Jessie is very successful in her career and has plans to accelerate. When the company she works for, passes her over for a promotion, Jessie decides to take matters into her own hands. She decides to return to her hometown and figure out her next step. Jessie steps out onto the culinary scene with her own video which becomes sensational after her overbearing mother jumps in.

Now she is facing a whole newfound success and happiness that she hasn’t experienced. Jessie gets a little bit of help from a family acquaintance which leads to some sparks flying. Just as she is settling into a routine, her former employers want to buy her out and her new beau is in charge of it.

I think I would have enjoyed this a bit more if it was a full-on romance or the romance was a little more prevalent in the story. While I did enjoy the overall story, the truth is that this is more a women’s fiction novel in my eyes. The story focuses primarily on sexism, family dynamics, a little romance and character development.

The book is a slow burn. At times, I felt like the story was taking too long. Since the romance takes the back seat, it was hard holding my attention. Yes, I did like how Jessie had to learn how to deal with her mother. Yes, I loved all of the descriptions about food. However, I got burned out by the pacing of the story.

I did enjoy how Jessie’s relationship with her mom unfolded. The dynamic between the two characts felt realistic. In various cultures, daughters can have a hard time bonding and pleasing their mothers. They both have some bending and healing to do but the journey is well crafted and I actually enjoyed Jessie’s mom a lot. The growth and confidence that Jessie gain by the end of the book left me satisfied.

Overall, if you like women’s fiction with strong family ties then I recommend this book.

~ Samantha

Readers who enjoy rom-com featuring Asian-American families will want to put this on their reading list. There are the usual fraught relationships between adult second generation children, their parents and the close communities they grew up in, as well as the predictable love interest. I loved the storyline of Jessie, a young investment banker who got laid off, ditched Wall Street and found success as an entrepreneur. What I never figured out is what Daniel, her supposed childhood nemesis and current love interest, sees in Jessie. Him? Attractive, successful, kind and likable. Her? Blindly dismissive of someone who’s never done anything bad to her. And when she treats him like dirt, why would he keep coming around. It’s a mystery.

I loved this book! It was a great one-sided enemies to lovers story about finding your footing after leaving an established career. It had the best Korean-American diversity that I've read so far and true familial interactions. If you're a human in your 20s/30s looking for inspiration that you're not alone...this is the book for you!

⚠️ Warning!! Do not read this book hungry!!! ⚠️
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Every description of food is so delicious!
Jessie Kim had what she thought was the perfect Wall Street job until she is laid off via zoom. Returning home to Nashville she runs into golden boy Daniel. Growing up her parents compared her and Daniel and he became her arch nemesis’s
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Back to her childhood bedroom, no job and no direction with her life she decided begrudgingly to let Daniel help her launch her YouTube Korean cooking show where she takes meal prep kits and creates hacks to add Korean flavor and spice up the same weekly meals, which is pretty genius!
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This was a fun one and I simply adored her parents and them on her show. I can’t wait to discuss this one with @lovearctually!
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Thank you @Avon and @NetGalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review!
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So We Meet Again by Suzanne Park was a love letter to Korean culture - the food, relationships, and language. I loved it all and it left me with a craving for Korean food. 5⭐️

This book reminded me so much of one of my favorite shows on Netflix that doesn’t get a lot of attention - Kim’s Convenience Store. Both explore the complexities of being an adult and finding your way while navigating the sometimes complicated relationships and expectations of your parents (especially when you are living at home). The evolving mother-daughter relationship was so relatable and bitter-sweet. While I’m not Korean, there are parent expectations that are universal. At the core of it, they just want the best for us.

Don’t worry. There is a romance happening as well but don’t go in expecting it to be all about the budding romance.

Additional thoughts:
* Sentimental and funny
* Slow burn romance
* Enemies to lovers
* Will make you hungry
* Following your dreams and taking chances
* Behind the scenes of a growing YouTube channel

Thank you to @avonbooks and @netgalley for this arc. All opinions are my own. Congrats @suzanneparks for such a wonderful book!

Will appear soon on RRT: http://romrevtoday.com/

SO WE MEET AGAIN – Suzanne Park
Avon
ISBN: 978-0062990716
August 3, 2021
Contemporary Fiction

Nashville, Tennessee – Present Day

After being laid off from her job at a New York City investment bank, Jessie Kim moves back to her parents’ home in Nashville. She feels like she has failed and isn’t sure what her next move is, except she wants to prove that she can be a “leader” after being told that is why she has never been promoted. It isn’t easy to be an alpha when Jessie would prefer to just work at being the best worker. Soon after her return, Jessie runs into her former childhood nemesis, Daniel Choi, who is also unemployed, but is better off financially. He drives a fancy Mercedes SUV! But Daniel is easy on the eyes and his charming wit soon wins her over. After she wows the folks at the church with her cooking prowess, Jessie decides to relaunch her cooking YouTube channel with an emphasis on Korean cooking hacks. Daniel assists her in getting set up, and they grow closer. Her cooking channel takes off, leading to a deal where she creates Korean meal kits and sells them through a store. But just as her business grows, so does the friction between her and Daniel. It all comes to a head when she discovers that he withheld some vital information from her.

Jessie never liked Daniel, the son of the church pastor, because he was always that perfect kid who was better than her. She runs into him at the Korean grocery store, where she nearly dents his fancy car with a cart loaded down with huge bags of rice. He helps her out, and the two strike up a friendship. Jessie thought she had achieved the perfect career at the bank, though she kept getting passed over for promotions. Suddenly the bank is laying off several people in a cost cutting move—and Jessie is one of the unlucky folks laid off. Unable to afford New York City anymore, she moves back home, knowing she will have to put up with her meddling (even if well-meaning) parents. Her mother is an old-school Korean mother who thinks Jessie is still a child.

SO WE MEET AGAIN is an entertaining and fun tale about the trials and tribulations of living single…in Nashville. Jessie becomes friends with Flora, who proves to be a good sounding board, and also keeps in touch with her former coworkers in New York City, Alice and Charlie. After she gets the idea to pitch Korean meal kits, it takes off. She is busier than she ever thought she would be and begins to wonder if she is she is taking on too much too soon. Daniel encourages her and offers advice, yet in the end, he left out some important information. Will it lead to her business crashing? By the end of SO WE MEET AGAIN, has Jessie changed? Will she have Daniel in her life?

As told from Jessie’s point of view, SO WE MEET AGAIN is a modern-day woman’s tale of surviving in today’s ever-changing job market. Jessie thought she was headed for a secure future in investment banking, but instead finds herself jobless. She is forced to reinvent herself, which goes in a few different directions. An intriguing read, don’t miss SO WE MEET AGAIN.

Patti Fischer
Romance Reviews Today

I think I may have liked this more than the last book I read by Park, Loathe at First Sight. I was actually not super interested in the romance element (though I do always like the reconnecting with an old enemy who is now hot trope in contemporary romance). That part was totally fine, but I really found Jessie's relationship with her mother and her budding career as a YouTuber with a channel focused on hacking meal prep kits using Korean cooking techniques. As someone who has recently been reflecting on my career so far and wondering what I might do in an ideal world, I found Jessie's career exploration activities really relatable - including her spreadsheets. Her story is pretty aspirational, but was just what I wanted.

This book started in the investment banking cutthroat industry where Jess Kim does all of her work impeccably and works 80+ hours a week (can you do that?). I would die. So when the company is going through cutbacks they keep the bros that use her good work as their own and tell her she doesn't have leadership material, gag. How frustrating as a woman in the business world, it's so relatable.

This book starts to open up when she moves back with her parents and she connects with a middle school rival. He tries to help her with a entrepreneur idea she has and her relationship with her parents through it made me so happy and brought tears to my eyes.

I loved the ideas she has and my husband would definitely be watching these videos and using these supplement kits (I'm not much of a cook, I like to bake). 

Beware do not read when you are hungry the food descriptions are very yummy!

The romance in this book kept me on the edge and super happy. They kept getting so close but outside factors kept getting in the way. Her school mate with the bowl cut now the very handsome successful lawyer but it's always been a competition. Eek loved it! 

Thank you @avonbooks and @netgalley for the e-ARC for my honest and voluntary review.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐💫

I thought I was getting a sort of enemies to lovers (more like rivals to lovers), but what I got from this book was much more. Jessie Kim (all Jessie’s are the best let’s be honest) is let go from her big time banker Wall Street job and forced to move back in with her parents in Nashville. Jessie is stuck and it isn’t until she meets up with old high school rival Daniel Choi that she begins to realize what was once the end of the world might be a blessing in disguise.

I deeply related to Jessie’s life as a corporate drone— and a female one at that. A surprise lay off from a company you thought you were supporting hit a little close to home. I loved Jessie’s journey from someone who saw herself as a follower to someone who was a great leader. I also loved learning about all the different Korean delicacies and treats that Jessie creates with her mother. This book made me want to run over to H Mart immediately.

Overall I had a great time with this book although I wouldn’t classify it as a romance- the romance felt more peripheral to Jessie’s journey in this book. There is definitely a lovely romance and Daniel is great but I would have loved some more discussion about Daniel’s past and what he wanted in the future but ultimately I thought the two of them were very cute together and I very much ship it.

Thank you so much to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

So We Meet Again by Suzanne Park
Contemporary fiction. Includes a light, clean romance, enemies to friends troupe, that’s integral but mostly secondary.

Self empowerment told in a story of a former finance professional finding passion in creating a new business that had roots in her heritage with a modern day solution.
Why didn't I also include Korean or female in the sentence above as applies to the character in this novel? Because finding work or a hobby that makes you passionate extends beyond race or gender. Enjoy life.

Jessie uses her Korean cooking heritage and her boredom from prepackaged food delivery to create a new business and new direction in her life.
Her prior school nemesis, Daniel Choi, turns out to be a smart business contact as well as a hunky good looking male.

A powerful and positive story with humor, romance and family.

Lines and short quotes I loved and had to make a note of while reading this book:
Food delivery instructions: “Throw the coffee, cream, and sugar up to the second floor window”

“Waaaa,” they all marveled in unison.

“Numbers were so specific. I liked specificity.”

“meddling ajummas?”

“Umma’s feeding and cooking were her own special love language to me.”

“Because love wasn’t shown only with the acts of cooking and feeding. Love was also about not giving up on the other person.”

I received a copy of this from NetGalley.

This was my first time reading Suzanne Park and this book was a joy!

It’s the story of Jessie Kim who after a dozen years on Wall Street is laid off with no prospects. She moves back to her hometown of Nashville, TN. While grocery shopping for her mother she encounters her middle school nemesis, Daniel Choi, who is, of course, way hotter than he ever was in middle school.

This is a story of a young woman who, derailed off of the original track of success she thought she was on, develops a purpose and a true sense of her own ability to succeed. Jessie is a smart and hard-working woman, who is full of the same insecurities as many women and trying to figure out a new place for herself in the world from her childhood bedroom in her parent’s home..

The relationship between Jessie and her parents is well portrayed and will be familiar to many Asian Americans whose parents immigrated to the US. There is a band of terrific supportive secondary characters, a glimpse into the world of Wall Street, Korean American culture, and some definite Dolly Parton fan-girling. My favorite aspect of the book is the Korean food and cooking tutorials. It’s a great glimpse into Korean culture and food.

The book is single POV, and there were times I did wish to know what was going on in Daniei’s mind.

I had thought this was a romance, but I’d categorize it as women’s fiction with romance in it. It’s low heat, slow burn, closed door.

The story is sweet, funny, and well written. Ultimately, I was very entertained and appreciated reading an Own Voice book! Would definitely recommend!

The foooood in this book! It was like I was there tasting it myself. I was immediately looking up recipes for all the dishes they were mentioning. I loved how so much of the characters’ Korean culture shined through. It was a joy to read and learn all about Jess and Daniel’s family dynamics. We get to see so much growth in both of them as the story goes along, especially Jess who we meet at a big turning point in her life. We got to go along for the ride of self discovery for her as she figured out what she wanted to do with her life after getting let go from her job early in the book. This was such an enjoyable read that allowed me to learn about a culture different than my own while at the same time being very relatable in some of the struggles Jess goes through.

This was my first book by this author and it was really cute. I really liked Jessie and felt a kinship with her working in a male dominated field. All of her hard work led her to being laid off on a zoom meeting so she moves home at the age of 29. These aren't usually my favorite kinds of stories but I think this was handled with grace. Jessie reconnected with old friends and deepened her relationship with her parents, especially her mom. She used this time to rediscover her passion of cooking and used it to build a business.

The love interest Daniel is an old rival from when she was a kid. Their parents always compared each other and the competition made them strive for their best. He's back in town on sabbatical and looking to take on consulting jobs. I did really like Daniel and thought he was funny but he definitively was a side character. You didn't get into his head much and I wanted to hear more about his passions, especially game streaming.

I would say this is less of a romance book and more of a women's discovery book. It was a bit hard to follow especially when Jessie's business really started to pick up. Overall I really enjoyed this and would read another book from this author.

I love Suzanne Park's characters. They are smart, savvy (even if not always "smooth), funny, and never give up. We see this in spades with Jess as she forges a new career path from an overworked and overlooked and over-qualified investment banker to putting all she has--heart and know-how--into her Korean food hack enterprise. (This book will make you seriously hungry.) Park shows us a character who can stand her ground in the face of racism, sexism, and knowing her full worth both professionally and personally. Plus, a bonus! A sexy man waiting for her in the wings.

This was a cute story about former high school rivals who (predictably) fall in love.

Jessie Kim is an investment banker, working long hours for her employer and sacrificing the chance to have a life outside of work. When she unexpectedly gets fired, and told that she doesn't have "leadership potential," she goes home to Tennessee to lick her wounds and figure out her next step. Jessie is very methodical; she has a detailed spreadsheet with job opportunities, personal goals, and even a checklist for finding the perfect man. Her parents are typical Korean parents, framing her firing as a "break to explore entrepreneurial opportunities" to their friends.

Of course, Jessie has to run into her old nemesis, Daniel Choi, who always seemed to come out on top when their parents were comparing them in middle school. Daniel, who once sported an unflattering bowl cut, is now handsome, fit, and still winning the success game. Jessie has to fight not to like him, as he annoys and intrigues her in equal measure.

Jessie's great idea is to create sauce and spice packets to Asianize and improve meal delivery kits. She revives her old YouTube channel, Hanguk Hacks and develops relationships with a local Asian market who is willing to distribute her products. Her first video goes viral, as her mom crashes her live feed with her own commentary on what she's fixing, and her dad gives his seal of approval on camera. Jessie is a little annoyed, at first, but then discovers how nice it is to have a closer relationship with her mother and father.

More successes come, leaving Jessie to decide what she wants - a buyout or to keep her business going? And can she trust Daniel, who doesn't always seem to have her best interests at heart?

This book is fun, if predictable. I loved Jessie's spunk and great business sense, and I appreciated the slow simmer between Jessie and Daniel. The spice level is a G or PG; the story is as much about Jessie's relationship with her mother than with Daniel, as well as her evolution from worker bee to entrepreneur!

Thanks to Netgalley for this advance copy of an enjoyable book!

This was a delightful read. I adored Jessie - her journey and self discovery felt relatable, while being fun enough for a romance novel. Jessie's relationship with her parents and her friends (one she was building and those that were established) formed the heart of the novel. The one downside was that the other relationships and plot took away from the developing relationship between Jessie and Daniel. I felt like they didn't have quite enough time together and I would have loved to see more heat between the two of them. Overall, the book was a lot of fun to read and made me really hungry!

So We Meet Again was a sweet and tender trip with Suzanne Park's most relatable heroine ever: the snarky and irrepressible Jessie Kim unhappily boomerangs from losing her Wall Street job to her parents' house in Nashville only to to face career uncertainties, parental pressure for marriage and success, and a totally inconvenient crush on her childhood rival, Daniel Choi.

While Daniel's new look as a hot, successful lawyer irks Jessie's competitive nature, she is struggling more with finding her own identity. Is Jessie going to return to the soul-destroying grind of Wall Street to please her overachiever soul, will she give into her parents' model of an ideal Korean daughter, or is there maybe a completely different path for her? Jessie channeling her rage over losing her Wall Street job into a niche online business showcasing her Korean American cooking hacks is such a fun ride for anyone who loves a good revenge storyline or even better Korean food porn. In fact, this story made me wish Jessie's Seoul Sistas business was real so I could order those delicious-sounding sauces.

Jess' story is more women's fiction but Daniel provides a soft romance on the side. The romance is sweet, skewing a bit juvenile, as Jess spends most of her time punching Daniel in the arm or loudly protesting that they are NOT dating. For someone with her NYU and Wall Street pedigree, Jess could be adorably short-sighted.

However, the real love story was Jess and her mom learning to speak each other's love languages by joining forces on Jess' Korean cooking videos. Umma FTW! Either way, this is a yummy rom-com full of heart, Korean food, friendship, and humor. Finding your way in life should always be this delicious.

So We Meet Again is an enemy to lovers romantic comedy, business drama that women need in their lives. Jessie, a recently fired baker, moves back home to Nashville with no open career prospects. In swoops Daniel, her middle school arch-enemy, whose background may not truly be what it seems. When Jessie sparks an idea to vamp up meal kit delivery services, Daniel comes up ready to help in the wings. But is Daniel really there to help? Or is he there to sabotage and destroy for his own good?

So We Meet Again by Suzanne Park is a tale that I will keep on my shelf for a long time. I enjoyed the pop cultural references and subtle hints at Taylor Swift. The idea of a Korean spin on a meal kit was unique and something that may work in today's society. Suzanne's writing style was favorable and the chapters were the right length. I hope to read more of Suzanne, Daniel and the side characters in works to come.

This book publishes TOMORROW in bookstores nationwide. Be sure to grab your copy!

So We Meet Again is written in the first person narrative through Jess' perspective. Jess is a successful 29 year old Korean American in New York City who has dedicated herself to a career in investment banking at the expense of a social life. The story opens with Jess being laid off due to her "lack of leadership skills" and so, defeated and humuliated, she heads to her parent's house in Nashville to figure her life out. Growing up in a strict household, her parents always compared her to other children in their close knit Korean community and her biggest rival of all was Daniel Choi. He always seemed to overshadow her accomplishments and outperformed her at every turn while teasing her mercilessly. So who else should she run into at the lowest point of her life but him? They form an unlikely friendship as they navigate difficult times. With nothing but cooking skills, her sassy mother, and a YouTube channel, Jess is determined to turn her life around.

So We Meet Again was heartwarming, funny, and inspiring! I really loved it. Jess is a wonderful heroine and her relationship with her mother was my favorite part of the book. I binge read this book in a day and honestly can't think of anything negative to say about it. It had romance, and oh man did Daniel Choi deliver, but I love when romance novels dig deeper like this one did. Jess is navigating the uncertainty of restarting her life at nearly 30 years old and it was just so easy to relate to her. Suzanne knocked this one out of the park (pun intended) and I'll definitely be checking out her other novels! Highly recommend to fans of contemporary fiction!


Thank you for an advanced copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

This is a really sweet story about finding your passion and learning to trust yourself. I loved watching Jessie go from unhappy and overworked investment banker to listless and unemployed to thriving entrepreneur!

After Jessie is let go from her investment banking job and told she has no leadership potential, she ends up back home in Nashville with no direction and no inspiration. Trying to save face at a church potluck, Jessie’s mom tells everyone she’s starting her own business. Problem is, Jessie has no idea what she wants to do. She decides to revive an old YouTube cooking channel and produce videos on how to hack your meal kits. When her mom bursts into her first live video with her strong opinions about Jessie’s cooking, the video goes viral and suddenly Jessie finds herself building her own media brand.

My favorite part of this book was seeing Jessie flourish - she made friends, she reconnected with her parents, and she learned to trust her gut. The romantic element is very minor but cute as Jessie reconnects with Daniel who was the golden child she grew up comparing herself to. The video filming scenes with her parents were hysterical. I generally thought the success of her YouTube channel came a bit too easy which made the story a little unbelievable. I continue to really enjoy Suzanne Park’s books and look forward to more in the future.

Thanks to NetGalley and Avon for the early copy. All opinions are my