An enjoyable story of three young American women working in Seoul as au pairs. This was a sweet and surprisingly emotional book with many K-pop and K-drama references. Friendship, romance, food, art, fashion, families and children are central to this story, as are the descriptions of the city of Seoul. I'm secretly hoping they make a movie or show about this book!

This very much gave me sisterhood of the traveling pants but with wishes. I loved that we were able to see the stories and growth of each girl as they were nannying for families in Seoul. Each girl had such distinct differences in where they were in their life. What they were trying to get out of their experience. But more importantly they were trying to be good friends for each other and meeting everyone where they are.

I loved how each host family was different in how they wanted to raise their children and yet they were still really close friends despite having differences in raising their children. I liked that you could see the children's attachment to their nanny and how those relationships grew as they got to know them.

Overall, I cannot speak highly enough about Leesa Cross-Smith's books. They are so emotional and make you think about yourself more than you're prepared for when you start them.

I really appreciated all the elements of Korean culture woven into this book; the setting, the food, the traditions, even the casual Korean phrases. Those aspects added a unique and immersive layer to the story. Unfortunately, the rest of the book just didn’t land for me.

The pacing felt off, too slow in the middle, then suddenly rushed toward the end, leaving important plot threads feeling underdeveloped or brushed over. The premise had so much potential, but I struggled with the execution.

The main characters, Lydia, Jenny, and Selene, are in their mid-twenties, but their dialogue and behavior often felt oddly immature and forced. Their romantic interactions in particular were difficult to connect with because they didn’t come across as emotionally grounded or believable. I found all three girls to be frustratingly self-absorbed in a way that made them hard to root for, and their decisions didn’t always make sense within the context of their age or supposed life experience.

Some moments were genuinely cringey to read, and the dialogue didn’t flow naturally. It felt like it was trying too hard to be clever or meaningful but often missed the mark. There were also pacing inconsistencies: some storylines moved too fast to feel earned, while others dragged with little payoff.

This had all the elements for something magical, Korea as a backdrop, a dreamy magical realism twist, and a story of female friendship, but unfortunately, it just didn’t come together in a satisfying way for me.

My copy of this book was provided by NetGalley and Tiny Reparations Books for review purposes. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Loved the idea of the book and the friendships formed. I wasn’t prepared for how steamy the book is hahah, but otherwise found the storylines interesting. Also the book made me want to go to Korea, very nostalgic and great descriptions of their adventures.

DNF @ 26%

I just could not be bothered to care 😭 The writing style is extremely juvenile, so that alone was making me struggle to stay interested. It reads much more like a YA book with how immature everyone is.

And then it just felt very much like it was fetishizing Korean men to the point where all 3 main characters can't shut up about how hot all the men are because they are Korean. Literally all their conversations were leading back to it. I guess not even just Korean men, just South Korea in general. It's like all of them have one personality trait and it is ✨️loving Korea✨️.

Thanks to NetGalley, Penguin Group Dutton, & Tiny Reparation Books for providing an eARC of As You Wish in exchange for this honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tiny Reparations Books for the eARC!

The premise of three girls traveling to Seoul to be au pairs and making a wish on a magical waterfall on Jeju island was intriguing. I appreciated that the author really emphasized many aspects of Korean culture (especially kpop) but sometimes it felt a bit over the top/forced. I also felt some of the actions that Jenny made were quite immature. I also didn’t connect with many of the characters and the host families felt one dimensional.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I picked this read up as I was drawn to the premise of the story, the idea of sisterhood between the three girls, and the coming-of-age themes for protagonists that were closer to my age. However, I had a really hard time connecting to any of the characters, and I found some of their actions to be quite juvenile/immature (besides the handful of spicier scenes, it felt much more like a YA read than an adult novel). It's evident that the author's love for South Korea and its culture runs deep, but I also wonder if this lead to an over-romanticization of the setting - I'd love to hear Korean readers' perspective on this.

Ultimately, I do think this novel could be a fun and quick read for those transitioning from YA to more adult romances. However, it unfortunately just wasn't for me.

First and foremost, thank you to the publisher and the author for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. I loved this story and it was definitely worth the read! I absolutely loved this book!!!

Be careful what you wish for. I have heard that so many times. Three au pair girls in Seoul visit an enchanted waterfall and overnight everything changes. A beautiful story and I so enjoyed the friendship between the three girls.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

“It was a treasure to know a place she’d never been before could also feel like home”

3.5⭐️ rounded up

This was a cute, cozy read! I loved the premise, learning more about the Seoul culture, and seeing the different family dynamics!

I however, wasn’t a huge fan of the multiple POVs in this one since it made for multiple storylines. It felt like a lot to keep up with and sometimes didn’t feel like a streamlined story overall because of it. Lydia and Jenny also irritated me a bit 😬 I just wanted to love this one more than I did 😭

Thank you @penguinrandomhouse @duttonbooks and @tinyrepbooks for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

As You Wish had me at the cover. What a beautiful cover. The book was also a good read. Lydia, Selene, and Jenny get an opportunity to go on vacation in Seoul as au pairs with three families they nanny for. They each have their own "wish" as they travel across the world. They make a wish at a waterfall and their wishes start coming true. But is what we wish for at the moment really what we want in the long term.

This was a good read. Thank you to the publisher for the eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This was little bit of a slow book at first but I am glad I kept with it because it ended up being such a wonderful book and I was crying by the end. Watching these three women change and grow throughout the time in Korea was so fun.

Lydia, Jenny, and Selene—three young American women—embark on an exciting adventure as au pairs in Seoul, each working for families who are long-time friends. Eager to explore their new surroundings, the trio stumbles upon a hidden, enchanted waterfall and impulsively make wishes. To their astonishment, those wishes appear to begin coming true the very next morning. At first, everything seems perfect—just what they had hoped for. But as time passes, the girls begin to uncover the unintended consequences of their desires. What did they truly wish for? Did the magic actually work—or is something else at play? And as the reality of their new circumstances sets in, they’re forced to ask themselves: do they still want their wishes to come true?

I ended up picking up this book after its release date and decided to listen to the audiobook version. I'm really glad I did—the narration brought the characters to life in a way that kept me engaged, and I think the audio experience is what helped me stay with the story until the end.

What initially drew me in was the vibrant cover and fun premise—I’m a big fan of stories about living abroad and discovering new places. The book does a great job setting the scene, with vivid descriptions of Korean food, music (there are multiple playlists included and available on music apps), and city life.

(Actual: 3.5⭐, rounded up) This was a cute, very feel-good read! I thought the plot was a fun take on the "coming-of-age" trope (but with adults), and I appreciated how the author really took the time to flesh out all 3 FMCs so that they were all distinctly different from one another (but easy to see why they're bffs in the first place), and also all very relatable in their own ways. AS YOU WISH honestly made me want to travel to Seoul/SK even more, and/or just go on holiday with my own besties in general lol, no joke. For sure pick this one up if you're looking for a light summer holiday read that is sure to make you feel all the emotions in a positive way!

Sometimes, when we make a wish, we mean something other than what we say. As You Wish is the epitome of wishing for what you think you want and receiving what you need in the end.

I normally run away from books that have any plot line regarding au-pairs just because it resides too close to my own work. When I read, I’m here to see a different life aside from my own. Although the premise of this book high intrigued me, and I made sure to do research none of the au-pairs ended up with a parent (that’s just too far for me)

As You Wish’s story is laid out between three POVs, there are a lot of families at play and they’re extremely intertwined ao I would recommend using the families maps at the beginning of the book.

Overall, the story was entertaining and well paced. I enjoyed the romance especially since each woman’s situation was vastly different from the other.

Pub Date June 24 2025

ARC provided by Dutton, Tiny Reparations Books and NetGalley. Thank you.

review posted to NetGalley & Goodreads

This was a sweet story. I liked the relationships between the three girls, and I liked seeing how they banded together both before and after the wishes played out.

I picked this book up because it was about three American women in their early 20s living in Seoul, and I was once an American woman in my early 20s living in Seoul. It also just sounded cute. And guess what, it was! The author did a fabulous job of sprinkling in Korean culture throughout the book, and it made me wish I could go back to Korea right freaking now. All three of the main characters are well fleshed out themselves, and their different storylines were all equally intriguing. I never really felt myself missing another storyline while another was going on. The romances in this were cute, and the ending was a little too HEA for me, but that's a personal issue that most who pick up this book won't have.

Thank you to Penguin Group Dutton and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

DNF @ 41% - I started this in late March and found myself not wanting to pick it back up. It felt like more of a chore to read, and I didn't feel particularly connected to any of the characters.

I've enjoyed all of Ms. Cross-Smith's previous books and was looking forward to her new release, As You Wish.

The novel is narrated by three main characters: Jenny, Selene and Lydia - all young American au pairs newly arrived in Korea to work for three families who are all close friends. They're in the mid-20's and that was part of the challenge for me in terms of understanding their motivations. I did love all the detail about living in Seoul and thought Ms. Cross-Smith was successful with developing the characters, both the three young women as well as the adults they worked for. Ms. Cross-Smith's love of Korea comes across loud and clear in the book.
Thanks to Netgalley and Tiny Reparations Books for the opportunity to read As You Wish. I received a complimentary copy of the book and opinions expressed are completely my own.

What an honor to receive this ARC from Leesa and Tiny Reparations Books.

A book about love and friendship and every wonderful bit of the K-pop/k-drama world that has brought me so much joy and comfort over the years.

You follow three au pairs turned best friends who live in Seoul and make a wish on a magical waterfall. What ensues is their wishes coming true while discovering themselves and finding the dreamiest love. I loved following each woman’s story and romance. I particularly loved Haru and Joon especially since I know the author’s inspo for each character.

This will fill you up and make you feel warm and fuzzy. What a delight to read this in these hard times.

Thank you for this one, Leesa. I loved seeing a piece of your heart and soul put into this.

Want to feel happy? Read this!!