As a Korean adoptee, Hara Wilson doesn’t need anyone telling her she looks different from her white parents. She knows. Every time Hara looks in the mirror, she’s reminded that she doesn’t look like anyone else in her family—not her loving mother, Ellen; not her jerk of a father, Pat; and certainly not like Pat’s new wife and new “real” son.
At the age of twenty-five, she thought she had come to terms with it all, but when her father suddenly dies, an offhand comment at his funeral triggers an identity crisis that has her running off to Seoul in search of her roots.
What Hara finds there has all the makings of a classic K-drama: a tall, mysterious stranger who greets her at the airport, spontaneous adventures across the city, and a mess of familial ties, along with a red string of destiny that winds its way around her, heart and soul. Hara goes to Korea looking for answers, but what she gets instead is love—a forbidden love that will either welcome Hara home…or destroy her chance of finding one.
Release Date: May 25, 2021
Heat Level: Warm
Publisher: Penguin Group
Imprint: Berkley
Price: $9.99
Hara Wilson is on the path to self discovery after doing some reflecting after her father’s funeral. She is a Korean-American who was adopted and wants to learn about her culture. What better way than to jump on a plane to Seoul? She meets some interesting folks and explore a region that is all too foreign for her.
I am really disappointed in this book. I got to 75% and wanted to just quit. It is not that the story is not interested, it is just not what I had anticipated from this author. I have read other books by her before so I’m aware of her writing style. I actually went into this story thinking the main character would be full of self discovery and love. Yes, that did happen technically but it felt off. The romance is purely lacking in this. There is nothing that gave me the feels. The main character is too busy learning about her true heritage and culture to be in love.
Mainly the main character started to become annoying. She involved herself in so much drama that I became bored with her storyline. I didn’t care what happened one way or another to her. The potential love interest is a nice addition but like I previously mentioned, he is not oozing romantic vibes either so I just gave up on the romance.
I will admit that seeing the country through Hara’s eyes is the bonus in this story. I take it that the author did the research because the story is very descriptive. However, it is just not enough for me.
I think this is going to be a series but I will have to pass on this one. I need books that spark excitement in me. If it is not romance then I need to go in knowing that so I’m not waiting for something more to occur.
~ Samantha
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