Book Review: “Seoulmates” by Susan Lee

“Seoulmates” by Susan Lee (2022)

Genre: Romance, Contemporary, YA, Fiction

Page Length: 320 pages (electronic review edition)

Synopsis:

Hannah Cho had the next year all planned out—the perfect summer with her boyfriend, Nate, and then a fun senior year with their friends.

But then Nate does what everyone else in Hannah’s life seems to do—he leaves her, claiming they have nothing in common. He and all her friends are newly obsessed with K-pop and K-dramas, and Hannah is not. After years of trying to embrace the American part and shunning the Korean side of her Korean American identity to fit in, Hannah finds that’s exactly what now has her on the outs.

But someone who does know K-dramas—so well that he’s actually starring in one—is Jacob Kim, Hannah’s former best friend, whom she hasn’t seen in years. He’s desperate for a break from the fame, so a family trip back to San Diego might be just what he needs… that is, if he and Hannah can figure out what went wrong when they last parted and navigate the new feelings developing between them.

Review:

Seoulmates is an entertaining YA Romance novel that follows Hannah and Jacob, two best friends since childhood whose friendship has split apart over the years. This Summer Jacob comes back to visit with his family and the two are forced to cohabitate under the same roof. Can they repair their friendship or will Summer turn out to be even something more for them?

I always love a good summer romance which drew me initially to this book. Add in some mentions of K-Pop and K-Dramas and I was absolutely hooked into the plot. This novel follows a friends-to-lovers trope while also channeling themes of family, self-discovery, and a coming-of-age narrative. Both Jacob and Hannah are forced to reckon with their own pasts and relationships with each other. They try to heal the rift between them while also picking up their friendship where they left off.

Because of this, their relationship development felt so natural and it was sweet to see them develop into something more than friends. Readers will enjoy going along for the ride as the book takes us through multiple adventures in the city of San Diego. The book is lighthearted and cute while also focusing on the topic of culture and identity. I enjoyed seeing Hannah grow into her own as she’s been labeled for her “Koreaness” (as she states) and learns to not let others put her in a box while also gaining a greater appreciation for her culture.

This novel was charming and cute overall! Once I started to read it I couldn’t put it down. I loved all the small references to K-Dramas included and how the story also ties into some of those K-Drama themes to the plot itself.

Final Verdict:

FTC Disclaimer: I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.