Off the Shelf: XOXO

Summary: 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

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I think contemporary romance is starting to grow on me. This book was a cute fluff read I had in my tbr list of stories set in Korea so I finally picked it up during my free time. The story starts in the US, giving us a glance at Jenny’s busy life as a student trying to pursue her dreams while also balancing her mother’s requirements. There she ends up making friends with a slightly mysterious boy who ends up losing contact with her because he is from South Korea, and who would be surprised with such a long time difference? (At least I could relate because the US to SK time difference can be rough to keep up for myself even, so I related to her a lot there.) Yet their story doesn’t end there because she convinces her mom to let her go to Korea for the summer and that is only a small part of her life changing experiences she’ll have. 

I really liked Jenny because she wasn’t a character that was overly whiny or moody as some romcom characters can be like, but instead she was a teen girl who was struggling with fulfilling her filial duties as a daughter but also learning to try new things and chase those opportunities when they go against what her mother wants for her future. She was real, relatable, and fun, Jenny is a girl many readers can relate to as they struggle with that awkward growing up age of becoming an adult yet respecting one’s parents, and the difficulties that can come with making friends in new places. I loved the friendships Jenny was able to have throughout the story, and the fun banter back and forth between her guy friends was refreshing and fun to read in addition to her her growing attraction to a popular idol. Jenny and Jaewoo’s romance was cute and light yet not so much it didn’t show the difficulties that they would face. They have to work through figuring out not only their own future goals while getting closer, but how to also balance their work loads with their growing relationship. Would it be worth it? Will it last? As the clock ticks down on Jenny’s study abroad for one semester coming to a close they will have to decide soon.

Axie Oh’s storytelling is super engaging and rich writing that doesn’t become bland as the plot goes on. Every point builds up and connects you with the characters as you see them struggle and disagree and fight to keep what they care about. Oh’s setting was super easy to envision wandering down through the streets, or popping in to grab snacks from convenience stores. I enjoyed it a lot and glad to add this to my read romcoms.

XOXO is of a first love that holds the butterflies and tender kisses, yet also that coming of age that many young adults yearn for to be brave enough to pursue as they face a new and overwhelming world