XOXO

XOXO book cover
Axie Oh
Star Rating
★★★★★
Reviewer's Rating
Jul 11, 2024

"I like you, Jenny," he confesses. "More than I've ever liked anyone before. It hit me that day at the clinic how much. And I did what I always do when I feel overwhelmed. I ran."

"And now?" I ask.

"I'm not running anymore.""

Jenny Go, a-soon-to-be professional cellist, moves to Seoul, South Korea with her mother to complete her high school education, in hopes of being recruited to the prestigious Manhattan School of Music in New York City, NY. There, she encounters Jaewoo, a familiar face, only to discover the boy she'd fallen for in her hometown of L.A. was in fact a millionaire and recently debuted K-pop idol. Jenny, an anti-risk taker who never acts on impulse, decides that this secret relationship is exactly what both she and her music career need. Suddenly, everything both she and Jaewoo worked so hard to create and conceal is broken after a heart wrenching break-up.  Deeply regretting leaving Jaewoo, Jenny reunites with him at his very own concert in New York, saving their love and relationship once and for all.

I absolutely adored this fresh and compelling romance, however the end of the book was a bit of a letdown.   The book would have been much more enjoyable for me if the protagonist and secondary protagonist had ended their last scene together with some sort of romantic display - a passionate kiss or a hug.  It greatly disappointed me that the last page of the book was focused more on XOXO than the protagonist herself.  As for bad language and sexual content, there are several curse words littered throughout the book on multiple pages and there is one scene in which the author describes the beginnings of sexual interaction, but it does not go much farther than t-shirts being removed.

I truly enjoyed reading this book because of the hilarious interactions and strong and witty characters.  More than once, I found myself laughing out loud when reading specific scenes, and I must say that the author did an incredible job of building tension through the entire book.  There was not a single scene where I was left feeling bored or unsatisfied. For these reasons, I am happy to give this novel a five star rating! 

Written by
T.K.

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