Behind Five Willows

by June Hur

From the New York Times-bestselling author of A Crane Among Wolves comes a warm and romantic homage to Jane Austen set in historical Korea, about a reader and a writer who secretly fight against government book banning and find themselves irresistibly drawn together.

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 favorite 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 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...

Genres: Romance, Historical Fiction, Young Adult, Historical, Fiction, Historical Romance, Retellings

Audible Audio

First published May 26, 2026

About the author

JUNE 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

Reviews

[v (hiatus) · Rating 5 out of 5]

★★★★★★★★
(Basically all the stars in the fcking universe)
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huge thanks to the author for providing me with the digital arc in exchange for an honest review. Love you from the bottom of my heart🌹

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Now playing~

Ehsaan Tera Hoga Mujh Par (Md. Rafi)
━━━━━━━━━━━━━
Ehsaan tera hoga mujh par
Dil chahta hai woh kehne do
Mujhe tum se mohabbat ho gyi hai
Mujhe palkon ki chhav me rehne do
⌞0:01 ——◦———— 6:02⌝
↠ⁿᵉˣᵗ ˢᵒⁿᵍ ↺ ʳᵉᵖᵉᵃᵗ ⊜ ᵖᵃᵘˢᵉ

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What to expect :
.ೃ࿔Yearning (also, no spice)
.ೃ࿔ He falls first and harder
.ೃ࿔Secret Identity (kinda)/ Pen pals
.ೃ࿔Pride and prejudice retelling
.ೃ࿔ Slow burn.
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

"When I am gone, the world will remember me no more. But I am not afraid. Life is fleeting and therefore how precious ..."


Okay y'all. June hur has done what she always does best. Write another masterpiece. Honestly, her books have become instant-buy for me. Like, you need only say that it's written by JH and i'll blindly buy it. That's how much her books have come to mean to me. I mean hullo?! Did I finish the book or did this book finish me?
Ohhh my lord. June hur- I LOVE YOU SM. My girl always delivers. The writing is so beautiful and lyrical. I love the way it's written. I also really liked the historical parts as well. Her books are always well researched, and it really shows.
The book censorship plot, fear of westernization on society, class differences. And I'm sure there are many more nuanced references that i might have missed. But this was such a pleasant experience.
(also wdym that novels during that time were so valuable (and expensive) that women drove themselves into financial ruin to buy novels lol. #uscore)
While ik that this is a pride and prejudice retelling set in joseon era korea, imo, this works just as well on its own. Yes, there are few similarities. But this has its own personality (ykwim?). Its own soul.

I was so emotionally invested. Okay so hot take- i'm not a big fan of pride and prejudice. Imo, persuasion was jane austen's best work and i will die on that hill.
even tho i'm not a big fan of pride and prejudice, i love this book sfm. It took me 3 days to finish this book- and that's only bc it's exam ssn rn and my reading pace was slow af. I highlighted so many paragraphs. If I could, I would've highlighted the whole book. Bc hullo?! I was emotionally invested. I was giggling, blushing and smiling the whole time.
And the slow burn?! Omg that was so well done. Honestly, I have nothing but praise and appreciation for this book (and that's probably an understatement).
The characters were so realistic. And not only the mc's. the side characters were so relatable. Like, yeah sure. Haewon (fmc) and Yu seojun (mmc) had their flaws and all but I really liked their character arc. Also what i really appreciate is how emotionally intelligent Yu Seojun was. it's very rare to find someone like that (and ngl i was kinda jealous of haewon for a second there)

Me to yu seojun :


The romance?! OMFG I was losing my damn mind over these two. She brutally rejected him. and he was so down for her. Petition to bring back men who yearn like yu seojun omfggg. Let me tell you, I'm not the one to giggle or blush while reading a romance book. Sure, I've had my share of crying while reading books; but squealing? and losing my fucking mind over them brushing hands? That's very. And i mean. VERY. rare.
Like, this is the second time when I legit squealed when they first kissed (and that happened @ around 96%. like i said, SLOW BURN) But omfg. when they first brushed hands, I had to actually close the book. BECAUSE I WAS SO DARN OVERWHELMED. that has never happened to me before. So yeah. that was something lol.
Okayy yeah no. But on a serious note, in its heart, it's a love story. A beautifully written one at that. But it's also so much more than just a love story. It explores themes of freedom, censorship, influence of westernization in society and why change is necessary- JH's writing style is so intrinsically mellifluous. It's impossible to not love her books. Anyway I'll stop yapping now. Srsly tho, I think it's safe to say that I'm quite literally obsessed.


Also me to yu seojun-



expected pub. date-may 26, 2026

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❀ quotes ❀~
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---The sun rises and sets, the years have come and gone, and the more I have come to know you, the more deeply I have loved you. I know you will be joining me soon. A wiser man might take comfort knowing this. But alas. I am not that man. I deeply long for you. Please put me out of my misery and visit me in my dreams

---I would much rather never call you mine, and live life without you, wandering forever, than to bind you to a life you were not meant for. You are, and will always be, the mistress of your own life

---Stay. Don't leave me just yet.

---It was agony. The more time he spent with her, the more a quiet desperation built within him. He wanted to reach out and feel her hand in his. More than anything, that was what he desired. To simply hold her hand

---"Sometimes you come across people who have been searching for each other all their lives." "As two enemies fated to despise each other." "As two lost souls searching for their home."

---You are, to me as well, the kind of soul one finds only once in a lifetime, and travels the next thousand searching for again-
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side note
started- feb 13
finished- feb 16


━━━━━
❀pre-read❀
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I GOT THE ARC
OMGGGG
CAN U SEE ME FREAKING OUT
I FUXKING GOT THE ARC
BRB IMMA GO CRY
Mere words can't justify what I'm feeling rn.
Ignoring my cr's to start this one hehehe🏃🏻‍♀️‍➡️😭🩷

[Miranda Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

"The classics dictate how we ought to think. But novels speak to a longing that we are ashamed to admit."

Haewon knows she's putting herself and her family in danger but in a time where every action is so tightly controlled, she cannot help but rebel in her own small way - as a scribe.

"For now, she realized, she had words, and words could fly."

During the Joseon Dynasty, set in 1792 Korea, Haewon and her family experience the strict book banning and moral codes enforced upon the citizens, especially women.

Haewon's older sister, Jade, must marry due to the spinster rules recently laid down and while she has a suitor in mind, she worries about the suddenness of the marriage edict. Haewon's younger sister, Yeonhee, chafes even more at the strictness imposed upon women.

Meanwhile, the nearby noble family is having troubles of their own.

Seojun is the only son of the Yu family and with it comes great expectations - of etiquette, composure, decorum and DEFINITELY not moonlighting as the Black Lotus - a famous fiction author.

What happens when the plucky but poor girl meets the aloof yet handsome man? Well...you will just have to read this one to find out!

Now, I picked this one up purely based on the cover and I'm so glad I did. This was a well-deserved 5-star read!

That being said, it took me farrrrrrrr too long to realize that this was a Pride and Prejudice remake.

I think it was roughly 50% through the book when my brain was like, "wait a minute...I think I've read this one before."

I generally don't enjoy reading remakes because I know where the story will go. That being said, I liked how the author weaved in history and events to make the story feel different enough that I could just vibe along with it.

I knew the ending but there were enough plates spinning in the air that I genuinely feared for the characters and was crossing my fingers that we'd get a good ending.

Also, on a side note, I really liked how they did Yeonhee/Lydia's character in this one. One of my main criticisms of the original Pride and Prejudice is that Lydia makes some pretty egregious mistakes...but she's also 15 being manipulated by a man in his late 20s.

I get that it was different times, but Lydia's fate never quite sat right with me...I liked how the author worked with Yeonhee's character and gave her much more grace than her predecessor.

[Esta · Rating 4 out of 5]

As someone who gets their knickers in a knot over patriarchal oppression, information censorship and governments deciding which books people are allowed to read, this Pride and Prejudice retelling set in historical Korea was as thought-provoking as it was introspective for me.

Because Behind Five Willows is a love letter to literature, books, stories and readers, writers and authors everywhere. Love it for us!

While the novel never turns into an anti-censorship manifesto, those themes were one of my favourite aspects of the story and really struck a chord with me.

We’re all well aware that books allow us to encounter unfamiliar perspectives, challenge our assumptions and develop empathy for lives we will never personally live.

And by suppressing or banning or censoring not just books, but information in general, those in power can control stories, media and information akin to 1984, The Hunger Games/Sunrise on the Reaping, Fahrenheit 451 or The Giver (which ironically, are banned books, do you see what’s happening?), and thus manipulate which stories get told, which histories are remembered and which voices get heard or conversely, erased and consequently, influence the masses to believe what they want us to believe to keep us compliant, ignorant and mindless, so we keep doing their bidding and keep us running on that hamster wheel to keep the capitalism machine turning so the rich get richer and the poor get poorer. Just as one example, although there are many other agendas and motives besides that, whether it’s financial, genocidal or something else. I'm sure as readers we're all cognisant of that.

So yeah, the fact that this sweet story is mixed with thoughtful discussions of literature, censorship, class, social expectations and patriarchy and the power of stories to bring people together, in a nod to the OG source material, is the key thing that elevated this book for me. Funnily enough, Pride and Prejudice in the past has also been banned for having such controversial ideas for its time, of gender roles, marriage and societal expectations. It’s all very meta.

Anyway, before I accidentally launch myself into a TED Talk about banned books (ummm. I fear that may be too late by this point)... I do want to bring it back to the cute love story. Look, I don't have too much to say about the romance. It was very much Pride & Prejudice to a tee, so if you like that story then you will also very likely like this. If you don’t like P&P, then you probably won’t. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Many other of my fellow reviewers have covered the romance aspect a lot better than I could so please check out others' reviews for those details.

Overall, Behind Five Willows is an adorable, angsty romance that made me smile and go “awww”, while also feeling annoyed on behalf of women from previous centuries who had to put up with a lot of bullshit.

Definitely adding June Hur to my list of authors who I need to read everything they’ve ever written list.

Thanks so much to Sarah for basking in the cuteness of this book with me and to Headline | Wildfire and Netgalley for the ARC.

PS. Some ideas for people who want to add more banned books to their tbr here.

﹏﹏﹏﹏

Pretty sure this politically rebellious Jane Austen-inspired story set in historical Korea was written for people who love books about books, literacy, yearning and fighting book banning / censorship. So… all of us?

[Saranya [mostly ia] · Rating 2 out of 5]

now playing: a thousand years by Christina Perri
02:23 ━━━━●───── 04:45
⇆ㅤ ㅤ◁ㅤ ❚❚ ㅤ▷ ㅤㅤ↻

Yes, I enjoyed the read, but I overlooked the fact that it was a Pride and Prejudice retelling. As a huge fan of the original, I usually steer clear of those. I have realized that I am a bit of an Austen monogamist- she is my favourite author, so yeah.

But I was completely swept away by the beautiful, lyrical quality of the prose. The historical elements were equally impressive- meticulously researched and seamlessly woven into the narrative. Reading the author's note at the end really highlighted the care put into making the setting so authentic.

⤷𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭:
ꫂ᭪ Pride and Prejudice retelling
ꫂ᭪ pen pals
‎ꫂ᭪ secret identities
ꫂ᭪ forbidden love
ꫂ᭪ YA
ꫂ᭪ slow burn + yearning

The story is set in a Joseon era society where writing or reading fiction is strictly outlawed. The law dictates that literature must be strictly educational or moral- anything else is considered 'vulgar' or corrupting influences.

I loved how the story tackled the 'vulgarity' of novels through the lens of censorship. The underlying fear of westernization, paired with the stark class divides and relentless societal expectations made for an incredibly tense and immersive historical backdrop.

It was an absolute page-turner. The pacing was incredible. Despite the lyrical writing and historical depth, the plot moved so seamlessly that I finished it in about 4 hours- credits to June Hur’s compelling storytelling. I just could not put it down until I reached the end.

I loved the 'literary rebel' angle- Haewon transcribing banned books just to keep her family afloat! But the real standout was the sisterly bond. It was so sweet; dare I say, I found their bond much more resonant and well-developed than the sisterly dynamics in P&P. It felt like there was a deeper, more authentic layer of support there.

Yu Seojun who is the eldest son of a high-status family, embodies the 'perfect gentleman,' shaped by a lifetime of discipline and the weight of his family’s reputation. However, beneath his respectable exterior is his dangerous secret: he is a novelist! The tension is top-tier. Yu Seojun must protect his family honor at all costs, hiding his identity- 'Black Lotus.' Meanwhile, Haewon transcribes his work under her own pseudonym, 'Magpie.' They are long-distance 'pen-pal' confidants who have no idea who the other really is!

I would have loved to put those heartwarming quotes here, but alas! I cannot, since it was an uncorrected copy.

But can we talk about Yu Seojun? 😭 Because a man who is a gentleman, emotionally intelligent and a secret illegal writer is just straight out of heavens. He is a top class yearner! The pressure of being the eldest child and the fear of disappointing his family was so well-written that I could actually feel how much it crushes him. His love for Haewon is just... chef’s kiss.

I loved Haewon’s character. She is an incredibly bold female lead. In a time and place where her gender and her poverty were meant to keep her small, she chose to be a 'literary outlaw,' risking everything to transcribe books. What made her even more compelling is her capacity to forgive. She has every right to be bitter about her circumstances yet her heart remains open. It made her strength feel deeply human rather than just defiant.
♡₊˚ ・₊✧♡₊˚ ・₊✧♡₊˚ ・₊✧♡₊˚ ・₊✧ ♡₊˚ ・₊✧♡₊˚ ・₊✧

݁ ˖Ი𐑼⋆ 𝐏𝐫𝐞-𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝:
This is my first time reading something by June Hur. I thought A Crane Among Wolves would be my first read, but fate decided otherwise. So, I am both excited and scared to start this!

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmilan's Children Publishing Group for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

Publication Date: 26 May 2026

[Alexia · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is a rant review. If you loved this and can't handle someone hating what you love, don't read this.
Very unpopular opinion.

I enjoyed nearly all of this author's works, and I believed I would also enjoy this, despite it being a retelling of Jane Austen's classic, Pride and Prejudice. However, I couldn't stand the romantic elements in the original novel and especially disliked Mr. Darcy, so it should come as no surprise that the romance in this version didn't resonate with me either. This book felt as if the author had taken the most off-putting aspects of Pride and Prejudice and woven them into a new story that did not work for me.

One of the few aspects I did find compelling was the plot revolving around censorship and the historical context of Korea during a time when fiction was deemed dangerous and subversive. This element was deeply interesting, and I genuinely wish the focus had been more on this historical and cultural theme, rather than on the poorly developed romance.

I truly admire how this author writes about Korean history, skillfully integrating it into her stories. It’s a shame that this particular book didn’t meet my expectations.

Regarding the characters, Haewon was a bland and forgettable protagonist. There was little about her that stood out, the only noteworthy traits were her love for reading and her desire for something beyond mere marriage. Apart from that, she was a very average character.

Seojun.....was I meant to feel sorry for him? He is portrayed as a privileged man living in a society where women are not even permitted to think freely or voice their opinions. I found it impossible to sympathize with him. It frustrated me endlessly that the story placed so much emphasis on his feelings and that he was coddled excessively by the narrative.

As you might have guessed, I hated Seojun, his character was even worse than Mr. Darcy's. His first confession to Haewon was as horrible as Mr. Darcy's. Then, I had to endure him feeling miserable because she refused him, without ever recognizing that his confession was atrocious, until his sister pointed it out.

The relationship between Haewon and Seojun felt utterly hollow, there was no real chemistry. The author relied heavily on the insta-love trope. They had feelings for each other before they even found out about their connection. When Haewon expressed her feelings about how small Seojun made her feel, it became clear to me that I would never like him. Honestly, I rarely forgive easily, and having someone claim to love you while making you feel insignificant would be impossible for me to accept. Regardless of any personal growth they might undergo later, I simply couldn’t move past that initial feeling.

Furthermore, I was annoyed by how quickly Haewon’s younger sister and Seojun’s father were forgiven without facing meaningful consequences or character development. Their forgiveness felt rushed and unearned.

In conclusion, this book was not for me, and it saddens me to give it this rating, especially considering how much I loved the author's other works.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

“I cannot fix on the hour, or the spot, or the look or the words, which laid the foundation. It is too long ago. I was in the middle before I knew that I had begun.” - Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice





〖 ᴺᴼᵂ ᴾᴸᴬᵞᴵᴺᴳ: Something Just Like This by The Chainsmokers, Coldplay 〗
↻ ◁ II ▷ ↺ 1:22 ───ㅇ───── 4:07






ʚɞ˚ ༘♡ ⋆｡˚ TL;DR: This historical romance was so sweet and thought-provoking, and I will be reading more of June Hur's works in the future! ❤




ʚɞ˚ ༘♡ ⋆｡˚ I’m having the hardest time writing this review for literally no reason whatsoever because I enjoyed it. I really did. So I’m just going to be as plain and straightforward as I possibly can, and try to make some sort of sense of my thoughts. 😅

First and foremost, I will never understand why governments must censor or ban stuff. It literally makes no sense to me, so I’m not even going to bother to try to understand what their thought process is, but it makes me especially mad when they do it to oppress a certain demographic. So you best believe I was raising and furrowing my eyebrows at the misogynistic views they had towards women reading. Like, um, excuse me?




Their “reasoning” was so, so dumb (cuando no), but I don’t think I should say anymore, or I’m going to lose my cool. But thank God for those who are brave enough to do what they can to fight back against any type of oppression, like Haewon, Wol, and others who made sure both men and women were able to access novels.

Okay, with that addressed, let’s move on to the rest of the book.

The only downside is that Haewon’s and Seojun’s romance felt like it came out of the blue. I wanted there to be more forced proximity so their developed feelings could make a little more sense, but I’m grateful for what I got because their romance was really sweet. Omg, especially toward the end. I was literally giggling and kicking my feet in the air because ahhhh stop! My cold heart can’t take all this sweetness. 😭




Their exchanging letters and not knowing who they actually were had me waiting in anticipation for all of it to finally click for them.

Oh, I also didn’t really like Haewon’s little sister, Yeonhee, but she wasn’t totally insufferable. Selfish and reckless? Yes. But a pain in the butt? No, not really. But I liked everyone else in the story. Boram made me chuckle a time or two. 🤭

I don’t think I can ever get tired of Pride and Prejudice-inspired romances. Well, if they’re done right, that is.

The writing and historical setting of the story were probably my favorite parts of the book. I love history so much, especially with certain time periods I’m not familiar with, so this was a treat. And the writing? 10/10. No notes. 🫶🏼

All in all, this was a fun and sweet historical romance that not only got me over here acting like a chump, but it also gave me something to think about and want to learn more of. I also had a blast talking to my sweet friend Esta about it. Thank you for wanting to chat with me about it, my beautiful bestie!! 💋💖💐

*°:⋆ₓₒ Thank you to Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group | Feiwel & Friends and NetGalley for providing the arc in exchange for an honest review! All opinions and statements are my own. *°:⋆ₓₒ

《 Content Warnings 》
Classism & sexism/misogyny.
Swearing: No
Spice: Only kissing. (🌶/5)

[ivy · Rating 2 out of 5]

࣪ ˖ ֪ꮽ᱖܄ 2 stars˚ִִ꒱꒱ ִ݂

⤻ no spoiler review .

་ 💭 ⊹ ࣪୨୧ preface. it’s 1792 in korea’s Joseon dynasty. our main character, shin haewon, is a transcriber for one of the most famous authors in her village, black lotus. the king at this time orders novels to be burned, as he is fearful of Catholic influence and westernization to threaten neo-confucianism, the dominant way of life. black lotus is revealed to be our mmc, yu seojun ( in the beginning ). both of them have to navigate their lives as potential betrayers of the law.

𐑺゛🗞️ general thoughts . ugh, i wish i loved this so much more than i did 😭. the first and only June hur book i’ve read was ‘ a crane among wolves ‘, and i can’t help but compare this to that. acaw had so much angst, tension, and a heart-melting reunion… but this did not do anything for me AT ALL. the romance moved so weirdly and somehow jumped from point A to B, no tension, as well as the book being pretty boring and highly annoying.

⸝⸝ the characters ⁺໒꒱

both of them were very, very, very bland. the only thing that they had in common was enjoying books and some of the same niche authors. i could not tell you one thing about their personality. the thing that i really, really did not like about them (especially in the context of this historical period), was that, by the end of the book, they both were conforming to the restricting laws set by the emperor. naturally, going into this book, i expected that at least one character from this book would defy the odds… but that just didn’t happen ?

ʚɞ ╴✷ side characters ꗃ

1. yeonhee : this girl was IRRITATING. she betrayed her sisters + family so many times and put them on the brink of destruction with absolutely no consequence. the thing she did towards the end of the book pissed me tf off, that was the nail on the coffin for me 🥴

𖥔 ݁ ˖ ⌗﹒ the relationship was the most off-putting part of this book. it really felt to me like it jumped from point A to B out of nowhere — one moment they were just meeting each other and the next they’re handing out love confessions ?? there was no natural progression to be found. this book would’ve been ten times better if it focused on the actual historical repercussions of these edicts and period in general. i already know that i would’ve given this a much, much higher rating if it was purely historical.

﹏﹒✦ overall, i was very disappointed by this book, but i am still going to read every book june hur puts out because i can’t resist the history she incorporates into her books, no matter how small the tidbits are. lastly, thank you to my beautiful, gorgeous, stunning, half-twin dawn for reading this book with me. 我爱你 & 사랑해요 forever! 🥹 cannot wait for the millions of buddy reads we’re going to do <3

⊹ ﹒ ⁺ ﹒ ⊹ ﹒ ⁺ ﹒ ⊹ ﹒ ⁺ ﹒ ⊹ ﹒ ⁺ ﹒ ⊹ ﹒ ⁺ ﹒ ⊹ ﹒ ⁺ ﹒ ⊹

˒˒📜 pre read ˒˒࿐· started jun 10・xxvi 𖦞.˖
finally starting this!!! I've been wanting to read another june hur book since i finished ' a crane among wolves ' <3 & this is p&p inspired 🐻🤎

˖⊹𝜗𝜚 i get the honor to read this with my soulmate dawn 🪽, our first buddy read and a book about our culture, oh this is perfect 🥹

[Dawn Solaris · Rating 4.75 out of 5]

★彡 4.75 stars 彡★
 

❝ Give her a novel, a window to look out, for the walls that hide her are too high to scale. ❞

 
-ˋˏ✄┈┈ This book had me in a serious need for an exorcism.

Through the last few pages, I was only a possessed being, rocking back and forth, screaming like an actual headless chicken undignified lady.

If this isn’t the textbook definition of “possessed” then I wonder what is.

I had genuinely forgotten what it was like to love a book so much, to feel a romance like it’s your own and rock back and forth exhausted from the butterflies.

This book was like skipping through a timelapse, wrapped in heavy nostalgia.

This was what OG slow burn used to feel like - what romance used to be, and I really want to thank June Hur for not only writing a romance so wholesome but also layering it in issues we would like to sit down and think about.

Girls, read this, please… for the love of goodwill towards me humanity, read this (つ╥﹏╥)つ

Like, I will actually get down on my fucking knees and ask you to read it (though I would prefer not to, so just read it). READ IT! READ IT! READ IT! READ IT! READ IT! READ IT! READ IT!

⊹ ࣪ ﹏𓊝﹏𓂁﹏⊹ ࣪ ˖

⋮ ⌗ ┆ ᏖᏒᎧᎮᏋᏕ ᏗᏖ ᏇᎧᏒᏦ ⋮ ⌗ ┆
 
⋆☀︎. Pen Pals
 
࣪ ִֶָ☾. Pride & Prejudice Retelling

⋆☀︎. Enemies To Lovers

࣪ ִֶָ☾. Joseon Era Setting

⋆☀︎. Secret Identities

࣪ ִֶָ☾. Slow Burn

⋆☀︎. He Falls First, He Falls Harder
 
⊹ ࣪ ﹏𓊝﹏𓂁﹏⊹ ࣪ ˖
 
⋮ ⌗ ┆ ᎷᎩ ᏖᏂᎧᏬᎶᏂᏖᏕ ⋮ ⌗ ┆
 
: ̗̀➛ 🅣🅗🅔 🅢🅣🅞🅡🅨 & 🅣🅗🅔 🅕🅔🅔🅛🅢: The story is set in the Joseon period, and at its heart we have Shin Haewon.

Haewon transcribes books for a living - something that makes her happy and also financially aids her family.

This would’ve been all fine and well if reading, transcribing or worse, writing novels weren’t a criminal offense! (°⌓ °;)

Ooops.

According to the king, all novels that are written purely for “fun” are a disgrace to literature, and reading should only be done to increase your morality.

Novels are vulgar, is what he says.

I was tempted to make the king read Haunting Adeline. That only time fiction actually was vulgar.

Reading in general was banned, but when you’re a woman living in that era, it would’ve sparked the biggest of scandals in your name.

❝ Again and again, the king and his men speak of how novels are like obscene music and women—they corrupt, they lure men away from the rightful path. ❞

I’m going to abstain from saying that men are the obscene creatures, and “morality” flees in the opposite direction when it sees men.

However, our Haewon is sneaky like that, she does not care who condemns what.

You know who else is sneaky?

Our local Darcy, Yu Seojun (⚈₋₍⚈)

This man doesn’t transcribe. Neither does he only read.

Oh no.

He writes Σ(°ロ°)



… BUT MAMA I’M IN LOVE WITH A CRIMINALLLLL ˖ ݁♬⋆.˚𝄞

Anyways, so Yu Seojun is a morally upright gentleman of the upper society. Meaning, no one can know of him writing supposedly crude stuff under the pseudonym Black Lotus.

That would simply tarnish his carefully-built reputation.

And so we have the two of them, rebelling in their own small ways against a society that wants total submission.

⋆.˚✮☽ ☯︎ ☾✮˚.⋆

The matter of censorship spoke to me, because even though this story took place centuries ago, this happens even today.

Especially today.

You know a banned book is the one that talks of revolutionary ideas. A banned book is the one that tells you to stand up and question the authority.

Granted, the authority won’t appreciate people waking up and seeing the truth and learning to dismantle the building blocks of today’s corrupt society.

There’s a lot to think about here and Behind Five Willows does that job perfectly.

It tells you exactly what you need to know. That we are heading towards much darker times.

So, if reading this book gave you untimely anxiety… then just let the feeling sit there. You’re anxious because you know, that in a way, the life that you’re living isn’t all that different from the kind written within these pages.

There’s also the unfair gender roles discussed, which we think we have evolved from, to an extent.

Spoiler Alert: We Haven’t.

We think we are free. But are we really?

❝ I’m convinced,” she said, unable to hide the rawness in her voice, “that to live without a will is to deny the bird the sky, the flowers, the sun. I was born with a will. Mayn’t I use it? ❞

Anyways, the point wasn’t to go doom and gloom. I’m grateful for this book because it made me think.

And I will recommend this book to anyone living and breathing. Watch me be insufferable (⊙ _ ⊙ )

⋆.˚✮☽ ☯︎ ☾✮˚.⋆

The way the romance was written…

Let’s just say it called me alone and unloved in every language there is.

Earlier on when I mentioned “nostalgia”, it was about the romance.

I think we need to talk about the fact that these days, romance has been reduced to insta-lust, constantly having sex and that only.

Gone are the days when love used to blossom from emotional connection and not just the continuous act of doing the DEED (yes, the ACT of DOING the DEED. Yes, I’m the thesaurus ˙𐃷˙).

Physical intimacy is great and all, but basing a relationship on that alone makes it feel cheap… It works when you do a good buildup and then have the MCs be intimate with each other is what I mean.

This is just a personal assessment, so feel free to disagree.

That being said, this brand of romance in Behind Five Willows was something that worked for me.

It reminded me of book couples I grew up loving, because the progression of their relationship was organic.

Stolen stares, longing from afar for so long only sweetens what’s about to come.

This is the kind of shit that actually makes me feel like I’m the one in love, I’m the one who should be rightfully blushing and screaming her throat raw like her life depends on it .𖥔 ݁ ˖

Byeongho, our Bingley-equivalent said this the best:

❝ Mundane? Love is the closest thing to the heavens. ❞

That is, depending on how you interpret it. Personally, this book did indeed feel like soaring the heavens ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

: ̗̀➛ 🅢🅗🅘🅝 🅗🅐🅔🅦🅞🅝: She was such a fun female lead to follow, witty and so bold.

This queen had the Elizabeth Bennet essence, something few characters could ever dream of emulating and yet here we are!

I love how much life there was to her, how eager she was to always set others straight and be straightforward herself … which, in her own words:

❝ My frankness, nauri, has left village boys in tears. ❞

OG Elizabeth Bennet approves ദ്ദി ˉ͈̀꒳ˉ͈́ )✧

Also, despite her character being the personification of “prejudice”, I admired the fact that she was also prideful herself. The pride in her own set of beliefs and values-

Haewon and her love for her sisters actually warmed me to the core ༼;´༎ຶ ۝ ༎ຶ༽ I LOVE THEM, YOUR HONOR!

: ̗̀➛ 🅨🅤 🅢🅔🅞🅙🅤🅝: I would commit actual crimes to have this man in my life.

Mr. Ten Course Meal in a cutesy hanbok, OH TAKE MY HEART AND STOMP ON IT.

TAKE MY SOUL AND DESTROY IT.

I was not aware of June Hur’s game, that she could write a man like THIS into existence.

THAT ANYONE COULD WRITE A MAN LIKE THIS INTO EXISTENCE ૮( ꒦ິ࿄꒦ີ)ა

This is what I call a loser in love. Initially when you get to know him, you could never imagine him being the kind to be down bad to the point of sickness _

He’s awfully composed and disciplined.

So when he falls in love, you think to yourself:

Oh, how the mighty have fallen 𓁹‿𓁹

You know this is a man written by a woman because no fucking way an actual man would be so… dreamy.

I-

Even talking about him now (hours after I’ve finished the book) makes me blush for god knows what reason.

Tell me why June Hur would do something as offensive as creating this man and then reminding me he doesn’t exist?

TMI, but I also dreamt of this Yu Seojun fella, so you should know that it’s serious 〜⁠(⁠꒪⁠꒳⁠꒪⁠)⁠〜

To be frank, even though I know he was raised to be a snob, his snobbiness still caught me off guard in a hilarious way. For example, when he naturally looked down on her family, even in the midst of a proposal *cough cough* I couldn’t help but wince-

❝ That you are intelligent, quite remarkable, and lovely. You have a mind that rivals my own—despite your lowly upbringing. I truly do have the highest regard for you. ❞

Boy, learn to hesitate a little before you speak (⸝⸝0⸝⸝0⸝⸝)

And when Haewon put him in his place:

❝ Yes, I suppose it is unfortunate for a great gentleman like you to fancy a woman like me, of such inferior birth. ❞

Minus this minor lapse in upbringing judgment, he learned to work hard and become a better man for her (╥﹏╥)

Oh my sweet-sweet husband material ~

Before it becomes too late to share things out of context, let me quickly sneak in this:

❝ You fell into the pond with such dignity and grace, it was quite a thrill to behold. ❞

His response to her ACTUALLY falling into a pond (ﾒ﹏ﾒ)

I tell you, I snorted orange juice out of my eye balls!

I LOVE WHATEVER THE HECK IS WRONG WITH HIM!

Anyway, finally when he relearns how to be a proper and functioning human, he stands undefeated in the field of love -

Can you refuse a man who thinks THIS sorta stuff:

❝ If, at any moment, she had crooked her finger, he would have knelt before her feet, willing to give up anything and all just to win even a sliver of her affection. ❞

I’m on MY knees ( ´ཀ` )

❝ I find your conduct, Mistress Haewon, to be utterly—outrageously—bewitching. ❞

I actually envy people who don’t get affected by something of THIS degree ×̷̷͜×̷

I realize this entire review is becoming a Seojun thirst-fest, so I would also like add some other things I loved about his characterization.

I was a HUGE fan of how many layers June Hur had added to his character.

To see him urging his inner self to always practice filial piety while still wanting to write. To see how he slowly learnt to hate himself and his writing when people kept saying things.

I’m happy Haewon told him what I wanted to:

❝ Must your work be cherished by generations to come to be significant? Is the spring not beautiful, even though it is fleeting and soon forgotten? ❞

I want to give him the entire world and my entire heart, I really really love him so much ദ്ദി( T ᗜ T )

»»——★ fιnαℓ тнσυgнтѕ ★——««

➳ Call me deranged, call it a fickle obsession.

You mortals could never understand the depth of what I feel for this book, but you can try wanting to understand it by reading it, yourselves ♥︎

ﾒ𝟶ﾒ𝟶

｡･ﾟ♡ﾟ･｡｡･ﾟ♡ﾟ･｡

[Mai ༊*·˚ · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.

[dawn ౨ৎ · Rating 2 out of 5]

˚ෆ‧ 2 stars ⊹ ࣪ ˖
⤿ no spoiler review

if there is one person in this entire world who understands me,
i can live this life without bitterness.

⋆˚࿔🪽꒰overall thoughts꒱ ─ for a story centered around banned books, censorship and the risks of defying authority in a suppressive society, i expected an intricate plot and for 'behind five willows' to delve into rebellion and historical backstory. however, i was extremely disappointed when the plot was merely shoved into the background in favour of a bland romance.

and the premise had so much potential too??? set in late joseon korea during a period of government oppression and censorship, the story follows haewon (the fmc), a book transcriber in an era where novels are illegal. she transcribes novels written by the evasive black lotus who we know is seojun (the mmc). they gradually begin to fall in love as they defy the law. LIKE WHAT DO YOU MEAN we get this original, creative storyline, but the most boring execution ever??? it was so frustrating how the whole plot was glossed over 💔

and the romance... i was promised yearning, BUT WHERE WAS THE YEARNING?! i was promised tension, BUT WHERE WAS THE TENSION?! at that point i wasn't even looking for yearning or tension, just for a hint of chemistry between the two main characters 😭


⋆˚࿔🫧꒰ sidenote ꒱ - thank you to my gorgeous, gorgeous half-twin and best fren vee for buddy reading this with me !!! i adore you for infinity, i had the BEST time yapping with you 🥹 cheers to infinite more buddy reads 🥂💞

사랑해요 + 我也爱你
⤿ 영원히 가장 친한 친구
see the most stunning review ever here


୨୧ ⋆˚🍥꒰ main characters ꒱ ─

shin haewon - "to live without a will is to deny the bird the sky, the flowers, the sun."

her personality felt so lifeless and flat. if you asked me to name one defining characteristic she had, i wouldn't know where to start, because all she did was either transcribe, go to the bookstore a thousand times or aimlessly walk around trying to find seojun or her sister 😔

yu seojun - "i could live and die, searching every lifetime, for you."

i admit, at some times this man and his words had me hooked, but the only issue was, that that's all they felt like. words. i felt no chemistry or link between the two main characters?? the romance felt so insta-lovey and abrupt because what do you mean you're distance and don't even care about her, but then a few pages later we get a love confession?? it makes no logical sense 😭

i can't even talk about the romance between them because i would actually fall asleep. there isn't even anything to talk about ☹️


⋆˚₊🖇️꒰ side characters ꒱ ─

yeonhee - do not get me started on her. i swear this book was supposed to be making me feel emotions of joy, longing, excitement and anticipation every time haewon and seojun interacted, but the only aspect it succeeded in was making me feel SO PISSED at yeonhee 😩 betraying her family, lying and making the stupidest fucking decisions ever? and then being FORGIVEN IMMEDIATELY???? search up every synonym for annoying af and it'll come up with yeonhee.

jade & byeongho - WE WERE ROBBED. i wanted more of their romance, they were actually so sweet 💝


˖✩ ࣪🐇꒰ final thoughts ꒱ ─ this was really disappointing, but i enjoyed how thoroughly the history was researched and a few small scenes that were pretty cute. also the highlight was DEFINITELY reading this with my favourite girl in the entire universe, my half-twin vee. ilyilyily <33


- - - - - - - - - -


               ⊹ ࣪ ˖꒰ 𝐩𝐫𝐞-𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝 ꒱🏯˖𓍢ִ໋˚

my first june hur!!! and i'm the luckiest girl in the universe because i get to read this with my best fren vee 🤭

and frfr we get to read a book about our culture together 🙂‍↕️ 사랑해요, i have sm synonyms for you: my half twin, my soulmate, my favourite person ever... the list goes on 🥹

[Nancy •͙͙✧⃝•͙͙✩ͯ (semi hiatus till 2027) · Rating 4 out of 5]

──⟡⋆˙✩ 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 my lighthearted 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.

[Ricarda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nothing too memorable for me, but still charming and taking place in front of an interesting historical backdrop. The story is set in Korea during the late 1700s Joseon Dynasty, at a time when novels and fiction in general were banned to prevent "moral decay" and the spreading of "unorthodox ideas". The female main character Haewon is living a dangerous life, because she is in the company of books every day. She regularly visits a secret book-lending store and on top of that she also transcribes novels and produces more copies of the outlawed works. On the other hand there is Seojun, the son of a high-ranking minister, always honorable and dutiful to the kingdom, but secretly a popular author of fiction. He recently gave up on this illegal profession though and now tries to please his father by marrying whoever he chooses to be a proper young lady. The story was immediately intriguing and it felt like such a breath of fresh air in YA publishing to me. There is a prominent classic feel to this book and I think June Hur really nailed her plan to make this a Korean-inspired homage to Jane Austen. The story is set at a time when women's rights were few but the possibilities of ruining a woman's reputation were plenty. But at the same time we are following a free-spirited character who cannot be swayed in her beliefs and her love for the things she enjoys. The bookish love seeps through the pages and it was great to see how characters described what stories mean to them and how connections were built based on a shared pastime. But Haewon and Seojun's relationship actually develops in a more complicated way. There's a class difference between them and both characters hold prejudices against each other. At the same time they were unknowingly sharing intimate letters as author and scribe, expressing their true feelings. Unfortunately, that leads to quite the miscommunication between them, but I loved the yearning that developed once the first identity was revealed. At times it really gave the dynamic of a lovesick puppy getting slapped by an adult grumpy cat, and it just worked for me. I also liked the portrayed sister relationship and that both of Haewon's sisters had their own storyline going on. The book could have been longer to really flesh out the multiple interesting characters, though. Overall, it was a quick and pleasant read while also being informative. Who else would teach me about historical Korean laws if not June Hur? Her books will always have my attention.

Huge thanks to NetGalley and Headline / Wildfire for providing a digital arc in exchange for an honest review.

[justine ⊹ ࣪ ˖ (back-ish?) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Behind Five Willows
⤷ ⭑⭑⭑⭑.𝟱

𓏲⋆🖌️.* ❝ If there is one person in this entire world who understands me, I can live this life without bitterness. ❞

࣪ ִֶָ🦋་༘࿐ The Shin sisters consider the secret book-lending shop, Five Willows, as their second home because of their love for reading. With the king banning novels and enforcing censorship to preserve Confucian values, novel reading becomes an expensive and dangerous business. Shin Haewon, who secretly goes by the name 'Magpie', is a transcriber known for her exceptional work on the illegal novels by the mysterious Black Lotus. This author has never revealed their identity and is notorious for rejecting all letters sent to them—until they respond to her own.

For the past couple of months, she has been exchanging letters with the author until they stopped writing entirely. Now, she finds herself chaperoning her sister's meetings with a potential suitor, along with his best friend, the famous and highly respectable Yu Seojun.

Release Date: May 26, 2026 ⟢

*·˚ ༘ ➳ When I learned that there was a reimagining of 'Pride and Prejudice' set in the Joseon dynasty, where novels were banned, and government censorship was enforced, I knew I had to pick this up. I read June Hur's 'The Red Palace' in late 2024, and I still remember the emotions it evoked and the lasting impact of her writing. So I wasn't surprised at how much I ended up loving this book!

I swear, if I had just one day to myself, I would have finished this earlier. When I finally managed to focus, I completed the last 40% of the book in less than an hour. I've said this multiple times to mutuals, but reading this book literally felt like a fever dream!

⋆˚✿˖° ❝ She felt anchored to the spot, staring at where he had stood moments ago, her heart thrumming a wild beat. Perhaps her heart had recognized him: an enemy in another lifetime. ❞

𓏲⋆🪷* Shin Haewon : The middle child of the Shin sisters who puts her love for her family first and foremost. You could really feel the love and soft spot she has, especially for her sisters, and she always puts their happiness before her own.

❝ I finally realized that it is our fate to have nothing to lean on or hold on to in our lives. We must simply carry on, feeling the weight of the heavens on our heads with each step forth. ❞ ⋆˚࿔

𓏲⋆☘️* Yu Seojun : Son of a distinguished noble family, the very definition of an ideal son. With his striking looks and subtle charm, he draws people in. However, behind the facade, I loved how we catch a glimpse of the other side of the mirror, exposing his inner struggles and deep-seated worries towards his family and his love for writing.

.☘︎ ݁˖ ❝ You are the kind of soul one finds only once in a lifetime, and travels the next thousand searching for again. I would do that for you. I could live and die, searching each lifetime, for you. ❞

I cannot express how well-written the romance in this book is. A love so innocent and fluffy. I had just been watching a K-drama before I picked up this book, so the scenes were still fresh in my mind. Combined with June's easy yet captivating writing, I couldn't help but feel giddy with each moment our leads shared together. I also appreciated how, despite the characters having only recently met in person, the strong connection they built through their letters made up for it.

. ༘⋆ ❝ All thoughts of decorum faded as he’d watched her, the dust motes drifting between them in the golden sunlight. Look away. ❞

Also, having a dual perspective in this book was another great aspect. The intensity of Seojun's yearning was both passionate and bittersweet, and I found myself highlighting paragraphs from his point of view because I was so moved by his thoughts about Haewon. Also, Chapter 26—oh my gosh! Thinking about that scene gives me goosebumps. It was written in such a compelling way that I could vividly picture it; think of it like the slow-motion ending of an episode of a kdrama.

I was really conflicted about how to rate this book. While it gave me a five-star high right after reading it, I found that after some reflection and a desire to think more critically, I settled on my current rating. Although the book presented an intense setting with high stakes, I expected to experience more of the conflict and see how it was resolved. Instead, we mainly heard about the aftermath rather than witnessing the events unfold.

The story also depicted how our characters chaperoned Jane's meetings with Byungho, and I would have liked to see more of that and of their romance blossoming, since it plays a key part in the story. I loved the bond between the Shin sisters as well, along with Maid Boram's funny complaints towards her masters.

If you're looking for a fast-paced, quick read with lots of glances, longing looks, and feelings of yearning, make sure to pick this up! This definitely won't be the last June Hur book on my shelf.

Thank you to June Hur for providing an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. Please remember that this opinion is my own. ⭑

❝ I would much rather never call you mine, and live life without you, wandering homeless forever, than to bind you to a life you were not meant for. You are, and will always be, the mistress of your own life. ❞

More Titles by June Hur: ✶⋆.°
✶ Red Palace

˚˖𓍢ִ໋❀

update (04/26/26) : okay, i just finished making an edit for this book and after reading the quotes on this review i just felt so giddy. thinking about these characters and the cute romance made me smile so much sooo 5 stars babyy.

pre-read : she is finally doing it!!!

update (10/27/2025) : brb screaming bc i received a copy from the lovely author, june hur. definitely made my month!!

[sof (reading slump)]

a pride and prejudice retelling set during the joseon dynasty?! i need this immediately 🙏

[joni ౨ৎ · Rating 5 out of 5]

𐙚⋆°｡⋆♡ ── 4.75 stars

arc review 💌
release date: may 26


⤿ 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 readers, 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-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



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 👏💗

[ellie · Rating 4 out of 5]

➳ 3.75 ☆! 🧺🧾 spoiler free + mini review
⤷ EEEK forever grateful i got to read this early, so heartwarming
arc! @netgalley

⋆˚࿔ 37th review of the year

"you are, to me as well, the kind of soul one finds only once in a lifetime, and travels the next thousand searching for again"

₊‧꒰my thoughts꒱ ‧₊
⤷ alright, honestly, i really enjoyed this!! the rating my throw some people off but i promise you i had a great time and already miss them 💐 for the first 10 chapters i was super invested! and throughout the plot, i still was, BUT i cant say i was interested 24/7 sometimes it felt a bit slow to me even tho its less than 300 pages! i also felt that the story could be surface level at times. while there are deep life meanings in this one, it wasn't super deep but i could still be emotionally moved.

⤷ overall i recommend anything june hur writes and will continue to read everything by her!! the author's note at the end showed how much research she put into this novel which i highly admire. until the next book 🤭🤭 i wish i worked at a bookshop! ALSO PROPS TO THE COVER ONCE AGAINN!

tropes!
⋆ pride and prejudice inspired
⋆ historical fiction
⋆ forbidden romance
⋆ book about books

₊‧꒰info!꒱ ‧₊
⤷ find my book review on goodreads @elliexreads
⤷ this is recommended for young adult readers
⤷ YA historical fiction (asian lit)
publish date: may 19, 2026


₊‧ all ratings and opinions are my own ₊‧
⤷ thank you @netgalley and the publisher for the arc in exchange for an honest review !🫂

----------------------

₊‧꒰preview ᝰ.ᐟ꒱ ‧₊ 🧺🧾

₊‧꒰4.12.26꒱ ‧₊
⤷ AHH I GOT THE ARC! i was literally flipping out when i got that email 😭🫂 this will be my second june hur book, but i couldnt be happier! shes easily one of my fav authors <3 im already loving this and i expect to finish it soon <3 cant wait to share thoughts!! (new fav maybe?!) thank you again to netgalley + the author for this beautiful arc 🩷💐

[vanessa ⋆.☕︎]

⋆۶ৎ . ݁₊ 🦢 . ݁˖ 𝜗𝜚˚⋆ Oh my god… this book already feels like it’s going to give me everything I adore: forbidden vibes, secret identities, letters, and slow-burn tension so thick I can chew it.

Haewon being a poor but fierce book transcriber during a time of censorship? Please, I love a girl who risks her life for stories. And her fighting against society’s expectations? Queen behavior.

Then there’s Seojun, the noble son who’s supposed to be perfect but is secretly a writer? And he has no idea that the transcriber he adores (Magpie) is literally the girl he finds annoying in person?

Yeah. I’m already kicking my feet.

The forced chaperone moments, the misunderstandings, the judgment-turned-fascination… it’s giving classic romantic tension, historical charm, and that delicious “oh no… I think I like them” energy.

If this book doesn’t wrap me in cozy heartbreak and longing, I’ll be shocked.<𝟑 .ᐟ

[Alyson Kent]

June 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!

[rina · Rating 1 out of 5]

‎ ‎ ੭୧‎ ‎ 1 star‎ ‎ . ۫

‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ “ if i lose my honor, i will lose the world, but if i betray black lotus, i very much fear i will lose myself. ”

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.

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 😭

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.

haewonㆍ“ to live without a will is to deny the bird the sky, the flowers the sun. ”

her character 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.

seojunㆍ“ he wondered if she would ever come to know how deeply he cherished her thoughts. ”

as the male lead and supposed mr. darcy figure, he 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.

final thoughts — 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 suppression 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!

CW: government censorship

⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆

finished: 12/13/25

pre read: 12/10/25
pride and prejudice retelling set in the joseon dynasty. i am begging, please have a profuse amount of yearning 🤲

[jo ❣︎ · Rating 5 out of 5]

˗ˏˋ ♡ ˎˊ˗
𝓯𝓲𝓿𝓮 𝓼𝓽𝓪𝓻𝓼

happy release day to THE pride and prejudice retelling we all need in our lives

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

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Behind Five Willows by June Hur
Book Blurb: 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 favorite author, known as Black Lotus.

Rating: ****
Feels: Cheerful, Turmoil, Adored, Dramatic,
Style: Romance, Historical Fiction, Young Adult, Historical, Historical Romance, Fantasy, Fiction
First published May 26, 2026 : 336 pages

This was such a charming and beautiful read that really appealed to not only my love of the written word but of romance. The setting of this book is centered around a couple who exchange letters about the written word in a climate where novels are frowned upon and books are being seen as the enemy of some of the players in the story. Haewon is smart, outspoken … and mildly prejudiced against a certain someone who is always around his friend who is courting her sister. It really is a sweet and fun retelling. I enjoyed the different aspects of the story and how the author brought the story to life in this setting.

This book has:
Historical romance
Pride & Prejudice retelling
Love Letters <3
He falls first
Secret identities
Slow Burn
Book loving FMC & MMC
No Spice

[Sherwood Smith]

When 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!

[maelyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[Jenni ♡ · Rating 5 out of 5]

♡ Thank you NetGalley and Fierce Reads for a digital ARC copy in exchange for an honest review ♡

This was everything and more.

Absolute perfection. I have no notes. One of my favorite releases so far this year!

Was promised a P&P retelling and it was delivered. June Hur is one of my favorite authors and I can not get enough of her work and writing.

She literally transferred us into a Korean inspired P&P. And even though I knew how the story was going to play out, I still had was gripping the pages! I was absolutely smitten and giddy the entire book. I could not put it down! After finishing, I wanted to go back to the beginning and start again.


I can not wait to grab a physical book to transfer me annotations because it was bar after bar of romance quotes.

[Payal (uni- semi ia) · Rating 3 out of 5]

it was okayish. I did not care about anything- not the plot, not the characters, not the stupid rule by the king and not the absurd etiquettes. I take the full blame of not enjoying the book cuz I couldn't bother reading the blurb but well, it was a good way to pass the time. last 60% was on the audiobook at 1.75x (sadly, at more than that, I couldn't understand the narrator) while I made the absolute gorgeous journal spread!! plus, there were lot of books mentioned in this one and I found myself enjoying that quite a lot. the writing was simple yet elegant- def my fav part of the book.

~~~~~
FIRST JUNE HUR BOOK!!! I AM SO EXCITED<333

[Selene · Rating 5 out of 5]

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!

[patricia · Rating 4.25 out of 5]

4.25 ⭐️

“Sometimes you come across people who have been searching for each other all their lives. As two enemies fated to despise each other. As two lost souls searching for their home.”

Oh my god, this was such a beautiful read. Behind Five Willows is instantly going to be a new comfort read for me. Trust that I will come back and reread this every so often. Every romance reader has to read Behind Five Willows at least once in their lives.

June Hur, you have officially won me over. If I had any doubts about June Hur as an author, they’re gone now, and I am so glad to have given Hur another chance. This is so much better than a Crane Among Wolves. I can guarantee any avid reader of books will resonate deeply with this one.

Admittedly, I do not know much about Pride & Prejudice nor the book censorship that occurred in Korea at the time, so I found this a very informative, eye-opening and insightful read. June Hur always does so well rooting real life, historical elements into fictive literature and I always learn something new whenever I’m picking up her books. Haewon was such a great FMC to follow as someone that’s passionate about books, but has to work as an illegal transcriber simultaneously under the government's radar. Any FMC that reads is automatically a favorite of mine, so I loved following her along this journey to thwart the government. I love that despite the historical context, Haewon isn’t your conservative, demure protagonist. She's openly vocal about the way she feels and always speaks up for herself to defend her honor.

And Seojun? Oh my god. Where can I find myself a Lord Yu? Seojun is emotionally reserved, but once that ice melts? *swoons* I love my highly intelligent men who become absolute idiots when they’re in love. He has such a way with words, and radiates such a stable and grounded presence it’s hard not to fall. He’s also the definition of “he falls first and harder” because that man was in LOVE.

It’s no surprise the romance was so cute and wholesome. I mean, how can you not melt? This absolutely felt like a K-Drama. I need it as a K-Drama. I will always eat up the secret penpal trope, which is ironic because I don’t think I’ve read too many. I need more secret penpal recs. The verbal sparring? Chefs kiss. But the more intimate letters between them where they lay their souls bare? So beautiful. The letters were, no surprise, one of my favorite parts of the novel. I’m so glad we got to experience both Haewon and Seojun’s POV, which enhanced the experience.

The prose is gorgeously written, too. I could easily flip through a random page and find a favorite quote. There’s just so many of those in there. I now need to run to the nearest bookstore to get my physical copy, so I can annotate everything like crazy.

[Joan He · Rating 5 out of 5]

beautiful and timely

[almas. · Rating 3 out of 5]

i updated my reading status at 2am when i was 81% through, stating that i should sleep soon.

it is now 2:37 am and i just finished 😭
such a bingeable book and i would write its review this instant if it wasn't the middle of tje night. rtc tomorrow (today???)

[Suzannah]

June 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?