Hello, I Love You by Katie M. Stout

Grace has run all the way to Korea to get away from her family. Sure, it means senior year in a foreign country where she doesn't know the language or the culture, but anything is better than one more hour spent arguing with her mother. 

The Tennesseean makes fast friends with her new roommate, Sophie, but Sophie's twin, Jason, not so much. He's hot. Really hot. And famous. But Grace has been around fame all her life and none of it erases the fact that he's basically a jerk. Until she gets to know him a little better. As her feelings grow for Jason, though, Grace finds herself worrying that she's being caught once again in a cycle she's tried so hard to escape. 

Katie M. Stout's debut is a fresh and fun look at romance and music. But it's more than that as well. Grace is running from some serious family drama - drama she's not ready to confront. All the while she's also fighting regular teen hormones, academic stress, and trying to make her way in a new country.

I loved how much Grace grows throughout the story. At first she's very critical of everything around her, comparing it to home and to her own experience in the music industry. That's not even the half of it considering the baggage she's carrying around with her. As the story progresses, though, she opens herself up to the experience more and more.

Grace is fortunate in that she finds a such good friend in Sophie. Sophie not only shows her the ropes on campus but shares the nearby sites, giving Grace the opportunity to truly experience this new world. Through Sophie - and the Eden members - Stout gives readers the chance to experience South Korea as well. The markets, the KPOP scene, the food... it's a world I doubt many of us have experienced first hand but Stout does it credit.

Of course a big part of the story is her relationship with Jason, which I found progressed quite nicely. Some of Grace's flip flopping towards him was a bit heavy handed, but that's more likely the result of my being further removed from being a teen. I do recall it ALL BEING SO DRAMATIC!

Rating: 4/5

This is a Hello, I Love You twofer day, btw, so don't forget to head over to today's other post to read an excerpt and enter to win your very own copy!