My Kpop Boyfriend: Lucy Book Two by Amelia Han (BOOK REVIEW) 2/5

Let me start by saying that I like this series, and I’ll be following it and buying the next novel. However… This book did get a lower score than the first, and was a less enjoyable read- at least in my opinion. One of the first things that jarred my experience was the difference in the stylistic choices of the novel. The first novel had a cute, bright cover and a simplistic formatting. This novel- the cover was so dark and grim it was hard to note much about it, beyond the neon text. It also was entirely different looking from the first book. I can see why the change was made, but it didn’t feel cohesive the way a story should. As for the formatting of the interior- I think it was better formatted. I liked the design at the start of each chapter, and I noticed less grammatical error, meaning it was better edited. However, one thing that really annoyed me was the apostrophes. There are these awful, huge apostrophes that always look unaligned with where they should be, and just were truly frustrating as a reader. I kept hoping I would get used to it, but by the end of the book, I still despised that aspect of the text.

However, overall, I liked the format better. And that’s unimportant in comparison to the writing. I actually felt like the writing in this novel improved on the writing from the first. It flowed easier, was more descriptive, and undeniably more entertaining to read. I felt like it made a decent leap in skill.

Despite the better skill of writing, I disliked the story a little bit more. It’s a continuation of Lily chasing Minho, of course, and that was to be expected. But I’m a fan of realism, and there were several points where I had to groan at what was happening. The classic tale of “average girl and hot, popular, rich guy have instant love story”. It’s a frightfully overdone concept, and there is a way to go about it to make it interesting, but I didn’t find that here. I was disappointed in Lucy’s instant way of falling in love, and in Minho’s, riding on a miraculous chemistry alone. The previous novel felt like a sudden start, like a chapter, and this novel feels very much the same: It’s rushed. There’s not enough growth, not enough moments to justify this dramatic, career-ending risk of a love story. It goes right from love at first sight, to the thick of the drama with Minho’s mother. I wish that it had a little more meat to it, a little more depth, and a whole lot more growth. I wish I knew Lucy more than just some silly American girl with a suffocating mother, who decides to come to Korea with her best friend. I want to know her dreams, her thoughts, her fears, what makes her tick. Similarly, with Minho- he is the stereotype of an idol, and I want to see more than that.

I may be hoping for too much from a romance novella. I’m a chronic series reader, averaging books of 500+ pages, so maybe I’ve been spoiled against such short doses of romance. But I will say that I hope there’s more to be found in the future books, and that things come together more cohesively.