So We Meet Again by Suzanne Park: When Jess Kim gets made redundant from her Wall Street Banker position due to a company 
reshuffle, she’s forced to return to her family home in Nashville with the parting words, ‘You’re not a Leader’ as the nail in her self-confidence coffin. Exploring the inherent pressures she felt growing up in a Korean American community including severe competition with her nemesis Daniel Choi, Jess struggles initially to find the resilience she needs to pull herself out of the mire.
Creating her own business and exploring entrepreneurship as an option, Jess begins to find her feet and by all accounts find her passion, particularly when her mum makes an appearance on her YouTube Channel sending her business concept into the limelight. As one thing leads to another, Jess is reminded why trusting Daniel is problematic, not just for her heart, but for the heart and soul of her business and learns the challenging lessons of what it takes to not only be a business leader but a leader of her life and heart.
From the onset, this very cute corporate romance had a lot of heart and a lot of politically relevant observations of the ever-lingering boys-club nature of the finance world and concepts of leadership. Throughout, the family elements were fantastic and whilst there wasn’t a lot of outward affection between Jess and her mum, there was a whole bunch of love that existed sub-textually.
Interestingly enough, Daniel was cut far too perfectly from Jess’ perspective and therefore needed to have a handful of flaws to improve his like-ability irrespective of his super hotness. Having said that, the mildly spicy scenes that brewed between the two demonstrated some effective tension management, and whilst nothing explicit occurs, the suggestive set-up and stall was great.
Overall, So We Meet Again was driven and determined and subsequently will no doubt inspire many young women to continue to believe in themselves and follow their instincts – both in business and in love.
Book Info:
Publication: 3rd August 2021 | Avon |
When investment banker Jessie Kim is laid off in a virtual meeting and then overhears why (“she’s already being overpaid anyway for a woman” and “Asians are worker bees, not someone who can drum up new deals”) she delivers an “eff you guys” speech and storms out.
After moving back home to Tennessee to live with her loving but meddling mother and father, she runs into her childhood nemesis – golden child Daniel Choi – at the local Asian grocery store. The smart, charming lawyer appears to have it all…while Jessie has nothing.
Jess begrudgingly accepts Daniel’s help to relaunch her long abandoned Korean cooking YouTube channel Hanguk Hacks, showcasing easy meal prep for busy professionals. But just as she discovers Daniel’s life isn’t as perfect as it seems and there’s more to him than meets the eye, he shows up for a life-changing business opportunity, and their rivalry is back on….
