Just the Two of Us (Book 2) by Ryu Hyang

SYNOPSIS

Soohyuk, a pediatric emergency medicine specialist, came to Korea in search of his birth parents, wanting to sort through the muddled darkness of his past. When he met Yuna, an anxious cook, he didn't expect to fall in love.

Yuna has struggled all her life to trust men after an incident in her past and spends all her time doting upon her nephew and pursuing her one true love: cooking. The last thing she expected when she met Soohyuk was that she would want to move in with him.

Both took a leap of faith and found happiness. Now, it seems certain they were meant for each other. Yet, navigating the twists and turns of a real relationship proves more difficult than either of them expected. Yuna fears what her brother will say when he finds out she's living with Soohyuk. and she grapples with the changes brought on by her young nephew's recent medical diagnosis. Meanwhile, Soohyuk is tied up working hours on end at S University Hospital, fending off the hospital director and his son, who can't seem to leave him alone.

As they build a new life together in Seoul, both of them help each other grow. Soohyuk encourages Yuna to open herself up to him in ways she never has before, and Yuna encourages Soohyuk to open his heart to the possibility of forgiving the family he once had and lost, who might be closer than he thinks.

REVIEW

Since we last saw Soohyuk and Yuna, it was just the first blossoms of their relationship and the foreshadowing of what might happen to them both in the future. In other words, the first book was simply a way to give us an insight of what type of world we find these characters in and a brief glimpse of what makes them who they are.

In some ways looking back, it felt as though there was a greater focus on Yuna in the first book and how she gained her own scars, but not necessarily a great deal about the battles Soohyuk has had to overcome before meeting her. I think this next book in particular opens up the conversation to Soohyuk's past and how this has ultimately shaped him to be a hard doctor who is constantly fighting for his patients - and it is rewarding to see how he has changed according to his experiences.

Compared to other book sequels that I have read in the past, there are only a handful and I mean only one hand, where I think that a book is able to surpass it's predecessor. This is one of the cases. One of the reasons is because of how it did not mess around in any capacity to show what all the reader's would be questioning about since the last instalment and I am very thankful that Hyang did not shy away with the plotting. But also, it seemed like the atmosphere of this book has a very different one which was full of joy and acceptance and I couldn't help but read it all to the very end in a short period of time.

I am very glad that I was able to read Yuna and Soohyuk's journey, it truly was an interesting one with sadness and fear, but with great happiness and delight. I think that this might be one I will read again at some point when I want to turn to something familiar. It seems like this time of year is the perfect way to end this story of these characters.

RATING: **** (FOUR STARS)

BUY LINKS

Amazon: Just the Two of Us, Book 2: Amazon.co.uk: Ryu Hyang, Cha, Stephanie: 9781952787102: Books

Comments

Troll Queens

When i first decided that i was going to buy this book, it was a choice between the idea of City Of Bones or some other trending book- which somehow i can't remember! I understand that you are probably shouting at the screen right now saying, "How could you? How could you pass up City Of Bones?" I will tell you why. The problem that i have is that i love signed copies, and i'm sure many of you will agree with me on this. So when i saw a signed copy of " Switched" by Amanda Hocking , there was no comparison to the latter. Hopefully you understand- please don't be mad with me! Genre: Fantasy, Romance Publisher: Tor This is the first book in the trilogy. It is the adult version. Did you know that there is a young adult and adult version? Well you learn something new everyday!! Compared to other books that I have read to "Switched" , " Torn" and "Ascend" there has been way (and I mean way) better prose than this tril...

Heiress Apparently (Daughters of the Dynasty) by Diana Ma

SYNOPSIS Gemma Huang is a recent transplant to Los Angeles from Illinois, having abandoned plans for college to pursue a career in acting, much to the dismay of her parents. Now she is living with three roommates in a two-bedroom hovel, auditioning for bit roles that hardly cover rent. Gemma's big break comes when she's asked to play a lead role in an update of M. Butterfly filming for the summer in Beijing. When she arrives, she's stopped by paparazzi at the airport. She quickly realises she may as well be the twin of one of the most notorious young socialites in Beijing. Thus kicks off a summer of revelations, in which Gemma uncovers a legacy her parents have spent their lives protecting her from - one her mother would conceal from her daughter at any cost.

Teaching with the Enemy by Jacqueline Snowe

SYNOPSIS Gilly Carter has kept her lofty inheritance a secret from her coworkers, knowing first-hand how money changes people. But when she's forced to rely on more than her bank account, will she rise to the task? After winning teacher of the year last spring, she's pumped to begin the new school year. Her fantasies of rainbow coloured bookshelves and students giggling at her maths puns are dampened when she discovers Christopher Callahan, a one-night stand who ghosted her, is not only her co-worker, but they're paired together to teach first grade. While he's kind to everyone else, Christopher doesn't even try to hide his distaste for Gilly. He turns his nose up at her extravagant classroom decorations and accuses her of not teaching from her heart. When Christopher challenges her to a spirit week competition where neither of them can spend a cent, Gilly doubles down: she freezes her funds for the entire month, vowing to live off her teacher's salary alone. ...

Blog Tour: The Lore of Prometheus by Graham Austin-King

SYNOPSIS John Carver has three rules: Don't drink in the daytime, don't gamble when the luck has gone, and don't talk to the dead people who come to visit. It has been almost five years since the incident in Kabul. Since the magic stirred within him and the stories began. Fleeing the army, running from the whispers, the guilt, and the fear he was losing his mind, Carver fell into addiction, dragging himself through life one day at a time. Desperation has pulled him back to Afganistan, back to the heat, the dust, and the truth he worked so hard to avoid. But there are others, obsessed with power and forbidden magics, who will stop at nothing to learn the truth of his gifts. Abducted and chained, Carver must break more than his own rules if he is to harness this power and survive.

Pizza Girl by Jean Kyoung Frazier

You get to see a lot of things when being a pizza girl. You see some of the best and the worst parts of the human race in all in one shift. In the case of Pizza Girl, it seems like everyone's life is perfect except for her own. This is where Jenny Hauser comes into the picture, the customer who becomes more of an unhealthy obsession which occupies most of her thoughts. This book can be described as being more of a creative piece, which is almost like a chameleon in the sense of the ever-changing thoughts of the main character and what society can perceive of us. If you like a story which is happy and jolly, this is not for you. There were times when the main character was simply cringe-worthy. The best way to describe it is when you watch a film and a character makes a bad decision and all that happens is an awkward silence from all the other characters in the room. However, its that moment that even though it is so bad to watch, you still have the feeling that you have to watch it...