To say that I loved this book would be a crime. Simply, because loving it is not the right description! I FELL HEADFIRST AND NEVER RECOVERED 😭🫶🏻😍
Axie’s writing is effortless and incredibly engaging. I love how she included part of her cultural heritage into this adorable romcom.
In XOXO, Sori was such a delightful character and I am so happy to now follow her journey, her ups and downs as well getting to know Nathaniel more and the struggles that fame (kpop band member) causes. Both of them develop individually in this emotionless idol making world, and somehow together they find bits of happiness, the tension between the characters were so well created and the romance in this book is swoon worthy, dare I say, better than in XOXO!

You can expect that satisfaction of a cute, bubbly and sweet romcom with insights to Kpop and Kdrama industry and see how it builds or destroys relationships. A perfect spinoff to XOXO and cannot recommend it enough!

Thank you so much Epicreads, Harpercollins ,Axie Oh and Netgalley for the e-galley. My opinion is my own and given voluntarily.

This book was fantastic! Since the first novel XOXO, we’ve been eagerly awaiting the arrival of the sequel. My expectations were absolutely blown out of the water when I first read it. Dare I say, it was better than the first one?!?! In the novel we get a look at what Jenny’s friend, Sori, is up to as a debut-hopeful under her mother’s famous K-Pop company. But is this really what she wants? Throughout the book we get to see Sori develop as a character in her personal, social, and emotional lives. She laughs, learns, and loves with the people she holds dearest, and the mix of romance with a ticking clock is perfect to draw any reader in.
Axie Oh masterfully develops tension between the main characters with just enough conflict to keep us on our toes while also creating a super enjoyable journey. Sori's character development is such a great surprise and her ability to navigate the world of Korean pop culture (and the constant threat of scandal) while also following her dreams and listening to her own heart gives readers a really satisfying but still thrilling novel. I loved Axie Oh's connections to characters and plot points from the first novel while also creating a world for Sori all her own. The scenes that put Sori and Nathaniel deep in the tenuous world of Korean idol/reality show/drama culture are just the best!
Loved this so much!

As a fan of XOXO, I didn’t have to know what ASAP was about, I was in. I recently did a reread of XOXO first and I’m glad I did! ASAP can definitely be read stand alone but I do think reading XOXO first is helpful just for context and understanding of the characters.

ASAP follows Sori, who might be one of my favorite FMC’s ever - she’s so cute and endearing and had a stuffy obsession that is so adorable I can’t even. Sori is the daughter of the CEO of one of the big talent agencies and a trainee with the company. Years ago, there was a dating scandal with Sori and Nathaniel, prominent member of the popular kpop band, XOXO, but due to Sori’s parents’ connections her face was blurred in the press and no one ever found out her identity, however they still were forced to break up. Now, Sori is semi in the spotlight as she’s helping train the youngest member of girl group ASAP. With a few public appearances on shows, where Nathaniel is a guest too, their chemistry is palpable and fans start to ship them and even speculate their previous relationship, and they’re not wrong - Sori still has feelings for Nathaniel, but there are so many complicated reasons they can’t be together.

It honestly was a delight to be back in this world. I loved Sori and Nathaniel’s story! Petitioning for a book three for Hyemi and Youngmin. Just saying…

Thank you NetGalley for a free ecopy of this book.

Loved this ‘sequel’ to another of Oh’s books I loved, XOXO. This is easily a stand alone so young readers don’t need to be too familiar with XOXO to fully enjoy this story. The characters are fun and relatable to YA readers and the story is a fantastic escape. Highly recommended.

This was so much fun! I loved XOXO and ASAP delivers that super dreamy, super fluffy romance that we got in the first book! ASAP follows side characters from XOXO and I appreciate the more in depth view into the life of K-pop idols and celebrities, and the challenges that come with it.

I really enjoyed Sori as a main character, she's strong and confident, but also compassionate and her development with both Nathan and her family was really well written! My only critique of this book is I wanted more build up and development of the romance!

I loved XOXO by Axie Oh, so I was super excited to continue to the story with ASAP. This book focuses on Sori and Nathaniel's story, and I really loved how Sori had a mind of her own and succeeded at so many things from being on a variety show to coaching the maknae of ASAP. She also advocates for herself, which I really loved reading.

Sori was dealing with a bunch of issues with her parents, but she had a bunch of misconceptions of what was really going on. What really came through was how good of a person Sori was, which was nice because Nathaniel was no slouch. I enjoyed reading their story and wouldn't hesitate to read more from Axie Oh.

I will definitely be recommending this to my students, especially if they are k-pop fans.

4.5

MINLEE 😭😭😭😭 such a good second book to the xoxo series, the character development of sori was top tier but i felt as if we didn’t fully get nathanials character arc :( one of those books where the male mc is just kind of pushed to the side???

sori and hyemis relationship felt a bitttt out of place and weirdly woven into and even all of the resolutions felt rushed at the end. like every problem was solved at the end and felt forced when it could’ve definitely been incorporated in a lot more smoothly? it was giving the editor found a bunch of plot holes and the author had to write in all of them at the end.

not as good as xoxo but still a fun read regardless :)

My favorite thing about this is the continuation of the group personalities from XOXO. Getting to be in Sori's head instead of Jenny's was nice. Instead of being an outsider to Kpop culture, we are right in the middle of it.

I loved Sori and Nathaniel. I loved how sweet they were with each other and how they didnt beat around the bush when talking about the realities of their situation. There was so much to the emotional layers Sori was facing. And the setting of the Korean influencer/media world created some excellent setups for comedic and romantic situations. I liked especially how the story moved from one thing to another quickly. Each serving their own purpose of deepening the conflict.

I would totally be down for Sun's story sometime too! I love how in each book youre getting more familiar with side characters. I would love to see the world continue to expand.

Thank you to HarperTeen & Netgalley for the ARC.

Review 9/10✨ As a spin off from one of my favorite YA books this was everything I wanted and more💗 I bought the authors book XOXO on a whim because I liked the special edition fairyloot was putting out. Usually I don’t risk getting a special edition without reading the books but it was worth the risk because I absolutely loved it! When I saw someone reading an ARC of ASAP I immediately tried for it, amazingly got approved, and started my read the next day!

ASAP has all the charm of XOXO while also being its own story. I think I liked ASAP even more as I like that the characters were a bit older🩷 I’m going to pitch both stories at once here lol So XOXO follows Jenny, a cello player that lives in California where she unknowingly hangs out with a member of a famous kpop group (called XOXO). She then ends up attending a music boarding school in South Korea which all the members of XOXO attend. Obviously romance ensues with the member she previously spent time with😏 ASAP follows Sori (Jenny’s roommate from XOXO) and takes place two years later. Sori used to date one of the other members of XOXO but had to call it off for various career reasons. I’m not usually a second chance romance person but this was perfection!

I loved that it took place in South Korea, the scenery sounded beautiful and the food delicious. It’s one of my favorite places to visit in books🥰 I found it interesting in both books to learn about the entertainment industry there too.

I also loved the game show scenes, the radio show, the tv show filming, and the temporary roommates bits! Every scene was adorable! Just something about these books click for me in the right way and I can’t stop reading once I start😍 I want a book for every member of XOXOs love life!

Oh is such an amazing writer and I loved the books that I have read from her. I was so excited for ASAP and it did not disappoint! ASAP is the companion novel to XOXO and it was just soooo good
Sori was a relatable character and I loved getting to read about her. I loved getting to read about Sori as she tried to figure out what she wanted to do with their life and how to help her family. Nathaniel was such a fun character. It was fun to read about him from Sori’s eyes. He grew a lot throughout this book and I loved how steady he was. He was always ready to help Sori.
It was sweet to read about Sori and Nathaniel together. They had history but there were so many different things working against them. I love how this book was more than just romance. Sori and Nathaniel felt like real people who were working through life. The side characters were fun and I loved getting to meet new characters.
I loved the romance and the plot in this book. I was engaged the whole time and I did not want to put it down. The story was interesting and I did not know how Sori and Nathaniel were going to end up together. I am crossing my fingers that she writes about all the band members, I see hints of new books in this one.
ASAP is definitely a must read and I would totally recommend it!

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.

IDK what it is but these K-pop ish books have been giving me life. this one was recommended to me by my K-pop-loving coworker and I can confidently say it was worth the read!

This was just as cute, sweet, and adorable as I wanted it to be. I am so, so glad that this was able to be a book.

ASAP follows side characters from Axie Oh's XOXO, which I had previously read. I enjoyed getting to see more of the characters and their world, but I found that the book could also be approachable as a stand-alone if a reader hadn't picked up XOXO before.

This book is a feel-good romance with a very cute relationship and plenty of action to keep the pacing up along the way. I would say that the characters are a bit shallow - they hardly have any flaws, and any mistakes they might make tend to be backed up by positive character traits or by being "too nice." I think it makes the characters very difficult to relate to, but to be honest, the lavish lifestyles of the characters aren't relatable to the majority of readers either. This book is great for escapism, but certainly not something the average reader will relate to.

I did also feel that the ending was a bit rushed, with a lot of action occurring all at once. I especially felt Hyemi's incident at the end came out of nowhere. I did appreciate the fact that the story went beyond the basic love story - it also tackled some present issues, like feeling lost in life, or facing the sudden realization that the career you always wanted to pursue may not be what you want to do moving forward. I appreciated Sori's relationship with her mother and their emphasis on their independence as well.

Overall, this is a cute, quick read that fans of XOXO, as well as YA romance fans in general, will definitely enjoy.

This story is a charming K-Drama in book form. Sori and Nathaniel are the couple everyone is rooting for. Sori's relationships with her parents and friends also add some nice subplots. Overall, I enjoyed reading this book. It was fun, cute, and sweet. If you were a fan of XOXO then you'll defiantly enjoy ASAP.

This is top tier YA romantic comedy. I love Axie Oh and the fact that she can do fantasy and contemporary is brilliant. As a huge kpop fan, I loved XOXO and ASAP is the perfect follow up. I got to spend more time with characters I love and the new main characters perspective is delightful considering book one. I would definitely recommend this!

I am in my KPop fiction era, and ASAP was perfect for this new genre. A second-chance romance, ASAP focuses on Sori's story. I loved that she wasn't a typical trainee candidate, but had a lot of depth to her desires and wants. I read this in one night, and I'd read a sequel in a heartbeat.

This story is just as cute as the cover implies. Definitely judge a book by its cover here. The characters were so lovely and the story was swoon worthy. There was so much chemistry that I couldn’t help but root for them.

The way this was absolutely adorable 😭🥹 There wasn’t as much plot in the book as I had hoped but it was still really cute and the romance was paced so perfectly. Axie Oh DELIVERED in this XOXO spinoff and I am forever a MinLee fan. Thank you HarperTeen for the eARC in exchange for an honest review! ASAP releases Feb 6th 2024!

4/5 stars.

SWOON!

Sori and Nathaniel had stolen my attention since XOXO and I couldn't stop giggling while reading it. This book is way too sweet for my heart. There were so many favorite moments to pick from this book. But I, especially love the pick a contact number to call program during the radio gig.

On another note, I can tell that the writing and character's development have improved compare to XOXO.
I had a really good time reading ASAP. I would highly recommend this book to anyone, especially to those who are also K-Pop or K-Drama enthusiasts.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins Children's Books, HarperTeen for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!

I remember really enjoying XOXO, so I was really excited to see that this one was coming out. However, I did find it just a little cringey, and realized maybe I am not the target audience for this one. Not for me.