an entertainment company CEO as she reconnects with her ex, a member of a popular K-pop group. Set in Seoul, this one contains a relatable main character and many entertaining side characters, including some familiar faces from the author’s previous book, XOXO. Fans of stories about K-pop and second-chance romances will not want to miss this one.

As the daughter of a prominent entertainment company CEO, Sori is used to maintaining perfect appearances even if it means sacrificing relationships. Despite her mom’s career, Sori has no interest in debuting in a K-pop group like her mom wishes, and in exchange for choosing her own path, she is tasked with helping the daughter of a wealthy man who can help save the company to prepare for debut. However, when one of the members of a popular boy group–Sori’s ex–gets involved in a scandal, Sori agrees to protect him from the paparazzi by letting him stay in her apartment. As the two spend more time together, Sori realizes that her feelings haven’t changed, but with the threat of another potential scandal she must decide which path will truly make her happy.

❀ SORI IS AN ENTERTAINING CHARACTER

I enjoyed Sori’s character, and she is so entertaining to read about. I really felt for her since she feels a lot of pressure from both of her parents to be perfect and must push her own feelings to the side to maintain her image. What I loved about Sori is her compassion and how willing she is to help others, like Hyemi and Nathanial. While she does want a relationship with Nathanial, Sori also thinks about how her mom might be affected by a potential scandal, and I admired how considerate she is.

❀ WELL-DEVELOPED SIDE CHARACTERS

One of my favourite aspects of this book is the side characters. As this is a companion novel to XOXO, there are cameos from Jenny and Jaewoo as well as the other XOXO members that are so fun to read. I also loved Sori’s friendship with Hyemi, who has dreams and fears of her own, and her relationship with her mom, a woman CEO who is determined to protect her daughter. Each of the characters in the book feels developed, and this makes for an even more delightful read.

❀ ASAP BY AXIE OH IS A DELIGHTFUL COMPANION NOVEL

ASAP by Axie Oh is an entertaining second-chance love story. I enjoyed the K-pop company concept, and the main character is relatable. The side characters are equally exciting to read about, and fans of XOXO will definitely appreciate this companion novel.

I loved XOXO and I was so excited to see how Sori and Nathaniel would find their way back to each other. As a kpop fan, I really enjoy how the trainee system and dating restrictions are shown. There is so much pressure on idols to hide their personal lives for fear of scandal. It is so unfair and I hope this sheds light on these issues so more people can see that their faves deserve a life.

The romance was just so cute and it was so nice seeing them fall deeper in love while they had some private time together away from the pressures of their careers, For me, the best part was watching Sori come into her own, stand up to her father, and make peace with her mother to follow her own path, The cameos from Jenny and the members of XOXO were the cherry on top and I would love to read more books about this group!

I highly recommend this lovely series for kpop fans and fans of YA romance.

Thank you so much to HarperTeen and NetGalley for this eARC. All opinions are my own.

Sori spent her whole life rehearsing to become a #kpop idol, but has decided it’s not for her. Telling her mom, who owns an entertainment company and her father who has presidential aspirations is going to be hard. She needs to stay out of the spotlight and her ex-boyfriend and current member of XOXO isn’t helping matters. Nathaniel is part of her past ever since they broke up because idols and trainees couldn’t date, but now the rules are a bit lax. With Sori entering a new phase of her life could it be possible for her and Nathaniel to make it work again?