If You Read These Books…Try These K-Dramas: Romance Edition Vol.2
Hello Everyone! As you know, I’m a big fan of Korean dramas and Romance novels. I’m back again to recommend more Romance novels that can be paired up with Korean Dramas and vice versa.
Each book or show centers around a romance or has romance included in the story line. I hope you all enjoy these personal picks and come away with some new books and TV shows to watch!
To see the first roundup of recommendations, click here.
In Seducing The Skeptic, Janet is desperate to save her physicist fellowship, when she tumbles into a strange fantasy world with one hot, frustrating prince. I loved the main character, Janet, and her comical sarcasm and wit when describing her journey and to deflect the sheer terror of some of the weird things that happened.
Faith depicts the love between a warrior from the Goryeo Period and a female doctor from the present day, and how their love transcends time and space. It’s incredibly action-packed and I love all of the sub-plots in the overall narrative. It’s one of my favorite shows!
Why You Should Watch/Read: Time Travel, Fantasy, Action-Packed
Get a Life, Chloe Brown is about chronically ill computer geek with a goal, a plan, and a list after a near-death experience. And though her journey is about falling in love, it’s also her story of self-discovery and pushing boundaries. Meeting Red helps Chloe to be more adventurous, but a lot that growth comes from within.
Scent of a Woman is a romantic-melodrama that depicts the life of a 30’ish woman who works as a low-level clerk. She works hard, but lives her life without much joy. She then learns that she is dying and decides to travel aboard to find happiness. This is a drama mixed with comedy and sadness, but I loved the message of living life to the fullest. It has some really beautiful moments.
Why You Should Watch/Read: Self-Discovery
A Taste of Sage is a spicy novel in which two feisty cooks go head to head in the kitchen. Told in alternating povs, our main characters, Lumi and Julian, give us glimpses into their life as a chef. Coming from different food backgrounds and having strong personalities, they tend to butt heads when it comes to cooking. I liked the aspect of Lumi’s synthesia when it came to eating others cooking. It gave the story a a somewhat magical feel and added a personal touch to the plot.
My Lovely Sam Soon follows a baker who has a talent in making pastries and cakes. On Christmas Eve, she caught her boyfriend cheating on her and breaks up. By sheer coincidence, she runs into Jin Hun who needs a baker for his restaurant Bon Appetit.. Sam Soon is hired as the restaurant’s chief baker and the two fight like cats and dogs. This was my very first K-Drama and I loved the banter between the lead couple! Plus so many delicious foods!
Why You Should Watch/Read: Delicious Food, Enemies-To-Lovers
The Honey Don’t List follows the story of Melissa and Rusty Tripp who is a giant power couple in the world of interior design. We follow the viewpoints of their assistants, Carey and James, who know that the Tripps’ relationship is far from the perfect picture they put on in the public. I like how they poke fun at the HGTV style show tropes and how they incorporate it into the plot. Its lighthearted for the most part and deals with some more serious issues as well.
In Protect The Boss, No Eun Seol finally gets a job as a secretary at a law firm after struggling with unemployment, only to have her boss, Cha Ji Heon, the immature youngest son of a chaebol family, fall in love with her. This drama gave me a lot of laughs and I really liked the chemistry between the two lead actors.
Why You Should Watch/Read: Workplace Romance, Witty Humor
Head Over Heels follows the story of a gymnast who is down on her luck. After a breakup of a four -year relationship with her ex-NFL boyfriend she heads back to her hometown. Being back home is comforting but a struggle at the same time. I appreciated the novel’s intimate look into the world of gymnastics.
Even though it’s listed in the romance genre Weightlifting feels like more of a slice of life drama set in college with very relatable themes. I think viewers can resonate with the characters and some of the situations they face. It also tackles some serious themes but for the most part it’s a pretty lighthearted show. These college athletes are trying to make their way to the top while dealing with life’s obstacles.
Why You Should Watch/Read: Slice of Life, Sports
Have you watched any of these Korean Dramas or read any of these books? What pairings would you recommend? Let me know your thoughts in the comments!
Ooh, excellent recs! Protect the Boss looks really fun — I’ll have to check it out!
Thank you! Protect the Boss is a fun rom-com. 🙂