This week’s book recommendations are full of romance — and one recommendation that is full of murder for those that want something less perky. Come check and see if any of these novels would click your interest.

My choice if you want some kdrama zest in your romance

Seoulmates by Susan Lee

For fans of Korean culture and its impact internationally, Seoulmates is a sweet rom-com. Hannah has just been dumped by her boyfriend, who is looking for a romantic partner that can share his love of Kpop and Kdramas. Korean American Hannah is not that girl. Not only is she now minus a boyfriend, but her ex-best friend and his family are coming from Korea to stay for the summer. Jacob, the ex-bestie, is a famous kdrama actor recuperating from an injury and escaping the stress of his fame.

Seoulmates is perfect for those who want more kdrama vibes in your literature. I laughed, I was moved, and in the end, I was satisfied with the romance and how the author concluded the issues of a normal person dating a Korean star. If you are looking for an easy romance with a touch of kdrama hidden inside, this is your book.

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My pick if you want to read a fun romantic comedy

The Decoy Girlfriend by Lillie Vale

I am a sucker for a good doppelganger story and this is, by far, one of the best stories I have read with this trope. Freya and Taft were such a fun couple and had great communication skills. This is always a good thing when reading a story where everyone else is being deceived.

I read a similar book to this plot early in the year, so it started off being a hard sell. But within the first few chapters, Freya and Taft won me over. The Decoy Girlfriend was such an entertaining read, and I loved that our leading man fell before they ever started the doppelganger story arc. It made it so much better than it would have been otherwise. My only complaint is that a very late story breakup felt somewhat unnecessary. Thankfully, that was quickly over, and we got our HEA.

(You can purchase The Decoy Girlfriend here — https://amzn.to/3DIJnDv — and support the blog because you’re using our Amazon Affiliate link! Easy peasy!)

Book with tons of atmosphere and suspenseful vibes

The Rising Tide by Ann Cleeves

If you are looking for a novel that is chock full of mystery and atmospheric vibes, then this is the perfect book for you. All of the locations in this novel are brought to life with vivid details. This focus on creating the mood is what makes Vera and her team’s sleuthing stand out from many other similar books I have read this year.

This is the first time I have read a book by Ann Cleeves, but I have been a Vera TV Show fan for many years. I was not at all disappointed by switching to a different medium. The Rising Tide kept me hooked from page one, and I had to find out who the killer was before I went to sleep. Vera is a well-developed character, and even though this is many books in the series, I didn’t feel like I was missing anything. I give The Rising Tide 5/5 stars.

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Til the next turn of the page,

Kmuse

Dramas With a Side of Kimchi