I received a copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

I made it 50% of the way through this book and just didn't want to continue, unfortunately it's a DNF. Three girls are au-pairs in South Korea one summer, all there for different reasons. This seemed to have potential - three girls make wishes on the full moon at a waterfall, and the wishes start to seem to come true. I think these girls are supposed to be in their early 20's (I read at least 1 sex scene, and there is a lot of girl talk about boys and K-Pop star crushes), but they all read like they were 16 or 17 years old. Also the writing style was weird. I felt like it was just listing things. Telling instead of showing. And it was a lot of like "she had on a blue skirt, with a black flower, and then decided to put on a black shirt. She also wore red orange lipstick." I was just bored and there are also A LOT of characters and names, which was sometimes hard to keep track of. The cover of this book is beautiful, and if you want something escapist and don't mind simplistic writing style, more YA vibes for an adult story, you might like this. It just wasn't it for me.

This is a darling and whimsical book! Lydia, Jenny, and Solene are all in their early twenties and have each just begun serving as au pairs for families in Seoul. Lydia has felt mousy and unremarkable all her life and is hoping her prestigious art program will kickstart her confidence. Jenny is getting over a horrible breakup and vows to never fall in love again. And Solene is looking for her birth mother. The three girls become fast friends, and soon into their time in Seoul, all three families go to Jeju Island, where the girls each make a wish at a purportedly magic waterfall. None of them really believe their wishes will come true, but after their trip, they can't deny that what they've been wanting is starting to happen. But of course, it's not that easy.

This was a really lovely read. At its core, this is a book about finding yourself, standing on your own two feet, and the power of female friendship, all themes I love endlessly. There were times where the book felt more YA than new adult and the characters more like teens than twenty-somethings, and the tone was a bit all over the place, but overall it worked. It also felt a little forced for all three of the protagonists to end up with men and that be part of their "happy endings" they wished for, but it is a romance, so I can't complain too much. I appreciated the way each woman went after what she wanted and I loved the way they supported each other. Just a cozy, sweet coming of age story!

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Dutton for an advance reader's copy in exchange for an honest review!

📚: As You Wish by Leesa Cross-Smith
⭐️: 4/5

Three twenty-somethings find themselves together in Seoul, South Korea as au pairs - when it becomes obvious that finding themselves there together isn't just coincidence, it's inyeon (fate, meant to be). Lydia aspires to be an artist; Jenny is determined to swear off love for good 5,955 miles away from her slimy ex; and Selene hopes that being in Korea will lead her to her biological mother. This is a book about friendship, about love, and about wishes one makes in their lives.

Travelling to Seoul is on my bucket list, and this book was so descriptive and detailed in its setting, that it felt like I was transported there. I loved the culture that radiated from the pages - the language, food, and music wove into the story seamlessly.

Thanks to Penguin Group - Dutton via @netgalley for the digital ARC in exchange for an honest review. As You Wish is out now.

I've enjoyed other books by this author, but this one just wasn't for me. I'm sure other people will love it.

This was a good story. There was just something about the writing that made it really hard to get through.

From the moment I read the description, I wanted so badly to like AS YOU WISH. Happily, I loved it. Three women au pair in Korea, each with their own specific and heartfelt desire for closure, for success, and for reuniting with family. Through a magical moment, their wishes come true. Living those dream lives makes each person question what she's always wanted and who she most wants to be. The story flowed with believable characters in relatable situations, blundering and flowing into their dream lives. I enjoyed the magic, the dilemmas, the choices each woman has to make all the way through to the end. A lovely read. I received a copy of this book and these opinions are my own, unbiased thoughts.

This was a sweet book. It took me a while to get through it just moved slower than I think I was anticipating. I really enjoyed the friendships and the setting.

I really enjoyed this book and thought the friendship aspect was done so well! I loved the multiple POVs (that’s one of my favorite things when reading) and the characters were sweet and fun and I liked them. I will admit I felt similar to other readers in that I thought the book read a bit young, but it worked for the story to an extent. I liked the atmosphere in this book and how Korea was showed throughout the story.

3.75 ⭐

I liked this book but I didn’t love it. I felt because it read like a YA when it wasn’t marketed as one was where the disconnect was for me BUT I love the focus on friendships and the multiple POVs. I enjoyed seeing each of the journeys of the girls and how they navigated normal life problems. There were so many heartwarming parts.

Thanks NetGalley for the ARC!

REVIEW: As You Wish by Leesa Cross-Smith

As You Wish takes place in Seoul, where Lydia, Jenny, and Selene, all au pairs, become best friends. They discover a magical waterfall where they can make a wish, and their dreams begin to come true. The descriptions of Korea, its culture, and its food make you feel like you are genuinely there. The relationships between the girls and their host families were so strong and sweet.

Although I enjoyed each character’s story, their personalities sometimes seemed too similar at times, making it difficult to distinguish them. The characters needed a bit more depth. Some of the romantic situations and conflicts didn’t resonate with me as I had hoped. The pacing was also uneven; it sometimes moved very quickly and at other times quite slowly.

I did enjoy As You Wish, but it wasn’t my favorite. It may be an excellent book for you if you like strong friendships, a touch of magic, and a trip through Korea.,

Thank you, NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Dutton | Tiny Reparations Books, for providing me with a free advanced copy for my honest review.

This book was just okay for me. The characters were fine but I couldn't really get into it. I thought that having lived in Korea and visiting Jeju I would get more out of it, but it was a bit flat. I feel like it was meant for younger readers. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC.

In this unique triple perspective modern novel, readers follow au pairs Lydia, Jenny, and Selene as they explore life in Seoul for the first time and try to make their dreams come true. Lydia wants to become a leading lady, while Jenny is done with romance, and Selene is looking for her biological mother. On a vacation with all three of their host families, the women visit an enchanted waterfall on Jeju and make a wish, and the next day, all of their lives have changed for the better. However, Jenny realizes that her wish is blocking her chance at a happy ending, but taking back her wish will also affect Lydia and Selene, so they have to make difficult decisions for their friendship and their futures. Packed with details and intriguing, readers will love this complex and emotional new novel and its three interesting narrators. Their interactions are well-written and relatable, and their evolving relationships in Seoul add some fantastic depth to the novel and the characters’ backstories. The settings are detailed and a great backdrop to the characters’ arcs, and the three perspectives stand out and give each woman their share of the spotlight in this fascinating new novel.

I wanted to like this one but unfortunately it didn't quite work for me. I loved the concept of three young women journeying to Seoul to work as au pairs and making a wish at a magical waterfall. I also enjoyed learning more about different aspects of Korean culture. The plot itself was good but at times, it seemed somewhat excessive or contrived and the girls seemed a bit immature. Regrettably, I also struggled to connect with many of the characters, and the host families seemed somewhat superficial.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are my own

I was excited for this title because we have a large Korean population in my library’s community and I thought this would be a great book to promote. The plot was interesting, but I found most of the main characters annoying and hard to relate to. I still plan to promote this, but I just won’t have many options on it.

really enjoyed this book and the journey of the main character and all that they went through. It kept me on my toes and what would happen in the story.

3.5/5 rounding up

This reads like a love letter to Korea and Korea has been having a moment and I love it!!!

This is a coming of age story following 3 women in their 20s and it’s quite a whimsical read. It’s magical realism - they make a wish and their lives change. But be careful what you wish for because their wishes may not be what they actually really needed and deep down wanted.

Pacing and character development left a little something to be desired but overall good read.

The just didn’t work for me. The book felt too long and slightly as if it were written by ChatGPT if someone gave it a list of Netflix popular kdramas. The kdrama name drops were more annoying than charming, could have been the choices though. The au pairs more were more annoying than cute and all full of themselves. I think having alternating perspectives made it worse. The love interests were like bad second leads from a drama.

This may work well for a different audience or someone who maybe likes popular kpop but isn’t yet into dramas.

Thank you so much to Dutton/Tiny Representation Books for the free book!

This book is out now!

This book was so enjoyable! This book is told from 3 point of views: Lydia, Selene & Jenny. All 3 are from the United States and are working as au pairs in Korea. Each have different reasons for wanting to travel and be au pairs. The families that they work for are all friends so they are around each other very often. Luckily they all got along pretty well (small hiccup towards the end but all worked out in the end).

I am not sure if there was a storyline or girl that I liked more than the other. They each brought different things to the story. Lydia is looking to expand her life and be the shining star (much like the wife of the family she works for). Selene was adopted and is hoping being in Seoul she will be able to find her biological mother. Jenny is running away from a bad break up and wants to start over. I am a fan (especially in movies) where the element of making a wish and how the characters react when the moment of "holy crap it came true" happens. Their wishes correlate with their reasons for being in Korea.

I love seeing them all find themselves and grow a lot over the course of the summer. And the hopeless romantic in me also loved seeing them find love while being there. Jenny out of all of them did not want to find love and even wished for not ever to find love ever again. But she ended up falling for the brother of the family's wife that she works for! And all the men truly seemed to be such good guys and interested in these ladies.

I recommend this book if you are looking for a romance without detailed spice but at its core about friendship and Korean culture.

As You Wish is a sweet, cozy story about three women: Jenny, Lydia, and Selene, whose lives take an unexpected turn after each makes a wish. As their stories unfold, we see their friendships deepen and their unique backgrounds shine through, with culture woven beautifully into the narrative.

While the characters felt a bit younger than their ages and the writing style took me some time to adjust to, the warmth, hope, and charm of this book made it an enjoyable read.

When Jenny, Lydia, and Selene decided to become au pairs in Seoul, they never imagined they would make close friendships and become part of a mystical bargain. Each girl had dreams for their time away from home, but did not realize how much their goals could effect others. They make wishes under a full moon by a mystical waterfall! Will their wish make things better? Or will it ruin things for everyone?