8 Best Books for K-Drama Fans

This heartwarming romance is perfect for K-drama fans as well as anyone who loves childhood best friends-to-lovers romances. With a summer romance spurred on by change, friendship, and embracing one’s heritage, Seoulmates is certain to keep readers swooning. When estranged childhood best friends are reunited for a summer, after ending  their friendship on rocky terms, the two have to learn how to navigate their past and present together. Added complications like the growing feelings between them, Hannah’s ex-boyfriend wanting her back, and Jacob’s fame as a K-drama star all contribute to their whirlwind summer.  

Luxury, romance, and family drama all in Seoul?! This book was definitely written with K-drama fans in mind! When Melody’s mom decides to move her and Melody in with her father in Seoul immediately, she resents the fact that she barely had a chance to say goodbye before moving all the way across the world from NYC to Seoul. However, she finds herself in the midst of the glitz and glamour of Seoul with a cute boy by her side, and everything starts looking up … until things start to crumble. Emotional and full of heart, Guess I Live Here Now is a must-read! 

If you like K-pop, childhood best friends to lovers, and happily ever afters, then Once Upon a K-Prom is a dream addition to your library! When Elena’s childhood best friend, Robbie, shows up on her doorstep to ask her to prom, she’s caught off-guard. She hadn’t been planning on going to prom, and his new K-pop persona is nothing like what she remembered him to be. As Elena tries to figure out who she is and what she wants, this new promposal adds more complications to her already complicated life. Will Elena find her happily ever after? 

Identity, love, and family all come into play with this brilliant novel from David Yoon. Frankly in Love follows Frank Li (I see what they did there) as he circumvents his family’s desire for him to end up with a nice Korean girl by teaming up with his family friend, Joy Song, who’s in a similar bind. When their fake dating throws them a curveball, Frank finds himself wondering if he ever truly knew what love was which throws what he believes about himself into question.  

I’ll Be the One is as fun and as upbeat as the cover makes it seem! Full of K-pop, body positivity, and romance, this book follows Skye, a Korean American teen aspiring to be the first plus-sized K-pop star. She enters an internationally televised K-pop competition, nails her audition, and then must fight to stay true to herself despite the highly fatphobic nature of Korean pop entertainment culture and her growing social media following. Luckily, she makes some friends along the way, including fellow competitor and celebrity model, Henry. As they compete alongside each other, sparks begin to fly! This book wants you to know that it’ll be the one on your K-pop TBR that will feel like a ray of sunshine on the cloudiest of days! 

For a sassy and thrilling inside look at K-pop, you won’t want to miss Idol Gossip! Alice and her sister go sing karaoke every Friday, especially now that her family moved from San Francisco (where she took regular singing lessons) to Seoul. When a scout for Top10 Entertainment, a huge K-pop agency, overhears her, Alice is offered a place at the agency’s Star Academy where she must navigate new friendships, the K-pop culture, and rigorous training. This book is one of big dreams and staying true to yourself, and it certainly will lead to some idol gossip! 

Written by a K-pop legend and the former lead singer of one Korea’s most popular girl groups, Shine is a poppy debut that will envelop you into the world of K-pop! It follows a seventeen-year-old Korean American, Rachel, who was recruited by DB Entertainment, one of Seoul’s largest K-pop labels known for producing mega stars. Rachel does her best to follow all the rules by training nonstop, not dating, and being practically perfect in every way. Then she meets Jason, K-pop star and the label’s golden boy, and her plans go awry as they get to know each other. This book simply shines on any K-pop fan’s TBR pile! Plus, the sequel released in May, so you can binge-read the two.

A modern day “forbidden romance,” XOXO is a lovely and swoony read perfect for fans of K-pop! Jenny, a talented cellist, meets Jaewoo, a member of an incredibly popular K-Pop group called XOXO, in a chance encounter one night in Los Angeles before he flies home to South Korea. When Jenny and her mother move to Seoul to take care of her grandmother, she finds Jaewoo at the elite arts school she was accepted into, discovers her identity, and must figure out just how much she’s willing to risk for love. Fast paced and full of humor, this YA novel is a K-pop dream!