So I read three books in December (OMG WHO IS SHE?), and I blame my new Kindle mostly haha. Here’s a quick review for each of them.
Seoulmates by Susan Lee
I really did NOT want to DNF a book that promised me some sweet, sweet KDrama moments, but so many things about the chapters I read just ticked me off that I decided not to waste any more time on it.
Seoulmates is a YA friends-to-lovers romance between two Korean Americans who got separated because of some life circumstances—Hannah remained in California, and Jacob left for Seoul. The story opens with Hannah struggling after her boyfriend Nate broke up with her because they’re “too different,” AKA he’s into everything Korean (basically KPop and KDrama) and she, the actual Korean person, is not. Jacob, meanwhile, now a popular young actor in South Korea, suffers an injury that requires him to take a break from work.
It was cute in the beginning, with a sprinkling of angst and pining from both MC and LI, but things quickly got annoying. I was a bit forgiving with the whole “I’m gonna win my ex-boyfriend back by getting into the things that interests him” angle (even if it was icky because Nate basically had an Asian fetish or something) because I knew that ultimately that plan will fail and Hannah will end up with Jacob anyway, but my last straw was learning that Nate used to bully Jacob at school AND Hannah had witnessed all of that. Like…GIRL??? You witnessed someone bully your best friend at school years ago, and you thought it was okay to DATE HIM? Maybe this is something specific to me, but I would never even consider a known bully as a potential romantic partner, much less someone who has tormented a friend of mine.
There’s a lot of internalized racism in this one, and I’ve only read seven chapters? Oof. I didn’t want to be there for the rest of it.
DNF-ed: December 10, 2023
Format: Audiobook
Read on: Scribd
Kismet by Gab Tuls
I picked up this book during the Stuff Your Kindle Week event online, and what drew me to it was the fact that it was a choose-your-own adventure romance. I’ve read a lot of Goosebumps choose-your-own-adventure books in my youth, and I wanted to relive that kind of thrill, choosing your main character’s fate—but within a romance setting.
In Kismet, you help the main character Tracey make good choices (I emphasized good because we start the book with her entangled in an affair with her boss) so she could find her Happy Ever After. There’s a bunch of interesting options to choose from, and you (as Tracey) meet a couple of potential love interests at every turn, with bonus spice!
It took me three tries before I actually got my HEA, but I’m not mad about it since I think I got to explore all of the available options and outcomes, so I had my fun. I’m actually wishing there’d be another CYOA romance book with Tracey’s friend, Kat.
Finished: January 2, 2023
Format: Ebook
Read on: Kindle
Overall rating
Some Bali to Love by Carla de Guzman
Carla de Guzman never misses.
Some Bali to Love is a delicious friends-to-lovers who agree to fake date for a week romance that got me hooked from the first chapter. It’s highly possible that this is because the two tropes in this novel are my top two faves, but that won’t be fair to Carla’s ~magical way of unfolding a story—like a delicate, intricately designed fan that’s both beautiful and functional. Every chapter is rich with detail, providing a great backdrop to the characters’ relationships as well as Ava and Scott’s main arc.
I love it when I meet characters I can truly root for, and Ava and Scott are two such characters. A perfect match, through and through. And so mature! I love that every step of the way, the communication between them was so open and honest, and that they gave each other a safe space to unpack certain baggages when they were ready to do so. Miscommunication as a conflict? Carla literally said NO THANK YOU, and I loved that.
Know what else I loved? All of the pop and cultural references as well as the shoutouts to #RomanceClass characters that were peppered all throughout the book. It made me feel so safe and at home with the story, and also rekindled my want to travel to Bali someday.
Like the feeling of warm hugs? Some Bali to Love is the equivalent of that. 🙂
Finished: December 29, 2023
Format: Ebook
Read on: Kindle
Overall rating
And there you go! My first blog post for 2024, and hopefully not the last. 😀 I’m currently reading (alternately) Chace Verity’s One Heart (ebook, Kindle) and Anne Liang’s This Time It’s Real (audiobook, Everand), so maybe I’ll be sharing some new reviews with you soon. If I don’t get distracted with everything else, that is. My vacation ends tomorrow, so…eek! Wish me luck! <3
