Review: Lost in Seoul by Rachel Van Dyken & Colet Abedi (My Summer in Seoul #2)
Note: An advance reader copy (ARC) was provided by the authors.
Can I just say how thrilled I am that Rachel Van Dyken decided to keep the My Summer in Seoul series going? And with how much I adored the first full-length novel, I had high expectations for whatever else RVD had in store for readers and SWT, the fictional band the series is about. This go-around, RVD teams up with Colet Abedi, who is a new-to-me author. I was a wee bit nervous when a heard that Lost in Seoul was shifting to a co-written story. Not having read anything by Abedi, I wasn't entirely sure how the work divided between the two authors, which I guess is a good thing because there was a pretty consistent flow to how things played out and developed from beginning to the end.
Lost in Seoul is Sookie's story, one he shares with Ari. He's the youngest member of SWT, and he's seen as the most innocent among the guys. But you know what they say--never judge a book by its cover. Sookie's got a secret, and it involves his relationship with Ari. Not only is she one of the lawyers for the group's record label, but she's also the sister of SWT's leader, Rae. And did I mention she's four years older than SWT's maknae? Appearances need to be kept, which is why from the moment Sookie learned who Rae was, he knew that meant nothing about can ever happen between them. The problem is, some things have already happened, and resistance to temptation? So increasingly futile.
Ah, the angst! Rachel Van Dyken is a master at pulling her readers' heartstrings, and it looks like she and Colet Abedi work REALLY well together considering how good of a read Lost in Seoul turned out to be. Sookie and Ari had the odds stacked up against them, and I empathized with everything they had to deal with. And while there were moments I found myself tempted to shake some sense into them, particularly Sookie, seeing these two taking a stand when it mattered most had me glad I was so heavily emotionally invested in them. The characters and story had layers and complexities that made for an even more well-rounded read, which is one of the many reasons I'm giving this five stars.
Date Read: 11 December 2023
Learn more about Rachel Van Dyken and Colet Abedi.
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