You know what’s awesome? Not one, but TWO fantastic Korean Crush books by our very own DramaRookie. She’s continued the story of Letty from her first book, Flower Boy Tour Guide, and WOW. This Maknae was surprised and delighted. Come join me, Clkytta, and Kmuse as we discuss Reality Show Romance.

PLOT SYNOPSIS

Letty McDonnell—a hug first and ask questions later kind of gal—stumbles into an unexpected scandal with her favorite K-pop star when she spots him at the airport. Is it bad timing or a blessing in disguise? The international publicity leads to a job offer from the reality show “Marry My Stalker”, where the two pretend to be man and wife as they complete a variety of crazy couple missions.

Wacky challenges, jealous fangirls, and a language barrier can’t slow Letty down. Especially when she has handsome translator, Ben Park, whispering in her ear. He steers her away from cultural faux pas and offers behind-the-scenes encouragement as she maneuvers the unfamiliar public arena. But is he sincerely interested or just doing his job? The affectionate words her fake husband says for the cameras are always repeated by Ben’s caring voice, and Letty begins to wonder if a romance without spotlights or red carpets is the real path to true love.

CHARACTERS

The Maknae: Letty was an absolute delight. I loved her spunk and enthusiasm and perpetual positivity. Shannon did a great job of making her a sparkling individual — I’d love to be friends with her in real life. Ki Tae seemed like the best kind of idol — humble and patient, with a good sense of humor. And Ben of the hot chocolate voice was perfect for Letty — thoughtful and considerate and kind. I really enjoyed all the people Shannon brought to life. She has a deft touch and creates these full characters with just a few words. I even loved Ducky the cameraman and he was barely in the story!

Clkytta: I loved Letty–she was a firecracker! Shannon not only made her main characters relatable, but her side characters were fun also. While we had an obvious language barrier between Letty and her fellow “brides,” there was still a sense of sisterhood. Well, not with Sana, ha! I’m not sure this review would be complete without mentioning the biggest star of the book, Ralphie! I’m a sucker for a well-written dog character and Ralphie was taking his part as protector of Letty’s heart pretty seriously.

Kmuse: I didn’t think I was going to enjoy this book as much as I enjoyed the first one. Boy, was I wrong. It exceeded my expectations for both fun romantic hijinks and an introduction to Korean culture. I liked that I found it relateable while also learning a lot of small details about Korea and their entertainment industry. It is a fine line between writing a book as a fangirl, and adding all those fangirl elements, and making someone who has never watched a drama before enjoy the story. Shannon manages to straddle that line well.

PLOT

The Maknae: I really loved this book. How many times can I use the word ‘delightful’ to describe one story? Letty kept me slightly off-balance, but never in a drastically dramatic way. The whole reality show idea was well-executed and set a good tone for the plot. Even when the inevitable happened, it felt natural and right in line with the story. Well done, Shannon!

Clkytta: Shannon’s biggest talent is in her world building. We were all rooting for Letty to get her own book and Shannon didn’t disappoint. Who wouldn’t fall for Letty? Her character was refreshingly relatable and any fangirl, kpop or not, could relate to her excitement and loyalty to her bias. When she fell and caused major chaos at the airport, I gasped out loud. Using the frame of a reality show allowed all of us an inside look at not only what Letty thought, but what was happening to the characters around her. While Letty was the main character, it made us feel invested in the side characters too.

Kmuse: I really like that we have Letty finding romance with just your average guy. Sometimes I think we, as a Fangirl culture, get too caught up in the fantasy of our idols. So to find Letty appreciating the Idol concept and enjoying the culture without going to psycho fan mode made me so happy. And she found a delightful partner in Ben, who really was the whole package…without the fans who would tear Letty apart for crushing on him. This was a delightful romance full of quirky characters and I was very satisfied from start to end.

WOULD WE RECOMMEND?

The Maknae: Without a doubt. I loved it! 10/10 would read again. You should too — buy it HERE and support the blog by using our affiliate link!

Clkytta: I think it was a fun and cute read. I’m hoping that she writes Chance’s story. I would also give it a 10/10.

Kmuse: Yup! 100% would recommend. I have loved Shannon and her blogging career for years and I love her author career even more. Can’t wait to read what she writes next.

Hey drama fans! Shannon is going to give away a copy of BOTH of her books! WE ARE SO EXCITED!! Keep an eye on our social media to be the first to enter! You can follow us at the links below.

Twitter –

• @amberkmuse
• @thecrazyahjummas
• @kimchidramageek
• @kdramaJen

Facebook –

• https://www.facebook.com/DramasWithASideOfKimchi/ 

Instagram –

• The Dramas Kimchi Fangirls

Until the next page turns, we remain–

Kmuse, Clkytta & Karie the Maknae

Dramas with a Side of Kimchi