About the Book:
Title: So We Meet Again
Author: Suzanne Park
Page Length: 384
Publication Date: August 3, 2021
Publisher: Avon
Synopsis: When up-and-coming investment banker Jess Kim is passed over for a promotion, laid off in a virtual meeting, and then overhears why (“she’s already being overpaid anyway for a woman” and “Asians are worker bees, not someone who can drum up new deals”) she delivers an “eff you guys” speech and storms out of the building. Not sure what’s next, she moves back home to Tennessee with her domineering Korean mom, who tries to set her up with her pastor’s son Daniel Choi, an M&A lawyer by day and a successful video game streamer by night. Turns out he’s swoony and smart, not the awkward preacher’s kid she remembers. With his help, Jess launches a Korean cooking YouTube channel focused on easy meal prep for busy professionals.
All is going well until her mom walks on the show mid-live recording and argues about cooking technique. While she hates being berated by her mother in front of the world, it actually works in their favor—they go viral!
Soon her cooking channel becomes an actual media company and brand. When a client is suddenly interested in buying Jess out, she finds herself sitting across the table from the very investment firm she quit not so long ago. But there’s just one other problem: Daniel, the guy whose been helping her and that she’s been falling for, is the firm’s new general counsel.
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My Review:
Jess has a successful Wall Street career and is in line for a promotion. When she is not only passed over for the promotion but is also laid off from her job for lacking leadership skills, Jess moves back to Nashville to live with her parents as she regroups. She begins a Korean cooking channel on YouTube for busy workers, which goes viral when Jess’s overbearing and opinionated mother butts into her video. Thus begins a new life for Jess as she begins to find her way among family, friends, and a new potential love.
The relationship between Jess and her mom is one of the highlights of the story. I love Jess. She is a hard-working entrepreneur, strong and resilient, and a bit foul-mouthed. She refuses to let her job loss get her down, and she works hard to reinvent herself.
Jess goes through such a great personal journey throughout the book as she gains confidence and a strong sense of self, and learns to trust herself and others. Her work ethic is something to be admired, as is her relationship with her parents.
Jess’s mother is a spitfire, and she totally steals the show, both literally and figuratively. She is so funny, and it’s when she is on camera with Jess that the channel goes viral. Jess and her mom have fabulous chemistry, and it’s clear that they love each other very much. They have a close mother-daughter bond that I think many readers will relate to. Their relationship is frustrating, fun, and, above all, filled with love. I so related to this, as my mother, much like Jess’s, used to drive me insane, riddle me with guilt, and then envelop me in support, compassion, and unwavering love.
The slow-building romance between Jess and her old school nemesis Daniel is another highlight of the book, though it is not the main focus of the story. When Jess’s mom tries to set Jess up with the now-successful lawyer Daniel, Jess is none too pleased. However, the more she gets to know him, the less she wants to resist him.
Good-looking and confident, Daniel is quite different from the boy Jess remembered from high school. I found Daniel positively swoon-tastic, and he and Jess have great chemistry. I love their easy and witty banter, and I’m always a sucker for a good enemies-to-lovers romance. Of course, their relationship is not without obstacles, and his job conflicts with her new career. However, it was lovely to see their relationship slowly bloom as they maneuvered through these new problems.
I also like that the novel touches upon relevant and relatable issues like inequities and sexism in the workplace, women’s rights, and racism, all of which Jess, her family, and her friends face throughout the story. Sadly, this makes the story even more realistic, as these are common issues in current American culture.
And the food!! I want to try all of the delicious-sounding food. Jess has so many clever and yummy Korean-inspired meals and hacks, and I want a taste of all of them!
A wonderful, heart-warming story about starting over, believing in yourself, and taking chances, the novel also highlights the complexities of love, friendship, success, and family. I enjoyed this book very much and think readers who are looking for a charming story with great characters, a sweet enemies-to-lovers romance, and a lot of delicious food will also adore it. Thanks so much to NetGalley, Avon, and Suzanne Park for a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.
Rating:
Favorite Parts:
- The food!! Can Hanguk Hacks be real, please? lol
- The great female relationships.
- The romance, of course!
Favorite Line:
My heart was surrounded by wooden spikes and a moat of lava. Because every single miserable day of middle school, my parents compared me to him.
Recommendations:
If you read and enjoyed Park’s Loathe at First Sight, you’ll love this one! The book will also appeal to readers who like rom-coms and/or women’s fiction.
I’ve liked her YA books! I’ll have to check this one out.
I think you’ll like it!
Yes to Hanguk Hacks being real! I liked the story as well but the original blurb kind of made me think something additional would happen.