This was a very fun read! I really enjoyed the best friends to lovers trope in this novel. I liked Elena immediately! She is an interesting character and I enjoyed her perspective. The book makes me want to watch K-dramas and listen to K-pop! It is a really cute romance. I could totally relate to Elena and remember having similar feelings as a teen. Will definitely keep an eye out for future releases from this author!

very cute! i don't normally read rom com type of novels, but one about k-pop sparked my interest! i would recommend to rom com readers!

*eARC provided through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

Very simple plot, but still so cute.

I am sad they didn't actually go to prom together.

The cover is gorgeous and I was so excited for a k-pop romance being a fan of many k-pop groups myself. It took a bit to get into, but I definitely enjoyed the book overall. It's a pretty light read. Getting to know all of the members of the group and Elena was fun, as it is in real life when you learn about a k-pop group. I was annoyed at times with the internal dialogue and the thoughts of the characters. Overall a nice YA romance.

Kat Cho absolutely crushed this contemporary rom-com about a K-Pop idol and a regular girl! I fell hard for Elena and Robby's story and absolutely loved following them. I really loved the times we popped into Robbie's head, too!

This book is a wonderful escape for any fan of K-pop. The characters are lovable but flawed, sucking you in with all the skill of a great K-drama. Definitely a title that will be going on my comfort read shelf.

This was one of my most anticipated books of the year. Is that why I felt so disappointed?

This was cute. I loved all the kpop references and glimpses into the kpop world. Especially loved very brief mentions of Stray Kids because they are my ult group. But overall I felt this novel never really got beyond moderately cute.

Here is what made this book such a disappointment for me:
1. The whole scenario was completely unbelievable but I suppose that is necessary for a kpop romance especially one set in America.

2. The main character (Elena) was so self involved. Her best friend moves away to a brand new country and his dad dies and all Elena thinks about is how it affects her. Her new best friend gets a new job that will allow her to finally support her son as a single mother, but Elena is only concerned about the fact that her friend will be leaving her behind! Yikes.

3. I never really felt any romantic connection between the two main characters. Friendship? Yes. Romantic sparks? Nada. And I don’t believe that a ten year old would be in love to the point of carrying a torch for someone for 7 years. Do people fall in love at 10? I’m confused.

Anyway. I feel like I could write a book about my disappointment so I’m just gonna bounce here. 😎

This was such a cute and fun romance!! I loved reading this book! The character were set up so well and fit together amazingly!

I had high hopes for this, but sadly it just came across too clunky and immature. It felt like we never really got to know Elena and Robbie felt so disjointed and wishy washy. I thought having his POV would help illuminate his journey, but instead it just left me more confused because even on his own, he seemed to go back and forth and change his personality.

The ‘villains’ aka mean girls going after Elena felt trite and too formulaic and sadly the deeper themes briefly mentioned, are just that, briefly mentioned.

I expected this to be more cute and romantic, but it just felt really awkward and too dramatic in a way that didn’t feel entertaining.

This book was super cute. I really loved the characters and the the story was great. This is a super cute contemporary.

Has anyone in the history of existence ACTUALLY enjoyed High School? Once Upon a K-Prom by Kat Cho was a sweet but emotional journey back to the vulnerable time when everyone is trying to figure out who they are, while also trying to manage all of the new grown-up feelings teens aren’t used too.

“I’m like an empty book. No one is interested in reading a blank page”
While the rest of her school is in an excited frenzy preparing for prom, Elena would rather spend her time and energy helping at her local community center. In a constate state of feeling like the she doesn’t measure up to her siblings and popular best friend, the center is the only place she feels welcome. Her thoughts about Prom aren’t a secret from her classmates, so when she is surprised by K-Pop star Robbie Choi asking her to the much-anticipated dance, she is completely caught off-guard and thrust into the spotlight she tried to avoid.

Elena and Robbie were childhood best friends and when he left to become a K-Pop idol she was lost without the one person who understood her. Now that he’s returned to fulfill their promise to go to Prom together they are left in the awkward place of trying to figure out if they know each other anymore, and if their feelings are enough to keep them together through the difficult road of sudden fame.



I was so excited when “Once Upon a K-Prom” became available, the cover is perfection, and I am quickly gaining appreciation for all that is K-Pop and the Idols that are larger than life. Kat Cho was able to masterfully capture the awkwardness that teens inevitably feel as they try to navigate the great hormonal shift that is High School.

We are given a dual POV of both Elena and Robbie and I loved getting to see both perspectives. Elena is the insecure girl who doesn’t think a K-Pop star, even one that used to be her best friend, could possibly be seriously into her. And Robbie, the international celebrity, who, despite his fame and millions of fans, still doesn’t know how to talk to a girl, but gets his every move broadcasted to the world.

The romance was sweet and brought back memories of those first few young crushes and the belly flutters that go with them.


“If I didn’t have to breathe, I’d just want to kiss him forever”
This was my first book by Kat Cho but without a doubt it will not be my last. Congratulations on an amazing new release!

Adorable K-Pop rom-comb with characters you wish were your best friend. Such a feel good and anything is possible read.

2.5 stars, so I'm going to be nice about it and round up. I wanted to like this book, but man, it made it hard. This book is so full of cliches that I could open up any page and point to a trip end think of 20 other books that did the same thing (and some of them better). Miscommunication is my least favorite one, and this book was chocked full of that one.

The worst part of this book was definitely the main female character. Elena is so immature and such a "pick me girl." She is so not like the other girls who want to have fun at a party; she likes the community center and hates prom (and denies that she hates it to herself). She has anxiety and constantly overthinks obvious things. The writing reflected that, but it was not fun to read from her perspective.

I did enjoy Robbie and thought he was an interesting character. For the few times we were in his perspective, it was great, and I wish we had more of it. Their chemistry was believable and sweet. The k-pop elements were fun and well done, though I think they could have done more with it.

Overall I was pretty disappointed in this book. Maybe it was not aimed at me, but the negatives made me almost give up on the book.

ALSO, ELENA NEVER WENT BACK TO DM THE D&D GAME. SOME SAY THEY ARE STILL WAITING FOR HER TO DM!

As a fan of Kpop, of course, this book was on my radar and I preordered it as soon as possible. This was a super cute and quick read that followed Elena, a “regular girl” and k-pop star Robbie, who just so happened to be her previous best friend and neighbour.
I found the overall pace went pretty well, but Elena’s character seemed a bit all over for me. At one point she would be yelling at others and the other would be falling for them. Also, much of the book centred on lies and vast changes in characters, at some points I had to re-read what was being said or going on.
Overall, it was an enjoyable read with the references to the k-industry and the strict rules that must be followed, but the big “build-up” was kinda lost over time.

I received a copy of this book for a fair and honest review. I have to say the cover is cool. I love K-dramas and this felt just like one of those shows. Elena is feeling unsure of herself and wants to find where she belongs. When it is time for prom she is doing her best to avoid it all together that is until the boy she knew as her goofy friend who is not an international K-pop star returns to keep the promise of them going to the prom together. I think it is a sweet story and I enjoyed it.

Once Upon a K-Prom was so adorable! I really enjoyed everything about this it. The K-pop aspect was so much fun and all the characters were really well written. I will definitely be purchasing a copy for my library. .

Once Upon a K-Prom was such a cute read! Kat Cho's books continue to dazzle and capture the reader's hearts. Plus, who doesn't love superstar romance books?

Elena and Robbie used to be best friends. Now, Robbie is part of one of the biggest bands in the world, and Elena is your regular high school student counting down the days till school is over. With prom on the horizon, Elena is helping her friends spread awareness about an alternate prom to encourage students to attend.

With prom nearing close, Robbie shows up to take Elena to prom as he promised. With his fans watching his every step, Elena trying to live a normal life, and a potential romance on the horizon, Once Upon a K-Prom, is a story for everyone.

I would secretly like to read more stories following about the other members of WDB. I think it would be cool to read their stories and see how they grow.

Thank you to Disney Publishing Worldwide and NetGalley for providing me with an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Elena Soo feels like an outsider. As the youngest daughter of a large Korean American family, Elena is overshadowed by her twin brother Ethan, who, as the only male, is given high praise and significant leeway in anything and everything he does. Often mistaken for her older sisters (Allie, Sarah and Esther), Elena is left with intense feelings of inadequacy, made worse by the pressures of her accomplish-focused family – and the local Korean community – to find a passion, do well, and succeed.

Always an outcast – and prone to running away from confrontation – Elena struggles to maintain friendships and considers herself a burden in her community in all ways but one. In an effort to maximize her college application efforts, the seventeen-year-old volunteered at the West Pinebrook Community Center and fell in love. It may not be a passion per se, but the community center represents belonging and allows Elena to find a tight-knit community that accepts and understands her for who she is: an organized, nerdy teen that loves D&D, planning, and helping others. To Elena, the community center is a second home, so she’ll do anything to support it when local funding runs out, even if it means estranging herself further from her peers in the “alterna-prom initiative”: a fundraising project that aims to encourage peers to consider their environmental footprint and cut down on extravagant prom costs.

Despite the good intentions behind the initiative, which is run by Elena and her two activist-minded friends, her peers claim that she’s decidedly “anti-prom” – and they’re not entirely wrong. Elena has no intention of intending the dance, eco-friendly or not. She may not be against prom, but without her childhood best friend, what’s the point? Which brings us to international K-pop idol Robbie Choi, a boy with a goofy smile and adventurous spirit; a boy who promised to take Elena to prom seven years ago, before he returned to Korea and reached international fame; a boy who made her feel whole, but suddenly dropped contact, breaking every single promise he made on their last night together when they were ten years old.

The very same boy, who hasn’t talked to Elena in four years, knocks on the door of her childhood home when she least expects it, cameras in tow, to fulfill that long-ago promise to attend prom together. Naturally, Elena declines the invitation, flustered and confused and unsure if she still knows the stylishly cool, pink-haired boy standing in front of her. What follows after is a romantic coming-of-age tale, told in an occasionally split POV with Elena front and center as she navigates the unexpected implications of fame and expectation that come with learning who her best friend has become in his attempts to fulfill the promise lingering between them.

Beginning with an extravagant promposal in front of her entire high school, complete with balloon arch, flower petals, and a heart-felt performance of their favorite childhood song, Cho pulls readers into a wholesome love story, one that is full of nostalgia and hope, in Robbie’s repeated attempts to get back into Elena’s heart, ending with a handful of granted wishes. Repeated rejection proves to be a catalyst for growth, giving Robbie and Elena more time to interact with one another, a process that we follow intimately through first-person chapters deftly written from Elena’s POV.

Although Robbie frequently falls back into his idol persona as the maknae of the group – “quiet and chic, not pushy or demanding” – his efforts to win Elena’s heart reveal that he’s the same person, deep down: slightly aloof and nerdy, with a penchant for puns, laughter, and teasing. His secret, dimpled smiles and endless patience reveal themselves as he volunteers alongside Elena at the center in place of showy dates, giving the reader – and Elena – time to connect with his compassionate and emotional core. Depth is added to his character when small moments of miscommunication set the duo back, triggered by heated emotions and new feelings of attraction, intense and electric, revealing an unexpected trope that leaves him guilty while simultaneously opening the door for a discussion of idol culture and expectation in a foil to Elena’s own struggles.

From pop-up charity concerts to an unexpected, impromptu prom location change, Once Upon a K-Prom is full of humor, heart and charm as Robbie and Elena navigate not just their growing attraction toward one another, but the obligations placed upon them. Miscommunication leads not just to heartbreak, but awkward and adorable encounters in a delightful coming-of-age tale that feels real. Genuine in execution, though perhaps a little short-handed when it comes to Robbie’s POV and Elena’s tumultuous relationship with her family, Kat Cho pens a love letter to music and belonging.

This was an easy read to me which is exactly what I needed at the time. Sadly, I just wish it didn't feel quite so generic. It felt like most young adult romances with all the same tropes. That didn't stop me from enjoying the book though! Just not enough for me to give it a higher score.

Tropey and soapey, with the usual set of miscommunications and misundertandings between Elena Soo and her crush, Robbie. All this is heightened because he's a member of a K-Pop band, who's in Chicago for a performance. Elena and Robbie had been best friends when they were ten years old, before Robbie's family had moved back to Seoul. The two friends had made a promise before the move that they would go to the prom together, and when Robbie shows up to ask Elena, it’s both honest and a publicity stunt. That he keeps trying to get her approval, and they are thrown together repeatedly, including filming part of a video and a the band performing at a pop-up concert to raise funds for the community centre Elena volunteers at, only increases her discomfort with all the attention (she's shy) and burgeoning, returning feelings for him.

This was ok, but didn't make me care about whether or not Elena and Robbie would get together. I liked that Elena became more aware of her flaws over the course of the book, and gained in confidence, too. I didn't much like Robbie, despite being told repeatedly that he was a great guy (when he was ten years old). So, overall, just ok.

Thank you to Netgalley and to Disney Publishing Worldwide for this ARC in exchange for my review.