Hart & Seoul

Hart & Seoul #1

by Kristen Burnham

Girl meets boy. Boy falls for girl. Girl discovers boy is a runaway K-pop idol in hiding.

Merilee Hart has been doing her best to keep things together since her mother left, her art a welcome escape from her depressing new reality. But things seem to go even more awry the moment her next door neighbor’s enigmatic and mysterious nephew arrives from South Korea. Lee is moody, cocky, and utterly infuriating.
But when Merri’s closest friends betray her and her father crushes her dream of going to art school, Merri finds herself drawn to Lee, who seems to live within even greater shadows than her own. And just when she thought things couldn’t get crazier, Merri’s world is upended when she discovers Lee’s big and bizarre secret…he is none other than a runaway member of the K-pop mega-group Thunder.

It’s not long before Thunder’s fans, the Storm Chasers, begin to close in on Lee, ready to do whatever it takes to return their favorite idol to his rightful place in the band. Faced with the prospect of even more heartbreak and caught up in an international whirlwind that has a life of its own, Merri realizes that she must find a way to mend herself, gain control of her life, and pursue her dreams—her heart and soul depend on it.

Genres: Romance, Young Adult, Contemporary, Fiction

256 pages, Paperback

First published June 4, 2019

Reviews

[♠ TABI⁷ ♠ · Rating 4 out of 5]

'There have been rumors that K-pop boyband Thunder has broken up, but the managers at Seoul Music want to assure fans that this is not the case. Updates will be coming soon.'
- Press release of Seoul Music, posted by KThunderfangirl.com



Brace yourselves, 'cause I'm gonna talk a lot about this book, okay?? Also there will be many kdrama/BTS/k-pop gifs in here so brace for that, too. And when I talk about Korean culture/language it's through my experience and what I've observed and noticed so if I'm mistaken about things (and tbh I probably will be hahaha), feel free to correct me cause I want to learn something the proper way or have the right information . . . but please do it nicely all right .



"My aunt would like to borrow sugar."
He may be handsome, but he definitely wasn't creative. "Good one. Why are you really here?"
He frowned. "Sugar. My aunt needs some sugar."
Oh, he is serious. "Sorry, I thought you were joking."
"Why would I joke about sugar?"



First off, I just wanna say that as soon as Lee Hyung-kim popped onto the scene (literally on page 1, I might add) I immediately began picturing him as Ji Soo. Kudos and extra kimchi to you if you know who I'm talking about, but yeah I like the casting my brain did on auto-pilot. And we're not gonna talk about how my brain auto-casts him as lots of characters cause I like his face . . .

A N Y W A Y S

🎶  Oh, my my my 🎶  was this book good!!



I've always been fascinated by pretty much anything East Asian for years now , but it really sharpened a few years ago when I realized the majority of media I watched was kung-fu movies. Honestly, I should have figured this out even longer ago when I decided Mulan was my favorite movie ever as a kid. I really don't know how to explain why these specific countries interest me so much, but I can positively say that they do. I love their histories, the mythology, the culture has a special fascination to me, I've transitioned to mostly eating Asian food (specifically Korean tbh) simply because I like it so much and it actually has a lot of health benefits, and my friends can tell you how much I've gotten into Korean face care products. I also intend to study Asian culture and history as my major, I've been slowly attempting to learn Korean for about a year now, and my goal is to be fluent in Korean, Japanese, and Chinese . . . and maaaaybe Cantonese but we'll see.



And so when I find something I'm really passionate about, I research the hell out of it. I don't mind spending days on the history of chopsticks (true story), the development of the Chinese character system (still haven't finished research in that cause uneducated me believes it takes years to really get to the bottom of that haha), and other sundry lines of curiosity. And because sometimes I have nothing but time on my hands, I can spend hours a day researching various things. So I've ended up with quite a scattered knowledge of basic culture practices; mostly Korean because that is my main point of interest for many, many reasons.

Now why, you might be wondering, am I saying all of this in a book review?



BECAUSE THIS BOOK FELT RATHER AUTHENTIC ON A LOT OF LEVELS OKAY???? Like, I was truly blown away just how massively entertaining this was and how many little Korean things the author put in here that I've either observed through research or personally experienced.



such things like:

- eating kimchi with 99% of meals
- maybe a smidge of sarcasm in conversations unless it's been picked up from TV shows/friends but mostly zero sarcasm
- asking if you're okay if you are sick/tired/not wearing makeup
(personally experienced this until I had to explain to my boyfriend that, yes, sometimes I don't look my best but it doesn't mean I'm sick or tired just that I'm lazy and prefer a natural look some days)
- the above stems from the fact that Koreans tend to be quite brutally honest, which is tbh something I personally find quite refreshing
- talking to themselves all!! the!! time!!
- taking things extremely literal (see above: re sarcasm)
- I've noticed they're generally quite expressive for the most part unless it's deep, personal emotions . . . that's where a bit of the cliche stoicness comes, I think

And, most importantly, they can be extremely hard on themselves regarding successes, both personally and professionally. Now I know it's not just a Korean thing, but it is something that is very much a part of their culture. I get that doing well is very important, but one issue that was tackled quite gracefully in this book was the fact that sometimes success and keeping a good image is put above personal health and mental well-being. That is a very rough subject and something a lot of K-pop stars struggle with . . . although thankfully I've heard it's getting better?? But something I really appreciated in this story was that the author put this issue as part of Lee Hyung-kim's arc and it was so, so, soooooo well done and I could feel the compassion and empathy behind the writing.

Now I'm not saying this is 100% authentic or that everything in here is 100% accurate . . . because in a lot of ways it isn't, it's more like authenticity as viewed through the lens of a kdrama versus years of thorough research, sensitivity checks, and many visits to Korea or staying with Koreans . . . which I'm not saying isn't worthy! It's just perhaps not as accurate as it could be, which is why in my opinion this falls into the type of category you'd shelve well-written fics or the better kind of Hallmark movies. It's mostly decent fluff, not all the way realistic or believable, but you can't deny the enjoyment or little details that make you enjoy and appreciate the fluff so much.



Anywas!! I'd like to give a shout-out to the mostly accurate use of Korean in an English-language book!! (but did the author even study Hangul/Korean language at all?? just sayin') like okay a lot of books with bilingual/multilingual characters tend to find their favorite word and overuse it . . . and yeah okay this book had it, too. I'm looking at you, 'deh'. Yes, I cringed a little bit after it cropped up more than twice a page. And really, it wasn't so much the heavy use of the word, but also the odd romanization spelling of it. I knowwwwwwww there's a few different ways to do it, and I suppose for non-native/non-learning speakers a kinda-phonetic spelling is perhaps the better choice . . . but in Hangul it is 네 [ne] so while it kinda sounds like the book-spelling choice of 'deh' . . . it also really doesn't. And while that's the prime example I've chosen, there were a few other word romanization spelling choices and Lee's explanation of them made me squirm a little. Also, there was just too much Korean mixed into the English sentences, which is something I would normally see in fan-fictions but also tends to happen with bilingual characters in books written by someone who isn't bilingual themselves or actively studying the language they've set their character(s) to speak. And maybe because it's such a common issue in books with bilingual characters (usually those written for English speaking audiences) that I'm not as sensitive about it as perhaps I should be??? Either way, this was one of the few things I thought could have been done better because it really irked me a lot, especially as someone who is studying the Korean language and can somewhat-proficiently read Hangul. Please, if you're going to put an established language that is not you one have studied nor is even your first language, do your best research. Or even get a few beta readers who know the language to double-check things! It's really not that hard.



As far as the plot goes, it's really nothing extraordinary . . . and that's okay. Honestly, the characters are what really make this book shine and the way the author writes them. Every interaction was so well-done, the banter was great, and I loooooved the classic k-drama building tension between Lee and Merri. Honestly, if you just think of this as a k-drama, it can put to rest a lot of the issues this book would have if it was trying to be something 100% serious and irl contemporary which okay there is probably a lot of pros and cons to all the little things you could take issue with in this book, but I do have to say that at least the author tried?? It's not as bad as it could be?? Not very strong reasons, but I would at least like to applaud the fact that someone is trying to write a mostly non-Western book and hopefully this is the gateway for others to learn more about Korean people and culture.



Now, I guess what maybe gave me a little bit more of a headache was that this majorly took place in America. (Which is probably for the best since this might have been worse if, say, Merri was visiting Korea and all of this was set in Korea. At least the author put this in a familiar setting for her.) So, you got a classic American YA heroine paired with a classic South Korean idol . . . not the easiest of mixes, lemme tell you. And while this would help give someone with absolutely zero information on Korean pop culture a good headstart/budding interest in it . . . I would love to see how the author might write something about the non-pop culture side of things outside what is shown in k-dramas. Or write something that isn't mostly influenced by kdramas and instead do more than just quick, basic research. Maybe live in Korea for some time, learn the language, dive into the culture, etc. Because to my views, a lot of the things in here were very K-tropey, as in things you always see in dramas. Which isn't always a bad thing!! But it is important to keep in mind that everything shown on TV isn't always the cultural reality . . . something I've personally experienced on a lot of different levels, both with me learning or someone asking me about my culture vs what is shown on American TV.

So, with this reading like a K-drama (again, no complaints cause hey I love me those dramas) there are just a lot of specific cliches in here. And they're entertaining cliches!! Such as Lee getting upset on the phone, heavy use of the word 아이씨 [aish] (tbh this is perhaps one of the acceptable mixed-into-English words and also something I've personally picked up and use quite frequently myself haha), the heart-pounding, tooth-rotting sweetness of the romance (reality isn't as drama-intense but oof I can say quite positively that it can get pretty damn close okay, especially if you stumble across the right guy), and of course the bantering arguments that really are them falling in love.



I also really appreciated the nods to popular Korean media such as Boys Over Flowers (a classic drama, but not my favorite) and of course my boys BTS.



And since this is mostly like a basic introductory from a non-Korean for Korean pop culture, I shouldn't complain much. But I would also love to see a book that introduces the not-so-popular things about Korean pop culture . . . such as the older groups. Or the old dramas. Or maybe even indie groups or smaller ones, because they're just as talented sometimes and as entertaining . . . even if they're not as wildly popular. Or honestly just non-pop Korean culture . . . hopefully, y'know, written by Korean authors themselves??? I'd really love that.

But there is a slightly bigger thing besides the language issues that I'm a little miffed about: regarding Merri's personality. Like, if you are getting involved with someone from a different country & culture PLEASE DO YOUR RESEARCH!! I'm not talking food research, although tbh with Koreans that is pretty important but I'm talking like culture research. Read up a little on their history. On what habits their culture usually follows. It really doesn't take long to learn quite a lot, even if you're a slow reader. So don't expect someone to be Google on their culture for you . . . although of course you do learn best from people who've personally lived in the country & culture you're researching DON'T EXPECT THEM TO BE YOUR ENCYCLOPEDIA!! Honestly some of the drama between Merri and Lee (oh wow okay I just got that their names together form her whole name, Merilee, wow okay I'm gonna sit mind-blown in the corner for a few minutes ahahaha) wouldn't have happened if she'd taken the time to do some basic, introductory research into Korean culture. Oh yeah, and also acted like the cultural differences weren't something for her to laugh about, either.



That being said, I did like how Lee's character (mostly in the 2nd half of the book after he was done being the introductory Google for Merri on Korean culture/basic words) was developed. Especially in regards to the stress he would be under as K-pop idol and the various challenges presented in that life. And while Merri was decently-written too, I connected way more with Lee Hyung-kim because even though both characters had pretty big personal struggles, his just seemed more genuine to me. And that's NOT because of a certain aspect of his struggle (I'm trying to avoid spoilers here like the plague okay excuse my vagueness) but mostly because I guess I found him to be the more mature of the two???

*coughs* and no I don't have him as my favorite character because I'm thinking of Ji Soo like why would you even think that??




not Ji Soo but 100% my reaction to him


A N Y W A Y S

Yes, this is a very light-hearted and fluffy read. The characters give this k-drama style book some excellent depth. Now, would I have liked to see this book a bit longer to give things a little more time to develop for ultimate angst/fluff/beauty?? Would I like this to be a bit more realistically authentic about Korean culture/language instead of just following common tropes learned via dramas? Would I have loved for Merri to be a better individual and not make fun of a different culture(especially the culture of the guy she likes and the guy who somehow likes her back)???? Yes and amen because of course I would love more of this story and these characters. But I think that does mean there is room for a sequel or follow-up novella to which I say YES PLEASE.

I received a digital copy from Mascot Books via NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

[Anja H. · Rating 4 out of 5]

*4 FANGIRLING STARS*

If you're into Korea, kpop, dramas, Korean food, or if you've ever been to Korea, YOU'RE GOING TO LOVE THIS! If you don't, you'll probably think this is too cliché, fluffy and unoriginal, and I can definitely understand that.

Anyway, I enjoyed the heck out of this and all the Korean references made me laugh out loud so many times and are basically what made me love this book so much. I just got back from Seoul 2 weeks ago and this made me miss everything there so much more! I felt like it was meant to be that I got approved to review an ARC right after I got back.
I also loved how the author randomly name-dropped BTS and Boys Over Flowers so many times lol! They're my favorite k-pop group and first k-drama ever!

The author's note made me cry though. Kim Jong-hyun, I still miss you <3

Received a free copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

[Maryam Rz. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Guess what, Tabi? 😏 I got accepted for an ARC too! And since I really really really want to understand your fascination with K-POP, even though I'm as buzzy as a horsefly (see what I did there?), I'm putting it 5th on my TBR!


(No I have no idea who that girl is—my knowledge of K-pop is less than the Kardashians, and that is below 0.01% 😂 so pray for my Seoul)

Okay Imma be honest: this (Girl meets boy. Boy falls for girl. Girl discovers boy is a runaway K-pop idol in hiding) is super intriguing, and I have no idea why it makes me laugh 😂😐

P.S. I shall require your giphy assistance while reading to fully imagine the characters. And good K-pop songs, if you would, to make up my playlist 😋

[hillary · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars

I started this book with the best intentions. And pretty high expectations, which is something you should never do with a book, regardless of its synopsis. However, I should have been more careful with this book in particular since it’s about something I love with all my heart and that coincidentally comes from another culture I wasn’t born in. This is very important because I feel like the author should have considered this too. Way more deeply than how she did here. More about it later.

This is why I went into the book expecting too much and ended up putting it down after the first 15%. Not only the main character was bland, but I had already predicted what was going to happen with her friends (dull plot arc that lasts for the entire book istg), and the K-pop artist had made his appearance but he presented himself as the usual cocky rude new next door guy. On top of this, I already had the feeling that the Korean representation would be off. It didn’t look like I would enjoy it at all.

In the end, I ended up picking it back up with the intention of reading a bit more and dnfing it if I still didn’t like it. I lowered my expectations to zero. This is when the book blew my mind with how taken I was by the story once I reached the 25% mark. I’m still trying to understand what made me keep reading and reading without wanting to stop. Was it because I was listening to K-pop full blast with my headphones and it helped me concentrate? Was it because of the writing style? Or because I wanted to see where the story would go?

I was for sure really interested in Lee Hyung Kim all of a sudden. He kinda grew on me a little bit. I think I was obsessed with knowing more about his career? And he was sweet. What I don’t get is why it felt like I liked the writing style when in actuality I didn’t. Maybe it was because it’s simple and quick, however I swear I couldn’t stand all of those parenthesis or exclamation marks. It looked like this book was written by a fangirl obsessing over her idols on twitter, and I don’t mean this in a good way. Especially because with everything else, the book read like a self-insert fanfiction.

Still, I guess I enjoyed the reading experience! Despite some stuff that really irked me which I’m going to go into now.

First of all, the Korean words used in this book are written incorrectly, and I don’t understand how they ended up in the finished book like that. I get that maybe the author (and the editor?) wanted the reader to read those words with the correct pronunciation, but there are better ways to make sure of that. This was the worst one they could come up with. For example, ‘yes’ in Korean should be romanized as ‘ne’, but in this book it was written as ‘deh’. Another example is ‘mwo?’, which was ‘bo?’ here. There’s a bunch more, like the way Lee Hyung Kim’s name was spelled in dialogue, but these are only the most repeated words that I remember because they bothered me a lot.
You know, you can have a key at the beginning or end of the book to help the reader with the pronunciation of some words. It’s not a new thing.

Secondly, I don’t understand the reason why those Korean words were there in the first place. I guarantee you that when non-English speakers come to an English-speaking country, they don’t intersperse their sentences with words from their language. They just speak English. Period. They won’t say words in their language, if not by mistake, and then not explain them, expecting the other person to understand what they said.
It looked to me like Lee Hyung Kim’s nationality was fetishized. The author would find every possible excuse to have him mention or show that he was Korean, implicitly or explicitly. In every single page. Like, give me my eyes back after I read a million aigoos and dehs.
There are healthier ways to show your admiration for a culture. This ain’t it.

Thirdly, Lee Hyung Kim behaved like an idiot in the first quarter of the book. To me it seemed like the author still wanted to grandly show that he was a foreigner. A foreigner who doesn’t know anything about American culture? How is that even possible, please. He behaved like he had come to the US expecting it to be exactly like South Korea. Like that thing with the glasses size when they eat out (which I find super weird in itself, by the way). New country, new culture, bigger glasses, Mr. Lee. It’s only normal you find different things in a different country.

To sum up, this book would have been much better if the author had actually done research instead of writing the book leaning on her very superficial knowledge of Korean culture; knowledge that comes from listening to K-pop and watching a kdrama episode here and there only.

The rest was fine. This book didn’t blow my mind or anything, but it entertained me for a while. I would consider going into it knowing that it’s not the best young adult K-pop book out there in any way, though. And that the Korean representation is not super problematic but it goes in that direction, and I wouldn’t be surprised if a Korean reader felt a bit insulted by this book.

I received an advanced reader copy through Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

[sarika ♡ · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm about to GO OFF
(ARC kindly provided my my gs at netgalley (idk why i said that i'm so sorry))

Ummmm……. Yeah that was cringe.

To be completely honest, from the synopsis of this book I was somewhat aware of the fact that chances were very slim that the author was going to get this right, and, lo and behold, I was correct.

This book read like it was written by a twelve year old that loves K-Pop and knows nothing about Korean culture except for the little information gained from K-Pop, for example:

The only Korean words used were ‘Aigoo’ and ‘Deh’??????? Um ok 10/10 great job, fluent in Korean, totally didn’t get that from one episode of a K-Drama
‘KIMCHI EAT KIMCHI IT’S THE ONE KOREAN FOOD I KNOW YAY KIMCHI’
Along with this, the overall tone of the book, to me at least, almost seemed… kinda… fetish-y? Like just a weird obsession with Korea and Koreans on behalf of both the author and Meri (the protagonist). This was pretty much solidified through the constant emphasis on Lee being Korean, it was unnecessary and actually kinda confused me. Basically, through the book, Lee uses a few words per sentence that are Korean, unnecessary, basic words, (‘deh’) that clearly aren’t needed but are there to draw attention to his Korean-ness. Also, it gives the impression that he isn’t fluent in English, and all his speech sounds like its from Google Translate, and then he talks and understands very American English??

Also, the plot. SO PREDICTABLE UGHHHHHH. It was so predictable, literally no thought or effort or innovation whatsoever, and I wouldn’t of minded this if there were good characters and writing skills to make up for it, but nope, nada. It was horrible, honestly, we don’t even need a spoiler section here, but I’m going to add one just in case, so SPOILERS AHEAD!

Meri was? Such a hypocrite??? Like she’s upset at her mum for valuing her art over people and then does the E X A C T S A M E
Also, how is it that she was more upset over Lee than her boyfriend of 2 years and best friend getting together behind her back? Sis needs to get her priorities straight
Also, and this was the killer for me: through the book we see Meri become rather curious about Lee’s wristbands, and of course, we may assume that he is self-harming. This could’ve been a really enlightening look into the harsh aspects of the Korean entertainment industry, and then, we get half a paragraph on his scars and ‘do you have a councillor?’ umm… is that it? And then, this author had the audacity to mention Jonghyun in the Author’s Note (for those of you that may not know, Jonghyun was a member of K-Pop group Shinee who commit suicide at the end of 2017, the event got a lot of media attention, and even managed to reach the UK, giving many an insight into the harshness that many face in the entertainment industry in Korea. If you’d like to find out more let me know and I’ll reply to any comments with some articles that explain the inaudibly sad event far better than I’ll be able to). I think its absolutely unacceptable to brush over such a serious issue in such a nonchalant and blase manner, (I'm not even big on kpop and I thought it was ridiculous), and then mention a real life event, that actually happened, and was so much more serious than the stupid portrayal in this book and I am quite genuinely disgusted, so, if the author ever comes across this: screw you. And find some source of research other than Wattpad for your books, I could’ve done a better job.
OKAY, RANT OVER. To summarise, if you want a good romance with a sprinkle of K-Pop, this ain’t it, I may be able to find you some old fanfic from when I was 11 and you can sub in some names, I promise, it’s better written. To be fair, I didn’t mind reading this book, but that’s in the same way I don’t mind Love Island: as something to laugh at and make myself feel more intelligent. I promise soon I’ll actually write a review on a book I like lol, feel free to leave me recs. And also, if you are struggling with self harm or suicidal thoughts, please, talk to someone, there are so many anonymous hotlines, councillors and also people that can talk to you and help you through anything you are going through: mental health is not something to be taken lightly ❤

[Yna from Books and Boybands · Rating 4 out of 5]

My heart melted into goo. Lee Hyung-kim was kissing me. Lee Hyung-kim had dreamed about me, and I was officially in danger of becoming as starry-eyed as the girls in K-dramas.

📖 BUY THIS BOOK : Amazon ⏺ Barnes and Noble ⏺Book Depository 📖

Much thanks to NetGalley and Mascot Books for this complimentary copy. This review is voluntary and opinions are fully my own.

📚 Series: No.
📚 Genre: Young Adult: Romance
📚 POV: First.
📚 Cliffhanger: No.

⚠ Content Warnings: Mental Health Concerns: Anxiety. Family Drama. Betrayal.
⚠ Read if: you are a fan of: 1. K-Drama, 2. K-pop, or 3. Famous/Non-famous trope.

Oh my, what can I say? This was such a great read. I am normally a person who gets easily distracted and have concentration problems but I got through reading this in a breeze. 60% in one sitting, the rest in another.

Hart & Seoul is the debut novel of Kristen Burnham. And oh, what a fun debut it was. Merilee Grace Hart, aka Merri, is a highschool senior/artist whose world changed when her neighbor's nephew arrives fresh from South Korea. Merri and Lee had an amusing first encounter where they definitely pissed each other off. But when Merri gets broken hearted from a cheater ex and friend, Lee went in for her rescue. But thunder rocks her world when she discovers Lee's secret: he's a Korean superstar and a member of Kpop group Thunder.

Again, I looooved this so much. This book was reminiscent of my favorite fan fics (the better written ones) and the few Kdramas I have watched.

At times, Merri may be found a bit annoying and insensitive in dealing with Korean culture. I cannot react on how bad it was since I am not sure how a Korean would feel about those things and how true some representations of the culture were.

My rating is a lot on how the romance made me feel and it was really giddy and cute and made me feel butterflies.

Looking forward to more of the author's work!

☁ THE CRITERIA ☁

🌻 Blurb:⭐⭐⭐⭐
🌻 Hero:⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
🌻 Heroine:⭐⭐⭐⭐
🌻 Support Characters:⭐⭐⭐⭐
🌻 Writing Style:⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
🌻 Character Development:⭐⭐⭐⭐
🌻 Romance:⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
🌻 Pacing:⭐⭐⭐⭐
🌻 Ending:⭐⭐⭐⭐
🌻 Page Turner:⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
🌻 Book Cover:⭐⭐⭐⭐

☁FINAL VERDICT: 4.36/5 ☁

Review also appears on my blog.

[Dani ❤️ Perspective of a Writer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Check out more reviews @ Perspective of a Writer...


The Buzz

K-POP!!!!!!! Yeah I was super excited when I saw the title, Hart & Seoul. Anything with Seoul in the title screams South Korea, and k-pop and/or k-dramas. So I really loved the title and was super excited to see this was a cute contemporary too.

I'm quite puzzled how this cover will look in RL. I like the typography but its hard to imagine what it will look like because its hard to read and the ink looks faded... Not how I imagine a k-pop idol or Korean anything. I think though I would have to see it in person (and I plan to!) Because it could be quite chic and contemporary with the white cover and orange lettering.


The Premise

Hart & Seoul is a fun and fluffy contemporary YA coming of age story about two people who fall for each other during a difficult time filled with growing pains. Merilee's mom leaves suddenly and it rips a gaping whole in her life. Her dad loves her but he doesn't understand her love of art. He wants her to choose something more stable for her college focus. Her boyfriend and best friend are acting really odd. I really loved how Meri felt like a real teenager but she wasn't whiny. She's going through some tough times as she looks toward her future.

Lee Hyung-kim has some secrets, some major secrets that are unveiled a layer at a time as Meri learns about them. I really loved how realistic the k-pop pressures were shown for Lee. Yes, k-pop managers are this ruthless and controlling but it doesn't mean they don't care. The spotlight is on them and the fandoms will rise. It's totally serious and not an exaggeration. Lee though is quite a wonderful representation of Korean culture! I loved his banter with "Christmas" and his crazy driving in Hart & Seoul.

Meri's struggles aren't as serious as Lee's but that doesn't mean hers are any less realistic. The theme of betrayal was strong through Hart & Seoul and I loved how it was explored all sorts of ways. It's something we all have to deal with at some point in life. I was left at the end really rooting for Meri and Lee. I enjoyed how the end was real to their situations, hopeful but not totally perfect. TBH I thoroughly enjoyed every page of this debut novel! I also could have used another 100 pages of banter, struggle and dating between our couple. You'll also fly through Hart & Seoul and be left wanting more!!


My Experience

Many of my friends don't understand my fascination with Korean dramas. I've gotten used to crazy looks and rolled eyes... and actually reactions much like Merilee makes at the beginning of this novel. Is she a rude git?! Yes, but I don't think that's a problem. She's a sheltered American who is ignorant! These types of people exist, they may even be your friends. What I loved was that Meri changed through knowing Lee. Stories are built on this kind of ignorance!! And I think part of what I found so cute about Meri and Lee becoming friends is that she didn't hide that she was ignorant.

She was just herself and when she realized she didn't know she ASKED him! She didn't run off to her room and google things like crazy to save face and try to look good. She got to know Korean culture through her new friend! I'd expect this exact same kind of bonding between any two people who are from different cultures. You aren't going to google anything when you can get it first hand. Meri wasn't writing a book about Korean culture! She wanted to know more about how Koreans are because of the new boy she met... what better way to get to know him?!

I think this is shown the best through the strips she made of her life, strips that she showcased Lee in from the moment she met him. It was their personal banter, his funny reactions and her being seduced by both (much like viewers are seduced by k-dramas) that was captured so well in Hart & Seoul. This felt like a mini-k-drama written to introduce a fun and fluffy contemporary YA book version so readers could understand and share in the k-pop fandom.

SIDE NOTE: I thought the Korean words dropped into the narrative were quite cute. I loved how Meri muddled through figuring out what they mean from what she heard. I remember the first time I heard 네 which means "I agree" and to a small extent "yes." At first it sounded like neh. Then at times it sounded like deh!! It drove me crazy until I really started to learn the language and realized its not clear cut. So for the purposes of Hart & Seoul I'm assuming the English pronunciations of the Korean words are how Meri heard them. I bet Kristen Burnham went back and forth about whether she should use the proper romanization or spell it phonetically. While I would have liked her to include a note in the front about her choice, I do understand and applaud her use of Korean in Hart & Seoul.


Why MUST you read this cute and fluffy contemporary, Hart & Seoul?

-Parental Units!
I really loved Meri's dad and Lee's aunt. I enjoyed her dad coming around and understanding that he has to show his daughter that he see she isn't her mother. And his aunt was instrumental in getting him to make a new friend (just like how it would be in a k-drama!)

-The Hard Issues!
GAHHHH cheating is probably going to happen to you some time in life (whether you know or not). And mental health issues like anxiety and depression are on the rise with drastic measures being sought by the young. All issues touched on here...

-A Freaking Cute Romance!
I'm always a sucker for hate to love!! And while this wasn't virulent on both sides I liked that it hinted at a change in attitude toward each other. That is always fun and makes for a stronger relationship than one with instant attraction.

-Korean Culture!
Yes, Koreans eat kimchi with everything! Hahaha that is a taste of some of the cute cultural differences that Meri and Lee explore. These are spot on with some quite subtle and other details that hit you over the head. It makes for neat world building.

Hart & Seoul sang a song to my k-pop and k-drama loving heart!! Meri and Lee are a young couple that you are left wanting to succeed with all your heart, both as a couple and as individuals. This is one of the best Korean culture books I've read and I highly recommend it if you want to understand the mega-fandoms Korean culture has inspired!!


⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Authenticity
⋆ ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Writing Style
⋆ ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Plot & Pacing
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ World Building
B- Cover & Title grade

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review. It has not influenced my opinions.

______________________
You can find this review and many others on my book blog @ Perspective of a Writer. Read my special perspective under the typewriter on my reviews...

Please like this review if you enjoyed it! *bow* *bow* It helps me out a ton!!

[ʙᴇʟᴀ.: ☾**:.☆*.:｡. · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review (Thank you!)

Heart & Seoul is the Bookish dream of every K-Pop or K-Drama fangirl. You know, like me. If I had to choose three words to define it, I'd chose Clichéd, Sweet and Meaningful. Don't expect originality (everything is so obvious) but expect some fun banter and moments that will make you fangirl.
We follow Merri, an American Girl whose new Boy next door is a K-Pop Idol. Merri has no clue about what is K-Pop or Korean Culture which leads to some misunderstandings between her and him. Lee, our boy is a cinnamon roll, sweet and cocky and with a secret. At first, Lee and Merri are not really fond of each other because of misinterpretations, but eventually, they warm up to each other and it becomes impossible not to root for them.
There's supporting characters that are also tropey: Ema, the BFF; Bree, the B*tch; Ms.Park, the nice older aunt and Merri's Dad which was hands down, an awesome dad and had a healthy relationship with his daughter and that filled me with joy because I'm a bit tired of the trope of "Villain parents". The remaining supporting characters were utterly forgettable. I confess I didn't like much the "mom" used as a plot device just make the heroine sob in the arms of the hero, but it's alright because deep down we all love when the hero comforts the heroine and shows how sweet and respectful he can be.
The book had so many tropes of romantic comedies and K-Dramas that it was almost like watching a K-Drama mixed with a Teen chick flick. However, it kept me addicted just like K-Dramas: We all watch over and over the same tropes but we can't help but love it. I could picture Lee in my mind saying "Aishh" and "Aigoo" and "Deh" things he said frequently. (Also I don't know why but in my mind he looked like a younger Kim Myung Soo - L from Infinite).
I loved the author addressed the huge, inhumane pressure that Korean superstars suffer. It something widely known and yet it keeps increasing, and mental health issues in Korea is something that is not acknowledged as it should be. Idols get depressed because they are forced to be "perfect" and maintain a happy image to please their fans. Let us not forget that South Korea is the number one country in Plastic Surgeries and idols/actresses diet and starve because of the societal expectations that deem their worth and beauty based on how much they weight and how much white is their skin.
As a K-Drama fan (honestly not much of a K-pop although I listen to it occasionally) I see the glitter, the glamour. But it is very important to make people aware that idols are human beings and no one is flawless and that being healthy is more important than being rich or beautiful. The dark side of fame exists.
I would have liked to see the author exploring mental health further than just a mere mention of past issues. There was no depth. The subject was acknowledged but not explored and that can be understandable because its a touchy, sensitive theme that can trigger people and must be dealt with carefully...but I would still have liked to see it developed.
In conclusion, the book gives you a sweet, light feeling with some occasional teenage angst.
It's romantic and sweet and well, predictable but very enjoyable and addicting!
If you like K-Pop/K-Dramas or a fluffy teenage romance, you might want to read this.

[Alisha · Rating 2 out of 5]

No star rating yet because I’m not sure how I feel about this and I need to think on it. I did enjoy it for the most part I just....two Korean words are repeatedly spelled wrong and if it weren’t for the context I’d have been like “I’m sorry...what’s that word?” I’m baffled as to why two words are consistently spelled wrong, and made it through editing when even google translate can tell you how to correctly spell them and it did irritate me every time it popped up. If I didn’t know Korean, I probably wouldn’t have noticed or cared but I do and it bugged me. I feel like the author didn’t bother to check just went off of what she heard from a drama. I think I’m gonna give this 3, rather than 4, but full review to come asap.

EDIT: Here it is....my full review. *braces*

I'm sure if you follow me on Twitter or watch my YouTube you'll understand just how badly I wanted to love this book. I wanted to give it 5 stars. I wanted to rave about it. I wanted to shove this book at everyone and make them read it. It's literally no secret that I love K-pop and K-Dramas, ever since falling down those particular black holes however long ago, and I've been so wishing and praying someone would do for K-pop what's been done with Western bands when it comes to books. A fun, contemporary rom-com with a K-pop group to go with all the ones for pop/rock groups, which I admit are my guilty pleasure.

I stumbled across this on NetGalley and immediately slammed that request button because HELL YES! Someone heard my prayers. I was so ready to dive in to this, and to experience all the warm and fuzzies. Unfortunately, I can't give this the 5 stars I wanted to, and I can't give this a glowing review.

As I started the book, I wasn't immediately grabbed, it did take me a while to get in to it, I read a chapter here and there until I actually sat down to read it in one go to get it done. It was also incredibly obvious what was going on with a certain character but then again I expect a certain level of predictability from contemporary books, nothing major. But that's not where my main issue lies.

First things first, I am not Korean, obviously. Nor am I fluent in Korean, I'm just learning so feel more than free to correct me if I'm wrong. I don't want to offend anyone, apologies if I have but I've tried to articulate all of this as best as I can. I don't want to be disrespectful and you know...I wanna stay in my lane but I feel like the faults with this book do need to be acknowledged, I know it's "just" a contemporary rom-com book but still. I'd also be very interested to see an own voices review for this but for me? Well. Strap in because by the looks of it, it's time for yet another unpopular opinion.

Merri was kind of...I don't know. I struggled to like her a little bit in the first couple of chapters, don't get me wrong, the predictable thing reveal had my heart dropping for her even though I knew it was coming, and she had me cheering for her with the beans. She was relatable at parts, however, for most of this book she bugged me. To me personally, I found her so rude and ignorant. I don't know if it's just me having unrealistic expectations for people, or what. Like I know she's from some small town in the US and isn't all that up on her K-pop knowledge but I found it really rude that she was calling him by his surname the entire book and initially made zero effort to learn or say his real name. Then again I guess for the author "Hyung Kim" didn't roll off the tongue as well as Lee for her and didn't fit the whole "Merrilee/ Merri Lee" thing. I just found it kinda disrespectful to be honest, I know he said it was okay but for most of the book before that she just kept doing it. Can't say I'd love someone calling me by my surname because they couldn't be bothered to pronounce my first name.

I know she knows nothing about Korean culture and K-pop and stuff but it also really irked me that rather than use this really awesome thing called Google to do some research on her own and then ask the male lead to clarify or explain anything deeper, she just used him like a walking, talking Google. I know she wants to learn but if that was me, I'd find it really tiresome let alone low-key rude to have someone clearly not bother to try and learn anything on their own but expect me to explain everything and anything. Some of her remarks and her culture comparisons also had me like wow. She just didn't come across as the most open minded and she seemed completely ignorant so many times, I just found it hard to like her because of it, like make some effort pal.

It also grated on me the way she described him speaking Korean because it came across almost like she was making fun of him and the way he spoke, and I wasn't a fan of how the author wrote some of his dialogue because again, it seemed like she was making fun of the way he spoke more than anything else. I just feel like it could have been handled better and I did check to see if this was an own voices author...I was not at all shocked that it wasn't.

It was blindingly obvious from the way the Korean words were written and I am honestly baffled as to how the hell this book made it through the editing process without anyone, anyone at all using damn Google translate to check the words. When I thought this was a one off back in chapter 2, I wasn't going to mention it because I felt I was being too picky but throughout this book two Korean words are repeatedly spelt wrong and it couldn't be more obvious the author has no grasp of the language and has just taken words she's heard from the K-Dramas she watches and put them in here, clearly without checking how to spell them and none of the editors checked either. Mind blown. Especially as other, longer words, are spelt correctly and even 'wae' is spelt correctly too?

Lee, and even Merri herself, said "deh" multiple times throughout the book. The first time I saw it, in chapter 2, I only understood that it was him saying yes purely from context because as hard as I wracked my brain, I couldn't recall if 'deh' was a word in Korean. Was he trying to say "an-deh" which is no? Clearly not based on context.

Quick Korean lesson. The word for yes in Korean is 'ne' aka 네, which to my understanding is pronounced 'neh'. It irritated me every single time he said 'deh' instead of 'neh' and you can't tell me that it was done for readers to pronounce easier because it's not that difficult a word to pronounce. I know some people hear it with a 'd' instead of an 'n' hence why I assume that the author just went by ear rather than actually looking it up.

It's also why I assume she wrote 'bo' as the Korean word for 'what' and not 'mwo' (뭐) which is what it actually is. I know people hear it with the 'b' rather than the 'm', so forgive my assumption she didn't bother to check it and just wrote it how it sounded, but when it's spoken it is not a 'b' sound. Even if she has written it that way to make it easier for readers, not only are both words the wrong pronunciation but it's not even the right word? Like if I didn't have the context of the word, I'd have been staring at the page like "what is that supposed to be?". To my knowledge, 'bo" isn't even a word in Korean but feel free to educate me if you actually speak Korean. Like I said, I'm not fluent.

If I didn't know Korean, I'm sure this wouldn't have bothered me because I wouldn't know any different, but I do and it consistently irritated me throughout the entire book once I realised it wasn't a one off mistake. I also think it's bothering me because people will learn it wrong, I know it's probably not that deep in the grand scheme of things, and you probably are side eyeing me for being so bothered by this but my brain was just going "wrong, wrong, wrong" the entire time and come on. How hard is it to Google two simple, basic Korean words and put the correct spelling with a pronunciation guide at the back if necessary? If you're going to include a language that isn't your own at least do it properly.

I did kind of wonder if it was being done on what Merri was hearing, as like I said, those two words are misheard sometimes. So I wondered if we'd get the correct spelling once he corrected her but nope. It's consistently wrong throughout the entire book.

Speaking of Lee Hyung-Kim, I loved him. His attitude, the cockiness with the low-key sweetness mixed in, he was brilliant. I lived for him putting Bree and Luke in their place. I was not, however, expecting the reason for why he fled. My heart broke for him honestly, and I don't agree with the mentality some of the fans displayed in this book and that you see in real life. You don't own idols, they're allowed to date, they are human beings even if they aren't always viewed as such by some fans. Seeing his reaction to being crowded by the fans, my heart ached reading how the fans were so determined to have him back in the group like let the poor sod take a break.

I felt like it was well done for the most part, and a solid look at the pressure idols suffer and how that pressure effects them and their mental health. It's a pretty cold, hard look at the truth with the forced plastic surgeries all in order to appear perfect and the happy image that has to be shown at all times to the fans, even if they're suffering in reality. I do feel like it could perhaps have been explored a little more. We see his reaction to the fans and then that's kind of it, I thought we might delve in deeper with that and it's a shame we didn't, as Merris issues were dealt with to a deeper level. I know she's the main character, and I know it's a sensitive subject, but I felt it could have used more depth.

I have to also mention, and this is probably just me, but seeing Jong-hyun of SHINee mentioned at the beginning of the authors note slapped me right in the face and I'm not sure how I feel about it. Like, it didn't really sit right with me that he was name dropped like that, but that's just my opinion.

Moving on to a couple of things I did like, I enjoyed how the culture clash between he and Merri was shown, with her being so offended by him because of his bluntness, and him dealing with being in America and the food and so on. I felt that was nicely done. It did have me chuckling, and it moved at a nice pace. After a certain point there's also a few K-pop and K-drama references as Merri ventures down the rabbit hole.

Honestly, for the most part it was fun, along with a more serious note towards the end, and I liked how it ended. But this is not own voices and it shows in how surface everything feels. I'm not equipped to tell whether anything is glaringly incorrect other than what I already have, or whether anything is rude and so on. Although I did also side eye how Merri went from 0 to "holy K-pop" "OMO". I just side eyed some of the writing, and some of her dialogue.

I feel like some things were quite authentic, the kimchi with every meal, Lee's bluntness and not getting sarcasm entirely. I'm not sure if the author has actually been to Korea or not, I'd say not. While I do love K-drama tropes and I did love them in this book because it was kind of like reading a K-drama. I just really do feel like the author has written this book based on her knowledge gleaned from K-dramas, both language and cultural. I just can't get my head around the misspelled words, to be honest.

I assume most people reading this probably have some interest in dramas or K-pop, but for those that don't the groups and shows that are mentioned are the super popular, in your face, everyone talks about them kinda things, so my boys BTS, Boys Over Flowers and so on. It would have been fun to include some less popular ones but this walks a nice line of compromise for fans and non-fans.

So to conclude this in some way, for the most part I enjoyed this, as much as I found Merri ignorant at points and irritating, she was also relatable in the way she fell down the K-drama rabbit hole. It's happened to all of us, let's be honest. While it didn't grab me straight away, I did find myself sucked in, and it had the cute, fluffy moments along with more serious moments and I appreciated the attempt to tackle the more serious side of K-pop, however my one glaring issue with this is presumably not an issue for the average reader. I just feel if you're going to use a language that's not your own then you should double, triple check everything is correct.

[Jane (It'sJaneLindsey) · Rating 2 out of 5]

Decided to bump down to 2-2.5 :/

Hmm, feeling somewhat conflicted about this one. I’m putting the rating at 3 stars for now, but I’ll give that some thought for my full review to come.

[dessie · Rating 1 out of 5]

if we ignore the slight fetishism of korean culture, racist undertones, and the unabashed lack of research... i liked the font

[Moony (Captain Mischief) MeowPoff · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this book very adorable and giddy - and yes a bit ove the top sometimes.
I really liked it, i know that there are issues that they don't talk that much about korean culture and keep saying deh, aigoo and more and i really disliked the kpop-star for a while, but he kind of grew on me. But i also got used to it, because honestly? it felt like a k-drama just in bookform, and k-dramas are supposed to be wierd, adorable, over-the top sometimes. But nontheless. I liked it :)

[L.C. Perry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pre-review:

As a Kpop fan, I am DYINGGG to get my hands on this book! Gimme gimme gimme!!!

Review:

Ok, so I definitely see some issues with this book but be that as it may, I enjoyed this immensely.

So, where to begin? I very much appreciate some of the issues this book covers, such as dealing with mental illness and the struggles Kpop idols may be dealing with behind closed doors. Too many times people forget that celebrity life isn’t as sparkly as we make it out to be and this is especially true in the Kpop world. The author even says in her author’s note that a member from the Kpop group, Shinee, who committed suicide, helped influence this story. Mental health is often overlooked and I can’t imagine how bad it is in South Korea and in other countries.

With that said, I found myself a little conflicted with this book. Being a Kpop fan myself (BTS fans where you at???), I was super super excited to read a romance with a Kpop love interest. This story made me laugh so many times but there were also many times where I rolled my eyes or even cringed at some parts. I applaud this book for sending me on an emotional rollercoaster, but there are some things I didn’t appreciate so much. One thing that bothered me is that I often felt Korean culture and just Kpop idols in general were being fetishized. The main character, Merilee, is supposed to be as far removed from the Korean world as you can get, which didn’t bother me, but it’s so clear the author is a Kpop/Kdrama fan. That isn’t a problem of course, but because she tries so hard to make Merilee oblivious to it all, it comes off forced. I mean, the only two friends she had, Ema and Bree, both listened to international music (one of them is even a major Thunder fan) but she’s completely clueless about Thunder? I just felt like it was a bit too obvious that Lee and Merilee were supposed to come from different worlds.

As for the fetishizing specifically—Why does Lee have to look good at all times? Literally, every time we see him, the readers never forget how his looks seem to transcend everything around him. He even wears eyeliner all the time. You would think he’d not wear makeup in public since, you know, he’s trying to blend in and not get caught by his fans??? He also seems to be good at everything he does, and also seems very clueless about American culture, which is fine, but I felt that it was a bit exaggerated. American shows are played in South Korea, I feel like some of the things he was surprised by, he would have already known. Also, I know the author doesn’t mean anything by it, but the “almond eyes” description was used a couple times and…I advise against using it. I know many people who see that description as a problem. There weren’t any other POC characters outside of the Korean characters either, which makes the fetishizing even more obvious. This novel very much reads as a fanfiction, which didn’t bother me since I didn’t take the book too seriously. I also agree with a couple reviewers that the author never lets us forget that Lee is Korean. We are constantly reminded of it on every page that he appears and it just added to the “fanfiction feel” it was already conveying.

Besides what I’ve already mentioned, there were also many typos that bothered me. A lot of repetitive words and words that were also missing. If you’re reading quickly enough, you probably won’t be able to catch the mistakes, but given that I have a good eye for these things, it was very distracting. All of these things had lowered my rating, but because of my overall enjoyment of the story and the way some things were tackled like Merilee’s relationship with her family and Bree, and Lee’s struggles, I decided to bump this up to four stars. I enjoyed most of the characters, mostly enjoyed the relationship between Merilee and Lee, and I also loved the way it ended. I did get my fangirling moments like I’d hoped so in the end, I’m the real winner here.

All in all, if you read this like you would fanfiction, you will probably enjoy this book a lot. But if you read it like you would a thought-provoking novel, this book will probably get on your nerves. A lot. So it’s up to you :)

P.S. Three days after reading the scene where Merri experienced Lee’s driving and it’s STILL making me laugh. I don’t know why, their reactions were just priceless. Anyway, Merri belated Christmas to all who celebrate and here’s to a HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

[madandelion · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ummm... Don't know what to say. I had been very excited to read this book when i first picked it up. I have been a long time fan of Korean pop-culture so this obviously got me excited. But unfortunately, it didn't work for me. I couldn't connect with the characters. It seemed like there was a lot of inconsistency in their behaviour at different points in the story. Maybe if I hadn't hyped myself too much, i would have enjoyed the book.

Note: Recieved an ARC of this book from Mascot Books through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

[bruna · Rating 2 out of 5]

“Music is living; you experience life when you listen. Your dreams, sorrows, victories – all can be found in a song”.

trigger warning : mentions of suicide and self-harm.

Considering I’m not used to reading YA anymore, I thought the beginning of “Hart & Seoul” was a little too predictable and boring for my liking. However, after Merri finds out the secrets her best friend and boyfriend were keeping from her, things started to look up.

This book follows the story of Merri, a girl in her senior year of high school who loves art, and Lee Hyung-kim, a K-pop star who decided to spend some time with his aunt in the US. Their first meeting was funny and endearing and I liked that they didn’t like each other instantly. It was only after a few meetings that they started to develop a friendship and then a romantic relationship. Their dynamic was great and made me smile a lot.

Even though I predicted most of the plots, the author still managed to surprise me. I was expecting two annoying teenagers, but instead I got two amazing characters that suffered a lot, but handled their relationship and personal problems in a way that was really mature and beautiful.

I thought the Korean representation was good, but since I'm not Asian, I couldn't say that for sure. Unfortunately, after reading a few reviews that talked about how bad the representation was and how the author didn't research their culture really well, I decided to drop my rating from 4 stars to 2 stars. I really hope the author learns from her mistakes because I don't think it's okay to use a different culture for your own gain without respecting it.

*ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

[Hristina · Rating 1 out of 5]

First off, I did not enjoy the voice that was given to the main character who narrated the story. The main character herself displayed ignorance to the point where it became frustrating to witness. I'm no expert on Korean or k-pop culture, but I'm no novice either, and it was not done well. It was raising red flags for me, there were so many scenes from what I read that felt if not fully, then borderline racist. I couldn't finish this one. DNFed at 45%

I'm sure there's someone who has put it better than I have or will do so in the future, cause it can't be just me. I'll make sure to update this review with the necessary links soon.


*Copy received through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
*Rating: 1/5 stars

[Jenny Bravo · Rating 5 out of 5]

I CRIED LIKE A BABY. 😭

This was such a fantastic, fun, heartfelt, sweet, and funny story. K drama is the best. And I will always be a BigBang Fangirl, so this hit straight to my Korean culture loving heart. Lee and Merri start off as just neighbors. Lee in a sour mood and not in a place to even want to make friends. They're thrust together by the ever present auntie (ya'll know who they are) and a break up. Seeing them come together as friends after a crappy situation just melted my heart. The story was just so fun and I just ate through seeing 2 cultures coming together and how much they cared about each other. It was cavity inducing sweetness and I couldn't get enough.

[shannon✨ · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received a copy through Netgalley in exchange for my honest review

I was so excited for this book, but I ended up feeing a lot of anger towards this book. This probably is just a really personal thing, but so many things rubbed me the wrong way. I'm Chinese and not Korean, but even so, some things are just generally regarding Asian cultures.
One of the things that really bothered me was that Ms. Park couldn't seem to be 'properly' speaking English, that is, with actual grammar. Lee Hyung-Kim also had some encounter with this, when he said "she should go to hospital". I'm pretty sure this wasn't a typing fault or something, because Merri repeated this several times in her head, in the exact way. Another thing that really bothered me when Merri thought the following: "He didn't look old enough to have finished high school". From personal experience, I know it's not fun to have people think you're sixteen whereas you're actually twenty. So even when those things happen in real life, nothing in the book fought this to show that it is wrong to do so.
The storyline itself was fine, nothing special and very predictable. Had those 'problematic' aspects not been there, I would definitely have given this book three stars. Also because it tackles mental health problems, plastic surgeries and extreme pressure, to show that not everything is as it seems and that the K-pop scene is far from perfect.

[Fuzaila · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don't know what I feel about this book because it frustrated me to no end with its poc rep. The author is clearly a k-drama fan and she does say so in the Author's note. But Korean culture is not just all about 'Aigoo', 'Aiiish', 'Deh' and Kimchi. I doubt they eat kimchi that much at all. Also the description of Lee, the K-pop star was downright racist. Almond-shaped eyes? And all the subtle features she gives him to enforce his Korean-ness upon us was really BAD. He did not feel like a realistic character at all. Neither did the other characters. Merri was confusing most of the times. Her best friend Bree was a bitch and they broke of so suddenly that I had a hard time grasping how they'd been best friends since kindergarten.

It does tackle some serious issues though suicide attempts and I kinda enjoyed it after the rough start. So maybe a 3.5/5 stars?

[•Melanie Elizabeth• {To tea, or not to tea? ☕️} · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a huge fan of storyline and flow,I am usually hesitant about reading YA novels without reading the reviews. However, being an avid Kpop fan myself, I found myself drawn to this book by the title and was NOT let down. I am giving this book 5 stars for storyline flow, characters, and proper use of a foreign language. It’s so hard to find great writing where a foreign language is used correctly in a sentence that can make the language comprehensive to the non-native speaker. Hart and Seoul did an amazing job of keeping the dialect flow consistent and orderly. As well as foreign language, the author managed to keep the characters interesting yet relatable, and on another level very much realistic to those fellow K-pop fans out there. Five stars to this YA that I’m looking forward to seeing published soon.
P.S Here’s to hoping for a sequel

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Whoa.

I really loved this story. It's sweet and full of soul. It has everything that is dramatic and heartfelt of Sarah Dessen along with all the situational comedy found in Meg Cabot's work. I use these older comp titles because it truly had the feel of a classic contemporary novel. Tackling teen issues but also with the aspect of comedy and surrealism. (;You're the princess of Genovia' anyone?)

Our main character Merilee Hart is dealing with some drama within both her friend and family relationships. There is momma drama, pressures about where to go to college and friendship breakups. All things portrayed beautifully and in an authentic way. Less dramatic, and more just real. These are real problems.

Now the novel part of it is the fact a kpop star turns up to be her neighbor's nephew and his world and her world collide as they are thrown together to process the things happening to them. I liked this aspect a lot, it led to some great cultural crossover moments. It is important to remember the Korean main character in this novel is not Korean-American, so there are times when confusion comes up in simply learning another country's customs. I think this is done respectfully, but would look to representative voices to decide if they feel that way too.

Ultimately the book really delivers. There is the angry first connection, fake dating, and then sweet romance all in the story. It packs a nice punch and Merri stays strong through the whole thing. She keeps her self respect while also making a few mistakes that have consequences. The ending was just perfect for me. I can't wait to see more of the author's work.

I'll give the context that I am kpop adjacent. I know a LOT about my family's favorite bands because they are literally always talking about updates on whats going on with them. So I am vaguely familiar with the world, but if you don't have the knowledge going in, the novel does a good job of explaining what it is like. It examines the idea of fandom and showcases both problematic fans and genuine fans. The emotional arc for Lee's character also seems authentic to what a real kpop star could be going through.

I definitely recommend for those looking for a sweet romcom to smile and giggle and get second hand embarrassment from. This one is excellent.

[Stacie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an advanced copy of this from NetGalley and will post my review closer to the release date

[Lou (Lou and Life) · Rating 1 out of 5]

ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. DNF at 53%.

I was really excited to read this book once I saw in on NetGalley, and I was so happy when this was the first ever ARC that I was approved of by the publisher. I really wanted to love this book because I love Korean culture, I'm learning Korean and my boyfriend is Korean. However, there are so many inaccuracies in the representation of Korean culture in this book. It varies from inaccurate to insulting to racist. Now I'm not saying that the entire book is racist, there was just one scene (at least in the 53% that I pushed myself to read), that was. It's a scene when the main characters are in a Korean restaurant. Merri tries Kimchi for the first time and doesn't like it, however Lee loves it. Merri then proceeds to call Lee 'Mr. Kimchi' three times in that scene. I didn't feel comfortable when I read that scene. My Asian senses were tingling and it didn't feel right. I explained the scene to my Korean boyfriend and sent him screenshots, and he literally said that it was racist. In addition, in Korea if you were to refer to a person as a 'Kimchi girl,' it's an misogynistic insult. In my head, I thought about it like this. If the roles were reversed and Merri was in Korea, would Lee have called Merri 'Miss Mac and Cheese,' or 'Miss Cheeseburger'? My answer was no because it feels insulting to refer to someone as a food, unless it was a bullying scene. If Lee was a black character, I’m 100% sure the author would not make Merri call him ‘Mr. Fried Chicken’, ‘Mr. Curried Goat’, ‘Mr. Jollof Rice.’ That would be racist, just as calling Lee ‘Mr. Kimchi’ is. You could argue that it was just a joke, or they were teasing, but I think this is a time where people would use that as an excuse to be racist. I would be angry if anyone called me Pad Thai. Teasing or not.

Let me talk about a few other inaccuracies of Korean culture presented in this book.

1. Romanization of Korean
Unfortunately for this book, I can read Hangul, so I know how things should be pronounced (even if I pronounce them incorrectly myself). The word that is most frequently used in this book is 네. It is pronounced like "Ne" with the 'e' sound being a sharp ending. It doesn't sound like knee essentially, but more like neck. In this book, it's romanizised to "Deh." It irritated me a lot because I know that it's not pronounced like that, and even the recognised romanization systems of Korea do not use this (at least in my quick google search). In addition to 네 being written not like it's pronounced, Lee would not say it towards Merri at all. For one, he is in America and an undercover K-Pop idol. You would probably only speak English to improve it and try to hide the fact that you are Korean because you are in hiding. Two, Lee keeps on going in and out between English and Korean in conversation with Merri. Regardless of what stage you are in at learning a different language, you would not revert to your native language in conversation. I know this as someone who is learning two additional languages from English. You stick to the language you are attempting to speak. You'd only revert back if you didn't know how to say things. Lee seems very much fluent in English in this book in order to have many conversations with Merri, and I think it's suggested that he speaks Korean to Merri to annoy her.Three, Lee would not say 네 to Merri. The main reason for this is the fact that Merri is younger than Lee. Korean contains honorifics so you would be respectful to people who are older than you, and to people in a higher social position. As Lee is older, and a famous K-Pop idol, he would not be that respectful towards Merri. Even himself as a character, especially when he firsts meets Merri, is not respectful towards her and is downright rude, so in Korean he would not be that respectful towards her. Now, 네 is not the only romanization mistake, but it the word that is used the most in this book, and perfectly illustrates the inaccuracies in the author choosing to use this word to illustrate that Lee is Korean and different and not American.

There are multiple moments in this book where Merri mocks Lee for his Korean beliefs. An example of this would be when she is telling the reader that she hasn’t quite grasped Lee’s sense of humour, ‘Just a week earlier, he’d refused to walk down a street because it only had four houses on it, and had stared at me in horror as I laughed. “Four is an unlucky number!” he’s insisted, eyes huge, and my laughter had sputtered to a halt when I realized that, in this case, Lee was absolutely serious.’ Merri initially laughs at Lee and stops when she realises that he’s being serious. But the way that the author has written it, mocks Korean culture as whilst the number four is seen as an unlucky number, it would completely depend on how superstitious a person is. Four is not a forbidden number in Korea. It doesn’t jump from three to five. I am sure that most Korean people would not see four houses and see it as unlucky. Whilst the West might not have a 13th floor to a building or a 13th row in a plane, we as individuals would not notice if there were only 13 houses on a street.

Another inaccuracy is after Merri found out that Lee is in fact a K-pop star and confronts with the fact that she’s been calling him by his surname the entire time because his name is Lee Hyung-kim. (For one, I personally don’t think it’s a common Korean name. The are made up of common Korean characters but not in combination, and in discussion with my Korean boyfriend it would be an awkward sounding name). Lee says something along the lines of, ‘I wondered how long it would take you to catch on,’ but honestly it would be normal for him to be called to by his surname.

This book feels like a first draft. It doesn't feel like this book had any sensitivity or beta readers that were Korean, or even East Asian. If me, a person who is not Korean but Asian, can find all the flaws in this book, I dread to think what a Korean or someone of Korean descent would think of this book. This book feels like it's for white people, or people who know nothing of Korean culture. It makes me worry of the people who would come across this book and learning about Korean culture for the first time.

On top of all of the Korean inaccuracies that this book contains, the plot itself is not entertaining. So much of it is based on Korean culture that it takes away from the overall plot. I didn’t really even see an overall plot other than Lee and Merri maybe getting together (I can’t say if they did because I stopped reading). In addition, with Lee being a K-pop idol, they have such strict lives that I personally don’t think that he would get into a romance with anyone unless he would be willing to personally sacrifice his fame and money. K-pop idols and actors have to secretly date anyone and would only reveal their relationship if they are about to have a child, get married, or not even then, as it is considered that idols are for the fans. It’s an unhealthy system, but that is the system that K-pop idols live in.

Some of the plot conflicts make no sense. One of them is the fact that Merri’s mother left Merri and her father to pursue her art because she felt like her family was holding her back. Merri also wants to get into art and wants to study it in college, but her father refuses for her to follow the path of her mother. It makes no sense because the daughter is not like the mother. In addition, the father must be blind to teenagers because if you prohibit them from doing things that they want to do in the future, they will do it anyway and you will lose them in the process.

I honestly felt no chemistry between Lee and Merri. If anything, I felt like it was a slight fetishization of Lee being Korean. I could maybe see them as friends, but I didn’t see the appeal in either character. Because Lee is meant to be a K-pop star, I think it’s meant to be seen as he is hot and perfect, and why would anyone not find him attractive? Except from the fact he doesn’t really have a good personality. However, Merri is far more irritating than Lee, but I think it’s because we are reading from her perspective. She seemed very immature, and I didn’t see any appeal in her character. I did not relate to any of the characters at all.

This book would have been far better if Lee was Korean-American. There would have been far less focus on Lee being Korean, and the story could have just been about Merri and Lee getting together. It wouldn't haven taken away from the fact that Lee was a K-pop star because there are Korean-Americans who are K-Pop stars (E.G. Eric Nam, Wendy from Red Velvet). There would have just been a far less focus on the Korean culture aspect, which is what would be needed for this story to have been a good one. The white author, who is a fan of Korean dramas, probably didn’t want the book to be as problematic as it is, but she should have either further researched Korean culture to make this book as accurate as possible to avoid offense, or have a Korean beta reader, or avoid representing Korean culture. As much as I want East-Asian representation, I want it done right or not at all. Fantasy stories have greater flexibility because something can be Asian-influence but still be a complete fictional world. However, contemporary stories are held to a higher regard as much as a book can be labelled as fiction, it’s based on reality, and that representation needs to be accurate.

This book made me not want to read and put me into a reading slump. I hope that I get out of it soon. I would not recommend this book. It portrays an inaccurate portrayal of Korean culture which is the foundation and selling point of this book. You would only enjoy this book if you knew nothing about Korean culture, which makes it dangerous. Not only that, but the story itself is lacking, and the characters are not appealing to read.

[Ahana M Rao (Heart’s Content) · Rating 4 out of 5]

You can find this review of Hart and Seoul on my blog, Heart's Content!

Received an Advanced Reader’s Copy from the publisher, Mascot Books, via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!

First and foremost, ladies and gentleman, after almost one whole month of the hardest slump of my life, I have successfully read a book.

Now, I chose Hart and Seoul because I’ve been wanting to read it since forever, and it’s just cruel that I had the book but had yet to get around to reading it. So I brought some justice into the world and picked it up.

Straight off the hat, I’m going to say, the book is cute. It’s not a KDrama the way we’d expect it to be. It’s an almost normal story, a hate to love kinda romance and everything blowing up before piecing itself back together again. Simple. Except…what made the book absolutely fantastic for me was the heroine.

It’s not often I say this in a young adult contemporary book, but I absolutely enjoyed the heroine’s characterisation. Merilee Hart wasn’t the perfect, whip smart, got everything going for her, does everything the right way, says the right things at the right time kind of girl. She was absolutely normal. By which I mean, she’s got problems, doubts, strife, confusion, all of it. But what I absolutely loved was how she’d work things out inside her head. Her introspection moved me and I connected to it immediately. A large part of the poignancy in this book comes from her; her thoughts on her mistakes, her immediate admission to them and how she always remembers to see a little bit of herself in the person she doesn’t understand and while she may take the decision to put herself first, she certainly won’t do it with a sense of superiority.

Lee reminded me a little bit of the person I’ve always wondered if K-Pop idols are outside the spotlight. Exhausted, drained and wanting for a break. When the author made a mention of Kim Jong-hyun from the popular K-Pop group SHINee, I knew that I had understood exactly what she was trying to say. I think the whole world was shaken after the suicide of the famous K-Pop singer and it brought a lot of darkness in the spotlight to our eyes. I always wonder what it must be like, whether the price is too high and with everything I further hear about the industry… perhaps it is.

There were some very interesting secondary characters, some supportive and some not, but no matter their role they always brought something very very important to the protagonist’s understanding of herself. I won’t mention further because I think it’s best that it unfolds candidly to the reader.

The writing is definitely young but it is peppered with surprising moments of depth. The plot is simple but it doesn’t fail to keep you reading and the references to Korean culture are many (expect a lot of Aiish‘s *chuckle*). There were also some very natural cultural differences at many points in the book and the author also shows how that distance starts to melt away and there’s a beautiful sharing of special parts of one another’s culture with each other

Four stars! A very happy reading and stay super super safe! ❤

[Clockwork.bibliophile · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you Netgalley and Mascot Books for sending me this e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

I am not gonna lie - this book feels like a cheesy wattpad fanfiction written by a K-pop fan who has barely any knowledge about the actual Korean culture. There were a lot of grammatical errors too and ridiculous dialogues (like when Lee tells Merri that he came to USA for a vacation she legit asks him with utmost shock "You came to a new continent for vacation?!!!!" as if that's such an unnatural thing to do). This is a loads of complains for a book that I just rated for stars. But the thing about this book is it is a perfect guilty pleasure read - it is addictive and captivating and keeps you turning pages after pages until you actually finish it in one sitting. The writing keeps you hooked from the beginning to the end. I liked Lee - he was a really entertaining character. Merri was fine though I did not really care much about her. This book was a typical fanfiction with the tropes but at the same time it was very entertaining. I do not have much knowledge about Kpop but if you are a fan, this book is the perfect summer read for you.

[Karen Fan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh wow, this was just a fun read! It was funny, it was charming, it was ridiculous; like the best K Dramas. The characters were believable, the drama wasn’t overly crazy, and they weren’t fixated on the same bad stuff to the point of annoying. Looking forward to seeing what she writes next!

[Wing (notesbywing) · Rating 3 out of 5]

skimmed it after reading 60%
gave 1 star for cheesiness
1 star for the mention of BTS (UwU)
1 star for Korean food :)

[Sarah Salisbury · Rating 5 out of 5]

I recieved an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. “Hart & Seoul” is released June 4th, 2019.

SUMMARY

Merilee Hart has been doing her best to keep things together since her mother left, her art a welcome escape from her depressing new reality. But things seem to go even more awry the moment her next door neighbor’s enigmatic and mysterious nephew arrives from South Korea. Lee is moody, cocky, and utterly infuriating.
But when Merri’s closest friends betray her and her father crushes her dream of going to art school, Merri finds herself drawn to Lee, who seems to live within even greater shadows than her own. And just when she thought things couldn’t get crazier, Merri’s world is upended when she discovers Lee’s big and bizarre secret…he is none other than a runaway member of the K-pop mega-group Thunder.

It’s not long before Thunder’s fans, the Storm Chasers, begin to close in on Lee, ready to do whatever it takes to return their favorite idol to his rightful place in the band. Faced with the prospect of even more heartbreak and caught up in an international whirlwind that has a life of its own, Merri realizes that she must find a way to mend herself, gain control of her life, and pursue her dreams—her heart and soul depend on it.

THE GOOD

So much to unpack here. So let’s do some bullet points. Those are a good way to get thoughts out.

-From the start, this book makes MASTERFUL use of romance tropes. It’s got everything from enemies-to-lovers (Lee and Merri’s terribly-flubbed first meeting and their subsequent awkward interactions are absolutely hilarious) to fake-dating and everything in between, and I LOVE IT. Tropes only suck in the hands of authors who don’t know how to use them – Burnham definitely does. All of it is done in a very tongue-and-cheek way that makes it deliciously obvious that these are tropes, but not the tropes you know.
-Speaking of tongue-in-cheek, the tone of this book was fantastically fun and comedic. It had its serious beats, which were also well-done, but it was also uproariously funny at times. Some of Merilee’s turns of phrase cracked me up, Merilee and Lee’s early, awkward interactions were all 10/10 amazing, and almost every incident with Lee’s fangirls, the Storm Chasers, had me in stitches (not really funny for the characters, I know, but oh, how I laughed!).
-I’ll admit that I don’t know a lot about the world of K-Pop, but “Hart and Seoul” was a great primer, and it really dug into both the pressures that the industry puts on its stars and the global phenomenon that k-pop has become. It was really seamlessly worked into the story, and it also provided most of the story’s most poignant moments. I especially appreciated the story’s focus on the impact of the industry’s rigors on Lee’s mental health – that’s a side of the story that we commoners don’t often see, and the author’s note, which talks about fame and mental health and provides resources for those struggling with depression, anxiety, etc., was a nice addition. That part of the story was tastefully handled and added a lot of depth to the story.
-The food. I never knew much about Korean food before reading this (to the chagrin of most of my Asian friends, who all swear up and down by Korean barbecue), but I loved how food became a bonding point for Lee and Merri.
-THE ROMANCE. OMG, SWOOOOOON. I’m a huge sucker for those “famous person falls for a normal person” love stories (Geekerella!) and this one was not only adorably swoonworthy, but actually made that improbable storyline seem somewhat grounded and realistic. And OMG, SO CUTE. I DIED. Really, this is a heckin’ cute romance.
-The ending. *HERE BE SPOILERS* Lee’s flower deliveries and mid-concert confession werethe stuff of my melodramatic teenager dreams. HE WROTE HER A SONG…AND SANG IT IN FRONT OF 600,000 PEOPLE…AND SAID HE LOVED HER…*faints* *SPOILERS BEGONE* High romance right there, folks. HIGH ROMANCE.

THE NOT-SO-GOOD

-Merilee has a tendency to be quite insensitive. She does improve, but it felt kind of off considering how much she knows Lee is struggling.
-That’s about it, really. This was a delightful book.

CRUNCHING THE NUMBERS

Plot: 5/5 – a creative twist on a whole boatload of tropes that work so, so much better than you’d ever expect them to.

Characters: 4/5 – Lee and Ema are angels and I’d die for them. Ms. Park is pretty great. The rest are sort of meh, and Bree is a scumbag. Lee and Ema make up for most of this, hence the high score. Not all of them are well-developed, but the leads, Lee and Merri, are, so it doesn’t feel flat.

Pacing: 5/5 – it was short, so there wasn’t a lot of time for it to slag, and I loved the lack of slow-burn. Slow-burn drives me nuts in most cases – this is one where it would have, which is why I appreciated its absence.

Handling of Subject Matter: 5/5 – surprisingly heartfelt, tasteful, and nuanced look at the K-Pop industry. Merri’s family situation (her mother left the family) is well-handled as well.

Writing Quality: 4/5 – it wasn’t exactly masterful prose, as YA rarely is, but the writing lent itself well to the story’s comedic timing, and Merri’s turns of phrase were wonderful.

Message/Moral/Appropriateness for Audience: 5/5 – squeaky clean except for one use each of “a**” and “hell”. Lots of kisses, but they’re not graphic. Allusions to a failed suicide attempt – the character later seeks out help, and the author’s note provides contact information of suicide prevention agencies; potentially disturbing but a sensitive handling of the topic. Good messages about the dangers of celebrity hype and the importance of trust, forgiveness, and loyalty. Would recommend for ages 14+ – I’d put it younger if not for the mention of the suicide attempt at the end because it’s largely clean (there’s no adult situations, drinking/drugs, or violence, and characters conspicuously don’t curse), but that would probably be a bit much for younger readers, though it’s brief and sensitively handled.

Overall: 4.67/5 Confused Llamas

ADDITION: I interviewed Kristen about this book for my blog - you can see that here http://covertocoverreviews.home.blog/... :)

[Juri · Rating 4 out of 5]

As usual, I would like to say thank you to NetGalley and Mascot Books for approving my request for a digital ARC of Hart and Seoul 💖💖💖

I'll start this review by saying, I have never read anything so fast before in my life until this book. I just put on a request here on NetGalley because the story seemed cute but I did not expect that I would be more emotionally invested in this AND I WENT IN DEEP.

Hart and Seoul is the story about Merilee Grace Hart--your average American girl just wanting to get in art school and living her own life until her new Korean neighbour, Lee-Hyung-kim moves in with his aunt next door. Their first encounters are nothing short of disastrous and Meri has rather formed a very low opinion of Sparkle Boy-Slash-Jerk. However, when the two become closer as they get to know each other, Meri has to prepare for the consequences as Lee Hyung-kim is a runaway member of a Korean boy band, THUNDER and that there is more to his stay in America than just taking a break.

I really loved reading this very cute book (I may have woken up half of the vicinity in my neighbourhood because of my squeals), but this was really heart-warming and at some point brought tears in my eyes.

Meri and Hyung-kim were so cute together and I loved their corny banters and their obsession with food (also I admired his dedication to get Meri to eat kimchi no matter what hahaha). This book also opened the topic on the different difficulties that K-Pop idols go through and the effect it has had on their mental health, and I think it's good that this book mentioned that, to remind its readers that there are more to idols than just looking pretty and famous on screen. In the author's acknowledgments, I teared up a bit as she mentioned Kim Jonghyun, a member of SHINEE, who ended his own life in 2017. SHINEE was my first K-Pop group and reflecting on that incident again made my heart hurt a bit, but at the same time emphasized the importance of always be looking after people who might not be as alright as what they assume to be.

All in all, this book maybe a bit of cliche (Korean drama-esque plot and all), but no matter what, I loved reading this and I hope to read more about Meri and Lee in the future!! 💖💖💖

[Courtney M · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ok. I admit it.

When I’m not reading and reviewing books, a lot of my time is spent keeping up with my favorite K-pop groups. It’s been almost 3 years since I fell down the rabbit hole that is the genre and I haven’t seemed to be able to get myself out since.



A story with a plot like this one could have so easily slipped into fan fiction, but Hart and Seoul does not dive into so much drama and fan service. It does however, bring to the table quite a few of the adored tropes; hate-to-love, enemies-to-lovers, and even some fake dating, that romance readers will likely love.

This book has just the right amount of twists and turns to keep it interesting, but also believable. I was happy to see that the story dipped into more difficult and sensitive topics instead of just being all-over cheesy and fluffy romance, exploring not just the happy-go-lucky side of romance and K-pop alike but the darker aspects as well.



I enjoyed the ups and downs of the story even though I expected all of them. This was helped, I think, by the narration. I didn’t think that I would like (let alone relate to) reading through the perspective of a high school senior who says ‘dang’ and ‘darn’ rather than swearing, but I actually settled into Merilee Hart’s narrative quickly and ended up really liking how it helped me sink into the story and look at what was happening from her view, bringing more believability to the story. The sense of voice in this story was really strong, and I came to feel like I really understood Merri and her motivations and thought processes. Not only that, but it was quick and easy to read. I finished this book in two sittings thanks to this writing style and the push of the eventful plot. At times, the narration did become a bit repetitive, especially when it came to Merri’s opinions on kimchi, but it didn’t detract from the story too much overall. 

However,I sometimes felt a bit annoyed with Merri because of her unwillingness to learn about Korean culture. I think that many people that will pick up this book will be fans of K-pop already, and have at least some sense of the culture. Merri is pretty clueless when it comes to anything about Korea. This is understandable, since she points out that she’s not actually a K-pop fan herself and has never really gotten into K-dramas or any of that. But I also think that anyone who finds they are falling for someone from another country would try to educate themselves so as not to sound foolish. Lee brushes this off for the most part (or at least once he starts to fall for her) which is oh-so-sweet of him. But in comparison, he does a lot more research into her and her culture. He has an advantage since he already knows English, but Merri doesn’t really make an effort to learn Korean in return.



Making Merri act this way isn’t necessarily a bad choice, in fact, I think it makes her a believable character and it makes sense for who she is. It also allows the reader to learn a little about Korean culture, becoming educated with Merri as she does, if they don’t already know. But I think that many people who pick this up will already know what she is learning, making this information unneeded. These people may have more trouble connecting to Merri because of this aspect of her character, and may be offended by her unwillingness to learn. Personally, I found it a bit privileged of her and it made me frown several times, but it didn’t bother me so much that it affected my enjoyment of the story too much. Then again, I wouldn’t call myself an expert on Korea, either, and what I know I’ve only come to learn recently, so I can understand where she’s coming from.

My main critique for "Hart and Seoul" is that I wanted more. More time to get to know Merri before Lee is introduced, more discussion on sensitive topics (especially one, the most sensitive of all), more explanation in the conclusion, and more time for the romance to burn before igniting. The latter two, especially.

The ending tied everything together, but I wasn’t completely satisfied with the explanations the characters gave for the choices they had made and I doubted whether it would have been enough, in reality, for them to move forward in the way it implied they were going to. After all, there were so many factors against it, how were they going to cope? That being said, I would have hated if everything had turned out perfectly. I only wished that there had been a little more to really convince me that what had happened was going to last (or clear implications that it wouldn’t).

What I wanted more of the most was a slow burn. It’s only a short time between when the characters realize they have feelings for each other, start to question whether to act on them and begin to flirt, and then get together. It was believable, and obviously, readers are aware it’s going to happen from the start. It also left more room at the end for other topics to be explored, which I appreciated. But...isn’t that section the best part of a romance? Personally, I think those will-they-won’t-they, kiss-already! moments when the tension is at its crux is the best part, and there was very little of it in this story. I would have settled for having the story run longer if I could have had a chapter or two more of the steamier stuff.



 I rated "Hart and Seoul" 4.25 out of 5 stars . It’s a great summer romance, especially for K-pop and K-drama fans. Fans of The Sun Is Also a Star and Eliza and Her Monsters will likely enjoy this book.



Thank you to Mascot Books and Netgalley for the opportunity to read a digital advanced reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review.