Tag: asian literature

The Full Moon Coffee Shop by Mai Mochizuki, Translated by Jessie Kirkwood

Publisher: Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine, Ballantine Books

Date of publication: August 20th, 2024

Genre: Fantasy, Fiction, Magical Realism, Japan, Japanese Literature, Cats, Asia, Asian Literature, Animals, Novels

Purchase Links: Kindle | Audible | B&N | AbeBooks | WorldCat

Goodreads Synopsis:

Translated from the Japanese bestseller, this charming and magical novel, inspired by the myth of cats returning favors to those who care for them, reminds us that it’s never too late to follow our stars.

In Japan, cats are a symbol of good luck. As the myth goes, if you are kind to them, they’ll one day return the favor. And if you are kind to the right cat, you might just find yourself invited to a mysterious coffee shop under a glittering Kyoto moon.

This particular coffee shop is like no other. It has no fixed location, no fixed hours, and seemingly appears at random to adrift young people at crucial junctions in their lives.

It’s also run by talking cats.

While customers at the Full Moon Coffee Shop partake in cakes and coffees and teas, the cats also consult them on their star charts, offer cryptic wisdom, and let them know where their lives veered off course.

Because every person who visits the shop has been feeling more than a little lost. And for a down-on-her-luck screenwriter, a romantically stuck movie director, a hopeful hairstylist and a technologically challenged website designer, the coffee shop’s feline guides will set them back on their fated paths. For there is a very special reason the shop appeared to each of them…

First Line:

It was early April and my apartment windows were wide open.

Important details about The Full Moon Coffee Shop

Pace: Medium

POV: 1st person (Mizuki, Akari), 3rd person (Takashi, Satsuki)

Content/Trigger Guidance: The Full Moon Coffee Shop contains themes of infidelity and death.

Language: The Full Moon Coffee Shop contains no swearing and language that might offend some people.

Sexual Content: There is mild sexual content in The Full Moon Coffee Shop.

Setting: The Full Moon Coffee Shop is set in Kyoto, Japan.

My Review

I am a sucker for books that contain cats. Recently, I have also become very interested in reading Japanese literature. So, when I read the blurb for The Full Moon Coffee Shop and saw that it contained cats and Japanese literature, I knew I wanted to read it. And I am glad I did because this book was a cute read and a little strange.

The Full Moon Coffee Shop’s synopsis centers around four individuals (Mizuki, Akari, Satsuki, and Takashi), their current lives, and how they ended up at the coffee shop. The book was very well written, and I had zero issues following the storyline.

I warn that you might wonder how everything is connected (I certainly did wonder). The author does a beautiful job of gradually explaining the connections between the people. The connection between the cafe and the main characters isn’t fully explained until the end of the book.

The main characters were flawed, but not in a way that would ruin the book. The author did have each character have an awakening of sorts, which carried over into the other storylines.

The cats and the astrology made the book. I liked that the cats were named after the planets. I also liked that the author included drawings of each person’s astrology chart. It was nice to see a layout of what each cat (and there were four that gave the main characters TED talks) was talking about. I was able to visualize it. Also, I liked that the author didn’t fundamentally change the cats. Instead, they were furry creatures who stood on their hind legs, did astrology, and served up custom-made coffee/tea/desserts to the shop patrons.

The end of The Full Moon Coffee Shop was interesting. The author shows how the main characters changed because of their interactions at the coffee shop. In addition, the way the main characters met and the good deeds that they did together were explained. I was in tears reading that. They weren’t sad tears but happy tears. I wish I could tell you all more!!

Many thanks to Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine, Ballantine Books, NetGalley, and Mai Mochizuki for allowing me to read and review The Full Moon Coffee Shop. All opinions stated in this review are mine.

If you enjoy reading books similar to The Full Moon Coffee Shop, then you will enjoy these books:

Other books by Mai Mochizuki

To Gaze Upon Wicked Gods (To Gaze Upon Wicked Gods: Book 1) by Molly X. Chang

Publisher: Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine, Del Rey

Date of publication: April 16, 2024

Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult, Romance, Young Adult Fantasy, Fiction, Science Fiction, Asian Literature, High Fantasy, Adult, Magic

Series: To Gaze Upon Wicked Gods

To Gaze Upon Wicked Gods—Book 1

To Kill a Monstrous Prince—Book 2 (expected publication date: January 1st, 2025)

Purchase Links: Kindle | Audible | B&N | AbeBooks | WorldCat

Goodreads Synopsis:

She has power over death. He has power over her. When two enemies strike a dangerous bargain, will they end a war . . . or ignite one?

Heroes die, cowards live. Daughter of a conquered world, Ruying hates the invaders who descended from the heavens long before she was born and defeated the magic of her people with technologies unlike anything her world had ever seen.

Blessed by Death, born with the ability to pull the life right out of mortal bodies, Ruying shouldn’t have to fear these foreign invaders, but she does. Especially because she wants to keep herself and her family safe.

When Ruying’s Gift is discovered by an enemy prince, he offers her an impossible deal: If she becomes his private assassin and eliminates his political rivals—whose deaths he swears would be for the good of both their worlds and would protect her people from further brutalization—her family will never starve or suffer harm again. But to accept this bargain, she must use the powers she has always feared, powers that will shave years off her own existence.

Can Ruying trust this prince, whose promises of a better world make her heart ache and whose smiles make her pulse beat faster? Are the evils of this agreement really in the service of a much greater good? Or will she betray her entire nation by protecting those she loves the most?

First Line:

The sky was crying again.

To Gaze Upon Wicked Gods by Molly X. Chang

Important details about To Gaze Upon Wicked Gods

Pace: Alternates between medium and fast

POV: 1st person (Ruying), 3rd person (Antony for a chapter), 2nd person (following Ruying on a mission for a chapter)

Content/Trigger: To Gaze Upon Wicked Gods contains themes of colonization, death, addiction, violence, drug abuse, toxic relationship, xenophobia, murder, genocide, torture, war, kidnapping, racism, blood, confinement, physical abuse, gaslighting, injury & injury detail, child abuse, child death, drug use, emotional abuse, gun violence, sexism, slavery, death of a parent, misogyny, grief, medical trauma, classism, gore, trafficking, toxic friendship, sexual harassment, pandemic/epidemic, bullying, self-harm, police brutality, medical content, suicide attempt, abandonment, racial slurs, rape, suicidal thoughts, and alcohol. Please read carefully if any of these triggers you.

Language: To Gaze Upon Wicked Gods contains mild swearing and language that might offend some people.

Series: To Gaze Upon Wicked Gods is the first book in the To Gaze Upon Wicked Gods series.

Sexual Content: There is mild consensual sexual content* in To Gaze Upon Wicked Gods.

  • It is implied that Ruying has sex with Antony after they escape from Donghai.

Setting: To Gaze Upon Wicked Gods is set in the world of Pangu. Most of the book is set in Jing-City (in Er-Lang). Ruying and Antony travel to Donghai (in Sihai) in several chapters.

My Review:

To Gaze Upon Wicked Gods has been on my wishlist since I saw it appear on several blogs last year. I love books that are based on Chinese mythology/culture. So, when I saw that Random House had it wish only, I decided to take the chance and wish for it. I was delighted when I got the email saying my wish had been granted. But I was also cautious because I have a habit of hyping books up and being disappointed when I read them. Happily, this wasn’t the case with To Gaze Upon Wicked Gods. I loved the book!!

To Gaze Upon Wicked Gods is the first book in the series with the same name. Since this is the first book, you can read it as a standalone. But I will go on a limb and say that the rest of the series will not be standalone. There was so much world and character-building that it would be hard to jump right in if you started reading later in the series.

The main storyline of To Gaze Upon Wicked Gods centers around Ruying. It was well-crafted and well-written. Add in the more minor, secondary storylines (with Ruying’s family, Antony’s family, and the resistance), and I couldn’t put the book down. I devoured this book in one sitting.

Ruying was not a likable character when the book began. Was she sympathetic? Yes. But, likable, no. She hated the Romans with a passion. She witnessed her father and sister get addicted to a drug that they introduced to the population. She also chafed under the rules that they imposed. So, I wasn’t surprised when she did something stupid and got caught by the Romans. There was a change in her after the Romans caught her, which saddened me. But, again, I understood. Everything she did, she did to protect her grandmother and sister.

I did not like Antony. He used terror and psychological tactics to tear down Ruying and build her up to what he wanted. He was a master manipulator who said all the right things to Ruying to gain her trust and confidence. But I couldn’t help but pity Antony in a way. He, too, was shaped into what he was by a cruel adoptive grandfather and father. I wasn’t surprised when a huge secret of his was revealed. I did see it coming, but I wasn’t prepared for what it did to Ruying.

The magic in To Gaze Upon Wicked Gods was fascinating. People were either born with or without magic. But, since the Romans arrived and after they destroyed the temples (where people learned to control their magic), magic was disappearing. The author showcased different levels of magic, going from common to rare. Ruying’s magic fascinates me because of what is tied to it (every life she takes shaves years off her life). But I also wondered if that was true (something Antony said to Ruying made my antenna go up). I also wondered if her sister’s magic (life) would come into play later in the series.

The book had a romance angle, but it made me slightly sick to read. I understand that Ruying was developing something akin to Stockholm Syndrome, and her feelings came from that. But still. Her other romance choice, a childhood friend turned drug kingpin, wasn’t much better. But I would have chosen him over Antony.

The end of To Gaze Upon Wicked Gods only raised more questions than it answered. Nothing was resolved, but a lot was revealed. Given how the last chapter ende, I look forward to what will happen in book 2.

Many thanks to Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine, Del Rey, NetGalley, and Molly X. Chang for allowing me to read and review the ARC of To Gaze Upon Wicked Gods. All opinions stated in this review are mine.

If you enjoy reading books similar to To Gaze Upon Wicked Gods, then you will enjoy these books:

The Final Curtain (Kyoichiro Kaga: Book 10) by Keigo Higashino, Giles Murray (Translator)

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books

Date of publication: December 12th, 2023

Genre: Mystery, Japan, Fiction, Mystery Thriller, Thriller, Crime, Detective, Japanese Literature, Novels, Asian Literature

Series: Kyoichiro Kaga

Books 1-3 and books 6-7 do not have English translations.

Malice—Book 4

Newcomer—Book 5

A Death in Tokyo—Book 6

The Final Curtain—Book 7

Purchase Links: Kindle | Audible | B&N | AbeBooks | WorldCat

Goodreads Synopsis:

From the acclaimed author of Malice and Newcomer, a confounding murder in Tokyo is connected to the mystery of the disappearance and death of Detective Kaga’s own mother.

A decade ago, Tokyo Police Detective Kyoichiro Kaga went to collect the ashes of his recently deceased mother. Years before, she ran away from her husband and son without explanation or any further contact, only to die alone in an apartment far away, leaving her estranged son with many unanswered questions.

Now in Tokyo, Michiko Oshitani is found dead many miles from home. Strangled to death, left in the bare apartment rented under a false name by a man who has disappeared without a trace. Oshitani lived far away in Sendai, with no known connection to Tokyo – and neither her family or friends have any idea why she would have gone there.

Hers is the second strangulation death in that approximate area of Tokyo – the other was a homeless man, killed and his body burned in a tent by the river. As the police search through Oshitani’s past for any clue that might shed some light, one of the detectives reaches out to Detective Kaga for advice. As the case unfolds an unexpected connective emerges between the murder (or murders) now and the long ago case of the missing mother of Detective Kaga.

The Final Curtain, one of Keigo Higashino’s most acclaimed mysteries, brings the story of Detective Kaga to a surprising conclusion in a series of rich, surprising twists.

First Line:

Despite decades having passed, Yasuyo Miyamoto could still recall that day with absolute clarity.

The Final Curtain by Keigo Higashino

Important things you need to know about the book:

Pace:The pace of The Final Curtain was slow-paced.

POV: The Final Curtain is told from a 3rd person point of view. It is told from Kyoichiro Kaga, Shuhei Matsumiya, and Hiromi Kadokura (aka Hiromi Asai)’s POV.

Series: The Final Curtain is the 10th book in the Kyoichrio Kaga series. You can read this book as a standalone.

Trigger/Content Warning: The Final Curtain has trigger and content warnings. If any of these triggers you, I suggest not reading the book. They are:

  • Murder
  • Sexual Assault
  • Abandonment
  • Statutory Rape
  • Foster Care
  • Adult-minor relationship (a teacher has a years-long affair with a student, who is one of the main characters)
  • Depression
  • Abortion
  • Dead Bodies
  • Death of a parent
  • Grief & Loss Depiction
  • Strangulation

Sexual Content: There is sexual content in The Final Curtain.

Language: The Final Curtain has mild swearing in it. There is no offensive language.

Setting: The Final Curtain is set in and around Tokyo, Japan.

Age Range: I recommend The Final Curtain to anyone over 21.

Plot Synopsis (as spoiler-free as I can get):

Called to help with the investigation of a strangulation case, Kaga is surprised to discover the victim is an old schoolmate of his. While he is investigating that murder, another murder happens, and he is surprised to find the two are connected. But there are few clues, and the one person who could have answers is not talking. It is up to Kaga to wade through decades of lies and misdirections to find out the answer. And in doing so, Kaga might finally get an explanation about the death of the mother who abandoned him decades earlier.

Main Characters

Instead of listing the main characters and giving my opinion, I will share my overall view of them. The Final Curtain didn’t have a set main character. The book flowed from one character to another. If I had to pick out three characters that stood out the most, they would be:

  • Kyoichiro Kaga
  • Shuhei Matsumiya
  • Hiromi Kadokura (Hiromi Asai)

These characters (well, all of the characters) were well-written and multi-faceted. I was surprised by this, seeing that this is the final book in this series and the first time I have read any book by this author. It was a pleasant surprise and added to my enjoyment of the book.

My review:

I didn’t know what to expect when I started reading The Final Curtain. I was a little iffy about it because it was book 10 in the series, and I figured I would have difficulty getting into it. Not in this case. My only complaint was that it was slow in spots. But, in my eyes, that slowness added to the overall ambiance of the book. It also allowed the author to build up the storyline and tie everything together without looking rushed.

The author did something clever at the beginning of the book. He added a cast of characters. I was thrilled that he did that. I usually go through my Kindle to find names while writing my review. I didn’t have to do that in this book.

The main storyline in The Final Curtain is centered around the murder investigation of Michiko Oshitani and the homeless man. The storyline was well-written and well-fleshed out. A few red herrings were thrown out that had me thinking that Kaga would never solve the mystery (the bridges angle was fascinating). The twist at the end and how the author tied everything together were well done. I was left shaking my head at who the killer was and why that person did what they did.

The end of The Final Curtain was a little bittersweet. I liked how the author brought everything together and wrapped up the storylines. I also liked that there was a finality to the storylines. Seeing that this is the end of the storyline, the author ends the book in a way that clarifies that there will be no more after.

Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books, NetGalley, Keigo Higashino, and Giles Murray for allowing me to read and review this ARC of The Final Curtain. All opinions stated in this review are mine.

If you enjoy reading books similar to The Final Curtain, then you will enjoy these books:

Other books by Keigo Higashino

Zhara (Guardians of Dawn: Book 1) by S. Jae-Jones

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press, Wednesday Books

Date of publication: August 1st, 2023

Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult, Young Adult Fantasy, Fiction, Mythology, High Fantasy, Romance, Magic, Asian Literature, Retellings

Series: Guardians of Dawn

Zhara—Book 1

Purchase Links: Kindle | Audible | B&N | AbeBooks | WorldCat

Goodreads Synopsis:

Sailor Moon meets Cinder in Guardians of Dawn: Zhara, the start of a new, richly imagined fantasy series from S. Jae-Jones, the New York Times bestselling author of Wintersong.

Magic flickers.
Love flames.
Chaos reigns.

Magic is forbidden throughout the Morning Realms. Magicians are called abomination, and blamed for the plague of monsters that razed the land twenty years before.

Jin Zhara already had enough to worry about—appease her stepmother’s cruel whims, looking after her blind younger sister, and keeping her own magical gifts under control—without having to deal with rumors of monsters re-emerging in the marsh. But when a chance encounter with an easily flustered young man named Han brings her into contact with a secret magical liberation organization called the Guardians of Dawn, Zhara realizes there may be more to these rumors than she thought. A mysterious plague is corrupting the magicians of Zanhei and transforming them into monsters, and the Guardians of Dawn believe a demon is responsible.

In order to restore harmony and bring peace to the world, Zhara must discover the elemental warrior within, lest the balance between order and chaos is lost forever.

First Line:

The rent was due, rodents had gotten into the rice, and Zhara had just dumped a bag of salt instead of sugar into the custard filling.

Zhara (Guardians of Dawn) by S. Jae-Jones

Jin Zhara’s life hasn’t been easy. Her mother died as a baby, her father was taken and killed in a purge of magicians, and she is treated horribly by Second Wife, her father’s second wife. She also has to hide that she has magical powers. Her only joy is tending to her blind younger sister, reading romance serials, and working at the apothecary shop. But that will change when she bumps into a young man named Han. Through him, Zhara discovers that a plague corrupts the magician’s powers and turns them into unrecognizable monsters. She also finds the secret organization, the Guardians of Dawn, sworn to help the surviving magicians and discover what caused the plague. Zhara doesn’t know or understand that she is instrumental in balancing order and chaos. But Zhara must learn to control her magical abilities, or the world as she knows will be lost. Can Zhara do that? Can Zhara learn to control her magical powers and save the world?

When I got the email containing the widget for Zhara, I was pleasantly surprised. I had read Wintersong a couple of years ago and enjoyed it (which, it turns out, puts me in the minority). I accepted the invitation and downloaded the book. Also, what figured into my downloading the book was that I love the mythology and lore of South Korea. Seeing that this book is loosely based on those myths and lore, I knew I needed to read it.

Before I get further into the book, I want to put up some trigger and content warnings. The warnings are:

  1. Child abuse (off-page but prevalent. It consists of emotional, verbal, and physical)
  2. Genocide (off-page and vividly remembered by everyone in the book)
  3. Death of parents (Zahara’s mother died of a fever when she was a baby, and her father was killed in the genocide of the magicians in the land. Han’s mother was also killed during that same genocide)
  4. Possession (on and off page. Demons possess the living bodies of magicians and transform them)
  5. Body Horror (Zhara, without permission, used magic to try to help Suzhan (her stepsister). Instead, she ended up blinding her sister)
  6. Abelism (Second Wife shames Suzhan constantly for being blind. Suzhan’s suitors discard her after discovering she is blind.)

If any of these trigger you, I suggest not reading the book.

Zhara is the first book in the Guardians of Dawn series. Here is where I post if this book is a standalone or if you need to read the other books in the series. But since this is the first book in a new series, you can disregard anything I usually say.

The author has a forward explaining how this book is loosely based on Korean mythology and lore. She also apologizes for any inconsistencies that arise because of it. It was a very tongue-in-cheek forward, and it did make me smile.

There are three storylines in Zhara. One follows Zhara, her introduction to the Guardians of Dawn, and her home life. The other storyline follows Han and his search for a book, Songs of Order and Chaos, and the shenanigans he and Xu get into. Towards the middle of the book, Han and Zhara’s storylines merge, following them as they look for a cure for the plague and figure out who was behind it. All of these storylines were wonderfully written and could keep my attention.

I loved the characters in Zhara. I found them all to be complex characters. Some of these characters had more depth, more layers, to them than what the author had written.

The storyline following Zhara, the Guardians of Dawn, and her home life broke my heart. I was beyond angry at Second Wife and her treatment of those girls. She kept reminding Zhara that she kept her safe from the Kestrels and that she houses and feeds her. The abuse that both Zhara and Suzhan went through (even if it wasn’t on page) was awful. But, at the same time, I liked that Zhara started to see herself as more than Second Wife’s property (even though she wasn’t). Her character growth during the book was terrific. It reached a head during the battle scene, where she faced and overcame her demons (literally).

The storyline following Han, Xu, and their shenanigans did give a bit of a comedic break between Zahra’s chapters. But, there was a darker undercurrent running underneath. Han and his brother were forced to watch their mother die because she was a magician. Before she died, Han’s mother made him promise to take care of his brother, who was a magician himself. It was a lot to put on an 11-year-old, but he did it. He ensured his brother was kept safe from the Kestrels at all costs. His friendship with Xu was one of the best I have ever read. The search for the book became a backdrop when Han and Zahara’s storyline merged.

The storyline following Han, Zhara, the plague, the reason for the plague, and the search for the book was interesting. I liked that Zhara slowly started to accept that she was worthy of her power and love. There was a part that I wasn’t fond of. It was the engagement of Han and Yuli. This brings me to another thing I didn’t like: Han keeping who he was from Zhara. It made that scene where she finds out heartbreaking.

The fantasy angle of the book was wonderful. The author created a world that, while similar to ancient Korea, was different. I liked that magic was something people were born with. I also loved that there were antimagicians. I wasn’t expecting that revelation, and who was revealed to be one.

There is an LGBTQIA rep in the book, and I loved how the author wrote those characters. Xu was gender-neutral. I loved their personality and their friendship with Han. They were like Jiminy Cricket was to Pinnochio with Han: a voice of reason. Yuli, who is introduced later in the book, is lesbian. She isn’t exactly loud and proud, but she doesn’t hide it either.

The end of Zhara was interesting. The battle scene and what happened while Zhara was in the Void was anti-climatic. But Zhara needed it. The fallout from that battle was widespread but needed. Also, something shocking happened, something that I didn’t see coming. The author did wrap up most of the storylines but left a few hanging. That makes sense if there is going to be a second book. Also, the epilogue was fascinating, and I can’t wait to find out if that person is a friend or foe.

I would recommend Zhara to anyone over 16. There is no language, but there is violence and a couple of kissing scenes. Also, see my trigger warning list.

Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press, Wednesday Books, NetGalley, and S. Jae-Jones for allowing me to read and review Zhara. All opinions stated in this review are mine.

If you enjoy reading books similar to Zhara, then you will enjoy these books:

Other books by S. Jae-Jones:

The Comeback by Lily Chu

Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca

Date of publication: May 9th, 2023

Genre: Romance, Contemporary, Fiction, Contemporary Romance, Chick Lit, Adult, Canada, Adult Fiction, Asian Literature

Trigger Warning: Racism

Purchase Links: Kindle | Audible | B&N | Kobo

Goodreads Synopsis:

Who is Ariadne Hui?

• Laser-focused lawyer diligently climbing the corporate ladder
• The “perfect” daughter living out her father’s dream
• Shocking love interest of South Korea’s hottest star

Ariadne Hui thrives on routine. So what if everything in her life is planned down to the minute: That’s the way she likes it. If she’s going to make partner in Toronto’s most prestigious law firm, she needs to stay focused at all times.

But when she comes home after yet another soul-sucking day to find an unfamiliar, gorgeous man camped out in her living room, focus is the last thing on her mind. Especially when her roommate explains this is Choi Jihoon, her cousin freshly arrived from Seoul to mend a broken heart. He just needs a few weeks to rest and heal; Ari will barely even know he’s there. (Yeah, right.)

Jihoon is kindness and chaos personified, and it isn’t long before she’s falling, hard. But when one wrong step leads to a world-shaking truth, Ari finds herself thrust onto the world stage: not as the competent, steely lawyer she’s fought so hard to become, but as the mystery woman on the arm of a man the entire world claims to know. Now with her heart, her future, and her sense of self on the line, Ari will have to cut through all the pretty lies to find the truth of her relationship…and discover the Ariadne Hui she’s finally ready to be.

First Line:

When my phone flashes a notification, I’m primed to be irritated before I even see what it is. It’s been a busy morning, and my eyes were so dry my eyelids stick together when I drag my gaze away from the moniter.

The Comeback by Lily Chu

Ariadne Hui is living what she thinks is her best life. She is a lawyer at one of the most prestigious firms in Toronto and thrives on routine. That changes when her roommate (and best friend) invites her cousin to stay for a few weeks. He had a bad breakup in South Korea and needs a place to lay low while he heals. Her roommate forgot to tell Ari, and she freaked out; she came home to a strange man sleeping on her sofa. But, as she got to know Choi Jihoon, she realized he was a sweet man who had been badly hurt. Soon, Ari falls for Jihoon. But Jihoon isn’t precisely who Ari thinks he is, and she is shocked to find out who Jihoon is. With rumors and lies swirling around her, can Ari cut through everything and see what she has? Or will she give everything up because she can’t handle who Jihoon is?

The Comeback is a fast-paced book that takes place mainly in Toronto, with Ari traveling to Seoul towards the middle of the book with Jihoon. She spends a couple of chapters there before traveling back home. I was thrilled that the author had some of the book set in Seoul, but at the same time, I was a little disappointed. There needed to be more travel (which I get because of Jihoon’s KPop idol status) around the country. I did like that the author took us to some off-the-beaten-track places in Toronto. It made that city more appealing and made me want to visit.

There are trigger warnings in The Comeback. They are:

  1. Racism: Hana, Jihoon, and Ari are subjected to overt and not-so-overt racism throughout the book. Some of the best examples come while Ari is working at the firm. The white daughter of a woman who is friends with the partners is picked over Ari for cases. That woman is tone-deaf regarding Ari’s race (she is Chinese), and there is a conversation with another coworker that Ari overhears talking about her race.

The main storyline of The Comeback centers around Ari, her journey of self-discovery, and her relationship with Jihoon. At the beginning of the book, Ari is a workaholic lawyer doing everything to make a partner in her firm. But, it was very apparent early on in the book that it wouldn’t happen. The overt and not-so-overt racism (looking at you Brittany and Meredith) was sad and even sadder that Ari thought she had to deal with it quietly. She found joy in planning trips, and she was good at it. But she felt she couldn’t do it as a job because she needed to follow in her father’s footsteps. I did feel awful for her because of all that pressure she kept putting on herself. It took Jihoon scaring her and then living with her to open her eyes to the fact that there might be more to life than her job. And it wasn’t until after Seoul, when her boss fired her for dating a KPop idol, that she realized she could do what she loved. Her relationship with Jihoon was based on a lie, and then Jihoon told her to keep it a secret. She did the right thing the last time she broke up with him.

I like Ari, even if she did come across as a rigid workaholic at the beginning of the book. It is explained that she felt that if she did what Ari loved (planning trips), she would let her father down. She also was furious at her sister for leaving her with that burden. Her relationship with Jihoon was a huge turning point for her character. I didn’t blame her for being angry or not knowing what she wanted when having a relationship with him. She also understood the need for secrecy. But when everything blew up (because of a picture) and what Jihoon said to take care of the backlash, I was on her side. I would have done the same thing as she did. What Jihoon did was demeaning and gave their relationship zero value. But, in a way, it did work for her. She was able to get out of that toxic work environment and start a career that she loved. She could heal from Jihoon’s actions and accept that higher powers controlled him. Of course, I wasn’t a fan of what she did next, but I figured it would happen sooner or later, with this being a romance novel.

I liked Jihoon a lot. He had spent almost his whole life under a microscope and was suffering from burnout. So, he jetted to Canada and ended up crashing with Ari. In the beginning, he was the perfect blend of innocent and worldly. He loved talking about his shoe and earring collection (at this point, Ari had zero clue he was in a KPop band). He tried to do things himself but failed massively (turning Ari’s bathroom blue was freaking amazing). My only issue is that he lied by omission. When his cover was blown (in a grocery store, of all places), he had to tell Ari who he was. He didn’t tell her until she was forced to leave her home and go into hiding. Then he left for Seoul. When Ari met him there, he explained more about his life (he had zero downtime, everything was scheduled). He also told her he didn’t want to be in the band anymore (neither did his other bandmates), but their contract held them. Then Jihoon and Ari are spotted as tourists, and everything goes to hell. Jihoon told Ari that he would take care of everything and for her to trust him. I didn’t like him at this point in the book because of what Jihoon did. He broke Ari. But he also set her free (if that makes sense). The daily emails (along with the apology) were a step in the right direction.

I liked Jihoon and Ari’s romance, even if it started with a lie and was kept secret until Seoul. You could tell that Jihoon adored Ari and that Ari adored him back. It was sweet. I liked that the author kept the sex scenes PG-13. There was a lot of kissing with the chapter ending and the next one beginning with them in bed. And let’s not forget the sexual tension between Ari and Jihoon. You cut it with a knife during some parts of the book.

The end of The Comeback felt rushed. I liked that Jihoon and Ari got their happy ending. But I didn’t buy that the band’s rabid fans did a 180 when it came to their relationship. It didn’t make sense to me (considering they hated her). That was my only quibble. I did love the epilogue!!!

I recommend The Comeback for anyone over 16. There are nongraphic sex scenes (lots of kissing), mild violence, and language. There are also some scenes of overt and not-so-overt racism.

Many thanks to Sourcebooks Casablanca, NetGalley, and Lily Chu for allowing me to read and review The Comeback. All opinions stated in this review are mine.

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