This was an interesting tie in to the first two in the series and I'm glad we got redemption for Jihae Park. However, this had the same issues as most Harlequin category romances do for me in that it feels too short to tell a fully fleshed out story.

Thanks to Harlequin and Netgalley for my copy to review.

This trilogy was a lot of fun. i really loved diving into this world.

This book was engaging and addictive. I really loved how the relationship grew over the story.

As soon as I saw that Jaychi Lee released a book I knew I had to request it! Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book. Once I received it I realized that I hadn't read the first two books in the series but that didn't stop me from diving right in.

Jihae Park has worked so hard to keep her image/persona as an ice-queen when in truth she was as free-spirited as they come. Even thousands of miles away from her father, she was still controlled by him in maintain a specific image and work ethic. She knew, that one slip-up and it could all be taken away. One thing that was her own, was her passion project in film production.

Colin Song is a self-made success and has a growing film production company. He and Jihae begin working together and the more time they spend together, the more intense their feeling towards each are. Colin however, has a secret that could destroy their relationship and he does everything in his power not to let that happen.

I love the chemistry the two of them and I absolutely love reading anything by Jayci Lee. For sure I'll be reading the previous books in the series!

4.25 Stars / 3 Steam Fans

Video review available in Week 8: Feb 21 – Feb 27, 2021, full weekly book reviews available on Steph's Romance Book Talk Patreon.

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Off Limits Attraction is the perfect novel to get your mind away from real life. it tells the story of two people who should not, under any circumstances, fall for each other. but, inevitably, they do. jayci lee delivered a great balance between sexy times and heartfelt moment, all in less than 300 pages. it was not rushed at all, and the connection between the two main characters was very well-written. Off Limits Attraction was shamelessly hot, addicting and fun. however, i did have a hard time with the last 10% of the book. during the resolution of the final conflict, the female main character was too quick to just forgive the male lead, and i wish there was more.

other than that, i absolutely enjoyed this one! and i cannot wait to pick up the author’s other works and dive into them all!

I enjoyed the first book in this series, so I was excited to continue on with another romance from Jayci Lee. This is a romance between Jihae and Colin. Colin thinks Jihae had something to do with a scandal with his cousin, so he decides to work with Jihae on producing a movie to figure out if she was at fault or not. Jihae is trying to be a successful business woman while still pleasing her father. The romance in this was so insta-lovey and I just did not really feel the chemistry that was there. I was also waiting and waiting for Jihae to figure out that Colin was only getting close to her to spy on her and then they'd break up (Spoiler and no surprise at all, it did happen). There just wasn't anything super exciting or romantic about this one. I did enjoy the characters and Jihae fight against her father and wanting to finally be true to herself. But as a romance, this one just wasn't the best.

Off Limits (Heirs of Hansol #3). By Jayci Lee. 2020. Harlequin Desire (ARC eBook).

Colin Song has struck out on his own. As his grandmother and cousins run Hansol, a fashion company, Colin has started up a film production company. And when the opportunity arises to partner up with Jihae Park from the Rotelle Entertainment company, Colin jumps on it. Colin feels the partnership is a good fit, but his also wants to help suss out if there is anything to his family’s suspicions that Jihae and Rotell were responsible for espionage and lies that almost sunk Garrett Song’s chances at a family with Natalie (Heirs of Hansol #1). Feelings however soon development and Colin is sure of Jihae’s innocence and that she too feels deeply for him. Both feel obligations to their families and share the Korean family dynamics that is infused into the series, but will Jihae be able to forgive Colin’s subterfuge?

Off Limits was the weakest entry in the Heirs of Hansol series for me. The romance felt more hurried, even more than Temporary Wife Temptation which was almost overnight. But the writing and characters were consistent and it fits very well into the series. Overall, the series is an entertaining venture into the lives of successful Korean American heirs finding love.

I discovered Jayci Lee through this series, and it did not disappoint. I really liked Off Limits Attraction and the premise. I didn't really enjoy the deception and it was hard to understand the reasoning for it. The chemistry between Colin and Jihae was great.

Book 3 of Jayci Lee’s The Heirs of Hansol series brings back Jihae Park, the president of Rotelle Entertainment who, in Book 1, was promised in marriage to Garrett Song in the hopes that together, their Korean families could forge a massive business empire. If you read the first book, you’ll know that this didn’t happen, and their engagement ended when Garrett decided to marry for love instead.

Now Jihae is looking for independence from her family by making her own business decisions and taking on new ventures. Her latest project brings her into collaboration with Colin Song, Garrett’s cousin.
Colin is attracted to Jihae but he doesn’t entirely trust her. He fears, in retaliation for Garrett breaking his engagement to her, her family might have retaliated by sending an industrial spy into his family’s company. He can’t be sure of her and because she does not know of his connection to the Hansol empire, there is a lot of mistrust going around.

However, things get hot pretty quickly and there is no denying their growing attraction. Jihae can let her guard down with Colin and Colin can’t get enough of Jihae. However, Jihae knows her family won’t approve of Colin and Colin is trying to appease his grandmother by getting close to Jihae and discovering the identity of the spy. The fun for me was watching this couple untangle all their subterfuge to find a way to happiness.

This might be my favorite book of the series. I loved everything about the Heirs of Hansol, from the strong characters and the drama to the fantastic covers. I want more stories from this universe.

ARC provided by NetGalley/Harlequin in exchange for an honest review.

FULL REVIEW ON FRESH FICTION

The entertaining conclusion to the Heirs of Honsol series, OFF LIMITS ATTRACTION by Jayci Lee is an entertaining look at two people finally letting go of expectations and allowing themselves to act on their feelings. Readers will feel for Jihae, who has been groomed into the perfect businesswoman but has never really known familial love. She wants to prove herself to her powerful chairman father, but he has other plans and doesn’t care if he takes his daughter down in the process. Colin has always felt indebted to his extended family for taking him in, and while he knows they love him and want him to succeed, he still wants to make his own way in the world. Because they both are working through their own issues, their path to love is fraught from the start. They try to deny their attraction, but once they give in, OFF LIMITS ATTRACTION becomes a super sexy novel as Jihae and Colin explore their desires. Colin’s family makes appearances, so fans of the earlier Heirs of Hansol books get a glimpse of beloved characters at a family wedding. There are a couple of instances where both Jihae and Colin needed to be more honest--both with themselves and with each other--and their differences could have been solved with a simple conversation. Nonetheless, Jayci Lee has made her mark in category romance with this series. Her portrayal of glamorous and powerful Korean Americans is glitzy escapism!

The Heirs of Hansol series has been the primary reason why I've slowly gravitated back towards some of these shorter Harlequin romances. I enjoyed the first two books and Colin, the main character in Off Limits Attraction, was presented as an intriguing character with his backstory in book 2. While I liked Off Limits Attraction, I don't think it lived up to my expectations. I remember also being fairly moody at the time that I read the book so my mood certainly could have influenced my opinion of the story. Colin and ice-princess Jihae meet when they commit to a business collaboration. However, Colin is hiding the fact that he is the cousin of the Garrett song, the man Jihae was previously arranged to marry. Right off the bat, there was some deception going on in this relationship, so if that's not your thing, you may not care for this romance. I'll say that I thought both Jihae and Colin had good chemistry together - I liked the dynamic of an ice princess melting around a cool and charming hero - but there was something about their relationship that I was not entirely convinced by. The physical attraction was there, but I needed to see a bit more of their emotional connection to each other. Ultimately, I didn't necessarily feel like theirs was a romance that was particularly memorable. I also missed the family dynamics that played a big part in the previous books. I still think this is a fun series, especially if you enjoy family sagas with lots of dramas.

Colin and Jihae fight the instant attraction between them, knowing a romantic entanglement could damage their business relationship. But when the craving becomes too strong, they convince themselves that a fling won't hurt, as long as it's discreet. Over time, they grow closer, even as the secrets between them threaten to tear them apart. How can love survive when the trust between them is destroyed?

This is an emotional story full of passion and intrigue. I enjoyed the characters and sympathized with Jihae's family situation, how they tried to control her and use her as a pawn. It was nice to see her grow into her own power.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received.

I really enjoyed the first book from Jayci Lee in this series, the second was just okay for me. I was really looking forward to Off Limits Attraction, but unfortunately it did not work as well for me as I hoped. The pacing felt a little off and I ultimately decided to DNF at 26%

I have fallen in love with Jayci Lee's Song family but Colin and Jihae, with their off limits attraction, are my favorite of the group. I began their story with preconceived opinions about both Colin and Jihae, based on events from the two previous books, but quickly realized there was much more to both of these characters than their surface personae would indicate.

I enjoyed how Lee showed the dichotomy between the Jihae that is the creation of her controlling parents and the fiery, ambitious, and fun-loving woman longing to break free. The reader knows almost immediately who this woman really is but the struggle to claim her own destiny is compelling and brings an added depth to her story.

Colin matches her with his own ambition and determination to prove himself to his family. It gives them a common bond though it also presents an obstacle to their potential happiness of which Jihae is unaware. Having to walk that fine line between passion and loyalty brings a compelling uncertainty to their gradually deepening relationship that will force Colin to make some difficult decisions but, perhaps, will result in him attaining his heart's desire.

Lee brings steam, humor, and her rich cultural heritage to this third story in her Heirs of Hansol series. I've enjoyed getting to know the Korean-American Song family and learning more about their traditions. The characters, both primary and secondary, are vibrant, complex, and add richness to the story. I've especially enjoyed Grace Song, the grandmother and matriarch of the Song family.

Off Limits Attraction can be enjoyed as a standalone but I enthusiastically recommend all three books in the series, including Temporary Wife Temptation (book one) and Secret Crush Seduction (book two).
*ARC received for fair and unbiased review

The reason I love category romance is because they are full of tropes that they tell you up front so you can pick up a book that you should love and sink in and get lost in it and escape your life and your problems for a few hours. In my mind, a category romance should be a one sitting read. Even though I haven't fallen totally in love with the other books in this series, I have always found them quick and enjoyable, so I was really looking forward to this one. And then it took me 16 days to read.

Now, it's 2020, so is all of that the fault of this book? Definitely not. Perhaps not even most of it. But even though I really thought this book would be my favorite in the series because Collin has been such an interesting side character, this book just did not work for me. I think the reason it didn't work for me is that the deception storyline doesn't really... work? I didn't understand Collin's reasons well enough for why he had to keep his identity a secret besides the fact that he wanted to spy on Jihae. But then that's not even the reason she's eventually persuaded to forgive him because of? And ultimately, I wasn't satisfied with the overall resolution of the HEA or how the external plot was handled and I felt like the book was paced too slowly.

I really hope this book works better for you than me. December has been incredibly rough on me this year so I hope that it's just me.

Thanks to Netgalley and Harlequin for the advanced copy of this book.

While this was my second-favorite of the series, Colin may be my favorite of the Song trio. Though the story was plagued by pacing issues (there were some important aspects that felt glossed-over, like Jihae's father's sabotage and Colin's secret), I truly enjoyed seeing Colin and Jihae's relationship develop after I got used to the insta-love. Lee does a great job outlining their respective professional accomplishments and creates an equal partnership for the two of them.

Thanks to Netgalley and Harlequin for access to this arc.

Since this is a Harlequin Desire line book, I knew I would “Be transported to the worlds of oil barons, family dynasties, moguls and celebrities.” Here we’re talking about the Song family – thought by some to be merely parvenue, upstart rich – vs the Park family who are “old school mega-world wide influential, have a finger in every pie, can destroy your business without even breaking a sweat” rich and powerful.

We first see Jihae Park acting as her father’s flunky at the US locations of some of the many businesses owned by the Park family. Daddy Chairman Park says jump and everyone goes stratospheric to please him. Do not get on his bad side. Jihae has learned this since she was a child and except for a few brief stolen moments of freedom, she’s (reluctantly and never truly to her father’s satisfaction) tried to toe the line. His reach is such that even half a world away, she feels as if he’s watching and breathing down her neck.

In order to stay in control of one of the businesses – a production company based in Los Angeles – she’ll play the part of the icy “Princess Jihae” down to letting a stylist choose her look – always in white with her hair in a chignon. Knowing she’s breaking into the business, Jihae realizes she needs to partner her company with someone with contacts who knows the lay of the land.

What she doesn’t realize is that the top contender to help her bring the business up to the next level is part of the Song family that her father tried to marry her into. Colin Song has already conquered the LA nightclub business and made millions but he wants to concentrate now on helping make films. Feelers from her business meet interest from his and soon they’re in business together to produce a romcom film about Korean Americans that both hope will increase diversity at the box office and help convince Hollywood that it needs this more.

Both have reasons to ignore the powerful attraction between them which both go ahead and ignore anyway. Jihae has to tread a fine line with her father in order to keep her sliver of freedom while Colin wants to take advantage of working with her in order to do some spying to clear up the issue of who tried to spy on Hansol and get all up in Garrett’s private life (see book 1).

Colin’s revered grandmother immediately points out what I immediately thought about what he plans to do. What if Jihae discovers what he plans to do – what will that do to the partnership? Colin – in spectacularly stupid self delusion – announces that even if she does, she’s a professional and they will still be able to work together. Yeah, no that won’t affect the production at all. Grandmother and I have our doubts about that.

Meanwhile Jihae gleefully tosses aside any worries about starting a smoking sexual relationship with Colin because she’s managed to conduct two discreet past affairs and daddy never found out. Wait – I had the impression from the beginning of the book that she couldn’t sneeze in London without Chairman Park in Korea immediately knowing about it from both the people he has watching her as well as the media who follow her. I guess when it comes to sexual escapades, Jihae can hide what she’s doing.

Then Colin’s inept spying pays off and sets up the final conflict that is like a munitions dump exploding when Jihae realizes how Colin has lied to her. The sex (which she initiated – so yay for a confident woman in charge of her sexuality) was great but she won’t stand for being lied to (as her father has done) and manipulated (ditto). I didn’t like that it takes a deus ex machina acting character and some “expositional telling” to wind things up.

I did like that Colin pretty much (after some intial “she must be guilty just because of who she is” feelings) believes in Jihae’s innocence. Grandmother Song role in the story shows she’s learned a bit from book one and I find I like her more and more. The Song clan also rallies around Colin.

I felt for Jihae the most because her father is a shit and she’s been kept in the dark and ordered around her whole life. Her cheerful delight in letting go and enjoying simple things like going to famous LA eateries as well as her determination and hard work to prove herself in her business are wonderful. I appreciate how much time was spent showing the behind the scenes of producing a film stuff though I have no idea if any of it is correct.

Of course seeing more diversity as a matter of course in a story plus another damn fine cover are cherries on top but at its heart, this is a US set book about moguls and manipulation. There is a Korean flavor and much Korean influence to it all but the tropes are tried and true and I got tired being told the same backstory elements too many times. C+

I struggled with this book as I found it difficult to connect with the main characters on an emotional level. I still read the book to its very last page. This was due in large part to the relatively strong plot and my own curiosity as to how things would be wrapped up. The dialogue was quite formal throughout.

Thank you to the publisher and @netgalley for a copy of this book. This is book 3 of the series but feels you can read it as a stand alone. I love reading books with more diversity with Korean main characters. I love Jihae and Collin’s attraction and how they tried to separate personal and professional life to get what they both want. Lee always does a great job of creating a great story in a short book.

Colin and Jihae’s story in Off Limits Attraction by Jayci Lee, book three in the Heirs of Hansol series, is an emotional, wonderful, uplifting, workplace romance that can possibly cause interference with our heroine’s family duty. Ice princess Jihae Park is a façade, thought up by her parents to help keep their company competitive and financially successful; not the real her. She has been trying to figure out how to gain her independence and get out from her father’s control. Deciding to have her entertainment division join forces with a film company Jihae chooses film producer Colin Song’s company. The electricity sizzles when Jihae and Colin are in the same room. Having a fling could jeopardize Jihae’s chance at achieving her own success as well as the movie they are making together. Jihae tries as she might to resist Colin, her attraction to him, and his amazing skills in bed she is unable to end things. There are a few problems and obstacles affecting this fling ending successful; number one being that Colin hasn’t been totally truthful with Jihae. It just might take a miracle, an amazing movie, and family support in order for Colin and Jihae to get a chance at a picture-perfect ending

Ms. Lee wrote an emotional and searing story that should not be missed. She provided a tale rich with sizzling chemistry, personal growth, and supportive characters giving Colin and Jihae a chance at a forever love. I highly recommend Off Limits Attraction to other readers and look forward to the next book in this series.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.