MAY 2023 - AudioFile
In this romance narrated by Joy Osmanski, Korean American Lily Lee is forced to return to college to finish her degree, which she thought she'd earned 10 years earlier. Without that credential, the successful business consultant and well-known author may lose her dream job and her reputation. At the same time, she is struggling with cultural stresses and a heartbreak in her past. But what starts off as an inconvenience may turn into an opportunity. Osmanski switches with ease between several American accents and a Korean accent, and delivers sporadic conversations in actual Korean. Her best friend Mia's impersonation of actor/rapper Awkwafina is spot-on. Osmanski also narrates the foreword, which explains the importance of depicting themes of mental health and anxiety in the Asian community. S.S. © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine
Publishers Weekly
01/16/2023
A woman gets a second chance at her college years in this charming rom-com from Park (The Christmas Clash). Acclaimed author Lily Lee has everything going for her: a series of smash-hit career empowerment books for women and a promising new executive role at her dream company. But when the company runs a background check, it discovers—to Lily’s surprise and horror—that she never officially graduated from college due to a clerical error. Lily has no choice but to leave New York City and discreetly return to Carlthorpe College to finish her degree without her publisher or her fans finding out. Matters grow even more complicated when she realizes that her new TA is her college ex, PhD candidate Jake Cho, who instantly recognizes Lily and seizes his “twice-in-a-lifetime chance” to make things right between them and win her back. As Lily navigates collegiate coming-of-age—again—she’s presented with a unique opportunity to explore what could have been if her life had taken a different route. Park’s pitch-perfect comedic timing and knack for creating heartstrings-tugging moments make this thoughtful romance really shine. This is a winner. Agent: Brent Taylor, Triada U.S. (Apr.)
From the Publisher
"With depth and warmth and wit, The Do-Over is a beautiful, hopeful portrayal of second chances in life and in love. The carefully executed portrayal of anxiety, as well as the wonderfully engrossing love story make this read a pitch perfect read. I absolutely loved every word. Suzanne Park is a hidden gem in the romance world, and The Do-Over is her best book yet." — Christina Lauren, New York Times bestselling author of The Soulmate Equation
"A fantastic, empowering second chance romance that combines wit and charm with an always insightful commentary on imposter syndrome, anxiety, and the challenge of finding ourselves. Suzanne Park wrote a true gem!" — Ali Hazelwood, New York Times bestselling author
"A satisfying story of overcoming your fears about expectations—other people's, and your own—and figuring out your own worth. Second-chance romance meets all the other second chances we need to give ourselves." — KJ Dell'Antonia, New York Times bestselling author of The Chicken Sisters and In Her Boots
"Anxiety. Imposter Syndrome. Elitism. None of these are easy breezy topics—but Suzanne Park handles them all with her signature humor and heart in The Do-Over. This is Park’s best book yet—you’ll laugh a lot, swoon a little and crave ALL the sweets as you cheer for Lily Lee to get the second chance she deserves—in love and in life." — Ali Brady, author of The Beach Trap
"There's nothing better than second chances, and The Do-Over gives more than one. I loved this heartwarming book, as much for the friendships as the romance. Suzanne Park has written another winner!" — Lacie Waldon, author of The Layover
"The Do-Over is a delight—hilarious and smart, with insightful commentary about second chances, self-doubt, and what it really means to have a successful life." — Real Simple
"This delightful second-chance romance is sparkling with humour and heart." — Chatelaine
"Park’s (So We Meet Again) latest does an excellent job of navigating topics of anxiety, self-doubt, nepotism, and misogyny through an enjoyable second-chance romance with great characters. This book is an essential read and highly recommended." — Library Journal (starred review)
“Park’s pitch-perfect comedic timing and knack for creating heartstrings-tugging moments make this thoughtful romance really shine. This is a winner.” — Publishers Weekly
"The story is rooted in complex, relatable issues that are sure to have readers rooting for Lily the whole way through. A story of second chances in life more than love." — Kirkus Reviews
“It's a fun and sexy book, as Park (So We Meet Again, 2021) ties in mental-health issues with a strong female protagonist and of course a little bit of love. A fast read full of funny moments among friends, tense moments between rivals, and romantic moments between old lovers.” — Booklist
"Funny, romantic and real-world novel. It centers on Jessie Kim, a young Korean woman who is laid off from her finance job... it tackles sexism and racism in gripping ways." — The TODAY Show on So We Meet Again
“Some books just feel like an old friend, their first pages embracing you with an instant familiarity and warmth you can’t help but sink into. Suzanne Park’s So We Meet Again is that kind of book...A cinematic, charming heart-squeeze-of-a-book that has found its way to my Ultimate Comfort Reads shelf.” — Emily Henry, #1 New York Times bestselling author
“Loathe at First Sight bursts with humor, heart, and great energy. I loved it! Park is a hilarious new voice in women’s fiction.” — Helen Hoang, USA Today bestselling author of The Kiss Quotient
"A laugh out loud comedy with a warm heart. Jess's journey of finding her way amid the noise of the world's expectations will make you smile and sigh and want to chase your dreams." — Sonali Dev, award-winning author of Recipe for Persuasion
New York Times bestselling author Christina Lauren
Suzanne Park is a hidden gem in the romance world, and The Do-Over is her best book yet.”
Library Journal
★ 12/01/2022
Lily Lee is about to publish a book about how to land a dream job, but then the background check for her own dream job reveals she is actually a few credits shy of completing the degree she graduated with ten years ago due to an error by her advisor. On top of that, when she returns to campus, the TA for one of her required classes is none other than her college boyfriend, Jake Cho. Even though Lily tries to drop the class, she ultimately ends up enjoying it far more than expected. Lily's reputation takes a hit as the online gossip channels find out she actually did not graduate, and she has to stand up for herself against a bully trying to tarnish her and her brand. What started out as a way to complete her degree under the radar turns into a second chance at experiencing the things she missed during her earlier college years—and possibly even love, as Lily's chemistry with Jake becomes difficult to ignore. VERDICT Park's (So We Meet Again) latest does an excellent job of navigating topics of anxiety, self-doubt, nepotism, and misogyny through an enjoyable second-chance romance with great characters. This book is an essential read and highly recommended.—Ashli Wells
MAY 2023 - AudioFile
In this romance narrated by Joy Osmanski, Korean American Lily Lee is forced to return to college to finish her degree, which she thought she'd earned 10 years earlier. Without that credential, the successful business consultant and well-known author may lose her dream job and her reputation. At the same time, she is struggling with cultural stresses and a heartbreak in her past. But what starts off as an inconvenience may turn into an opportunity. Osmanski switches with ease between several American accents and a Korean accent, and delivers sporadic conversations in actual Korean. Her best friend Mia's impersonation of actor/rapper Awkwafina is spot-on. Osmanski also narrates the foreword, which explains the importance of depicting themes of mental health and anxiety in the Asian community. S.S. © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine
Kirkus Reviews
2023-03-28
A bestselling author is forced to go back to college and revisit more than one part of her past.
Lily Lee is best known in the literary world as the go-to author for learning how to succeed in the workplace. In fact, she’s on top of the world in her corporate career, with a job offer from a dream company and a second book in the works. That all comes to a screeching halt when her new employer’s background check reveals that she never officially graduated from her alma mater 10 years ago—she's a few credits short of a diploma, even though she walked across the stage at commencement, and what's more, she'll have to go back to school in order to complete her degree. Although Lily initially balks at the idea, she eventually decides to let herself relive her senior year of college. But it's not all frat parties and dining hall meals; the teaching assistant for one of her classes is none other than her ex-boyfriend Jake Cho. As far as Lily's concerned, Jake is the one who broke her heart when they were at school together. She's reluctant to let him back into her life, especially when he seems to have everything together and her world couldn't be more out-of-order by comparison. Now that she has a second chance to get things right, though, does that mean she should give things with Jake another try? Park’s latest novel skews a bit closer to women’s fiction than romance—Lily’s journey to self-empowerment and making peace with her setbacks feels more essential to the plot than her relationship with Jake. That said, the story is rooted in complex, relatable issues that are sure to have readers rooting for Lily the whole way through.
A story of second chances in life more than love.
