Merrilee's great summer comes to a crashing burn of an end when she finds out her boyfriend and best friend have been dating behind her back while she's been abroad with her dad. Oh, and now her next door neighbor's rude nephew has just arrived from Korea and it doesn't matter how handsome he is, he's a jerk. Or is he? Is there something more to Lee that meets the eye?

Oh, yeah, like the fact that he's a super famous, super popular K-Pop star with hoards of rabid fangirls.

There's that.

The positive: This is a debut with an interesting and promising plot, with a good set-up for a lot of drama to mix in with fluff. Merri is by no stretch a perfect heroine, nor is Lee the perfect hero, which makes them both more realistic. The fluffy parts are pretty good.

That being said, there's the negative: I struggled quite a bit with Merri's voice and liking her entirely as a character. And I would also like to see some thoughts from Korean readers, because there were a few things that my white American brain raised some warning flags while reading. I read another review that implied that the author did a great deal of research when writing this novel, but I didn't see anything in the acknowledgements that indicated that at any point someone who is actually Korean was consulted. Another reviewer pointed out several places where Korean words were spelled incorrectly; I'm aware that this is an ARC and uncorrected, and so I would highly recommend that the author and editors look into that particular point.

*Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for supplying me with an ARC*

Girl meets boy.
Boy falls for girl.
Girl discovers boy is a runaway K-pop star.

This was such a cute contemporary. It was such a quick read too, maybe a tad predictable but I felt that it read like a kdrama with the twists and turns. It was interesting to see how the book also showed what kpop stars deal with and can internally struggle with, especially with the amount of stress that they can deal with working and showing the world an essentially perfect version of themselves.
I found this to be a very nice read from this debut author and will be looking forward to anything else that they bring out.

A lot of Korean references - be it the little words we know from watching a lot of K-Drama, the Korean food, K-Pop fandom - were all so good and made the book enjoyable. The story was cheesy and super cute. The romance was adorable though the hate-to-Love trope is sort of overdone these days. Loved how Lee was unable to ‘get’ the phrases used by Merri and it was very authentic and real because it is difficult for a non-English speaking person to get them. Overall a very cute romance book perfect for summers and fans of K-Drama

Much thanks to NetGalley and Mascot Books for this complimentary copy. This review is voluntary and opinions are fully my own.

📚 Series: No.
📚 Genre: Young Adult: Romance
📚 POV: First.
📚 Cliffhanger: No.

⚠ Content Warnings: Mental Health Concerns: Anxiety. Family Drama. Betrayal.
⚠ Read if: you are a fan of: 1. K-Drama, 2. K-pop, or 3. Famous/Non-famous trope.

Oh my, what can I say? This was such a great read. I am normally a person who gets easily distracted and have concentration problems but I got through reading this in a breeze. 60% in one sitting, the rest in another.

Hart & Seoul is the debut novel of Kristen Burnham. And oh, what a fun debut it was. Merilee Grace Hart, aka Merri, is a highschool senior/artist whose world changed when her neighbor's nephew arrives fresh from South Korea. Merri and Lee had an amusing first encounter where they definitely pissed each other off. But when Merri gets broken hearted from a cheater ex and friend, Lee went in for her rescue. But thunder rocks her world when she discovers Lee's secret: he's a Korean superstar and a member of Kpop group Thunder.

Again, I looooved this so much. This book was reminiscent of my favorite fan fics (the better written ones) and the few Kdramas I have watched.

At times, Merri may be found a bit annoying and insensitive in dealing with Korean culture. I cannot react on how bad it was since I am not sure how a Korean would feel about those things and how true some representations of the culture were.

My rating is a lot on how the romance made me feel and it was really giddy and cute and made me feel butterflies.

Looking forward to more of the author's work!

I went into this book expecting a descent contemporary romance plot, with the added twist of the male lead being a K-pop star. I expected a fair amount of Korean cultural explanation to pop up because of this. I was a bit nervous, since it appears this is all coming from a white author who is probably super into K-pop/K-drama (heck, I am, too!), so my expectations for accuracy were set pretty low. Still, I managed to feel uncomfortable reading this despite all my fore-knowledge in this.

For one thing, I just didn't believe in the characters or the plot of this story. The book starts out with an immediate plot twist (cheating!) that ends up helping form a bond between the main character, Meri and the K-pop idol, Lee (yes, he's called Lee throughout the story, even after Meri learns his whole name, which I found to be extremely awkward, especially since "Lee" is very fluent in English and probably would have been accustomed to how English people address one-another). When Meri finds out her best friend is cheating with her boyfriend (which I saw coming immediately, I don't know why she didn't), she and Lee form a bond over the fact that both of them have suffered from cheating.

But the chemistry is just not there. Meri, for one, is a rather difficult MC to like. She's very brash, despite being put off by Lee's brashness throughout the story, and she definitely doesn't come across as very likable. For some reason, she really just rubbed me the wrong way, mostly because she seemed incapable of politely learning about Lee's culture. She turned many of his likes/dislikes into an issue (she even calls him Mr. Kimchi!!!) and makes a point of being blown away by almost every single thing she learns about Korean culture. I mean, I feel like at a certain point, especially if you are dating a person from another culture, you should be open and interested in learning about their culture, and be respectful of differences. Meri did none of this and almost every thing she learned about Lee became a point to mock or make fun of. I just didn't get why he ever became interested in her. Or she him - but actually, I do know why she fell for him.

This story suffers from a lot of cliches. For one thing, the book sets up the whole hat-to-love aspect. But further than that, Meri's reasons for falling for Lee seem to mostly stem from his "attractiveness" which she brings up a point of commenting on in every instant they're with each other. He almost takes on an Edward-Cullen-from-Twilight hotness, you know, the kind where literally everyone finds him attractive, which is super unrealistic because everyone has different tastes. Anywhere she and Lee go, Meri always makes sure to note how <em>women</em> around Lee are smitten with him. It happens almost constantly and it was so annoying.

This book also suffers from lack of plot. It's a very ambling book with a lot of time given to Meri waxing poetic on why her life is so crazy because her mom just left her family. This is a genuinely difficult topic, but Burnham doesn't handle it with much skill. It becomes a tell instead of show element that takes up far too much of the book's time. Most of the book ends up being Meri thinking through each problem that comes her way: her dad not wanting her to apply to art colleges because he think's she'll turn out like her mother, Meri going back and forth over weather she should upload art she's made of her and Lee's interactions, Meri ranting to herself about her cheating boyfriend and best friend - I have a particular issue with this one, since it's an important plot development. Bree, Meri's best friend from childhood, cheats with Meri's boyfriend while Meri is away on vacation. And even though they're childhood friends, Bree has absolutely no guilt for doing this. It's kind of unbelievable.

I've gone on enough, I think, but I will say one thing more: the Korean phrases added to this book annoyed me for a few reasons: <strong>one</strong>: the Romanization of some of the phrases did not seem accurate to me (as I've had a passing interest in learning Korean and have a few textbooks to back me up here). It seemed the author was trying to write out how the word or phrase sounds when heard, but this, I think, was the wrong track to take and it was irritating. <strong>Two</strong>: it didn't make sense for Lee to use random Korean phrases when talking to Meri as it's well established that Lee is super-fluent in English. From what I hear, it's pretty weird for someone who is fluent in another language to pepper their speech with their mother language for words they already know. <strong>Three</strong>: Lee's choppy language didn't seem accurate either, when he was speaking English, because, since he's fluent (again, it's mentioned multiple times that Lee got the best tutor and is very good at speaking English) that he wouldn't know how to put together English sentence. Instead, this felt, to me, like Burnham was falling back on a stereotypical speech pattern used for Asian characters. If you look at other K-pop idols who are fluent in English (I'm thinking of Taecyeon), they don't talk like that. It didn't fit and instead came off as a bit racist to me.

Cute and quick. I'm significantly older than the target demographic but I enjoy reading YA. I found it predictable, but maybe a younger audience wouldn't. Besides, the characters were cute and funny, and I liked the KPop angle. Overall an entertaining read

Ok. I admit it.

When I’m not reading and reviewing books, a lot of my time is spent keeping up with my favorite K-pop groups. It’s been almost 3 years since I fell down the rabbit hole that is the genre and I haven’t seemed to be able to get myself out since.

So, when I came upon Hart and Seoul, a book boasting a girl-meets-boy romance featuring a famous K-pop star moving in next door, I jumped at the opportunity to read it.

A story with a plot like this one could have so easily slipped into fan fiction, but Hart and Seoul does not dive into so much drama and fan service. It does however, bring to the table quite a few of the adored tropes; hate-to-love, enemies-to-lovers, and even some fake dating, that romance readers will likely love.

This book has just the right amount of twists and turns to keep it interesting, but also believable. I was happy to see that the story dipped into more difficult and sensitive topics instead of just being all-over cheesy and fluffy romance, exploring not just the happy-go-lucky side of romance and K-pop alike but the darker aspects as well.

I enjoyed the ups and downs of the story even though I expected all of them. This was helped, I think, by the narration. I didn’t think that I would like (let alone relate to) reading through the perspective of a high school senior who says ‘dang’ and ‘darn’ rather than swearing, but I actually settled into Merilee Hart’s narrative quickly and ended up really liking how it helped me sink into the story and look at what was happening from her view, bringing more believability to the story. The sense of voice in this story was really strong, and I came to feel like I really understood Merri and her motivations and thought processes. Not only that, but it was quick and easy to read. I finished this book in two sittings thanks to this writing style and the push of the eventful plot. At times, the narration did become a bit repetitive, especially when it came to Merri’s opinions on kimchi, but it didn’t detract from the story too much overall. 

However,I sometimes felt a bit annoyed with Merri because of her unwillingness to learn about Korean culture. I think that many people that will pick up this book will be fans of K-pop already, and have at least some sense of the culture. Merri is pretty clueless when it comes to anything about Korea. This is understandable, since she points out that she’s not actually a K-pop fan herself and has never really gotten into K-dramas or any of that. But I also think that anyone who finds they are falling for someone from another country would try to educate themselves so as not to sound foolish. Lee brushes this off for the most part (or at least once he starts to fall for her) which is oh-so-sweet of him. But in comparison, he does a lot more research into her and her culture. He has an advantage since he already knows English, but Merri doesn’t really make an effort to learn Korean in return.

Making Merri act this way isn’t necessarily a bad choice, in fact, I think it makes her a believable character and it makes sense for who she is. It also allows the reader to learn a little about Korean culture, becoming educated with Merri as she does, if they don’t already know. But I think that many people who pick this up will already know what she is learning, making this information unneeded. These people may have more trouble connecting to Merri because of this aspect of her character, and may be offended by her unwillingness to learn. Personally, I found it a bit privileged of her and it made me frown several times, but it didn’t bother me so much that it affected my enjoyment of the story too much. Then again, I wouldn’t call myself an expert on Korea, either, and what I know I’ve only come to learn recently, so I can understand where she’s coming from.

My main critique for Hart and Seoul is that I wanted more. More time to get to know Merri before Lee is introduced, more discussion on sensitive topics (especially one, the most sensitive of all), more explanation in the conclusion, and more time for the romance to burn before igniting. The latter two, especially.

The ending tied everything together, but I wasn’t completely satisfied with the explanations the characters gave for the choices they had made and I doubted whether it would have been enough, in reality, for them to move forward in the way it implied they were going to. After all, there were so many factors against it, how were they going to cope? That being said, I would have hated if everything had turned out perfectly. I only wished that there had been a little more to really convince me that what had happened was going to last (or clear implications that it wouldn’t).

What I wanted more of the most was a slow burn. It’s only a short time between when the characters realize they have feelings for each other, start to question whether to act on them and begin to flirt, and then get together. It was believable, and obviously, readers are aware it’s going to happen from the start. It also left more room at the end for other topics to be explored, which I appreciated. But...isn’t that section the best part of a romance? Personally, I think those will-they-won’t-they, kiss-already! moments when the tension is at its crux is the best part, and there was very little of it in this story. I would have settled for having the story run longer if I could have had a chapter or two more of the steamier stuff.

 I rated Hart and Seoul 4.25 out of 5 stars. It’s a great summer romance, especially for K-pop and K-drama fans. Fans of The Sun is Also a Star and Eliza and her Monsters will likely enjoy this new release, coming June 4, 2019.


Thank you to Mascot Books and Netgalley for the opportunity to read a digital advanced reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review.

I CRIED LIKE A BABY. 😭

This was such a fantastic, fun, heartfelt, sweet, and funny story. K drama is the best. And I will always be a BigBang Fangirl, so this hit straight to my Korean culture loving heart. Lee and Merri start off as just neighbors. Lee in a sour mood and not in a place to even want to make friends. They're thrust together by the ever present auntie (ya'll know who they are) and a break up. Seeing them come together as friends after a crappy situation just melted my heart. The story was just so fun and I just ate through seeing 2 cultures coming together and how much they cared about each other. It was cavity inducing sweetness and I couldn't get enough.

This is the second k-pop book I have read this week. Cute YA love story about runaway k-pop star in hiding Lee who meets Merri his next door neighbor. They are both on the rebound after being two-timed by their exes and hit it off. This is a sweet summer romance type read that I really enjoyed. Merri is a smart girl who falls for Lee and his stubborn Korean ways before she kmows he is a big k-pop star. They are an adorable couple and her ex best friend and ex boyfriend deserve to see her happy with him. Love the story, romance and k-pop back drop. Definitely worth reading. Thanks for the ARC, NG!!!!

Oh wow, this was just a fun read! It was funny, it was charming, it was ridiculous; like the best K Dramas. The characters were believable, the drama wasn’t overly crazy, and they weren’t fixated on the same bad stuff to the point of annoying. Looking forward to seeing what she writes next!

I couldn't finish this. It was cliché and childish and the characters were supposed to be high school seniors but acted like they were barely out of middle grade.

I was given an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book! I've been in a slump and this book has gotten me out of it. I read this book in a day and mind you I'm also studying for finals. I latched onto every word and every moment.

The tropes used in this book made me swoon so hard! It's got enemies to lovers and fake dating and mutual pinning and everything you could possibly want in a romance book without being cheesy or awkward. It's got sweet moments between 'Christmas' and 'Mr. Kimchi' but also talks about mental health which really added some character and depth to the story. The storyline of a famous person falling for a normal person seems unlikely but the details with Lee's fame and his retreat to his aunt's house makes it seem possible. The author did a really good job of making a romantic notion seem realistic. The romance is super swoon-worthy and perfect for hopeless romantics like me.

I loved the influence that Korean culture has on this book too! I love K-pop and I loved how the book addressed the pressure that the industry puts on its idol to be perfect. The author's note talks about fame, mental health and offers resources for those struggling with their mental health, which I thought was a sweet addition. You can tell that the author appreciates Korean culture and loves writing. I can't wait to read more from this author!

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Okay.. I tried. I REAAALLY tried. But I just can’t finish this book.
I waited up until almost 40% of this story for the main character to stop being so ignorant but she just doesn’t stop?? I even thought to myself okay she’s a teenager from a small town who doesn’t know anything about Korean culture so I’ll give her some time to change.. But as she continues to spend more time with the love interest (who is a runaway kpop idol) she just gets WORSE. She repeatedly makes fun of the way he speaks. Which I was not a fan of the author choosing to write the dialogue in that way.. It felt very stereotypical. And just the way she reacts to Korean culture is annoying (and again stereotypical). What got me to finally put this book down was when she saw the waitress bow more than once and said “man, they like to bow” 🤦🏻‍♀️ — If you’re looking for a cute book with some kpop love then I recommend Somewhere Only We Know.

I want to thank Netgalley for providing me with this book in exchange for my honest review.

I really loved this book!
The synopsis really intrigued me and after reading it I can say this is honestly one laugh out loud hilarious read!
I loved the plot and felt like I got to know the characters really well.
I will say the plot felt a bit rushed at points but other than that it was an enjoyable read.
5 stars.

ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review (Thank you!)

Heart & Seoul is the Bookish dream of every K-Pop or K-Drama fangirl. You know, like me. If I had to choose three words to define it, I'd chose Clichéd, Sweet and Meaningful. Don't expect originality (everything is so obvious) but expect some fun banter and moments that will make you fangirl.
We follow Merri, an American Girl whose new Boy next door is a K-Pop Idol. Merri has no clue about what is K-Pop or Korean Culture which leads to some misunderstandings between her and him. Lee, our boy is a cinnamon roll, sweet and cocky and with a secret. At first, Lee and Merri are not really fond of each other because of misinterpretations, but eventually, they warm up to each other and it becomes impossible not to root for them.
There's supporting characters that are also tropey: Ema, the BFF; Bree, the B*tch; Ms.Park, the nice older aunt and Merri's Dad which was hands down, an awesome dad and had a healthy relationship with his daughter and that filled me with joy because I'm a bit tired of the trope of "Villain parents". The remaining supporting characters were utterly forgettable. I confess I didn't like much the "mom" used as a plot device just make the heroine sob in the arms of the hero, but it's alright because deep down we all love when the hero comforts the heroine and shows how sweet and respectful he can be.
The book had so many tropes of romantic comedies and K-Dramas that it was almost like watching a K-Drama mixed with a Teen chick flick. However, it kept me addicted just like K-Dramas: We all watch over and over the same tropes but we can't help but love it. I could picture Lee in my mind saying "Aishh" and "Aigoo" and "Deh" things he said frequently. (Also I don't know why but in my mind he looked like a younger Kim Myung Soo - L from Infinite).
I loved the author addressed the huge, inhumane pressure that Korean superstars suffer. It something widely known and yet it keeps increasing, and mental health issues in Korea is something that is not acknowledged as it should be. Idols get depressed because they are forced to be "perfect" and maintain a happy image to please their fans. Let us not forget that South Korea is the number one country in Plastic Surgeries and idols/actresses diet and starve because of the societal expectations that deem their worth and beauty based on how much they weight and how much white is their skin.
As a K-Drama fan (honestly not much of a K-pop although I listen to it occasionally) I see the glitter, the glamour. But it is very important to make people aware that idols are human beings and no one is flawless and that being healthy is more important than being rich or beautiful. The dark side of fame exists.
I would have liked to see the author exploring mental health further than just a mere mention of past issues. There was no depth. The subject was acknowledged but not explored and that can be understandable because its a touchy, sensitive theme that can trigger people and must be dealt with carefully...but I would still have liked to see it developed.
In conclusion, the book gives you a sweet, light feeling with some occasional teenage angst.
It's romantic and sweet and well, predictable but very enjoyable and addicting!
If you like K-Pop/K-Dramas or a fluffy teenage romance, you might want to read this.

This book was so cute! I love K pop so i was really excited for this book. It did not disappoint and i would recommend it to anyone!!

Oh my K -drama heart did I love this book. I need something good to read and Hart and Seoul hit the spot. What a great story and how adorable was Lee and Merri . Ever time Lee called her Christmas I giggled because it was so cute. I can’t wait to read another book by Kristen Burnham since this one was so good. This is a perfect book for anyone who could binge watch an entire k drama series!!!!

The Quick Cut: A girl is surprised to find out the new boy next door she's been flirting with is a K-Pop star named Lee. Chaos happens when the band's fans go looking for him and succeed.

A Real Review:
Thank you to Mascot Books for providing the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

What would your reaction be if a pop star moved in next door? If it's anything like our heroine Marilee's, it would be one of absolute unknowing. It's funny how we react whenever a celebrity enters the room... almost as if they're more than human or above any issues those of us with more typical lives experience. In this story, we see what happens when a pop star's life intersects with a normal high schoolers.

Marilee hasn't had the easiest time lately. Her mom left behind her and her dad while also finding out that her boyfriend is cheating on her with her best friend. Then the next door neighbor suddenly has a new boy living with her: a Korean boy who seems to take delight in making subtle jokes of her. However, once she gets past the subtle digs and gets to know him - she finds he's a really nice guy and feelings appear... until complicated by the fact he's a K-Pop star in hiding!

K-Pop seems to be a fad that isn't going away (I'm a power pop girl personally), but I like how this book explores the subculture that is growing in popularity. The story does get a little complicated for a romance book, but I enjoyed it all the same. You definitely have to focus while reading to keep track of the details.

Marilee is a better person than I am in the way she handles conflict. Although she at points can get emotional and cause a hilarious scene, more often than not she is rational and smart.

Lee is a stand-up guy that although he hides a lot of secrets, he has good reasons to and even better - acts like a teenager would in his situation. It's nice to see this book in a side way tackle stress and anxiety in the face of an extreme lifestyle such as his and hearing his story did make me feel for him.

With a sweet story that has a lot of detail, this book is worth the read.

My rating: 4 out of 5

This book was everything I didn't know I needed! I am not a huge Kpop listener however, this book was the perfect mix of cute and addicting! I already recommended it to some people who are and aren't into the Kpop scene :)

Whoa.

I really loved this story. It's sweet and full of soul. It has everything that is dramatic and heartfelt of Sarah Dessen along with all the situational comedy found in Meg Cabot's work. I use these older comp titles because it truly had the feel of a classic contemporary novel. Tackling teen issues but also with the aspect of comedy and surrealism. (;You're the princess of Genovia' anyone?)

Our main character Merilee Hart is dealing with some drama within both her friend and family relationships. There is momma drama, pressures about where to go to college and friendship breakups. All things portrayed beautifully and in an authentic way. Less dramatic, and more just real. These are real problems.

Now the novel part of it is the fact a kpop star turns up to be her neighbor's nephew and his world and her world collide as they are thrown together to process the things happening to them. I liked this aspect a lot, it led to some great cultural crossover moments. It is important to remember the Korean main character in this novel is not Korean-American, so there are times when confusion comes up in simply learning another country's customs. I think this is done respectfully, but would look to representative voices to decide if they feel that way too.

Ultimately the book really delivers. There is the angry first connection, fake dating, and then sweet romance all in the story. It packs a nice punch and Merri stays strong through the whole thing. She keeps her self respect while also making a few mistakes that have consequences. The ending was just perfect for me. I can't wait to see more of the author's work.

I'll give the context that I am kpop adjacent. I know a LOT about my family's favorite bands because they are literally always talking about updates on whats going on with them. So I am vaguely familiar with the world, but if you don't have the knowledge going in the novel does a good job of explaining what it is like. It examines the idea of fandom and showcases both problematic fans and genuine fans. The emotional arc for Lee's character also seems authentic to what a real kpop star could be going through.