I had high expectations for this book and it exceeded every one of them! This was a 5 star read for me. The main characters are so likable despite their morally grey personalities. I found the supporting characters to be full of life and they certainly didn’t feel like fillers or unimportant to the story. I absolutely loved the plot and the romance (there is even a very mild amount of spice!). I’m new to Korean entertainment and I’ve never seen a k-drama, but now I really want to! I loved reading about all the different mythical creatures and gods from Korean mythology. It made the perfect setting for this fantasy/murder mystery who dunnit and I cannot wait for the next book! Don’t worry - the mystery is revealed in this book, but it does indeed end on a bittersweet cliffhanger leaving you ready for the next installment! Thank you Net Galley for providing this ebook for an hones review.

This is an urban fantasy romance based in Korean mythology and it’s got epic battles, a detective mystery, and dramatic confessions of love. It ends tragically, but with lots of room for hope at the end.

Hani— a Gumiho who has long since given up her life as the scarlet fox, still too full from her rampage where she gorged on far too many men’s livers. Now she works in a coffee shop, cringing as the beans are ground and serving the worlds most irritating customer, the fallen god Seokga. She trips up when two men attack her, bringing out an investigation into the scarlet fox once more.

Seokga— the trickster god has been diminished, forced to remain in the human realms as penance for his most recent failed trick. He lead an army of unrulies, but only claimed the throne for a matter of minutes. Now he works as a detective, tracking down the very unrulies he once lead into battle. He must catch and dispatch 20,000 of them before his brother will let him back into his power and the realm of the gods.

Seokga is called upon to solve a recent string of murders involving the famed scarlet fox. Hani plants herself squarely in his path as his assistant to try and misdirect him. Feelings are caught. Drama ensues.

These two fall head over heels for each other in such an endearing way. I would label them as grumpy x sunshine, except they are really more grumpy x grumpier. I had a great time reading this ARC and fell in love with these characters.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC ❤️❤️❤️

I’ve had a good time reading this one. I think that you really need to have a lot of experience with Korean media and a little experience with the language to understand the romanization of Hangul. It’s something that kind of gets touched on in the authors note: that this is a love letter to her culture, but it really is an important detail to note. I think a glossary of words, for some Korean words used would be helpful for those who may just be picking up the book because they like folklore and maybe have SOME exposure to the 9 tailed fox mythology.

As for the story itself, it’s pretty fun! A mythology/folklore story with romance and mystery is right up my alley! I think it’s hilarious how spunky the FMC is towards the MMC. There’s so much passion there. At times it felt fast paced with the romance and other times (towards the end) it was a little more slow and drawn out. But overall, very enjoyable. Also can we talk about how stunning the cover is!?! I’m going to purchase the physical for sure!

This was such a fun and delightful read! It delivered on almost every front with an interesting plot full of twists and turns, vivid and imaginative world building, romance with loads of banter and perfectly imperfect but loveable main characters.

My only gripes were the pacing which I felt dragged a bit towards the end, and the development of the romance. I think it was a tad bit rushed, almost insta-lovey. I would've loved it more if their relationship was given more time to evolve naturally.

Nonetheless, I really enjoyed this story and if you're in the mood for a humourous contemporary fantasy with romance and k-drama feels, this book is a must-read!

Thank you Random House Publishing Group and NetGalley for providing me an e-arc.

I can already tell that this is going to be one of my top reads of the year. I just finished and am already dying to do a re-read. Sophie Kim I am BEGGING you to write a sequel.

The God and the Gumiho is the perfect mix of fantasy, mystery, and romance. Hani is the notorious Scarlet Fox who was solely responsible for many of the laws placed upon gumiho after she went on a little binge killing several hundred men and eating their livers - YUM. Her character is a breath of fresh air since she is not the typical doe-eyed, damsel who is reliant on others. She is perfectly capable of handling herself and shows readers this consistently throughout the story. She's also hilarious and so snarky. Seokga is the fallen trickster god who only wants to get back to his life as a reinstated God. He is bitter, rude, and a complete asshole to everyone. The two partner (to the despair of Seokga) to stop an eoduksini who is determined to turn the mortal realm into the new dark world, but Hani must keep her identity secret or risk death herself.

This book was SO FUN. I enjoyed each POV equally which is so rare for dual POV books. I enjoyed all the interactions between our two main characters and there never felt like a lull in the story. The side characters also had enough depth to them to keep me invested in their stories. The banter was top notch, the story was engaging and unique, and the world that Kim created was so intriguing. I don't have a single complaint.

As always thank you to NetGalley and Random Publishing House for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I received a copy through NetGalley for review.

I really enjoyed this one. Two characters who from a distance do not like each other, forced proximity to solve dark forces and deadly murders before they can destroy New Sinsi and the realm itself. It's a good enemies to lovers story if that's your thing.

Kim Hani is the infamous Scarlet Fox, a Gumiho who has lived for much longer than she tells everyone around her. She's consumed so many men's lives and livers that she's spiritually stuffed from a spree in 1888 when she hunted down Jack the Ripper in London.

Seokga is a fallen trickster God, who has been banished from his celestial Kingdom for staging a coup some 600 years before, tasked with tracking down 20 thousand unrulies, demons who cause problems in the mortal realm, killing mortals or wreaking havoc- he ends them and sends them back to the Dark Kingdom- the underworld. Only after he sends the 20 thousand Unrulies back will his banishment be lifted and he'll be able to have his powers of godhood returned to him and go back to his realm. He's currently moonlighting as a sort of supernatural detective, working the the otherworld police that help make the rules and keep the humans around them from realizing many beings of the other worlds live and work amongst them. He has about 10 thousand more unrulies to send back left on his sentence.

Forced to work together, and Hani to protect her infamous identity find themselves squarely in the middle of trying to save to realm. I liked their character growth and evolution with one another. And I hope there's another book to this series!

A grumpy trisckster God who is a detective must team up with a charming gumiho to stop a demon from destroying the world....easy right?
A fast paced story that has the banter, romance and tension! Morally gray mc's whom I adore. Korean mythology which was interesting to learn about. The plot was plotting, world building was good.
Contemporary fantasy with kdrams vibes.

Rating: 4.25

Enemies to lovers in a Korean mythology inspired urban fantasy murder mystery with Kdrama vibes?? What’s not to love?

I absolutely flew through this book! I adored Hani as a main character she is strong and confident and takes absolutely no crap from the male main character. Soekga was also a strong POV character and I really enjoyed watching his cold immortal heart melt for Hani throughout the story. My only critique of the two as characters is they didn’t feel as ancient as they actually are. Something about them felt juvenile but I didn’t mind as much as I normally would.

The setting felt very well established to me even though this is relatively short for fantasy book which is another plus. It never felt drawn out and the pace always moved quickly. I was a little confused at times with it taking place in 1992 because they are constantly using cell phones but oh well.

Overall this book was a delight. It was exactly what it says it’ll be. This book is perfect for anyone who loves the first Crescent City or if you just in general enjoy urban fantasy romance.

*An advanced digital copy was received from Netgalley in return for an honest review*

I absolutely love reading Korean fantasy inspired books, so once I got the ARC I devoured it. The premise of the book was so intriguing - a contemporary fantasy involving Korean folktale creatures. Let me just say, it did not disappoint! What I really enjoyed was that it read like a fantasy kdrama. This was so refreshing to me, because it's also an adult book. Compared to some of the other books I've read (that read like a kdrama) they felt very surface level. Whereas The God and Gumiho feels like it's a little bit more flushed out, and shows more emotions and romance than most.

It's also really dark, as it combines fantasy with some horror/mystery. This merging of genres is new for me, but I was still wholly engaged in the plot. The whole plot kept us on the edge of our seat, and I was so nervous to read how it was going to turn out. The ending was also like a kdrama ending before a second season and I just want to read a potential next book.

The book introduces a nine-tale fox, Hani, who is also the notorious Scarlet Fox (a famed figure known for devouring a lifetime of souls). She hates, and I do mean HATES Seokga. Seokga, a fallen trickster god, is just trying to get back to his godhood. They must work together to fight the demon, without Seokga finding out that Hani is the Scarlet Fox. The animosity they feel toward each other at the beginning was very entertaining to read (again reads much like a kdrama), and I enjoyed how blunt the characters were in the beginning.

Hani as a character was also so fun to read, and had a lot of sass! She constantly was challenging Seokga with her attitude, but she also showed her softer side when she was interacting with people she cared out. I was glad to see a bit more of her personal reasoning and overall character arc throughout the whole story. She had great growth at the end, and along the way really made the reader start liking her more and more. Seokga's motivations felt a little rushed to me. In general his character didn't feel as flushed out to me as Hani's. He had a very base level goal throughout the book that he focused on, but maybe 65% of the way through it felt like it switched very rapidly. He just fell too quickly that it felt a little rushed. As a reader you feel torn at the beginning because of the split POV chapters, who do we like more / who are we rooting for? Good vs. Evil.

The pacing of the book did feel a bit fast at times, especially when it seemed that they 'fast traveled' frequently. While they were 'fast-traveling' a lot was happening behind the scenes. Honestly might be interesting to read a chapter in the POV of the demon, I would be so curious to see that story as well. The plot itself was so interesting, and had a lot of twists and turns that I didn't really expect. I was kept on the edge of my seat, because the world really did seem to be ending very quickly for them.

All in all, this book was really enjoyable to read, and made it on the list of my favorites. It's perfect for people who are fans of Asian mythology inspired fantasy stories, and mystery books. We felt like we were solving the mystery along with Hani and Seokga. Also it goes without saying that this book is perfect for any kdrama fans!


Thank you again to Netgalley for the ARC!

Rating: 4.8 stars

I absolutely loved this story! It was a perfect mix of fantasy, mystery, humor, and romance.

The world building was fantastic. I loved the creative incorporation of traditional Korean mythology into modern time. It was so much fun to read. I enjoyed seeing how these mythical creatures used their magic to live among the humans and adapt to modern society.

The characters were also well-developed. I loved Seokga and Hani’s growth throughout the story. Seokga, is a God of mischief and chaos who was banished to the mortal realm due to a failed attempt at overtaking the throne. As penance, he must hunt down unruly creatures and send them back to Jeoseung. He is snobby, arrogant and apathetic. Hani on the other hand, is a notorious gumiho known as the Scarlet Fox. Her reputation is legendary due to the mass murder that happened 100 years ago. She has escaped captive due to her cunningness and self-preservation. As you can see, these characters are flawed, but that is what makes them so enduring. As the story progresses, there is a vulnerability to these characters as they start to struggle with their past mistakes and learn to care for others. It is also what makes their relationship and the romance so wonderful.

I adored the romance. It was filled with humorous banter, wittiness, and tenderness. Seokga and Hani has a very interesting dynamic. They start off despising each other and driving each other insane. However, it doesn’t stop them from being drawn to each other. As they continue to work together, they develop a fondness, respect, and trust for each other. The ending was heartbreaking. I hope the author does continue with the series, but if this was just a standalone, I think it ended in a way that stayed true to the story and the characters.

As for the mystery, there was a lot of twist and turns. Although it was predictable, I did have a lot of fun trying to figure out who the killer was. What kind of took me by surprise was I didn’t think I would feel sympathetic toward the demon. It just shows that people really need to think about the consequences of their actions. I was also a little disappointed with how the characters handle the mystery. Hani and Seokga are supposed to be cunning and clever, but there were times that they lack inductive reasoning, which I felt was kind of out of character for them.

Despite all that, I still enjoyed the story immensely. If you love urban fantasy, mysteries, and romance, I definitely recommend reading this book.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Kim Hani is the infamous and legendary nine-tailed fox, Scarlet Fox. It is 1992 in New Sinsi, South Korea and Hani has been in hiding since 1888, gorged on the souls and livers of human men and living a very mundane life. Working in the Creature Café she is forced to serve creatures their coffee and one particular creature, Seokga the Fallen. Seokga is the god of deceit and trickery, he takes being grumpy and irritable to a whole new level. Hani despises him and will do anything to ruin his day even if it could get her fired. Hani takes a job being Seokga's assistant after she kills two men trying to assault her to lead him away from her as a suspect. Whilst trying to distract Seokga from finding the Scarlet fox, a demon from the underworld attacks Iseung as it wants revenge against Seokga. This task to save their city and world takes them on a journey that causes them to see each other as more than assistant and detective and changes Seokga's heart of stone and maybe the heartless god isn't so heartless.

This book is 10000000 stars out of 5. It blew all my expectations out of this universe and I would reread this book so many times because it was perfection. I have never watched a k-drama but I most definitely will be now. It has many of the book worlds favorite tropes like:
-enemies to lovers
-forced proximity
-one bed
-Grump sunshine
-sacrifice for love

This book had me laughing, angry, irritated for Hani, and sobbing!!!! Kim Hani is one of the best characters I have ever had the pleasure to read and this book is filled to the brim with sarcastic humor. I found myself constantly laughing at her little quips and her personality in general made this book so much more fun. Hani and Seokga's love story was so effortless and heartwarming, they were each other's mirror in so many ways but especially in being deceitful and selfish but so desperate for a place for feel safe. Kim has the innate ability to write extremely lovable characters and a story that is impossible to put down. The story had an impeccable flow and if the action was slow the banter was top notch. I cannot wait for the second book as this definitely is top three best books I have read this year. I cannot wait to pick up her other books as Kim's writing style was perfect for me and there is nothing better than an amazing Asian fantasy.

As always thank you to NetGalley and Random Publishing House for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

The God and the Gumiho follows Kim Hani, a gumiho , and Seokga a fallen god as they try to find a and defeat demon terrorizing the city they and other creatures from Korean mythology and folklore reside in.

If you are a fan of K-dramas then you will immediately fall in love with the upbeat and bold female lead, Kim Hani a gumiho that works at a café with a secret past. And the grumpy, chaebol like male lead Seokga, a fallen god desperate to make up for his past. All set in a magical and immersive world. A world that is so well done and thought out that even if you are not familiar with Korean mythology and folklore you can follow and enjoy the story easily.

The pacing of this story is also well done hitting every character arch and plot point at just the right time to keep me hooked. Splash in a few beloved romance/k-drama trope that are well done, and you have this very fun and romantic story.

I'm back again for another ARC review! This time I read the lovely "The God and the Gumiho" by Sophie Kim. Thank you net galley and the author for allowing me to read and review this book.

📖416 pages
📅 Publication Date: June 4th (can pre-order now!)
📗 Contemporary Fantasy
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
🌶️🌶️

Oh gosh where to even start with this book! This book gets an immediate 5 starts. There's more steam and tension than spice and the emotional are wild.

Kim Hani was a unique main character and a breath of fresh air. I loved her intensity, wittiness, and her grow. I usually don't get a lot of morally grey FMC but she was perfect. Independent and self assured, she is one powerful fox.

Seokga is the usual male main character that I will eat up every time. Dark hair, brooding attitude, hates almost everything (well, except coffee). He's perfect and the witty banter and tension between the two characters is just perfect.

The character growth in this book was amazing. Each character had some sort of development and I just loved it. The was angst, comfort and so many twists and turns. The author wrote a lot of humor in this book and if that wasn't the intention, it didn't appear that way. It was written so naturally and it gave well needed breaks in the feels. This book was a full emotional journey with laughs, love and tears. This book can be read as a standalone if you aren't interested in reading the rest of the series (release dates TBD). Overall this book was absolutely fabulous and I can't wait to read more.

Tropes you may like:
🌸 Forced Proximity
🌸 One Bed
🌸 Rivals/Enemies to Lovers
🌸 Grumpy x Sunshine
🌸 Korean Mythology
🌸 She falls first, he falls harder

I enjoyed diving into this fresh and new world filled with Korean Mythological creatures and a very well done plot. I think Hani and Seokga were great MCs and their banter and relationship kept the story fun and interesting. While I didn’t love the writing style (it read a little to YA at times for my liking). I think the world building and characters are fantastic!

This was such a crisp read I thoroughly enjoyed it and am looking forward to more books by Sophie Kim! I am giving it four stars only for the reason that there were often time the dialogue got too descriptive for my taste.

The God and the Gumiho

Rating: 5 Stars
Steam: 4.5 out of 5
Spice: 2.8 out of 5
Emotional Damage: I am utterly destroyed. I am a sobbing heap of a mess. There was no putting this down. My heart is in a bajillion little pieces on the floor and after that ending I'm just picking up the pieces and gluing them back together. I NEED MORE!

Goblin: The Lonely and Great God meets The Bride of Habaek in this exciting and thrilling blend of Korean Mythology and the wonderful world of KDramas. As I read this it was like imagining a KDrama playing before me on the screen. The story flew from the pages in such a magical way that I simply just couldn't put it down. I got off work around 7 and it is now 11. FOUR HOURS and I devoured this much similarly to our Gumihos devouring their liver.

Kim Hani was such an insane main character. A breath of fresh air even. It was entertaining to not have another doe eyed, innocent main character to start out a story. Hani is 1700 years old, and has killed her fair share of mortal men. She is known as the Scarlet Fox and is rightfully a legend. She holds her own in this tale and it was just amazing watching her grow from her self preservation to caring for others.

What's even more entertaining was the relationship she has with Seokga, the Fallen god. Their constant fighting had me so invested. I was simmering just waiting for one of them to snap and finally give in to the building tension. The build was just so fantastic and the angst had me flying through the pages.

Seokga, after a failed attempt at over throwing his brother, gets essentially kicked out of the heavens and sent to the mortal world to live out his punishment taking care of the 20,000 demons he released in his rebellion. After 600+ years he's still going at it but the opportunity to become a god again falls into his lap. Kill the eoduksini that is killing and torturing the people of New Sinsi, South Korea and also kill the Scarlet fox who has conveniently finally come out of hiding. Which seems great and all just not for the Scarlet fox that weasels her way in to make a mess of his plans as a way to save herself and get revenge on our fallen grumpy coffee addict. This was an enemies to 'begrudging coworkers' to 'barely friends but with benefits' to lovers. I was gobbling this up by the page!

I am a Kdrama addict and this filled my Kdrama heart. If you like mythology, Korean fantasy, Kdramas, romance, enemies to lovers, look no further because this is the book for you.

Thank you Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read this arc in exchange for an honest review

I really loved the witty banter between the two main characters Hani, a gumiho, and a fallen god named Seogka. Seogka wants to regain his full godhood. The tension and banter between the two characters kept me interested the whole time. It was a quick read with lots of Korean mythology and duel POVs to mix it up and keep me intrigued. The story is told well and the author does a great job keeping your interest.

This was such a good read! I was immediately sucked into the story and could not get enough of the characters. I went on a full emotional journey with these characters and I really enjoyed it. The book was easy to read and kept a good pace where I was never bored. I will be recommending this book to all of my friends and family.

I loved this book, a quick and entertaining read! All the characters felt fleshed out, however I did think the loveline happened a bit too quickly. I enjoyed the twists and turns, and absolutely adoring Kim Hani as a morally grey character. Didn't know this would be a series so I am definitely looking forward to the next book!

Thank you for the arc, I will be posting my goodreads review soon :)

I want to thank the publishers and Netgalley for providing an advanced readers copy in return for my honest review.
The God and the Gumiho was an amazing read. It's about a fallen god named Seokga and a gumiho named Hani. Seokga wants nothing except regaining his full godhood and Hani wants to cause mischief and keep her own secrets. They form an unlikely team and make jabs and bicker with each other every chance they get while trying to hunt down two killers. There's lots of tension, banter, and silly moments. There's also mystery and intrigue, with serious moments surrounding the crimes. This book made me laugh, it made me cry, and most of all it made me happy. I recommend it to anyone that enjoys Korean mythology, romantic tension, the one bed trope, arrogant and mischievous main characters, and coffee of course.