Lucky is a K-pop superstar who is tired of the extreme lock-down her management has her on: diet, sing and dance, chaste and without scandal day after day. Until one night when her stomach gets the better of her and she ditches her security guard to find a hamburger in Hong Kong. Jack is a Korean-American expat in Hong Kong who loves photography and hates banking. To supplement his banking internship income, he moonlights as a paparazzi photographer. But when "Fern" stumbles into his life, can he really take secret photos of a girl who is just trying to find a hamburger... and a way to relish life and singing again... and whom he starts developing feelings for?

Maurene Goo has once again written a fun, #ownvoices rom-com complete with butterflies, an exploration of teen love, and the exploration of the future and expectations. Personally, I prefer Goo's two previous books since they focus more on the "everyday" teens (there aren't that many K-pop superstars or expat teens living in Hong Kong), but for those teens who want a splash of the glamor, this will be right up their alley.

While the book was nice and it was great to read a rom-com type book with Asian leads, it was a book that I had read many times before and didn't really provide a new or fresh prospective. I also found the parts from the male's prospective not that entertaining to read.

Lucky is a huge K-Pop star who has just finished a 15-city tour and is looking to break into the Western Market with an appearance on a US late night talk show. She should be thrilled about all the opportunities coming her way, but lately she has found that the joy has been missing from performing and she's not sure how to get it back. After a late concert, she sneaks away from her security to find a hamburger...but she's really looking for a change and for a way to reclaim her life. That's when she meets Jack, a cynical bank intern/photographer with whom she feels an instant connection which could mostly be because he doesn't seem to know who she is. Together they explore Hong Kong as tourists: her pretending she's not an international superstar, and him pretending he's totally clueless despite surreptitiously sneaking photos of her with his phone for a sleazy tabloid. When Lucky discovers his deception, can she overlook it in the face of her growing feelings for him? And will his night with Lucky lead Jack to paparazzi fame...or to an entirely different dream he'd never dared to pursue?

If you only look at the surface of the main characters, the miserable pop star and the sly, charming tabloid photographer, this seems like just a fluffy story of the two teens traipsing around a city together and sightseeing. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that, but this book is more than I was expecting. Lucky and Jack actually discuss their ambitions and dreams at length, and they thoughtfully dissect topics like whether it's ok to be selfish sometimes to get the life you want. This is kind of deep stuff for YA! I was pleasantly surprised at how much REAL was in this story that, at first glance, seems almost entirely superficial. It kind of reminded me of Before Sunrise. the Ethan Hawke/Julie Delpy movie where they wander around Paris talking all night. They're attracted to each other, sure, but they get to know each other by sharing their thoughts on philosophy, education, spirituality, and what kind of people they want to be. (I have read that this is also a takeoff on Roman Holiday, but I never saw that movie!)

More than anything, though, this book is a love letter to the city of Hong Kong: the sights, the smells, the food, the mix of the past and the future, the diverse mix of people, and the electricity that runs through everything. I haven't been to Hong Kong since I was a child, but I found the descriptions fascinating and all the different cuisines Lucky and Jack try over the course of the day made me super hungry!

It's wonderful to read Contemporary YA with an entirely Asian cast of characters, SET in Asia. I enjoyed reading Maurene Goo's last 2 books, but this one is her best yet. I can't wait to see where she goes from here

**Thank you NetGalley, Macmillan Children's Publishing Group and Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR) for the fun read! **

This is another great book by Maurene Goo. A K-pop star finds herself in peril and is rescued by a tabloid photographer. The overall message of being true to yourself and doing the right thing is fabulous. I enjoyed reading this clean read, diverse book about a topic (k-pop) that I am not familiar with. I highly recommend this book and suggest you enjoy some great Asian food while reading it - you will get hungry the food descriptions are amazing!

Lucky is the biggest K-pop star in Asia. Jack is an aspiring photographer unsure where his life is going. When the two accidentally meet and spend an adventurous day together in Hong Kong, both of their lives will be changed forever.

I really liked this contemporary, diverse retelling of Roman Holiday. Lucky and Jack were likable and relatable. This could have been just another sweet and cheesy romance, but the characters discuss topics and feelings that every teen can relate to giving it more depth and meaning. Maurene Goo's books get better with each one, so this has definitely been her best one yet. A great YA romance, but with diverse characters and set outside of the US. A must read for any contemporary YA reader.

** I received an e-ARC from Netgalley.**

Thank you, Maurene Goo, for putting this HUGE smile on my face! Somewhere Only We Know was an absolute delight. I had previously read articles calling this "a modern-day Roman Holiday", and I must admit, Goo did a fantastic job capturing the essence of the original story, while making it modern and meaningful for the YA audience.

Lucky was a K-pop princess, and her days were filled with work, work, and more work. At the end of her tour, she escaped her security detail, and ventured out to enjoy Hong Kong on her own. Certain events bring her into the path of Jack, who happened to be moonlighting as a tabloid photographer. In an effort to get a big Lucky scoop, he offered to show her around Hong Kong, but the more time they spent together, the more their feelings became intertwined. This question if Lucky and Jack could make this feeling last for more than a night.

I instantly fell in love with Lucky, and became fiercely protective of her. She was so sweet and genuine, and I empathized with the battle she was fighting within herself. She loved having the opportunity to be a singing sensation, but she longed for more normalcy and autonomy. It was easy to see how much this one day of freedom meant, and I wanted more of that work-life balance for her.

Though I liked Jack, in general, it took me a looooong time to trust him. His motives were not pure, and his deception was something that could have ruined Lucky. It was good to see he had a conscience, and was able to see beyond the famous veneer and recognize Lucky as an actual person.

The two of them together made my heart soar. I adored their interactions, and as they grew closer and closer to one another, my heart beat faster and faster. Some may condemn this as instalove, but I DON'T CARE! It was fun. It was sweet. It was adorable and charming. It made me happy. I loved the way each of them could really "see" one another, and they were supportive and encouraging. They were a perfect coupling, and I wanted their adventure to last forever.

I had the best time frolicking in Hong Kong with these two. First of all, we ate A LOT. Goo incorporated so much food into their 24-hour adventure, and I was totally jealous...and hungry. I also loved that she brought us to so many different points of interest. I love when an author utilizes the setting of their book, and Goo practically made Hong Kong another character in this story. It was a wonderful backdrop for this whirlwind romance, and it just ratcheted up my desire to visit there someday.

But, a BIG reason for this grin on my face was that ending! My smile grew wider and wider with each sentence, and it was perfection for me. It also had me yearning for a sequel, but you know, that's me reacting to how much I loved both Lucky and Jack, and I just want more of their story.

Somewhere Only We Know was so many things. It was a love story, but it was also a story of finding oneself and their purpose, and taking the action necessary to make their wants come to fruition. This book surpassed my expectations, and obviously left me drying my happy tears.

I really enjoyed this. I think the dual POV worked really well here, and I found both Jack and Lucky/Cat to be intriguing and complex characters. I did like Jack more, mostly because even in her own narration, Lucky sometimes feels like she's playing a role (which I suspect is intentional). At the same time, that also made her extremely sympathetic (to me), and I found myself rooting for both of them throughout.

Jack's deception didn't bother me, either, and I thought his own guilt/discomfort over it was enough to keep him from becoming the villain. My favorite part was the epilogue, and I liked Cat the most there. I thought it showed quite well how much she's grown since their day together.

One of my favorite parts of the book were the little insights we get into Korean culture (especially Korean-American culture). Along with that, I loved the foreign setting and getting to see Hong Kong through Jack's and Cat's eyes. It was a great read, and it's solidified Maurene Goo as a favorite YA author.

I received an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely adored this book! It was so cute and such a clever adaptation of Roman Holiday, which just so happens to be one of my favorite movies of all time. The setting made the book more unique and having an Own Voices point of view in an Asian city helps to increase awareness of the culture, which is still a bit of an enigma to me.

Much like Roman Holiday, you have a princess and a journalist. This time, however, it's a kpop princess and the journalist is actually a tabloid photographer. The premise is much the same, not wholly original, but the setting is what made up for any unoriginality for me. My favorite parts of Roman Holiday were always the parts that showcased the city of Rome. There's not a whole lot of Hong Kong that is showcased in the book, but the parts that were had to have been my favorites in the entire book.

The romance is a little rushed and insta-lovey which is absolutely not my favorite, but I did appreciate the representation of the Asians in this book. As a Korean American, I struggle to relate to other Korean characters who are not part of a stereotype. Like The Sun Is Also a Star, this book takes place within a short timeframe, but unlike that book, I did not feel offended by the representation of the Asian characters. These characters were not fully fleshed out and were a little flat, but though they were influenced by their Asian culture, they were not restricted to offensive Asian stereotypes which made the characters far more relatable to me.

Overall, it was a solid 3 star read for me. It was extremely adorable, but unoriginal and subsequently, a little forgettable.

<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36992163-somewhere-only-we-know" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img border="0" alt="Somewhere Only We Know" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1542156624m/36992163.jpg" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36992163-somewhere-only-we-know">Somewhere Only We Know</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6549377.Maurene_Goo">Maurene Goo</a><br/>
My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2777001680">3 of 5 stars</a><br /><br />
I received an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.<br /><br />I absolutely adored this book! It was so cute and such a clever adaptation of Roman Holiday, which just so happens to be one of my favorite movies of all time. The setting made the book more unique and having an Own Voices point of view in an Asian city helps to increase awareness of the culture, which is still a bit of an enigma to me. <br /><br />Much like Roman Holiday, you have a princess and a journalist. This time, however, it's a kpop princess and the journalist is actually a tabloid photographer. The premise is much the same, not wholly original, but the setting is what made up for any unoriginality for me. My favorite parts of Roman Holiday were always the parts that showcased the city of Rome. There's not a whole lot of Hong Kong that is showcased in the book, but the parts that were had to have been my favorites in the entire book.<br /><br />The romance is a little rushed and insta-lovey which is absolutely not my favorite, but I did appreciate the representation of the Asians in this book. As a Korean American, I struggle to relate to other Korean characters who are not part of a stereotype. Like The Sun Is Also a Star, this book takes place within a short timeframe, but unlike that book, I did not feel offended by the representation of the Asian characters. These characters were not fully fleshed out and were a little flat, but though they were influenced by their Asian culture, they were not restricted to offensive Asian stereotypes which made the characters far more relatable to me.<br /><br />Overall, it was a solid 3 star read for me. It was extremely adorable, but unoriginal and subsequently, a little forgettable.

I am not the audience for this book. I wanted to love it, but the writing style and storyline make it difficult for me to be able to fall into this story. I could see teen girls truly loving the whimsy and glamour of this story but it is not for me.

Maurene Goo is a goddess and I will read anything and everything she writes, to include grocery lists and instructions on how to boil water.

After years of hard work and training, Lucky has it all. A K-Pop star with thousands of adoring fans, a #1 song on the charts, just finished an epic tour of Asia, and she is about to make her American debut. But she also has no free time, a strict diet, an even stricter label company, and a secret diagnosis of anxiety. What she really wants right now is a hamburger.

Jack has; a gap year that is slowly creeping towards an end, a crappy apartment, a love of photography, no idea what he wants to do with his future, and hatred to his job as a bank intern. Thus the side hustle as a paparazzi photographer. He has no delusions of making it big or famous, but he just wants to be happy with whatever he does. Even if it does feel completely selfish.

When Jack finds Lucky outside her Hong Kong hotel, neither of them have any idea what a roller coaster ride the next twenty-four hours are going to be.

Full of fun, food, and fluff, 'Somewhere Only We Know' is an unforgettable adventure that will delight K-Pop fans, lovers of Rom-Coms, and everyone who has a dream.

I liked this fun rom-com centered around two Korean-American teens who are each seeking different things, Lucky is seeking for an escape and Jack is seeking the courage to pursue what he's truly passionate about. Unlike a lot of whirlwind romance books, I was pleased to see that Lucky feels genuinely concerned about her safety at points and it's not a case of insta-love as is often the case. I felt it needed a bit more of Hong Kong's personality,however.

Macmillan Children's Publishing Group,

Unfortunately I cannot seem to get into this novel. I read around 20 percent before deciding to not finish this book. I was very interested in the premise of this story but I cannot seem to enjoy the characters based on what I have read so far. I decided to read a few early reviews to see if my interest would grow but based on what I have read and researched, I believe this story is going in a direction that I am just not interested. I think a lot of other readers will enjoy this story but at this time I am not interested to continue this novel. Thank you for providing me with a copy of the book. I will not be reviewing this book due to my choice to not finish during this time.

Kind regards,

Brittney

Basically exactly what it says on the tin: a fun K-pop romcom, a mix of Before Sunrise, Never Been Kissed (or How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days. Or Sleepless in Seattle. Heck, A Christmas Prince. There are a LOT of reporting-based romcoms) with some vivid Asian travel (and food!) scenery. It's not exactly top-notch writing (and there were some times that the back and forth perspectives switched too quickly to feel meaningful), I wish Jack had had to grovel a little more at the end, and I wondered at the way the only negative fan portrayals were older male fans even when young and/or female fans did the majority of the mobbing and evading security, but if you're looking for a light teen romance, this one is plenty of fun.

This story is a fun and modern take on Roman Holiday. So cool to make a K-Pop Star and a freelance paparazzo have a one day adventure in Hong Kong. I loved the global feel of Korean Americans in Hong Kong, and the dual perspective as they presented only part of themselves to each other but still had a connection. I can’t wait til it’s published and I can share it with others!

Thank you net galley for the advance read copy of this novel. I enjoyed this contemporary romance debut about two American born Koreans who share an instant connection in Hong Kong. Lucky, a Korean Kpop star, meets Jack a photographer in an off chance encounter. They hit it off and help challenge each other to really pursue their dreams. I enjoyed that this novel was told in alternating perspectives. It was cute and had a happily ever after type of ending.

A very fun story of teens discovering what they really want from life. Lucky is a K-pop sensation, just coming off her big Asian tour and ready to make it big in the U.S. Jack has a passion for photography, which he turns into a side job as a paparazzo while taking a gap year before college. The two run into each other one fateful night in Hong Kong, and Jack ends up convincing Lucky to spend the day experiencing Hong Kong, instead of getting back to her hotel for "choir" practice. What made this light-hearted romance so enjoyable was that it was also about Jack and Lucky finding more about themselves through their journey together.
A fun summer romance for music lovers, artists, and fans of Nicola Yoon's "The Sun is Also a Star."

The essentials:
Publication date: May 7, 2019 from Farrar, Straus &amp; Giroux
Advanced copy provided by Net Galley and the publisher (for an honest review)
#YA, minority lit, K pop, romance, multicultural lit
From the publisher:
10:00 p.m.: Lucky is the biggest K-pop star on the scene, and she’s just performed her hit song “Heartbeat” in Hong Kong to thousands of adoring fans. She’s about to debut on The Tonight Show in America, hopefully a breakout performance for her career. But right now? She’s in her fancy hotel, trying to fall asleep but dying for a hamburger.
11:00 p.m.: Jack is sneaking into a fancy hotel, on assignment for his tabloid job that he keeps secret from his parents. On his way out of the hotel, he runs into a girl wearing slippers, a girl who is single-mindedly determined to find a hamburger. She looks kind of familiar. She’s very cute. He’s maybe curious.
12:00 a.m.: Nothing will ever be the same



My thoughts:
When I find a writer whose voice I trust for whatever reason, I tend to watch for them and scoop up whatever they publish until they either stop publishing or I do not trust them anymore. Maurene Goo, author of The Way You Make Me Feel can be trusted to bring readers attractive, conflicted, sweetly broken characters who by the end always do the right thing for their families, for their culture, for their community, and for themselves without being disrespectful, spoiled or obnoxious. Goo brings her Asian/American multicultural characters into the mainstream YA market and normalizes the minority teen experience even as her teens hold onto their strong cultural values and expectations. The best thing is that as an author, she does this in the most non political way and just tells a feel good story.

Once upon a time, dear reader, I was an avid watcher of Korean dramas. The only reason why I'm not currently an avid watcher is because they do take up quite a bit of time and are very addictive to this fan (points at self). I knew the actors by name, followed their musical groups if they happened to be in them, and proceeded to listen to music I did not understand. And I loved it.

​So, it is no surprise that the K-pop part of this book is what got my attention. I'm not a big fan of the "lets fall in love in one single day" trope, but I find that it does work for me depending on the story itself. Needless to say, Somewhere Only We Know definitely worked for me.

Lucky is an adorable K-pop idol who has been working her whole life to be in her position. She is on the brink of debuting in America (where she's actually from) and her career exploding more that it already has. And as much as Lucky does appreciate her career, she's feeling the disconnection that comes with a life in the limelight. And it all accumulates at the end of her Asia tour where she is in dire need of a hamburger.

It's in her search for this mystic hamburger where she meets Jack, a seemingly sweet guy who happens to do side photography jobs for a tabloid. That's right. Uh ohhhh.

Somewhere Only We Know took me on a rollercoaster of emotions (MUCH LIKE A KDRAMA OMG). I loved Lucky from the get-go. She unveils this side of an K-pop idol that goes beyond the so-called manufactured image we think we know from their companies. She's sweet and charismatic, while also being very human in her fears and anxiety. I found myself feeling simultaneously protective of her while also wanting her to have some freedom for herself.

Jack...Jack invoked a different emotion in me. I found him charming and funny - but his backstory created a major problem for me. It was a great conflict to have in the story because it pulls you in two different directions - wanting to see these two characters grow closer, while wanting to protect Lucky from the fact that Jack is a tabloid photographer.

Ultimately, this book gave me an ending that was all truth - it hurt and it gave me hope.

I recommend this read to lovers of Kdramas and K-pop, definitely, but mostly I recommend this book to readers who love stories full of emotion and fantastic character development.

Maurene Goo is quickly angling herself to be the Kevin Kwan of YA fiction, creating fun romantic stories seeped in Asian culture. Somewhere Only We Know is sure to be snapped up by romance readers everywhere.

I had really high hopes for this book because i love K pop and K dramas and this book did not disappoint! I really loved this book because it was an easy read. This is a good book for everyone even if they know nothing about the Korean entertainment world.