⭐️: 4.75 / 5

Publication Date: June 24, 2025

I want to thank Tiny Reparations Books and Net Galley for allowing me to get an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

This book is split into 3 sections: Girls, Wishes, Inyeon. All of the FMCs are in their mid 20s starting work as au pairs for 3 families in Seoul, Korea. This story starts in Summer and goes through December with so many twists and turns throughout the story.

Some of the coolest aspects of this story, were all the descriptions of the different places in Korea they visited. Everything from the sights and sounds to the delicious food was described in such detail that I felt transported. I would also be remiss if I didn’t mention that the men in this book were phenomenal.

As for my reservations, I found Lydia and Jenny to be annoying from time to time and being more juvenile than you would expect from women their age.

Overall I thought this book was cute and sweet! There were moments that I was kicking my feet with glee and it was the perfect blend of friendship, romance, drama and humor. There’s playlists throughout the book and a list of suggested starter Korean dramas that this book has inspired me to give K-dramas a try!

Would recommend for those who are fans of
- Linear timelines
- South Korea setting
- Character driven stories
- Relationships
- Playlists!

Characters: 8
Atmosphere/setting: 10
Writing style: 10
Plot: 9
Intrigue: 10
Logic: 9
Relationships: 10
Entertainment: 10
Total: 4.75

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book before release in exchange for my honest review.

This book was just ok for me. Enjoyed the girls friendship but it wasn't all that enthralling for me.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy

As You Wish by Leesa Cross-Smith is a third person multi-POV romantic contemporary set in South Korea that follows three au pairs from America. Lydia, Jenny, and Selene meet for the first time when they are hired to take care of the children of three families who are friends with each other. On a trip to Jeju Island, the three girls wish for their heart’s desires and they start to get them and find genuine love on the way.

Jenny and Haru’s romance was the one I was most invested in, mostly because Jenny does notice so much about Haru and the quiet moments between them in the kitchen are one of my favorite set-ups for those moments in romance books. We only get Jenny’s POV, but we do see hints of Haru’s humor and his dedication to his career, which also helps make him feel real. Jenny’s POV does very strongly revolve around her romance with Haru and I think that makes sense because she met him on Jeju and they hit it off quickly, but she also thinks it’s just a fling and I wanted to shake her and say ‘no, he genuinely likes you.’ This is complicated further by the fact that Jenny is still getting over her ex who very quickly got engaged to an ex-girlfriend of his after he broke-up with Jenny.

Selene’s journey involves her looking for her birth mother and learning more about where she comes from as she was born in South Korea but raised by an American couple. She meets Joon who helps her on her mission and the two get closer, slowly becoming comfortable with each other the more time goes on. What I thought was really interesting about Selene’s journey is how the tone is fairly at peace with her situation, she just wants a name. When I often watch films about adoptees, there tends to be a frantic energy because they’re so desperate to know, but Selene being in her birth country and learning more about part of where she comes from is a journey on its own and she’s enjoying it.

Lydia goes through several dates and possible love interests before ending up with Santi, a young man from Spain who is attending the same art classes in Seoul as Lydia. Lydia’s journey not only involves romance but also her own feelings of inadequacy. Lydia doesn’t see herself as interesting or talented and relies a lot on external validation in regards to her looks and what she gets from her boss. Santi gives her very little in way of validation and I think that is exactly what she needs because it helps her see that she needs to learn how to validate herself and not go chasing people to give it to her.

I would recommend this to fans of contemporary fiction with strong romance subplots and readers who love K-dramas and K-pop and like references to it in their literature

Review posted to StoryGraph and Goodreads on 6/13/25. Review will be posted to Amazon on release day.

Lydia, Jenny, and Selene find themselves on a big adventure when they all become au pairs for three families in Seoul. The girls navigate their life in a new country while trying to figure out who they are and what they want.
If you love k-drama and k-pop you’ll love this book. I liked that the girls were all different and had different things they wanted to work on/learn about themselves. I enjoyed the supporting cast of characters. It was an overall cute, quick read.

I wanted to like this book but the writing style is just not for me. Important things would happen and the book would gloss over them only to give you details chapters later, I don't understand why it couldn't be done in the moment. I did like all the couples though.

I received an arc through netgalley

Be careful what you wish for...

3 au pairs in Korea make a different wish that they desire deep down and will learn that sometimes what you wish for can hurt but it can also help you grow.

I wanted to like this. I liked the premise. Plus I have a very big love for Seoul, Korea. The writing was at times cheesy and I found the characters very childish. It read like a YA but was written like a NA.

2.5/5 Stars * I thought this book was a cute story idea and it had some good pieces to it, but overall it wasn't my favorite read. I had a hard time reading Jenny and Lydia's chapters, but found myself more absorbed into Selene's story. Lydia felt so immature to me, and Jenny seemed like she only cared about boys. Selene's story seemed to have more depth and flowed more naturally. I was invested in whether or not she was going to find what she went to Seoul for. If it had been a book only about Selene with the other girls as minor background characters, I probably would have enjoyed the overall book more. Beyond the characters, there was just too much going on with the plot. There were so many stories I don't feel like any one story got the full attention that could have improved the story.

Unfortunately, this just wasn't for me. One thing I really loved throughout the story was the Korean settings and culture. That piece of it was so beautifully done. I felt like I was there. But I had a difficult time connecting to the characters and the overall story. There was a weird disjointedness in the characters. They were written in such a way that this felt very YA. The language and conversations and behaviors just didn't feel make those characters feel very adult (even considering they are young). Then there were the odd and weird placed spicy references which were hard to read when you can't think of the characters in an adult manner. I really, really struggled. And it may be that I am not the target audience for this specific book.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Such a fun and easy, cozy read!

The drama was there but even when things seemed tense, you knew the characters’ friendships would help them work it out. The details about living as a foreigner in Seoul were vivid and the relationships written about were all aspirational.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced review copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tiny Rep Books for the arc in exchange for a honest review!

Three American women move to Korea to au pair, and are all looking for something in the process. They become close friends, and while vacationing with the families on an island, they come across an enchanted waterfall. Each makes a wish, and they start coming true, for better or worse.

This was a fun and unique story. How much of a wish is actually true, and how much of it is perception? Each woman has a reason for moving across the world. I enjoyed each woman’s perspective, but Selene searching for her birth mother was my favorite. It was more emotional, and I could really relate to her.

This book talks about a lot of Korean traditions and food, and I really enjoyed that aspect too. I’m not familiar with any K-dramas, but the author took inspiration from them, so I could see my self enjoying them as well.

If you like women’s fiction with a touch of magical realism and multiple povs, then I think you’ll really like this one!

4.5 stars

joyful, well done, interesting plotted story about three au pairs wishing to get their current goals. 4 stars. tysm for the arc.

I liked this book - the characters, their development, their relationships and growth. I just felt that the pacing was very inconsistent and it felt very YA to me. At times the dialogue felt forced and not natural. All that being said, I loved the messages about the importance of friendships and confidence in yourself. I loved the Korean culture in the book. The characters themselves were wonderful, I just wished that they were a little more mature. Lydia, Jenny and Selene are all Au Pairs in Korea for three families that are best friends. After making a wish on vacation, they find their lives have drastically changed. It was a beautiful book about friendship, magic and love. I think if you are a fan of YA or if you are in your early twenties, this may resonate more with you than it did with you. I would love to hear your thoughts if you read this!
Thank you Netgalley for my advanced reader copy.

This one was okay. Not quite what I thought it would be but still an okay read. The characters were interesting but the story seemed a bit slow.

This book was OK. I didn’t love it as much as I thought that I would I didn’t love the fact that the characters felt much younger than they appeared to be. It read very much like a young adult book and I just didn’t love the aspect of that.

I wanted to love this but I couldn’t get into it at all. I tried reading it numerous times and I couldn’t connect with the characters at all. I absolutely loved the premise and the setting though. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this arc ebook in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

thank you to net galley and the publisher for a free arc in exchange for an honest review! this was charming although a little boring. I feel like I couldn't really connect with the characters so I couldn't stay interested. the setting of Korea and reading about Korea/korean culture was fun though

Lydia, Jenny, and Selene all end up in Seoul au pairing for a group of tight knit friends. While on vacation they journey up to a "magical" waterfall and each make a wish.
Lydia wants to be seen and have more confidence, Jenny doesn't want to fall in love again, and Selene wants to find her birth money.
This is a story about friendship, finding yourself, and also finding love a long the way.
With multiple pov, I will say I wish this book was a little longer as at point certain parts of stories were rushed.
And instead of an epilogue, we had Selene state if I could see this future this is what happened, leaving the reader a bit confused if that's what actually happened or if it's all speculation. 3.5 stars for (but rounding down)

This book was like a dreamy, emotional vacation I didn’t want to end. As You Wish follows three friends—Lydia, Jenny, and Selene—au pairing in Seoul, each chasing something different: fame, healing, or connection. A wish made under a magical waterfall on Jeju Island flips their lives in surprising, sometimes messy ways.

I loved how it mixed real-life struggles with a hint of magic. Jenny’s no-strings romance turning complicated, Selene’s search for her birth mom, Lydia’s unexpected heartache—it all felt so honest and tender. And the setting? Total vibe.

By the end, it’s clear the real magic is in their friendship. If you’re into stories about self-discovery, found family, and a dash of the mystical, this one’s for you.

You know the saying about be careful what you wish for. In As You Wish, Leesa Cross Smith deals exactly with that when three new friends make a wish and is it really what they want?

This story was uplifting of these three women in this friendship of support and building each other up.

I loved all the add in’s from there time in South Korea like the k dramas( I added some to my Netflix wishlist) K-pop song lists and all the descriptions of the food. Leesa did such a good job of immersing into this.

There are a ton of characters since the girls are au pairs to three families. At its center it really didn’t matter that I couldn’t remember which kids belonged to which families.

I definitely recommend this if wanting a story about friendship, hope and some Korean culture.
Thank you NetGalley, Leesa Cross Smith and Tiny Reparations Books for the eARC of this in exchange for my honest opinion.

Didn’t finish this book before my read expired and I have no desire to find it once it’s released. It was slow and so difficult to like.