The Bibliophile's Bookshelf

Title: Wish Upon a K-Star

Series: Standalone

Author: Kat Cho

Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Rating: 4 stars

Review:

Moon Minseok—or Moonster as this WDB fans know him—wasn’t born to lead. Even as part of the world’s most popular K-Pop group, he found comfort in his role as the jokester, the sidekick, the unserious one (with the cutest smile). But now WDB is drowning in dating scandals, and it’s time for Moonster to take charge of the group’s image.

Shin Hyeri has been dealing with some scandals of her own. An up-and-coming K-Drama actress, she’s been labeled a “nepo baby” (with a famous idol as a big brother) and now, a bully (which couldn’t be further from the truth). Desperate to show the world that she’s earned her spot, Hyeri is determined not to let her rising star crash and burn.

When these two childhood enemies get caught up in yet another scandal while co-hosting a K-Pop festival, there’s only one solution that will save both of their reputations: appear on one of Korea’s most popular variety shows, Our Celebrity Marriage (where celebrities pretend to get married and compete in ‘newlywed’ challenges).

The plan is simple—pretend to get along, win back the fans, then go their separate ways. But what happens when a fake marriage leads to real feelings? Will Moonster and Hyeri bow to the pressures of their famous realities, or will they decide their love is something worth fighting for? – summary from Goodreads

Wish Upon a K-Star is exactly the fun romance I needed!

This book is perfect if you are a K-Pop Demon Hunters fan! Unfortunately, it is not for the younger fans, but as an older fan it was lovely. And the characters were actually my age (19 and 21) which I found refreshing. I love my younger protagonists, but I liked the independence these characters were given because of their age.

I really liked the main characters! They were super cute and realistic. I liked the real problems they struggled with, though some of their issues are not something the everyday person deals with. I liked how anger and anxiety were handled- this is what I related to the most!

Hyeri was super cute! I loved that she was both strong and delicate. She was nervous and awkward, while also getting frustrated with people. I think in a lot of books you are either one or the other- meek or strong- when in reality most people are a mixture of both. I loved watching her progress and grow as the story went on, and her learning her own worth.

I really liked Minseok, too! He was so much fun to read, and he had a nice depth as well. I wish there were more chapters from his perspective because he had such a rich backstory and he had challenges in his own life. I would have liked to see more of him with his group and the struggles he had with being in the spotlight.

Their relationship was so cute! I loved them together. Not only does this book have a fake dating trope, it also had childhood friends to lovers! I loved how everything was done, and their relationship felt a little more geared towards older teens. I liked how they also became more childlike when they were together, and how that connected with their childhood. I would also like to point out the reason they were fake dating was because they were on a reality show! Two of my favorite things in one book: fake dating and a reality show! I loved how protective Minseok was of Hyeri, too. It was very sweet. And I loved how much Hyeri cared for Minseok. I especially liked how the book ended, and how everything ended for them. It was sweet and wholesome, while still allowing them to have their livelihoods.

This was deeply ingrained in Korean culture, which was a touch confusing for me. There weren’t really any explanations of the Korean culture aspects of the story, which I really, really liked because it fully immersed you in the culture and setting. However, there were a lot of honorifics that I had no clue what they meant, so I was often a little confused on who was being referenced. But I love how Kat Cho didn’t bend on this.

The world of Korean idols and pop stars is an interesting world, and I loved being able to explore it through this book. It allowed for a lot of fun moments, and it also allowed for some things to happen which I would have never thought would happen in a contemporary romance book. Nothing inappropriate happens though.

There were a lot of other characters that I really enjoyed! There is another book in the same world, Once Upon a K-Prom, and I think there could be a book about every one of the boys in the band and their love story! I would absolutely read that and love every minute of it! I am also intensely curious about Hyeri’s brother- he made a handful of appearances, and I want to know more about him.

Wish Upon a K-Star is a fun fake dating/childhood friends to lovers/reality show contemporary romance that takes place in Korea and explores the world of Korean idols and pop stars through the relationship of Hyeri and Minseok and is perfect for fans of K-Pop Demon Hunters!