A very fun read. I appreciated the representation of Korean culture throughout this book. It enriched the story, both in creating meaningful connections between the characters, as well as showing challenges the MMC and FMC had because of the cultural norms and traditions of their Korean heritage.

Thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing for providing a free digital ARC to review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

Julia Song Is Undatable is such a pleasure to read! It's Susan Lee's adult debut and I hope we see many more adult romances from Lee in the future!

Julia is a hard working and successful entrepreneur of a skincare company with sights towards eventually expanding her brand to Korea. She hasn't prioritized dating, especially since she's had very limited success in the past. Tae is her old neighbor who has recently moved back to their Korean neighborhood in Irvine to help his family and community. Thanks to some meddling, he gets wrangled into helping Julia prepare for her dates when their friendship begins to take a different direction.

This book has it all. It's charming and funny and packs an emotional punch. I really admire Lee's ability to create characters that are imperfect and relatable but still charismatic. Most of all I appreciated that Tae and Julia experience personal growth beyond their relationship.

I received this book as an ARC. I absolutely loved it. I lived in Korea for a long time, went to Grad school in Korea and worked there. I love Kdrama’s as well. This book reads exactly like a romantic comedy kdrama. The FMC is successful in her career , and really likable and the MMC is like the perfect male lead of a drama. The side characters were really likable and memorable, the way the culture was portrayed and explained was easy to follow for people who may not be familiar with certain aspects of Korean culture. It had moments that will definitely make you laugh, swoon, and root for the MMC. I absolutely recommend this when it comes out. Susan Lee is one of those comfort writers for me

I really enjoyed this book, it reminded me of a K drama and it was so cute and heart warming. Those who love K dramas will love this!
Thank you Netgalley and HarperCollins for this ARC in exchange for an honest review .

Y'all. Susan Lee's adult debut DID NOT DISAPPOINT!

I've been an avid reader of her, most recently finishing The Romance Rivalry and this book was everything I wanted!

It feels like straight out of a kdrama, and like her other books does amazing with capturing the essence of the Korean culture, familial piety, workplace dynamics and everything in between. All at the same time while showing character growth along the way!

I am an absolute sucker for the fake dating/teach me trope and this satisfied every need! The chemistry between Julia and Tae was steaming and I loved the banter so much.

Please keep writing more adult books! I can't wait to read more in the future!

Thank you SO MUCH to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing & Canary Street Press for the ARC opportunity!

I found this book a little boring, and I wasn’t really rooting for any of the characters - they all felt pretty flat and stereotypical.

I appreciated all the aspects of Korean culture woven in.

Julia Song agreed to three dates set up by her family to fulfill her grandmother's wish. She enlists family friend Tae Kim who is helping his Dad recover from cancer and avoiding his life in Chicago but helps the local Korean-American community. It's a fun rom com as he helps her weather dates with men who sound good on paper, but can't handle a blunt, business woman.

This is such a fun book! The romance is built slowly as Tae and Julia get to know each other and share fake dates. The arranged dates add to the comedic tone. I loved the characters and their reluctance to go forward. It did drag toward the end as loose threads were tied up, but the ending was wonderfully romantic. My only quibble is that as the watched BTS in a homemade backyard concert movie, and it was not mentioned how Tae has the exact same name as V. Common names aren't weird, but missed the chance for a little humor.

I would like to thank NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for sending me a copy of the e-book to read and review. I've enjoyed all of Susan Lee's novels for young adult audiences, so I was especially excited to dive into her adult debut. Julia Song is Undateable (such a witty title!) is a charming, heartfelt, funny and swoon worthy read that had me cheering and smiling with the flip of each page.

Julia Song is a successful businesswoman who is at the top of her game, but, as the title suggests, tends to find herself unlucky in love. Her beloved grandmother has noticed, and informs Julia that her dying wish is to see Julia finally find the love of her life. Enter local fix-it family guy (and former childhood friend) with a heart of gold Taehyung "Tae" Kim, who is recruited by Julia's grandmother to be her dating coach. Tae himself is notorious in the field of love as well - he dates women and immediately after they break up, they find the guy of their dreams. Tae and Julia go out on practice dates to prepare Julia for 3 real dates set up by her family, but on the way, she finds out that love truly might've been right in front of her this whole time.

I am not necessarily a trope person, but I am a huge sucker for friends to lovers (I especially liked the fact that the woman was older in the relationship!) and this book delivered! Both Julia and Tae are fantastic MCs with relatable voices, and I'm happy that Susan Lee alternated their perspectives throughout the book. The writing was funny (as an ARMY, I loved all of the BTS references), romantic, and tender, and there were never any moments of melodrama or that felt rushed or incomplete. This book made me feel all the emotions!!!

In conclusion, this is a wonderful book that is sure to be a favorite among romance readers! I'm looking forward to having it on my shelf to reread whenever I need to smile after a hard day.

Julia Song is Undateable follows Julia Song, a successful Korean-American CEO of a cosmetics company, whose grandmother—facing health struggles—guilts her into going on dates so she can “finally” get married. Julia’s long-time neighbor and childhood friend, Tae, agrees to be her dating coach, and what follows is a mix of cute, heartfelt moments and frustrating slow-burn romance.

I really enjoyed both Julia and Tae, and the setup with the grandmother’s matchmaking push was fun and culturally grounded. The first half of the book had great chemistry and kept me engaged.

Unfortunately, the last 40% was riddled with miscommunication—conflicts that could have been solved in one conversation were dragged out for weeks, which made it hard to root for them. Once Julia and Tae actually got together, the romantic tension fizzled, and I started to lose interest. The spice scenes also felt awkward and hard to follow, which I think showed that this was the author’s first adult romance.

Overall, this was a cute story with a happy ending, but the drawn-out misunderstandings and pacing issues kept it from being a full hit for me.

Spoiler free: Susan Lee has done it again writing another book that has me kicking my feet and blushing. She creates stories for all the K-drama and webtoon loving fans, and I’ll eat them up every single time. Julia Song Is Undateable has the perfect mix of cute romance but also discuss real topics that people go through. If you want a nice little read I definitely recommend this!

I like to thank the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me a read.

If you like KDramas, especially ones that feature friends to lovers, then this is for you! At times, I was reading with a smile on my face for how relatable the characters were and how if this was adapted into a show who would play who.

Julia Song is quirky, pretty, but absolutely horrid at dating. She is too blunt, apparently makes men cry, and is 30 years old and needing to get married before her grandmother (apparently) passes.

Enter our male lead, he is 25, just out of a relationship, moved back from Chicago to take care of his dad, and is known as the go-to-guy for fixing, building, 'I'll do anything for you' (plus apparently is a hot interest after showing up to a gala in a grey suit). Julia's grandmother (who is friends with his family) pays him to help Julia out, practice dating and see if she can make it through her three dates (set up by her mother). Secretly, he has always had a crush on Julia dating back to their childhood, but he knows she is out of his league and after the crap he has gone through in the last year, who would want to try dating him. (He makes a comment that people get married after breaking up with him, so he's kind of seen as a 'luck' charm for those looking to secure a romance and marriage.

Watching Julia and him go on practice dates felt easy, natural, and cute. Her dates however were disasters and the men were all wrong for her, but she took it like a champ and in true KDrama fashion, lived to tell the tale. The more she goes out on dates with him the more she realizes maybe the one was always there for her,.

The reason I rated it down a star is I felt the things with her company were more or less not really a huge part of the story, and while it kind of kick-started her whole need to go and date it didn't really feel like anything. I kind of wanted some workplace drama or issue to crop up besides the misunderstanding (because that's usually what happens in stories like this). Alas, no.

STILL. There is something cute and fun about this and if you're looking to have KDrama feels of the reading kind, then, this book is for you.

Thank you netgalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for gifting me this eARC in exchange for my honest thoughts!   
  
This story is about Julia, the owner of a successful Korean skincare brand and Tae, Julia's childhood neighbor who is struggling to find his place in the world.   
  
Julia's character did a good job of exploring the experience of children of immigrant parents. I think many of us experience the burden of believing we are responsible of taking care of our parents. Even when this sometimes means we put parts of our life on pause. In Julia's case that part was love.   
  
Tae is a character that, on surface level, comes across as young and maybe a little immature. Instabilities in his personal life make it appear as though he has some growing up to do. But he, like Julia, is very family oriented and loves his community.   
  
There were times when the writing felt a little young, but I really enjoyed reading about these two characters finding themselves through love. Julia found someone who loved her for being herself, and Tae found someone who accepted his flaws and encouraged him to grow.

Julia Song Is Undateable is a refreshingly honest and heartfelt read that explores the complexities of modern dating through the eyes of its relatable protagonist, Julia. Susan Lee’s writing style is engaging and witty, perfectly capturing the awkwardness and vulnerability that come with navigating relationships. I appreciated how the book balances humor with deeper reflections on self-worth and cultural expectations. Overall, it’s a charming and insightful story that left me both smiling and thinking about the challenges of love in today’s world.

Julia Song, is a 30-something Korean CEO of Starlight Cosmetics and is pretty much “rockin’” the business aspect of her life. When Julia she is confronted with her beloved grandmother’s “frailty” and “Halmoni’s” guilt trip about seeing her granddaughter marry before she dies, she agrees to three set-up dates arranged by family and friends. The son of one of her neighbors, Tae Kim, is someone Julia used to babysit, the local hot guy who leaves the community gals swooning. Tae agrees to be Julia’s dating coach and to make her “undateable” status a thing of the past. Of course, he does not let Julia know that he had a mad crush on her when she was his babysitter. But that was then and this is now.

What ensues is a sweet madcap dating adventure for Julia and, with Tae smoothing out her rough edges, she manages to navigate to Korean dating world. What is readily apparent to the reader is not to the two main characters. You cheer on Tae and Julia but aren’t quite sure they will see the light.

I really liked this book, particularly because this is not the genre that is typically “in my wheelhouse.” It gave me a very small slice of insight into the Korean culture and customs, their sense of community, reverence for their elders, familial expectations and work ethic.

This book is light-hearted and fun, engaging and wholly entertaining. I particularly enjoyed the repartee between the various characters. To me, there was good character development and, even though the plot was totally formulaic, it still left me with that feel-good feeling. Nice way to escape in this world of constant uncertainty.

fun, hilarious, effective romcom novel with some cool plotting and some adorable character chemistry. 4 stars. tysm for the arc.

3.75

While this is technically an adult romance, it definitely still felt more YA especially in the tone and plot structure. It was a quick, easy read that leaned a bit repetitive in places. Still, it offered a nice blend of fun and heart. I appreciated how it approached deeper topics like mental health, family expectations, and cultural identity. Julia was super relatable, and while Tae was sweet, their chemistry was enough to have me rooting for them.

Tropes:
Frirends to Lovers
Miscommunication
Age Gap

5/5 best romance of the year by far!!!! Julia is so strong as a women that is such an inspiration especially in the business world! The chemistry shown throughout this story is also amazing and I feel it highlights what can be a true real life love story. Having upfront family expectations while also having moments of self discovery and cultural identity is hard to pinpoint in today’s world!!!

Love love LOVED this one! It felt like such a fresh take on friends-to-lovers and on the fake "oops we caught feelings" relationship. Julia was such a relatable heroine, balancing her own wants and her family's expectations, and as a BTs fan. you KNOW I'm going to be partial to an MMC literally named Kim Taehyung :P

Oh my heart!!! Where to start???
First, I'm starting with Julia. I love her. She's so flawed and messy and relatable and perfect and smart and funny. She's just the most real FMC l've read in a long time. On the surface she has everything but Lee adds a depth to her character as we see Julia's insecurities and challenges come right up. I loved how she faced her issues and really truly grew as a character.
And Tae. The most swoon worthy MMC I've read in a very long time. And the best part?
He isn't perfect either. He's a little lost but not in the usual ways and he struggles with finding what he needs while he helps everyone else. I loved him from the moment he was introduced.
Lee created one of the most readable, binge-worthy friends to lovers romances l've read in an incredibly long time!!
Thank you so much for the ARC!!

I LOVEDDDDDDD this romance!!!! I don’t always go for the childhood friends to lovers trope but it was sooooo well played in this one. Anytime fake dating is involved, I am SAT and this book exceeded even my highest expectations. Julia is an absolute powerhouse goddess supreme (imo) and Tae is truly my soft, caring lover boy dream boat. I really appreciated having a male love interest that flipped the word ‘successful’ on its head. So much of the book was surrounded on Julia’s career and financial success (valid!!!! boss angel!!) & the same from her potential suitors. But Tae was the best of them all, maybe not successful in the career-centered sense but successful in how well loved and respected he was by his community. He is the most special boy in the whole world and I love him sm. We love a selfless, caring king!!!!! Anyways, I’m gay but clearly I would lay it down for THIS man specifically, so thank you, Susan, for writing him.❤️