Whoever wrote the beginning blurb for the description of this book did not lie, this absolutely felt as dramatic as a K-drama. And I was hooked!! Susan Lee’s SEOULMATES tells the story of two former best friends falling in love, with the added twist that one of them has spent the last three years becoming one of the hottest new actors in the K-drama industry. It’s a heartfelt take on friends to lovers and second chance romances, and shows potential for Susan Lee to be another extremely strong voice in the YA and Romance genres.
This book is a tender love story of two teenagers who had to grow up just a little bit too fast, both trying and eventually failing to push one another away. In terms of being teenagers, they felt realistic, and it made the story feel that much more genuine. There were some abrupt moments as they fell for one another, story that could have been expanded on, but at the heart I deeply cared for these characters and their journeys. I wanted better for Jacob and Hannah, as much as they wanted better for each other. It didn’t feel like their every decision was dictated by some need for drama or angst or a third act breakup, but instead two people trying very hard to overcome a lot of baggage to just enjoy one another again. There were some extremely dramatic and possibly slightly unnecessary moments, but hey, what’s a k-drama without those?
I always say that my faourite types of romances are ones that see relationships grow right alongside the characters in them, and that’s absolutely something that happens in SEOULMATES. Hannah and Jacob bring a lot of baggage into being with one another, but it’s so gratifying to see them communicate and work with that. They aren’t trying to latch onto who they used to be before, but instead who they are now. It’s not that they need the other romantically to be better or to feel better about themselves, but that they provide a person who is going to love and care for their well being regardless of fame or a degree of outward connection to an identity. It’s a love letter to two best friends coming back to each other, understanding someone so innately and having to learn them all over again.
Ever since I first heard about this book (before there was a cover or even a synopsis), I’ve wanted to see how this love story would play out. I’m a big fan of books in the subgenre following K-pop and K-dramas, and I think that SEOULMATES adds an enjoyable and unique spin to it, with an overwhelming amount of heart. It’s by no means perfect, and a few moments in the book stilted the overall flow, but Susan Lee has made me a fan, and I will absolutely be waiting to see what happens next. For now, we can all enjoy Hannah and Jacob and a San Diego sunset.
This book is a tender love story of two teenagers who had to grow up just a little bit too fast, both trying and eventually failing to push one another away. In terms of being teenagers, they felt realistic, and it made the story feel that much more genuine. There were some abrupt moments as they fell for one another, story that could have been expanded on, but at the heart I deeply cared for these characters and their journeys. I wanted better for Jacob and Hannah, as much as they wanted better for each other. It didn’t feel like their every decision was dictated by some need for drama or angst or a third act breakup, but instead two people trying very hard to overcome a lot of baggage to just enjoy one another again. There were some extremely dramatic and possibly slightly unnecessary moments, but hey, what’s a k-drama without those?
I always say that my faourite types of romances are ones that see relationships grow right alongside the characters in them, and that’s absolutely something that happens in SEOULMATES. Hannah and Jacob bring a lot of baggage into being with one another, but it’s so gratifying to see them communicate and work with that. They aren’t trying to latch onto who they used to be before, but instead who they are now. It’s not that they need the other romantically to be better or to feel better about themselves, but that they provide a person who is going to love and care for their well being regardless of fame or a degree of outward connection to an identity. It’s a love letter to two best friends coming back to each other, understanding someone so innately and having to learn them all over again.
Ever since I first heard about this book (before there was a cover or even a synopsis), I’ve wanted to see how this love story would play out. I’m a big fan of books in the subgenre following K-pop and K-dramas, and I think that SEOULMATES adds an enjoyable and unique spin to it, with an overwhelming amount of heart. It’s by no means perfect, and a few moments in the book stilted the overall flow, but Susan Lee has made me a fan, and I will absolutely be waiting to see what happens next. For now, we can all enjoy Hannah and Jacob and a San Diego sunset.