Queen B’s Decree: My Summer in Seoul had an interesting take on the K-Pop idol relationship. Grace is a Korean American but doesn’t know anything about K-Pop, doesn’t speak Korean, and is thrust into this intern role last minute. She’s out of her element and seems almost naive at times, but she is so hardworking and persistent. I don’t think I could have done what she did — constantly dealing with condescending, rude, and exclusive idols.
In fact, I would say My Summer in Seoul verged upon a “bully” romance feel. For so long, I couldn’t see how this could even be described as a romance, as her main love interest is nothing but awful to her. Even after they eventually form a friendship and explore their feelings, Lucas quickly reverts back to insults.
Can you tell I’m mad at him?
The world of K-Pop is rough and I appreciated that RVD discussed the serious issues of suicide and mental health that occur heavily in that world. But Lucas using that as his excuse for his behavior to Grace doesn’t sit well with me.
Grace and the other members of SWT were the highlight for me. Grace was a strong character that showed a lot of growth while the other members turned into amazingly supportive friends. I hope this series gets expanded and the other members get their own stories.
Overall, My Summer in Seoul was different and kept my interest, but I didn’t like the main male character and some of his actions felt unforgivable. But well worth a read!
Book: My Summer in Seoul by Rachel Van Dyken
Series: standalone
Genre: New Adult
Hotness: mild salsa
Plot Devices/Tropes: a bit of a bully feel