Highly relatable, funny, and original read. Jess works in a high stress Wall Street job and and instead of getting promoted gets fired after her severely lacking boss gets all the credit for her hard work. She moves back home with her parents and keeps running into her middle school enemy Daniel. Reading this definitely made me hungry for all the food described. If you haven't read this author she's not to be missed I adore and own all her books.

Jessica lives the perfect life. She has a high pressure job working on Wall Street, she is suppose to start an elite college in the fall, and the only thing that would make her life more perfect would be a promotion. When life starts to not go the way she planned Jessica is forced to move home and figure out what her next move will be. Jessica thinks that her life could not get much lower, but who should walk back into it but her high school rival Daniel. Daniel seems to be practically perfect in every way. He has the fancy car, brokered high stakes deals, and seems to have integrated himself in their home town with business connections galore. Will Jessica and Daniel be able to forge and alliance? Can they work together to help Jessica create a new dream?

I really enjoyed this book. I enjoyed the fact that I was given a deeper look at Korean culture and how certain expectations can weigh heavily on children from this culture. I like the fact that Jessica is able to create an idea that allows her ton integrate her family, her culture, and her business skills. I also enjoyed how the author shows more and more of Daniel's human nature as the book continues. Overall a very good book.

Sadly, I really did not enjoy this book. I found the beginning to be incredibly slow-- nothing that interesting happened for the first 10 chapters-- and the inner monologue for the MC to be way too detailed. I enjoyed reading about Korean culture in America-- the descriptions of food in particular were amazing. This book is more women's fiction than romance in my opinion and I had trouble getting invested in the story. This writer's style is just not my cup of tea, but if you liked her book Loathe At First Sight (I have not read it) you would probably enjoy this too.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for an e-ARC of So We Meet Again!

Overall, I enjoyed this book because it had a lot of meaningful messages about knowing your own worth and finding your path in life when things don't go as planned. I also liked how it touched on important topics like being a minority and a woman in male-dominated fields, which remains a very real issue today.

This story centers around Jessie and her journey of self-discovery, relationships with her family and friends, and her passion for Korean food and making it more accessible to the masses. And while I liked all of these aspects, I NEEDED more romance out of this and it was just barely there. I liked Daniel, our hero MC, but I just really needed more of them and their budding relationship. It was sparse and made it hard to root for them to get together as they were just not a focus of the story. Given this, I would definitely label this more women's fiction than Romance.

Overall, I did enjoy this and think maybe I just went into this with different expectations, but it was definitely an enjoyable read.

Rating: 3 stars

So We Meet Again is the story of Jessie Kim who has been recently laid off from her Wall Street job and returns to live at home with her parents. Then at the local Asian grocery store she runs into -- of all people -- Daniel Choi, her high school nemesis who appears to have it all. He's grown into a handsome man, he's a lawyer, and he's driving a Mercedes. While Jessie is feeling like her life is in shambles and trying to figure out where to go now, she feels like she is right back to grade school being compared to the "other Asian kid", Daniel Choi, and failing. Jessie soon begins to find her way as she starts up a YouTube cooking channel for easy meal prep ideas for busy people making bland meal boxes into Asian inspired cuisines. Can she navigate this new world on her own and find herself in the process?

This is really the story of Jessie's search for herself and her self confidence. Its about her relationship with her parents and her learning to find and stand up for what she believes in. While Daniel Choi is in this book as a somewhat nemesis turned love interest, I did not see this book a romance book.

When I started reading this book expecting this to be a love story/romance I kept feeling disappointed waiting for the love story to really blossom. Once I finished I realized I would have enjoyed this so much more had it not been labeled as a romance because it really isn't and I was expecting something that wasn't coming. This was more a story of Jessie's self discovery and that story is beautiful.

The cooking sections are so fun and every time she interacts with her umma and appa I laughed and loved those parts the most. I wished Daniel Choi's character had been more prominent in this book or that the romance had been better flushed out but overall I enjoyed reading Jessie's story.

~Thanks to Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of So We Meet Again in exchange for an honest review. ~

After reading Park's last romance, which had all the girl power and empowering women feels, but not much romance, I was hoping she'd learned and lean more on the romance this time around. While she did do that! I was still disappointed in the results, however.

Although the title, summary, and marketing around this book calls it romance, this is more 50/50 with a contemporary about women in the entrepreneurial world. That's a fine space to be in, I'm all for shattering the glass ceiling, but don't promise me one thing and then not deliver it.

Not to be completely negative, I do enjoy Park's writing. This story did have me chuckling quite a bit. I loved the descriptions of food and watching Jessie create her own business (although, as someone with a business degree, I think it was a bit unrealistic, but that's a me problem). Watching Jessie stick it to her old company for underestimating her? Fantastic. Seeing her relationship with her mom improve was also so precious. I loved seeing the shift in Jessie's perception of her mom as the story went on. Also, the main romantic trope was enemies to lovers and we all know I love that.

While the enemies to friends shift was pretty smooth, the switch to lovers felt much more abrupt and caught me off guard. There was fantastic sexual tension between the two leads, but it was never followed through with, which annoyed me to no end. Every time it seemed like we were heading in that direction, something would interrupt them. The drama that took place between the two halfway through the book actually made sense, even if it was based on miscommunication, so I couldn't be too angry about that. Even once they come back together though, we were still left hanging, as there's only a fade to black scene. (I'm learning that I really don't like clean romance books, apparently)

The synopsis of this book, also! It literally details everything that happens! Maybe don't do that moving forward, because it made for a very predictable story!

In the end, my issue with this book was the same as Park's first Adult Romance, which is it shouldn't be marketed as a romance because it's totally misleading to what the main story is about. The main focus of this book isn't Jessie finding love, it's in her creating a career she enjoys and improving herself.

This was a pleasant, straightforward read. I do feel it leans far more towards women's fiction than romance. Because, while the bits of romance was there, the romance was not a huge focus nor was it particularly well-developed.

The focus instead fell on our protagonist's journey of self-discovery, her relationship with her parents, primarily her mother, and her passion for food. Honestly, all the recipes they described here sounded delicious. Though, as someone who isn't terrible gifted in the kitchen, I doubt they're as easy as they sound lol.

Another issue addressed in the book is workplace inequity. Being a minority and being a woman in a predominately male-dominated field, it is easy to feel like an outsider. Because, as was the case with Jessie, that is the status quo. Obviously, the people benefitting from the messed up and bias system will do nothing to fix it and in many companies, it truly is a top-down issue. Naturally, the problem is not simply resolved by the end of the book. That would hardly be realistic. But it is brought to everyone's attention.

It emphasized that you should know your worth and never let anyone treat you as less than. And that is just so important. Because at the end of the day you need to be your greatest champion, and that was something Jessie finally learned and came to terms with by the book's end.

I always joke and say I am a fake Asian. I was adopted from Korea, and don't know much about my Korean heritage or culture. I did briefly get into Korean dramas a few years ago, but I have never eaten Korean food! I really wish this business idea in this book was real! I would love to watch these YouTube videos, read the cookbooks and try out these sauces!

I love that Jessie is such a strong, independent woman who doesn't compromise her values. I loved the ending chapter, and it was the perfect end to her story!

Thank you HarperCollins and NetGalley for my early copy!

Oh my goodness, this book just made my Asian heart sing and my mouth water.

So We Meet Again follows Jessie, a former Wall St banker who was recently laid off because of "restructuring," and has to move back home to Nashville. There, she runs into Daniel, an old rival who's moved back home on sabbatical. While at home, Jessie gets the idea to start a business to help transform meals and give them a Korean twist. As she finds herself getting more successful, things start to waver as her supplier is bought out, a company wants to buy her out, and Daniel is on the general counsel.

Why I liked this book? It touches on things like workplace sexism, toxic masculinity, and race, which I think are all important. But, ugh. I just want more romance. Sure, the characters find themselves in love with each other again, but its more of a side plot than the main story. So, it isn't a perfect read for me. But I'd still recommend it because its important to hear stories about the prejudice of Asians and women in the workplace.

Sometimes you read a book and you can tell from early on that it is just not going to do it for you. This book was that for me. Overall, there are so many positives to this story - it's racially diverse with the MC's being Korean, it falls within the feminist realm with the MC starting her own cooking company after being ousted from her misogynistic Wall Street job. But, there are a lot of missing pieces to the story for me, threads that just weren't picked up by the end.

I think it's important to say that I'm not 100% sure if this book can be classified as a romance. It is definitely much more General Fiction with a small romantic subplot, but it is not a true romance. The cover is a bit misleading - matching the illustrated cover tread in true romance novels in recent years. I was personally disappointed that the romance wasn't a bigger player after this book was classified as a romance on Netgalley.

Whereas this book was not for me, I won't say I didn't enjoy parts of the story. I just finished it and felt underwhelmed, where I would normally want to feel more positively - instead of neutrally. I felt similarly with another of the author's books, so I may just not jive with her writing style, which happens! I also know I generally prefer more romance stories rather than General Fiction, which definitely played a role here.

**Thank you to Avon and Netgalley for an early copy in exchange for an honest review**

I really really liked this one! I love books that are messy and complicated by family dynamics and romance. This book was just that. It was written well. The author did a stellar job with the character development. This book was deep and really thought provoking. It was my first book by this author but definitely won't be my last. Huge thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read and review this book.

This is a very millennial romantic comedy, which I say as a compliment. When Jess loses her Wall Street job in cuts across the bank, she moves home to live with her parents in Nashville while she faces the questions that always lurk in the void: what do I want from life? what will I do next? All of this occurs under the crushing pressure to seem successful and happy and completely in control. Obviously, it's all lies (millennial, remember?). Worst of all, Jess' middle school nemesis, smug know-it-all Daniel Choi, is also back in town, with the whole community ready and waiting to measure her against him to determine her value.

My problem with this one is how business-y it is. It's one of the least interesting topics to me, so I had a hard time making myself pay attention as Jess concocts a start-up. I was more entertained when Jess records live cooking demos from home, and her mom's uninvited interruptions steal the show. However, this was only a couple of scenes, so it failed to fully cure my torpor.

Also, the love story didn't inspire me. It's fine that it was only a small portion of the plot, but Daniel didn't win my trust. All the initial reasons Jess had for not liking him in the beginning still lingered with me. It's not that he's a bad person, but he exudes that over-confident man energy that pushes my buttons. Ultimately, I didn't feel I knew him well enough to summon any empathy or wish him on Jess, who is a total badass. This also fits in with the larger theme that all the relationships felt a bit rushed. I would have loved more opportunities to connect with Jess' friends and family in a meaningful way. However, the business and its progress were front and center, not the human elements.

I will always love and appreciate the author's willingness to call out structural racism and sexism. I think this book lacked the sharp humor I adored in Loathe at First Sight, but it stands tall on the social commentary.

At the end of the day, I still love this author, but this particular book wasn't for me. If you enjoy a little entrepreneurial spirit or are looking for a story about finding a path forward after major setbacks, you should check it out.

This was another ARC that I received from NetGalley (shoutout to them for keeping my virtual TBR stacked). It took me a while to get to but once I started I couldn’t put it down. Luckily for you, if you’re interested in reading it, you won’t have to wait long! It’ll be on shelves on August 3rd.

This story follows Jessie Kim, a recently laid off investment banker at a fancy Wall Street firm, as she moves back in with her parents in Tennessee and figures out what comes next. While at home, Jessie runs into her childhood nemesis Daniel Choi. Why is Daniel her nemesis, you ask? Because she’s been compared to him her whole life. When they were kids, the only thing she really had on him was height until one day, she didn’t even have that anymore.

Daniel is -- of course -- a lawyer who’s back home to help his parents out for a bit but is overall doing well. Jessie, however, is going through it. She got laid off via a virtual meeting and overhears the reasons why that include a lot of racist and sexist stereotypes. While at home, Jessie decides to revive the cooking channel she had in college and accepts Daniel’s help because, naturally, he’s a Twitch streamer and good at all of that stuff too. Even though the hypothetical hatchet is temporarily buried and the two start to learn more about their current lives, it doesn’t stay that way for long.

I had a feeling I was going to enjoy this book and I’m happy that I was right. I loved Jessie. She’s in her late-20’s, moved back in with her parents and just trying to figure out what to do. Honestly, that sounds like most people in that age group right now. Jessie is clumsy, awkward, doesn’t always say the right thing but sometimes she does. She felt very real to me. I could relate to her and I’m sure that’s what made me like her so much.

You already know I loved Daniel, too. From the minute he appeared, it was a yes from me. There’s a lot more than meets the eye with him, though what meets the eye isn’t half-bad either. I think what I liked most about both our two main characters is that they didn’t feel two-dimensional. They were well thought out. They were real.

I can see some categorizing this solely as a romance but really, the romance is a sub-plot. It’s there and it’s fun, but the main point of the book is Jessie and her experiences as she maneuvers this new chapter in her life. She faces so many obstacles: societal, financial, and even personal. We are often our own biggest critic. But watching Jessie grow throughout the course of the book was a treasure.

My favorite quote comes from Jessie at the end of the book:

“For those of you who are still looking for your voice, I’m so proud of you.”

In case you haven’t heard it recently, I’m proud of you. This was a fun, easy read. I can definitely see it becoming a comfort read for me. 4 stars.

"So We Meet Again" by Suzanne Park
Release Date: 8.3.2021

Jess Kim, an emerging banker, moves back home after not being considered for a promotion; told she's overpaid, because she's a woman; can't have any ideas, because she's Asian, and laid off in a virtual meeting! She gives an amazing "eff you" speech and lives with her mom. Her mom tries setting her up with the pastor's son, Daniel Choi, a lawyer by day and game streamer at night. Daniel isn't the dorky boy she remembers from their childhood. He's successful, fit, funny, and cute.

With Daniel's help, Jess creates a Korean cooking YouTube channel, sharing easy meal prep recipes for busy professionals. It's going well.

Her mom walks in during a live show and berates her cooking techniques. While Jess feel mortified, her viewers love it, and the channel goes viral!

Soon, the channel becomes a media company and brand. A client has interest in buying Jess out, and she is shocked when the interest is coming from the investment firm she left! To complicate things even more, Daniel is the firm's new general counsel!

What a cute read! I do wish there was more about Jess and Daniel's relationship. I appreciated the focus on family, as well showing inequity in the workplace. It was a true reflection on what many individuals experience, which is not normally discussed. Jess found her way while working through cultural pressures and expectations.

Thank you to @netgalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

#bookstagram #bookstagrammer #netgalley #netgalleyreads #netgalleybooks #2021bookreleases #romcom #contemporaryromance #sowemeetagain #suzannepark

This book made me so hungry! I’m definitely going to have to find a Korean restaurant near me asap.

What I loved most about this book was how much I related to Jess, from a professional perspective. I too am feeling wildly burnt out by my office job, and I would love to quit and do something I love instead. I’m not quite ready to make that leap yet, but I so admire how Jess said “eff this” to the sexism and racism she put up with daily and just quit.

Daniel reminded me a lot of Josh from Josh and Hazel. Was Josh a pastor’s son too? I enjoyed their romance, but I don’t know if I’d be able to fall for the person my family measured me up against for my entire childhood. And Nashville must be an incredibly small town for them to keep running into each other like that!

The cooking show was amazing. Jess’s parents were too cute! I wish these hacks for meal prep existed in real life. (Those meal kits are so expensive though...would people really buy additional supplies on top of that?)

Overall, the cooking parts were a lot of fun, but the love story was a little hard to believe in.

The key to enjoying this book is to go into it expecting it to be chick lit, not romance. It's really all about Jessie, a 29 YO Korean American woman who has invested all of her energy and passion into her high powered Wall Street job. When she's summarily laid off and overhears some pretty devastating criticism from some of the higher ups in the firm, she ends up back in Nashville, living with her parents. This causes her to take a step back, reevaluate her career goals, and figure out the core of her relationship with her mom.

Jessie was a strong, determined heroine, sometimes a bit too focused on her childhood rivalry with Daniel, the boy who she always competed with in grade school, and who she still feels she needs to live up to in the present. But, her competitiveness spurs her to move forward in identifying, then committing to a new venture "hacking" popular meal boxes with Korean sauces and spices to make them taste bolder.

There were lots of great food descriptions, some fun scenes of Jessie making YouTube cooking videos that her mom ends up photo bombing, and some exploration of the nuts and bolts a launching a brand new venture. The book didn't gloss over the racism and sexism that Jessie faced in her career, but it also wasn't heavy handed about it. My biggest criticism of the book is that the romance was pretty underdeveloped. Because the book was solely from Jessie's POV, Daniel was pretty much a cipher and was a bit of a jerk well into the book, so I didn't understand why Jessie was so interested in him and I didn't feel much of a connection between them. I think many readers will enjoy this book, just don't go into it expecting a strong romance.

Once I started this book I literally couldn’t put it down! Fun, smart, sexy, and heart-warming. (I teared up in some of those scenes with her mom!) This is one I’ll definitely be recommending to everyone!

Drenched in the crippling reality of corporate life, underappreciated and undervalued, Wall Street investment banker Jessica Kim finds herself at a loss when she is unexpectedly fired over a virtual meeting. Hamilton Cooper is downsizing, and despite numerous pay raises and long nights, Jess is stranded, forced to move back in with her competitive, over-ambitious Korean parents, a first-generation Korean American grappling with feelings of anxiety and shame

Without "promotability", Jess spirals, unsure of herself as she ponders HR's parting blow: she lacks leadership. Penned as an “Asian worker-bee type” and a “thinker, not a doer,” what Jess overhears offers a reality check on women in the workplace, wherein Suzanne Park strikes up a valuable conversation on sexism and discrimination in the workplace. The question “Wasn’t she already being overpaid anyway, especially for a female associate?” reveals a harsh truth, one that may seem over exaggerated, but resonates, nonetheless, especially in workaholic corporate enterprises.

Faced with questions and high expectations, Jess wilts under the pressure, a sea of possibilities ahead of her as she navigates life after Wall Street, made worse when news breaks that her childhood nemesis, Daniel Choi is back in town on sabbatical. The epitome of perfection, from spelling bees and standardized test scores, to college degrees and career goals, not to mention the flashy, brand-new Mercedes, Daniel sparks an air of rivalry, made worse when Jess' well-meaning mother attempts to hook them up at a local church potluck.

Despite her best efforts, Jess and Daniel continue to share space with one another: at monthly entrepreneur meet-ups at a local coffee shop, a night out at a Dolly Parton themed bar, and unexpected family dinner dates. Spreadsheets and business details, not to mention a love for all things spicy unite the duo, who slowly but surely uncover the truth: they’re in the same boat, trapped by their parents’ expectations, jobless, and torn between passion projects.

Near misses and heated kisses when they least expect it result in a charming whirlwind romance that doesn’t overshadow the plot, Daniel’s presence a thing of beauty and encouragement when it comes to Jess' new business idea - Seoul Sistas, a Korean inspired YouTube cooking channel and merchandising opportunity that aims to spice up bland food kit delivery services through weekly livestreams, or Hanguk Hacks.

From bulgogi-inspired flank steak and japchae, mandu and tteokbokki, to Korean-style fried chicken and spicy pork banh-mi sandwiches, Park navigates Jess’ food journey with delicacy, mouth-watering recipes laid out on the page. What Jess doesn’t expect is an impromptu appearance by her mother, who immediately offers up advice on her recipes of choice, turning meal kit hacks into Umma-approved recipes, transforming a simple how-to show with a fresh take into a Mother-Daughter competition to create Korean-inspired recipes. It is in these livestream "fails" that Park explores the often tense relationships between family members, born of high expectation, as Jess wars between her mother’s dominating personality and her desire to make something on her own, ultimately landing on the importance of love, acceptance, and the ways in which we show affection for one another.

Pitched as a rom-com, So We Meet Again feels more like women’s fiction, romance existing as a delectable sub-plot rather than a main driving force. Park’s writing, vivid and emotional, focuses instead on female empowerment through Jess’ career goals while brazenly tackling real-world issues: insecurity on the cusp of turning thirty; misogyny, racism and whitewashing in the workplace, including unrealistic expectations placed on women, in particular; and the Asian American experience, which includes a frustrating love-hate relationship with competition and expectation (familial, communal, societal).

Pairing food with thought, Park's latest is a love letter to Korean cooking, wrapped up in a delightful, meal kit-sized box.

So We Meet Again by Suzanne Park gave me all the girl power feels plus a heck of a romance.

Jessie Kim starts out working on Wall Street in an industry where hard work and dedication do not necessarily equate success and promotions. When she's laid off suddenly for not being leadership material, her entire life goes into a tail spin and she moves back in with her parents in Nashville but true to form she lands on her feet, builds something amazing from scratch and does it her way. It didn't hurt that her old nemesis/frenemy Daniel Choi is also back in town as well looking super fine and always where she is. The two of them reconnect and somewhat reluctantly form a friendship that sparks a lot more. It is a little bit of a slow burn though it is totally worth it.

This story highlighted so many of the gender inequities that women face in any industry and not only that but it also talked about racism and whitewashing. I'm a 100% fan of Suzanne Park after reading this book and I cannot wait to see what else she has for us.

My favorite character outside of the main couple was Jessie's mom. Everyone needs to read this book for the mother daughter relationship as well as for all the rest of the awesomeness.

This was a great novel about finding who you are when you realize you're lost and unsure what to do with your life. There was great Korean American representation that gives you insight to Korean culture and food! I loved the different types of food that Suzanne Park incorporated into the story, it had me craving Korean food the entire time I was reading! I absolutely love the characters in this book too. My favorite has to be Jessie's mom. She definitely stole the show for me as I saw a lot of my mom in her character. When Jessie caught her mom reciting lines in the mirror, I teared up.

While this book was an easy read, I wasn't a fan of the pacing of this book. The summary takes place in the later half of the novel which had me wondering if there would be enough time for there to be a sound conclusion. Also I was expecting this to be a rom-com but it felt more like fiction with just a splash of romance. Aside from that, I still enjoyed this book as it gave me an insight to the business world - starting a business from the ground up as well as the sexism that exists in big corporation companies.

Thank you NetGalley and Avon for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!