I get this book by NetGalley in exchange of an honest review, so here we go.

I requested this book because it felt like an lighthearted love story and it was, is a story of grumpy but amazing pediatric doctor who finds himself "charmed" by a chef who fears men, which somehow intrigue him and wants to know more about her.

I don't watch K-dramas but I watch turkish stories which aren't the same but some are adapted from K-dramas, and this gave me so much K-dramas vibes that I feel like I need to go and watch some dramas.

The story felt so "easy" and quick to read, and I said "easy" because I feel like the story could be victim of their translation, which makes the story a bit hard to follow, but it doesn't mean that the story per-self is slow, but need a better translation.


I recommend this story if you have a soft spot for k.dramas and love stories.


I want to know this story ends.

My thanks to NetGalley and POPPYPUB for an eARC copy of this to read and review.

I really, REALLY wanted to love this book. It's translated from Korean and takes place mainly in Korea. I have never been to Korea and don't know much about the culture and like to try to read books that expand my horizons, however this just didn't work for me. I had to DNF at 18%. I didn't like the H and the translation seems like it might need some more work.

It is stated multiple times that the H uses crude/non-polite forms of speech, but American English doesn't have a polite and casual form of speech, at least, not to the extent that other languages do, so the H doesn't come across as crude and vulgar, just as a bit brisk and rude.

Also, a lot of the word choices seems off and I just couldn't immerse myself into the story. I wanted to, but I wasn't able to do so. It was too clunky for me, it didn't flow.

That being said, I am not against reading books in translation, but another book I had tried to read that was a translation from the Spanish also confused me, so maybe it's just me and I need to learn the culture of a place before I can understand the fiction that comes from there.

With the understanding that this is all quite possibly from a reader who may not comprehend the culture appropriately, but who WANTS to and isn't negative towards it, I am rating the book on how well I enjoyed it.

2, it might be me or it could be the translation, stars.

If anyone has any recommendations, I would welcome them. Thanks and while this book didn't work for me, it may work very well for other readers and I wouldn't hesitate to suggest it to someone looking for something different in the contemporary romance genre.

<i>I have kindly received this eARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I really wanted to enjoy this book, the synopsis was fascinating and the cover was so pretty. Sadly, I did not enjoy this book as much as I thought to have would. Since this book had been originally Korean then translated, the writing style was awkward as if it had been google translated. The characters were also were hard to like. This book handles sensitive issues horribly, I don't know if it's the author or the poor translation. It had an abrupt ending that wasn't compelling enough for me to want to read the sequel. <i>

I thought this was a book that would be like everything else I’ve read. I was wrong. Ryu Hyang I can’t wait to read the next book. You did an amazing job.

As I mention in any review for a book that I give a lower rating, I would like to acknowledge that I appreciate any author who has the talent and will to write a full length novel and give it to the world for our reading enjoyment. I love to read, but couldn't conjure up enough writing skills to effectively describe the breakfast I ate this morning. In saying that, I didn't find this book as delightful as I had expected. Now, part of that I believe rests on my shoulders and I shall explain.

Seeing the description for this book, I got excited for a sweet, quirky, mainly fluffy Kdrama to float away in for a while. I have recently watched a few episodes of Kdrama here and there and am quickly becoming a fan. Reading this book, I did indeed get major Kdrama vibes just from the little amount of Kdrama I've seen. That part was not disappointing. A huge hurdle for me was the translation of the book. It made the book harder to get into and I didn't invest myself as much into the story. I understand that part of that would probably translate better if I knew more about the Korean culture and language. A large reoccurring tension builder in the book is how the main character, Soohyuk, speaks in a way that the other main character, Yuna, takes as crass or vulgar language. Instances like that were harder for me to understand as I didn't have a better background of knowledge to pull from. So, the translation was the biggest issue for me in regards to this book in both actual translations of words in meaning and social context.

As for the plot, some of the storylines were a little darker than I expected. I had an inkling of the background of Yuna, the background of Soohyuk was also more of a given for me, but the plot piece involving Yuna's nephew came out of nowhere for me. It's not to say that I didn't appreciate the effect and point the situation was trying to convey, but I was just expecting a lighter read I guess with some sadder bits thrown in here and there. The book was also left open for another installment so be ready for an abrupt cliffhanger of an ending. I guess that's why it says Book 1 on the front cover.

On a completely positive note, I did like the descriptions in the book about the food Yuna makes. Those parts were calming to me for some reason. All of the food sounded delicious. Ultimately, this book was harder for me to fully invest in because the translation provided clunky wording or an inability on my part to understand the context of what was being described. However, I did for the most part like the overall plot and development of the main characters and even the supporting ones. I give this book 2 out of 5 kalbi patties. They sounded rather tasty in the story.

I would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC of this book.

Soohyuk moves to Korea hoping to find his birth parents. A doctor working in pediatric surgery, he isn’t known for being the friendliest, he’s there to work. In Korea he meets Yuna, a woman with her own quirks and history who begins feeding him.

This two-book story had a cute premise, but unfortunately fell a little flat for me. Some of the language was awkward, but that may be due to translation (I didn’t realize this book was first published in Korean). It feels a little slow and awkward at times and is fairly predictable. It did bother me that it ended so abruptly, but luckily I already have a copy of part 2 so I don’t have to wait too long to find out what happens next. Overall, I didn’t hate it, I just didn’t love it as much as I hoped to. That being said, those who more regularly enjoy kdramas might love this one and I will still give book 2 a shot.

Thank you to POPPYPUB and NetGalley for the digital copies of this book in exchange for an honest review. Just The Two of Us Book 1 is available now.

This book had a lot of promise, it seemed like it would be super dramatic and amazing BUT I ended up DNF because the writing just wasn't doing it for me. I couldn't get into the characters, the chaining POVs and I felt the translation wasn't done well.

Thank you netgalley for the ARC

KDramas are probably the most watched genre in my peer group at the moment. This book is perfect for plugging that gap and filling time in Lockdown - but in book form! Fun and easy enough to read. There is some awkward vocabulary which I am not sure is due to original language or translation. I am always keen to recommend authors of East Asian descent for more representation on our bookshelves - try out this book for yourself and enjoy! ❤️

I thought the story of Sookyuk and Yuna's romance was so light and interesting and warm. The writing was melodramatic and really sucked you into the story. I laughed and cried and was disappointed how quick it came to a close. I'm looking forward to picking up book two when it's available!

Thanks to NetGalley and Poppy Publishers for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

3.5 stars. The story of a skilled but neuro-atypical physician that relocated to his home country after experiencing romantic loss at home. Along the way he finds a relationship developing with “the woman who feeds him.” There is something really fun about Ryu Hyang’s use of this matter-of-factness from Soonhyuk when he doesn’t realiE all the ways in which Yuna really does “feed him”, physically and emotionally.

It’s a fun plot that reads like a tv show at times. And knowing that I have Book 2 coming up I can already sense the directions this series is taking. It will be interesting to see how the plot develops!

The translation is shaky. It doesn’t always flow very well and disrupts the story. Perhaps the Korean writing is as disjointed (like some popular American fiction), but it just really stops from fully enjoying the story.

Also, I think people miss the point that Soonhyuk either has Aspergers or some other neuro-atypical disorder. The reviews saying they think it may be cultural I think lose the fact that Soonhyuk says things without filter, and can sound very cruel or unsympathetic. I did though get confused regarding Yuna’s feelings that Soonhyuk watched filth. Maybe this was a translation issue but his collection was mentioned a couple times. Is it a porn collection? Or like Martin Scorcese films? I really couldn’t tell you.

I already have Book 2 downloaded and look forward to the read.

Maybe because the setting is in Korea and everything about it is Korean but reading Just The Two Of Us is like watching a Korean drama. It’s filled with the usual tropes Kdramas have and if you like watching them like I do, you’ll know what I mean. This is an enjoyable read for me especially because I am a big fan of Korean culture and the characters are pretty likeable. Because of my love for Korean culture, I am currently learning their language and I would LOVE to read this book in its original language.

It was hard to read the book at times because of the poor translation. I liked reading the book, but I think I would like it more if the translation was better. It’s not super super bad for me because I understand the basics of the Korean language and it helped me understand things in the book, but it will definitely be confusing for people with zero ideas about the language.

I’m not sure if it’s because of the translation but the POVs were really confusing. It’s not like the usual setting where each chapter is told on one character’s point of view only. It could be like that sometimes but when the characters gather in one place, their personal thoughts and point of views mix and it was really confusing.

Also, that ending?! WHAT the heck. I mean, I understand that it says this one is Book 1 but I didn’t expect it to end with a “to be continued” and a random ending? Like, usually there would be an exciting cliff hanger but for this book, there isn’t.

With all that, I would DEFINITELY need to read the second book because I’m invested with their stories now even though I didn’t like it that much.

I really wanted to like this book - it felt like it had all the makings of a kdrama and I was ready to immerse myself into that world.

Perhaps it was the translation but unfortunately, this book felt slightly too flat for me. The plot lines were very obvious right from the get go. There were no real twists or anything which could’ve improved the story. The ending was also very abrupt. I can’t say I won’t read the next instalment because I’m nosey but it doesn’t excite me!

The best thing about the whole book were the insanely delicious-sounding meals that Yuna makes. I was craving Korean food throughout the book!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for a complimentary copy in exchange for a review.

DNF for me- the writing is really stilted and frankly uncomfortable and difficult to read. It's probably just a bad translation, but I couldn't tolerate it. The character point of view shifted without warning and to random characters, and the exposition was so dumped on the reader that there was no space for nuance.

as a lover of kdramas this book was one i’ve been eager to read. it’s your typical sixteen episode kdrama rolled into a book. stereotypical kdrama characters that you slowly start to relate to and fall in love with. admittedly the plot is kind of predictable but it’s a light fun easy read that once you start you kinda just want to finish to see where it goes.

Absolutely entertaining read, I could not put this book down. Yeah there seemed to be a few problems in translation (originally written in Korean) but if you can overcome it(and it’s worth doing) this is a really lovely story, with great characters , I think a lot of people didn’t appreciate this as it’s quite like a Korean drama and if you’re not used to the, it might be a bit confusing, but this is full of drama, full cast of quirky characters and most of all novel about family, perseverance, and love.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion

Reading this book feels like watching a mediocre kdrama. But that's not necessarily bad, as banality can help you kill time. Except this book is too stereotypically mediocre and boring.
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The plot has used every commonly used tropes in kdrama: siblings being separated, mean wealthy mother-in-law, stoic characters with dark childhood, the one doctor that is a jerk but is also a genius. The progression of the story gives you no surprise either: you know the whole plot and how the story will progress after max.3 chapters. Cute child? He will either die or get very sick. A lady whose child went missing 30 years ago got a familiar vibe from a man? That's her child.
I actually don't really mind if the plot is too predictive. When it's executed well I can still enjoy the writing. But the writing is bland like oatmeal cooked with only water. That's really a shame for the book: though very formulaic, the side characters have their own personalities and the family dramas look pretty fun.
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I don't want to get started with the medical aspect of the book (I have so much to rant I can make a separate essay for it lol). It simply sucks and physically hurts to read. The main character is a traditional genius doctor that happens to be a jerk. But the point is, you can't be a good doctor when you don't listen to your patients. Doctors really are not the kings in a hospital, collaboration is so important. But in this book, nurses and other health professionals are reduced to people who make coffee. Also, why are the doctors are male? As a medical student I had so many question marks when I was reading this book.
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That being said, I'm not going to blacklist the sequel. I might want to read it when I want a bland oatmeal to get through the day.

I have a lot of different feeling about this book. The writing in this book is very poorly at times but I do not know if it is due to poor translation (the book is originally written in Korean) or the book is poorly written to begin with. This is especially a problem in the beginning of the books where it is objectively really bad at times. I think it did get better further in, but I am not sure if is because I got used to it or if it actually got better. I was however not a fan about the changing in POV. At times the perspective changed to the POV of random people, and I thought that it did not really add anything to the story.

I thought it was pretty sad to see one star review from people who did not really read much of the books. Also saw people saying that it was very easy to figure out who a person was in the book, but I do think you are supposed to figure it out. The set up is more we know the “mystery”, but we can see how the people in the book deals with it while we know. Personally, when I got into the story, I really enjoyed it. I liked the couple and it kept me engaged because I wanted to see them together. The character did deal with a lot of childhood traumas throughout the story and how they dealt with it together.

Overall, I did enjoy reading the book and I immediately picked up book two because I needed to know the ending of the story. So, I really enjoyed reading it even if I can see that it has flaws. If you think the story sounds interesting, I think you definitely should give it a chance but be prepared for the writing is very flawed at times. I finished this book yesterday and I am already read through 70 % of book two.

Just the Two of Us Book 1 is the first book in the story of Soohyuk and Yuna. It’s a great book for a light read but it is one of those books that leaves you hanging for a happy ever after until the next book. So, if you don’t mind getting the happy ever after right away, this book is great. Unfortunately, I like to have everything in one book so waiting for the next book is frustrating! But it will be worth the wait I am sure.

When I read the premise of this book, I was excited about it because it sounded like exactly my type of read.
After reading it, I am not quite sure if there were things that might've gone lost in translation (the way some words were translated just didn't make sense in English or western culture) or if I'm just too unfamiliar with Korean culture.

I just felt like there was a thread missing throughout this book. I never knew where it was going and when I was done with it I still wasn't quite sure what happened. I also didn't realize there was a sequel coming so I didn't love the cliffhanger.
It all felt like it was happening on one note. It all felt like it all had the same level of excitement and drama no matter what was happening and I couldn't find myself connecting with any of the characters.

I just can't tell if this book is simply not for me or something has gotten lost during translation or isn't relatable for western audiences.

Just the Two of Us by Ryu Hyang is a rom-com Korean drama centering about two people who complement each other despite the opposites they stand on; a stoic, eccentric pediatrician named Soohyuk and a loveable blogging chef named Yuna.

While the language issues are distracting, the story is pretty bad too.
It starts out extremely slowly and isn't particularly well-developed.