Goodreads Summary:
A teen escapes to a boarding school abroad and falls for a Korean pop star in this fun and fresh romantic novel in the vein of Anna and the French Kiss.
Grace Wilde is running—from the multi-million dollar mansion her record producer father bought, the famous older brother who’s topped the country music charts five years in a row, and the mother who blames her for her brother’s breakdown. Grace escapes to the farthest place from home she can think of, a boarding school in Korea, hoping for a fresh start.
She wants nothing to do with music, but when her roommate Sophie’s twin brother Jason turns out to be the newest Korean pop music superstar, Grace is thrust back into the world of fame. She can’t stand Jason, whose celebrity status is only outmatched by his oversized ego, but they form a tenuous alliance for the sake of her friendship with Sophie. As the months go by and Grace adjusts to her new life in Korea, even she can’t deny the sparks flying between her and the KPOP idol.
Soon, Grace realizes that her feelings for Jason threaten her promise to herself that she’ll leave behind the music industry that destroyed her family. But can Grace ignore her attraction to Jason and her undeniable pull of the music she was born to write? Sweet, fun, and romantic, this young adult novel explores what it means to experience first love and discover who you really are in the process.
Review:
FREAKING ADORABLE. That is all I can come up with when I think of Hello, I Love You.
Many of you don’t know about my Kpop phase in college. I was OBSESSED with Korean pop my first year of college. I’m still a fan, but not in the obsessive way I was, so when I saw a YA book about a Kpop idol I went all grabby hands for it. I called dibs on Kayla’s copy.
HILY is a very fluffy and fun read, but it does have some serious moments. My heart broke several times watching Grace struggle with the family issues she was running from, but enter Mr. Kpop and the heaviness of the situation melted away. While I was not always a fan of Jason, I grew to like him. He was your typical aloof male Korean character. I felt like I was reading a Korean drama instead of watching one. It was GREAT. I devoured this book in two days. I am glad to report that I picked a great book as my first read of 2016.
I do want to point out that there are several out there that will most likely not LOVE this book like I do. If you are a fan of Korean dramas and the Kpop culture in general, I’m pretty positive you will at least like this book. If you are not into Korean entertainment, then it is 50/50.
If you are looking for a light, quick read, pick up Hello, I Love You. Give it a try at least. 🙂
Rating: 4 out of 5
The Talking Bookworm 