#AmReading YA: Somewhere Only We Know - Maurene Goo

Somewhere Only We Know
Maurene Goo
Age/Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Goodreads

10 00 p.m.: Lucky is the biggest K-pop star on the scene, and she's just performed her hit song "Heartbeat" in Hong Kong to thousands of adoring fans. She's about to debut on The Tonight Show in America, hopefully a breakout performance for her career. But right now? She's in her fancy hotel, trying to fall asleep but dying for a hamburger.

11 00 p.m.: Jack is sneaking into a fancy hotel, on assignment for his tabloid job that he keeps secret from his parents. On his way out of the hotel, he runs into a girl wearing slippers, a girl who is single-mindedly determined to find a hamburger. She looks kind of familiar. She's very cute. He's maybe curious.

12:00 a.m.: Nothing will ever be the same.

Thank you, Maurene Goo, for putting this HUGE smile on my face! Somewhere Only We Know was an absolute delight. I had previously read articles calling this "a modern-day Roman Holiday", and I must admit, Goo did a fantastic job capturing the essence of the original story, while making it modern and meaningful for the YA audience.

Lucky was a K-pop princess, and her days were filled with work, work, and more work. At the end of her tour, she escaped her security detail, and ventured out to enjoy Hong Kong on her own. Certain events bring her into the path of Jack, who happened to be moonlighting as a tabloid photographer. In an effort to get a big Lucky scoop, he offered to show her around Hong Kong, but the more time they spent together, the more their feelings became intertwined. This question if Lucky and Jack could make this feeling last for more than a night.

I instantly fell in love with Lucky, and became fiercely protective of her. She was so sweet and genuine, and I empathized with the battle she was fighting within herself. She loved having the opportunity to be a singing sensation, but she longed for more normalcy and autonomy. It was easy to see how much this one day of freedom meant, and I wanted more of that work-life balance for her.

Though I liked Jack, in general, it took me a looooong time to trust him. His motives were not pure, and his deception was something that could have ruined Lucky. It was good to see he had a conscience, and was able to see beyond the famous veneer and recognize Lucky as an actual person.

The two of them together made my heart soar. I adored their interactions, and as they grew closer and closer to one another, my heart beat faster and faster. Some may condemn this as instalove, but I DON'T CARE! It was fun. It was sweet. It was adorable and charming. It made me happy. I loved the way each of them could really "see" one another, and they were supportive and encouraging. They were a perfect coupling, and I wanted their adventure to last forever.

I had the best time frolicking in Hong Kong with these two. First of all, we ate A LOT. Goo incorporated so much food into their 24-hour adventure, and I was totally jealous...and hungry. I also loved that she brought us to so many different points of interest. I love when an author utilizes the setting of their book, and Goo practically made Hong Kong another character in this story. It was a wonderful backdrop for this whirlwind romance, and it just ratcheted up my desire to visit there someday.

But, a BIG reason for this grin on my face was that ending! My smile grew wider and wider with each sentence, and it was perfection for me. It also had me yearning for a sequel, but you know, that's me reacting to how much I loved both Lucky and Jack, and I just want more of their story.

Somewhere Only We Know was so many things. It was a love story, but it was also a story of finding oneself and their purpose, and taking the action necessary to make their wants come to fruition. This book surpassed my expectations, and obviously left me drying my happy tears.

**ARC received in exchange for an honest review.

Maurene Goo continues the tradition of naming them in such a way, that I associate and get a song stuck in my head, and so, I leave you with this song.

Do you like K-Pop?

Let us know in the comments!