Falling in Love like a Korean Drama

by A.K. Moon

Summer has been working at her dad’s restaurant as a chef since her mom’s demise. Enduring her step mom’s verbal abuse and unthankful dad seemed to be the only thing each day brought. One day, she sees a man at her deceased mom’s old house, and he strangely magnetizes her mind since then. But on the same day, her stepmom stomps out of their restaurant, her boyfriend sends her a breakup text, and her dad fires her. If there was any good news, it was that she had time, a few cash, and her mom’s old photo. Yet, the Korean address at the back of the picture that she came across seemed to mean something. Summer hopes that a trip to Korea would uncover her mom’s past, but she never expected to see the mysterious man who was at her mother’s house on the other side of the world. The title includes the unfamiliar words, ‘Korean Drama’; however, it is just the background for a love story that transcends culture, language, and other incredible obstacles. From the review, "This is a really entertaining book, especially for those who have an interest in Korean culture. The first half is partly love story but also has a lot of information about Korean culture/society. The second half gets really exciting in terms of the romance, and it becomes a real page turner! If you like Korean dramas or K-pop, or even if you just like romance novels with different kinds of settings, this book is a fun read." N Seoul Tower was overflowing with people. We went to the Padlocks of Love wall, where there were truly a huge number of locks hanging. Apparently, in the past, people would write a promise or their names on locks and throw the locks down from the tower, but now there is a red mailbox to put the locks in. I picked up a lock and read the “Eternal Love, Sohee & Myunghun.” “I guess everybody does this kind of meaningless crap,” I said to myself. I didn’t realize Minho was right behind me. He said, “When you’re in love, the meaningful becomes meaningless, and the meaningless becomes meaningful, don’t you think?” “You know a lot about love, I gather?” He ignored my sarcastic tone. “I’ve been in love before. Haven’t you? Haven’t you ever been so crazy in love that you didn’t act like yourself?” I shook my head. He looked at me as though he felt sorry for me. “That’s too bad.” I scowled at him. Then, he stroked my head as though I were a little child. Seeing my stunned expression, he burst out laughing.

280 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 14, 2016

About the author

A.K. Moon is a Korean-New Zealander writer currently based in Australia. With a background in Social Welfare, a Graduate Diploma in Early Childhood Education, and certification from the Scenario Academy, her work is grounded in both human connection and deeper, unseen truths.

Her passion lies in exploring the visible and invisible worlds, and writing stories that reflect that journey. Her debut novel, Falling in Love Like a Korean Drama, marked the beginning of her creative path. After its release, she entered a deeply personal new chapter in life—one that inspired her second book, the Christian romance A Girl in an International Boys’ School.

Though the stories are distinct, both novels share a common thread: they are set in Korea, a place close to her heart and rich with meaning in her storytelling.

Through her writing, A.K. Moon hopes to offer readers not only entertainment but moments of reflection, connection, and soul. Her long-term vision is to grow into a soul who brings beauty and light to those around her.

Reviews

[Marilyn Vix]

Thought this was a good read. I took it on Thanksgiving vacation, and enjoyed reading it on the balcony over looking the beach. Really gives a good look at a romance happening between Korean and Korean-American, though I think she might have been a granddaughter of missionaries. Good roller coaster of emotions. The only thing is the plot got a little too kdrama'ish near the end, which made it kind of weird unbelievable. I think some ideas should have been edited out to clean it up and make it a little more realistic, like she was trying to cram too much in. It wasn't all necessary. And there was a little bit preachy info dumps about Korea. But overall, I liked it, and was crying through several parts. So, if you like kdramas, it will be something that will be a good read for you.