Cello prodigy Jenny has one goal: to get into a prestigious music conservatory. When she meets mysterious, handsome Jaewoo in her uncle’s Los Angeles karaoke bar, it’s clear he’s the kind of boy who would uproot her careful plans. But in a moment of spontaneity, she allows him to pull her out of her comfort zone for one unforgettable night of adventure…before he disappears without a word.
Three months later, when Jenny and her mother arrive in South Korea to take care of her ailing grandmother, she’s shocked to discover that Jaewoo is a student at the same elite arts academy where she’s enrolled for the semester. And he’s not just any student. He’s a member of one of the biggest K-pop bands in the world—and he’s strictly forbidden from dating.
When a relationship means throwing Jenny’s life off the path she’s spent years mapping out, she’ll have to decide once and for all just how much she’s willing to risk for love.
“‘I meant to tell you earlier,’ he says with one last devastating smile, even though I just broke his heart and mine, ‘you were beautiful tonight.'”
-XOXO
There is so much I could say about this hip-tastic, multi-cultural love story. I tremendously adored every second of this romance story. Plus that cover is adorable and perfect and I just want to stare at it all day!
You cannot help but honestly fall in love with this story. It has so many pieces of perfection. Wonderful best friends that make you laugh, family moments that make you angsty but also giddy, a heart-crushing romance, cultural tidbits, travel, and a fantasy that some girls dream of. Each character played their role so well in XOXO.
Getting to explore South Korea through Jenny’s eyes honestly made my life. I have been wanting to travel all over Asia for so long and getting to experience the food, cultures, and landmarks with Jenny though her eyes was extraordinary. I even loved the bits of language we got sprinkled throughout as well. Afterwards, I found myself looking up Korean words and aspects of the culture. It made me love this book so much more.
XOXO has everything you’re looking for in a romance: adorable love story, family, a group of hilarious friends, angst, and more. I couldn’t get enough of it and am SO hoping Axie Oh writes more stories like this. Maybe even spins off for each of the XOXO boys? I’d buy em, every single one!
jottedbyjena.com 