Ok. I admit it.

When I’m not reading and reviewing books, a lot of my time is spent keeping up with my favorite K-pop groups. It’s been almost 3 years since I fell down the rabbit hole that is the genre and I haven’t seemed to be able to get myself out since.

So, when I came upon Hart and Seoul, a book boasting a girl-meets-boy romance featuring a famous K-pop star moving in next door, I jumped at the opportunity to read it.

A story with a plot like this one could have so easily slipped into fan fiction, but Hart and Seoul does not dive into so much drama and fan service. It does however, bring to the table quite a few of the adored tropes; hate-to-love, enemies-to-lovers, and even some fake dating, that romance readers will likely love.

This book has just the right amount of twists and turns to keep it interesting, but also believable. I was happy to see that the story dipped into more difficult and sensitive topics instead of just being all-over cheesy and fluffy romance, exploring not just the happy-go-lucky side of romance and K-pop alike but the darker aspects as well.

I enjoyed the ups and downs of the story even though I expected all of them. This was helped, I think, by the narration. I didn’t think that I would like (let alone relate to) reading through the perspective of a high school senior who says ‘dang’ and ‘darn’ rather than swearing, but I actually settled into Merilee Hart’s narrative quickly and ended up really liking how it helped me sink into the story and look at what was happening from her view, bringing more believability to the story. The sense of voice in this story was really strong, and I came to feel like I really understood Merri and her motivations and thought processes. Not only that, but it was quick and easy to read. I finished this book in two sittings thanks to this writing style and the push of the eventful plot. At times, the narration did become a bit repetitive, especially when it came to Merri’s opinions on kimchi, but it didn’t detract from the story too much overall. 

However,I sometimes felt a bit annoyed with Merri because of her unwillingness to learn about Korean culture. I think that many people that will pick up this book will be fans of K-pop already, and have at least some sense of the culture. Merri is pretty clueless when it comes to anything about Korea. This is understandable, since she points out that she’s not actually a K-pop fan herself and has never really gotten into K-dramas or any of that. But I also think that anyone who finds they are falling for someone from another country would try to educate themselves so as not to sound foolish. Lee brushes this off for the most part (or at least once he starts to fall for her) which is oh-so-sweet of him. But in comparison, he does a lot more research into her and her culture. He has an advantage since he already knows English, but Merri doesn’t really make an effort to learn Korean in return.

Making Merri act this way isn’t necessarily a bad choice, in fact, I think it makes her a believable character and it makes sense for who she is. It also allows the reader to learn a little about Korean culture, becoming educated with Merri as she does, if they don’t already know. But I think that many people who pick this up will already know what she is learning, making this information unneeded. These people may have more trouble connecting to Merri because of this aspect of her character, and may be offended by her unwillingness to learn. Personally, I found it a bit privileged of her and it made me frown several times, but it didn’t bother me so much that it affected my enjoyment of the story too much. Then again, I wouldn’t call myself an expert on Korea, either, and what I know I’ve only come to learn recently, so I can understand where she’s coming from.

My main critique for Hart and Seoul is that I wanted more. More time to get to know Merri before Lee is introduced, more discussion on sensitive topics (especially one, the most sensitive of all), more explanation in the conclusion, and more time for the romance to burn before igniting. The latter two, especially.

The ending tied everything together, but I wasn’t completely satisfied with the explanations the characters gave for the choices they had made and I doubted whether it would have been enough, in reality, for them to move forward in the way it implied they were going to. After all, there were so many factors against it, how were they going to cope? That being said, I would have hated if everything had turned out perfectly. I only wished that there had been a little more to really convince me that what had happened was going to last (or clear implications that it wouldn’t).

What I wanted more of the most was a slow burn. It’s only a short time between when the characters realize they have feelings for each other, start to question whether to act on them and begin to flirt, and then get together. It was believable, and obviously, readers are aware it’s going to happen from the start. It also left more room at the end for other topics to be explored, which I appreciated. But...isn’t that section the best part of a romance? Personally, I think those will-they-won’t-they, kiss-already! moments when the tension is at its crux is the best part, and there was very little of it in this story. I would have settled for having the story run longer if I could have had a chapter or two more of the steamier stuff.

 I rated Hart and Seoul 4.25 out of 5 stars. It’s a great summer romance, especially for K-pop and K-drama fans. Fans of The Sun is Also a Star and Eliza and her Monsters will likely enjoy this new release, coming June 4, 2019.


Thank you to Mascot Books and Netgalley for the opportunity to read a digital advanced reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review.

I CRIED LIKE A BABY. 😭

This was such a fantastic, fun, heartfelt, sweet, and funny story. K drama is the best. And I will always be a BigBang Fangirl, so this hit straight to my Korean culture loving heart. Lee and Merri start off as just neighbors. Lee in a sour mood and not in a place to even want to make friends. They're thrust together by the ever present auntie (ya'll know who they are) and a break up. Seeing them come together as friends after a crappy situation just melted my heart. The story was just so fun and I just ate through seeing 2 cultures coming together and how much they cared about each other. It was cavity inducing sweetness and I couldn't get enough.

This is the second k-pop book I have read this week. Cute YA love story about runaway k-pop star in hiding Lee who meets Merri his next door neighbor. They are both on the rebound after being two-timed by their exes and hit it off. This is a sweet summer romance type read that I really enjoyed. Merri is a smart girl who falls for Lee and his stubborn Korean ways before she kmows he is a big k-pop star. They are an adorable couple and her ex best friend and ex boyfriend deserve to see her happy with him. Love the story, romance and k-pop back drop. Definitely worth reading. Thanks for the ARC, NG!!!!

Oh wow, this was just a fun read! It was funny, it was charming, it was ridiculous; like the best K Dramas. The characters were believable, the drama wasn’t overly crazy, and they weren’t fixated on the same bad stuff to the point of annoying. Looking forward to seeing what she writes next!

I couldn't finish this. It was cliché and childish and the characters were supposed to be high school seniors but acted like they were barely out of middle grade.

I was given an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book! I've been in a slump and this book has gotten me out of it. I read this book in a day and mind you I'm also studying for finals. I latched onto every word and every moment.

The tropes used in this book made me swoon so hard! It's got enemies to lovers and fake dating and mutual pinning and everything you could possibly want in a romance book without being cheesy or awkward. It's got sweet moments between 'Christmas' and 'Mr. Kimchi' but also talks about mental health which really added some character and depth to the story. The storyline of a famous person falling for a normal person seems unlikely but the details with Lee's fame and his retreat to his aunt's house makes it seem possible. The author did a really good job of making a romantic notion seem realistic. The romance is super swoon-worthy and perfect for hopeless romantics like me.

I loved the influence that Korean culture has on this book too! I love K-pop and I loved how the book addressed the pressure that the industry puts on its idol to be perfect. The author's note talks about fame, mental health and offers resources for those struggling with their mental health, which I thought was a sweet addition. You can tell that the author appreciates Korean culture and loves writing. I can't wait to read more from this author!

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Okay.. I tried. I REAAALLY tried. But I just can’t finish this book.
I waited up until almost 40% of this story for the main character to stop being so ignorant but she just doesn’t stop?? I even thought to myself okay she’s a teenager from a small town who doesn’t know anything about Korean culture so I’ll give her some time to change.. But as she continues to spend more time with the love interest (who is a runaway kpop idol) she just gets WORSE. She repeatedly makes fun of the way he speaks. Which I was not a fan of the author choosing to write the dialogue in that way.. It felt very stereotypical. And just the way she reacts to Korean culture is annoying (and again stereotypical). What got me to finally put this book down was when she saw the waitress bow more than once and said “man, they like to bow” 🤦🏻‍♀️ — If you’re looking for a cute book with some kpop love then I recommend Somewhere Only We Know.

If you like Korean dramas, pop music, etc., this book was written for you!
I REALLY enjoyed reading Hart & Seoul and it promptly made me interested in watching another K-drama! I love how it follows the lighthearted aspects of K-dramas, but also dealing with true-to-life issues and exploring a different culture. I'm not Korean, but I do enjoy the occasional K-drama or K-pop song and this book fit into that extremely well. This is a cute way to integrate learning about different cultures in high school. I think it would pair well with a field trip to a Korean Restaurant and maybe a K-pop concert afterwards! :)
If you liked watching Boys Over Flowers, You're Beautiful or Strong Girl, you will LOVE this book!

I want to thank Netgalley for providing me with this book in exchange for my honest review.

I really loved this book!
The synopsis really intrigued me and after reading it I can say this is honestly one laugh out loud hilarious read!
I loved the plot and felt like I got to know the characters really well.
I will say the plot felt a bit rushed at points but other than that it was an enjoyable read.
5 stars.

ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review (Thank you!)

Heart & Seoul is the Bookish dream of every K-Pop or K-Drama fangirl. You know, like me. If I had to choose three words to define it, I'd chose Clichéd, Sweet and Meaningful. Don't expect originality (everything is so obvious) but expect some fun banter and moments that will make you fangirl.
We follow Merri, an American Girl whose new Boy next door is a K-Pop Idol. Merri has no clue about what is K-Pop or Korean Culture which leads to some misunderstandings between her and him. Lee, our boy is a cinnamon roll, sweet and cocky and with a secret. At first, Lee and Merri are not really fond of each other because of misinterpretations, but eventually, they warm up to each other and it becomes impossible not to root for them.
There's supporting characters that are also tropey: Ema, the BFF; Bree, the B*tch; Ms.Park, the nice older aunt and Merri's Dad which was hands down, an awesome dad and had a healthy relationship with his daughter and that filled me with joy because I'm a bit tired of the trope of "Villain parents". The remaining supporting characters were utterly forgettable. I confess I didn't like much the "mom" used as a plot device just make the heroine sob in the arms of the hero, but it's alright because deep down we all love when the hero comforts the heroine and shows how sweet and respectful he can be.
The book had so many tropes of romantic comedies and K-Dramas that it was almost like watching a K-Drama mixed with a Teen chick flick. However, it kept me addicted just like K-Dramas: We all watch over and over the same tropes but we can't help but love it. I could picture Lee in my mind saying "Aishh" and "Aigoo" and "Deh" things he said frequently. (Also I don't know why but in my mind he looked like a younger Kim Myung Soo - L from Infinite).
I loved the author addressed the huge, inhumane pressure that Korean superstars suffer. It something widely known and yet it keeps increasing, and mental health issues in Korea is something that is not acknowledged as it should be. Idols get depressed because they are forced to be "perfect" and maintain a happy image to please their fans. Let us not forget that South Korea is the number one country in Plastic Surgeries and idols/actresses diet and starve because of the societal expectations that deem their worth and beauty based on how much they weight and how much white is their skin.
As a K-Drama fan (honestly not much of a K-pop although I listen to it occasionally) I see the glitter, the glamour. But it is very important to make people aware that idols are human beings and no one is flawless and that being healthy is more important than being rich or beautiful. The dark side of fame exists.
I would have liked to see the author exploring mental health further than just a mere mention of past issues. There was no depth. The subject was acknowledged but not explored and that can be understandable because its a touchy, sensitive theme that can trigger people and must be dealt with carefully...but I would still have liked to see it developed.
In conclusion, the book gives you a sweet, light feeling with some occasional teenage angst.
It's romantic and sweet and well, predictable but very enjoyable and addicting!
If you like K-Pop/K-Dramas or a fluffy teenage romance, you might want to read this.

This book was so cute! I love K pop so i was really excited for this book. It did not disappoint and i would recommend it to anyone!!

Oh my K -drama heart did I love this book. I need something good to read and Hart and Seoul hit the spot. What a great story and how adorable was Lee and Merri . Ever time Lee called her Christmas I giggled because it was so cute. I can’t wait to read another book by Kristen Burnham since this one was so good. This is a perfect book for anyone who could binge watch an entire k drama series!!!!

The Quick Cut: A girl is surprised to find out the new boy next door she's been flirting with is a K-Pop star named Lee. Chaos happens when the band's fans go looking for him and succeed.

A Real Review:
Thank you to Mascot Books for providing the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

What would your reaction be if a pop star moved in next door? If it's anything like our heroine Marilee's, it would be one of absolute unknowing. It's funny how we react whenever a celebrity enters the room... almost as if they're more than human or above any issues those of us with more typical lives experience. In this story, we see what happens when a pop star's life intersects with a normal high schoolers.

Marilee hasn't had the easiest time lately. Her mom left behind her and her dad while also finding out that her boyfriend is cheating on her with her best friend. Then the next door neighbor suddenly has a new boy living with her: a Korean boy who seems to take delight in making subtle jokes of her. However, once she gets past the subtle digs and gets to know him - she finds he's a really nice guy and feelings appear... until complicated by the fact he's a K-Pop star in hiding!

K-Pop seems to be a fad that isn't going away (I'm a power pop girl personally), but I like how this book explores the subculture that is growing in popularity. The story does get a little complicated for a romance book, but I enjoyed it all the same. You definitely have to focus while reading to keep track of the details.

Marilee is a better person than I am in the way she handles conflict. Although she at points can get emotional and cause a hilarious scene, more often than not she is rational and smart.

Lee is a stand-up guy that although he hides a lot of secrets, he has good reasons to and even better - acts like a teenager would in his situation. It's nice to see this book in a side way tackle stress and anxiety in the face of an extreme lifestyle such as his and hearing his story did make me feel for him.

With a sweet story that has a lot of detail, this book is worth the read.

My rating: 4 out of 5

This book was everything I didn't know I needed! I am not a huge Kpop listener however, this book was the perfect mix of cute and addicting! I already recommended it to some people who are and aren't into the Kpop scene :)

Whoa.

I really loved this story. It's sweet and full of soul. It has everything that is dramatic and heartfelt of Sarah Dessen along with all the situational comedy found in Meg Cabot's work. I use these older comp titles because it truly had the feel of a classic contemporary novel. Tackling teen issues but also with the aspect of comedy and surrealism. (;You're the princess of Genovia' anyone?)

Our main character Merilee Hart is dealing with some drama within both her friend and family relationships. There is momma drama, pressures about where to go to college and friendship breakups. All things portrayed beautifully and in an authentic way. Less dramatic, and more just real. These are real problems.

Now the novel part of it is the fact a kpop star turns up to be her neighbor's nephew and his world and her world collide as they are thrown together to process the things happening to them. I liked this aspect a lot, it led to some great cultural crossover moments. It is important to remember the Korean main character in this novel is not Korean-American, so there are times when confusion comes up in simply learning another country's customs. I think this is done respectfully, but would look to representative voices to decide if they feel that way too.

Ultimately the book really delivers. There is the angry first connection, fake dating, and then sweet romance all in the story. It packs a nice punch and Merri stays strong through the whole thing. She keeps her self respect while also making a few mistakes that have consequences. The ending was just perfect for me. I can't wait to see more of the author's work.

I'll give the context that I am kpop adjacent. I know a LOT about my family's favorite bands because they are literally always talking about updates on whats going on with them. So I am vaguely familiar with the world, but if you don't have the knowledge going in the novel does a good job of explaining what it is like. It examines the idea of fandom and showcases both problematic fans and genuine fans. The emotional arc for Lee's character also seems authentic to what a real kpop star could be going through.

Oh my my my, this was such a refreshing and joyous read! I am a huge fan of anything Korean, and to hear that this heavily featured Korean influences, especially k-pop which is a major love of mine, I felt like this was written just for me. And it really felt like it was!! I love, love, lovedddd all the references to popular Korean shows and bands, but I especially loved all the mentions of food! And as someone who regularly researches and studies current Korean culture, has been learning the Korean language for almost a year now, and is quite addicted to k-pop shows and k-dramas . . . this author really did her research on that side of things! And her writing was light and easy to read, not too dramatic nor heavy on the purple prose; it felt just right. And as I read, I could imagine the scenarios in the book like I was watching a good k-drama so 10/10 for that!

But I also loved the characters. Merri is sweet yet salty enough to be a realistic MC. Lee is snarky and pretty much 99% perfect (still not a fan of the way he was written a bit as far as how many Korean words he threw in with his English, but overall I was quite impressed!!) . . . which kind of made him 100% perfect in my eyes. I would have loved to have even more of his and Merri's interactions and see their relationship grow further. But the ending was quite nice and heartwarming, and I am looking forward to seeing what other works this author has in store for the future!

Merri has just gotten back from spending a week with her long time friend in Australia. Suddenly her best friend is acting weird and the neighbor Ms. Park has her strange and mysterious Korean nephew staying with her. Despite her efforts, Merri and Lee are forced to start spending time together. Merri has always wanted to pursue art but her father is constantly shutting her dreams down. Lee becomes her inspiration and starts doodling all the ridiculous (and seemingly rude) things he says to her. Somehow he has become her muse and she finds herself wondering about everything that is Lee until one night his secret is exposed... Lee is a Runaway K-Pop star.
I just want to start off by saying that this is the first novel I have read about K-pop stars. I don't know much about K-pop but this book had me making a new playlist! I think this is the perfect YA novel to be released right now with K-Pop bands like BTS become so huge right now. The depth that this book had was surprising, yet evoked all the right emotions. The romance between Merri and Lee was a lot sweet and what every girl hopes their first real love will feel like. Hart & Seoul will become a hit this summer for YA readers everywhere! I will definitely be on the lookout for more Kristen Burnham books in the future! Big thanks to Mascot Books for the ARC!

As a huge fan of storyline and flow,I am usually hesitant about reading YA novels without reading the reviews. However, being an avid Kpop fan myself, I found myself drawn to this book by the title and was NOT let down. I am giving this book 5 stars for storyline flow, characters, and proper use of a foreign language. It’s so hard to find great writing where a foreign language is used correctly in a sentence that can make the language comprehensive to the non-native speaker. Hart and Seoul did an amazing job of keeping the dialect flow consistent and orderly. As well as foreign language, the author managed to keep the characters interesting yet relatable, and on another level very much realistic to those fellow K-pop fans out there. Five stars to this YA that I’m looking forward to seeing published soon.
P.S Here’s to hoping for a sequel

I recieved an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. “Hart & Seoul” is released June 4th, 2019.

SUMMARY

Merilee Hart has been doing her best to keep things together since her mother left, her art a welcome escape from her depressing new reality. But things seem to go even more awry the moment her next door neighbor’s enigmatic and mysterious nephew arrives from South Korea. Lee is moody, cocky, and utterly infuriating.
But when Merri’s closest friends betray her and her father crushes her dream of going to art school, Merri finds herself drawn to Lee, who seems to live within even greater shadows than her own. And just when she thought things couldn’t get crazier, Merri’s world is upended when she discovers Lee’s big and bizarre secret…he is none other than a runaway member of the K-pop mega-group Thunder.

It’s not long before Thunder’s fans, the Storm Chasers, begin to close in on Lee, ready to do whatever it takes to return their favorite idol to his rightful place in the band. Faced with the prospect of even more heartbreak and caught up in an international whirlwind that has a life of its own, Merri realizes that she must find a way to mend herself, gain control of her life, and pursue her dreams—her heart and soul depend on it.

THE GOOD

So much to unpack here. So let’s do some bullet points. Those are a good way to get thoughts out.

-From the start, this book makes MASTERFUL use of romance tropes. It’s got everything from enemies-to-lovers (Lee and Merri’s terribly-flubbed first meeting and their subsequent awkward interactions are absolutely hilarious) to fake-dating and everything in between, and I LOVE IT. Tropes only suck in the hands of authors who don’t know how to use them – Burnham definitely does. All of it is done in a very tongue-and-cheek way that makes it deliciously obvious that these are tropes, but not the tropes you know.
-Speaking of tongue-in-cheek, the tone of this book was fantastically fun and comedic. It had its serious beats, which were also well-done, but it was also uproariously funny at times. Some of Merilee’s turns of phrase cracked me up, Merilee and Lee’s early, awkward interactions were all 10/10 amazing, and almost every incident with Lee’s fangirls, the Storm Chasers, had me in stitches (not really funny for the characters, I know, but oh, how I laughed!).
-I’ll admit that I don’t know a lot about the world of K-Pop, but “Hart and Seoul” was a great primer, and it really dug into both the pressures that the industry puts on its stars and the global phenomenon that k-pop has become. It was really seamlessly worked into the story, and it also provided most of the story’s most poignant moments. I especially appreciated the story’s focus on the impact of the industry’s rigors on Lee’s mental health – that’s a side of the story that we commoners don’t often see, and the author’s note, which talks about fame and mental health and provides resources for those struggling with depression, anxiety, etc., was a nice addition. That part of the story was tastefully handled and added a lot of depth to the story.
-The food. I never knew much about Korean food before reading this (to the chagrin of most of my Asian friends, who all swear up and down by Korean barbecue), but I loved how food became a bonding point for Lee and Merri.
-THE ROMANCE. OMG, SWOOOOOON. I’m a huge sucker for those “famous person falls for a normal person” love stories (Geekerella!) and this one was not only adorably swoonworthy, but actually made that improbable storyline seem somewhat grounded and realistic. And OMG, SO CUTE. I DIED. Really, this is a heckin’ cute romance.
-The ending. *HERE BE SPOILERS* Lee’s flower deliveries and mid-concert confession werethe stuff of my melodramatic teenager dreams. HE WROTE HER A SONG…AND SANG IT IN FRONT OF 600,000 PEOPLE…AND SAID HE LOVED HER…*faints* *SPOILERS BEGONE* High romance right there, folks. HIGH ROMANCE.

THE NOT-SO-GOOD

-Merilee has a tendency to be quite insensitive. She does improve, but it felt kind of off considering how much she knows Lee is struggling.
-That’s about it, really. This was a delightful book.

CRUNCHING THE NUMBERS

Plot: 5/5 – a creative twist on a whole boatload of tropes that work so, so much better than you’d ever expect them to.

Characters: 4/5 – Lee and Ema are angels and I’d die for them. Ms. Park is pretty great. The rest are sort of meh, and Bree is a scumbag. Lee and Ema make up for most of this, hence the high score. Not all of them are well-developed, but the leads, Lee and Merri, are, so it doesn’t feel flat.

Pacing: 5/5 – it was short, so there wasn’t a lot of time for it to slag, and I loved the lack of slow-burn. Slow-burn drives me nuts in most cases – this is one where it would have, which is why I appreciated its absence.

Handling of Subject Matter: 5/5 – surprisingly heartfelt, tasteful, and nuanced look at the K-Pop industry. Merri’s family situation (her mother left the family) is well-handled as well.

Writing Quality: 4/5 – it wasn’t exactly masterful prose, as YA rarely is, but the writing lent itself well to the story’s comedic timing, and Merri’s turns of phrase were wonderful.

Message/Moral/Appropriateness for Audience: 5/5 – squeaky clean except for one use each of “a**” and “hell”. Lots of kisses, but they’re not graphic. Allusions to a failed suicide attempt – the character later seeks out help, and the author’s note provides contact information of suicide prevention agencies; potentially disturbing but a sensitive handling of the topic. Good messages about the dangers of celebrity hype and the importance of trust, forgiveness, and loyalty. Would recommend for ages 14+ – I’d put it younger if not for the mention of the suicide attempt at the end because it’s largely clean (there’s no adult situations, drinking/drugs, or violence, and characters conspicuously don’t curse), but that would probably be a bit much for younger readers, though it’s brief and sensitively handled.

Overall: 4.67/5 Confused Llamas