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nicolemhewitt's review
5.0
This review and many more can be found on my blog: Feed Your Fiction Addiction
Who doesn’t love a little competition fed by an entrepreneurial spirit? Valerie and Wes both feel like they have something to prove. Wes wants to go to music school, even though he knows the only way he can make it happen is by funding it himself—there’s no way his father will support him when Wes’s uncle is already a “starving” musician. Valerie feels like she’s always overlooked and being compared to her perfect older sister. She also wants desperately to help her halmeoni (her grandma) see the world like she’s always dreamed. Valerie figures the best way to solve both of those problems is to make enough money to take her halmeoni to Paris—not only will her halmeoni get the trip of a lifetime, but Valerie will have shown her family she’s capable of great things! When new-guy Wes shows up with a competing business, Valerie is more than a little upset. So the two make an all-or-nothing bet—whoever makes the most profits gets to keep the other person’s profits as well. Except things get a little complicated when they start to fall for each other.
My absolute favorite aspect of this book actually wasn’t the romance but Valerie’s relationship with her grandmother. These two are so sweet together, and it was quite obvious how much Valerie treasured her halmeoni. And whenever the pressures of life were getting to Valerie, Halmeoni was there to lift her up and remind her of what’s truly important. Valerie’s emotional connection to Halmeoni is incredibly strong, and Suk manages to bring the reader right into that relationship so that I was emotionally invested to her too. (I’ll confess that I shed a few tears during some moments between these two.) Another fantastic element of the book was the Korean (and Korean American) cultural references. The delectable food, the beauty products, the K-pop, Korean women divers, church, family relationships, and more. Since all of these things are part of the characters’ everyday lives, the reader is immersed in them too. Plus, both Wes and Valerie explore the ramifications of being raised in a culture that’s different than the country you’re raised in.
In the end, both Wes and Valerie have to figure out what’s truly important to them and determine how far they’ll go to achieve their dreams. And decide which sacrifices aren’t worth making.
***Disclosure: I received this book from the publisher for review purposes. As always, all opinions are my own and no compensation was given.***
Who doesn’t love a little competition fed by an entrepreneurial spirit? Valerie and Wes both feel like they have something to prove. Wes wants to go to music school, even though he knows the only way he can make it happen is by funding it himself—there’s no way his father will support him when Wes’s uncle is already a “starving” musician. Valerie feels like she’s always overlooked and being compared to her perfect older sister. She also wants desperately to help her halmeoni (her grandma) see the world like she’s always dreamed. Valerie figures the best way to solve both of those problems is to make enough money to take her halmeoni to Paris—not only will her halmeoni get the trip of a lifetime, but Valerie will have shown her family she’s capable of great things! When new-guy Wes shows up with a competing business, Valerie is more than a little upset. So the two make an all-or-nothing bet—whoever makes the most profits gets to keep the other person’s profits as well. Except things get a little complicated when they start to fall for each other.
My absolute favorite aspect of this book actually wasn’t the romance but Valerie’s relationship with her grandmother. These two are so sweet together, and it was quite obvious how much Valerie treasured her halmeoni. And whenever the pressures of life were getting to Valerie, Halmeoni was there to lift her up and remind her of what’s truly important. Valerie’s emotional connection to Halmeoni is incredibly strong, and Suk manages to bring the reader right into that relationship so that I was emotionally invested to her too. (I’ll confess that I shed a few tears during some moments between these two.) Another fantastic element of the book was the Korean (and Korean American) cultural references. The delectable food, the beauty products, the K-pop, Korean women divers, church, family relationships, and more. Since all of these things are part of the characters’ everyday lives, the reader is immersed in them too. Plus, both Wes and Valerie explore the ramifications of being raised in a culture that’s different than the country you’re raised in.
In the end, both Wes and Valerie have to figure out what’s truly important to them and determine how far they’ll go to achieve their dreams. And decide which sacrifices aren’t worth making.
***Disclosure: I received this book from the publisher for review purposes. As always, all opinions are my own and no compensation was given.***
danda's review against another edition
5.0
Honestly, I loved this!! Valerie’s character development was just *french kiss*!! Wes Jung is absolutely amazing omgs he carried the whole book. Taemin was so cheeky haha. Usually I’d dislike characters who mess things up with the main leads, but he was unexpected favorite. Charlie is like one of the greatest friends ever tbh!! Loved him too!! I didn’t see Pauline much, but I really appreciate her character.
—> 4.5 stars!!
—> 4.5 stars!!
kimmybartle's review against another edition
4.0
This book was sweetness for my soul (and not just because Sarah sent me hi-chews and a facemask, but that certainly helped with ambiance). I felt like one of Valerie's clients (is that a spoiler?). Ate this book up and clutched it near my heart. There's nothing quite like finding that one person whose voice you hear louder than the criticism that lives in your head. That was the make-it-or-break-it point for me. The reason I couldn't root for either side. I may very well have done the same as Taemin at the beginning, ha!
Valerie's business savvy was admirable, not just from a similar-minded perspective, but seeing how she grew to understand the fire behind it. It was eye-opening to find the root of her perfectionism. Don't get me started on Wes, I'll never stop going. Wouldn't be opposed to a sequel, I can't let them go yet!
Valerie's business savvy was admirable, not just from a similar-minded perspective, but seeing how she grew to understand the fire behind it. It was eye-opening to find the root of her perfectionism. Don't get me started on Wes, I'll never stop going. Wouldn't be opposed to a sequel, I can't let them go yet!
biblee's review against another edition
4.0
charlie, my best boy, if you ever read this, i know you’re fictional but i am free on thursday night if you wanna hang out - i will NOT friend-zone you nor treat you like a handy sidekick, just want to put that out there.
petitetami's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoyed this YA teen romance from Sarah Suk. I especially loved that first snowfall scene, it was very cute. The YA drama between the characters was to be expected and I loved how they each had their own goals/dreams that they were working towards. I also loved seeing the different family dynamics with the main characters. Wes and Valerie make a cute fictional couple! I look forward to reading more from Sarah.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a digital arc.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a digital arc.
delia's review against another edition
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
smalltownbookmom's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoyed this fun enemies to lovers, dual perspective YA romance featuring competing Korean American teen K-beauty entrepreneurs who are fighting for the number one spot among their high school peers. This book deals with the heavy pressure parental expectations place on second generation kids. Saxophone playing Wes wants to go to music school and Valerie feels like she can never live up to her perfect older sister. The two teens also grapple with moral and ethical decisions as they run their respective businesses - the idiom all's fair in love and war gets tested to the extreme as Valerie and Wes learn maybe love is more important than winning. Suk expertly sprinkles Korean food and culture references throughout the story which I loved but I wish the story would have had a Canadian setting rather than an American one. Recommended for fans of Tweet Cute, A pho love story and A taste for love. A great debut for Canadian author, Sarah Suk! Can't wait to read what she writes next! Thanks to NetGalley for my advance copy.
sboedecker1024's review against another edition
5.0
Thank you Sarah Suk for providing me with an escape from reality to the fun but oh so *dramatic* lives of these high schoolers. Parental disagreement and misunderstanding, sweet halmoni love, young love (even jaksarang), entrepreneurship, music, and bingsu! Great book, I want more.