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50 copies available
U.S. only
From the New York Times bestselling author of A Crane Among Wolves and The Red Palace comes a historical romance set in the Joseon dynasty about forbidden books and those willing to risk their lives for their craft and each other.
As the dutiful second-eldest daughter of a poor family, society would have Haewon believe that her only hope of a decent life is to marry well. But during a time of rampant government censorship and book banning, she instead works as an illegal book transcriber in order to make a little extra money. It's dangerous work, but she loves it - especially when she gets to transcribe the work of her favourite author, known as Black Lotus.
When her older sister becomes smitten with a wealthy young gentleman, Haewon is roped into chaperoning them during their courtship. Which wouldn't be so terrible, if it weren't for the young man's uptight and annoying best friend who also accompanies them.
As the only son of a noble, Seojun has a lot expected of him. Wealth. Status. Respectability. Certainly not frivolous and often illicit activities such as reading fiction. But Seojun loves to do something even more scandalous: writing. He's kept his work secret from his father and friends, but with each passing day, the pressure of being his father's son and the dispiriting actions of the government make Seojun question the purpose of it all. The only thing keeping him going are the encouraging letters he receives from his transcriber, known only as Magpie.
When his best friend falls hard for a girl of lower social status, Seojun finds himself forced to act as chaperone to the infatuated couple - along with the girl's younger sister, who is as irritating as she is judgmental. But as Haewon and Seojun spend more time together, they begin to suspect they may have judged each other too quickly . . .
As the dutiful second-eldest daughter of a poor family, society would have Haewon believe that her only hope of a decent life is to marry well. But during a time of rampant government censorship and book banning, she instead works as an illegal book transcriber in order to make a little extra money. It's dangerous work, but she loves it - especially when she gets to transcribe the work of her favourite author, known as Black Lotus.
When her older sister becomes smitten with a wealthy young gentleman, Haewon is roped into chaperoning them during their courtship. Which wouldn't be so terrible, if it weren't for the young man's uptight and annoying best friend who also accompanies them.
As the only son of a noble, Seojun has a lot expected of him. Wealth. Status. Respectability. Certainly not frivolous and often illicit activities such as reading fiction. But Seojun loves to do something even more scandalous: writing. He's kept his work secret from his father and friends, but with each passing day, the pressure of being his father's son and the dispiriting actions of the government make Seojun question the purpose of it all. The only thing keeping him going are the encouraging letters he receives from his transcriber, known only as Magpie.
When his best friend falls hard for a girl of lower social status, Seojun finds himself forced to act as chaperone to the infatuated couple - along with the girl's younger sister, who is as irritating as she is judgmental. But as Haewon and Seojun spend more time together, they begin to suspect they may have judged each other too quickly . . .
352 pages, Hardcover
Expected publication May 26, 2026
28 people are currently reading
17536 people want to read
About the author
June Hur
6 books4,005 followersJUNE HUR (허주은) is a New York Times and Indie bestselling, Edgar Award-winning author of YA historical mysteries and romances, including The Silence of Bones, The Forest of Stolen Girls, The Red Palace , and A Crane Among Wolves . Born in South Korea, June spent her formative years in the USA, Canada, and South Korea before studying History and Literature at the University of Toronto and working at the Toronto Public Library. Her work has been featured in Forbes, NPR, The New York Times, CBC, KBS and more. June's next release, Adoration, a Jane Austen homage set during the Joseon dynasty, is slated for spring 2026. She resides in Toronto with her family and can be spotted writing in coffee shops.
You can find her on Instagram and Tiktok @junehwrites
You can find her on Instagram and Tiktok @junehwrites
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 197 reviews
November 18, 2025
5.0 ★— Was this book written just for me? Because that’s exactly how it felt while reading it.
This is a historical romance heavily inspired by Pride and Prejudice (though not a retelling!) set in historical Korea, with a heroine who lives on a razor-thin edge as a transcriber in a time of strict book censorship, when works were banned or destroyed and women’s daily lives were already highly restricted.
Shin Haewon is a true middle child, with an unruly younger sister and an older sister she loves dearly, whom she wants to see married. Her focus is entirely on helping her sisters find happiness, leaving her own prospects largely out of the picture.
Enter the MMC, Yu Seojun, a highly eligible gentleman admired by women in society, but secretly living on the same razor-thin edge as Haewon, publishing his literature under the moniker Black Lotus. She has been transcribing his work and exchanging letters with this mysterious author, never knowing it’s him, and no one else knows either.
They have a classic meet-disaster that leaves both with very wonky impressions of each other, à la Lizzy and Darcy. But as they are thrown into more situations together, we get an MMC who falls hard and deeply (a yearner of the highest order!) and a Haewon who is just trying to make sure her sisters can live well, completely oblivious to the man she assumes to be a stiff, starchy gentleman.
And isn’t that the best part? My man is hopelessly in love for half the book, and it was perfect.
This story echoes Austen's essence beautifully, with beats that any Austenite will recognize instantly, while also doing its own thing with many moments subverting expectations, never letting me feel like I knew exactly what would happen next.
If you enjoy pining, light family drama, sisterly bonds, and a truly lovely Joseon Dynasty setting with a booklover heroine, this is for you! I’m also recommending it to anyone obsessed with Jane Austen, because this is one of the best Austen-inspired works I’ve read!
____________
Thank you to Feiwel & Friends for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
This is a historical romance heavily inspired by Pride and Prejudice (though not a retelling!) set in historical Korea, with a heroine who lives on a razor-thin edge as a transcriber in a time of strict book censorship, when works were banned or destroyed and women’s daily lives were already highly restricted.
Shin Haewon is a true middle child, with an unruly younger sister and an older sister she loves dearly, whom she wants to see married. Her focus is entirely on helping her sisters find happiness, leaving her own prospects largely out of the picture.
Enter the MMC, Yu Seojun, a highly eligible gentleman admired by women in society, but secretly living on the same razor-thin edge as Haewon, publishing his literature under the moniker Black Lotus. She has been transcribing his work and exchanging letters with this mysterious author, never knowing it’s him, and no one else knows either.
They have a classic meet-disaster that leaves both with very wonky impressions of each other, à la Lizzy and Darcy. But as they are thrown into more situations together, we get an MMC who falls hard and deeply (a yearner of the highest order!) and a Haewon who is just trying to make sure her sisters can live well, completely oblivious to the man she assumes to be a stiff, starchy gentleman.
And isn’t that the best part? My man is hopelessly in love for half the book, and it was perfect.
This story echoes Austen's essence beautifully, with beats that any Austenite will recognize instantly, while also doing its own thing with many moments subverting expectations, never letting me feel like I knew exactly what would happen next.
If you enjoy pining, light family drama, sisterly bonds, and a truly lovely Joseon Dynasty setting with a booklover heroine, this is for you! I’m also recommending it to anyone obsessed with Jane Austen, because this is one of the best Austen-inspired works I’ve read!
____________
Thank you to Feiwel & Friends for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
December 1, 2025
──⟡⋆˙✩ 4.5 stars ✩ ⋆˙⟡──
The last chapter was a fever dream. Seriously. I'm certain June Hur drugged it. Yes she did! It took me 30 mins to read that chapter because I kept re-reading and giggling and blushing and hiding my face.
Setting: Pride and Prejudice reimagined in the Joseon period
𓂃 ࣪˖ ִֶָ𐀔 βօօҟͲąցʂ 𓍯𓂃
➽ slowburn and yearning
➽ he falls first and harder
➽ writer and his transcriber
➽ exchanging letters via pseudonyms
➽ secret identities
Cσɳƚҽɳƚ Wαɾɳιɳɠʂ
➽ Time period–appropriate misogyny and double standards that will make you want to break things (but the narrative and our main characters make it clear that it’s wrong and utter hogwash).
𝕎𝕙𝕒𝕥 𝕋𝕙𝕚𝕤 𝔹𝕠𝕠𝕜 𝕀𝕤 𝔸𝕓𝕠𝕦𝕥: ℕ𝕒𝕟𝕔𝕪 𝔼𝕕𝕚𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟 ᯓ★
So this is set in a time when reading or writing novels was banned by law. Because apparently “reading should only be to enrich your morality and novels are vulgar,” or something to that effect.
These were troubled times for us bookworms. I mean, CAN you imagine? I could never. Apparently, buying a book would cost you a FORTUNE. And even borrowing books would send ladies into financial ruin. It was THAT bad. To be fair, I jump into “financial ruin” NOW buying so many books, but let’s talk about my bad habits another day.
Shin Haewon is one of three sisters in an impoverished family, who is transcribing books (which is a CRIME) for extra money. She also transcribes books as payment for borrowing them to read, so this is really a win-win situation (aside from the minor matter of this being illegal, but hey, we readers wouldn’t let something so unimportant stop us, would we? I mean, when I hear that a certain book was banned, my first action is to add it to my TBR). Anyways, I digress.
Yu Seojun is the oldest son of this really powerful and rich and respectable family, who has a lot on his shoulders, and rules and regulations and being a gentleman were drilled into his head from a young age. He’s the perfect honorable gentleman. Except he’s… a writer. GASP. That’s his illicit secret. No one can know or his family honor will be tarnished! He writes under the pen name Black Lotus. His pen pal, best bro, Magpie, transcribes his books. Magpie is Haewon’s pen name under which she transcribes books, and Black Lotus, her pen pal sis, is her fave author. But neither of them know the other’s actual identity. And when they meet, he says something disparaging about novels and about her fave author Black Lotus, and she now HATES him (after all, this IS a Pride and Prejudice retelling!).
ೃ⁀➷ I absolutely adored Seojun from the MOMENT, the very MOMENT I met him. June Hur really took me inside his head and showed me how much weight he carried on his shoulders. At such a young age he was dealing with so much stress and all the expectations because of his family status, him being the oldest and the son, and academic stress, and his secret hobby. And having to mask all of that. He came across as indifferent. He is always so composed and cool. Guarded. But I know that inside he’s tired.
ೃ⁀➷ As for Haewon… my thoughts on her are a bit… well, I’m not sure how to phrase this, but Seojun’s character felt very distinct to me. It was sharp. The characterization felt strong. In comparison, Haewon’s characterization felt weak. I still cannot describe how she is in this review because I’m frankly confused. She feels like a lot of things, but they are all scattered? It felt like June Hur relied on us knowing she was meant to be Elizabeth Bennet and letting that carry Haewon — you know, we were supposed to just put whatever traits we know Lizzy has into her instead of writing and fleshing her out herself. Yes, so due to this vagueness and blurriness I felt surrounding her, I wasn’t really able to connect with her as much as I had hoped to, unfortunately. I am saddened by it.
𝕋𝕙𝕖 ℝ𝕠𝕞𝕒𝕟𝕔𝕖 ᯓ★
I was panicking slightly because the rules between men and women were so strict in this time period. I was questioning how these two were going to have an adequate amount of meetings to fall in love, but thankfully, Haewon is the “a little bit of rule-breaking never hurt anyone!” type. It was SO FUN to witness Seojun’s thoughts on Haewon change with each meeting. I mean, the first time he saw her, his thoughts were something like: “She had a plain face. Average looking. Nothing special.”
But then halfway through, his brain chemistry did a 180 and went: She was the most gorgeous, loveliest woman he had ever had the pleasure of laying eyes on in his entire life.
Beauty really lies in the eyes of the beholder, y’all. And once he fell, he fell SO DAMN HARD. Some of his LINES. See. I was not ready. Okay? I wasn’t! Would you be? If you read this book and the whole time he is such a reserved gentleman and also he’s very nervous around her and ends up saying awkward shit that he later on cringes at himself for — and then towards the end he puts out all these LINES.
“Do you still want me?”
“More than life itself.”
AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH.
ೃ⁀➷ My reviews are usually full of quotes. I know I wanted to flood this one with quotes as well, but since I have an uncorrected proof and not the final published version, I chose not to. But I WILL be revising this review once the book comes out and I buy it. And I WILL be flooding this review with quotes, mark my words. There are SO MANY I want to put here but I can’t. June Hur is still editing and tweaking the sentences after all.
cries in helplessness
ೃ⁀➷ One other thing I wanted to talk about. This is a serious topic unlike my previous ones. This banning of reading novels and such because they “promote unorthodox thinking and vulgarity,” and also because they “are a frivolous waste of time and don’t educate a person on anything.” Even though this was back then, a lot of it still remains right now. People who view reading novels as a waste of time, fiction as a waste of time, and think we should all be enriching our intellect by reading non-fiction. That we shouldn’t read something just to have fun. That’s just silly. Even among those who like reading fiction, there are literary snobs who will look down their nose at you if you read “uncultured stuff” like romance. And then there are those who will say you aren’t a “real reader” if you mainly read e-books and listen to audiobooks. So this issue is still very much prevalent at this time, but I suppose a little disguised.
It saddened me. I mean, Seojun was really struggling with this. He would put his entire being into his novels, he would pour out his heart in them, and the king then called his novels vulgar — and he felt that he was vulgar. That his personality was vulgar and that he was lacking. That sort of guilt and self-loathing… it made me so sad. My boy just wanted to write and express himself. But society would have him believe his writing meant nothing if it wasn’t a timeless piece that would go down in history. But it doesn’t have to be a 10/10 masterpiece that changes your outlook on life to be meaningful. As long as it made someone laugh, as long as it brought someone joy — it brought you joy — that’s meaningful enough.
I mean, I write too. And I won’t have anyone telling me it means nothing. It does, okay? It brings me joy. I feel happy when I write. And that means EVERYTHING.
𝕀𝕟 ℂ𝕠𝕟𝕔𝕝𝕦𝕤𝕚𝕠𝕟 ᯓ★
A spectacular book. It really made me think about a lot of issues still prevalent in this day and age. It also made me kick my legs and squeal. It made me nostalgic because Pride and Prejudice is one of my INFINITE-stars reads. As for mylighthearted and good-natured complaint about the ending, June Hur replied to me saying she’s working on a bonus chapter!!
Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.
The last chapter was a fever dream. Seriously. I'm certain June Hur drugged it. Yes she did! It took me 30 mins to read that chapter because I kept re-reading and giggling and blushing and hiding my face.
Setting: Pride and Prejudice reimagined in the Joseon period
𓂃 ࣪˖ ִֶָ𐀔 βօօҟͲąցʂ 𓍯𓂃
➽ slowburn and yearning
➽ he falls first and harder
➽ writer and his transcriber
➽ exchanging letters via pseudonyms
➽ secret identities
Cσɳƚҽɳƚ Wαɾɳιɳɠʂ
➽ Time period–appropriate misogyny and double standards that will make you want to break things (but the narrative and our main characters make it clear that it’s wrong and utter hogwash).
𝕎𝕙𝕒𝕥 𝕋𝕙𝕚𝕤 𝔹𝕠𝕠𝕜 𝕀𝕤 𝔸𝕓𝕠𝕦𝕥: ℕ𝕒𝕟𝕔𝕪 𝔼𝕕𝕚𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟 ᯓ★
So this is set in a time when reading or writing novels was banned by law. Because apparently “reading should only be to enrich your morality and novels are vulgar,” or something to that effect.
These were troubled times for us bookworms. I mean, CAN you imagine? I could never. Apparently, buying a book would cost you a FORTUNE. And even borrowing books would send ladies into financial ruin. It was THAT bad. To be fair, I jump into “financial ruin” NOW buying so many books, but let’s talk about my bad habits another day.
Shin Haewon is one of three sisters in an impoverished family, who is transcribing books (which is a CRIME) for extra money. She also transcribes books as payment for borrowing them to read, so this is really a win-win situation (aside from the minor matter of this being illegal, but hey, we readers wouldn’t let something so unimportant stop us, would we? I mean, when I hear that a certain book was banned, my first action is to add it to my TBR). Anyways, I digress.
Yu Seojun is the oldest son of this really powerful and rich and respectable family, who has a lot on his shoulders, and rules and regulations and being a gentleman were drilled into his head from a young age. He’s the perfect honorable gentleman. Except he’s… a writer. GASP. That’s his illicit secret. No one can know or his family honor will be tarnished! He writes under the pen name Black Lotus. His pen pal, best bro, Magpie, transcribes his books. Magpie is Haewon’s pen name under which she transcribes books, and Black Lotus, her pen pal sis, is her fave author. But neither of them know the other’s actual identity. And when they meet, he says something disparaging about novels and about her fave author Black Lotus, and she now HATES him (after all, this IS a Pride and Prejudice retelling!).
ೃ⁀➷ I absolutely adored Seojun from the MOMENT, the very MOMENT I met him. June Hur really took me inside his head and showed me how much weight he carried on his shoulders. At such a young age he was dealing with so much stress and all the expectations because of his family status, him being the oldest and the son, and academic stress, and his secret hobby. And having to mask all of that. He came across as indifferent. He is always so composed and cool. Guarded. But I know that inside he’s tired.
ೃ⁀➷ As for Haewon… my thoughts on her are a bit… well, I’m not sure how to phrase this, but Seojun’s character felt very distinct to me. It was sharp. The characterization felt strong. In comparison, Haewon’s characterization felt weak. I still cannot describe how she is in this review because I’m frankly confused. She feels like a lot of things, but they are all scattered? It felt like June Hur relied on us knowing she was meant to be Elizabeth Bennet and letting that carry Haewon — you know, we were supposed to just put whatever traits we know Lizzy has into her instead of writing and fleshing her out herself. Yes, so due to this vagueness and blurriness I felt surrounding her, I wasn’t really able to connect with her as much as I had hoped to, unfortunately. I am saddened by it.
𝕋𝕙𝕖 ℝ𝕠𝕞𝕒𝕟𝕔𝕖 ᯓ★
I was panicking slightly because the rules between men and women were so strict in this time period. I was questioning how these two were going to have an adequate amount of meetings to fall in love, but thankfully, Haewon is the “a little bit of rule-breaking never hurt anyone!” type. It was SO FUN to witness Seojun’s thoughts on Haewon change with each meeting. I mean, the first time he saw her, his thoughts were something like: “She had a plain face. Average looking. Nothing special.”
But then halfway through, his brain chemistry did a 180 and went: She was the most gorgeous, loveliest woman he had ever had the pleasure of laying eyes on in his entire life.
Beauty really lies in the eyes of the beholder, y’all. And once he fell, he fell SO DAMN HARD. Some of his LINES. See. I was not ready. Okay? I wasn’t! Would you be? If you read this book and the whole time he is such a reserved gentleman and also he’s very nervous around her and ends up saying awkward shit that he later on cringes at himself for — and then towards the end he puts out all these LINES.
“Do you still want me?”
“More than life itself.”
AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH.
ೃ⁀➷ My reviews are usually full of quotes. I know I wanted to flood this one with quotes as well, but since I have an uncorrected proof and not the final published version, I chose not to. But I WILL be revising this review once the book comes out and I buy it. And I WILL be flooding this review with quotes, mark my words. There are SO MANY I want to put here but I can’t. June Hur is still editing and tweaking the sentences after all.
cries in helplessness
ೃ⁀➷ One other thing I wanted to talk about. This is a serious topic unlike my previous ones. This banning of reading novels and such because they “promote unorthodox thinking and vulgarity,” and also because they “are a frivolous waste of time and don’t educate a person on anything.” Even though this was back then, a lot of it still remains right now. People who view reading novels as a waste of time, fiction as a waste of time, and think we should all be enriching our intellect by reading non-fiction. That we shouldn’t read something just to have fun. That’s just silly. Even among those who like reading fiction, there are literary snobs who will look down their nose at you if you read “uncultured stuff” like romance. And then there are those who will say you aren’t a “real reader” if you mainly read e-books and listen to audiobooks. So this issue is still very much prevalent at this time, but I suppose a little disguised.
It saddened me. I mean, Seojun was really struggling with this. He would put his entire being into his novels, he would pour out his heart in them, and the king then called his novels vulgar — and he felt that he was vulgar. That his personality was vulgar and that he was lacking. That sort of guilt and self-loathing… it made me so sad. My boy just wanted to write and express himself. But society would have him believe his writing meant nothing if it wasn’t a timeless piece that would go down in history. But it doesn’t have to be a 10/10 masterpiece that changes your outlook on life to be meaningful. As long as it made someone laugh, as long as it brought someone joy — it brought you joy — that’s meaningful enough.
I mean, I write too. And I won’t have anyone telling me it means nothing. It does, okay? It brings me joy. I feel happy when I write. And that means EVERYTHING.
𝕀𝕟 ℂ𝕠𝕟𝕔𝕝𝕦𝕤𝕚𝕠𝕟 ᯓ★
A spectacular book. It really made me think about a lot of issues still prevalent in this day and age. It also made me kick my legs and squeal. It made me nostalgic because Pride and Prejudice is one of my INFINITE-stars reads. As for my
Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.
Want to read
March 22, 2024a pride and prejudice retelling set during the joseon dynasty?! i need this immediately 🙏
December 9, 2025
𐙚⋆°｡⋆♡ ── 4.75 stars
arc review 💌
release date: may 26
𐙚⋆°｡⋆♡ ── pre-read
so i watched pride & prejudice prior to reading this and im SOOO excited!!!! reading this was my lovely friend maelyn adore u sm and can't wait for our first buddy read <3
⤿ 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘦𝘥: oct 29
⤿ 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘥: nov 7
✧˖°💌 ⋆｡˚꩜ 𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗲𝘀 / 𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗿𝗲
⤷ pride and prejudice retelling in joseon era korea
⤷ era of banned books in korea
⤷ you've got mail vibes
⤷ mr darcy coded mmc??
⤷ pen pals
⤷ secret identities
⤷ he falls first
ᝰ.ᐟ 𝗺𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀
the second book i've read by june hur, and definitely not a disappointment. this was a love letter to romance reader, something for those readers wrecked by a crane among wolves.
i don't think i have any complaints about this. i love her writing, the 3rd person pov is always amazing.
⋆.˚✮🦢✮˚.⋆ 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀
a must read for pride and prejudice fans + if you love you've got mail!!! guys we get a down bad mmc, she doesn't realize this, fljsifhkihsdf just soo good
✧ thank you to june for sending me an arc !!! ✧
(also my biggest flex might be that me and june are friends on insta 🤭)
_____
𐙚⋆°｡⋆♡ ── pre-release
so so excited for this & the cover is freaking gorgeous 🤭
release date: may 19th, 2026
raincoast you will be hearing from me !!
pride and prejudice x you've got mail ?!!
2026 is THE year for ya novels 👏💗
arc review 💌
release date: may 26
𐙚⋆°｡⋆♡ ── pre-read
so i watched pride & prejudice prior to reading this and im SOOO excited!!!! reading this was my lovely friend maelyn adore u sm and can't wait for our first buddy read <3
⤿ 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘦𝘥: oct 29
⤿ 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘥: nov 7
✧˖°💌 ⋆｡˚꩜ 𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗲𝘀 / 𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗿𝗲
⤷ pride and prejudice retelling in joseon era korea
⤷ era of banned books in korea
⤷ you've got mail vibes
⤷ mr darcy coded mmc??
⤷ pen pals
⤷ secret identities
⤷ he falls first
ᝰ.ᐟ 𝗺𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀
the second book i've read by june hur, and definitely not a disappointment. this was a love letter to romance reader, something for those readers wrecked by a crane among wolves.
i don't think i have any complaints about this. i love her writing, the 3rd person pov is always amazing.
⋆.˚✮🦢✮˚.⋆ 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀
a must read for pride and prejudice fans + if you love you've got mail!!! guys we get a down bad mmc, she doesn't realize this, fljsifhkihsdf just soo good
✧ thank you to june for sending me an arc !!! ✧
(also my biggest flex might be that me and june are friends on insta 🤭)
_____
𐙚⋆°｡⋆♡ ── pre-release
so so excited for this & the cover is freaking gorgeous 🤭
release date: may 19th, 2026
raincoast you will be hearing from me !!
pride and prejudice x you've got mail ?!!
2026 is THE year for ya novels 👏💗
i-need
March 17, 2025June Hur is one of those rare authors where I don't have to know what the book is about to want to read it.
Edit 3/17/2025 WE HAVE A TITLE AND I LOVE IT!
Edit 3/17/2025 WE HAVE A TITLE AND I LOVE IT!
Want to read
August 19, 2023this book could be about chicken noodle soup and june hur would STILL deliver
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
˗ˏˋ ♡ ˎˊ˗
𝓯𝓲𝓿𝓮 𝓼𝓽𝓪𝓻𝓼
big thanks to netgalley, the publisher, and the author for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
june hur did her thing in this book omgosh. every single page i was giggling. or laughing. or in shock at the plot. it was stunning gorgina and if you disagree, thats okay. if you are a jane austen fan or just a fan of june hur in general, you will be eating this book up.
if you arent convinced--read this quote.
HELLO!??!!? It was all i could do to not giggle in my bed at 2am okay.
𓍯𓂃𓏧♡ plot
╰┈➤ the plot was slaying. if you havent read the blurb, babes what are you doing. my name is not wikipedia okay? it's a homeage to jane austen about a reader and a writer who fight against the government book banning. did i steal that from the actual blurb? maybe. but seriously babes. grow some eyes.
i loved how the tension stayed throughout the entire story. it was giving the feet kicking but also nail biting action that we needed. and i could see the jane austen vibes throughout the entire book in the best way possible. 10/10
𓍯𓂃𓏧♡characters
╰┈➤ if i'm gone for a bit it's because ive traveled back in time to find seojun. dont hate me. hate the fact he's an absolute dreamboat okay. he's literally the best vibes of mr darcy but in his own entire way. like MHM yummy.
and ofc our fmc haewon is the witty girlypop we all needed. she slayed.
𓍯𓂃𓏧♡romance
╰┈➤ THIS ROMANCE. WAS. FREAKING. AMAZING. OMG. yes. that's it. that's all i have.
𓍯𓂃𓏧♡in other words...
if you haven't already, please pick up this book next year if you are looking for a historical romance with the jane austen vibes to bring the amount of cozy but cute and tension that you need. behind five willows is a sure book to gift to a friend or to buy for a cozy winter day.
~
𖡼.𖤣𖥧 oh my gosh i got the arc !!! i'm so so so excited for this one you can't even believe it 𖡼.𖤣𖥧
𝓯𝓲𝓿𝓮 𝓼𝓽𝓪𝓻𝓼
big thanks to netgalley, the publisher, and the author for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
june hur did her thing in this book omgosh. every single page i was giggling. or laughing. or in shock at the plot. it was stunning gorgina and if you disagree, thats okay. if you are a jane austen fan or just a fan of june hur in general, you will be eating this book up.
if you arent convinced--read this quote.
His voice was soft. With his other hand, he took the letter from her. "But I have no intention of forgetting you."
HELLO!??!!? It was all i could do to not giggle in my bed at 2am okay.
𓍯𓂃𓏧♡ plot
╰┈➤ the plot was slaying. if you havent read the blurb, babes what are you doing. my name is not wikipedia okay? it's a homeage to jane austen about a reader and a writer who fight against the government book banning. did i steal that from the actual blurb? maybe. but seriously babes. grow some eyes.
i loved how the tension stayed throughout the entire story. it was giving the feet kicking but also nail biting action that we needed. and i could see the jane austen vibes throughout the entire book in the best way possible. 10/10
𓍯𓂃𓏧♡characters
╰┈➤ if i'm gone for a bit it's because ive traveled back in time to find seojun. dont hate me. hate the fact he's an absolute dreamboat okay. he's literally the best vibes of mr darcy but in his own entire way. like MHM yummy.
and ofc our fmc haewon is the witty girlypop we all needed. she slayed.
𓍯𓂃𓏧♡romance
╰┈➤ THIS ROMANCE. WAS. FREAKING. AMAZING. OMG. yes. that's it. that's all i have.
𓍯𓂃𓏧♡in other words...
if you haven't already, please pick up this book next year if you are looking for a historical romance with the jane austen vibes to bring the amount of cozy but cute and tension that you need. behind five willows is a sure book to gift to a friend or to buy for a cozy winter day.
~
𖡼.𖤣𖥧 oh my gosh i got the arc !!! i'm so so so excited for this one you can't even believe it 𖡼.𖤣𖥧
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
⊱ ۫ ׅ ✧ 1 star . . . 1 2 / 1 3 / 2 5 !
🧷 # content warnings: government censorship
( 01. ) overall thoughts !
june hur i love you but this was not it......WHERE WAS THE ANGST ??? WHERE WAS THE TENSION ??? WHERE WAS THE YEARNING ??? where was the slow burn ache that defines a pride and prejudice level romance ? behind five willows was, unfortunately, a major disappointment for me. i thought i would love this book, not only because i love june hur as an author, but also because it was marketed as a pride and prejudice retelling set in the joseon dynasty, a premise that should have been rich with tension, yearning, and social conflict. instead i found it painfully dull. and i'm talking PAINFUL levels of boredom, enough to almost put me in a reading slump. i genuinely dreaded picking up this book each time 💔 i only finished it for the author.
( 02. ) plot summary !
set in late joseon korea during a period of government censorship, the story follows haewon, the dutiful second daughter of a poor family who secretly works as an illegal book transcriber. she transcribes novels written by the mysterious author known as black lotus who (this is not a spoiler as it is revealed from the start) is revealed to be seojun, essentially the mr. darcy of the novel. and then they fall in love.
seems interesting, unfortunately it was the very opposite. 99% of the time i felt like the plot was non-existent. there was never anything happening. the character's conversed and moved locations, but nothing really ever happens...ask me to name one major event, and tbf i could not 😭
( 03. ) historical note !
one of the most frustrating aspects is how underdeveloped the historical backdrop is. one major policy referenced is munchebanjong (문체반정), which targeted writing styles and banned fiction seen as morally dangerous or socially disruptive. novels were considered improper, and anyone writing, copying, or reading them could be punished. this era also saw anxiety over western learning and the spread of catholicism, which challenged confucian values. as a result, western influenced texts were banned, burned, and treated as ideological threats rather than mere books.
this could have been a great learning moment for readers, instead all these topics are just glossed over, or never explained well. the only in depth historical element we get is in the author's note at the end. i feel like the history should have been properly integrated into the novel, the story, the character's lives. and i'm not saying it isn't there, i'm saying it's not meaningfully interrogated or even at the core of the story.
( 04. ) characters !
⊹ “ to live without a will is to deny the bird the sky, the flowers the sun. ” ₊
haewon was just so dull. i was expecting so much wit from her. she is a fmc who is against the social norms of the time period and illegally transcribes novels, but yet she still gave nothing! her character was so frustrating at times because of how easily she gave in to the mmc. there was a scene only after just meeting him, where she brushed past him in a bookshop and immediately feels a spark of intimacy. like girl ???? where is the buildup ?
yeonhee was infuriating! she repeatedly creates problems through careless, reckless, and foolish decisions, yet the narrative rarely holds her accountable. also her character put such an emphasis on her interest in western ideas (very illegal at the time), but that's never even explored.
⊹ “ he wondered if she would ever come to know how deeply he cherished her thoughts. ” ₊
seojun as the male lead and supposed mr. darcy figure, completely fell flat for me. for a character who secretly writes banned fiction and wrestles with societal expectations, he is surprisingly bland. i don't even have anything else to say.
( 05. ) romance !
i can't even speak on the romance between haewon and seojun for i fear i might cry 😭 like i mentioned already, there was no slow burn, no tension AND ABSOLUTELY no yearning. i was so excited to read about a man who experiences the most insane emotional regression that explodes into longing, but no, we get nothing! the idea that the two characters don't know each other's identities holds no weight because the reader knows the truth from the very beginning. seojun should have been aching, the smallest details should have made him burn with longing, he should have been intoxicated BY THE SIGHT OF HER BUT EVERYTHING IS SO TAME MY GOSH. if, at any moment, she had crooked her finger, he would have knelt before her feet" SO WHY DIDN'T YOU ?? so many words, so little actions. the little moments that did occur between them happened instantaneously. no slow burn in my time period novel ??????? anyways this was not it. the only scene that made me feel anything was chapter 19 page 124 when she tells him "i hate how small you make me feel" MY SHAYLA 💔 almost burst into tears reading that.
thank you to the author and publisher for the arc!
⊱ ۫ ׅ ✧ pre read pride and prejudice retelling set in the joseon dynasty. i am begging, please have a profuse amount of yearning
🧷 # content warnings: government censorship
“ if i lose my honor, i will lose the world, but if i betray black lotus, i very much fear i will lose myself. ”
( 01. ) overall thoughts !
june hur i love you but this was not it......WHERE WAS THE ANGST ??? WHERE WAS THE TENSION ??? WHERE WAS THE YEARNING ??? where was the slow burn ache that defines a pride and prejudice level romance ? behind five willows was, unfortunately, a major disappointment for me. i thought i would love this book, not only because i love june hur as an author, but also because it was marketed as a pride and prejudice retelling set in the joseon dynasty, a premise that should have been rich with tension, yearning, and social conflict. instead i found it painfully dull. and i'm talking PAINFUL levels of boredom, enough to almost put me in a reading slump. i genuinely dreaded picking up this book each time 💔 i only finished it for the author.
( 02. ) plot summary !
set in late joseon korea during a period of government censorship, the story follows haewon, the dutiful second daughter of a poor family who secretly works as an illegal book transcriber. she transcribes novels written by the mysterious author known as black lotus who (this is not a spoiler as it is revealed from the start) is revealed to be seojun, essentially the mr. darcy of the novel. and then they fall in love.
seems interesting, unfortunately it was the very opposite. 99% of the time i felt like the plot was non-existent. there was never anything happening. the character's conversed and moved locations, but nothing really ever happens...ask me to name one major event, and tbf i could not 😭
( 03. ) historical note !
one of the most frustrating aspects is how underdeveloped the historical backdrop is. one major policy referenced is munchebanjong (문체반정), which targeted writing styles and banned fiction seen as morally dangerous or socially disruptive. novels were considered improper, and anyone writing, copying, or reading them could be punished. this era also saw anxiety over western learning and the spread of catholicism, which challenged confucian values. as a result, western influenced texts were banned, burned, and treated as ideological threats rather than mere books.
this could have been a great learning moment for readers, instead all these topics are just glossed over, or never explained well. the only in depth historical element we get is in the author's note at the end. i feel like the history should have been properly integrated into the novel, the story, the character's lives. and i'm not saying it isn't there, i'm saying it's not meaningfully interrogated or even at the core of the story.
( 04. ) characters !
⊹ “ to live without a will is to deny the bird the sky, the flowers the sun. ” ₊
— “ i miss you, yu seojun. i miss you terribly. ”
haewon was just so dull. i was expecting so much wit from her. she is a fmc who is against the social norms of the time period and illegally transcribes novels, but yet she still gave nothing! her character was so frustrating at times because of how easily she gave in to the mmc. there was a scene only after just meeting him, where she brushed past him in a bookshop and immediately feels a spark of intimacy. like girl ???? where is the buildup ?
yeonhee was infuriating! she repeatedly creates problems through careless, reckless, and foolish decisions, yet the narrative rarely holds her accountable. also her character put such an emphasis on her interest in western ideas (very illegal at the time), but that's never even explored.
⊹ “ he wondered if she would ever come to know how deeply he cherished her thoughts. ” ₊
— “ [he] gazed at her with the reverence of a poet before the moon. ”
seojun as the male lead and supposed mr. darcy figure, completely fell flat for me. for a character who secretly writes banned fiction and wrestles with societal expectations, he is surprisingly bland. i don't even have anything else to say.
( 05. ) romance !
i can't even speak on the romance between haewon and seojun for i fear i might cry 😭 like i mentioned already, there was no slow burn, no tension AND ABSOLUTELY no yearning. i was so excited to read about a man who experiences the most insane emotional regression that explodes into longing, but no, we get nothing! the idea that the two characters don't know each other's identities holds no weight because the reader knows the truth from the very beginning. seojun should have been aching, the smallest details should have made him burn with longing, he should have been intoxicated BY THE SIGHT OF HER BUT EVERYTHING IS SO TAME MY GOSH. if, at any moment, she had crooked her finger, he would have knelt before her feet" SO WHY DIDN'T YOU ?? so many words, so little actions. the little moments that did occur between them happened instantaneously. no slow burn in my time period novel ??????? anyways this was not it. the only scene that made me feel anything was chapter 19 page 124 when she tells him "i hate how small you make me feel" MY SHAYLA 💔 almost burst into tears reading that.
thank you to the author and publisher for the arc!
⊱ ۫ ׅ ✧ pre read pride and prejudice retelling set in the joseon dynasty. i am begging, please have a profuse amount of yearning
November 9, 2025
ᝰ.ᐟ 📖 ⋆. 𐙚 ˚ ┊4.2 ⭑.ᐟ
― read 10/29/25 - 11/08/25
⋆⁺₊❅. ╰┈➤ arc read with the 1 and only, joni
╰┈➤ extremely grateful to have this arc sent to me! (thank you netgalley.) this book was so whimsical , and I loved every bit of it. the plot was excellent, and there were so many life lessons that were highlighted. June Hur, you have done it again.
― read 10/29/25 - 11/08/25
⋆⁺₊❅. ╰┈➤ arc read with the 1 and only, joni
╰┈➤ extremely grateful to have this arc sent to me! (thank you netgalley.) this book was so whimsical , and I loved every bit of it. the plot was excellent, and there were so many life lessons that were highlighted. June Hur, you have done it again.
November 16, 2025
Thank you to the publisher Headline for providing this book for review purposes via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
This book was so much more than simply a Pride and Prejudice retelling, this was a beautifully written and exquisite love story between two kindred souls. After turning the last page and reading the epilogue I feel like I have read a most satisfying love story, as this book has exceeded all of my expectations and then some. If you only add one book to your to read pile in 2026 I would encourage you to add this one.
Haewon clearly loves her sisters Jade and Yeonhee and they her but it’s clear she feels stifled in the society in which they live, as women have few freedoms and liberties if any. Reading and transcribing novels was her only escape from a very rigid society that had banned novels, there are some similarities to the world in which we live in as censorship and book banning is very much prevalent. One of life’s greatest pleasures is to be lost in the pages of a good book, Haewon and Seojun clearly think so too. Seojun is clearly a young man weighed down by the pressures heaped upon him, I really felt for him as he and Haewon had a series of misunderstandings and the road for them both was paved with obstacles. These two were made for each other and I loved it whenever they were on the page together as sparks literally fly. I loved this book it was well written, I loved all the characters and quite simply everything about it. I’ve had some disappointing reads recently but this book was not one of them.
This book was so much more than simply a Pride and Prejudice retelling, this was a beautifully written and exquisite love story between two kindred souls. After turning the last page and reading the epilogue I feel like I have read a most satisfying love story, as this book has exceeded all of my expectations and then some. If you only add one book to your to read pile in 2026 I would encourage you to add this one.
Haewon clearly loves her sisters Jade and Yeonhee and they her but it’s clear she feels stifled in the society in which they live, as women have few freedoms and liberties if any. Reading and transcribing novels was her only escape from a very rigid society that had banned novels, there are some similarities to the world in which we live in as censorship and book banning is very much prevalent. One of life’s greatest pleasures is to be lost in the pages of a good book, Haewon and Seojun clearly think so too. Seojun is clearly a young man weighed down by the pressures heaped upon him, I really felt for him as he and Haewon had a series of misunderstandings and the road for them both was paved with obstacles. These two were made for each other and I loved it whenever they were on the page together as sparks literally fly. I loved this book it was well written, I loved all the characters and quite simply everything about it. I’ve had some disappointing reads recently but this book was not one of them.
Read
November 14, 2025When I saw that this writer was using Pride and Prejudice mixed with Korean history from the second half of the long Joseon period, I was quite excited, though also a bit worried. The last book of hers I read was vivid and absorbing, resonant with period details, but whew, it also needed *alllll* the content warnings.
I need not have worried.
What Hur takes from Pride and Prejudice are a few familiar plot points (beautiful first daughter, lively second daughter, stuffed-shirt aristocrat, wild younger sister, etc) and combines these with a period of Korean history when novels--fiction--were strenuously forbidden. The result is a delicious tale that centers around a love for literature. The story is full of wonderful conversations about books, writing, and what those mean in people's lives.
Hur wisely keeps the P&P refs as guideposts, rather than try to drag English cultural history over to Korea during the roughly same time, in order to rigidly follow the plot beat by beat. Instead, we are reminded of the similarities between the two cultures in reference to women's lives within a hierarchical society. How women are expected to marry and be wives and mothers, how they cannot own property of their own, etc etc.
Finally there's the story, rich with interesting personalities. I loved the way Hur hit the high emotional points, then veered expertly away to spin her story within the framework of that period of Joseon history, post the infamous Prinde Sado. The details were so vivid that once again, I felt that I was reading a text version of a sageuk.
I think if I had anything to wish for, it would be more about the elder sister's happiness, but all else was so very satisfying. I really look forward to her next!
I need not have worried.
What Hur takes from Pride and Prejudice are a few familiar plot points (beautiful first daughter, lively second daughter, stuffed-shirt aristocrat, wild younger sister, etc) and combines these with a period of Korean history when novels--fiction--were strenuously forbidden. The result is a delicious tale that centers around a love for literature. The story is full of wonderful conversations about books, writing, and what those mean in people's lives.
Hur wisely keeps the P&P refs as guideposts, rather than try to drag English cultural history over to Korea during the roughly same time, in order to rigidly follow the plot beat by beat. Instead, we are reminded of the similarities between the two cultures in reference to women's lives within a hierarchical society. How women are expected to marry and be wives and mothers, how they cannot own property of their own, etc etc.
Finally there's the story, rich with interesting personalities. I loved the way Hur hit the high emotional points, then veered expertly away to spin her story within the framework of that period of Joseon history, post the infamous Prinde Sado. The details were so vivid that once again, I felt that I was reading a text version of a sageuk.
I think if I had anything to wish for, it would be more about the elder sister's happiness, but all else was so very satisfying. I really look forward to her next!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
The way I happily skipped around my house when I read the email from Netgalley saying I was approved for this! It’s PERFECT. It has the nostalgia of pride and prejudice while being still being able to be its own amazing story. It’s a new comfort read for me I will happily pull out and read again and again. The historical romance parts of this were expertly done and I felt like I stepped back into time! There’s also a little mystery woven in which had me enjoying this even more. I sincerely hope it gets a Kdrama adaptation! Thanks so much to the author publisher and Netgalley for my copy!
Read
November 11, 2025June Hur, the queen of Korean historical fiction, is back with a story in which PRIDE & PREJUDICE meets the Rowoon/Cho YiHyun kdrama THE MATCHMAKERS. I gulped this book with indecent haste and loved every minute of it.
Since Hur's previous books have often been mystery/thrillers inspired by dark moments in Korean history, I was curious to see how her homage to Jane Austen would work out. I was delighted to find that despite being a more swoony, romantic read, BEHIND FIVE WILLOWS remains firmly grounded in Korean history.
Our heroine, Haewon, works as a transcriber of fiction during an era when books of all kinds are being increasingly targeted by royal decree. Catholic books translated into Korean are causing waves, fiction is condemned, and police investigators are working hard to sniff out underground bookshops and libraries. Haewon treasures her secret correspondence with Black Lotus, one of her favourite authors. Unbeknownst to her, however, Black Lotus is not another woman - he's Lord Yu, the haughty, blue-blooded son of a palace official. And someone is after their secret correspondence - a secret which could ruin both of them in very different ways.
Meanwhile, Haewon's two sisters are headed into trouble of their own. Beautiful, selfless elder sister Jade is falling afoul of another, quite different palace decree forcing eligible spinsters to find husbands. And headstrong, ambitious younger sister Yeonhee chafes against the harsh restrictions placed on women in Joseon society. When Jade captures the attention of Lord Yu's best (and let's be honest: only - he's a bit of a stick in the mud) friend, Haewon finds herself thrown into Lord Yu's society a good deal more often than is comfortable.
As always, I loved learning so much about Korean history. It's an absolute delight how Hur discusses and quotes period literature with the kind of easy familiarity that only comes with deep knowledge of her subject. It was fascinating to hear about a time when Catholic thought was finding an eager audience among the reading public. And, while we've all enjoyed watching classic Jane Austen stories transposed into modern-day settings (CLUELESS, anyone?) it was particularly fascinating to see PRIDE & PREJUDICE played out in Korea around the same time the original book was written, specifically because it's the first time I've seen an Austen adaptation that replays the story in a social arena governed by rules even more restrictive than those of Austen's day. While a lot of the historical kdramas - or sageuks - which I've seen present a more rosy, lax picture of the social rules that actually governed the conduct of women in premodern Korea, I loved that this book keeps those rules foremost in the characters' minds at all times. Even better is the fact that as Hur's characters chafe against those rules, they do so quoting the voices of real women and writers of their own time and place.
All this, while Hur has immense fun crafting the story into a kdrama-worthy tropey romance with little references to famous adaptation moments, from the 2005 film's beloved hand flex to the 1995 miniseries' pond scene. What more could you want?
Since Hur's previous books have often been mystery/thrillers inspired by dark moments in Korean history, I was curious to see how her homage to Jane Austen would work out. I was delighted to find that despite being a more swoony, romantic read, BEHIND FIVE WILLOWS remains firmly grounded in Korean history.
Our heroine, Haewon, works as a transcriber of fiction during an era when books of all kinds are being increasingly targeted by royal decree. Catholic books translated into Korean are causing waves, fiction is condemned, and police investigators are working hard to sniff out underground bookshops and libraries. Haewon treasures her secret correspondence with Black Lotus, one of her favourite authors. Unbeknownst to her, however, Black Lotus is not another woman - he's Lord Yu, the haughty, blue-blooded son of a palace official. And someone is after their secret correspondence - a secret which could ruin both of them in very different ways.
Meanwhile, Haewon's two sisters are headed into trouble of their own. Beautiful, selfless elder sister Jade is falling afoul of another, quite different palace decree forcing eligible spinsters to find husbands. And headstrong, ambitious younger sister Yeonhee chafes against the harsh restrictions placed on women in Joseon society. When Jade captures the attention of Lord Yu's best (and let's be honest: only - he's a bit of a stick in the mud) friend, Haewon finds herself thrown into Lord Yu's society a good deal more often than is comfortable.
As always, I loved learning so much about Korean history. It's an absolute delight how Hur discusses and quotes period literature with the kind of easy familiarity that only comes with deep knowledge of her subject. It was fascinating to hear about a time when Catholic thought was finding an eager audience among the reading public. And, while we've all enjoyed watching classic Jane Austen stories transposed into modern-day settings (CLUELESS, anyone?) it was particularly fascinating to see PRIDE & PREJUDICE played out in Korea around the same time the original book was written, specifically because it's the first time I've seen an Austen adaptation that replays the story in a social arena governed by rules even more restrictive than those of Austen's day. While a lot of the historical kdramas - or sageuks - which I've seen present a more rosy, lax picture of the social rules that actually governed the conduct of women in premodern Korea, I loved that this book keeps those rules foremost in the characters' minds at all times. Even better is the fact that as Hur's characters chafe against those rules, they do so quoting the voices of real women and writers of their own time and place.
All this, while Hur has immense fun crafting the story into a kdrama-worthy tropey romance with little references to famous adaptation moments, from the 2005 film's beloved hand flex to the 1995 miniseries' pond scene. What more could you want?
December 3, 2025
perfection.
thank you so much to netgalley for the arc! 🥺💖
thank you so much to netgalley for the arc! 🥺💖
October 25, 2025
If you love Pride and Prejudice and think you know exactly what to expect, you will love this book. If you've never read Pride and Prejudice and have no idea what to expect, you will love this book. It's the perfect blend of familiar characters and beats from Jane Austen's classic dressed up in Joseon-era guises, and fresh new twists and plot elements that will keep even the most seasoned Austenite wondering what happens next. Add a romance with the perfect balance of sweet and heat to fit its historical context yet satisfy the modern reader, a timely and thoughtful look at censorship, and some of the loveliest tributes to books and writing I've read in recent fiction -- this story has something for everyone. A delight from beginning to end. I hope it sells like hotteok and gets made into a k-drama, because it deserves to.
Want to read
November 13, 2025˚₊ ⟢┊pre-read 🖇️┊⊹࣪⋆
I have been honorably blessed by the best! She doesn’t know this, but she actually made my life a little bit better by gracing me with this arc🥺🩵
➳ Huge thanks to the lovely — June Hur — for the digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I have been honorably blessed by the best! She doesn’t know this, but she actually made my life a little bit better by gracing me with this arc🥺🩵
➳ Huge thanks to the lovely — June Hur — for the digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
4.5/5 stars
this was PEAK omfg pride & prejudice inspired book done well, which is a rarity
this was PEAK omfg pride & prejudice inspired book done well, which is a rarity
November 5, 2025
YALL ARENT READY FOR THIS BOOK!! 2026 HAS A MASTERPIECE COMING 🤭✨️ book lovers this is for us 🥹💗 full rtc
Want to read
November 21, 20252026 BABYYYY
OMG THE COVER IS OUTTT IT'S SO PRETTYYY AAAA
OMG THE COVER IS OUTTT IT'S SO PRETTYYY AAAA
Read
November 23, 2025Absolutely delightful!
Want to read
September 8, 2024i don't know much of anything that i'll be doing in 2026, but i do know i will be reading this.
Want to read
October 27, 2025update: brb screaming bc i received a copy from the lovely author, june hur. definitely made my month!!
![Profile Image for ezra [semi ia].](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fi.gr-assets.com%2Fimages%2FS%2Fcompressed.photo.goodreads.com%2Fusers%2F1761881301i%2F177253884._UX200_CR0%2C17%2C200%2C200_.jpg&w=128&q=75)
November 24, 2025
❀ ┈┈∘*“𝓉𝒽ℯ 𝒸𝓁𝒶𝓈𝓈𝒾𝒸𝓈 𝒹𝒾𝒸𝓉𝒶𝓉ℯ 𝒽ℴ𝓌 𝓌ℯ ℴ𝓊𝑔𝒽𝓉 𝓉ℴ 𝓉𝒽𝒾𝓃𝓀. 𝒷𝓊𝓉 𝓃ℴ𝓋ℯ𝓁𝓈 𝓈𝓅ℯ𝒶𝓀 𝓉ℴ 𝒶 𝓁ℴ𝓃𝑔𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝓉𝒽𝒶𝓉 𝓌ℯ 𝒶𝓇ℯ 𝒶𝓈𝒽𝒶𝓂ℯ𝒹 𝓉ℴ 𝒶𝒹𝓂𝒾𝓉.”*∘┈┈ ❀ ₊ ⊹❀
❀ ┈┈∘*┈ ❀ ┈*∘┈┈ ❀
this book was perfect in every element possible!!! i was not expecting to love this book as much as i did, and friends, just wait till you get your hands on this book because you’ll absolutely fall in LOVE with it!!!
okay, also an important note. i saw another review for this book talking about how she felt like this was written just for her. and i couldn’t agree more!! while i was reading this my heart was quite literally filled, and i did NOT want it to end!! the talk of book and writing, poetry and family. it was beautiful!!
i loved this book so much that at the end i almost cried just for the fact that it was over:)
❀ ┈┈∘*┈ ❀ ┈*∘┈┈ ❀
𝒫ℒ𝒪𝒯 𓂃 𓈒𖧷
i loved the feeling of the small town that i got. their village(s) and everything she described painted such a wonderful picture in my head!!
and five willows of course, hehe, was stunninggg.
also the historical elements?! chefs kiss.
❀ ┈┈∘*┈ ❀ ┈*∘┈┈ ❀
𝒞ℋ𝒜ℛ𝒜𝒞𝒯ℰℛ𝒮 𓂃 𓈒𖧷
shin haewon-
oh. my. goodness. is she now on my favorite character list?? Yes. Indeed she is.
she was amazing!!!! her love for her family and sisters, love of books, it sometimes felt like she was me but in another universe:)
lord yu seojun-
all i can coherently say is—
💍
❀ ┈┈∘*┈ ❀ ┈*∘┈┈ ❀
besties, all i can leave saying is that on the release date… RUNN TO THE BOOKSTORE, AMAZON OR WHEREVER THE HECK YOU GET YOUR BOOKS AND BUY THIS!!!
also, for my clean readers besties…this is veryyy clean!! nothing but kissing and no language:)
so soak up every wondrous second you get with this book, and i hope you enjoy it as much as i did!!
❀ ┈┈∘*┈ ❀ ┈*∘┈┈ ❀
thank you netgalley, ms. june hur and the publishing house for this ARC!! all thoughts and opinions are my own.
❀ ┈┈∘*┈ ❀ ┈*∘┈┈ ❀
this book was perfect in every element possible!!! i was not expecting to love this book as much as i did, and friends, just wait till you get your hands on this book because you’ll absolutely fall in LOVE with it!!!
okay, also an important note. i saw another review for this book talking about how she felt like this was written just for her. and i couldn’t agree more!! while i was reading this my heart was quite literally filled, and i did NOT want it to end!! the talk of book and writing, poetry and family. it was beautiful!!
i loved this book so much that at the end i almost cried just for the fact that it was over:)
❀ ┈┈∘*┈ ❀ ┈*∘┈┈ ❀
𝒫ℒ𝒪𝒯 𓂃 𓈒𖧷
i loved the feeling of the small town that i got. their village(s) and everything she described painted such a wonderful picture in my head!!
and five willows of course, hehe, was stunninggg.
also the historical elements?! chefs kiss.
❀ ┈┈∘*┈ ❀ ┈*∘┈┈ ❀
𝒞ℋ𝒜ℛ𝒜𝒞𝒯ℰℛ𝒮 𓂃 𓈒𖧷
shin haewon-
oh. my. goodness. is she now on my favorite character list?? Yes. Indeed she is.
she was amazing!!!! her love for her family and sisters, love of books, it sometimes felt like she was me but in another universe:)
lord yu seojun-
all i can coherently say is—
💍
❀ ┈┈∘*┈ ❀ ┈*∘┈┈ ❀
besties, all i can leave saying is that on the release date… RUNN TO THE BOOKSTORE, AMAZON OR WHEREVER THE HECK YOU GET YOUR BOOKS AND BUY THIS!!!
also, for my clean readers besties…this is veryyy clean!! nothing but kissing and no language:)
so soak up every wondrous second you get with this book, and i hope you enjoy it as much as i did!!
❀ ┈┈∘*┈ ❀ ┈*∘┈┈ ❀
thank you netgalley, ms. june hur and the publishing house for this ARC!! all thoughts and opinions are my own.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
get you a man who yearns like Yu Seojun
December 12, 2025
Behind Five Willows by June Hur is a warm, immersive historical romance and homage to Pride and Prejudice set in Joseon‑era Korea where Shin Haewon, the dutiful second‑eldest daughter of a modest family, earns a little extra money by illegally transcribing banned books, a risky passion in a time of strict government censorship and becomes entangled with Yu Seojun, the rigid, noble son of a powerful family who secretly writes his own stories under a pen name and corresponds with her as a mysterious author called Black Lotus, unaware they already dislike each other in person.
I'M LITERALLY SUPER EXCITED FOR IT'S RELEASE.
I'M LITERALLY SUPER EXCITED FOR IT'S RELEASE.
Want to read
May 13, 2024jane austen's pride & prejudice meets the joseon dynasty? 😭
say no more.
say no more.
December 4, 2024
Yeah I don’t care that I haven’t read it yet. A Joseon Era Pride & Prejudice retelling by my favorite author? I already know it’s going to amazing and will be my favorite book in all of 2026!
December 3, 2025
First off, I want to thank Netgalley and June Hur for the chance of reading this book before the release date, all in exchange for an honest review. I am deeply grateful, and despite having finished the story a week ago, I finally have the review now, November 25, 2025! Let's start:
Behind Five Willows is a story for anyone who has fallen in love with a book.
This love saturates every page, like you could swipe your fingertips on the surface and taste melted sugar on your tongue. It is a deep, personal love that I felt with each chapter, every time Haewon stood up with her passion, every time Seojun struggled to handle his. It is about two book lovers in an era where fictional tales were deeply frowned upon, and how they decide such challenges will shape their lives and those around them.
Haewon is a scribe; her job is to make as many copies of the books she’s given as she can, and she uses that money to support her family, who, while aren’t in extreme poverty, aren’t also doing very well.
Seojun, on the other hand, is a fictional writer in a position where it could very well spell a lot of trouble for him and his family. He’s the heir to a clan politically close to the king, the same king that frowns upon fictional tales and curses Seojun’s writing as "immoral".
Despite their shared love for literature, because of their different social standings, they cannot express it the same way: for Haewon, while she knows that shouting from the rooftops her love for books would be a bad idea, is still very open to conversations over any tale, will not hesitate to show her standing regarding the king’s many book bans, and shows clear dislike to anyone who doesn’t even attempt to try a story. She’s aware of her social standing because of her class and gender, and tries to toe the line between doing what she wants without spelling disaster on herself and her family, something her younger sister hasn’t internalized.
Seojun, when asked point-blank, will deny to the end of his days both his love for books and writing them. He has found a joy unlike any other among pages and ink, but with the mounting pressure of being his father’s heir, of risking his sister’s safety, and having all the important people who could very well ruin his family, were they to find out of his passion, openly show disgust over his work, he feels his motivation for the craft slowly draining away, making him question everything. With much more to lose on the line, he will parrot the words those around him say regarding books, even if it makes his heart bleed.
Naturally, with this combination, sparks flying during their first meeting was bound to happen.
Behind Five Willows takes place in 1792, during the Joseon era under King Jeongjo, two hundred and thirty three years from the present, in a time of high political turmoil where the old and the new factions of the court had tense relations, during a time where it was believed the purpose of writing was to reinforce the moral spirit, and with a king, who a childhood filled with strife, was theorized to have developed a negative association with fictional stories.
Regardless of how it is promoted or talked about among readers, the story will ultimately always be a love letter to anyone who has ever opened a book, and wished it was possible to open up their ribcage instead, just so they could add the book to the place next to their heart and watch as it started beating its own drum, as ink started flowing into their bodies, forever turning into one.
There are three ways through which I read Behind Five Willows through: as a reader, as a writer, and as a student of comparative literature.
For the latter, one of the first things I learned was that fiction does not bear the responsibility of educating the audience. That writers were not required to limit themselves with thoughts of “I shouldn’t write this because it isn’t appropriate”, “I shouldn’t write that because it’s wrong” or “I should change this because I am writing for a certain genre”. The writer’s only job is to write. To test the limits, to explore the imagination, the hidden desires and the deadly fears. It is to say the quiet part out loud, whichever it is and whatever form it takes. The reader’s job is to educate themselves on the book’s content and whether they wish to continue forward.
It is an undeniable fact that fiction affects reality, and that a single book can completely change the trajectory of one’s life. But the story is not the only factor at play. To blame fiction for a person’s action is to deny this person autonomy, to deny their ability of critical thinking. If the fear of brainwashing-through-fiction were a genuine worry, efforts would be focused on education, the accessibility and verification of information, and opening room for debate.
Instead, when cries for banning fiction are raised, it is a cry to promote ignorance, control and the exploitation of vulnerability.
Haewon herself says best what it means to read books you don’t necessarily agree with:
“She had shared about having found both books outrageous, offensive and yet fascinating. To confront foreign ideas had been like peering over the walls of her own enclosure. She didn’t need to agree with the teachings, but surely there was no harm in knowing that the world was vast and complex, filled with places that were unfamiliar to her and ideas that were different from hers.”
This is what it means to love literature and to study it. What it means every time one picks up a book and is confronted with a world not unlike their own. To understand just how different and similar people are across the world and how when two different ideas meet, new ones can be born.
When Seojun repeated to Haewon what the king and his followers kept parroting, how the purpose of writing was the strengthen one’s morale, I could clearly see all my literature professors start coughing blood at the mere idea.
As a reader and a student of comparative literature, I identified best with Haewon. But as a writer, my heart went to Seojun:
“To write was to wrestle with despair and inadequacy.”
This quote is something I live with every day I pick up my notebook and want to cry. It is my ultimate dream and goal to become a published writer but the future is unknown. Still, I cannot stop writing. Like Seojun says, a ghost possesses me, and if I go too long without writing, even if it’s a simple sentence, I feel my sanity unraveling. Reading from Seojun’s point of view was like sitting beside him in a personal library with a bay window, the sound of pages turning the only thing breaking the silence.
Behind Five Willows is a single story that speaks to different parts of myself, each of them glimpsing something different from the characters, setting and plot. It was multiple lives happening at once and there's not a single part of me that regrets reading this book. I adore it. I need everyone who reads this review to keep their eyes open for when the book is released and to experience the magic of love, whether to family, romance or toward books, that is this story.
Until next time!
Behind Five Willows is a story for anyone who has fallen in love with a book.
This love saturates every page, like you could swipe your fingertips on the surface and taste melted sugar on your tongue. It is a deep, personal love that I felt with each chapter, every time Haewon stood up with her passion, every time Seojun struggled to handle his. It is about two book lovers in an era where fictional tales were deeply frowned upon, and how they decide such challenges will shape their lives and those around them.
Haewon is a scribe; her job is to make as many copies of the books she’s given as she can, and she uses that money to support her family, who, while aren’t in extreme poverty, aren’t also doing very well.
Seojun, on the other hand, is a fictional writer in a position where it could very well spell a lot of trouble for him and his family. He’s the heir to a clan politically close to the king, the same king that frowns upon fictional tales and curses Seojun’s writing as "immoral".
Despite their shared love for literature, because of their different social standings, they cannot express it the same way: for Haewon, while she knows that shouting from the rooftops her love for books would be a bad idea, is still very open to conversations over any tale, will not hesitate to show her standing regarding the king’s many book bans, and shows clear dislike to anyone who doesn’t even attempt to try a story. She’s aware of her social standing because of her class and gender, and tries to toe the line between doing what she wants without spelling disaster on herself and her family, something her younger sister hasn’t internalized.
Seojun, when asked point-blank, will deny to the end of his days both his love for books and writing them. He has found a joy unlike any other among pages and ink, but with the mounting pressure of being his father’s heir, of risking his sister’s safety, and having all the important people who could very well ruin his family, were they to find out of his passion, openly show disgust over his work, he feels his motivation for the craft slowly draining away, making him question everything. With much more to lose on the line, he will parrot the words those around him say regarding books, even if it makes his heart bleed.
Naturally, with this combination, sparks flying during their first meeting was bound to happen.
Behind Five Willows takes place in 1792, during the Joseon era under King Jeongjo, two hundred and thirty three years from the present, in a time of high political turmoil where the old and the new factions of the court had tense relations, during a time where it was believed the purpose of writing was to reinforce the moral spirit, and with a king, who a childhood filled with strife, was theorized to have developed a negative association with fictional stories.
Regardless of how it is promoted or talked about among readers, the story will ultimately always be a love letter to anyone who has ever opened a book, and wished it was possible to open up their ribcage instead, just so they could add the book to the place next to their heart and watch as it started beating its own drum, as ink started flowing into their bodies, forever turning into one.
There are three ways through which I read Behind Five Willows through: as a reader, as a writer, and as a student of comparative literature.
For the latter, one of the first things I learned was that fiction does not bear the responsibility of educating the audience. That writers were not required to limit themselves with thoughts of “I shouldn’t write this because it isn’t appropriate”, “I shouldn’t write that because it’s wrong” or “I should change this because I am writing for a certain genre”. The writer’s only job is to write. To test the limits, to explore the imagination, the hidden desires and the deadly fears. It is to say the quiet part out loud, whichever it is and whatever form it takes. The reader’s job is to educate themselves on the book’s content and whether they wish to continue forward.
It is an undeniable fact that fiction affects reality, and that a single book can completely change the trajectory of one’s life. But the story is not the only factor at play. To blame fiction for a person’s action is to deny this person autonomy, to deny their ability of critical thinking. If the fear of brainwashing-through-fiction were a genuine worry, efforts would be focused on education, the accessibility and verification of information, and opening room for debate.
Instead, when cries for banning fiction are raised, it is a cry to promote ignorance, control and the exploitation of vulnerability.
Haewon herself says best what it means to read books you don’t necessarily agree with:
“She had shared about having found both books outrageous, offensive and yet fascinating. To confront foreign ideas had been like peering over the walls of her own enclosure. She didn’t need to agree with the teachings, but surely there was no harm in knowing that the world was vast and complex, filled with places that were unfamiliar to her and ideas that were different from hers.”
This is what it means to love literature and to study it. What it means every time one picks up a book and is confronted with a world not unlike their own. To understand just how different and similar people are across the world and how when two different ideas meet, new ones can be born.
When Seojun repeated to Haewon what the king and his followers kept parroting, how the purpose of writing was the strengthen one’s morale, I could clearly see all my literature professors start coughing blood at the mere idea.
As a reader and a student of comparative literature, I identified best with Haewon. But as a writer, my heart went to Seojun:
“To write was to wrestle with despair and inadequacy.”
This quote is something I live with every day I pick up my notebook and want to cry. It is my ultimate dream and goal to become a published writer but the future is unknown. Still, I cannot stop writing. Like Seojun says, a ghost possesses me, and if I go too long without writing, even if it’s a simple sentence, I feel my sanity unraveling. Reading from Seojun’s point of view was like sitting beside him in a personal library with a bay window, the sound of pages turning the only thing breaking the silence.
Behind Five Willows is a single story that speaks to different parts of myself, each of them glimpsing something different from the characters, setting and plot. It was multiple lives happening at once and there's not a single part of me that regrets reading this book. I adore it. I need everyone who reads this review to keep their eyes open for when the book is released and to experience the magic of love, whether to family, romance or toward books, that is this story.
Until next time!
November 9, 2025
thank you june hur for the arc!
june hur’s writing is so vivid it feels like a kdrama unfolding right in front of you. her scenes are easy to picture and gentle in the way they pull you in. and honestly, is it even a june hur book if it doesn’t have mystery?
the story also shows how fragile a womans reputation was during that time and how quickly things could change for her. through the three sisters, we see the pressures they faced and how even small misunderstandings could shift how people saw them.
i loved seojun’s pov and the small, careful ways he shows his feelings, often unnoticed by haewon. when it switches to her perspective, she assumes he’s distant, which makes their connection feel even softer. the romance is tender, from quiet looks to light touches and the meaningful words they share.
the ending felt a bit abrupt, and i wanted more of what happened after. the book could’ve been a little longer so we could fully see those moments unfold. i’m also left curious about how their relationship grew and how the family dynamics settled. i really hope we get bonus chapters for them.
june hur’s writing is so vivid it feels like a kdrama unfolding right in front of you. her scenes are easy to picture and gentle in the way they pull you in. and honestly, is it even a june hur book if it doesn’t have mystery?
the story also shows how fragile a womans reputation was during that time and how quickly things could change for her. through the three sisters, we see the pressures they faced and how even small misunderstandings could shift how people saw them.
i loved seojun’s pov and the small, careful ways he shows his feelings, often unnoticed by haewon. when it switches to her perspective, she assumes he’s distant, which makes their connection feel even softer. the romance is tender, from quiet looks to light touches and the meaningful words they share.
the ending felt a bit abrupt, and i wanted more of what happened after. the book could’ve been a little longer so we could fully see those moments unfold. i’m also left curious about how their relationship grew and how the family dynamics settled. i really hope we get bonus chapters for them.
November 22, 2025
pride and prejudice is a book that has been retold again and again, various versions in different setting and sometimes they feel repeated, however june hur did what nobody else could, made the story her own, technically yes this is p&p retelling, but it's also something so original, so new that i believe i love this one more than the austen novel, rich in history, culture and a love for books and writing, behind five willows stands as a new classic.
for everyone who loves
⤷ ゛historical romance ˎˊ˗
⤷ ゛pride and prejudice by jane austen ˎˊ˗
⤷ ゛forbidden romance ˎˊ˗
⤷ ゛historical kdrama ˎˊ˗
i love how june hur is able to put her new characters in such delicate historical timelines, she does it without messing up with the history and also while making her characters truly feel a part of the time, she did it in the red palace, the crane among wolves and now this, i have been able to learn so much about korean history, the kings and times through her books and how authentic it feels as a reader.
behind five willows (which i for some reason keep calling beyond five willows) is a beautiful tale of romance, love for literature and resilience through the time and government you're living through, in a time where reading and writing fiction was prohibited by the king, seojun and haewon bond through their secret identities of an author black lotus and their transcriber magpie, sharing letters, and stories and wishes and when they meet and realise who the other is the tension, the longing and yearning is to die for !! the story fulfilled all of my historical romance itch and i want someone to adapt this into a kdrama soon, please, thank you
4/11
a need a kdrama, five novellas and another full novel and maybe a movie and maybe they need to come to life in two days
for everyone who loves
⤷ ゛historical romance ˎˊ˗
⤷ ゛pride and prejudice by jane austen ˎˊ˗
⤷ ゛forbidden romance ˎˊ˗
⤷ ゛historical kdrama ˎˊ˗
i love how june hur is able to put her new characters in such delicate historical timelines, she does it without messing up with the history and also while making her characters truly feel a part of the time, she did it in the red palace, the crane among wolves and now this, i have been able to learn so much about korean history, the kings and times through her books and how authentic it feels as a reader.
behind five willows (which i for some reason keep calling beyond five willows) is a beautiful tale of romance, love for literature and resilience through the time and government you're living through, in a time where reading and writing fiction was prohibited by the king, seojun and haewon bond through their secret identities of an author black lotus and their transcriber magpie, sharing letters, and stories and wishes and when they meet and realise who the other is the tension, the longing and yearning is to die for !! the story fulfilled all of my historical romance itch and i want someone to adapt this into a kdrama soon, please, thank you
4/11
a need a kdrama, five novellas and another full novel and maybe a movie and maybe they need to come to life in two days
Displaying 1 - 30 of 197 reviews