I had very high hopes for this one, but unfortunately it ended up not really working for me. At the start of the book, we're being thrown into the story - River has already broken up with his girlfriend, he's walking out of the SATs, and he's quitting his manager job at his parents' coffeeshop franchise. I felt like I was missing a lot of context as to why River is blowing up his life like that, and I was waiting for his motivations to become clear, but by the end, I can't say I'm exactly sure. This left me kind of lost in the book and I didn't feel super connected to the story, because I didn't understand why River was doing the things he was doing. I also had a little bit of a hard time suspending my disbelief as to why both Café Gong and Bingsu For Two would put high schoolers in charge. I did think the friendships and romance in the book were sweet and often funny, but this book didn't work as well for me as I was hoping it would.

I'm a sucker for the found family trope and this has one of the best ones I've read in a YA romance🥹🫶🏻

Huge thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the E-ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

This is more than a rom-com cuz it primarily focuses on the self-discovery of River, and his journey of trying to break the walls that he's built around him for years. River has always tried to live by his parents' wishes and that meant dating the girl who's approved by his family and keeping the facade on even though he doesn't feel the same about her anymore; to studying hard to get into the college that his dad went to, and so on. And when everything comes down within the past few hours, he doesn't know who he is anymore or what he wants to do with his life. And everything changes when he meets Sarang who somehow brings out his true self and who also happens to be the only person who riles him up!! It was a heartwarming journey to have witnessed River's growth from not being able to articulate his real feelings to his parents to standing up for what he really wants, and that really made me feel so proud of him.

On the other hand, we have Sarang Cho who runs the quaint coffee shop called Bingsu for Two along with her elder sister. Even though she comes across as cold and harsh, she's completely the opposite once you get to know her. The way she cares about everyone working in their cafe, and the things she's ready to do for them made me admire her so much. As much as she hates River at the start and doesn't want him to work there, she cares for him too and looks out for him whenever he faces a crisis. And their relationship development was my favorite aspect of the book cuz it was the slowest of the slowburn and I'm always here for it!! They were so adorable together, and their banter hit hard every single time.

I loved the other characters a lot too - Kai, Dario, Vanna, Betty, Hanuel, they were all amazing! We also got the sweetest queer relationships here, and I was swooning and cheering for them from the start till the end. Also I don't think I've hated a character as much as I did Cece, gosh she's awful and manipulative, and so cheap!!

Also the entire book felt like watching a kdrama from the 2010s and it just felt so good!! So if you're someone like me who loves kdrama and kpop, I highly recommend that you check this one out!!

I really enjoyed this book! Thoughtful, well-rounded characters and an interesting storyline that provided insight into a world that was totally new to me. The teen relationships and family pressures felt very believable. River's character development kept the pages turning and there were just the right number of twists and turns.

I wish this book was for me but unfortunately there were some parts I couldn't get over 😭
Pros:
I liked the inclusion of different media in the book. I always think letters or texts or journal entries a la Princess Diaries is fun.
There is the start of some really good character development!
Description of the food, yum!
Everything else for me was just over the top. I don't know if it's the age of the characters or that the cast was too large but by the time I was understanding the arc they were going through we had moved on. Something about each of the characters felt unfinished and unsatisfying.
I love banter as much as the next person but the romance between the main two characters felt like banter for the sake of banter. It wasn't quite like throwing tropes in a book but it was on the verge.

I loved the Found Family trope; it was quick and easy to read. I wish we had more insight into the other characters, though, as the only one with character development seemed to be River. I wanted more from the rest of the cafe crew.

Bingsu for Two is a perfect book when you want to get cozy but still kept on your toes.

I like the enemies-to-lovers trope and when I started this, it has the elements but with added cuteness. I admit I cannot understand Sarang at first but she grew on me. River's personality is different from her, but they somehow jived.

I like that there is character development in this book, not only with the 2 main characters but the others as well.

This is cute, funny and has substance.

Thank you Netgalley and Union Square & Co for the eARC!

I was provided a complimentary copy through NetGalley by Union Square & Co. in exchange for my honest review. I’m so excited for Bingsu for Two to hit the shelves on January 14, 2025!

Perfect for fans of Better Than The Movies and Fake Dates & Mooncakes, Sujin Witherspoon’s debut in the YA romcom universe is a delectable, adorable romance comedy between a grumpy goth girl and an adorable loser teaming up to save a family-owned Bingsu café from shutting down. What I loved about this book was how very lighthearted and hilarious it was. The yearning and the banter between the characters were something I cherished in every chapter. I could go on and on about this book for days and I will never get tired of saying how much I enjoyed this! The writer herself put so much love and appreciation of her heritage in the way she brought this book to life, and I could feel it in the moments between River, Sarang, and the rest of the crew. I also loved how she used Hangul to convey some words and phrases in this book (I got to use my Korean :D it was so fun). Lastly, as a child of immigrant parents, I always appreciate diaspora in literature, specifically those that highlight the experiences into shaping the way the characters navigate the story. I wholly recommend this tasty romcom! (I am not kidding with yall it was so so so good like perfectly cliché perfectly funny like yum I ate this entire thing up).

A charming and humorous cozy romance that had me grinning from ear to ear. I’m a sucker for the found family trope and this book had that in heaps. There’s something so special about family that you choose. The cozy cafe vibes really added to that as well. The characters felt like a friend group I would’ve crossed paths with at school, their personalities all worked so well together.
The conversations around the pressures that children of Korean immigrant parents face were also insightful and timely.

The tension between Sarang and River was incredibly well done but the romance between them felt underdeveloped. River was also a bit of an amber flag, dragging his relationship with Cece for 4 years to drop her like a sack of potatoes. I get it though, he had a lot to work through.

Overall still very enjoyable.

Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for the e-ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publishers for sending me an e-ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for granting my request to read this e-ARC and provide my honest opinions.

River Langston Lee (our MMC) is seventeen years old, and he is rethinking all his life choices, from walking out of a very important exam (meaning he won't be able to attend university) to breaking up with his longtime girlfriend and leaving his co-managerial job at his parents cafe, Cafe Gong.

Being a teen comes with a whole lot of different emotions, different fears, and also a lot of I don't know. I love how all the teens in this book were portrayed from the MMC to the FMC and the side characters; the character development is just beautiful.

I have always loved to read a romance novel from the MMC's POV, and I need more Recs like these. Love a good young adult romance and found family trope.

4.25 ✰

💌”You’re insufferable as ever,” I grind out.
“Pretend all you want. You love me.”
“I do. I love you.” 💌

ahh why are they so cute im crying 🥹🥹 river lee & sarang cho — you will always have my heart.

💐 plot 💐

river lee, you poor misunderstood man 🙁 no one believed in him and it actually killed me. he’s always had his life planned out for him by his parents— his career choice, his studies. he is manager at cafe gong, his family’s business. or at least he was. until he quit. walked out of his SATs. dumped his long term gf (she deserved it). and went to work with the enemy— bingsu for two (the cafe across the street that is this close to running out of business).

why? idk. neither does he. and that’s okay, my guy is literally only 17 give him a breakkkk ❤️‍🩹 his parents are not the only reason he quit. when he thought he was having the worst day of his life, it only got worse 😭 a certain green-haired, emo, rude, prettyyyy customer just dumped coffee all over him. and in return, he dumped a bag of coffee beans down her shirt. so it’s safe to say he was gonna get fired regardless.

but when he gets a new job at the rival coffee shop, she is his new coworker!! so that’s nice 🥰

🧸 tropes 🧸

ღ workplace romance
ღ rivals to lovers
ღ third act breakup
ღ only one pov — mmc
ღ slowburn
ღ minimal (but amazing) romance
ღ found family

🫶🏼 my thoughts 🫶🏼

sujin witherspoon, you have earned yourself a fan in me!! I am, without a doubt, obsessed. 🫠 the love stories, the friendships, river finding himself throughout this whole book— it was beautiful. I loved how this gave off sitcom vibes and the story was about the friend group altogether, and their stories as well as the main characters. it was so nice to see, and I found myself getting attached.

the writing style is so addictive and fast paced which is crazy bc the romance was a slowburn? I don’t know how she does it. 🙈🙈not only did I stay up late to binge read, but I literally skipped my lecture and cancelled plans with my friends just bc I wanted to go home and finish it, I am in fact that obsessed. I will be reading her future books and I cannot wait for more!! 💗

river lee was literally a fanboy and his parents favourite disappointments. I ain’t never seen someone that looks so much LIKE ME!?!? 🤭🤭 I related to him a lot and I loved that the book was in his pov!! 🥹🫶🏼

🌻 conclusion 🌻

river and sarang were just the cutest. the way she blushed when they were bickering and he flirted with her whenever he got uncomfortable or flustered— ADORABLE. the way they promised to never lie to each other, even when they’re lying to everyone else.

my only complaint is the third act breakup HURT. she literally said to him “your life has no purpose” OUCH. it’s a good thing it didn’t last very long bc my heart was so broken and could nawt handle more.

thank you to netgalley and the publishers for sending me this arc in exchange for an honest review!!

This book was so much fun! I love reading books that heavily involve social media when the author clearly has experience with social media because when done right, it’s super entertaining. I adored how the videos in this book were described like screenplays! I also just had a great time reading the romance that gradually emerged between the main characters. It was so sweet! And finally, I really appreciated that this book depicted a character who doesn’t really want to go to college because I feel like a lot of young adult books expect that of kids, and that isn’t always what people want to do with their lives.

ARC Review Of Bingsu For Two Written By @sujinwitherspoon

Publishing Date : January 14 , 2025

Thank you @netgalley for giving me the ARC of this book in exchange of an honest Review ☆

What a LoveLee book ♡. If you're looking for a Enemies-to-Lovers with lots of banter this is for you.

Bingsu For Two is the perfect book to quench the thrist of all the enemies-to-lovers fans. The dynamic between River and Sarang is both entertaining and heartwarming🤗.

Their initial bickering to fake dating to finally admitting their feelings ahhh soo cutee😚😚💕. The novel's portrayal of a cozy Korean cafe is incredibly inviting. The descriptions of the bingsu creations and the lively atmosphere of the shop add a sense of warmth and comfort to the story.

The friendship of all the characters was soo heartwarming, every character has their own journey and their personal struggles and growth throughout the novel makes this book even more delightful. The love story of River and Sarang was filled with adorable and funny moments, heartwarming gestures and their first meeting was soo chaotic, i cracked up soo hard at that🤣🤣

Also Dario, Kai, Vanna, Isabette they all are soo cute their banter and chaotic moments were soo funny. Bingsu For Two is such a feel-good romance that left me smiling like a fool.

One more reason why I love this book so much because of how much I related to River's character, I also don't know what to do what to say but gradually we all learn his character growth was amazing✨️

Bingsu for Two is a delightful and heartwarming read that is perfect for fans of Jenny Han and Better than the movies With its charming characters, captivating setting, and sweet love story, it's a book that will leave you wanting more. A must read for all enemies-to-lovers trope fan✨️

A bunch of teenagers run family-owned coffee shops. One is small and struggling. The other is rapidly expanding and has lost its family feeling. River walks out on the SATs, his girlfriend and his job at the family coffee shop. He ends working at Bingsu for Two, run by green-haired Sarang, who he is attracted to but also hates on site. River and Sarang and the rest of the gang work together, with River’s Internet skills, to save Bingsu.
A fun and dramatic romp, with more focus on coffee than bingsu. Well-rounded characters and great relationships.
Thank you to NetGalley and Union Square & Co. for this DRC.
#BingsuforTwo #NetGalley

Absolutely LOVED this adorable, hilarious YA romcom. First things first, this was a romCOM, which I appreciate because so often we do not get actual romcoms. I adored the laugh out loud chapter titles, and the epistolary elements in this were SO GOOD. It’s a book I would have loved to have as a teenager.

Bingsu for Two was a super cute story about a boy who leaves his family's coffee shop to work for the competitor, only to find a niche as an internet sensation that requires playing that he's in love with the coworker he hates. Fun, quick, and cute, I enjoyed this read.

Cute rom-com-y debut novel, with lots of social media nods and crispy Seattle weather/coffee shop-cafe setting. Main character River is a 17 year old who we meet walking out of the SAT the day after breaking up with longtime girlfriend. Teen readers might enjoy the shifts from prose to texts, to posts, to an embedded screenplay. First novel by a Korean American female novelist. Slightly unrealistic idea that kids are running the show at these businesses, which perhaps makes this even more appealing to teens! Thank you to Union Square & Co and NetGalley for the eARC!

This was so cute! The characters were dynamic and likable without being unrealistic. Sarang and River's dialogue was fun and smart to read, and I loved the whole Bingsu for Two crew. I liked how the drama wasn't just one big moment, but there were a few moments that were dramatic and kept me on the edge of my seat as I read the book. I already have patrons in mind who will absolutely love this, and I can't wait until this is out so I can recommend it. Thank you to Union Square & Co. and NetGalley for this ARC!

thank u netgalley for sending me this cute ennemies to lovers!
following a story that happens in a coffee shop was so much fun and original!
i loved seeing the different energy and mindset of every characters and seeing their personalities bringing different part to the story.

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for providing me with an eARC of this book! I had such a great time reading Bingsu For Two, which is even clearer when you see I finished in just a few days LMAO

We follow our main character, River Langston-Lee, who has recently dumped his girlfriend and just walked out of his SATs. Oh, and he quit his job at his parents’ cafe. Without spoiling too much; River ends up landing a job at Bingsu For Two, another cafe nearby which is nearly falling apart. He has a not-so-great relationship with his new coworker, Sarang Cho, but that doesn’t deter him from wanting to make the best of his time working there.

However, (or maybe not), River accidentally posts a video of him and his bossy coworker to his fandom account, and they garner tons of views, creating a whole audience for them. The problem is that the fans seem to ship River and Sarang, and so the two end up deciding to pretend that they are most definitely together, which is a bit of a struggle.

I had such a fun time reading this book! At first I was a little unsure about the format of using and including social media, but everything read pretty smoothly and naturally. That AO3 screenshot made me giggle, I think there are definitely people that will enjoy the social media formatting. The way that the videos were described was also done very well! I could imagine it so clearly!

River is a very relatable character, who does make me face palm sometimes with his decisions, but at the same time you develop an understanding for his choices, even if they’re not the smartest. You can at the very least look at it and think: yeah that’s just River, LMFAO. Also, I was surprised that this book was from River’s POV only, to the point that I reread some parts at first because I was confused lolol. But I think it was great! I feel like I’ve read a lot of books from the POV of the girl/woman, so this felt like a nice change.

Now onto River’s relationship with Cecelia, or well… lack thereof since they broke up. Seeing River come to realize things and then finally take action was so satisfying, even if the journey towards that was a little frustrating at times.

Next I’ll talk about the actual love interest, Sarang! It took me a little while to warm up to her as a character, also because of their first encounter. However, the book definitely succeeded in making me really like her character, and these two are adorable together.

Seeing Sarang and River’s relationship develop was really interesting, and it didn’t feel unnatural. It sort of made sense at the end if that explains it lmao. And I loved that it really did have some development instead of them being head over heels from the start— that also wouldn’t make sense considering some of the plot points.

The other side characters were all so lovely and distinct in their own way! They really felt full-fledged, they weren’t just there for the main character(s), they had motivations and ideas of their own.

I also thought the relationship with his parents and him being half Korean was written well — I cannot speak to the experience of being Korean-American specifically, but I did recognize some elements that some children of immigrants in the West experience. It would have been interesting to see more of River connecting with that part of his identity, but since this is a romance novel, I kinda get why that wasn’t explored. Would’ve been really cool though!

Overall, I absolutely LOVED Bingsu For Two, and I cannot wait for its release!

This is one of those books that will stick with you long after you’ve finished reading it. It’s got it all—an adorable found family cast of chaotic characters, a slow burn enemies to lovers romance, an aesthetic Korean coffee shop setting, and multimedia format that will have you squealing and kicking your feet at its hilarity and genius. You'll honestly have such a fun time reading this and would definitely recommend