XOXO is the epitome of a classic romcom with a modern and diverse take. Jenny Go is a Korean-American who dreams of being a concert cellist. She doesn't have time for friendships, and is singularly focused on getting into a top musical college. When she receives feedback on her performance that states she would be perfect if she had "a spark," her uncle encourages her to take risks and find something that inspires her outside of her ambitious musical dreams. What Jenny soon discovers is a boy who won't leave after his time ends at a karaoke bar, followed by a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to travel with her mother to Korea to help her ailing grandmother. She attends a music school in Korea to find out that the boy at the karaoke bar was a K-pop idol the entire time.

As someone who has never been a fan of K-pop songs and idols, I related to Jenny's initial confusion about K-pop culture and the fanbase. There was just enough explanation to make the story easy to follow regardless of whether or not you were a fan of K-pop previously. For fans of the genre, there are small Easter eggs for the readers-- like when BTS and other popular bands are mentioned. I also appreciated how other aspects of Korean culture was represented naturally for the reader as well. Jenny may not be the best at reading Korean, but it's evident by the food and routine that she adjusts very quickly to the world around her. Korea is a beautiful place which allows readers into the world of Jenny's culture fluidly.

For what XOXO is lacking in its formulaic and predictable plot-line, it makes up for it's quippy and colorful characters. Each character has distinct personalities, interests, and demonstrate great care for the people they love. While falling in love with pop stars can be stressful, there are plenty of moments that are truly tender and comforting, even when the male love interest is off the screen. The story goes one step farther than most romcoms by allowing Jenny to foster friendships and interests which supersede the love interest. Jenny befriends her roommate, grows closer with her grandmother, and even comes to understand her mother more by the end of the story. While the story undeniably features Jenny's romantic life at the center of the story, the reader also watches Jenny's personal and professional life flourish as well.

This is a great comfort read when you're in the mood for something simple, sweet, and relaxing. I'd highly recommend preordering this book or picking it up from your local library on its release date (July 13, 2021). Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins for giving me an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book! Devoured it in a day.

Something about this book just made me stick to it like glue. It's cute, poignant, fun, sweet, and hopeful. I think any teen on the verge of adulthood would really benefit from reading this, but it's also fun for all ages. I honestly felt so giddy the whole time I read it. It was like watching a k-drama in my head. So addicting!

I was already drawn to this book because of the Asian representation but in all honesty, sometimes as much as I want to love it, it's a hit or miss. Not with this book. I honestly loved everything about this book. The characters were all over the place, in a good way. I loved the mix of charming ones, friendly types, the jaded ones, and even the bully ones. It's so hard for me to pick a favorite, but I was a sucker for Nathaniel and Sori.

I really appreciated Jenny's journey throughout this book and I related to her a lot. Sure, I wish I was as talented as her and I didn't have as many opportunities, but the overall message of growing up Asian-American was there. I also reveled in the Korean culture and I seriously want to visit the country. It's on my bucket list, for sure. I'm certainly not a diehard k-pop fan, but I appreciate the music and the culture. I loved seeing a bit of the inside of it. I already knew that the artists worked and trained so hard, but it really is a tough life. Yes, you get the fame and fortune, but it's so different than here in America, and in many ways, I think they deserve it more. They certainly deserve all the recognition and more than they're getting nowadays.

Probably my only complaint would be I wish Jenny's relationship with her mother was explored more. She wasn't very present in the book at all. But then again, that's just me being a sucker for a good mother-daughter relationship. Jenny's overall journey with Jaewoo was so sweet and innocent. I loved them together and was rooting for them all the way.

I highly recommend everyone read this book and it's definitely one of the better ones I've read in a really long time. I didn't want it to end!

2.5 stars rounded up
E-ARC from NetGalley

This book is much better suited to a very young YA audience, not a twenty-something-regency-romance-reading woman, but it was sweet nonetheless. While this is essentially a straight Jungkook from BTS fanfiction, I ate it up with a spoon. By far the standout aspects of this novel were the elements of Korean culture so naturally explained throughout the narrative--I found myself immersed in Seoul, in the food and language--and the portrayal of idols. The behind-the-scenes details were fascinating even for a BTS fan like myself, and I loved learning as I read.

The friendship between Jenny and Sori was so pure, and I would love a book about Sori's relationship with Nathaniel. I wish there was a bit more resolution regarding the stakes in the story, but it was refreshing to read a story that didn't have to fight for a happy ending. The tension was real-teen tension, not unnecessary strain.

Heartwarming, sweet, and perfect for young Kpop fans.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperTeen for the arc of this book. All opinions are my own.

WHO GAVE THIS BOOK THE RIGHT TO BE THIS CUTE! I am angry this isn’t my literal life.
True rating: 4.5/5

Following Jenny, a classic cellist, who has a random encounter with a handsome young man following the words of her Uncle to “live a little,” XOXO takes you on a journey of self discovery, self assurance and growth with romance thrown in.

I love this book. Really truly love this book. How do I even describe how much? Not only did this make me want to go to a performing arts school, it definitely made me want to travel to Seoul when I go back to work. This story is rich with culture, music and so much fun. It also has a lot of self discovery and growth, with an adorable romance thrown in. The relationship Jenny developed with Sorin especially, but all of her new friends made my heart swell. I love found friends/family and this gave me that vibe. I don’t want to give a whole lot of spoilers, but this may be one of my favorite YA couples ever. Rivaling Laura Jean and Peter.

This book is authentic, genuine and full of heart swelling, show stopping moments that will leave you wanting more. I HIGHLY recommend this.

XOXO is a fun, fast-paced YA contemporary romcom, perfect for fans of kdramas. It was sweet and lighthearted, featuring level-headed characters who take a chance to pursue their romance. I loved the cast of characters and seeing Jenny's and Sori's friendship grow. Given the circumstances that lead Jenny to Seoul, the book could have explored a little more about the reasons for the strain on her mom's relationship with her grandmother. There were some opportunities for Jenny to reflect more about her relationship with her mom towards the end as well. Overall, I found the book very enjoyable and would recommend it.

I absolutely LOVED this book. Perfect for fans of Maurene Goo and Lyla Lee, this adorably complex novel is rife with level-headed characters, an incredibly setting (Seoul), and diversity. I wish every book on the YA Romance shelves read like this one. The voices were so refreshing, upfront, and they communicated! It was so so good. Highly recommend.

I loved this so much. This was one of the cutest and most heartwarming books I've read in a while. I won't bother to reexplain the plot of this book because I'm <b> A.</b> no good at it and <b>B.</b> it feels more like a jumping-off point of the story. This is a story that I feel like you can enjoy more knowing only that much. There are so many elements to this story and I don't want to accidentally spoil any of them.

I will admit that I'm not a huge K-pop fan but I do like the stories that can arise from the premise. In the past, these stories have turned into some of my favorites. So when I saw this book I knew I had to read it. This book was so much fun. I found all of the characters to be engaging and full of personality. Even the ones we spent little time with felt alive and personable. I also loved the setting. It may have just been Seoul but Seoul is an amazing place.

This book just spoke to me. It was something that I was looking for that I was unaware of. I feel like this is going to be a standout book of the coming year and I personally need to look into more books featuring K-pop stars.

XOXO was a cute young adult romance. Jenny was adorable and I was hoping she and her K-pop idol would have their Happy ending. I can't wait to read another book by Axie this one was very good!!!!!

The premise of this book and my familiarity with Axie Oh's work drew me in, although I *don't read much YA contemporary.* While reading, I aimed to be as forgiving as possible because I'm not the target age group, and I am sure there are quite a few genre conventions that I can't fully understand or appreciate.

XOXO hits some good beats and adds fresh elements to what might have been a standard YA contemporary. The choice of setting and Sori and Nathaniel's characters were standouts, as well as Jenny's relationship with her family, and I will literally never get sick of descriptions of Korean food and food culture. Like Jenny, I am Korean-American, and I saw a lot of myself in her character. I think a lot of Korean-American teens will value the representation here.

Unfortunately, although these elements were excellent and pointed toward a story that a younger version of myself might have enjoyed a lot more, I couldn't fully engage with the book in the way I'd hoped. Namely, I couldn't stop noticing what I felt were missed opportunities. Promising side characters, interesting subplots, and even Jenny and Jaewoo's characterization were readily abandoned at the drop of a hat. This is particularly prevalent at the end of the book, where the resolution comes without any of the book's main conflicts being resolved and feels unearned as a result.

One thing I really didn't understand was why Jenny's family backstory wasn't explored more. There was room for this character to learn so much about herself and her roots through the grandmother—why set the story in the motherland otherwise?? This along with a general lack of curiosity about Seoul, Korean culture, and Jenny's roots in general made the setting feel inconsequential, which is a shame because it was one of my main reasons for picking the book up in the first place. I really don't think every book about 'diaspora character goes back to the motherland' should be forced to explore themes like heritage and family roots, since boxing diaspora writers in like that is wildly unfair. But since Jenny and her mother go to Korea specifically to take care of the estranged grandmother, there is some expectation that the reasons for said estrangement will be explored. And that it would mean something to Jenny's character? The grandma is cute, but she really feels like more of an occasional plot device than a person of any significance to Jenny.

Ultimately, I believe this book will fare better with its intended age group, and I genuinely appreciate it for what it's trying to be. The Ownvoices Korean representation and the Seoul setting made it significantly more enjoyable than many of the YA contemporaries I've picked up over the past couple years, and I have no doubt that younger readers, particularly Korean-American ones, will be able to see past everything that bothered me and enjoy this book as it was intended. It just really, really wasn't for me, and I can't fault anyone but myself for that. (Although I definitely wouldn't mind a Sori/Nathaniel spin-off.)

Oh my goodness, this book was amazing! I loved it, the story and the cover! XOXO by Axie Oh is a book about an Korean-American girl who goes to Seoul. Jenny Go is the perfect daughter, a cello prodigy, who has spent years planning for the future. Jaewoo is a member of one of the biggest K-pop bands in the world, and he is forbidden from dating. Will they risk their perfectly laid plans for love or were they never meant to be?
Jenny was such a fun character, I liked how she was both American and Korean. I thought that it was really cool how she could play the cello. She was such a nice girl and she was really genuine. I connected with her from the beginning. It was so amazing to read about her experiencing Seoul and reading about her Korean heritage. She was strong, but she was also lonely and she really wanted to prove herself to her mom. Jenny was the type of person who stuck to a plan, but meeting Jaewoo kind of threw everything off kilter.
Jenny had to figure out what she really wanted and find that spark within herself. Meeting her grandmother and going on an adventure in Seoul will really help her find herself, but life and relationships take work and Jenny will have to decide if she is going to chase after what she wants. She will have to make the choice if loving someone is worth the hurt they can bring.
Jaewoo was sweet but he was also reserved. I liked him, but I also wanted to shake him at times because of the trouble he put Jenny through. He tried his best, but he was stuck in the expectations of others and himself. He wanted so badly to do the right thing, that he didn't really know what to do with Jenny. However, Jaewoo will have to realize that being with Jenny is better than trying to follow the plans he made for his life.
I liked seeing Jaewoo grow more confident in himself and reading about him fall in love with Jenny. He learned how to be young again and how to just enjoy life. But he can’t get away from being an idol. Will he be able to stand firm when things start to get crazy? Or worse, their relationship doomed from the start?
I wanted Jaewoo and Jenny to find their happy ending so badly. I didn’t know how they could be together and I ended up staying up way too late to read it! Jenny and Jaewoo had to overcome many obstacles in order to make their relationship work. It was not easy especially when combating fans and paparazzi. But they had friends to help them along the way. Nathaniel, Angela, Gi Taek, and Sori were so funny and I loved them. The friendship between them was not all smooth waters, but they made it work. They made this book so much better!
I actually usually do not like teen books even though I am a teen myself, because of all the unnecessary drama. However, XOXO was the exception, I couldn’t have picked a better book to read! I was especially excited for XOXO because it was written by an Asian American about an Asian American girl. I love finding books that represent Asian Americans. I couldn’t recommend this book more than enough! XOXO is a clean contemporary YA novel, but there are a couple of innuendos and cursing.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the publisher through Netgalley. All views expressed are only my honest opinion, a positive review was not required.

I posted my review on Bookbub, Goodreads, and Barnes and Nobles on 12/22/2020. I will post on blog and Amazon when it releases.

The perfect K-drama in book form. As I was reading, I could picture everything happening. Two small niggles: I wish there had been a bit more about her cello ambitions, it didn't seem to be tied in to her character (why does she love it?), and more about her orchestra class, which is only mentioned in passing. The romanization used for the Korean words is not the one I'm used to (more "eo" spellings), so sometimes it took me a minute to recognize words. And one word at the end in hangul that is not translated. Really small things, though. This book has all the great kdrama tropes and characters, and like them is really addictive. I've finished it, but I still want more. More time with the culture, more time with the cute romance and the drama.

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read this book. This was a great book and I enjoyed reading it. I highly recommend reading this book.

4 stars

Big thank you to Netgalley and HarperCollins Children's Books for this e-ARC! All opinions and ratings expressed in this review are my own.

This was a pretty solid 4 star book for me and I actually really enjoyed it. It reminds me a lot of Crazy Rich Asians but in Korea and I really loved some of the characters. I sometimes found the main two (Jaewoo and Jenny) a bit insufferable but I loved Sorin, Nathaniel, Angela and Gi Taek so much. It was a pretty quick read and its easy to follow, but I still felt like their relationship was rushed.
The pacing of the story itself I didn't mind, it was mostly the relationship. I also found myself enjoying the side characters a lot more than the main two.
I would recommend this book for a fun, quick, contemporary romance (being based in Seoul made it all the better) the cover is also so beautiful??!?!!

If theres going to be a book two about Sorin and Nathaniel (SIGN ME UP!) they were my favorites by far :-)