I am not an insta-love/love at first sight girlie but Maurene Goo made me a believer that there can be exceptions to the rule with her stunning romance, Somewhere Only We Know. I really appreciated how deep and thoughtful Goo's exploration of pursuing your passions while still being a fun, upbeat, exciting romance between Lucky and Jack. Wow do I love and relate to Lucky so much. Having gone to college for vocal performance, I really related to a lot of her journey and discussions about needing to make the most out of life and being unafraid to try despite what anyone else has to say about it. I know I can always count on stunning Asian American representation and community reflection in Goo's novels and Somewhere Only We Know was no different. Even though I have only dabbled in K-Pop thanks to a lot of my more knowledgable friends, I find the world of K-Pop so intriguing to read about! There's just so much to explore from so many different angles and I really loved the lens through which Goo explored the K-Pop world. Another absolute gem from an absolutely stunning writer.

Fun rom com with a k-pop twist. I loved the sense that they escaped and spent the day in Korea. The descriptions of street food were so good and made me want to visit. Slower start then got better

A cute, fun story that fans of K-Pop and love stories will devour. Had a Roman Holiday feel that will pull readers in. Travel, love, and K-Pop combine in this tale about finding out what is most important in life.

Full of romantic anticipation with the same cherished touching moments as your favorite K-drama, this book was a nice romp of expat teens finding a love that zings all over the course of one day. I enjoyed the romance and life considerations shared between the main characters.

Welcome Back!

In my most recent night stand stack, I picked out a bunch of books (I usually pick between ten and twenty depending on how many I think I will read before I feel like I want to go back to my shelf to pick out some others). One of the books I picked out for my stack, was my copy of Somewhere Only We Know. I have wanted to read this one for a little while and I recently I have been reading a lot of mystery or thriller books (towards the end of June I read like six in a row) so I thought this book would be the exact opposite and give me a fun time while keeping me in the reading mood. So the other day, I decided to pick up the audio book for this one while I was working on some projects and I absolutely loved every second of my time with it!

SPOILERS AHEAD

Lucky is a huge K-Pop star and her entire life is controlled for her, from what she eats, to who she interacts with, to where she goes, to what the public knows about her and sees. Lucky has had the dream of being a K-Pop star since she was a little girl and now that she achieved is she should be over the moon happy but right now, after she has just performed she really just wants a hamburger. But that is not the agenda for her, and instead she gets her medicine that helps her sleep that literally no one knows she takes and is put to bed. However, Lucky can not stop thinking about this hamburger and she knows that if she tells her body guard she needs medicine he will go get it and she can sneak downstairs in her hotel and seek out her hamburger. While the first part of this plan goes off with out a hitch, when Lucky gets downstairs she is directed to a hamburger place in the mall attached to the hotel. However, she has trouble finding it and her medicine is kicking in and she is soon on the streets on her own with no disguise. Before she knows it she is on a bus by herself at night in a city that is not hers with her medicine taking over. In comes Jack, he is a part time paparazzi photographer and he is not here for a photo of Lucky, in fact he has no idea that it is Lucky until after she is already sleeping in his bed because he had no idea what else to do with her. When Lucky awakes, she knows she needs to go back but Jack has some other plans for the pair that lead to a fun filled day in the city but what will it mean for Lucky's career? Especially when she is about to make her big American debut? Also for Jack could he use this as his big break to get a full time job instead of part time?

This was such a fun read! I was able to listen to all but two hours of the book in one day. The story of Jack and Lucky was something kind of unexpected and the outcomes of there day (the end of the story) made me incredibly happy! I loved both Jack and Lucky individually as characters but I also loved the relationship they were forming together. Additionally, Jack's roommate was definitely one of my favorite people (I know he only appeared for a little while but he was such a fun character). This was my first Maurene Goo book but I really enjoyed my time with this story so I am hoping to pick up one of the other books by her very soon (I think I own two others but I am not sure if there are currently any others out side from those ones).

Goodreads Rating: 5 Stars

Everything I know about K-pop comes from thirsty Twitter fancams, what has made it into the American mainstream, and an expose or two. Basically, I’m a newbie and know very little about it. A K-pop-related, Hong Kong-set rom-com from Maurene Goo, though? Sign me up!

Lucky is just a stage name, but she’s lived up to it and then some. Brought into the K-pop training program when she was freshly into puberty, Lucky is now the biggest thing in South Korea and is getting ready to make her American debut on late night TV. It hasn’t come without cost, though. Lucky struggles with sleep and anxiety, she’s on a restrictive diet, she has no musical or personal freedom, and performing is just a routine now when she used to genuinely love it. Her late-night quest for a hamburger brings her into contact with Jack, a reluctant paparazzo who helps her out and sees has as the way to finance his dreams of going to college for photography. That’s where our story begins.

Somewhere Only We Know is primarily about three things: Lucky and Jack chafing in the restrictive lives they’re living, the many beautiful sights of Hong Kong, and the food. Oh my Goooooooood, the food. Have some snacks ready because all the goodies they sample during their tourist day will make you hungry. Though things predictably blow up when Lucky realizes Jack initially planned to cash in on their day out, they go through enough together to find the courage they need to live their lives without compromising themselves. What I wouldn’t give to see Lucky’s Tonight Show performance for real!

This delightful novel confirms Goo’s status as one of the best current writers of fluffy YA contemps with sharp, truthful edges. Somewhere Only We Know is my favorite of hers thus far. Not a doubt in my mind about that.

I really enjoyed this story. The way it was written felt like I was actually watching a Kdrama. It had the ups and downs of conflict and resolution that a drama would have. I also enjoyed the chargers and how Goo touched on the mental health in the Asian culture.

I have a video review up for this book on my YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7941zvQ6aPA. I'd give the book 3.5 stars. I enjoyed the representation and the chemistry between our two leads, but I would have loved a deeper exploration of the K-pop industry and growing up in an Asian household.

Unfortunately, I did not get. the chance to read this ARC prior to its release--I'm hoping to work through my backlist now that we're home for the coming weeks!--but we did end up buying this book for the library collection.

Take a dramatic dive into the world of K-Pop as seen through the eyes of one its young super starlets in Maureen Goo's new novel Somewhere Only We Know. Lucky is a star. A big star in the world of K-Pop, but she is about to make her American debut, which may just be her big break into worldwide super stardom. Problem is, she is not so sure that she wants it. She is tired of being prodded and preened, told what to wear and eat, and just not being free to be herself.

Jack has a similar problem. His passion is photography, but his parents don't take his dreams seriously. Instead, he secretly works for a tabloid, taking paparazzi photos for them until he can find a way to bring his dream of becoming a professional photographer to realization. One night when Lucky is sneaking out of her hotel room in search of "real food," and Jack is rushing out of a celebrity's hotel room in which he just snagged a splash-worthy photo, the two meet, which is the start of a wild night of food, friendship, fun ... and possibly love?

Somewhere Only We Know is a fun and frolicking novel that takes place over 24 hours in Hong Kong. Fans of meet-cute stories and insta-love will fall for Lucky and Jack as they explore Hong Kong and get to know each other amidst the bright lights and flavorful cuisine. Lucky and Jack are interesting, well-developed characters, and they alternately narrate the chapters throughout this story, melding together their viewpoints to create an entertaining, albeit slightly unbelievable, YA novel of the times.

Somewhere Only We Know is recommended first of all to fans of pop culture, stardom, and celebrities. Readers who enjoy light, fun-hearted YA novels will also like this book.

This one was cute but was ultimately disappointing. It was a little two on the nose at times as a retelling and just wasn't a fan of the insta-love or how everything wrapped up. A quick read and not terrible but definitely not a favorite of mine form Maurene Goo.

This read like a floofy Korean drama... which I don't like. It's very cute, but I'm just not a K-Drama fan, so I found myself rolling my eyes and not craving to read more while I was doing daily chores and stuff. It never called to me or kept me up at night. It was a bit of a chore to get through, but I did smile in a few places. This is clearly a personal preference issue, and I can see students loving this one!

Somewhere Only We Know was my first experience with a Maurene Goo book and oh my goodness, I'm in love! This was such a fun and lighthearted novel and I was instantly hooked from the first few pages. I'm a huge fan of kpop in general, but I loved the idea of getting to read about an idol and the things that she goes through, and the relationship between her (Lucky) and Jack slowly building over the course of the book. I don't know what I have to do to get more of these books by this author but I am willing to do anything! The writing was so easy to get lost in, the characters were so lovable and hilarious, and the story itself unfolded in such a natural feeling way that I couldn't help but read it in just one or two sittings. Highly recommend, even if you think you're not a fan of cute contemporary novels!

The story did NOT disappoint. It's light and bubbly and funny, with a sizzling romance that doesn't go any farther than kissing.

This was sweet, fluffy, and delightful! The pace was fast, and I never lost interest. I did think the ending was slightly predictable, and also the whole whirlwind romance in one day thing reminded me of The Sun Is Also A Star quite a bit at times. But, I know a ton of K-pop obsessed teens who would eat this up.

I was so excited to get this ARC because I loved Goo's previous book, The Way You Make Me Feel. I also loved the idea of a Roman Holiday-esque story with a K-pop star. Unfortunately, this book just didn't quite live up to the high bar I had set for it.
I was honestly pretty bored through a majority of my reading, and although on paper the characters seem like they would be charming and lovable, it just didn't really come across.
I enjoyed learning a little bit more about the music industry in America and Korea, and I think the character arcs were done well overall, and the ending was done extremely well. But that couldn't quite make up for how long it took me to drudge through this book. I'm still giving it 3 stars because I did like it, but that's about as high of praise as I can muster.

Somewhere Only We Know is Maurene Goo’s latest novel (I Believe in a Thing Called Love, The Way You Make Me Feel) is an adventure story about the in between being a teenager and an adult, the right to create art your own way, and the food of Hong Kong.

K-POP Sensation Lucky is about to break out of Asia and into the American market when she decides to break out of her hotel room for a hamburger. Being a K-POP machine is getting old, and she wants a new adventure. On a spontaneous whim, she ventures out onto the streets of Hong Kong, a foreign city to her Seoul and Los Angelean roots. She quickly gets turned around and meets Jack. Jack feels torn between his love of photography and his father’s desire for him to work in banking. Moonlighting as paparazzi, Jack’s golden opportunity to get a job as a photographer falls into his lap when the most famous girl in K-POP literally falls in his lap.

Maurene Goo’s latest romantic comedy still has her popular elements of swoon-worthy characters and an adorable meet cute, but she also makes a criticism of the K-POP and entertainment industry and how they treat young women. Lucky is a representative of every girl in the music industry and what it

Goo’s writing is equivalent to eating bao on a summer day in Hong Kong or listening to your favorite K-POP song– it leaves you happy, fulfilled, and ready for more.

Somewhere Only We Know introduces Lucky, a Korean American K-Pop singer who is kept on a tight leash by her handlers. Longing for a hamburger, she plays hooky after a big concert in Hong Kong, but gets lost and is rescued by Jack, an aspiring photographer. At first he doesn't know who she is, and they begin a flirtation as they wander through the streets of Hong Kong. When he inadvertently discovers her identity, he realizes he could sell photographs of their time together to a tabloid magazine and launch his career. Alternating between their first-person perspectives, the story reveals two teens who are struggling with expectations that are placed on them. Jack's parents want him to study banking and her handlers expect her to be the next big star who must protect her image at all costs. This re-imagining of Roman Holiday is filled with witty banter and romance, and I loved reading about the Korean K-pop development system that grooms talented teens to become K-pop stars.

I didn't enjoy this quite as much as Goo's previous book, because it lacked some of the "every day" charm, but I sped through it and found it satisfying.

Wonderful! So fresh and fun, and it the main characters were easy to relate to on a personal level -- I loved this, Maurene Goo is such a great voice in YA lit!