V&C K-Beauty was the top student run business at their school. Valerie put her all into making the business a success, and she was reaping her well earned rewards. Everything was going according to plan until Wes arrived on the K-Beauty scene. The stakes were high for both Wes and Valerie, but their growing attraction could really complicate matters.

It's always wonderful to pick up a book for one reason, but discover something even better to love. In the case of Made in Korea, I came for the romance, but I really loved seeing these two fighting for their dreams and discovering so much about themselves.

Valerie was a determined young woman, and I loved her naked ambition. She had goals and was willing to put forth the time and effort to meet those marks. Unfortunately, everyone didn't recognize these traits in her, and that was a big part of her inner struggle. I, however, was there cheering her on alongside her phenomenally wonderful grandmother (halmeoni). Some of the most touching moments in this book were due to Valerie's halmeoni. She was all the grandma goals, a staunch ally and supporter, and I adored her.

Although I did not like Wes cutting into Valerie's business, I loved him right away. Why does it delight me to hear of extremely attractive people who are awkward? But Wes was more than just a pretty face. He had hopes that his business venture would help finance his dreams, which were not supported by his parents. He had so much passion, and I just really wanted him to be able to make his dreams a reality.

The competition was lots of fun for me too. There was spying, sabotage, and even a physical race at one point. Halloween was a definite highlight for me. I liked learning about K-Beauty too. I do love me some beauty products, and many of these had my interest piqued.

Overall: A sweet story filled with great characters, an adorable romance, and a reminder to reach for your dreams.

Valerie Kwon and Wes Jung both have something to prove. For Valerie it's taking her halmeoni on the trip of her dreams to Paris and stepping out of her sister's shadow. For Wes it's finally admitting to his parents he wants to be a musician, not a doctor. Both Valerie and Wes are running competing K-Beauty businesses at their high school. They both need the money to make their dreams happen. But what happens when the two rivals start to feel sparks?

This book was so cute! I really enjoyed getting to know Valerie and Wes. Going with them through their triumphs and struggles was a fun ride (as well as watching them fall in love). I thought they were portrayed very realistically and that their growth was authentic. (Plus as a K-pop fan I would 100% listen to Tiger Crown and buy their merchandise :P) I also was fond of all the side characters in this story...they definitely rounded out the plot nicely. My only issue was it took a LONG time for the Valerie and Wes' relationship to start to blossom, but good things come to those who wait. I very much enjoyed this book.

I was given this book in exchange for my honest opinion. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

#netgalley #SimonandSchusterChildren'sPublishing #madeinkorea

This was such a cute read! Very clean and fun, I loved the dynamic between the two main characters, and their personalities. Highly recommend.

Made in Korea features compelling protagonists whose worldviews broaden due to their interactions with one another. Valerie is a driven, smart, talented entrepeneur whose motivation to make money stems from an endearing relationship with her grandmother. Charlie is a skilled saxophonist who needs to pay his own way through music school because his parents want him to pursue medicine. Though one is business-minded to a fault, and the other is too hesitant to speak up for how he truly feels, the two find they have more in common than they had previously assumed. I recommend having Hi-Chew to munch on as you read -- this romance initially lacks the sweetness that you might be used to from other Asian American YA novels. All in all, I found myself engrossed in this novel as the stakes get raised over and over again. The character Wes in particular is more nuanced than other Asian American male leads. I would recommend this novel to anyone who likes reading novels with strong female protagonists who aren't only skilled in battle and male leads who are vulnerable but steadfast!

MADE IN KOREA is a sweet romantic-comedy about competition, family, and reaching for your dreams. Valerie runs a very successful business at her high school along with her cousin, which they named V&C K-BEAUTY. They sell Korean beauty products that are sent by her cousin's father out of a locker at their high school. Their school has entrepreneurial awards, encouraging students to begin their own businesses, and V&C K-BEAUTY is one of the only businesses to be run over several school years.

In her senior year, Valerie has big goals for the sales. She wants to take her halmeoni on a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Paris. Her halmeoni has always dreamed of traveling, and in this gift, Valerie will not only be doing something for her halmeoni, but also proving to her parents that she is good at business and worth their admiration.

Everything seems to be going well until the new (and handsome) guy in school, Wes, begins selling his own beauty product line. Wes dreams of being a musician, a career his parents absolutely do not want him to follow. His mother gave him some beauty products from a K-pop line that is really popular to share with kids at school. When he inadvertently sells them, he learns the market is there and decides to keep selling them to raise money for his application and admission to a musical college.

As their business rivalry escalates, it becomes more personal - and soon, feelings are growing in addition to their competition.

What I loved: This was a really enjoyable and cute read. The competition kept the pace going quickly, and I appreciated the dual perspectives. Both Valerie and Wes were really compelling characters, and the motives behind their businesses and desires to have their parents accept and appreciate them will resonate with readers. There are many cute and sweet moments mixed with some humor, and I loved the way they got to know each other plus pushed each other's buttons throughout.

There are some great themes about family and its complexity. I adored Valerie's halmeoni, and the way her relationships with her parents and sister evolve. Valerie has always felt like a disappointment, and she wants to prove to her parents and herself that she has what it takes in business. Her relationship with them has colored other relationships in her life, and she begins to understand these complications as she grows during the story. Similarly, Wes dreams of being a professional musician, but his uncle has pursued this career and struggled because of it. As he tries to find a way to tell his parents and prove he can do it on his own, he must learn more about himself and his decisions along the way.

Communication is another major theme of the book, and the lessons about the need to talk about concerns and feelings are really well done. Beyond the two main characters, there are many others who have needed to talk about things. Even if things don't end in the way they wished, there was still value in speaking their truths.

Final verdict: Charming and sweet with compelling characters and a delightful premise, MADE IN KOREA is a gratifying YA contemporary read about following your passions, competition, and family. Highly recommend for fans of TWEET CUTE, A PHO LOVE STORY, and DATING MAKES PERFECT.

Please note that I received an ARC from the publisher. All opinions are my own.

What a gem. I love the way Sarah Suk writes these relatable Korean characters. I can imagine all of my Asian teenage students loving this book. They would relate to the love of Korean beauty products, music, food, family, etc. There is such pride in Korean culture in this book. I wish I had this when I was a lonely Asian teen. Wes is kind and adorable as a male lead, and Valerie is driven and admirable. I love that Sarah portrays Asians who love their families and are trying to figure out their own identities at the same time. So much about this book resonated with the way I grew up in a traditional Asian family.

I need to start this review with my favorite element of Made in Korea which is Valerie's character. Valerie's character was not only wonderfully complex, but it made me feel so seen. Valerie is business oriented, focused on her ambition and her love for her grandmother, all while feeling like she will never measure up. But her fierce ambition and drive which, in many ways, stops her from seeing those around her, felt so relatable to me. Watching her evolve as a character, to realize that ambition in extremes has the tendency to erode our present, kept me reading.

That, paired with the romance story line, which was precious and extremely cute, made Made in Korea a win! The dual POV writing style of Made in Korea was an excellent writing choice to allow readers to see the motivations, mistakes, and misunderstandings from both sides. The ways both Wes and Valerie end up in hot waters without realizing, both focused on their goals, but will it destroy any chance of their love? My heart broke for Wes and the ways he wishes his parents could see his passion for music.

Reading Made in Korea felt like a balm to the soul. There is something so satisfying about reading a romantic contemporary that just hits all the good spots: great storytelling, a rivals-to-lovers romance that I absolutely adored and rooted for, a cast of characters that were all flawed yet earnestly human, and nestled in between a tender story about ambition, identity, and acceptance from family.

Told in alternating narratives, the story follows Korean-American teens Valerie Kwon and Wes Jung. Operating from her locker, Valerie operates a successful K-beauty business with her cousin, Charlie. When Wes Jung, the handsome new boy in school inadvertently starts a competing K-pop business that becomes Valerie’s biggest competitor, this ignites a heated competition as the two try to outsell each other - all while trying to ignore and resist the undeniable mutual attraction between the two.

There’s a lot to love in Made in Korea, but let’s start with its wonderful cast of all-Asian characters. How refreshing it is to read a young adult contemporary story where all the characters are complex, fascinating, and also feel so alive and tangible. Valerie and Wes shone brightly as main characters. The two juxtapose the other; Valerie is unapologetically ambitious, seemingly cold and calculating to her peers and yet has a huge heart when it comes to her halmeoni, while Wes is a soft, shy, and gentle soul who struggles to speak up and assert himself and doesn’t always come across the way he wants to, but comes alive when he plays his saxophone.

Underneath these two characters, who are misunderstood in different ways, the two characters share something that readers will love and get behind: their willingness to prove themselves. For Valerie, she wants to prove that her small business is a reflection of her capabilities and potential as a business person and that it isn’t the ‘cute hobby’ that her mother thinks it is by earning enough to fund a trip of a lifetime for herself and her beloved halmeoni (who I also adored). For Wes, he uses his small business as a means to fund going to music college, a career path that his parents, especially his father, disapproves of. It doesn’t stop there though: when both Valerie and Wes make an all-or-nothing bet, in which the winner takes all and has a chance at their dream - whereas the loser loses everything.

Made in Korea pulls us into a story where readers will become effortlessly invested in both Valerie and Wes’s ambitions and dreams, while also feeling utterly torn on who you want to win. (Spoiler: you can’t help but root for both! Even if they are at odds with each other! It’s conflicting!) The competition between Valerie and Wes was just so delightful to read, including how the two inadvertently recruit the same person to spy on the other.

Moreover, the romance that blooms between Valerie and Wes was wonderful. I loved the softness of their pull towards one another, balanced with the vulnerability of their romance and opening themselves up because of their ongoing competition. The connection between the two was meaningful too, especially when the two emotionally connect with one another when reflecting on their identities and sense of belonging, and how they are able to learn and grow from each other.

Nestled in-between the fluff and delights of competition are also some great moments with emotional depth. Made in Korea explores identity; not just Korean identity, but also how our ambitions can become embedded into our identities and how we see and understand ourselves framed against our successes, and our failures. Moreover, and I feel that this particular theme will resonate with many readers, Made in Korea explores the weight of our family’s expectations. Both Valerie and Wes have to grapple with their parent’s expectations of them and what is ‘best’ for them, in a way that humanises their parents (rather than a unidimensional ‘bad parent’ portrayal) but also gives Valerie and Wes agency in an empowering way.

Made in Korea is a stunning debut, with wonderful complex characters, a rivals-to-lovers romance and competition that will delight, and emotional and depthful themes that will engage and provoke thought. Above all, Made in Korea is just so much fun! My reading experience of Made in Korea was so memorable and wonderful. I cannot wait to see what stories Sarah Suk will write in the future.

I loved this. For a debut, it was amazing. Sarah Suk's writing was nuanced and her characters were incredible. I really related to Valerie and her feeling like she wasn't good enough, at least compared to her sister. And Wes was so sweet. Charlie and Pauline were also awesome. Overall, a solid book. I'm excited to read more of Sarah Suk in the future.

I’ve always had a soft spot for cute contemporaries set in high school. Add a bit of rivalry, a headstrong girl, some truly hilarious side characters, and a wise grandmother and I am SOLD.

I may not be Korean but many of the experiences and emotions that Val and Wes struggle with throughout the book really resonated with me. Especially the parental relationships. The discussion about pressure, immigration, and what really matters even had me tearing up a bit.

I loved the characters ARCs of all the characters and the theme of honesty and discussion.

Truly cannot recommend this book enough.

Let’s start this off by establishing that rivals to lovers is one of my favorite tropes... I will literally read anything with this trope so I think it’s safe to say that when I heard about this book it went straight to my tbr. And when I got an ARC of this book I read it in one night.

This book follows Wes and Val, two Korean teens who run rival K-beauty businesses. Now, as someone who isn’t Korean, I cant speak on how accurate the representation in this book was, but the book is by an ownvoices author so do with that information what you will.

All of the characters in this book were lovable and interesting. I found myself wanting to hear more about them and I just adored them all. Valerie is passionate and driven and was so much fun to read about. Wes, the love interest, honestly felt like the kind of guy you take home to meet your mother. Even the side characters were amazing, Charlie, Taemin, and Halmeoni were all amazing and I loved them all.

Before reading this, I hadn’t read a young adult contemporary book in a while and this felt refreshing. I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys the genre. Personally, I read the book in between a few pretty heavy fantasy books and it felt like a breath of fresh air.

4.5 stars

Made in Korea is like one of those fun rides at the amusement parks. The one that makes you feel giddy inside and messes with your thoughts.

I found this book very different from the previous contemporaries I've read. Being an Asian myself, I could relate to a lot of the struggles Valerie and Wes were going to through at home, and I don't think any book has nailed that so perfectly for me. I loved how all the characters had their flaws and each of them dealt with it in their own ways.

Reading a contemporary that wasn't very cheesy and warm, and actually had more serious conversations than expected was something I really admired and you don't see that in a lot of books. It was a breath of fresh air and it felt extraordinary.

The ensemble of characters immersed me into the story, and I connected to all of them, side characters included. They each had different journeys that were so inspiring to an extent that I started rooting for all of them. Charlie and Taemin probably had the most interesting personalities and even if they tend to be bit all over the place, it's what makes them more realistic.

“When you choose the path of an artist, nothing is promised, but everything is possible.”

Valerie is a passionate, driven, and independent young woman, who can sometimes lose herself too much in the competition. Once she sets her mind to something, she's going to accomplish it no matter what. Wes, on the other hand, is a softer, more passive person, but his determination levels up with Valerie's. He has ambitions of his own, for which he will work very hard and put in all that he has. I loved their character development as they come to terms with each other and boy, was I a happy mess by the ending. I couldn't stop grinning.

Valerie's halmeoni (grandmother) is my favourite character in this story. She's so supportive of her granddaughter's aspirations and is just a fun sprit to be around. Her relationship with Valerie is so sweet and special, and my heart swells every time I think about them.

Everything about this book stood out to me and I couldn't put it down! The plot is exceptional and the writing is fabulous. Definitely recommend this to everyone!

Made in Korea was a super cute and fun romantic comedy. The characters are down-to-earth and genuine, and I loved their character development throughout the book. The reference to Korean make-up and K-Pop bands was relevant to me because I love those things. The side-hustle school business was something I wish I had thought of doing when I was in high school. Overall this story was adorable and I highly recommend it!

I thought that the overall idea for the plot of this book was quite fun and that the story it’s self was very nicely written. However, for me the characters fell a little flat. I felt that I was wishing for more depth in both the development of the characters and the development between the relationship of the characters.

It was really hard to like the characters a lot in the beginning of this. Valerie was intense. Wes was insecure. But over time, they both grew on me. I would love more from the other characters though. I loved them so much.

Valerie and her cousin, Charlie, had been running a beauty business at school for years. They sell out of everything. Valerie wanted to save up money to take her grandmother to Paris. She also wanted to show her parents that she was just as smart and capable as her older sister. Valerie's relationship with her grandma was the biggest stand out for me. It reminded me so much of my relationship with my grandma. We were very close and I definitely miss her all the time. It was nice to read about that relationship and to think about the happy things from mine.

Wes is new to school and doesn't really know how to talk to anyone. He brought his mom's lip balms (marketing from a popular k-pop band) to hand out, but people thought he was selling them. So Wes decided to start a business. He asked Pauline to help since she was really the only person he talked to much. Wes wanted to be a musician, but his parents didn't approve. His uncle is a musician and always struggles. They want him to be a doctor. Wes wants to make money to apply to colleges for music. Things start off really well. But Valerie is pissed. She didn't want a completing beauty business. She started having items left over after her sale. The two became rivals and eventually made a bet to see who could make the most money.

Valerie and Wes grow close, even with Valerie resisting at times. She focused so much on her business and her goals that she didn't really connect with people. She spent most of her time with Charlie or her grandma. Wes was sweet and caring. He made Valerie see how she treated people. She helped make him brave. Things don't go well for them, but it's a love story. I'm sure you can guess how things end up.

I gave this book 4 stars. Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for my review copy.

Warnings for parental issues, Parkinson's, teenage drinking.

Valerie Kwon runs the best student business, V&C K-Beauty, at school along with her cousin, Charlie. Even though her family thinks V&C K-Beauty is just a hobby, it is so much more to Valerie.

Wes Jung is the new kid at school who secretly wants to pursue a career in music. His mom gives him some k-beauty products as a way to make some new friends at his new school. Turns out, everyone wants them and he soon has a business running.

Soon, the two become top competitors and have to outsell each other. Although they are rivals, what happens when they start to fall in love?

I loved all the characters but I especially loved Valerie's halmeoni and Wes's uncle. Both of them provided support for the MCs and had great advice whenever the parents weren't paying so much attention to them.

I also loved the Korean words the author added to the book as well as Korean culture. From K-pop and K-dramas to delicious food, all of it made me very invested in the book.

Overall, Made in Korea was a super cute and funny book about Wes and Valerie's business competition during their senior year. I enjoyed every second of the rivals to lovers plot and was rooting for them the entire book.

**Review will be posted closer to publication date**

Made in Korea was a super fun YA hate to love romance centered around two high schoolers running K-Beauty and K-Pop inspired businesses. The Korean elements were really fun to read about, and I loved the relationship that the main character had to her grandmother. I highly recommend this book for anyone who loves K-Beauty, Hi-Chews, and Shark Tank.

I really enjoyed this! I loved all the Korean references and Korean words. I currently live in Korea so it was fun to be able to see the culture I’m currently experiencing. I’m not into business and being an entrepreneur so I was worried that would hinder my experience, but it didn’t! Valerie can be really hard to like because she is so wrapped up in her business. However, that part was so realistic. In my experience, business owners in Korea are very similar to how Valerie acted so it was very believable. I really loved Wes and Charlie, honestly Charlie might be my favorite character. He was really likeable and funny. I definitely recommend this book!

Made in Korea has all the qualities of a YA that readers will love- relatable protagonists dealing with familial pressure and decisions about the future, crushes and first love, and a twisty and engaging plot. Wes and Valerie are fantastic characters and readers will keep turning the page to follow them on their business endeavors and growing attraction. I highly recommend this fantastic title.

What a delight. This fun and thoughtful debut by Sarah Suk dives into the meaning of life and the importance of people and communication. While Wes and Valerie pursue different goals, their lives run in parallel where family comes first, they yearn for parental approval and they learn to share their truths. I highly recommend this heartwarming tale packed with Korean culture from K-pop to K-Beauty and loads of heart. Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.