First of all, I LOVE all of the K-drama vibes! Childhood friends meeting again as young adults for the sweetest friends to lovers vibe. CHECK. A budding K-drama actor as the male lead finding love with a regular girl. CHECK. So many cute romance moments I lost count. CHECK. I loved the ideas here and the cover is absolutely beautiful so I was extremely excited to get the chance to read an ARC!

As much as I loved the premise, the characters themselves fell flat for me. Not only did Hannah seem extremely one-dimensional and unlikable, but her non-Korean friends gave me very uncomfortable Koreaboo vibes. The main relationships also felt unnecessarily turbulent to the point where we just had drama for drama's sake rather than meaningful moments of disagreement and then growth. Although, I must admit, that is very common for K-dramas.

Overall, I think this book accomplished what it was aiming to, and it was a fun, quick read. Thank you to NetGalley, Susan Lee ,and Inkyard Press for the e-ARC.

I loved this book. As a fan of K-pop and K-dramas, it was a nice Venn diagram of the two topics. The book was similar in vein to Kat Cho's Once Upon a K-Prom; however, compared to the former, this book's plot and characters felt comparatively more fleshed out and nuanced.

I look forward to reading Susan Lee's next novel.

If you like a little friends to enemies to lovers trope, then this is the story for you. Hannah and Jacob were the best of friends through their childhood and early teens. That is until Jacob moved to South Korea and left Hannah alone. Hannah couldn’t forgive him for leaving her. When they meet again, Hannah gives Jacob the cold shoulder, though he misses their friendship.

Jacob may be a star in Korea, but his life is not his own and he feels trapped. He’s also lonely and is so happy to escape back to San Diego and his old friend. As the story progresses, it is very clear that Jacob does not enjoy his life, but he doesn’t feel like he has a choice but to do whatever “the company” tells him to do. He feels like he has signed his life away to them, and to take care of his mother and sister.

Hannah feels like everyone keeps leaving her… her father, sister, Jacob. She hides her insecurities behind anger.

I enjoyed the chemistry between Hannah and Jacob. They know each other so well, and were so close, that it’s hard for Hannah to keep up all of her walls around him. But his need to do whatever “the company” tells him makes it hard for her to fully trust him again, and she keeps looking for signs that he doesn’t care.

I also enjoyed the bits and pieces of San Diego thrown into the story. I grew up there, so it was incredibly nostalgic for me.

Overall I really enjoyed this story and look forward to reading more from Susan Lee.

Disclaimer: I received an eARC of this book through NetGalley on behalf of the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Such a fun YA. Full of heart and cuteness. We need more books like this! The culture was rich and I felt like I ended the book more informed than before. So cute!

This friends-enemies-lovers romance was so well done and so cute, it filled my heart with warmth. I’m not into k-pop, but I understand why the world is obsessed with the culture. The writing was effortless and I could really connect with both Hannah and Jacob. I fell in love with the cover and then the story shortly after. If your looking for a sweet romance that deals with both of the main characters finding their true identity and self, this is the young adult novel for you. Filled with culture of K-pop and Korean, San Diego, and teenagers struggling to fit in and be themselves. I love the self discovery in this novel, I felt that it was so well done.

I would like to thank Harper Collins Canada and NetGalley for the free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Seoulmates is definitely not the first YA novel to feature the celebrity trope as well as Childhood Friend Romance trope; however, it manages to stand out on its own charms. I could definitely relate to Hannah’s stubbornness and anger towards everyone who “abandoned” her. I also appreciate how Jacob and Hannah were able to clear up their childhood misunderstandings early on, and they didn’t backslide into old bad habits afterwards. It was refreshing to see a young couple fight, but then openly communicate and acknowledge their mistakes. Like Jacob’s adorable little sister and both his and Hannah’s moms, I couldn’t help but root for Hannah and Jacob to make things work romantically. Cute and fairly light-hearted, Seoulmates is one of the better YA novels centering on a Korean American teenager’s identity and experience.

This book read like a K-Drama and whenever a book reads that way, I always read them quickly. I enjoyed how lighthearted it was and walked away from it feeling really good but also feeling a range of emotions throughout the experience. Annoyance with certain people [redacted] peopling, feeling the confusion & hurt of a best friend leaving and the joy & relief of reconnecting with said best friend. We were given levels without being drug through the mud in order to experience them! Fans of K-Dramas would enjoy this read.

Surprisingly I've never watched a K-drama, but I know they have become increasingly popular, and thanks to books like this one I know I'll be watching some of the shows recommended soon. I LOVED how Susan took what she loves and incorporated it into such a sweet and fun childhood friends-to-lovers story that I found absolutely charming. I loved the behind-the-scenes of the industry and expectations, and even as someone who wasn't familiar with the overdramatic series I could understand and relate to the feelings Jacob would have dealt with. Injured, he ends up back "home" in San Diego after leaving behind his former best friend, Hannah and forced to spend time with one another while he's recuperating.

A light-hearted summer romance with a lot of feels, you'll fall in love with the characters in a tender way that will have you cheering on their summer romance through a bucket list of places to visit in San Diego, meddling mother's who are besties and want them to end up together and some miscommunication between the friends as they navigate their past and present.

This book just gave me all the warm fuzzy feelings and I cannot wait to read what Lee writes next! Thank you Inkyard Press + NetGalley for providing an early copy to read and review in exchange for my honest review, this was one I could not wait for & had preordered before ever reading a word, highly recommend!

Cute second chance romance and I enjoyed the chapters flipping back-and-forth between Hannah and Nate's perspectives. A couple of character choices made me cringe (the ex boyfriend), but otherwise a quick read I think my teen patrons will enjoy.

this was so sweet and fun! i'm so happy i got to discover susan lee as an author, and am already excited to read her future novels! thank you for the arcs!

This was so sweet! Loved the friends to lovers trope of Hannah and Nate.

Hannah isnt into K-Dramas and Nate just happens to be starring in one after growing up together as neighbors. He is back for the summer and they reconnect.

I really enjoyed the realistic characters and the teen drama.

Very well done!!!!

‘Seoulmates’ by Susan Lee was an utterly adorable, insightful, super sweet read with a perfectly done enemies-to-lovers romance. It was just an absolutely heartfelt delight from beginning to end, and I really loved it. Highly recommend!

If I hadn't already read Once Upon A K-Prom by Kat Cho, maybe this would have received a higher rating from me. However, since I've already read OUAKP, this book felt like a cheap knock-off.

The beginning was promising, but then there was an issue in writing style I absolutely could not get over: the two main characters' point-of-view chapters sound the exact same. Why even write dual POV if the characters read like the same person? It made the book unenjoyable to read.

The MCs were also pretty idiotic. I get that they're teenagers, but the famous actor doesn't think his fans will find pictures of him posted on his childhood friend's Instagram? Ridiculous. Also, I think the author forgot what she had already written at times. For example, the MCs are running all over the place to find one another to profess their love to each other. The male MC texts the female MC to meet him and acts like he isn't going to leave. In the next chapter, the female MC hasn't received the text, goes to find him, and he's planning on leaving. No mention of the text ever again. I'm hoping these things were cleaned up in the final version. It seemed like the editing had not been fully completed with this e-arc.

There were a few good ideas in here, but they weren't enough to make the book good in my opinion.

I received an e-arc of this book from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

This was a fun YA second chance romance between two former best friends, Hannah and Nate. Hannah hasn't forgiven Nate for leaving her to become a big K-pop movie star and doesn't get all the hype with the K-pop/K-drama world her friends are all obsessed with. On a break, Nate is trying to rekindle a relationship with Hannah while also being forced into a fake dating situation with his co-star that he can't get out of without throwing away his career. This book reminded me a lot of Once upon a K-prom by Kat Cho. Much thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review.

I loved this book! it was so cute and i really enjoyed the characters. The story was fast paced and kept my interest for the entire time. I enjoyed the dual POV so we were able to get both perspectives on the story! I enjoyed the childhood friends aspect of this as well as the famous MC. I am a sucker for both of those!! this book is great for anyone who loves kdramas!

I was so excited when i saw a description of this book many months ago! I was not disappointed in the slightest. What a great read!

Seoulmates is an entertaining YA Romance novel that follows Hannah and Jacob, two best friends since childhood whose friendship has split apart over the years. This Summer Jacob comes back to visit with his family and the two are forced to cohabitate under the same roof. Can they repair their friendship or will Summer turn out to be even something more for them?

I always love a good summer romance which drew me initially to this book. Add in some mentions of K-Pop and K-Dramas and I was absolutely hooked into the plot. This novel follows a friends-to-lovers trope while also channeling themes of family, self-discovery, and a coming-of-age narrative. Both Jacob and Hannah are forced to reckon with their own pasts and relationships with each other. They try to heal the rift between them while also picking up their friendship where they left off.

Because of this, their relationship development felt so natural and it was sweet to see them develop into something more than friends. Readers will enjoy going along for the ride as the book takes us through multiple adventures in the city of San Diego. The book is lighthearted and cute while also focusing on the topic of culture and identity. I enjoyed seeing Hannah grow into her own as she’s been labeled for her “Koreaness” (as she states) and learns to not let others put her in a box while also gaining a greater appreciation for her culture.

This novel was charming and cute overall! Once I started to read it I couldn’t put it down. I loved all the small references to K-Dramas included and how the story also ties into some of those K-Drama themes to the plot itself.

This was a sticky sweet YA romance about two former best friends, turned enemies, turned friends and more. Interweaving aspects of Asian culture, K-dramas, and familial dynamics this story was ultimately about balancing the numerous expectations of family, career, and love in a young adults life.

Sincere thanks to InkYard Press and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

Adorable and fun this is such a perfect burst of sunshine as the weather is getting colder. Sometimes you just need that shot of serotonin and this book absolutely delivered especially with the friends to lovers trope - my heart!!

Hannah’s boyfriend broke up with her unexpectedly and she hatched a plan to win him back. What she also wasn’t expecting was her ex-best friend and his family to be staying at her house for the summer.

Her ex-best friend happens to be super popular K-Drama star, Kim Jin-Suk (or Jacob, the name she’s always called him since they were kids).

Her ex-best friend who left three years ago without coming back right away as he promised.

Not only does she have to deal with a summer of loneliness but a stranger in her house.

Jacob never stopped caring about Hannah but after a tragedy in his family, he had to be the one to provide. Thankfully, he has a summer to redeem himself to Hannah after everything.

Hannah and Jacob have chemistry right off the bat. Even with Hannah being mad at him. I liked the natural progression of their relationship and how they got to know one another again.

Seoulmates was such a cute childhood friends to lovers read. I couldn’t help but smile throughout the book.