Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of Seoulmates in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

The Gist

Seoulmates by Susan Lee is a sweet and sincere young adult romance with plenty of heart. It blends childhood friendship, K-drama glam, and questions of identity into a breezy coming-of-age story. At its best, the book feels like a warm summer drama—with just enough tension to keep you turning the pages. Still, it doesn’t always dig as deep as it could, and that keeps it from being truly unforgettable.


The Details
The story follows Hannah Cho, a Korean American teen who’s having a rough summer. Her best friend moved away years ago. Her boyfriend just dumped her. And she’s feeling disconnected—from her culture, her friends, and even herself. Then Jacob Kim shows up. He’s Hannah’s former best friend turned rising K-drama star, and he’s back in Las Vegas for a break from the spotlight.



Their reunion sparks a whirlwind of emotions. Old memories resurface. Chemistry builds. But things aren’t as simple as they once were, and both Hannah and Jacob have some growing to do. Their romance is soft, believable, and rooted in genuine connection. If you’re a fan of childhood-friends-to-lovers, you’ll likely enjoy their journey.



One of the strongest parts of the book is its exploration of cultural identity. Hannah struggles with feeling “not Korean enough,” especially in a community where she often feels like an outsider. These moments feel real and grounded. Susan Lee handles them with care, and readers from bicultural backgrounds will likely see themselves in Hannah’s quiet frustration.



That said, Seoulmates doesn’t always make the most of its potential. The story follows a very familiar rom-com path—misunderstandings, makeups, and clean resolutions. You can guess most of the major plot points well before they happen. While there’s nothing wrong with a predictable story, it becomes a missed opportunity when deeper emotional arcs stay at the surface.



Several secondary characters fade into the background, including Hannah’s friends and family. Their presence feels more like a backdrop than a meaningful part of her world. Even some of the more serious emotional moments—like those involving career pressure, heartbreak, or racism—get resolved a little too neatly.



Still, Lee’s writing is accessible and engaging. She captures a teenage voice without trying too hard, and the pacing moves quickly. The K-drama influence adds sparkle to the narrative, especially for fans of the genre. It adds energy and flair, even when the plot itself plays it safe.



In the end, Seoulmates is a light, enjoyable read. It’s perfect for fans of YA romance, K-pop/K-drama vibes, and stories about rediscovering your roots. If you’re looking for a comforting story with heart—and don’t mind a little predictability—it’s worth picking up. Just don’t expect anything groundbreaking.


The Verdict
Overall 3 stars. Cute and culturally rich, but emotionally shallow in places. A strong debut, but not quite a standout.

This story beautifully captures the journey from childhood friends to rivals and ultimately to lovers, and as a fan of second chances, I found it particularly engaging. Hannah and Jacob’s relationship is both adorable and laugh-out-loud funny, with Hannah’s perspective providing plenty of comedic moments.

The narrative kicks off with Hannah getting dumped by her long-term boyfriend just before their senior year. Nate tells her she’s not “Korean” enough and claims they have little in common. Upon returning home, Hannah discovers that her childhood best friend, who has now become her enemy, is coming to stay with her family. Jacob, a K-drama star from Korea, is in the U.S. to recover from an injury and to avoid the media frenzy surrounding a scandal involving his uncle.

When they first reunite, Hannah is still holding onto her resentment, while Jacob remains laid-back and unfazed. After Jacob follows Hannah one night as she sneaks out and sees her with someone who used to bully him, he becomes frustrated and decides to blackmail her into helping him check off items on his bucket list during his time off.

As the story progresses, they begin to address the misunderstandings and hurt feelings that arose when Jacob left and Hannah blocked him. Their relationship blossoms into love, but they face challenges from Jacob’s agent, his K-drama co-star, and Hannah’s ex, Nate. I appreciated Jacob’s maturity when he suggested they communicate through their issues, demonstrating his genuine care for Hannah.

The themes of being Asian-American resonate throughout the book, particularly Hannah’s struggle with feeling “not Korean enough” in the eyes of those around her. Jacob’s sense of responsibility to his family, especially after losing his father and stepping into the role of the “man of the family,” adds depth to his character.

Overall, this book is a delightful romantic comedy that wraps up nicely, showcasing the importance of representation for Asian and Asian American characters. It’s a charming read that left me feeling uplifted and satisfied.

This was such a cute book! If you’re a fan of K-pop, k-dramas, or anything of that sort, you’ll love reading this story about Hannah and Jacob, and the way they navigate through a lot of really big feelings.

This was a quick, easy YA romance read. It has all the things I love about YA romances and was fun and enjoyable to read. The romance is cute and I was for sure rooting for them the whole time. The K-drama and K-pop references were fun (even though most of them went over my head) and made for a light-hearted read.

Soulmates was an amazing ride. I love all the character developments and the love story amongst the 2YA characters. I was a fan of Susan Lee

This was a great YA debut novel from Susan Lee!

I received an ARC of this book from the publisher.

"Seoulmates" by Susan Lee is an absolute delight that effortlessly captures the essence of a Korean drama. The adorable characters and heartwarming romance make it a compelling one-sit read. Beyond the love story, Lee skillfully addresses the cultural divide between being Korean and Korean American, adding depth to the narrative. The book's pacing, reminiscent of a K-drama, keeps the reader hooked until the very end. "Seoulmates" is a charming blend of romance and cultural exploration, making it a must-read for those seeking an enchanting and thoughtful escape.

To all of my kdrama fans, this book is for you. Why you ask? Because it has all of the kdrama elements with reuniting old friends, discovering yourself after a break-up, and maybe finding new love. All of these components plays into Hannah life. She is going to rediscover herself after her break-up and denying her heritage part. While she learn herself again, she will also have time reuniting with her former best friend.

Swoony and smart, this book was everything that I was hoping for in a romance. I never wanted to leave the world of this story. Fantastic!

Thank you to NetGalley and Inkyard Press for this DRC.
As a California resident and a K-pop fan, this rom-com hit a lot of the right notes with me (Aju Nice!) Old friends who are carrying a lot of past hurt have to find their way back to each other, plus have a lot of adventures and Mexican food.
#Soulmates #NetGalley

This was a cute, quick, fun read and one that I overall enjoyed.
The first time I attempted to read this book, I could not stay focused and into the story. Several months later, I gave it another go and read it in a night.
If you are a fan of Kpop, K-dramas, idols, etc then you will probably enjoy this book.
For me, it veered a little too far into the unbelievable at times.... newbie or not, anyone famous knows to be more discreet and more careful about posting to social media. There were times that I was annoyed with the characters simply because so much could have been avoided, for the age of the characters, certain moments were a little too childish. It did have its moments though and for that, I did enjoy it.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and Inkyard Press for providing me with an ARC copy.
All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Being a Korean adoptee, I'm always interested in reading Korean based books and I throughly enjoyed this one. This is a super fun YA friends to lovers that ticks every box. It was really interesting how the author used the characters to comment on the new found hype for Korean culture via k-pop/k-dramas by non Koreans and how it can make Koreans feel about their own culture and the different variations of it.

Cute premise, but this book was awful, Lee's writing is clunky and awkward. The profanity usage bounces back and forth between made up terms and harsh language. The secondary characters didn't have much personality. The subplot was extremely thin. I love the cover, though.

I liked this romcom. It was a cute story about second chance romances. I don’t want to say that it was “too YA” because that wasn’t my issue with the plot. Some of the story was a little far fetched and based on miscommunication which is always something I get annoyed with. Overall, I did enjoy the story and would read more from Susan Lee.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Susan Lee can write anything and I’ll read it. This book was the kdrama I wanted and I found myself never wanting to put it down. When it was over, I wanted to start my re-read immediately.

No offense to the author, but I just couldn't get into Seoulmates. I DNF'd this book pretty early on.`

I was really excited about this, started reading it and then immediately put it down. The main female character annoyed me and came off as unlikeable. I picked it up again and finally got through it. It took a weird turn from becoming enjoyable and sweet, to reading like a drama. Not my fave, but not terrible.

This book made me so happy! It was wonderful to have both Hannah and Jacobs perspectives. They are so cute and their relationship felt so natural! This book was full of growth, family, romance, and joy!

This was a sweet YA friends to lovers story. Hannah is crushed when her boyfriend Nate dumps her and ruins her carefully laid out plans for the summer and senior year. Then her former best friend Jacob who is a popular k-drama star in Korea comes back to San Diego for a much needed break. Can they figure out what went wrong with their friendship and try again or is there something more happening between them now. If you love K-pop/K-dramas like I do then you will love this book.

This was a light and pretty cute! I enjoyed the characters. I feel like if you're into fan culture like K-pop then you will really enjoy it. However, I did have to bring my rating down because of all of the miscommunication. I feel younger audiences would enjoy this, making it a cute summer book to pick up.