This book was so entertaining! I really enjoyed the K-Pop aspect of it. Hyeri and Minseok has such good chemistry. I could not put this book down! I think I preferred this book to the first in the series, for sure. The book touched not only on entertaining topics, like idol shows, but also the darkness that goes on behind the scene in K-Pop.

Kat Cho's Wish Upon a K-Star is a charming YA novel that blends the high-stakes world of K-Pop with a touch of magic. The story follows Hana, a talented baker who finds a fallen star, and Min-Joon, a globally famous K-Pop idol desperate to escape the pressures of his career. As their paths collide, they find a surprising connection. Cho skillfully explores themes of fame, personal ambition, and the importance of chasing your own happiness. It’s a sweet and hopeful story about finding your own voice and believing in your own magic, making it a delightful read for fans of contemporary romance and fantasy.

This was a fun one about the behind the scenes drama and work that goes into being KPop stars from the perspective of one girl and one boy and a whole lot of others around them in their orbits.

It's a lot about celebrity worship culture (which I saw on full display in a recent trip to Japan) and getting back into the public's good graces by concocting a plan after a scandal hits.

Very cute K-Pop story that delivers lots of drama, angst, and frenemies romance. For those students who can't get enough K-Pop and K-Drama, this is sure to be a winner!

Shin Hyeri has experienced quite a bit of drama in her short career, and Moon Minseok, who was brought into the spotlight through his band, has also faced his share of ups and downs. Could these two help boost each other's careers by pretending to fall in love? Wish Upon a K-Star offers readers a look into the secret lives of K-pop stars and the challenging toll it can take on them. While there's a spark between the romantic leads, it somehow feels like a deeper connection is missing. The drama moments sometimes feel like they distract from the main plot and character growth rather than moving them forward.

Definitely a book for a specific group of people, I’m just not in that target audience! A fun concept and well executed.

In Wish Upon a K-Star K-drama actress Shin Hyeri and K-pop heartthrob Moon Minseok are childhood “frenemies.” After an altercation at a festival, they are forced to star in a celebrity fake-marriage show to repair their images. As they spend time together, their attraction is impossible to ignore. Solving the mystery of who is sabotaging Hyeri’s career, working through Hyeri’s indecision about accepting a role in an American drama, and resolving the conflict between Minseok and one of his bandmates, are a few of the subplots that keep the story rolling. Inclusion of mixed media news articles and blogs about Hyeri’s problems with the press create veracity, as the story explores the world of South Korean idol culture. I got a tutorial from the internet on all the Korean terms of endearment and respect that were used, as well as the exotic food offerings.

Thank you to NetGalley and Disney Hyperion for providing this electronic advanced copy for review!

I really enjoyed the previous book in this world, Once Upon a K-Prom, and Wish Upon a K-Star was just as cute! I really enjoyed this novel and glimpsing all the drama of the idol world (real or invented!).

This book also taught me 자기 (jagi), which I then said to my Korean husband who exclaimed “where did you learn that??” 😂

Overall, a super cute and fun teen k-drama book!

Very cute K-Pop story that delivers lots of drama, angst, and frenemies romance. For those students who can't get enough K-Pop and K-Drama, this is sure to be a winner!

My students really loved this, and they are obsessed with K-Pop, so this makes this the perfect addition to any middle/high school library, as it's something the kids are interested in and want to read about. The cover art is so cute also!

I didn't get to finish this one before it was taken away. I did like the other book by this author so I am sure I would have liked this one as well. Unfortunately, I didn't get it done.

I loved how Cho is able to balance a story about the pressures and expectations of the idol lifestyle with a swoony childhood crush story. Wish Upon a K-Star is a book I finished in a few days because I was so obsessed. There's these conversations about control over our own life. The business which controls our future and success has these ideas about what we should want. What is good for us. That doesn't even include our own family which might push us in ways we don't want. But what is worth fighting for? Sometimes we need someone to remind us our opinion matters.

Thank you to #NetGalley, Kat Cho, and the publisher of the book for the eARC copy in exchange for an honest review.

Moon or Moonster as his fans know him, wasn't born to lead. He feels like his role is as the jokester or the sidekick, Unfortunately, his band is now wrapped in dating scandals, and it’s time for Moonster to take charge of the group and how people see them. Shin has been dealing with her own scandals and issues. She is a rising K-Drama actress, she’s been labeled a “nepo baby” and now, a bully. She is desperate to show the world that she’s earned her spot rightfully. When these two childhood enemies get caught up in another scandal while co-hosting a K-Pop festival, the only one thing that will save both of their reputations and careers is to appear on one of Korea’s most popular variety shows, Our Celebrity Marriage. All they have to do is pretend to get along, win back the fans, then go their separate ways. What happens when a fake marriage leads to real feelings?

I love a good K-Pop YA book and this one did not disappoint! I cannot wait to recommend it to others!

A drama filled fake relationship of convenience that turns real when two celebrities in need of career boosts agree to be on a reality wedding show that has them getting fake married. This was a cute YA with good anxiety rep but TONS of drama. Just an okay read for me. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review!

✨𝐖𝐢𝐬𝐡 𝐔𝐩𝐨𝐧 𝐀 𝐊-𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫 𝐛𝐲 𝐊𝐚𝐭 𝐂𝐡𝐨✨

Hyeri, a rising K-drama actress, finds herself caught in a false bullying scandal that threatens to derail her career. In an attempt to salvage her image, she reluctantly agrees to join a fake marriage reality show—only to discover that her partner is none other than Moonster, a member of the famous K-pop group WDB. But to her, he’s Minseok—her childhood crush and enemy.

Will they be able to make it look real, or will their feelings betray them—or perhaps turn into something real in the process?

This book is a spin-off sequel to Once Upon a K-Prom, but it can be read as a standalone.

I’ve always loved Kat Cho’s books, and this one was no exception. In fact, I think it’s even better than the first! 🤩 Having watched We Got Married and other Korean variety shows, this story felt incredibly nostalgic and special to me—the insights, the cultural references, everything.

I absolutely loved it!💖

🌟childhood crush
🌟childhood enemy
🌟workplace romance
🌟hallyu
🌟reality tv
🌟fake marriage

I rate this book 4/5⭐️

Wish Upon a K-Star is OUT NOW!✨

Huge thanks to Netgalley and the author for the ARC.💖

DNF @ 15%

This started out with too much angst from the FMC and it did not catch my interest when the MMC entered the picture. I'm going to have to pass on this one. This is a me problem; I'm not the right audience for this book so don't let my preferences keep you away.

I received a digital ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Shin Hyeri is a Korean-American living in Seoul. Online, she is known as the “scandal princess” because of all the rumors surrounding her. When she has a backstage encounter with the K-Pop star “Moon”, their interaction turns into tabloid fodder. The two soon end up fake-dating each other to save their careers. Soon, the two are dealing with critical anti-fans, industry issues, and their developing feelings for each other. What will happen with their fake relationship? Will it become a real relationship?

The plot is entertaining and gives a no-holds barred approach to K-Pop industry. The character romantic dynamics are a bit lacking, but the characters are charming and relatable. People who like K-Pop, realistic fiction and romantic comedies will enjoy reading this book. Recommended for library collections where romances and realistic fiction are popular. 4 stars, Gr 7 and up.

4.25 stars!

As somebody who used to be really into kpop and korean variety shows this one was a lot of fun! We follow a former kpop idol turned actress who is constantly being dragged by the public. She gets the opportunity to turn her image aro0und but she'll have to be fake married to her former rush whoh is now apart of one of the biggest kpop boy groups. I enjoyed the mixture of friendship drama, and romance! I'm always a sucker for friends-enemies-lovers and it was even more fun with the idol trainee life as the backdrop.

As somebody who watched the korean variety show 'We Got Married' back in the day this was so fun, it could easily picture the show as I read the story. I think this is perfect for fans of fake-marriage, hate-to-love, and the kpop scene!

Thank you to Disney Publishing for an arc in exchange for an honest review! <3

The eek I eeked when I saw this book was coming out. I loved Once Upon a K-Prom and the little cameo in this book from Robbie and Elena was perfect.

On to Hyrie and Minseok. I adored them. And fake dating {married}?! Yes. One of my most favorite tropes! And second chances?! Happy dance 💃🏻

I did not love her mom. At all. She was the worst. And the worst of this book for me.

I don’t think I am supposed to love her brother as much as I do but 🤷🏻‍♀️

But back to them. I loved their past story (even if it had heartbreaking moments). I love their now story. And even with all the bad that happened to them and around them I just generally loved and enjoyed this book.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for a chance to read and review.

Cho's follow-up to "Once Upon a K-Prom" brings even more K-Drama feels with this romantic comedy featuring Moonster (Moon Minseok) this time and Shin Hyeri, an idol-turned-actress and childhood friend to Moonster. Both battling an image-issue due to recent events, they have to team up on a reality show in order to boost each other up, and of course they fall in love in the process.

I really enjoyed seeing Hyeri get her come-back. She's spunky and full of tentative hope, and I really loved seeing her come into her own once she's given the space to do so. I also enjoyed seeing Minseok (Moonster) grow as a person because of his relationship with Hyeri. Both of them help each other find themselves and open up emotionally and speak up about what they want for once. Their up-and-down relationship is really the heart of this book and there's something so warm about seeing these two mend a broken relationship (broken because they were just kids!) and grow into stronger, more capable adults.

Cho's writing is just so cozy. I felt all warm and fuzzy while reading this book and it reads like a total K-drama. Cho does such a good job of capturing that buzzy, lighthearted romance feel, even while tackling some very intense topics, like anxiety and anger. I think she paced the drama well and was very mindful to keep space for her characters to grow organically. If I could change one thing, it would be to make more space for Moonster's POVs, since it is a duel-perspective novel. I felt that 90% of the POV was Hyeri and I wish it had been a little more balanced.

But overall, I'd say this book is really fun and a strong sequel to the first book. I enjoyed it very much and I read it quickly because it was so light and cozy. I'm not a quick reader, so I know I'm enjoying a book if I wan to keep picking it up and reading it.