Heart and Seoul by Jen Frederick

Summary: "As a Korean adoptee, Hara Wilson doesn’t need anyone telling her she looks different from her white parents. She knows....At the age of twenty-five, she thought she had come to terms with it all, but when her father suddenly dies, an offhand comment at his funeral triggers an identity crisis that has her running off to Seoul in search of her roots.

What Hara finds there has all the makings of a classic K-drama: a tall, mysterious stranger who greets her at the airport, spontaneous adventures across the city, and a mess of familial ties, along with a red string of destiny that winds its way around her heart and soul. Hara goes to Korea looking for answers, but what she gets instead is love—a forbidden love that will either welcome Hara home…or destroy her chance of finding one."

A book with Iowa and South Korea as settings? Sign me up! 

dimples, you say?!
make this as an actual k-drama NOW. With Kim Seon Ho as Yujun.

330 pages

goodreads | MOBIUS

Paper Princess (Royals #1) by Erin Watt

Summary: "Ella Harper has spent her whole life moving from town to town with her mother, struggling to make ends meet. After her mother dies, Callum Royal appears, plucking Ella out of poverty and tossing her into his posh mansion among his five sons who all hate her. It's a life of wealth, excess, and deception. And Reed Royal is determined to send her back to the slums she came from. He says she doesn't belong with the Royals. If Ella is going to survive her time in the Royal palace, she'll need to learn to issue her own Royal decrees."

This is one of those books that you enjoy well-enough while reading it, as long as you don't think too much. I initially couldn't put it down, as I was intrigued by Ella's grit and determination to survive on her own. However, once she moves in with the Royals, the book slowly goes downhill. The romantic lead is her "step-brother" Reed, and he is the WORST. I HATE him. He treats Ella like garbage, and not in the fun "enemies-to-friends" type of way. He has no redeeming qualities, and as soon as he shows Ella some affection, she falls head-over-heels in love with him. It's truly appalling. 

The author, Erin Watt, is actually two New Adult authors working together: Elle Kennedy and Jen Frederick. While I adore Elle Kennedy, I could not believe that she could write a character as great as Garrett in The Deal, and then allow a character like Reed to exist.

364 pages

Sacked by Jen Frederick

Summary: "Knox Masters is a quarterback's worst nightmare. Warrior. Champion. Now, he's set his sight on two things: the national title... and Ellie Campbell. Sure, she's the sister of his fellow teammate, but that's not going to stop him. Especially not when he's convinced Ellie is the one. But Ellie isn't as sure. She's trying to start a new life. And it's not just her cardinal rule of never dating her brother's teammates that keeps her away-- Ellie has a dark secret that would jeopardize everything Knox is pursuing."

Well, it started off a little rough, but next thing I knew, I was half-way finished with the book! I enjoyed it, even though it became a little too unrealistic toward the end. Oh well! Knox was obnoxious at first, but he was actually a good guy throughout the book and had a refreshing mindset. 

385 pages