“You should be wary of setting rules with me. you know I live to break them.” – 3.75/5 stars!

Attention! This book contains: modeling, debuts, practice sessions, radio shows, phone calls, restaurants, and secret romances.

New York Times bestselling author Axie Oh’s ASAP is the much anticipated companion novel to beloved romance XOXO, following fan favorites Sori, the wealthy daughter of a K-pop company owner, and Nathaniel, her K-pop star ex-boyfriend, in a swoon-worthy second chance love story.

Sori has worked her whole life to become a K-pop idol, until she realizes she doesn’t want a life forever in the spotlight. But that’s not actually up to Sori—she’s caught between her exacting mother’s entertainment company and her father’s presidential aspirations. And as the pressure to keep her flawless public image grows, the last person she should be thinking about is her ex-boyfriend.

Nathaniel is off limits—she knows this. A member of one of the biggest K-pop bands in the world and forbidden from dating, he isn’t any more of an option now than he was two years ago. Still, she can’t forget that their whirlwind romance was the last time she remembers being really happy. Or that his family welcomed her into their home when she needed it most. . . .

So when Nathaniel finds himself rocked by scandal, Sori offers him a hideaway with her. And back in close quarters, it’s hard to deny their old feelings. But when Sori gets an opportunity to break free from her parent’s expectations, she will have to decide: Is her future worth sacrificing for a second chance at love?

I loved this book! When I started reading it, I had no idea this was the second book in the “XOXO” series – more specifically, a companion novel series. This was a very pleasant surprise because I had no idea the books would be in the same Universe! And if I’m being honest, I think this story is even better than “XOXO”. With that said, I’m sure you can read this as a standalone… but my advice for you would be to read “XOXO” first because you will understand the story a little better and know what happened before that led to the “now”.
One aspect of this book that I really liked was the characters, in particular Kim Sori! She was a very interesting and different character: not only she was very talented and about to debut, but she was also a very likable character. I also really liked Nathaniel as a main character and romantic interest. They had really good chemistry and cared deeply about each other, and it showed through the pages. In case you are curious about the tropes that are present in the book, I would say the main ones are the “second chance romance” trope, the “friends to lovers” trope, and the “forbidden romance” trope (the last one is related to Nathaniel being an idol).
Also… can we talk about this cover? This is absolutely stunning! I hope the author continues to use this style for the covers (at least for this series).

This was a really fun book, and I am PRAYING we get more storylines for this series. I wonder if the author will continue this series for the other members? I can guarantee I would read it! I guess we’ll find out sooner or later.