I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to NetGalley and Inkyard Press!

Hannah Cho’s summer plans have come to a halt when her long term boyfriend breaks things off because he feels they don't have enough in common. Hannah’s former best friend, Jacob Kim, is coming into town for the summer and wants to reconcile their friendship. She soon finds herself learning to embrace her Korean heritage along with her American identity.

Seoulmates is a sweet YA romance between two friends. The author builds a beautiful storyline surrounding understanding one's personal identity and familial obligation.

The plot has just the right amount of humor and teenage angst. The book is fast paced, especially the ending. The characters could have used a little more background info. A lot of their past is alluded to but not really explained.

Overall I really enjoyed this book. I look forward to reading more of author Susan Lee’s work in the future.

Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for this eARC in exchange for a honest review!

4 STARS!!!!

The cover drew me into this book! It looked like such a cute read. I did really like it! It was childhood friends turned into enemies. Then enemies to lovers! Definitely dramatic themes! This definitely was unique and comforting. I highly recommend reading this book that is incredibly sweet, funny, etc.

3.9/5 (rounded to four)

Hannah Cho had her whole summer and senior year planned out with her friends and boyfriend, Nate. But when Nate breaks up with her because apparently they have nothing in common. Hannah is devastated. All she wants is to be American...and less Korean, which seems impossible given the recent obsession of many- K-pop and K-dramas- that Hannah has tried to avoid for years.

Someone that know everything about K-dramas? Jacob Kim, aka Hannah's former best friend and K-drama star. With the fame, obligations and fans getting too much, Jacob decides to go back to his childhood home, San Diego. But rest isn't the only thing on his itinerary, its also reconciliation with Hannah.

Can the two figure out where it all went down hill, or are they doomed to forever dance around some newly developed feelings?

Honestly, this book was so cute! It perfectly addresses the hardships of being Asian-American as well as connecting with your roots. Hannah and Jacob had very good chemistry (it did not feel forced). Truly the only reason why I didn't give five stars was because there wasn't any action or climax f0r me. It all fell a tad flat.

Thank you to the author, publisher and Netgalley for the advanced copy! All opinions are my own.

An outstanding debut about forever friendships, first love, and found family.

This was a beautiful story. It was in turns laugh out loud funny and grab a tissue box emotional. I loved the classic set up of famous guy meets small town girl, but with the added depth of them being childhood best friends. Both POV characters were well developed and grew in meaningful ways, both individually and as a couple.

The secondary characters, parents included, are well developed and complex. Lee does a beautiful job of bringing nuance to relationships. And I loved the themes of being authentic, forgiving yourself and others, and staying loyal through the inevitable distance that comes when people we love leave.

This book specifically touched me in its representation of severe food allergies, as my partner lives with this as well. I appreciated the portrayal of it impacting daily life, without being the focus of the story.

This was well written, timely, and an excellent blend of lighthearted, sparkling fun and emotional depth. I cannot wait to read more from Lee!

I literally devoured this ARC. Thank you to InkYard Press and NetGalley for providing me with the ARC! Such a wonderful story to envelop myself in. From the friends-to-Strangers-to-Lovers trope, to the bucket list/"blackmail," to Mama Kim and Mama Cho meddling, to the K-Pop references, this was such a delight. At first glance, the plot is fairly simple. But when I read it, everything became more complex than the summary made it out to be. The discussions about strict Korean talent culture, accepting and being proud of your culture, and so on...these themes really hit home for me. I didn't know anything about Korean culture going into this, and I didn't quite understand some of the K-Pop references like so many other people might have understood, but I got the gist and was pleasantly surprised as to how invested I got into this book. I am definitely going to recommend this book to my friends, especially those who would understand these references more than me, and I feel like they would enjoy just as much as I did. Other than the two spelling errors I found in Ch. 18 & 23, I really enjoyed the writing. I am trying to be less critical of writing (unless it's unbearable), and I can honestly say that I enjoyed the writing. Hannah's inner dialogue was so funny--normally I would cringe at some things she said, but I ended up laughing to myself. I really feel for Jacob. His job is so difficult and to take on such a large role as the breadwinner and a "prestigious" actor at such a young age must have been so difficult. To be honest, I feel more for Jacob than I do for Hannah. Of course, I feel bad for her because she lost her best friends and she thought when he said he hated his life in SD, he was saying that he hated her, but still. The loss of his dad was the first of many stressful and miserable events of Jacob's young adult life. Like Hannah, I, too, can hold a grudge for a long time--maybe not 3 years, but sill. The amount of drama in this book was basically just enough for me to feel satisfied and complete. As Hannah mentions in the book, her life that summer is almost akin to a K-Drama. I also felt like Jacob had more development than Hannah. Technically speaking, Hannah still ended up in a place where she ran away from her troubles and shut everyone out. Jacob made a huge sacrifice, but it felt really good knowing that even if it didn't work out, Hannah would still be his friend and support him. Hannah and Jacob are first and foremost best friends, and I feel like that foundation in a romantic relationship is so special. All in all, I love this book and will defiantly be rereading this book when it comes out in physical form. Such a fun, light hearted yet heavy read.

I loved this book so much. The cover is amazing. I loved the k drama tie. The characters were so sweet and realistic. I really loved the dual POV too!!

This was a very sweet book! I liked both of the main characters. I also appreciated that they both grew throughout the story and didn't stay the same. The insights to the world of k-dramas were aso interesting. l I would recommend this book for anyone who enjoys a teenage love story and especially someone who enjoys K-dramas.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to read and review a copy of this book!
2.5 rounded up to 3.
I wish I liked this. Everyone else's reviews seem so happy and I wish I had as much fun with this book as they did. The tone of the book was REALLY young, which I think was mostly due to the way Hannah was characterized. She gave me toddler stomping their foot on the floor energy through most of the book. And I really don't believe her growth arc at all. I did really like how Jacob was characterized, he was really warm and sweet. I think the two biggest issues for me were the tone being incredibly young for what I expect from characters that are 17/18, and also the pacing. I was about 30% through before anything really started to happen. If this story gave slow-burn vibes/that's what was promised by the blurb, I would feel less bothered by the pacing but it just felt like it took a long time to really get into the meat of the story. And then once it started to pick up, the tone and Hannah just made me feel sort of bored. I didn't hate this book at all though--I thought it was a love story I don't often read about especially in a white-saturated market. I would definitely pick up more by this author, too.

If you like k-pop/stuff like that or you like childhood friends to enemies to lovers, you'll probably have a good time with this!

This BOOK!!! 💚 I was here for this book months ago and when I got the email saying I was approved to read it, I was so so happy and couldn’t wait to get started!! 💕 I want to give all of the heart eye emojis to this book and then shout from the rooftops how much I loved it 😍 If you love K-pop, K-dramas, and friends-to-enemies-to-lovers that communicate, then you will LOVE this YA gem! **Just putting this out there - this book is going to be on my top 10 books list for 2022** Thanks again to NetGalley and Inkyard Press for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for feedback.

I was invested in both sides of this love story, learning about Jacob’s youth to where he is currently in his career and personal life, to figuring out why Hannah has felt the way she feels when Jacob returns into her life and how she explores her Korean American identity. The love of K-pop groups and K-dramas in this story made it even more enjoyable, along with a mention of another one of my favorite musical artists (Ed Sheeran). Susan Lee does a wonderful job at showcasing communication between people and how it can solve a lot of misunderstandings. All-in-all, this book gave me all the happy feels and is going to be on my top 10 books list for 2022 🎉 I seriously fell in love with this book and can’t wait to have an actual copy in my hands 💚📚✨

**My full review will be posted closer to publication date on my social pages (Facebook/Instagram)**

I would love to interview the author for pop-culturalist.com!! This book was so freaking good and absolutely perfect for fans of Korean Dramas. I especially loved that this was a childhood friends to lovers to enemies to lovers again kind of book!

It is the start of summer and Hannah has all sorts of plans with her boyfriend, Nate, for the summer and their senior year. But suddenly Nate dumps her because she doesn't like all of the Korean things he's into, especially K-dramas. Her plan to win Nate back hits a bump when her childhood best friend, who she hasn't seen in 3 years, is coming to live with them for the summer. Jacob and Hannah parted on the worst of terms when he headed to Korea with his mom and sister 3 years ago. And now Jacob is back and a big K-drama star on top of it. Thrown together for the summer, will they learn to forgive one another for the way things went wrong?
You cannot help but root for Jacob and Hannah, just like their own mothers are. And like any good romantic comedy, this book is completely about a romance. Both characters go through some important self-reflection on things that are defining who they are. Hannah and Jacob must both decide who they are and what they want in life. The book includes themes of forgiveness, friendship, love and growth. This was a quick read and a fun book to read.

This book gave me so many FEELINGS. It's the perfect love letter to romance, K-dramas, and San Diego. (Warning: you will seriously be craving a California burrito while reading this.) Hannah and Jacob are complex, emotional characters who are so relatable and easy to root for, even when things get messy. And the touching author's note at the beginning of this book greatly enhanced my reading experience. I'm so impressed with this author and the story they set out to tell. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

The cover caught my eye but what grabbed my heart was the fantastic story! I adored this so much and finished it in one sitting. What a feel good romantic story that I didn’t know I needed!

A perfect YA romance for fans of Axie Oh, Lyla Lee, Kat Cho, and Sarah Suk. A fresh twist on the friends to lovers trope, young readers will adore Hannah and Jacob as they rekindle their friendship. A thoughtful exploration of how diaspora children relate to their culture is also included and appreciated. Highly recommend.

Seoulmates is exactly as comforting as I thought it would be when I opened it up and read Susan Lee’s author note. I read nearly the entire thing in one sitting because I just couldn’t put it down. Susan Lee builds such a sweet romance and a main character that truly speaks to my heart. I’m so honored and validated to have a character like Hannah in the world. The story itself hits all the right beats that I hope for in a romance and I can’t recommend it enough.

Life is going all according to plan for Hannah Cho until her boyfriend Nate breaks up with her at a party. In her crumbling life, the last person she wants to see if her ex-best friend, Jacob Kim. But at the worst time possible, Jacob’s coming back to town. And because their moms are best friends, they are all staying in the same house. When blackmail, a bucket list, and two meddling mothers come into play, it seems Hannah and Jacob are in for a K-drama worthy summer...

Seoulmates managed to tackle something I’ve never seen in literature before and it resonated with me so deeply. Hannah has built up this disconnection with her Korean heritage so she can fit in at school. She’s dissociated who she is at school or with friends from who she is with her family. Though Hannah’s situation isn’t exactly the same as mine, it’s something that I resonated with so deeply. I never grew up knowing my Vietnamese side so it was easier to just dissociate it from who I was. It makes it easier to fit in when everyone else around you is white. It’s incredibly hard and it’s not something I wish anyone to experience. The coolest piece, though, is that Korean culture becomes cool right before her eyes so Hannah is able to reconcile the dissociation. It’s delightful and comforting to see.

This story was absolutely adorable! Hannah just wants to spend her summer chilling by the pool and devising a plan to win her ex-boyfriend back, but her plans get get meddled with when her ex-best friend/new Korean drama star gets injured and flies to the US to stay in her family home!

I loved the simplicity of this story because it’s a summer romance that focuses the most on the relationship between Jacob and Hannah. Everything about their friendship just felt so real and that’s so hard to come by in young adult stories these days. I also adored the dual POV, which is a HUGE DEAL because I avoid dual POVs.

Hannah and Jacob made me laugh SO much. I had a huge smile on my face every time they interacted <3

Thank you Netgalley and Inkyard Press

This book is wacky, at times emotional, challenging notions of identity and belonging and at its core, a love story between two friends finding their way back to each other. It explores the immigrant family, pressure put on Korean kids in their familial roles, and what it feels like being Korean in a world suddenly fascinated with Korean culture. A rom-com great for fans of Sandhya Menon and Maurene Goo.

Thank you NetGalley and Inkyard Press for this e-Arc in exchange for my honest review of Seoulmates by Susan Lee.I truly enjoyed this book and from the moment I started reading it I literally couldn’t put it down like I love Hannah and Jacob’s love story and I was rooting for them the whole time. I hated how his job was treating but I love everything about how their love story blossomed.

A childhood best friends to enemies to lovers story executed very well! I needed a quick and easy read and this book was definitely what I was looking for. The characters are endearing and I loved how the romance developed. I loved how conflicted they felt with their feelings, a very accurate portrayal of how messy one's emotions can be. Overall, a very interesting read, highly recommended if you're looking for something fun and light!

I think this is a really great book. It's adorable, it's hilarious, and I think the characters really shine. Though, I just don't think it's for me. I felt like the writing was a bit bland, which seeped into other areas of the books. Of course, this is just a personal opinion! The book does have it's strengths, and I know other people are definitely going to fall in love with it.