My Rating: 3.5/5 Stars

This book took me longer to get through than I expected. And that was for one reason: I didn’t want it to end. It’s been a long while since I’ve wanted to savor a book as badly as I did with this one, but here we are. I mean, it certainly doesn’t hurt that I am riding the Hallyu wave, and I love any young adult book that explores elements of Korea and Korean culture. But if that book is unafraid of critiquing the way those industries currently treat their talent? That makes for an even better read.

This opened with a note from the author. Before I even touched the pages of the story, I knew this piece was going to be special based on the words the author shared with the reader. This story was deeply personal for Susan Lee, who spent much of her life rejecting her Korean part of herself. That journey is reflected in the development of one of her main characters, Hannah; the other main character, Jacob, carried the weight of critiquing the k-drama industry. Regardless, reading this note made me open my heart further to the story on the page.

Honestly, something that captured my attention—and made me laugh—was the gentle making-fun of non-Asian people that are obsessed with Korean culture. (Guilty as charged, my love for Korean content is what drove me to wanting to read this book.) Not only are there countless references to popular Korean content (Should I be proud that I recognized all of them?), but the story didn’t shy away from pointing out Asian fetishes or the clique mentality people have when it comes to being a Koreaboo*. Susan Lee handled this critique delicately and with humor, but it also added another layer of complexity to how complicated a journey toward identity and self-acceptance can be.

Despite loving so many facets of this story, there’s no doubt that there was some room for further development. The main thing I struggled with was the pacing of the story—for the amount of pain between Hannah and Jacob, their development into a romance was rather quick. Around the 40-50% mark, the two characters already had kissed and moved past (most of) the pain between them. I will admit I’m a reader who prefers a bit of a slow-burn plot, so I wanted to see more communication and healing between the two before the romance kicked into gear. Sure, slowing down the plot and fixing communication earlier on would have made it possible to do away with the constant miscommunication in the last 25% of the plot, but I honestly would have preferred that. It would have given more space for Jacob to figure out what he wanted in his life. Because that last 25% was full of miscommunication, it felt like Jacob’s subplot didn’t have room to truly develop.

Smaller note, but something that absolutely shocked me was the messing around scene that happened around the 77% mark. I was not expecting a light sprinkling of spice in this story, and it absolutely threw me off. It’s not often we see spice in young adult novels, and it was honestly refreshing.

Overall, I do adore this novel with every fiber of my being. I love that this book captures Korean culture, but also the journey of coming to terms with a Korean American identity. It’s not afraid to grapple with the difficult sides of identity and the popularization of Korean culture. If you aren’t a fan of Korean culture, I can see this story being a bit of a miss. But, I definitely enjoyed it and look forward to seeing how Susan Lee’s writing grows with future novels.

*Koreaboo – (slang, often derogatory) A non-Korean person who is obsessed with Korean culture (especially K-pop or K-dramas).

Thank you to Inkyard Press and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book.

As per recommendation of the great Christina Lauren, I requested this book on NetGalley, and was granted access.

I mostly read adult romance, but thought that this was a cute novel. A great break from smut, or perfect for YA readers.

I’m not into K-Pop or K-Dramas, but the premise still hooked me. It was easy to understand, and reminded me of Telenovelas(which I enjoy). I was yelling from the sidelines, at Hannah and Jacob to just realize their feelings already.

I recommend this book if you, like me, want a lighter read. Cute, swoony, and love all around.

There's a part of the book when Hannah's friend starts talking about all things Korean, Kpop, and K-Drama. Hannah says it sounds like complete gibberish. It sounded like that to me also. I knew nothing about the world of Korean pop culture going into the book, but all my friends love it. Now I feel compelled to listen to some BTS and find some. K-Drama to binge on Netflix, because this book was adorable!! I'm going to find some house slippers and raw ramen noodles to snack on while I'm at it, because apparently that's what you do.

This was a very cute and emotional read! As promised, this book gives of all the K-drama vibes, and I was so here for it. The dramatics ups-and-downs of Jacob and Hannah's relationship as they navigated being childhood best friends to strangers to friends to lovers was very reminiscent of some of my favorite K-dramas. I also really enjoyed the differences in how Jacob and Hannah explore their Korean American identity and their relationship with their cultures. I also liked getting a sneak peek into the relationship with Jacob and Hannah's mothers too! Overall, I'd recommend this book for upper YA readers due to some mature themes.

Take this book on your fun vacation and read all about a k-drama celeb who is headed home to San Diego for a break himself amongst old friends who know him as Jacob. One of those friends is newly kinda-brokenhearted-moreso-motivated-to-get-guy-back Hannah who is disgusted at the thought of her childhood bestie, Jacob, waltzing back into her life after “abandoning” her years ago for Korea.

I’ve been a k-drama fan for years and was psyched to read this book. It served all the hilarious quips, sweetness, heartbreak and playfulness I hoped for! As a Filipino-American, I did love and relate to Hannah’s experience of wanting to fit in and push away from her culture only to find how much pride there is in being who you are!

Can’t wait for more from Susan Lee!

If you are a YA reader, Seoulmates will hit ALL the right notes, but even if you are an explicit adult romance reader (*cough, cough- like me*) you will still enjoy the hell out of this cute friends-to-enemies-to-lovers story.

I'm not going to lie, I picked up the ARC of Seoulmates because I've been friends with Susan Lee for over a decade, though I won't hesitate to rate my friends' books objectively and fairly (which has cost me some relationships, over the years). But I am THRILLED to say that even though this book doesn't quite fit what I'm used to reading (I don't read much contemporary M/F romance, much less YA romance with *teenagers!*), I thought it was a great read.

The beginning of the book really hooked me. I adored how they gently poked fun at all of the non-Asian people who are newly obsessed with all things Korean (which is VERY true), and I really feel like I felt Hannah's emotions on a deep level. Her feelings of being exasperated and torn rang really true. I also really liked how that girl could hold a grudge (SAME HERE).

I did struggle a bit with the K-drama references (I've never watched one) and the K-pop references (also, not something I go out of my way to listen to), but I think Susan did a very nice job of explaining everything to readers, even noobs like me. I don't think that a lack of knowledge of the Korean acting world is going to hurt a single reader's enjoyment of the story, but it might ring extra true to those who are big fans.

I was all set to 5-star this baby until about the last 1/4 of the story; that's where things devolved a bit for me. The constant back and forth drama and "gotcha" misunderstandings was tiresome, and I wanted a bit of good ol' fashioned adult communication. I think the resolution in the end was mildly satisfying but I don't think it happened soon enough for us to see these two happy together. Plus, that one semi-steamy scene was SUCH a tease (!!) for an adult reader like myself.

Overall, I think Susan Lee did a fabulous job with this story, which I'm sure is near and dear to her heart. It felt fresh and exciting, and it's a book most readers will devour in one day. I can't wait to read more from Susan in the future, and a huge Mazel Tov to her for making this story come to life.

*Copy provided in exchange for an honest review*

When I saw I received this ARC from Netgalley I was escatic! Several months ago I read XOXO and absolutely loved it. I knew all of the Korean elements sprinkled in with a summer setting would be the absolute perfect read. I was also excited about the childhood friends to lovers trope which is one of my favorites. This book was such a fun read but it also touched on heavier topics such as identity and family issues. I did grow a little tired/frustrated with Hannah and Jacob and their lack of communication at times. However, the ending was absolutely perfect and made it all worth while.

For my entire review see my blog post.

To start off, thank you to Netgalley for allowing me to read and review an early copy of this novel!

I waited to read this closer to pub date, so thats why it took so long. But anyways this book was one of my most anticipated reads of the year. I love the trope celebrity X ex childhood best-friends, its such a cute concept and I am obsessed with it. I wish I had read this earlier because wow. The romance in this was done so well, Jacob and Hannah are really good together. And even their characters in general are so relatable especially Hannah’s. Her points were so valid and I like how she was written to be like that. Not a lot of authors now can write current gen teenagers, but I think Susan was able to do it. Its very realistic. Also, I enjoyed the dual POV’s, it gave us a clear perspective of each of the main characters feelings and it was very fun to get into to. In all, I recommend this to anyone who just loves a feel good YA romance. Definitely 5/5.

I think the characters made this book really shine. I loved the way the POV shifted, even showing the POV of the moms a couple of times, which was wonderful. I think the story really thoughtfully explored the ways that we carry pain and anger and how those affect our lives without coming across as preachy or melodramatic. The characters felt real and honest, and their conflict never felt forced or overcomplicated, which is so important for me when I read YA romance.

From the first paragraph, I knew this book would be a good one. I immersed myself into the book from the first chapter and I cannot say enough good things about this book! Honestly amazing! The writing is incredible and the plot is just one to die for. I am absolutely obsessed with this book. My favorite part would have to be the character development throughout the book. Character development is something I look forward to and this book did not disappoint.

Good vibes and great romance. This was a cute and easy fun read to enjoy this summer. I felt like I was reading a kdramaa versus watching it and overall I really enjoyed the sweet good vibes throughout.

I loved the premise of a Korean American girl struggling with wanting to distance herself from her Korean identity in order to fit in an American high school only to find herself on the outs for not being Korean enough when K-pop and K-dramas take off in America. I mean, her white boyfriend breaks up with her right before summer starts because apparently they don’t have anything in common with each other anymore and he can’t talk to her about K-pop or K-dramas. At the same time, in steps her former best friend turned K-drama star who’s back in town for the summer. This premise was ripe for satire but it turned out to be like any other YA romance, which is fine but forgettable. Hannah’s struggle with her Korean American identity was mentioned here and there, but it didn’t feel like a running theme essential to her character motivations.

As for Jacob the K-drama star, he could have just as easily been any other Hollywood star. At one point, after Jacob and Hannah finally have their first kiss (inevitable), he surprises her with a bouquet of flowers. I think it could have been fun to have Jacob play more into adopting over-the-top romantic gestures throughout the book learned from his time on set, giving more opportunity for teasing and banter with Hannah.

It was refreshing that Jacob was the one of the two who came up with a summer bucket list and was the one to suggest making Nate the ex-boyfriend jealous. However, Jacob and Hannah weren't very committed to keeping up this pretence of making Nate jealous. Hannah was almost dismissive of Nate so there wasn't any tension there and Nate was inconsequential. I don’t know if we were going for a love triangle, but it left something to be desired (no pun intended).

At times, Jacob and Hannah’s relationship felt overly sweet. Jacob’s naivety about the impact of his relationship with Hannah on his career didn’t make sense given how he would go on and on about the calculated nature of his career and his overbearing manager and co-star. Jacob came off as a pawn to his manager and co-star, but I think he could have been a more intriguing character had he shown more passion for his career rather than just regarding it as a means to support his family (...or if he had more of a personality in general). I also think this would have made the conflict of Hannah questioning Jacob's intentions more compelling.

Nevertheless, this could be the book for you if you’re looking for a light summer romance and enjoy summer bucket lists.

Overall really enjoyable. Hannah and Jacob were both characters I could root for. I thought both of their emotional journeys were really authentic and relatable.

I don't read a lot of contemporary YA. I often struggle with the way teenage girls are written and it ruins the whole book for me. So I really appreciate that Susan Lee has managed to write a teenage girl in a contemporary novel that didn't come off as a manic pixie dream girl or a petulant nightmare. Hannah felt real; her anger and issues felt real; her responses to those issues felt real; the process of working through those issues felt real.

There were a few places where the conversations/arguments veered off into left field and it felt like it was because the author had something they've always wanted to say more than what would actually come up in the conversation, but it only happened once or twice and, honestly, it's probably something a teenager would do.

It did have a bit more language than a lot of other YA book's I've read - so if you're sensitive to that, consider yourself informed.

This book was super cute and I loved it!

Hannah, who is Korean-American, gets dumped by her boyfriend Nate claiming they have nothing in common since he is obsess with K-pop and K-dramas, which Hannah has no interest in. Hannah former best friend Jacob is a K-drama actor and is coming with his family to stay the summer with Hannah after 3 years of no communication. Hannah and Jacob starts spending lots of time together going around San Diego, which creates trouble with Jacob's career.

It's a great Friends to Hate to Friends to Lover book. It's written in dual perspective. Best way to get both side of the story and true feelings of the main characters. Plus you get to read about great places around San Diego.

Hannah is sweet but stubborn, petite with attitude. Jacob is awesome... but sometimes to nice to stand his ground. I love them together!!!

This book is perfect for anyone interested in Korean culture specifically K-dramas. The book is like a K-drama of it's own. With today's accessibility to other cultures via social media and streaming services (has mentioned in the book) I believe this book will do great and have people fall in love with the characters and more.

For once, I get to say #TeamJacob and no one can disagree with me!

Thank you to Inkyard Press, #Netgalley, and Susan Lee for allowing me to read this one early because it was romcom perfection!

Without a doubt, it’s a 5-star read for me. It's a dual POV, which I love in my romance, and it added so wonderfully to the nuance for both of these characters. I found myself wanting to get to the other person’s POV just to see how they were interpreting the situation. It’s rare for me that I find a book with dual POVs and I don’t have a preference, but I loved both Hannah and Jacob equally.

The angst, the drama, the friends-to-enemies-to-lovers was *chef’s kiss*! Literally all of it was everything I didn’t know to ask for in a YA romcom. Yes, some might find it cliché and predictable, but if you’re reading a romcom you know where it’s going to end up and likely how the characters are going to get there, but this was still so good. Also, as someone who is around teenage boys for a good majority of the day as an educator, I will tell you Jacob’s depiction is a masterpiece. I’m so glad Susan Lee showed that the male protagonist can be just as emotional, just as enigmatic, just as layered as their love interest. Basically, he never went full Neanderthal on Hannah and ignored his own internal compass when they hit the infamous third act breakup. And *spoiler* it wasn’t even a full breakup, so no worries.

OH, and the family in this one was hysterical and just as important to the plot as the two main characters. They were all supportive while also managing to kick their butts when necessary. Very cute, very sweet, but with enough angst to keep me interested. I rooted for these two the entire way.

And if you love K-Dramas even a little bit, this one’s for you. September 20th, 2022 cannot come soon enough for the YA book community!

I really enjoyed this book!

Hannah’s summer plans changed when her boyfriend Nate broke up with her because they have nothing in common. He loves K-pop and K-dramas and Hannah isn’t into them at all. It’s ironic (as everyone feels the need to point out to Hannah) that her family actually is Korean and she knows the least about all the mainstream Korean entertainment that’s become popular in the US in recent years.
What’s really ironic and that no one knows about? Hannah’s childhood best friend actually lives in Korea and is an incredibly popular actor on a K-drama. It broke Hannah’s heart when Jacob left suddenly 4 years ago and they lost touch.
Hannah feels like everyone leaves her.
First her dad moved to Singapore, then Jacob left for Korea and Hannah’s sister moved to another state. She feels afraid to get close to anyone. And she feels some resentment too.

When Jacob comes back to town for a visit, and a much needed break from acting, his family all stats with Hannah’s family.

At first Hannah is ticked.
Then Jacob finds a way to get her to spend time with him.

It doesn’t take long for them to reconnect but now they have new obstacles in their way.

I really enjoyed this book. I thought it was very well written and really liked the characters too.

I got an early ebook edition from NetGalley and also managed to win an arc of the book from Goodreads. Thanks!

Hannah has tried to deny the Korean side of herself to fit in as the all-American girl, but then her boyfriend dumps her right before the summer between junior and senior year starts. While her white boyfriend was into all things Korea, Hannah just wants to be California cool. But Jacob, her childhood best friend who moved back to Korea is coming back for the summer - they've lost contact and he's become a BIG K Drama star, which Hannah doesn't know because she can't get far enough of way from her heritage. But the two find themselves working together and the friendship returns... and builds. And then bring on the kissing!

Good story with focus on Korean diaspora.

Susan Lee I am suing you for emotional damage.

Firstly, thank you Inkyard Press for the eARC! If you cannot tell, I am still processing this book, because this was quite possibly the most adorable and the funniest book I have read all year. I'm serious, reading about Korean moms hitting their daughter's evil ex-boyfriend with their handbags was the highlight of my year. I enjoyed this book a lot more than I thought I would have, and I'm so glad I had the opportunity to read this book early. SEOULMATES is a gorgeous summer read, and Susan Lee perfectly does the friends-to-lovers dynamic, that captures the essence of fighting for love in the most unexpected ways.

I think that the plot was a little more on the cliché side and was quite predictable at times, but I was here for the ride. I was so invested in this story and soon enough, I wasn't able to put the book down at all. I'm dead serious, I read this during my biology summer school class and I have no regrets. And the emotions I felt while reading this book were off the charts. My friend has the texts to prove how emotionally unstable I felt during all of it. I was laughing and tearing up and was basically a puddle on the floor during many moments. Susan Lee, you really played with my emotions.

I absolutely adored both Hannah and Jacob. Both were such complex characters that I could connect and root for from the beginning. Hannah, my girl, was such a girlboss and I loved seeing her growth and development. And her in a panda hat. Jacob was quite possibly one of the most adorable characters I've ever met, and he instantly became a favourite of mine. Him saying "The Lego Technic Roller-coaster is scarier than it looks," won me over and I will forever be quoting that. But ultimately, my favourite part was seeing him find the strength to finally stand up for himself and fight for his own happiness. The side characters were such a fun treat as well, and I absolutely loved Jin-Hee, Mrs. Cho and Mrs. Kim as they were hilarious to read about and I enjoyed their presence the entire way through.

I did feel that the romance was a little rushed however, but I don't have that much of a problem with it. Hannah and Jacob had such great chemistry together and I was rooting for the two of them the entire time. There were just so many ups and downs that had my poor little heart beating way too fast and all in all, it was just such a beautifully written romance. I will say however, that I was quite surprised for the book to be quite spicy for a YA book, especially because the tone and the theme were a little more targeted towards the younger portion of YA. It's not that big of a deal, but I do just want to make a note of it, especially because it really shocked me.

Overall, this was such a cute read and I highly recommend it for those who love romance, and for those who love watching K-Dramas! This deserves a definite 5/5 stars and I cannot wait for release date, which is SEPTEMBER 20TH 2022 and it's a must-read!

Literally a K-drama in a book! I was a really enjoyable read I must say. 3.5 stars <3.
Being a k-drama addict, I loved the occasional Korean phrases that I understands despite not being Korean. Loved the dual POV, not just a romance but also a deep exploration of Hannah's fears and resolving them, the other side of being a Korean star, the struggles and the hardships.

The only thing I didn't like is how Jacob seemed like he couldn't do anything to fight against her management company...he couldn't even say anything to fight for himself, instead he just complied and did whatever they say...

I think if you love watching K-dramas, you would love this book!

✨Team Jacob✨

This was super cute!!! I didn’t know what to expect, seeing as I don’t watch K-dramas. I am a decidedly dramatic person who doesn’t enjoy too much drama in books or movies/shows. However, her name is Hannah so that’s an automatic read and it’s YA romance which was my first true comfort genre. So no surprise, the romance truly won me over.

Hannah! My prickly-pear tomato-hating name-sharing seoulmate. Honestly, I was on her side during every argument she had with anyone in this book. She made so much sense to me. She was strong and snarky but a cinnamon roll underneath her armor. Of course, when faced with her estranged-and-now-very-broad childhood-best-friend-turned-K-drama-star she found herself feeling *feelings.* Also her wanting to be an immunologist!!! Heart smash.

Jacob! I love an ugly duck moment. I live for that moment when the other character comes face to face with this newly-sculpted, distractingly-tall, deep-voiced <I>hot</I> duck. That moment of reckoning past with present is always so delicious. Jacob’s fame definitely takes its toll on him, and we got a lot of him struggling with his role on <i>Heart and Seoul.</I> I definitely got irritated towards the end, but it was an understanding irritation.

I loved the duel POV here, something I’m not always into. I definitely read more dual POV in adult romance, and maybe that’s why this one felt more new adult than YA to me. There was one scene that was more explicit than some romances I’ve read lol. It was literally like two paragraphs but I was like okay we went there!? It did feel very random but yolo I guess. I would’ve liked it to go more into that new adult sphere, since it kissed that line more than a few times. He was 18 and she was 17.

I really loved the many facets of the Korean representation at play here. The familial relationships were strong and wonderful with this one. We even got a few interludes from their mothers! God, I love meddling matchmakers. I learned a lot about K-dramas and a little about K-pop; the respect I have for those stars wow. I’m also really craving Korean bbq now.

Overall, this one was the perfect summer read. It took place around the Fourth of July and it’s the only time I’ll be celebrating that particular holiday this year. The real drama started around 70% and I did lose a bit of interest (the reason for the dropped 5th star). Well, that’s not really correct because I was still engrossed, my eyes just couldn’t help but skim some of the sections. Like I said, I’m not one for too much drama and his management situation was so shitty and angering. However, the romance of it all and the fulfillingly dramatic ending wrapped the book up with a bow.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 .5🌶*/5

*I was not expecting the point-five pepper lol.

Taylor swift song association: Betty & Cruel Summer


Thanks to the publisher for an eARC via NetGalley! All opinions are honest and my own.