For someone who’s never actively listened to K-Pop in her life I sure devour stories about K-Pop idols on the regular, but I’m getting ahead of myself. XOXO follows cello prodigy Jenny whose goal is to get into a prestigious music conservatory and Jaewoo, a mysterious stranger she meets at her uncle’s karaoke bar in Los Angeles. After one night of magical singing, dancing, and lots of laughter, Jaewoo disappears. When Jenny and her mother unexpectedly move to South Korea to be closer to Jenny’s ailing grandmother, no one is more surprised than Jenny to find that the boy she had a magical night with is enrolled in Seoul’s most prestigious arts academy with her. Oh, and he’s also one of the most popular idols in Korea’s biggest boy band, XOXO. And he’s strictly forbidden from dating, lest a scandal rock the band’s chances of epic fame. But when sparks fly between Jenny and Jaewoo once more, they begin to walk a fine line between their responsibilities and their own desires, right up until the only choice is to cross the line completely, all consequences be damned.
XOXO was, in a word, engrossing. This book is just a fun experience all around and with its lush descriptions of places in Seoul, you feel like you’re right there with Jenny, exploring a whole new world of music and pop culture. Jenny’s struggle to translate her passion for music into her playing will ring familiar to anyone who’s ever been involved in the arts and the romance between Jenny and Jaewoo will for sure make hearts beat faster. There’s also definitely no chance of getting bored because, in true K-Drama fashion, there’s one disaster, complication or obstacle after the other with little time to come up for air in between, which makes for a great reading experience.
I love how we got a closer look at the K-Pop industry and the pressures that come with being an idol. We all know to what standards members of boy and girlbands are held to in Western society but that pales in comparison to the expectations that are placed on young people who want to become K-Pop stars. The restrictions that take over their whole life—Jaewoo for example isn’t allowed a phone that isn’t monitored, XOXO’s group schedule is rigid and allows for little to no deviations, not to mention the way they are pressured to keep their image clean—are downright dictatory. The way Jenny and Jaewoo approach their relationship because of these restrictions was really fascinating and added a bit more to the forbidden love trope we all can’t get enough of.
The cast of characters was also really amazing. We have Sori, Jenny’s roommate, who is essentially the mean girl until you get to know her and her aspirations better and I loved how Jenny and Sori became supportive friends over the span of the book. Nathaniel, Jaewoo’s bandmate, was an absolute joy to read about. He’s funny and doesn’t take himself too seriously despite what the media tries to throw at him. Jenny’s grandmother is also adorable and feisty, and the family relationship dynamics—not only Jenny’s but Jaewoo’s as well—were cool to explore.
If you’ve ever watched a K-drama, the ending of the book is of course super dramatic and tugs at your tear ducts. While I wasn’t totally onboard with some things that happened toward the end, I do feel like it read a lot like a movie in how it would wrap up things and that will leave readers satisfied for sure.
All in all, this was an entertaining story and I hope Oh decides to go back to these characters eventually because I’d love a closer look at Nathaniel and Sori’s love story.
With heaps of drama, cheesy goodness that soothes the soul, and a touch of forbidden love, XOXO is perfect for fans of fierce female friendships, chaotic K-dramas, and swoony band romances.
XOXO is available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers, like your local bookstore, as of July 13th 2021.
Will you be picking up XOXO? Tell us in the comments below!
Synopsis | Goodreads
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.
