Let me start by saying that I loved this book! I went into it a bit nervous about my understanding of Korean folklore/mythologies, but I had heard such great things about this book from other people that I knew I had to give this book a go.

While I’m sure that there were some aspects to the mythology that I didn’t get, I didn’t feel like that prevented me from really getting into the story and the characters’ lives.

I absolutely loved the romance and though I’m not very familiar with k-dramas, I can 100% understand what other reviews mean when they say this book is a lot like one! The grumpy x sunshine was adorable and the FMC was enthusiastic and entertaining, without being over the top.

4.75/5
The plot itself was great and had multiple layers of deceit and betrayal that I didn’t see coming, and when entwined with the romance, created such a good storyline.

My only minor complaints were that the romance did seem to develop very quickly and the plot sometimes felt a bit stalled.

All-in-all, I thought that this book was super entertaining and am absolutely going to read the sequel when it comes out!

I liked Hani and Seokga's dynamic, but I really wasn't a fan of how quickly their relationship progressed. They hated each other so much at the beginning that I thought for sure I was in for a long slow-burn, only for them to suddenly fall in love shockingly quickly. The book made use of some great tried-and-true tropes (there was only one bed!) but I was just thrown off by the sudden progression in their relationship. It felt a little unnatural. That being said, I liked their relationship with each other, I just wish it had taken a little longer to get there.

One thing I particularly liked was Hani and Seokga's character development. They're both pretty terrible menaces (I say that with the utmost affection), but I enjoyed seeing them grow to care more about other people outside of themselves.

As someone totally unfamiliar with Korean mythology, I thought this was an interesting and accessible introduction to the mythology and it has me curious to learn more.

First, thanks to @netgalley for the opportunity to read/review before released to public! This was a surprise 5 star for me 🤩 I have no knowledge on Korean mythology so I went in completely blind. It didn’t take long for me to immerse myself into this story. I immediately connected with grumpy a*s Seokga and sarcastically witty Hani. The story had a good pace and atomospheric build - I really have no complaints. I enjoyed the little twist at the end, not sure how I didn’t see it coming. I will definitely keep my eyes open for more from this author!

This was my first ARC and it was delightful! I loved the main characters and how they were developed throughout the book- their banter and interactions were so much fun to read. The story was very engaging and most definitely like a K-Drama in book form, which was what drew me in. Some parts were a little more slow and drawn out, but overall I really enjoyed the book. The ending wraps up nicely that it could be a standalone, but would love it if it became part of a series. One of my favorite reads this year so far!

This was really good! I know a lot of people are calling it fantasy, but I think it checked all the boxes of paranormal for me. It was kind of like a CSI movie. There was more gore than I personally like, but it wasn't a deal breaker by any means.

The romance is fun, I like two sarcastic, big headed people being drawn to one another. I like that they learn to compliment each other. I also always love life or death stakes.

Would recommend to those who enjoy paranormal romance, true crime, and darker kdramas.

THE SLOW BURN. THE BANTER. THE PLOT. And to tie it all together, Kim is amazing at setting the scene and immersing the reader. The only thing I didn’t enjoy was that there were parts that dragged a bit. It probably could have been a bit shorter, but all in all, a gorgeous and worthwhile read

When I started reading this book, I was not expected the magical, wonderful world hidden within. From the loveable cast of characters to the compelling plot, I was hooked from the first chapter.

Seokga and Hani were such wonderful characters to read the perspective of -- I loved Hani's playful nature, and how it complemented so well with Seokga's more brooding personality. Seeing both of them grow as people as they spent more time together was such a great experience.

The plot was so very interesting, and I loved how we went to various places within Korea to solve the mystery. It felt like a curtain was pulled back to a magical world that exists alongside our own, and I felt like I was in the world.

So far, this book is my favorite book of the year, and I cannot wait to see what happens in future books in this world.

Thank you NetGalley for the eARC of The God and the Gumiho! This was easily one of the most fun reads I’ve had in months.

The story took a little bit for me to get into - Hani’s past conflicting with Seokga’s bargain didn’t seem particularly unique, but something about how K-dramaly overdramatic and expressive our MCs were kept me invested.

The romance also didn’t immediately hook me; the grumpy x sunshine, one bed, and fairy bargain of it all were enough to keep me going, but didn’t blow my mind.

The narration originally threw me off - present tense felt clunky and “easy”, and I can’t even explain why.

And then I was suddenly obsessed with the book, rooting for Hani and Seokga to be in love, and desperate for them to save their city. The plot twist at the end felt a little obvious and I still ate it up, and the actual end had me crying my eyes out. I’m much more forgiving with my ratings when a book takes me on an emotional rollercoaster that has me dehydrated from all of the tears, and The God and the Gumiho more than earned this 5/5 based on the last third (or so) of the book.

Sophie Kim’s The God and the Gumiho has what is probably the best enemies to lovers romance arc I've seen in a while. Watching Seokga the Fallen and Hani, the notorious Scarlet Fox, antagonize each other into friendship and more was fabulous, and Kim handled the transition–and tension–so skillfully. I loved so much about the novel, especially the way Kim engages with Korean folklore. But I think my favorite part was how unapologetic Hani was about her past and her nature. The beings in this book are who they are, and they own up to it and live with the consequences.

3.5 stars

I had no idea what to expect from this book or whether I would like it or not. But the pretty cover drew me in and I don’t regret it one bit!

Admittedly, it was a slow start due to me being unfamiliar with the Korean mythology terms, but I stuck it out and things started to flow! Sophie Kim’s writing is so beautiful, I felt fully immersed into this fantasy world every time I picked it up. The plot and world building are pretty solid. There is a good balance of action/mystery to romance ratio, I don’t feel that either overpowered the other.

And speaking of balance, our two MC’s, Hani and Seokga are both incredibly powerful and work very well together. The enemy-to-lovers journey was quite fun, I definitely enjoyed their witty banter! Seokga is perfectly moody and Hani provides the wit with a sliver of sunshine. There is no spice at all, so if you’re hoping for a little of that (I was), just let that go now.

The ending is satisfying and doesn’t fall back on the typical tropes you usually see. But it also does feel like the door is left open for more adventures in this world, I would totally be on board for that!

Overall, I really enjoyed this book! If you’re in the mood for a fun time in an urban fantasy setting, this may be the book for you.
Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for a copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

The God and the Gumiho was one of my most anticipated reads of the year and I am happy to say that it did not disappoint! Contemporary fantasy is usually a hit or miss for me, but I adored the story and fell completely in love with Hani and Seokga. Although there were moments and tropes that were predictable, the story was so engrossing that I didn’t mind at all. The terminology can be confusing at times if you’re not familiar with traditional Korean mythology and the ending is bittersweet, but I highly recommend this book if you are a fan of enemies to lovers romance with morally grey characters that have a ton of growth by the end of the book. Definitely a 5 star read for me!

Thank you NetGalley for an e-arc of this book.

The God and the Gumiho is an urban fantasy romance set in 1990s South Korea. In this book, a serial-killer fox spirit (Hani) working as a cafe barista to repay her credit card debt meets a former-god of mischief (Seokga) working as a police detective to pay penance for his failed coup. These two glorious bastards fall in love while she tries to sabotage his investigation into her latest (semi-justified) double murder. Also there is a nightmare demon on the loose, just for drama.

Pros
- genuine enemies-to-lovers (no insta-lust)
- grumpy x sunshine dynamics (made even better because she's just trolling him)
- interesting side characters
- solid save-the-world plot in addition to the romance
- fast paced with plenty of dialogue and action
- satisfying happy-ish ending (it can be read as a standalone despite being the first in a series)

Cons
- occasional purple prose (the book starts with a literal 5-paragraph description of a cherry blossom floating on the wind)
- repeated unrealstic YA romantasy tropes (ex. he's thousands of years old and has fathered 200 bastard children since being banished but he's never felt like this about a girl before! no really!)

TLDR: Great plot and character interactions / development. The enemies-to-lovers needed a slower burn and less purple prose. But overall a solid YA romantasy debut that K-drama fans in particular will love.

Thank you Net Galley for the ARC!

I took my time with this one because I knew early on I was going to absolutely love this and cry at the ending.

The characters are phenomenal on their own and together, I genuinely told my friend at first that Seoka on his own was insufferable but mixed with Hani is perfect. While Hani on her own is lovable and hilarious and together with Soeka is fabulously snarky. Somi? I’m glad she played a bigger part than “Hani’s little sister like friend”. Shim? I’m so happy he was more than just the grumpy chief pushing for a friend for the god. Even the villain was so much more than just a basic trope.

The romance is the enemies to lovers that I fucking LOVE. Not some one sided stupid “oh they’re my ‘rival’” that the other party doesn’t know about, but a genuine enemies to lovers. A god and the gumiho, the hunter and his prey—it was a genuine enemies trope that was established and torn apart as they interacted.

Speaking of tropes, the fucking cheesy romance plots used—perfection. It wasn’t forced and flowed so naturally with the story and the characters personalities.

I cannot gush enough about this book and I pray there actually is a sequel planned. This was amazing and I cannot wait to get it when it comes out. Since I like the UK cover more I’m gonna try to get my hands on that version.

I’m going to scream about this to the cosmos now. This was perfect.

I'm a big sucker for Korean mythology so I knew I'd love this from the get go, but I truly adored the banter between the characters and laughed out loud at several parts throughout the book. I can definitely see why this might be a challenging read if you're unfamiliar with the basics of Korean folklore, but I thought the author did a good job of explaining everything (I'm admittedly not coming from an objective place here) and overall I'd love to recommend this to people to teach them about Korean folklore.

4.5/5
Wow, just wow. I have to admit, I'm not well-versed in Korean mythology. But Sophie explains each and every creature and individual very well. This is such a unique story that I really don't know of any current or past books to compare it to. One of the main characters is like a grumpy Loki and the other like a mischievous fox. The ending had me on the edge of my seat.

Thank you to NetGalley & Random House Publishing Group for this ARC!

The God and the Gumiho follows the fallen God of Tricks and Mischief, Seokga, who was kicked out of heaven after his failed attempt at overthrowing his brother. Since then, he's been living in the mortal realm as a detective fulfilling his punishment of killing 20,000 unruly creatures, who are terrorizing mankind. We also meet our FMC, Kim Hani, who is a barista at a local coffee shop. She is a Gumiho (nine-tailed fox) and has been hiding her secret identity as the Scarlet Fox for over 100 years. Back in 1888, the notorious Scarlet Fox went on a killing spree, devouring livers and sucking the souls of thousands of beings (describing it as an all-you-can-eat buffet LOL). One night, Hani finds herself in a situation, which unfortunately results in triggering to Seokga that the Scarlet Fox is back. The opportunity then arises for Seokga to quickly gain entry back into his heavenly kingdom – hunt and kill the powerful demon that has escaped the underworld AND the Scarlet Fox. To protect herself, Hani becomes Seokga's assistant to throw him off track.

3.75 ☆ I had such a fun time reading this – such an interesting take on Korean mythology. This was giving very much Korean drama vibes, so if you loved shows like "My Roommate is a Gumiho," "My Girlfriend is a Nine-Tailed Fox," and "Gu Family Book," this is right up your alley! For people who aren't familiar with gumihos, gwisins, bulgasaris, etc., it can be hard to grasp in the beginning because there are a lot of call outs to these different creatures. This was very easy to get into with not a lot of world building (what you read is what you get!), but I will say that the writing does read a little awkward at times. I read another review that said it was written like a fanfiction and I somewhat agree with that. I thought the characters were funny and the banter was lighthearted and made me laugh. However, the bickering did seem a bit childish at times, given the fact that they are over 1,500 years old :D I wished that the plot included more Seokga hunting down the Scarlet Fox since it was mainly focused on finding the eoduksini. I did appreciate the romance, but found it to be a bit forced. I couldn't really feel the connection between Seokga and Hani for some reason. Since this is the first book, I'm sure that the romance will develop as we read more!

Thank You to NetGalley and the author for the opportunity to read to ARC!!!

I just have to say I'm completely obsessed, I finished it 24 hours ago and have not been able to stop thinking about the book and how I need the sequel ASAP!!
I loved the mythology and Korean culture I got to experience through the book. It honestly felt like I was watching a K- drama the whole time and I loved every second of it.

like every fantasy book it started slow but it was only for world-building purposes. the book is told in the third person, I know most people don't like reading third-person point of view but I felt that it fit the story and the plot.
I adored Hani, her personality was everything and the way she was able to match seokgas' energy perfectly (when no one else could) was everything. I loved watching their relationship dynamic change throughout the book, everything about them felt right.

the mystery almost thriller aspect of the book was also intense, I was trying to figure stuff out alongside Hani and Seokga the whole time. some plot twists came out of nowhere though, no matter how many times I would try to guess what was happening I was wrong.

all in all, I enjoyed reading this and I can't wait to read the sequel! I'm also not ready to leave that world yet:(

Wow, just wow. This was one of my most anticipated releases this year and it did not disappoint. 100% one of my favorite reads of 2024 so far.

This book was so much fun for me, like diving deep into a fantasy k drama. The pacing and world building was so effortless, I felt like I was caught up in a day dream instead of reading. Kinda old school fantasy k-drama vibes.

I loved watching the relationship between Seokga and Hani grow from enemies. It was so natural and didn’t feel forced or too quick. The banter, schemes, mischief, and pranks - they’ve both met their match.

Hani was so instantly lovable for me. So sassy and total bada**. Always up for a little revenge with her hot chocolate (never coffee, she hates coffee).
Meanwhile, Seokga, grumpy caffeine addict - with a hard exterior and soft center.

Has some fun tropes; enemies to lovers, grumpy x sunshine, one bed, he falls first, slow burn.

The ending was well done enough for it to be a standalone, but for me I need more from this series like Seokga needs caffeine. I will be thinking of them and the banter for some time. Sophie’s writing is spell-binding and I really hope there’s a sequel coming.

If you like k-dramas, mythical fantasy, urban fantasy, romatasy, and investigative stories with great banter - this is for you.

Big thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing: Del Rey for a free ARC in exchange for my review.

5⭐️. 1.5 🌶️

I love this book so much. We have a fox that has retired from a life of devouring souls with a witty character that takes no bs from anyone and grumpy fallen god that needs to atone for past crimes in order to return to his realm and the only way to accomplish this is to find the culprit of the recent murderers that have been happening in his city.💕


This book was like a K-Drama in a book but more than that. I love the setting of the story all the monsters and their back stories, they were for sure creepy and scary. This is not a pink romance book it has some crude and explicit murder scenes. Though is a nice combination with the romance. It’s a murder mystery where the murderer is trying to sabotage the investigation so not to be discover. But along the way the lines blurred and Hani & Seogka find themselves not hating each other as much as they thought and other feelings between them begin to grow.

What I love the most in this book the enemies to lovers trope. The scene where Hani and Seogka were fighting was one of my favorite I love to see the tension between characters! If you have a history of watching K-dramas you know that this story was not gonna end well. One of them had to die and still I was not prepared for that ending. The book had me crying at 3 in the morning ( well fake crying). But what I’m glad the most is that we will have a second book 😱 I just can’t wait.

So grateful I had the opportunity to read this book early via NetGalley. Overall, I loved the story and characters, even though there were areas where the story dragged a lot and the characters made decisions that made you pull your hair out (Kim Hani using knives, which are a dead giveaway, or her teacher another Gumiho how to take souls… without ever considering the ramifications), I truly enjoyed the book. While it’s slated as a romance, that element felt off or flat for me, and I could have gone without. A who-dunnit/ police-ish drama set in a world where gods, demons, and various over mythical creatures exist was 100% my jam, and it did not disappoint. Could I see the “twist” coming? Yes. Did it detract from my enjoyment? NO.