Back of Book: 

Jenny's never had much time for boys, K-pop, or really anything besides her dream of being a professional cellist. But when she finds herself falling for a K-pop idol, she has to decide whether their love is worth the risk. A modern forbidden romance wrapped in the glamorous and exclusive world of K-pop, XOXO is perfect for fans of Jenny Han and Maurene Goo.

Jenny didn't get to be an award-winning, classically trained cellist without choosing practice over fun. That is, until the night she meets Jaewoo. Mysterious, handsome, and just a little bit tormented, Jaewoo is exactly the kind of distraction Jenny would normally avoid. And yet, she finds herself pulled into spending an unforgettable evening wandering Los Angeles with him on the night before his flight home to South Korea.

With Jaewoo an ocean away, there's no use in dreaming of what could have been. But when Jenny and her mother move to Seoul to take care of her ailing grandmother, who does she meet at the elite arts academy she's just been accepted to? Jaewoo.

Finding the dreamy stranger who swept you off your feet in your homeroom is one thing, but Jaewoo isn't just any student. Turns out, Jaewoo is a member of one of the biggest K-pop bands in the world. And like most K-pop idols, Jaewoo is strictly forbidden from dating anyone.

When a relationship means not only jeopardizing her place at her dream music school but also endangering everything Jaewoo's worked for, Jenny has to decide once and for all just how much she's willing to risk for love. XOXO is a new romance that proves chasing your dreams doesn't have to mean sacrificing your heart, from acclaimed author Axie Oh.

Book Number: One 

Genre: Young Adult | Contemporary | Romance 

Review: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

A one-of-them-is-famous secret romantic comedy featuring strong familial ties, K-pop idols, and a bit of classical music. 

When my sister pulled "XOXO" off the shelf at my public library, I knew that I would love this book just based on the cover and the K-pop vibes alone. And it did not disappoint me one bit! Right off the bat, I loved Jenny's character. She's a dedicated student, a phenomenal cellist, and cares deeply about her family. When I first met Jaewoo in the karaoke room, I was sold on the romance. I love the chance meetings with a celebrity but you don't know they're famous vibe, and I feel like it was pulled of magnificently in this book. 

One of my favorite things about this one are the strong relationships. Jenny is close with her grandmother and Jaewoo adores his mother and younger sister. They each also have a very supportive and dynamic friend group that they'd do pretty much anything for. Jaewoo's K-pop group, XOXO, is also super tight-nit and it was fun to see the found family situation that they had created. The fact that they get to live the dreams as K-pop idols is cool, but I love how Oh delved into the dark realities of it too. There is no privacy, your expected to put your fans first, and your schedule is constantly booked. Not as much as a dream as many people have been led to believe. 

Another thing that put this one apart from other books in the same vein, is the fact that it takes place in South Korea. This allowed Jenny to experience pieces of Jaewoo's glamorous world and be completely emerged in her family's culture. She got to see Buddhist temples, go to a public bathhouse, and even get the behind the scene tour of an idol company. I found how the boarding school experience is formatted in South Korea to be really intriguing and I really enjoyed the atmosphere that the school had. 

I have to praise this book for it last act conflict. Many romances that I have read recently have terrible third act conflicts that made me hate the romance and ended with me thinking that all the characters are idiots, but "XOXO" did not let me down. I feel that Jenny's worries came from a very real place and that she was under a whole lot of stress, so the actions she took made sense. I thought that the ending was just so adorable and that it really proved the hurdles that these two are willing to conquer for a happy ending.

Overall, "XOXO" is a well structured rom-com that is sweet, cozy, and incredibly swoonworthy. I loved the importance of music in this novel, as well as the highlights on culture and family. It was interesting to experience a more behind the scenes view of the K-pop industry. I dug this one up and I'm pretty sure I will be reading many more of Oh's books in the future. I'm literally so excited to get my hands on "ASAP" when it comes out! I would recommend this one if you are a fan of K-pop, strong cultural and family ties, as well as if you are a fan of slightly cheesy romantic goodness. 

Back of Book: 

New York Times bestselling author Axie Oh's ASAP is the much anticipated companion novel to beloved romance XOXO, following fan favorites Sori, the wealthy daughter of a K-pop company owner, and Nathaniel, her K-pop star ex-boyfriend, in a swoon-worthy second chance love story.

Sori has worked her whole life to become a K-pop idol, until she realizes she doesn’t want a life forever in the spotlight. But that’s not actually up to Sori—she’s caught between her exacting mother’s entertainment company and her father’s presidential aspirations. And as the pressure to keep her flawless public image grows, the last person she should be thinking about is her ex-boyfriend.

Nathaniel is off limits—she knows this. A member of one of the biggest K-pop bands in the world and forbidden from dating, he isn’t any more of an option now than he was two years ago. Still, she can’t forget that their whirlwind romance was the last time she remembers being really happy. Or that his family welcomed her into their home when she needed it most...

So when Nathaniel finds himself rocked by scandal, Sori offers him a hideaway with her. And back in close quarters, it’s hard to deny their old feelings. But when Sori gets an opportunity to break free from her parent’s expectations, she will have to decide: Is her future worth sacrificing for a second chance at love?

Book Number: Two 

Genre: Young Adult | Contemporary | Romance 

Review: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

In this follow-up to "XOXO," Nathaniel and Sori are given a second chance at love in an industry that is trying its hardest to keep them apart. 

Sori has strived to become a K-pop idol and impress her mother her entire life, but she's starting to lose her passion for the lifestyle. Despite this, both of her parents press their expectations on her at all times. And one of these expectations is that she stays away from her ex-boyfriend, Nathaniel, who just happens to be a part of the popular K-pop band called XOXO. But when Nathaniel finds himself faced with another scandal, Sori offers to let him hide out at her place to avoid the press. Now, Sori finds herself happy again for the first time in years. . . But is a chance at true love worth giving up on her hopes for her future career? 

It was so great to be back in the "XOXO" universe. I loved the first book, so I was excited to finally get my hands on this companion novel. I didn't love Sori in the first book, but I really enjoyed her perspective, and it was awesome getting to know her better. It was also really great seeing Jenny, Angela, Gi Taek, and all the XOXO members again; they are truly such a great found family whom I love seeing interact with one another. 

The romantic tension between Sori and Nathaniel was so good in this book. We know that they had to break up with one another due to a scandal that happened several years ago, but it is quite obvious that these two still have intense feelings for one another. I especially adore the scenes that take place during the variety show. The other times they are on TV and radio shows together also exhibit their chemistry, but I really enjoyed seeing them run and hide together during the variety show. I also love the "bad girl" and "bad boy" vibes that these two have; it made seeing how far they were willing to break the rules very exciting. 

The third act conflict was slightly annoying, but I also see where Sori was coming from. Her parent's both have heavy expectations of her, and she doesn't want to let them down in various ways. Therefore, it makes sense that she tries to push Nathaniel away, but it is slightly annoying because they are so good for each other. 

The new characters that are introduced in this book were also great. Nathaniel's sister, Nadine, seems like a pretty cool cat. Hyemi, the trainee of ASAP that Sori is charged in mentoring, is such a darling. I really hope that Oh decides to write a third book in this series featuring Hyemi and Youngmin. Seriously, it would be such a wholesome and cute love story. <3

Just like in "XOXO" I found it really fun to follow the lives of Korean idols. Their lives are so different than mine, and I find the lives of the famous (especially those in Asian cultures) to be really interesting to follow. In the course of this book, Sori stars on multiple TV series, radio shows, and works hand in hand with K-pop bands (among other things). I will forever be entranced by these kinds of lifestyles, and I am glad that I got to dive into the "XOXO" world in this way again. 

Overall, I really liked "ASAP." It is always nice to return to a fictional world that I adore, so reading this book was truly a joy. I loved seeing the returning characters, learning more about K-idol lifestyles, and enjoy another fluffy romance from the mind of Axie Oh. I seriously hope that she keeps expanding this universe in a future novel, but for now, I'll just continue to adore these two books and rec them to as many people who will listen to me!