<em>So We Meet Again</em> is the first book that I've read by Suzanne Park and it definitely won't be the last. I was expecting a cutesy romance with a strong heroine and a super hot hero and that's exactly what I got so I was happy. This was a really quick read and I read it almost in one sitting because I was all up in their business from beginning to end. I liked the pacing of this story and thought the Korean American culture was fun to experience through both Jess Kim and Daniel Choi's families. The Korean American culture isn't too far off from my own Samoan American culture experiences so it was nice to connect with characters in a book that I've read.

This book follows our protagonist, Jess Kim, who was laid off from her Wall Street job and has to move back home to Tennessee and figure out her next move. Moving back into her childhood room at her parent's house and feeling like a failure is something that plenty of people (myself included) have experienced in their lives at one point or another so right from the jump, I was interested in seeing where Jess back at home would take us. When she runs into Daniel Choi, the boy that she used to compete with to get the best grades and just beat, he's driving a nice ass car and seems to be winning hearts left and right still so obviously, she'd be jealous that he's still at the top while she's struggling at being pushed back down to the bottom.

So the romance between Daniel and Jess was cute and super fun to read about except for the times when Jess was being super extra and blaming Daniel for more than he should have been blamed for. They had a lot of cute scenes that had me grinning like a lunatic. Like when Jess and her work besties go to the Dolly Parton bar and Daniel comes with his friend and everyone disappears, leaving Daniel and Jess alone and she's like, "So, do you want to come over and see my spreadsheet?" I laughed out loud because that is totally something that I would love to invite someone over to see.

On top of the romance, this book is about Jess starting the next chapter in her life after Wall Street. She was kind of a smartass where Daniel Choi and her parents were concerned. Those things annoyed me from time to time but I'm glad that I stuck with the book because she fixes those attitude issues and you see her actively fix them so I was glad. Instead of finding another Wall Street or financial banker job, she sets out on the entrepreneur adventure. She revives her YouTube page where she used to film foodie videos for the busy professional. She starts a food business and seeing her work through idea after idea and really build an actual company made the story even more interesting to me. I liked seeing her work and build a business that included her family.

The secondary characters were a great addition to the overall story being told. I loved her friends (even the grocery delivery girl), Daniel Choi, her parents, and even Daniel Choi's parents. The only person that I remember that I actually hated was dumbass Wyatt. If I had a gripe with this story, it would probably be that I wished we had gotten into Daniel Choi's head. It would have been nice to see what he was thinking at certain parts of the story but Jess was a great protagonist so I wasn't mad about it or anything. It was more of a "I wish" kind of thing.

Overall, this was a fun story about a woman moving on with her life after a life setback. There's a sweet romance with a great love interest and charming secondary characters that will have you cheering for everyone involved. I would definitely recommend it if you're in the mood for a light romance and enjoy Korean cuisine.

<strong>4 out of 5</strong>

Unputdownable! Anyone obsessed with food, instagram, tiktok, etc will fall in love with Jessie Kim and her adorable parents, diving into meal prep hacking! They have me wondering what I can do with my obsession with meal kits and how I can mix it up!

So We Meet Again is the perfect read for anyone who wants a story that will leave you with the warm and fuzzies. Jess Kim is back in her hometown of Nashville, TN after being fired during a virtual meeting. She's unsure of what to do next, all she knows is that working as an investment banker isn't her lifelong dream. After running into her archnemesis (Daniel Choi) at the local grocery store, Jess keeps running into him and eventually has to admit that he isn't as bad as he was when they were in school.

After a lot of thought and planning, Jess decides her next career move is starting a YouTube channel that offers attainable hacks for the meal prep services that have become so popular. The show seems to go off without a hitch until her mom appears on a live episode and corrects the cooking technique that Jess is using. Suddenly, Jess's channel goes viral. The world cannot get enough of the Kim family.

This story was super cute and I could not put it down. I loved how Park wrote Jess and Mrs. Kim's relationship. Jess is also one of those characters you can't help but root for. Suzanne Park also managed to incorporate some very important conversations about corporate culture, whitewashing brands that are created with specific cultures in mind, and the #MeToo movement. Park also shows the importance of having a community of people that support you, regardless of your endeavors.
Overall rating: 4/5

So We Meet Again will be available for purchase on August 3rd. Be sure to add it to your Goodreads shelf and see where it's available for purchase. Also, be sure to check out Suzanne Park's website!

I was lucky enough to be able to listen to this Advanced Reader's Copy through my partnership with NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Jess is fired from her financial services position in a restructuring at Hamilton Cooper in NYC after years of putting up with her male supervisors taking credit for her work. So in her late 20's she moves back to Nashville to live with her Korean parents. Several years ago Jess had started making cooking ideas youtube videos and she decides to make some more using Korean spices and sauces for adding to the food deliveries services that are now so popular, but sometimes bland. She then runs into Daniel Choi, the pastor's son who she went through school with. Through trial and error, hypercompetitive moms, old friends and new friends, Jess and Daniel try new career paths. The characters are quite likable, especially Jess's mom and there is plenty of humor mixed in. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Jess Kim has just been let go from her Wall Street finance job and has returned hone to Nashville while she regroups. While there, she runs into Daniel. Choi, the boy she competed against throughout Muskie abs high school. Except, Daniel is most definitely all man.

Daniel is also home trying to re-group from his successful career in Silicon Valley as a venture capitalist. As they both work towards personal and professional goals, they grow closer and realize they have misunderstood each other.

Mrs. Kim is a hoot and I loved seeing her and Jess interact with each other. Jess is a strong female character who is remarkably intelligent and trying to survive in a mans world. She can certainly hold her own! I would have loved to see more of Daniel and gotten to know him better, but I enjoyed his and Jess’ relationship. While there’s very little romance, I thought the plot was well thought out and had a strong main character.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was an entertaining novel about finding yourself and following your dreams. I loved the Korean American rep and that the culture and food played such a large role in the story. I related a lot to the cultural pressures and expectations of family and community and thought that was portrayed really well. I went into So We Meet Again thinking that it was going to be a romance, but it ended up falling more into Women’s Fiction for me. There is a romantic subplot between Jessie and Daniel, but it takes a backseat to Jessie’s personal journey and her relationship with her parents (especially her mother). Jessie’s mom was absolutely hilarious ("Umma approved!") and she was definitely my favorite character. The pacing of the novel was a bit slow, which made the book feel overly long, but I thought Jessie’s character arc was well done. I also appreciated how sexism and misogyny in the workplace were discussed and addressed throughout the novel. The ending felt a bit rushed, with the main conflict coming in right before the end, but overall this was an enjoyable read.

CW: sexism, racial stereotyping, misogyny, mentions of: sexual harassment and workplace hazing

*I voluntarily read an advance review copy of this book*

Although I enjoyed the novel, I was expecting something a bit different. I was focused on the cooking show Jess eventually develops with her mom and also on her high school rival and frenemy Daniel because the description primed me to think of the book in this way. Although it takes a while, there is a cooking show, and when it gets going, the success starts rolling in. I wish there had been more streaming with umma and appa to make her sudden success more believable. She went from live streaming to deals in what felt like a matter of seconds. Her relationship with Daniel was an interesting one. I was disappointed by the book description's set up with Daniel becoming her old firm's new general counsel (I believe the description has since changed on some outlets but not in others), but this only played a small part in the book. I expected it to be more pivotal to their relationship than it eventually became. The emphasis should have been on Jess trying to find her place after losing a job that finally solidified her as being a success. Her outlook was framed by the perspective of a company that didn't know how to value someone like her, and she spends much of the time trying to start over.

There's still a lot to like in So We Meet Again. It has Park's signature humor that has me returning to her books over and over again--it's one of the reasons why she is a must-read author for me. Loathe at First Sight remains my favorite of her novels, but So We Meet Again retains some of my favorite elements from her first adult novel including the family dynamics and the emphasis on career aspirations. Additionally, it's a story that is easily relatable if you've ever been compared to other kids growing up. Although I had slightly different expectations when I started the novel, I still enjoyed it. (3.5 stars rounded to 4)

Daniel Choi was the pastor’s son in Jess Kim’s Korean-American church growing up in Nashville, and because they were the same age, she’s always been compared to him by her parents and the community. The first time she sees him since 8th grade is at the grocery store back in Nashville right after she moved back home. She was just trying to wrangle the 50 lb bags of rice her mother sent her to pick up at the BOGO sale. And he was just… well, grown up into a strapping hunk of a man, darn him!

Most of the story was about Jess losing her job on Wall Street and deciding to become an entrepreneur selling Korean spice hacks for meal kits. It all started with videos she made from her mother’s kitchen (and her mom interrupted, and it was so cute and sweet!). You’ll never guess who the local big shot venture capitalist is. And he just happens to be in town on sabbatical and running into her everywhere.

All in all, it was a very enjoyable read about a young woman learning to trust herself. While the whole book wasn’t necessarily happy, it kept a smile on my face the whole way through. And the book was clean enough for a pastor to give to his kid! Big thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

Jess, a 20 something Korean American, finds herself living in her childhood bedroom in Nashville after she is let go from her Wall Street job in a virtual meeting. As she is trying to figure out her next step, complete with expansive Excel document, when she runs into her middle-school nemesis Daniel Choi. Daniel is on a sabbatical form Silicon Valley and looking so much better than in middle school.. Daniel seems to be everywhere! Jess starts to figure out her path forward but will Daniel's help derail her dream? And why does her look so good? This story of family and friendship and finding your path is a perfect weekend treat. And yes there is even romance. Loved this book!

After having the pleasure to review Park’s novel Loathe at First Sight, I was very excited to get an ARC of So We Meet Again. Unfortunately, I kept putting this book off and after several failed starts, I buckled down and started reading it last night. Not even 24 hours later, I’ve finished the book and can add it to my stack of 4-star reads. I really enjoyed the character development of Jessie and loved following along as she started a new life as an entrepreneur after leaving Wall Street. There were moments that I could totally relate to her story, and other times that I just had to laugh because of the circumstances. Overall, So We Meet Again was an enjoyable read. It has a slow start and is very much character-driven.

loved this romance and finding love again. I loved that she was trying to figure out her life and found romance again. This was such a good book and I enjoyed reading it.

This book was ok! I really loved the parts about the food industry process. I didn't really feel like it was a romance book.

I wanted to like this enemies-to-lovers romance more than I did. But both characters are a bit irritating. Jessie and Daniel are two high-achieving Korean Americans who competed against each other’s achievements in middle and high school. Now Jessie has lost her job on Wall Street and has returned home to Tennessee to recoup and figure out what she’s going to do now. She meets up with Daniel who has, of course, grown into a very sexy and successful guy. She snarks at him and he seems to continually be rubbing it in about how successful he has become. It takes a while before we get to see the nice guy beneath his cocky facade.

One thing that got on my nerves is how Jessie keeps punching Daniel’s arms. I guess she’s enjoying feeling how muscular he is, but it really is immature for a woman in her late 20s to regularly hit the guy she’s attracted to. It sounded very middle-schoolish, but her whole approach to Daniel through most of the book did seem very immature.

I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book that I received from Netgalley; however, the opinions are my own and I did not receive any compensation for my review.

First of all, I got an ARC of this book. I loved the two main characters. Neither one of them was a perfect human being and I think that made them even better. I also like that Daniel (the love interest) doesn’t try to save Jessie. He knows that she is fully capable of doing things herself. Example: How they meet. This book also has great representation of the blatant racism and sexism in the workplace. Overall I enjoyed this book but probably wouldn’t read again.

So cute super fun and heart warming. I LOVED Jessie’s mom so much, so funny and so sweet.

I think Jessie’s journey was amazing, she grew so much and learned to trust herself and her ability to work hard , succeed and be a leader.

And don’t get me started on Daniel Choi okay, CRUSH ALERT.

After finishing and enjoying Sunny Song Will Never Be Famous, this author’s young adult release this year, I decided to request this book. I picked it up when I didn’t really feel like reading anything, and I had a lot of fun! So We Meet Again takes us on the journey of building a brand from the ground up, with the help of a good support system of friends, family, and a cute guy.

When Jess Kim is fired from her job as an investment banker, she moves back home while she regroups. A strike of inspiration occurs: a Korean cooking Youtube channel where she adds some flavor to meal prep boxes. While she’s home, she reconnects with some old friends, including her middle-school rival, Daniel, whose successful career as a venture capitalist lawyer aids Jess’s business even if he still annoys her.

The characters were great. I really liked Jess’s grit and determination; this book also made the business aspects interesting and didn’t make the plot drag. As much as she dislikes him, Daniel tries to be really helpful. Jess’s high school friend Celeste and her newly made friend Flora also support Jess throughout the story.

I liked reading about Jess’s relationship with her parents. All of Park’s books feature the protagonists’ relationship with their immigrant Korean parents, a terse relationship that is also full of love. Here, part of Jess’s success stems from her mother criticizing her cooking. While this is frustrating in its own way, I reading about Jess continuing to further her business with her mom because she sees how much it means to her.

The romance was cute! You could say that Jess and Daniel were former rivals (although I wouldn’t say this is a rivals-to-lovers romance); even today, their parents are comparing their achievements, something Jess can’t help but do too. Their banter was fun to follow, and I liked their scenes together. I will say, though, that while I guess technically this book is a romance, it doesn’t entirely focus on it. Instead, it balances it with the business plot line, although I would say this part took much more of the plot.

I actually had my doubts reading about this book because the author’s previous adult title was grossly marketed as a romcom, which it really wasn’t (you can read more about that in my review here). I worried that this book, too, wouldn’t really be a romance but thankfully it did have more of the romance aspect. I will say, however, (and this is partially spoilerly, so don’t read this if you don’t want to) that it’s so weird that the summary is pretty much the ENTIRE book. That last paragraph? Occurs in the last 10%. Not even the last quarter! The last 10%, which made the book feel paced weirdly because I kept expecting that to be one of the main obstacles.

So We Meet Again juggles a funny romance with the struggles of starting a business. I liked the characters and the main couple. If you enjoyed this author’s past books, I think you’ll definitely like this one!

In this romance novel, there's plenty of banter and wit between leads Jessie and Daniel, and a boatload of chemistry to boot. It's very fun, engaging, and quick to read. The romance is very very very very slow-burn, so much so that Daniel is barely in half the book which makes this more of a coming-of-age women's fiction novel rather than a straight romance book. Nonetheless, it's very cute and I'd like a post-epilogue HEA update like now please, thank you.

This book was good, and had lots of things I really liked. I enjoyed the storyline of an adult having to move back home and figure out her life and old rivals meeting again. Parts of it felt a little rushed but overall it was a fun story.

Jess is a great heroine and I just love her journey in So We Meet Again. And the food in this is truly drool-worthy!

This book helped me end a reading slump, and for that alone, I'm very grateful to it. My favorite thing about this book was the way she built in Jessie's hometown Korean community, and how that informed her personal relationships and professional growth as she figures out her post-layoff life. And I especially loved how that informed her interactions with Daniel as they set aside their youthful resentments and became friendlier over the course of the book. While I loved their growing closeness and Daniel's excitement to help her with her channel, I did end up feeling that their romance was a little underdeveloped and secondary to the rest of the book, and that lessened some of the sense of stakes when there was conflict between Jessie and Daniel. But I didn't mind that as much when the rest of the book got me so hyped for Jessie's path to cooking YouTube success, and the realizations she has about her family and herself along the way. This was my first time reading a Suzanne Park book, and this book has made me excited to dive into more of her writing.