Fresh Fridays: On Friday, I review a brand new series (ie. only has one book released so far) to see if the series is worth keeping up with. Here is this week’s offering:
NEON Series
Other books planned to be in the series:
Synopsis for Comeback (from Goodreads):
Emery Jung is living his dream. Known by his stage name M, he is loved by millions of fans around the world as a member of the rising K-pop group NEON, but all fame comes with a cost, especially when one slip up can have viral consequences.
Alana Kim is trying to forget. After a tragic loss sends her spiraling, she escapes to her family in Korea, abandoning her love of music along the way. However, her plans are derailed when she literally runs into M, the famous K-pop idol.
When their paths collide, Emery and Alana must work together to prevent a scandal from ruining NEON’s success, sparking a journey of friendship, love, and healing. Unfortunately, fame and love aren’t easily compatible, especially in the world of K-pop.
Series: NEON
Author: Lyn Ashwood and Rachel Rose
# of Books: 1 (Full Reading Order Here)
Book Order: Unknown
Complete?: Unknown
Genre: New Adult, Coming of Age, Contemporary, Realistic Fiction, Romance
Heat Rating: warm
Point of View: Third Person, Alternating
Publication Date: June 2019 – ongoing
Source & Format: Authors–eARC
Why I Picked it Up / My Expectations:
I will be the first to admit that I don’t know much about K-Pop other than what I read in Shine and learned through a Netflix documentary. I’ll hum along to BTS songs on the radio and my one coworker follows K-Pop enough that I know the very basics. But the world intrigues me and when I read the synopsis for Comeback, I was excited to see how this story would play out in the demanding K-Pop world.
What I Liked:
–You Really Don’t Need to Know Much About K-Pop–
Rachel and Lyn do a fantastic job at teaching the reader about Korean culture and the world of K-Pop as you read. There is a glossary of Korean terms at the back of the book in case you forget but I thought they did a wonderful job bringing this world to life without getting overly technical or by having endless descriptions of things. Everything just flowed really nicely, making it an easy read and world to get sucked into as a reader.
–Coming of Age–
The best way to describe this book is as a New Adult coming-of-age novel. Emery and Alana are both a little lost in their lives when we meet them for various reasons. But both are trying their best to navigate family expectations and work pressures. We get to see them at their most vulnerable and I loved the character growth that came from them finding themselves and becoming confident in the decisions they have made, even when others cast their judgements on them.
–Sweet Romance–
The romance is super sweet. I liked how these two had a special moment years before the novel starts and that the finer details in that moment aren’t known to the reader right away. It builds up this anticipation and reignites that spark between them any time they share a scene together.
What I really appreciated is that the romance, while still a big part of this book, doesn’t take away from that great character development. This book is really about the leads as individuals and their independent challenges.
What I Didn’t Like:
–Not Enough Romance–
While I may not know much about the K-Pop world, I do know that public romances are a big no-no. So when I read the synopsis, I really wanted that forbidden romance to play out a little more. Emery and Alana have the basic chemistry together but I really wanted to see more of them together to really sell me that their relationship would be worth the risks if it ever got out to the public.
HOWEVER, as I said above, the romance really wasn’t the focus of this book. It’s about Alana and Emery as individuals. I think as a reader if you manage your expectations to know that this isn’t about a forbidden K-Pop romance but the story of 2 people who find themselves in that K-Pop world then I think you won’t miss the romance factor as much as I did.
My Expectations for the Rest of the Series:
I really hope we see more of this world. I really loved watching the dynamic of the band NEON and how the boys supported each other. Even if a sequel focuses on Emery and Alana again, I wouldn’t mind! I just think there is a lot more to explore in this world and I can’t wait to do that!
My Rating: 4/5
Comeback 4/5 | Book 2 TBP
While the world of K-Pop can seem next level and untouchable, Comeback reminds you that there are real humans involved and grounds the world an characters by showing the not-so-glamourous side of being an Idol.
Read if You Like: coming of age, sweet romance, K-Pop
Avoid if You: dislike coming of age stories, want lots of drama
- Shine by Jessica Jung (Shine Series #1)
- The Songs in Our Hearts by Chantal Gadoury (The Songs in Our Hearts Series #1)
