Thanks to BookishFirst and Inkyard Press for the finished copy!
1.5 for now, rounded up to 2.
I always feel so sad when I have to give an ARC a low rating and I may lower this even farther after release because I was just ultimately so frustrated with this book and its lack of any amount of realism. If you can ignore unrealistic plots and unlikeable characters, then maybe give it a shot and stop reading my review. If you want more info, please read on.
First, let's start with the big one: the completely unrealistic plotline. I sort of get where this disregard for reality comes from - K drama. In a K drama, you get these outlandish stories and because it's a big drama and you WANT a little fantasy, you can kind of get past that. But this was not even set in Korea. This was set in America. And although the company is Korean, the branch involved is in NYC and should be subject to American laws and standards.
How does a company completely mix up two people with the same name when one of them is the CEO's SON? I know that Elijah wanted his identity to be a secret, but it makes zero sense how the maid, the assistant, the bosses, etc all just didn't CARE one bit that a woman came when they were told he was a man? Also, how did the paperwork go through?? How did these kids get PAID? You have to sign paperwork BEFORE showing up to your job. And yet Elijah was getting Jessica's paycheck. It seriously makes ZERO sense.
What else makes zero sense, you ask? How did Jessica not have money for college? Her father is the Finance Director for the company. He previously worked as Finance Director at Microsoft. The CEO LITERALLY KNOWS HIS NAME. You have to be VERY VERY VERY high up in a company for the CEO of an INTERNATIONAL company to know your name. He isn't some cog working the daily grind. He has to be important. And if he's not being paid enough for his position, GET LEGAL HERE. This is NOT legal.
Also, can we talk about how Jessica thinks she won't get any financial aid because her dad makes "too much"? And she just never discusses this with him at all? Hell, this plotline isn't even RESOLVED. We see it a little near the end and then poof, just doesn't matter anymore. Oh and scholarships? Apparently, you need fancy recommendations for those? ...... Um, no, actually, most scholarships are merit-based. And you're looking at a female woman of color. Colleges in this day and age will eat that up. They'd be giving her money - especially if she decided to go into technology or something.
While talking about Jessica, how about we talk about her total lack of self-awareness? She's dumb. She is a smart dumb person. And I hate those characters. At the very beginning the airplane clerk says "To the right is the Preferred line" to which she responds, "Oh it's so nice she told me which line she preferred." ....... This girl has lived in America her whole life. ... Please don't tell me she's never heard of Preferred Parking.
Then, "I wonder why my dad splurged for first class."
"I wonder why the company sent me a car when I read that we'd get a bus."
This girl would get KIDNAPPED SO FAST.
But apparently, she's a great organizer. And a great leader. So great. :)
Great enough that we SKIPPED THE ENTIRE HACKATHON - the event that the group plans for the entire book is just completely skipped in favor of some really bland and annoying resolution that makes negative sense.
Oh, right, Elijah. I honestly have nothing to say about him because he was not interesting at all. He is a rich spoiled kid who wants to hang out all day instead of work. Oh, I'm stereotyping him? Actually, that's literally what he does until Jessica brings the project up. He does suggest the Hackathon - which I will give him credit for - but after that he literally says he has nothing to do and only generously offers help because he's BORED. He grows a bit during the book, but ultimately, a lot of what he does is for his own selfish gain. Even the ending.
This was my second chance to Susan Lee. I read Seoulmates and while I disliked the miscommunication, I liked the beginning. With this, I hated 90% of the book and definitely rage read it. If you want to read a book of hers, go Seoulmates instead.
1.5 for now, rounded up to 2.
I always feel so sad when I have to give an ARC a low rating and I may lower this even farther after release because I was just ultimately so frustrated with this book and its lack of any amount of realism. If you can ignore unrealistic plots and unlikeable characters, then maybe give it a shot and stop reading my review. If you want more info, please read on.
First, let's start with the big one: the completely unrealistic plotline. I sort of get where this disregard for reality comes from - K drama. In a K drama, you get these outlandish stories and because it's a big drama and you WANT a little fantasy, you can kind of get past that. But this was not even set in Korea. This was set in America. And although the company is Korean, the branch involved is in NYC and should be subject to American laws and standards.
How does a company completely mix up two people with the same name when one of them is the CEO's SON? I know that Elijah wanted his identity to be a secret, but it makes zero sense how the maid, the assistant, the bosses, etc all just didn't CARE one bit that a woman came when they were told he was a man? Also, how did the paperwork go through?? How did these kids get PAID? You have to sign paperwork BEFORE showing up to your job. And yet Elijah was getting Jessica's paycheck. It seriously makes ZERO sense.
What else makes zero sense, you ask? How did Jessica not have money for college? Her father is the Finance Director for the company. He previously worked as Finance Director at Microsoft. The CEO LITERALLY KNOWS HIS NAME. You have to be VERY VERY VERY high up in a company for the CEO of an INTERNATIONAL company to know your name. He isn't some cog working the daily grind. He has to be important. And if he's not being paid enough for his position, GET LEGAL HERE. This is NOT legal.
Also, can we talk about how Jessica thinks she won't get any financial aid because her dad makes "too much"? And she just never discusses this with him at all? Hell, this plotline isn't even RESOLVED. We see it a little near the end and then poof, just doesn't matter anymore. Oh and scholarships? Apparently, you need fancy recommendations for those? ...... Um, no, actually, most scholarships are merit-based. And you're looking at a female woman of color. Colleges in this day and age will eat that up. They'd be giving her money - especially if she decided to go into technology or something.
While talking about Jessica, how about we talk about her total lack of self-awareness? She's dumb. She is a smart dumb person. And I hate those characters. At the very beginning the airplane clerk says "To the right is the Preferred line" to which she responds, "Oh it's so nice she told me which line she preferred." ....... This girl has lived in America her whole life. ... Please don't tell me she's never heard of Preferred Parking.
Then, "I wonder why my dad splurged for first class."
"I wonder why the company sent me a car when I read that we'd get a bus."
This girl would get KIDNAPPED SO FAST.
But apparently, she's a great organizer. And a great leader. So great. :)
Great enough that we SKIPPED THE ENTIRE HACKATHON - the event that the group plans for the entire book is just completely skipped in favor of some really bland and annoying resolution that makes negative sense.
Oh, right, Elijah. I honestly have nothing to say about him because he was not interesting at all. He is a rich spoiled kid who wants to hang out all day instead of work. Oh, I'm stereotyping him? Actually, that's literally what he does until Jessica brings the project up. He does suggest the Hackathon - which I will give him credit for - but after that he literally says he has nothing to do and only generously offers help because he's BORED. He grows a bit during the book, but ultimately, a lot of what he does is for his own selfish gain. Even the ending.
This was my second chance to Susan Lee. I read Seoulmates and while I disliked the miscommunication, I liked the beginning. With this, I hated 90% of the book and definitely rage read it. If you want to read a book of hers, go Seoulmates instead.