Hart & Seoul (Hart & Seoul, #1) by Kristen Burnham

May 08, 2019 ♠ TABI⁷ ♠ rated it really liked it

Shelves: netgalley, favorites

'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

description

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 ...more

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May 28, 2019 Anja H. rated it really liked it

Shelves: netgalley

*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 ...more

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May 15, 2019 Mary S. R. rated it really liked it

Recommended to Mary by: ♠ TABI⁷ ♠

Shelves: romance, contemporary, young-adult

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, a ...more

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Jul 13, 2019 Hillary rated it liked it

Shelves: arcs, contemporary, korea

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 late ...more

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May 26, 2019 Yna the Mood Reader rated it really liked it

Shelves: arc

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: A ...more

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Jun 08, 2019 ♚sari♚ rated it it was ok

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: 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 ❤ ...more

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May 28, 2019 Dani ❤️ Perspective of a Writer rated it it was amazing

Shelves: fiction-young-adult, g-a-strong-family, imo-worthy-love-interest, stand-alone, 2019, genre-romance-deliberately, review-on-amazon, best-of-2019, genre-mental-health, reviewed

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-po ...more

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May 12, 2019 ʙᴇʟᴀ.: ☾**:.☆*.:｡. rated it really liked it

Shelves: arc

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 Ko 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. ...more

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Jul 02, 2019 Jane (It'sJaneLindsey) rated it it was ok

Shelves: 2019-releases, 2019-read, 2019-arcs-to-review

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.

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May 19, 2019 Alisha Tarran rated it it was ok

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 pr ...more

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Jan 23, 2020 Moony (The Burglar Baggins) MeowPoff rated it really liked it

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 :) ...more

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May 31, 2019 L.C. Perry rated it really liked it

Shelves: diverse-reads

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 t 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!! ...more

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Apr 04, 2020 dessie rated it did not like it

Shelves: young-adult, one-star, advance-reader-copies, i-need-a-restraining-oder, romance, 2020-releases

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

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Apr 19, 2020 bruna rated it it was ok

Shelves: 2020, arcs-2020

“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 ...more

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Jun 04, 2019 Hristina rated it did not like it

Shelves: not-what-i-thought, ya-and-na, dnf-shelf

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 bett ...more

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May 26, 2019 Jenny Bravo rated it it was amazing

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 st ...more

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Mar 26, 2020 madandelion [hiatus 160420] rated it it was ok

Shelves: humour, young-adult-fiction

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
...more

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May 10, 2019 •Melanie Elizabeth• {To tea, or not to tea? ☕️} rated it it was amazing

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 a ...more

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Jun 12, 2020 shannon✨ rated it it was ok

Shelves: 2020-reads, review-copy

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 al ...more

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Aug 30, 2019 Fuzaila rated it it was ok

Shelves: chick-lit, young-adult, 2019, contemporary, poc-rep, could-have-been-better, favorite-dads, romance-lovey-dovey, liked-it-but-i-am-not-sure, netgalley

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 realis ...more

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May 16, 2019 AJ rated it it was amazing

Shelves: arc, reviewed, ya-contemporary-recommended, 2019, faves-of-2019

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 relation 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. ...more

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May 22, 2019 Karen Fan rated it it was amazing

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!

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May 14, 2019 Stacie rated it really liked it

Shelves: net-galley-arcs

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

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Nov 17, 2020 Ahana M Rao (Heart’s Content) rated it really liked it

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 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! ❤ ...more

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Jul 12, 2019 Clockwork bibliophile rated it really liked it

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 thi ...more

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Jul 16, 2019 Wing (bibliomeds) rated it liked it

Shelves: netgalley

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

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May 25, 2019 Lou (Lou and Life) rated it did not like it

Shelves: dnf, contemporary, read-2019, romance, worst-books-2019, arc

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 ra ...more

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May 08, 2019 Sarah Salisbury rated it it was amazing

Shelves: highly-recommended, clean-ya

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 ...more

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Feb 17, 2020 Sylvs (NOVELty Reads) rated it it was amazing

Shelves: netgalley, favourites

TW: Suicide, Suicide Attempts

I think this book stole my Hart and Seoul.

This book was INSANE and had everything I loved. First and foremost, Kpop. Ahh the Kpop. It wasn't an overload of it which in all honesty, surprised me. It was more focused on K-culture not just the music but also the food, dramas (K-Dramas) and Korean culture. Oh and definitely the kimchi!

The story follows Merrilee Hart, a girl who wishes to become an artist against her father's wishes. A year ago, her mother left her and TW: Suicide, Suicide Attempts

I think this book stole my Hart and Seoul.

This book was INSANE and had everything I loved. First and foremost, Kpop. Ahh the Kpop. It wasn't an overload of it which in all honesty, surprised me. It was more focused on K-culture not just the music but also the food, dramas (K-Dramas) and Korean culture. Oh and definitely the kimchi!

The story follows Merrilee Hart, a girl who wishes to become an artist against her father's wishes. A year ago, her mother left her and her dad on their own and to cope, Merrilee designs comic strips detailing her everyday life. What she doesn't expect is the arrogant and annoyingly charming nephew of her neighbour moving in next door. As they grow closer, they fall in love with each other however, Lee is keeping a secret. A secret that could change their whole relationship and each other's lives.

I loved everything about this book. I was so hooked on it I avoided my homework for about 2 days just to finish it because I was THAT addicted. I must admit, Lee, Bree and Luke were the characters that made me ridiculously addicted. Lee was arrogant and sarcastic and an absolute sweetheart. I loved him so much. I think that his love for Merrilee might've increased really quickly but it wasn't increased too quickly to annoy me. Merrilee was definitely a complex character and the stuff she went through with her so-called "friend" and "boyfriend" were so low I felt so sorry for her. In terms of her voice, it didn't really do much to me. Her voice wasn't that much different from other stories however, I still enjoyed reading from her perspective.

Now, let me talk about the worst characters in the world: Bree and Luke. I HATED them with a passion. As in, they've done something I would never ever ever forgive. But I must admit, they totally deserve each other with how cruel each of them are. Out of the two of them, Bree was the real demon. What she did at the start of the book and the end of the book made me want to literally strangle her. She was written so well that she seemed so real. The things she did seemed real it was terrifying. It felt like the situation she created was something any normal person could've potentially gone through.

It was really past page 100 when the real issues surrounding the Kpop industry came to light. The industry is really corrupt, there's sometimes abuse, starvation, depression, anxiety and even suicide. The situation and treatment of these idols is getting better but a lot still needs to be done. This book was written after SHINee's Jonghyun's successful suicide attempt which really shone a light on mental health in the Kpop industry. The author of this book herself mentioned this in her author's note at the back of the book. Mental health played a major part in this book especially when Lee was talking about the things he has been through. I won't go into this for spoiler reasons. The book also talked about plastic surgery in relation to being a Kpop idol. It didn't go super deep and dark about it but I really felt for the character who had to go through it.

Let's just say I felt a lot whilst reading this. I definitely got a lot of feels. I 100% need the sequel ASAP!

Copy given by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

ACTUAL RATING: 4.8 STARS

...more

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Jul 03, 2019 Juri rated it really liked it

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 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!! 💖💖💖 ...more

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