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Seoul #1
Heart and Seoul
From USA Today bestselling author Jen Frederick comes a heart-wrenching yet hopeful romance that shows that the price of belonging is often steeper than expected.
As a Korean adoptee, Hara Wilson doesn’t need anyone telling her she looks different from her white parents. She knows. Every time Hara looks in the mirror, she’s reminded that she doesn’t look like anyone else in her family—not her loving mother, Ellen; not her jerk of a father, Pat; and certainly not like Pat’s new wife and new “real” son.
At the age of twenty-five, she thought she had come to terms with it all, but when her father suddenly dies, an offhand comment at his funeral triggers an identity crisis that has her running off to Seoul in search of her roots.
What Hara finds there has all the makings of a classic K-drama: a tall, mysterious stranger who greets her at the airport, spontaneous adventures across the city, and a mess of familial ties, along with a red string of destiny that winds its way around her heart and soul. Hara goes to Korea looking for answers, but what she gets instead is love—a forbidden love that will either welcome Hara home…or destroy her chance of finding one.
As a Korean adoptee, Hara Wilson doesn’t need anyone telling her she looks different from her white parents. She knows. Every time Hara looks in the mirror, she’s reminded that she doesn’t look like anyone else in her family—not her loving mother, Ellen; not her jerk of a father, Pat; and certainly not like Pat’s new wife and new “real” son.
At the age of twenty-five, she thought she had come to terms with it all, but when her father suddenly dies, an offhand comment at his funeral triggers an identity crisis that has her running off to Seoul in search of her roots.
What Hara finds there has all the makings of a classic K-drama: a tall, mysterious stranger who greets her at the airport, spontaneous adventures across the city, and a mess of familial ties, along with a red string of destiny that winds its way around her heart and soul. Hara goes to Korea looking for answers, but what she gets instead is love—a forbidden love that will either welcome Hara home…or destroy her chance of finding one.
330 pages, Paperback
First published May 25, 2021
186 people are currently reading
11911 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 675 reviews
December 14, 2022
I have been putting off writing this review for a very long time, for a very simple reason:
I don't want to think about it.
I was forced into reading this books through a lil comedy of errors, which is just a more charming (and pretentious) way of saying that I accidentally nabbed the e-ARC of the sequel to this on Netgalley for cover love alone, tried to read it, was confused beyond human comprehension, realized my mistake, and then had to read this.
I never had interest in doing so, AND I only realized I would have to after reading enough of its little sibling to know I probably wasn't going to like it, AND when I read reviews before reading (which I normally try never to do, because I cave to peer pressure like it's my job even when it's unintended, but did this time in an attempt to learn if I reallyreally had to read it), I learned things that did not make it seem more promising.
Like for example, the fact that this was marketed as a romance even though it does not have a happy ending, which is in truth possibly the only genre requirement for a romance, and also it was never said it would be a duology, which makes everything seem like the second book was rushed into production to avoid backlash.
This would be like the funniest prank of all time, excluding the fact that I had to read both of them, and excluding the fact that the other point in favor of the sequel having been an unplanned rush job is that is is very terrible.
But I digress.
To me it felt obvious this was chick lit written by someone who typically writes indie/dark/smutty contemporary romance, which is not my scene or vibe. I am more of a chick lit / rom com reader than I am...that, and so having the writing style feel so similar and also not have a real romance was a bit of a lose lose.
FURTHERMORE.
The thing about having your protagonist say "oh my gosh, this is like a soap opera," is that you should maybe also realize that you are thereby forcing your readers through a soap opera when you told them you were giving them a fun and fluffy romance, and maybe this should be an epiphany roughly equivalent in feeling and effectiveness to being woken up with a tub of ice water thrown over your hear.
I digress again.
The ultimate reveal that we receive in lieu of a happily ever after felt very obvious and also gross and I want it on the record that next time we can leave it at a happy fairytale, skip the unnecessary sequel, and all go home.
Metaphorically home. I never leave mine, let alone read outside it, so I'm already here.
Bottom line: The book equivalent of a jumpscare.
------------------
pre-review
once again i have accidentally received an arc of a sequel and then had to read the first book.
i'm my own worst enemy.
update: things went as you would expect.
review to come / 2 stars
I don't want to think about it.
I was forced into reading this books through a lil comedy of errors, which is just a more charming (and pretentious) way of saying that I accidentally nabbed the e-ARC of the sequel to this on Netgalley for cover love alone, tried to read it, was confused beyond human comprehension, realized my mistake, and then had to read this.
I never had interest in doing so, AND I only realized I would have to after reading enough of its little sibling to know I probably wasn't going to like it, AND when I read reviews before reading (which I normally try never to do, because I cave to peer pressure like it's my job even when it's unintended, but did this time in an attempt to learn if I reallyreally had to read it), I learned things that did not make it seem more promising.
Like for example, the fact that this was marketed as a romance even though it does not have a happy ending, which is in truth possibly the only genre requirement for a romance, and also it was never said it would be a duology, which makes everything seem like the second book was rushed into production to avoid backlash.
This would be like the funniest prank of all time, excluding the fact that I had to read both of them, and excluding the fact that the other point in favor of the sequel having been an unplanned rush job is that is is very terrible.
But I digress.
To me it felt obvious this was chick lit written by someone who typically writes indie/dark/smutty contemporary romance, which is not my scene or vibe. I am more of a chick lit / rom com reader than I am...that, and so having the writing style feel so similar and also not have a real romance was a bit of a lose lose.
FURTHERMORE.
The thing about having your protagonist say "oh my gosh, this is like a soap opera," is that you should maybe also realize that you are thereby forcing your readers through a soap opera when you told them you were giving them a fun and fluffy romance, and maybe this should be an epiphany roughly equivalent in feeling and effectiveness to being woken up with a tub of ice water thrown over your hear.
I digress again.
The ultimate reveal that we receive in lieu of a happily ever after felt very obvious and also gross and I want it on the record that next time we can leave it at a happy fairytale, skip the unnecessary sequel, and all go home.
Metaphorically home. I never leave mine, let alone read outside it, so I'm already here.
Bottom line: The book equivalent of a jumpscare.
------------------
pre-review
once again i have accidentally received an arc of a sequel and then had to read the first book.
i'm my own worst enemy.
update: things went as you would expect.
review to come / 2 stars
June 18, 2021
I would have liked to know this was a woman's fiction title so my expectation for the romance (which is my main pull picking a book) wouldn't have been so high.
Although I enjoyed most of Hara's self discovery journey, I couldn't feel much romance wise and that's just a shame. I won't even explain the letdown of not getting a proper HEA. That just blows. Don't make me stan for a couple that was never meant to be in the first place. Saves me time and heartache. HEA/HFN or GTFO, my romance reader heart is wired this way.
**Edited to add: When I was offered an advanced review copy back in February 2021, there was absolutely no mention whatsoever of a second book or even an inkling at a possible duology for Heart and Seoul from the publisher. It came to my attention that the book has VERY recently been marked as part of a series on Goodreads and that book two is now available for preorder on most book retailers (set to release early 2022) Hopefully this will settle with an HEA for those who are invested in these characters and were expecting a romance.
More reviews and book talk at :
You can find me here too ☞
Although I enjoyed most of Hara's self discovery journey, I couldn't feel much romance wise and that's just a shame. I won't even explain the letdown of not getting a proper HEA. That just blows. Don't make me stan for a couple that was never meant to be in the first place. Saves me time and heartache. HEA/HFN or GTFO, my romance reader heart is wired this way.
**Edited to add: When I was offered an advanced review copy back in February 2021, there was absolutely no mention whatsoever of a second book or even an inkling at a possible duology for Heart and Seoul from the publisher. It came to my attention that the book has VERY recently been marked as part of a series on Goodreads and that book two is now available for preorder on most book retailers (set to release early 2022) Hopefully this will settle with an HEA for those who are invested in these characters and were expecting a romance.
More reviews and book talk at :
You can find me here too ☞
June 26, 2021
2.5 stars.
I have to start off by saying a big part of my disappointment in this book is the way it was marketed. It literally says "a heart-wrenching yet hopeful romance." Sure this book is heart-wrenching, but it's not a romance and really not hopeful. At all. Overall it was pretty depressing. She does have a relationship with a guy, but there's no HEA and I didn't really get a depth to that relationship beyond she liked spending time with him.
The main focus of this book is Hara going to Seoul to discover more about there family after her adoptive father dies and her biological father reaching out. I have to say, Hara isn't a very likable character. She's very selfish and doesn't really think about how anything she does affects others. She laughs off things she does like throwing money at things and getting into the car with a complete stranger in a foreign country just because he's handsome. Then, it felt like this book went on and on and on as we followed her trying to track down who her birth mother is. I was just mostly bored with the story and not a fan of the main character, so it was really hard to like this book.
I have to start off by saying a big part of my disappointment in this book is the way it was marketed. It literally says "a heart-wrenching yet hopeful romance." Sure this book is heart-wrenching, but it's not a romance and really not hopeful. At all. Overall it was pretty depressing. She does have a relationship with a guy, but there's no HEA and I didn't really get a depth to that relationship beyond she liked spending time with him.
The main focus of this book is Hara going to Seoul to discover more about there family after her adoptive father dies and her biological father reaching out. I have to say, Hara isn't a very likable character. She's very selfish and doesn't really think about how anything she does affects others. She laughs off things she does like throwing money at things and getting into the car with a complete stranger in a foreign country just because he's handsome. Then, it felt like this book went on and on and on as we followed her trying to track down who her birth mother is. I was just mostly bored with the story and not a fan of the main character, so it was really hard to like this book.
February 21, 2021
An emotionally compelling novel, filled with progression and character growth that is both soothing and romantic...
As a Jen Frederick lover, I can truly say this novel... was one of a kind when it comes down to her writing. I was expecting something, but got something else in return. A positive feedback of course, one that took my breath away from loving everything about Hara and her way of adventure when trying to find her real identity.
From her travels after her father's death, you can see the writing growing and her opening up to an emotional level that she never did before. Even in the writing you can sense and read the progress of character growth. At first, Hara is seemed as a timid individual who keeps her emotions to herself. Towards the end, the progression grows as her personality changes to being more bold and attentive.
Though I was expecting more romance, once again, only stating that because of past books by Jen. I was surprised to see the minimal amount. I was okay with that, just wanted a touch more. With that being said, I think Jen has done a great job and am looking forward to more of her writing!
ARC kindly provided by Berkley Romance in exchange for an honest review...
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As a Jen Frederick lover, I can truly say this novel... was one of a kind when it comes down to her writing. I was expecting something, but got something else in return. A positive feedback of course, one that took my breath away from loving everything about Hara and her way of adventure when trying to find her real identity.
From her travels after her father's death, you can see the writing growing and her opening up to an emotional level that she never did before. Even in the writing you can sense and read the progress of character growth. At first, Hara is seemed as a timid individual who keeps her emotions to herself. Towards the end, the progression grows as her personality changes to being more bold and attentive.
Though I was expecting more romance, once again, only stating that because of past books by Jen. I was surprised to see the minimal amount. I was okay with that, just wanted a touch more. With that being said, I think Jen has done a great job and am looking forward to more of her writing!
ARC kindly provided by Berkley Romance in exchange for an honest review...
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March 31, 2021
I read this book cover to cover in one shot and have not shut up about it. With enough twists and turns to sit at the table with even the most addictive K-dramas, Heart and Seoul is a romantic, heartclenchy, soapy delight.
June 21, 2021
ALL. OF. THE. STARS. EVERY SINGLE ONE.
Review to come, but if you love a sweet cinnamon roll of a main male lead and are as obsessed with K DRAMAS as I am, you will love this book! There will be a second and yes the HEA/HFN will be in that (I’m sure in true k drama fashion!) so please ignore the ignorant and honestly close-minded 1 and 2 star reviews that are blaming the author for things the publisher had control over and not the author (like cover, marketing, blurb etc). It’s basically a bunch of white reviewers gatekeeping who can and can’t write romance and are purposefully tanking an own-voice romance author. It’s gross.
I will have an IGTV up soon! But if you want to see my live immediate reaction…I saved it to a highlight on my insta 🙈 Heart & Seoul Reaction Highlight
———————————————
CLICK HERE TO WATCH MY IGTV REVIEW
If I could give this book all of the stars, I would! Ever since I discovered K Dramas a few years back (thanks to Maurene Goo and her book “I Believe in a Thing Called Love”), all I wanted was more books that gave me the emotional rollercoaster of amazing-ness that is a K Drama. And OMG did Jen Frederick deliver!
This book is the first of two books in a duology telling the story of Hara, a Korean American adoptee, journeying to Seoul to not only find herself and her “Koreanness” but her birth parents. What she finds is friendships, a love for Korea, and A SWEET CINNAMON BUN OF A MAN NAMED YUJUN 🥺
This book will make you laugh and cry and squeeze a pillow in sheer FEELS OVERWHELMING YOU! Even if you aren’t Korean American or an adoptee, you will absolutely relate to Hara’s journey of finding herself, learning to break free from her past pressures, and opening herself to a wildly different future than she ever had planned.
I don’t want to give much away, but I just adored this book. Recently I have just been bingeing audiobooks and nothing was going higher than 3 stars for me (which is insanity if you know me). This book has me wanting to slow down and savor it, and then has left me so hungover (THAT. ENDING. Y’ALL!!!! I NEED BOOK TWO ASAP - go look at my story highlight to see the mess I was) that I basically have quit books and jumped right back into K Dramas (watching Start-Up and ITS ALREADY SO GOOD).
If you are excited about this one, let me know in the comments! Several booksta friends and I will be hosting a 20 WINNER GIVEAWAY (INCLUDING TWO INTERNATIONAL WINNERS) STARTING TOMORROW (6/22/2021)!!!!!
*thank you to Berkley for the free eARC. My opinion is entirely my own and lol at anyone thinking I care about a publisher’s feelings so really I JUST LOVED THIS ONE*
Review to come, but if you love a sweet cinnamon roll of a main male lead and are as obsessed with K DRAMAS as I am, you will love this book! There will be a second and yes the HEA/HFN will be in that (I’m sure in true k drama fashion!) so please ignore the ignorant and honestly close-minded 1 and 2 star reviews that are blaming the author for things the publisher had control over and not the author (like cover, marketing, blurb etc). It’s basically a bunch of white reviewers gatekeeping who can and can’t write romance and are purposefully tanking an own-voice romance author. It’s gross.
I will have an IGTV up soon! But if you want to see my live immediate reaction…I saved it to a highlight on my insta 🙈 Heart & Seoul Reaction Highlight
———————————————
CLICK HERE TO WATCH MY IGTV REVIEW
If I could give this book all of the stars, I would! Ever since I discovered K Dramas a few years back (thanks to Maurene Goo and her book “I Believe in a Thing Called Love”), all I wanted was more books that gave me the emotional rollercoaster of amazing-ness that is a K Drama. And OMG did Jen Frederick deliver!
This book is the first of two books in a duology telling the story of Hara, a Korean American adoptee, journeying to Seoul to not only find herself and her “Koreanness” but her birth parents. What she finds is friendships, a love for Korea, and A SWEET CINNAMON BUN OF A MAN NAMED YUJUN 🥺
This book will make you laugh and cry and squeeze a pillow in sheer FEELS OVERWHELMING YOU! Even if you aren’t Korean American or an adoptee, you will absolutely relate to Hara’s journey of finding herself, learning to break free from her past pressures, and opening herself to a wildly different future than she ever had planned.
I don’t want to give much away, but I just adored this book. Recently I have just been bingeing audiobooks and nothing was going higher than 3 stars for me (which is insanity if you know me). This book has me wanting to slow down and savor it, and then has left me so hungover (THAT. ENDING. Y’ALL!!!! I NEED BOOK TWO ASAP - go look at my story highlight to see the mess I was) that I basically have quit books and jumped right back into K Dramas (watching Start-Up and ITS ALREADY SO GOOD).
If you are excited about this one, let me know in the comments! Several booksta friends and I will be hosting a 20 WINNER GIVEAWAY (INCLUDING TWO INTERNATIONAL WINNERS) STARTING TOMORROW (6/22/2021)!!!!!
*thank you to Berkley for the free eARC. My opinion is entirely my own and lol at anyone thinking I care about a publisher’s feelings so really I JUST LOVED THIS ONE*
January 22, 2022
I really enjoyed this book! It had lots of interesting K-drama worthy angst and twists. It had a cool storyline of Hara, who has recently graduated from college, discovering her roots after her father dies and she travels to Korea to search for information about her biological parents. I liked the friendship with Boyoung and some of the scenes of her discovering Seoul for the first time with her temporary flatmates.
I feel it’s only fair to concur with other reviewers in pointing out that the blurb clearly categorizes this is as a romance, however in all fairness to readers, there is not a HEA/HFN or anything close to it. So I’d go in not with the expectation that this is a romance, but rather that it is more of a work of contemporary fiction with a love story included but mainly a story about a young woman’s exploration of her identity, and a great look at the issues surrounding adoption and the experience of coming from one country by birth but being raised in another… with some fun touristy scenes thrown in! I see there is a book two and I will definitely be reading on in the hopes that maybe Hara may eventually get her HEA after all!
I feel it’s only fair to concur with other reviewers in pointing out that the blurb clearly categorizes this is as a romance, however in all fairness to readers, there is not a HEA/HFN or anything close to it. So I’d go in not with the expectation that this is a romance, but rather that it is more of a work of contemporary fiction with a love story included but mainly a story about a young woman’s exploration of her identity, and a great look at the issues surrounding adoption and the experience of coming from one country by birth but being raised in another… with some fun touristy scenes thrown in! I see there is a book two and I will definitely be reading on in the hopes that maybe Hara may eventually get her HEA after all!
May 25, 2021
I'm not going to lie this review is really hard for me to write. Which isn't surprising because I found the first 50 percent of this book hard to read. I read to escape from reality for a few hours and this was all just too real. And I know that a few reviews compared this to a Korean drama and it might be, I've not seen any. But as an adoptee I was too busy feeling all those emotions.
It was so well written that I completely felt all of those feels. I had a feeling that I knew what was coming and in parts I did. In others I was too busy trying to figure out how this newest bombshell would affect the information we had just gotten. And hoping that Hara could catch a break long enough to deal with her emotions.
I absolutely want to kill Jen for that ending. It wasn't enough, I need happiness and sunshine and wedding bells and babies. For the last five percent I kept praying for the page numbers to change so I could get another conclusion. I feel like everything is still so unresolved and yet everything is resolved. Just not how I wanted it to be.
It was so well written that I completely felt all of those feels. I had a feeling that I knew what was coming and in parts I did. In others I was too busy trying to figure out how this newest bombshell would affect the information we had just gotten. And hoping that Hara could catch a break long enough to deal with her emotions.
I absolutely want to kill Jen for that ending. It wasn't enough, I need happiness and sunshine and wedding bells and babies. For the last five percent I kept praying for the page numbers to change so I could get another conclusion. I feel like everything is still so unresolved and yet everything is resolved. Just not how I wanted it to be.
May 30, 2021
I read about 25% of this book, and then I made the mistake of glancing at some Goodreads reviews... and....
It's not a HEA. It's not even a HFN.
So like any sane person, I skipped to the last two chapters to confirm. (Con confirm. No HEA or HFN in sight. Probably more the opposite.) And I just don't have the emotional bandwidth to journey through a novel only for it to leave me utterly depressed at the end. This doesn't even seem like those makes-you-cry-in-a-good-way books. Even in the first quarter, a lot of crappy stuff happens--we saw two people die. From what I've heard, even more bad stuff happens in the latter 75%.
An author shouldn't be faulted for the way their book is marketed--I'm looking at you Berkley--but the issues with this one go beyond a misleadingly cute cover, title, and blurb. I just can't imagine anyone who would want to read a story with this kind of ending.
I don't really have a problem with the writing style, though I think there was a lot of unnecessary detail making the beginning verge on women's fiction, and I really liked learning more about the Korean culture. In fact, that's one reason I considered sticking it out. I love to be taken new places by books, and I think this one would have accomplished that. But I just cannot handle a book leaving me in such a bad place.
Thank you to Berkley for my eARC! All thoughts and opinions are my own.
2 stars - 4/10
It's not a HEA. It's not even a HFN.
So like any sane person, I skipped to the last two chapters to confirm. (Con confirm. No HEA or HFN in sight. Probably more the opposite.) And I just don't have the emotional bandwidth to journey through a novel only for it to leave me utterly depressed at the end. This doesn't even seem like those makes-you-cry-in-a-good-way books. Even in the first quarter, a lot of crappy stuff happens--we saw two people die. From what I've heard, even more bad stuff happens in the latter 75%.
An author shouldn't be faulted for the way their book is marketed--I'm looking at you Berkley--but the issues with this one go beyond a misleadingly cute cover, title, and blurb. I just can't imagine anyone who would want to read a story with this kind of ending.
I don't really have a problem with the writing style, though I think there was a lot of unnecessary detail making the beginning verge on women's fiction, and I really liked learning more about the Korean culture. In fact, that's one reason I considered sticking it out. I love to be taken new places by books, and I think this one would have accomplished that. But I just cannot handle a book leaving me in such a bad place.
Thank you to Berkley for my eARC! All thoughts and opinions are my own.
2 stars - 4/10
June 18, 2022
I knew going into this there was no HEA (at least not until book 2) but I still didn't enjoy this as much as I wanted to. The heroine was all over the place and the reveal at the end was SO strange.
May 28, 2021
4.5/ 5 stars
Update: There is now going to be a book 2 called Seoulmates!
I absolutely loved this book! Is this your typical predictable romance? No. I cried. I was shocked. I was amazed. This book was not what I was expecting at all. I would go into it thinking of it more as women's fiction. I loved this book and I loved learning so much about Korean culture.
I know Jen Frederick as part of the amazing Erin Watt duo. I loved the Paper Princess series. So I was super excited to read something that she had written on her own.
The narrator is Hara Wilson (25 years old, 1st person POV). She grew up in Iowa. But she was born in South Korea. Her adoptive mom is Ellen.
This book is part women's fiction and part romance. There is romance in this book. However, it's not the main focus of the story. This book focuses on Hara's journey. We get to see what it's like to live in the US and be adopted from another country. And we learn so much about Korean culture.
Hara grew up as the only Asian student at her school. So she never felt like she fit in. She didn't look like her parents or anyone else in town. Yet she didn't know Korean so she really did not fit in there either.
Learning about Korean culture was so interesting. And I loved the main setting for this story. I absolutely loved getting to see South Korea. And I loved all of the characters there.
Three characters of note are Yujun Choi, Boyoung and Jules. Yujun is someone Hara meets at the airport. Boyoung is a friend that she met in Iowa. And Jules is one of her roommates in Korea.
I absolutely loved everything to do with Yujun. And I especially adored every part of the story that he was in.
There were parts of the first half that were a bit slower. The second half was much stronger for me. I was mesmerized and I could not put the book down. I really did not know where the story was going. And that is what I love about this book. I don't want predictable and boring. I want the author to shock me and surprise me and take me to new places.
I will think about this book for a while. It was not what I was expecting. It was compelling and surprising. Don't go into this book thinking that it is just a romance. There is really so much more to the book.
Thanks to netgalley and Berkley for allowing me to read this book.
Update: There is now going to be a book 2 called Seoulmates!
I absolutely loved this book! Is this your typical predictable romance? No. I cried. I was shocked. I was amazed. This book was not what I was expecting at all. I would go into it thinking of it more as women's fiction. I loved this book and I loved learning so much about Korean culture.
I know Jen Frederick as part of the amazing Erin Watt duo. I loved the Paper Princess series. So I was super excited to read something that she had written on her own.
The narrator is Hara Wilson (25 years old, 1st person POV). She grew up in Iowa. But she was born in South Korea. Her adoptive mom is Ellen.
This book is part women's fiction and part romance. There is romance in this book. However, it's not the main focus of the story. This book focuses on Hara's journey. We get to see what it's like to live in the US and be adopted from another country. And we learn so much about Korean culture.
Hara grew up as the only Asian student at her school. So she never felt like she fit in. She didn't look like her parents or anyone else in town. Yet she didn't know Korean so she really did not fit in there either.
Learning about Korean culture was so interesting. And I loved the main setting for this story. I absolutely loved getting to see South Korea. And I loved all of the characters there.
Three characters of note are Yujun Choi, Boyoung and Jules. Yujun is someone Hara meets at the airport. Boyoung is a friend that she met in Iowa. And Jules is one of her roommates in Korea.
I absolutely loved everything to do with Yujun. And I especially adored every part of the story that he was in.
There were parts of the first half that were a bit slower. The second half was much stronger for me. I was mesmerized and I could not put the book down. I really did not know where the story was going. And that is what I love about this book. I don't want predictable and boring. I want the author to shock me and surprise me and take me to new places.
I will think about this book for a while. It was not what I was expecting. It was compelling and surprising. Don't go into this book thinking that it is just a romance. There is really so much more to the book.
Thanks to netgalley and Berkley for allowing me to read this book.
Read
April 22, 2021DNF @12% because apparently it's not a romance? Would have still been down just to learn more about Korean culture but it also sounds like, from other reviews, it's a bit of a downer, which is not what I signed up for. Not gonna rate because it's not fair to knock an author for a mistake marketing made. Really disappointed because this sounded like all my catnip.
Read
August 1, 2021DNF.
This book had promise in the first 30% when we find out about Hara and her biological father and her trip to Korea. I felt very invested in her grieving process and path to finding out her mother's identity. It had flatlined in the middle and I found myself skimming. I decided to finally finish the book at 50%. I wouldn't recommend this one.
This book had promise in the first 30% when we find out about Hara and her biological father and her trip to Korea. I felt very invested in her grieving process and path to finding out her mother's identity. It had flatlined in the middle and I found myself skimming. I decided to finally finish the book at 50%. I wouldn't recommend this one.
April 1, 2021
It pains me to say I didn't really like this one...spoiler: this is NOT a HEA romance! Boo. Nice story of adopted Korean-American woman wanting to learn more about her birthland and parents, but the romance was lacking in this one (FL and ML were more good friends, minimal chemistry other than ML is incredibly handsome and FL is enamored instantly). FL was a bit lackluster and kind of wimpy IMO, didn't really connect with her. And as I said, this has a very unsatisfactory ending if you're a diehard HEA romance reader (which I am!). Don't give me that cute title and cover package and not deliver on the romance!
April 6, 2021
If K-drama is your thing, then 'Heart and Seoul' will speak tons to your heart. Tons of ups and down, loads of angst and shirt-tearing-wailing moments, as dramatic music plays in the background...and then the credits roll.
But I threw in the towel after skimming through, because it's mistakenly classified as YA-romance...and 'Heart and Seoul' has an ending that is far from what my own personal definition of a romance is supposed to be.
*ARC by the publisher via Netgalley
But I threw in the towel after skimming through, because it's mistakenly classified as YA-romance...and 'Heart and Seoul' has an ending that is far from what my own personal definition of a romance is supposed to be.
*ARC by the publisher via Netgalley
May 31, 2021
THREE POINT SEVEN-FIVE
H&S:
(First I should say I didn't read the blurb so I didn't know what the book was about. I made some assumptions based on the book cover: the story would be a standalone romance possibly taking place in Korea. 1 out of 3 of my assumptions was right.)
1) Hara (the main character) was born in Korea and left at a fire station.
2) Hara was adopted and raised in Iowa by a white couple.
3) Hara does a DNA and discovers she matches with a man in Korea.
3) After her adopted dad dies, 25-year-old Hara wants to go to Korea to meet her birth dad.
4) Hara takes a 2-week vacation to go to Korea to meet this man.
5) A mix-up at the airport with a handsome stranger, Yujun, is the start to an instant attraction between Yujun and Hara.
The overall storyline is Hara trying to figure out who her birth parents are and what that means for her life.
H&S has been compared to a K-drama. If K-drama's are like American Soap Operas I could see that especially when the connections between the people in Hara's life get revealed and things get messy.
When the book ends there isn't a resolution. Hara and her love interest Yujun aren't living their happily ever after or even their happily for now. If I hadn't seen on Goodreads that there will be a book 2 coming out later this year I'd be disappointed in how it just ends with Hara left in an unhappy situation.
H&S is a continuing story. That wasn't made clear at the end of the audio I was listening to. I'm not sure if the kindle version lets readers know that or not.
One last thing - the story isn't heavy with romance. The romance is secondary to Hara's search for her birth parents. H&S reminded me more of a Women's Fiction.
H&S:
(First I should say I didn't read the blurb so I didn't know what the book was about. I made some assumptions based on the book cover: the story would be a standalone romance possibly taking place in Korea. 1 out of 3 of my assumptions was right.)
1) Hara (the main character) was born in Korea and left at a fire station.
2) Hara was adopted and raised in Iowa by a white couple.
3) Hara does a DNA and discovers she matches with a man in Korea.
3) After her adopted dad dies, 25-year-old Hara wants to go to Korea to meet her birth dad.
4) Hara takes a 2-week vacation to go to Korea to meet this man.
5) A mix-up at the airport with a handsome stranger, Yujun, is the start to an instant attraction between Yujun and Hara.
The overall storyline is Hara trying to figure out who her birth parents are and what that means for her life.
H&S has been compared to a K-drama. If K-drama's are like American Soap Operas I could see that especially when the connections between the people in Hara's life get revealed and things get messy.
When the book ends there isn't a resolution. Hara and her love interest Yujun aren't living their happily ever after or even their happily for now. If I hadn't seen on Goodreads that there will be a book 2 coming out later this year I'd be disappointed in how it just ends with Hara left in an unhappy situation.
H&S is a continuing story. That wasn't made clear at the end of the audio I was listening to. I'm not sure if the kindle version lets readers know that or not.
One last thing - the story isn't heavy with romance. The romance is secondary to Hara's search for her birth parents. H&S reminded me more of a Women's Fiction.
Audio book source: Library
Narrator: Greta Jung
Length: 12H 15M
did-not-finish
January 4, 2022DNF at 74% because I just can’t read any more. It reads like a YA novel but isn’t? It’s supposed to be romantic but is actually not? The main character has a sympathetic story but I simply can’t attach to her - I have tried. And tried. The extensive descriptions of Seoul are beautiful though.
November 5, 2023
Die ersten 300 Seiten haben mir unglaublich gut gefallen. Der Schreibstil war sehr angenehm und das Setting richtig toll beschrieben. Ich fand Haras Suche nach ihrer Familie sehr spannend. Yojun mochte ich auch sehr gerne. Dieses ganze Stiefgeschwister Ding hat für mich das Buch leider ins negative gezogen. Sowas ist einfach nicht mein Trope.
Das ist das 2 Buch von der Autorin (bzw. Ihrem Pseudonym) das ich gelesen habe und beide haben mich inhaltlich ziemlich enttäuscht. Ich denke die Bücher der Autorin sind nichts für mich.
Das ist das 2 Buch von der Autorin (bzw. Ihrem Pseudonym) das ich gelesen habe und beide haben mich inhaltlich ziemlich enttäuscht. Ich denke die Bücher der Autorin sind nichts für mich.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 20, 2021
Not a romance at all! It says contemporary romance on the back… absolutely not. I feel like I was catfished into reading this book. Definitely a huge disappointment.
June 11, 2021
This was such a good book! I appreciated, right off the bat, that Frederick had this book end on a cliffhanger (the second book comes out in January 2022) and for a romance book, even one that will be in a series, I appreciated that this was intentional. I believed that I was reading a K-Drama, because it contained the elements that I have come to see and love in the K-drams that I have seen in the past.
Right off the bat, this book stands out because of the #OwnVoices nature of story. Jen Frederick is a Korean adoptee, and her character is also a Korean adoptee who returns to Korea and find herself caught up in an act of destiny that can only be discovered in Seoul.
Hara Wilson is a Korean adoptee who lives in Iowa, and while she hasn't always felt disconnected from her adoptive family and home, it isn't until the funeral of her adoptive father Pat (along with the snide comments about her not being the "real" child) and an email from her birth father after conducting a DNA test enables her to take the trip to Korea to discover her family.
What happens in Seoul once her plan lands is nothing short of a K-Drama, and the ebb and flow that Frederick brings to the novel keep you engaged and reading. While this is def a romance, the mystery of finding the birth parents of Hara Wilson, while also balancing her dual identity as an American and Korean in Korea and everything else that is combined makes for an amazing novel and new adult romance debut for the author.
I highly recommend this, and I can't wait to get my hands on the sequel!
Right off the bat, this book stands out because of the #OwnVoices nature of story. Jen Frederick is a Korean adoptee, and her character is also a Korean adoptee who returns to Korea and find herself caught up in an act of destiny that can only be discovered in Seoul.
Hara Wilson is a Korean adoptee who lives in Iowa, and while she hasn't always felt disconnected from her adoptive family and home, it isn't until the funeral of her adoptive father Pat (along with the snide comments about her not being the "real" child) and an email from her birth father after conducting a DNA test enables her to take the trip to Korea to discover her family.
What happens in Seoul once her plan lands is nothing short of a K-Drama, and the ebb and flow that Frederick brings to the novel keep you engaged and reading. While this is def a romance, the mystery of finding the birth parents of Hara Wilson, while also balancing her dual identity as an American and Korean in Korea and everything else that is combined makes for an amazing novel and new adult romance debut for the author.
I highly recommend this, and I can't wait to get my hands on the sequel!
April 6, 2021
Jen Frederick's stories are always an automatic one click for me. I have fallen in love with her romances and could not wait for another love story from her. For that reason, I was super excited to read Heart and Seoul . This novel however, while uplifting and poignant at points was a bit of a mixed bag for me as it was bittersweet and almost depressing in some ways.
I absolutely loved learning about Hara's Korean culture and seeing her character's progression throughout the story. But as a diehard romance reader, this was not the Jen Frederick story I am used to. In all transparency this story is not really a romance. It is a story of a woman looking to find herself and her roots after the death of her adopted father. While heartwarming and hopeful, I was expecting more from this story. Quite frankly, from the cover and the blurb I was expecting more of a "new life/new love" kind of storyline set in Seoul. But this story was heavy on the family dynamics and secrets with little to no romance. I actually finished the story very upset and sad for Hara which is the opposite of how I usually feel when reading stories from this author.
While I enjoyed Hara's character development from a timid woman not knowing her worth into a strong and assertive woman, I would have loved a little more development on the romance side. Overall, this was a nice and different kind of read from this author. 3.5 stars ~Ratula
I absolutely loved learning about Hara's Korean culture and seeing her character's progression throughout the story. But as a diehard romance reader, this was not the Jen Frederick story I am used to. In all transparency this story is not really a romance. It is a story of a woman looking to find herself and her roots after the death of her adopted father. While heartwarming and hopeful, I was expecting more from this story. Quite frankly, from the cover and the blurb I was expecting more of a "new life/new love" kind of storyline set in Seoul. But this story was heavy on the family dynamics and secrets with little to no romance. I actually finished the story very upset and sad for Hara which is the opposite of how I usually feel when reading stories from this author.
While I enjoyed Hara's character development from a timid woman not knowing her worth into a strong and assertive woman, I would have loved a little more development on the romance side. Overall, this was a nice and different kind of read from this author. 3.5 stars ~Ratula
Want to read
February 3, 2021Super excited <3 <3
May 9, 2022
Endearing and dramatic story about not belonging and finding your place. An adoptee from Korea, Hara Wilson travels from Iowa to Korea to find her birth parents after her adoptive father's death. As she traces her roots, Hara finds love, rejection, and acceptance, and a family drama that gets more complicated and intense at every turn.
December 29, 2021
disappointed :(
February 24, 2022
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Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Books for inviting me to read Heart and Seoul and for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review!
A review will be up on my blog on February 24, 2022 at 10 am CST on Honey Roselea Reads for you guys to check out!
My review on Heart & Seoul will be accessible using this link from February 24, 2022 at 10 am CST and onward.
For now, here is a preview to what the review will look like:
❀❀❀❀
3.5 stars
When Hara Wilson has the opportunity to go to Seoul in search of her birth parents, she is unexpectedly thrown into a whirlwind romance and the drama of the search for her true biological mother, things seem to go awry and unexpected. But as Hara navigates Seoul, she finds herself... [ continue reading ]
12on
May 20, 2021Dear publisher,
DO NOT CALL A BOOK A ROMANCE WHEN IT'S NOT.
THIS ISN'T ROCKET SCIENCE. IT'S BASIC BOOK MARKETING 101. STOP TRYING TO CON US OUT OF OUR DOLLARS.
No. Just...no. Look, publishers, I'm going to let you in on a readerly secret that isn't a secret at all. See, life is short. Money is not limitless. Readers have many choices, and that's just books. That doesn't include streaming entertainment, sports, hanging with friends and family, etc.
You try to trick me? You get ZERO of my limited time and resources.
And that it's a book by Jen Frederick is just the cherry on the faux sundae! Seriously, Jen, don't you get blurb approval? You, of all people, should know it's not nice to fool Romancelandia.
DO NOT CALL A BOOK A ROMANCE WHEN IT'S NOT.
THIS ISN'T ROCKET SCIENCE. IT'S BASIC BOOK MARKETING 101. STOP TRYING TO CON US OUT OF OUR DOLLARS.
No. Just...no. Look, publishers, I'm going to let you in on a readerly secret that isn't a secret at all. See, life is short. Money is not limitless. Readers have many choices, and that's just books. That doesn't include streaming entertainment, sports, hanging with friends and family, etc.
You try to trick me? You get ZERO of my limited time and resources.
And that it's a book by Jen Frederick is just the cherry on the faux sundae! Seriously, Jen, don't you get blurb approval? You, of all people, should know it's not nice to fool Romancelandia.
May 9, 2021
On the one hand, there were aspects of this story that I liked (especially the bits about Seoul, as it made me want to go on a trip there one day). And there were some emotional moments, including some sections worthy of a K-drama. But on the other, I got frustrated with our main character a number of times and felt a bit whiplash with the story itself. Also, it’s not a romance (to me), and is more of a women’s fiction read.
Want to read
March 22, 2019MY BODY IS READY FOR THIS
January 4, 2022
that ending was like a car wreck you just can't look away from
February 11, 2025
Okay, I'm giving this an extra star because a GR friend knows what it's like to be a trans-racial adoptee and says that this book is very accurate on that score. I'm inclined to agree with her just based on the crap one of my adopted brothers got for not looking like us (my other adopted brother didn't either, but came young enough he picked up all of my dad's mannerisms plus had the same hair colour, etc, so people didn't look closely!)
It's shocking how many people are ignorant about adoptive families and adoption in general; comments about "real" family, rude questions about why a child looks different, asking if kids are "real" siblings (let me tell you, they are; I have both types, birth and adopted and was old enough to remember my adoptive brothers arriving although I was quite small.)
There are so many inane things going on in this book; where do I begin? One mistake was far too many coincidences. Another was that this is billed as a romance, but fails to meet the criteria--it's a contemporary novel with a romantic element; I have no idea if the sequel is one or not. I'm not going to list them all; there are longer reviews that cover more of them.
It's shocking how many people are ignorant about adoptive families and adoption in general; comments about "real" family, rude questions about why a child looks different, asking if kids are "real" siblings (let me tell you, they are; I have both types, birth and adopted and was old enough to remember my adoptive brothers arriving although I was quite small.)
There are so many inane things going on in this book; where do I begin? One mistake was far too many coincidences. Another was that this is billed as a romance, but fails to meet the criteria--it's a contemporary novel with a romantic element; I have no idea if the sequel is one or not. I'm not going to list them all; there are longer reviews that cover more of them.
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