Reviews with content warning for Sexism - So We Meet Again

This is exactly the fun, food-filled read that you'd expect based on the cover, with the added bonus that it tackles racism and sexism in a male-dominated workplace. I greatly admire Park's skill at incorporating real issues into these lighter stories, just as she did in Sunny Song Will Never Be Famous. I agree with other reviewers who say this is structured more like a women's fiction novel than a romance. Most of the focus is on Jess finding her calling and connecting with her mother and becoming an entrepreneur, and the romance aspects complement the plot rather than dominating it. It was refreshing to see so much growth from Jess and a realistic look into the hard work of starting a business!

Honestly, my biggest issue with this one is that the book description spoils the entire plot of the book. Not the author's fault at all, but I couldn't believe it when I was 85% of the way through at one of the events mentioned in the description still hadn't happened yet. So I do recommend avoiding the description if possible before picking it up!

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nerdynatreads's review

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funny inspiring lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

~Thanks to Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of So We Meet Again in exchange for an honest review. ~

After reading Park's last romance, which had all the girl power and empowering women feels, but not much romance, I was hoping she'd learned and lean more on the romance this time around. While she did do that! I was still disappointed in the results, however.

Although the title, summary, and marketing around this book calls it romance, this is more 50/50 with a contemporary about women in the entrepreneurial world. That's a fine space to be in, I'm all for shattering the glass ceiling, but don't promise me one thing and then not deliver it.

Not to be completely negative, I do enjoy Park's writing. This story did have me chuckling quite a bit. I loved the descriptions of food and watching Jessie create her own business (although, as someone with a business degree, I think it was a bit unrealistic, but that's a me problem). Watching Jessie stick it to her old company for underestimating her? Fantastic. Seeing her relationship with her mom improve was also so precious. I loved seeing the shift in Jessie's perception of her mom as the story went on. Also, the main romantic trope was enemies to lovers and we all know I love that.

While the enemies to friends shift was pretty smooth, the switch to lovers felt much more abrupt and caught me off guard. There was fantastic sexual tension between the two leads, but it was never followed through with, which annoyed me to no end. Every time it seemed like we were heading in that direction, something would interrupt them. The drama that took place between the two halfway through the book actually made sense, even if it was based on miscommunication, so I couldn't be too angry about that. Even once they come back together though, we were still left hanging, as there's only a fade to black scene. (I'm learning that I really don't like clean romance books, apparently)

The synopsis of this book, also! It literally details everything that happens! Maybe don't do that moving forward, because it made for a very predictable story!

In the end, my issue with this book was the same as Park's first Adult Romance, which is it shouldn't be marketed as a romance because it's totally misleading to what the main story is about. The main focus of this book isn't Jessie finding love, it's in her creating a career she enjoys and improving herself.

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allisonwonderlandreads's review

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inspiring lighthearted slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.0

This is a very millennial romantic comedy, which I say as a compliment. When Jess loses her Wall Street job in cuts across the bank, she moves home to live with her parents in Nashville while she faces the questions that always lurk in the void: what do I want from life? what will I do next? All of this occurs under the crushing pressure to seem successful and happy and completely in control. Obviously, it's all lies (millennial, remember?). Worst of all, Jess' middle school nemesis, smug know-it-all Daniel Choi, is also back in town, with the whole community ready and waiting to measure her against him to determine her value.

My problem with this one is how business-y it is. It's one of the least interesting topics to me, so I had a hard time making myself pay attention as Jess concocts a start-up. I was more entertained when Jess records live cooking demos from home, and her mom's uninvited interruptions steal the show. However, this was only a couple of scenes, so it failed to fully cure my torpor.

Also, the love story didn't inspire me. It's fine that it was only a small portion of the plot, but Daniel didn't win my trust. All the initial reasons Jess had for not liking him in the beginning still lingered with me. It's not that he's a bad person, but he exudes that over-confident man energy that pushes my buttons. Ultimately, I didn't feel I knew him well enough to summon any empathy or wish him on Jess, who is a total badass. This also fits in with the larger theme that all the relationships felt a bit rushed. I would have loved more opportunities to connect with Jess' friends and family in a meaningful way. However, the business and its progress were front and center, not the human elements.

I will always love and appreciate the author's willingness to call out structural racism and sexism. I think this book lacked the sharp humor I adored in Loathe at First Sight, but it stands tall on the social commentary.

At the end of the day, I still love this author, but this particular book wasn't for me. If you enjoy a little entrepreneurial spirit or are looking for a story about finding a path forward after major setbacks, you should check it out.

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