I read around 20% of this, but it wasn't living up to my expectations and it couldn't hold my attention, so I decided to DNF. I was especially hoping for more vivid and detailed descriptions of the setting.

I love that we are seeing more Asian books being translated into English, and this Korean story was a delight to read. Is it a romance? The title is misleading because I thought it was a romance but once you get over that it’s a fun little read.

It’s Hadam’s 36th birthday and she has quit her dead-end production job. Having dinner with her friends Romi and Chakyung they devise a plan to visit the island of Jeju to search for a beekeeper Romi had met three years earlier and film the adventure as a documentary. Thinking it will be a fun, potentially romantic adventure there is far more sinister things afoot that will unravel during their adventure.

This is not a Romance book, it’s like a contemporary fiction with romantic and mystery plots. It’s slow paced with multiple threads to unravel while following the main story line of three friends and their love life as they visit Jeju. The relationship between the three women were one of those things that I would have liked developed more. They were supposed to be there to help each other also they had different goals for their trip to the island. They each had their own plot line mostly revolving around romantic entanglements. The plot was interesting and characters were well developed but it was less about friendship and more of a mystery/suspense than I was expecting. At times the threads were difficult to follow but at the end everything was made sense of.

*2.5

At first I thought this was going to be a cute light-hearted rom-com about 3 friends travelling to Jeju and finding love but it’s actually much deeper and complex than that. There’s stalking, cheating and secret business deals involved and so many different characters. The different relationships between the characters got confusing as everyone knew each other in some way but it was just difficult to keep up with everything to the point where I stopped paying too much attention. I loved the friendship between the three FMCs and how they supported each other through everything.

Thank you to netgalley for the ARC! ✨

Romancing on Jeju was not what I was expecting (me thinking it was more focused on romance-which it was not- mystery and self-discovery). This story follows 3 friends- Hadam, Romi and Chakyung as they travel to Jeju island (with their own missions). This story is more of their friendship and each character's discovery of themselves- it was great having each character have their different POVs and seeing the development of each character and their character growth throughout the book.

Overall it was not a bad book but not what I was expecting.

I thought overall this was a good book. It was hard to me to keep up with who was who to be honest. Especially with the amnesia and the lies. It's a me problem. I promise. I was so intrigued by it though. I thought it was cute.

I got an e-arc of this book on NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I was so excited to check this book out. I’m glad I did. I love romance and I’m happy that I got to read one written in a different language and with a different culture. It just shows love is everywhere. This is set in a beautiful island and finding love where least expected. Great book to end the season. I’ll be looking forward to more books.
The main character is fun yet had layer and as she chases down love she also finds herself.
What a fun book!
I always love mentioning the translator, they did amazing with this.

Recommended: yep!
for a romance-light story about romantic relationships, for side information about beekeeping and bees that might pique your interest in the topic, for a range of endings for each of the characters

Thoughts:
Look, I know the title has "romancing" in it, but it's not a romance novel like you might see from most traditional United States publishers. It's more subtle, and modest, and somehow that makes it feel so much more intimate in a lot of ways. It's all heart, no genitals. There are romantic relationships that are a focus, but there's not so much romance itself.

Romance in this story is also much less flashy, and yet much more impactful. Tearful confessions and bold declarations are sparse. We see love and affection through action. People stepping up to help someone they don't have to, or risking their own safety to ensure that of the person they admire. Getting mad at the person they admire for risking themselves in the first place. And, maybe if you're lucky, a tender kiss or two. You know the phrase "show don't tell?" That's how this is. Love is shown through actions far more than words.

What the perky cover and cutesy title don't hint at is the darker storyline woven into it as well. It was very unexpected but not at all unwelcome, so when we got the first perspective narration from an ominous and unnamed person, it colored everything else differently. Things that seemed so idyllic and light suddenly had a cloud chasing after them. This shifted the tone in a really interesting and exciting way, and allowed for an ending that was all kinds of crazy. loved seeing how everything connected between all the characters and I guessed absolutely none of it, which was fabulous.

There were a LOT of characters, all with complicated relationships between each other. I had to stop and think about who was connected with whom sometimes to remind myself what was going on when it switched between them. I did generally enjoy everyone's stories though, and I felt like they each got enough growth shown despite how much was going on. The three core friends have an interesting bond together, although I'm not sure we ever learn how they even met or why they're so close. They show it though, in really admirable ways.

This novel is translated, and huge kudos to the translator, because the book still felt like it carried that Korean style. It was eloquent and subtle and refined and had moments that popped with humor and insight. Reading it in Korean would be an interesting comparison, but it doesn't seem like anything has been lost in translation here. Even a plot point around words that are near rhymes were made to be similar enough in English as well that it was believable! That's quite impressive to me.

Overall I enjoyed this story and felt like there was so much in it for being a standard length novel. The translation was excellent and I'm really happy with the whole story that I got in here.

Thank you to NetGalley and Amazon Crossing for a free advanced copy. This is my honest review.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Hyun Joo Park for providing me with a complimentary digital ARC for Romancing on Jeju coming out August 20, 2024. The honest opinions expressed in this review are my own.

This is the first book by this author. I understand it’s a translation from Korean to English. I’ve been obsessed with Korean dramas for a long time, so I’m always looking for new Korean books to read. I think this book wasn’t quite what I was expecting. I was hoping for more romance. I think it was just a little dry for me. There was a lot of description of things and not so much dialogue and drama. I’m just more into dialogue, so I got lost in the descriptions. I would check out other books by this author.

Romancing on Jeju by Hyun-Joo Park was an entertaining story set on the island of Jeju!
The storyline was great and I flew through this book in one sitting. Kept me turning the pages late into the night.
This fun and exciting read that really took me on a ride. And one I hated to see end.
This story was so riveting and unique, that I'm still thinking about it.
It was realistic and relatable. I absolutely loved everything about it

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a really interesting read. The overall vibe of the book had cozy Kdramas vibes and nothing makes a cozier setting than Jeju island! The atmosphere and setting of Jeju Island with its beautiful nature- bees, waterfalls, beaches and oceans, also really helped to bring the story to life.

I found each of the perspectives of Romi, Chakyung, and Hami very interesting and none of them was boring or dull. I like how each women's romance life and story was different and unique.

They go to Jeju in search of Honeyman but things don't go as they expect. What was originally a journey to search for Romi's romance, it became one of self-discovery as well as one which helped to strengthened old relationships (friendships) as well as create new ones (romance). It became a journey to find one's purpose.

The ending took me a bit off-guard even though there was build up with Romi’s stalker as well as Chanmin’s suspicious actions. I feel like this part of the story was a bit random and out of nowhere which is my only overall complain on the story.

Overall, I do recommend reading this for someone looking for a story with cozy vibes!

Romancing on Jeju
Genre: Fiction, mystery, romance (book).
Rating: ★★.5 (2/5)

I thank NetGalley and Amazon Crossing for providing me with an advanced reader copy (ARC) of this book in return for an honest review.
***
Romancing on Jeju was a bit of a letdown. What was marketed as a romance turned out to be 90% mystery, which put me off the story a bit. I mean, even in Goodreads, the story is marketed under the tags "fiction" and "romance", so it definitely wasn't what I was expecting. It's not like I'm not a fan of the genre, but I think that it was... misleading, somehow.

Overall, the story had potential, but it struggled to balance the multiple topics it tried to tackle. As a result, none of them were explored in depth, leaving the story feeling all over the place and underdeveloped. And while I liked the characters, the confusion I felt didn't let me enjoy the story.

I was really excited for the island setting with a story about friendship,self Discovery and a bit of Romance at first I was really liking this the characters were great very unique and interesting but the more the story progressed I got more bored and I felt like I didn't care about anything in this book not the characters and not the romance I tried to take a break and get back to it but I still felt bored ,the book is just not for me I guess great writing tho props to the translator so in conclusion interesting concept just not excuted well.
Thank you for the e-arc I am sorry this one fell flat for me I would love to try other books by the author cuz I enjoyed the writing.

I struggled to get into this book; I was not expecting a high-stakes mystery alongside the friends-on-vacation/finding-lost-love plot. The characters were well-written and interesting. I do think the book lost something in translation; it felt like more telling than showing and the pace was slow at times. However, the dialogue was solid and moved the story along. It was an interesting premise!

This book is delightful. It's a fun trip with 3 besties to the romantic holiday destination of Jeju.

In so many ways, this book feels like a favorite kdrama - in all the best ways! I couldn't resist fancasting! All my favorite kdrama tropes are here! And of course, the romcom feels are real!

But it's also a mystery, with a stalker and a seedy criminal element.

And bees, apiaries, and beekeeping! You may actually learn something! I definitely appreciate this focus on hives and queens!

However, my favorite thing about this book is that it opens a dialogue about prosopagnosia, a little understood disability where someone struggles to recognize faces.

I adore the three main characters of this book. Each gets her time in the sun, and each needs the others. Above everything, this story is about the beauty of friendship and taking care of each other.

An interesting story set on the island of Jeju. Romi has been unable to get a man who lives on Jeju out of her mind and so her friend Hadam, a filmmaker convinces her to travel there to search for him and their pal Chakyung, a marketer tags along. She finds him but he doesn't remember her. There are, however, other opportunities for the trio. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. A good read.

*Romancing on Jeju* by Hyun-Joo Park is an atmospheric and enchanting novel that seamlessly blends romance, mystery, and self-discovery against the stunning backdrop of Jeju Island. Park, a celebrated Korean author, crafts a vibrant narrative filled with emotional depth and engaging characters, making this book a captivating read from start to finish.

The story follows Romi, a passionate illustrator who finds herself irresistibly drawn to a fleeting encounter with a mysterious stranger. Driven by her romantic ideals and an unshakeable sense of destiny, Romi decides to track down her enigmatic admirer, but not before inviting her two closest friends to join her on this adventure.

Hadam, an aspiring filmmaker, seizes the opportunity to document Romi’s quest as part of her debut project. Her journey is not just about capturing Romi’s search for love but also confronting her own fears of failure. Meanwhile, Chakyung, a marketing professional, views the trip as a chance to revamp her career and gain some personal insight into her lingering unhappiness.

As the trio arrives on the picturesque Jeju Island, they are greeted by its breathtaking landscapes—the emerald waterfalls, sandy beaches, and lush scenery offer a perfect escape from their everyday lives. However, their idyllic vacation quickly becomes complicated by a series of misunderstandings, mistaken identities, and the unsettling presence of a mysterious stalker.

The novel shines in its portrayal of friendship and self-exploration. Romi’s quest for romance serves as a catalyst for each character’s personal growth. Hadam’s journey to overcome her fears and Chakyung’s search for fulfillment are interwoven with Romi’s romantic pursuit, creating a rich tapestry of intertwined narratives. The setting of Jeju Island is more than just a backdrop; it becomes a character in its own right, with its natural beauty contrasting sharply against the novel’s more sinister elements.

Hyun-Joo Park excels at creating a sense of place and atmosphere, making Jeju Island’s charm palpable to readers. The interplay of romance and mystery adds layers of intrigue, keeping readers engaged as the plot unfolds. The subplot involving a legendary queen bee and the conspiracy surrounding it introduces an element of suspense that enhances the story’s emotional and narrative depth.

*Romancing on Jeju* is a delightful read that combines the allure of a romantic adventure with the complexity of personal discovery. Park’s deft storytelling and richly drawn characters make this novel a compelling exploration of friendship, love, and the search for one’s purpose. It is a heartwarming and thrilling journey that reminds us of the transformative power of travel and the enduring strength of true friendship.

I always try to get a decent amount of translations in each year, and I was tempted by this story set in South Korea. I really liked the sound of the premise of Romancing On Jeju, with its island setting and what seemed like a focus on friendship as well as the search for love. I've been looking forward to read it, although I confess that I was a bit worried when I saw it was receiving quite low ratings so far... Sadly, I didn't turn out to be an exception, and I ended up struggling considerably with this story.

I think the title is actually a bit misleading, because Romancing On Jeju is actually more mystery than romance... The more literal translation Searching For Honeyman (also the name of the project of the three friends) would have suited the story so much better while also portraying that hint of mystery. The plot turned out to be a lot darker than expected, and this might have been part of the issue as I was expecting a fun romcom. This was neither my biggest nor the only issue I encountered along the way though; I'll try to explain why Romancing On Jeju wasn't a good fit for me.

First of all, I have to say that I did very much enjoy the Jeju island setting and its descriptions. I also liked the focus on beekeepers and I definitely learned a thing or two about the production of honey. I always love bookish traveling to international destinations, and you will find plenty of that in this translation. Sadly the story itself mainly just confused me. Romancing On Jeju uses a multiple POV structure and sometimes switches between POVs that are seemingly not connected to each other. These switches were quite abrupt as well, and as a result the story felt quite disjointed. There were certain chapters I simply had no clue what was going on nor what it ment, and this started to get really frustrating.

Like I said before, Romancing On Jeju is a lot darker than expected and the main genre is more mystery/thriller than contemporary or romance. The plot includes stalking, violence, crime, what feels like a conspiracy plot... Not something I usually mind, but in this case I had no clue what was really going on and the disjointed plot just didn't manage to grab my attention for long enough. On top of this, the romance itself was both lackluster and basically cringeworthy, including the dreaded love triangle vibe, cheating and an amnesia angle. There was also something about the writing style and word choice that somehow just didn't work for me personally.

The friendship between the three friends had potential, but it was kind of buried under all the other issues. The pace itself was extremely slow, as this story is mostly character-driven and there is a lot of focus on the characters talking. Again, not my cup of tea at all, as slower stories simply don't seem to work for me at the moment. The plot felt surprisingly dull considering everything that was apparently happening, and I confess that I started skimreading well before the halfway mark. I kind of wish I had just DNFed it instead... Oh yes, Romancing On Jeju and me were definitely not a good match.

This reminded me of a K-drama, which I love. The characters all were friendly and meshed well together. You could actually see these ladies being friends. Hopefully, Park Hyun-Joo writes more romance. I also liked that it had a bit of mystery thrown in.

I really wanted to like this book as I'm usually very into asian stories (one of my favorites is Lucie Yi is not a romantic) but unfortunately this was a big miss for me.
I couldn't get into the story, I wasn't connecting with the characters, and I felt very lost with what was happening throughout the story.
I just finished it because I wanted to know how the book ended and cause I was already 3/4 of the way so figured I might as well finish it.
It had sooo much potential, and I was looking forward to liking this book but unfortunately was a miss.

Thanks NetGalley and publishers for allowing me to read an ARC in exchange for an unbiased review.