This was a DNF for me from the first chapter. I think it might have been the translations but I just didn't like the writing style and could not get past it .

Thank you for the opportunity to review.

I was so disappointed with Book 1, and I just wanted to make myself enjoy this one more, and to give it a chance, but I really have to be honest - I absolutely can't! This just isn't the book for me. The translation feels unnatural, and I just don't understand this kind of writing at all.

I was so happy to get an arc of this, as I loved Just the Two of Us so much. This continues straight from the first book. Soohyuk and Yuna are now living together. Soohyuk has found his birth parents and he tries to figure out how to not only confront them but confront his past. This is a great sequel and I loved the focus on their relationship as a couple, seeing them after their initial get together, it’s not as good to me as the first, but that doesn’t mean I didn’t love it, just I felt slightly more attached to the first. But I definitely recommend this and the first book too

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion

I loved the first book in this series so much that I had to rush right in to Book 2. I fell in love with the characters and just needed to resolve the issues. These are flawed characters who still went on to have successful lives even with their fears. They never succumbed to those fears. The love of family was a huge support. The secondary characters are just as well-written as the primary couple. The author truly succeeded when she said that she wanted the "central theme to be empathy". It is a book where empathy shines through the plots.
I will definitely seek out more by this author. It is easy to be drawn in and get lost in her writing- and isn't that the hallmark of a great book. Even though our main characters find love, this is more than just a romance .Love within a family is just as much the juggernaut here.
Highly recommend.

#netgalley #justthetwoofus

Similar to book 1, I found it very difficult to get through this book due to the translation issues. It felt very jarring and stilted, and that honestly took so much away from the story. Instead of focusing on the characters or the plot, I’d get stuck trying to figure out what an odd translation meant or being shocked by some random thing someone brought up. I wish I were able to read fluently in Korean to give this book a fair chance, but it’s very difficult to read in its current state.

[Thanks Netgalley for the ebook. This review is my honest opinion but just another opinion, you should read this book and judge it by yourself]

This book is kdrama stuff! We need Park Seo-joon as Soohyuk right now! LOL
I liked this book more than the previous one. Although I find difficult to connect with a character like Soohyuk that is so devoid of emotions we see him change and become more "human". His relationship with Yuna is lovely (and surprisingly hot!) and under Yuna inffluence Soohyuk stops running and deals with his past. I would have liked the whole revelation with his family to have been different but it was sweet and heartwarming enough.
Overall, this was a lovely reading.

--------------
<b>3-3'5 estrellitas</b>, por ahí va la cosa.
Bastante mejor esta parte que la anterior, sobre todo porque aquí vemos el desarrollo de la historia de amor deal with his pastde Soohyuk y Yuna, además de que se resuelve toda la trama familiar.
Como ya dije en el anterior, esta historia es digna de kdrama, me parece que, en ese sentido, tiene de todo, especialmente drama. Pero una cosa es verlo y otra leerlo, y ahí es donde la conexión con el libro es más complicada, al menos para mí. La autora es coreana (este libro es una traducción) y creo que, conociendo algo cómo es la sociedad, mi mente de lectora occidental (que quiere pasiones y emociones) pide cosas que ella, por su cultura más contenida, no va a darme. No me supone un problema con lo que cuenta pero reconozco que, para mí, la lectura se hace menos emocionante y más distante.
De todos modos, en esta parte, al poder ver a Soohyuk enamorado de Yuna (oyeeeeeeeeeee, que en los kdramas no veremos nada pero aquí bien que le arrean al tema y nos lo detallan!) y ver cómo se va desenmarañando el misterio con su pasado, he leído mucho más interesada y la lectura no me ha costado. De cómo se comportan los personajes en sus relaciones familiares no puedo decir mucho, ya que hay determinadas cosas que son propias de su cultura y que a mí me cuesta entender, así que no debo juzgar. Eso sí, ojo cómo le dan al bebercio y lo bien visto que está, es algo que siempre me fascina de los coreanos.
En fin, que me ha entretenido y ya es bastante.

Having finished the first book within two days of intensive reading I was eager to pick up the story of Soohyuk and Yuna where the first book left off. Many plot lines were finally coming together in this volume, Soohyuk has finally found his birth parents and has conflicted feelings that affect his budding relationship with Yuna.. There is also a dilemma regarding Yuna's nephew and whether or not to tell him about the disease he suffers from .This was less of an emotional ride than the first book, as now our protagonists settle into their lives together and work through their issues (even the hospital drama was less demanding) and there are steamier scenes between Soohyuk and Yuna as they develop an intimacy. The ending wrapped up everything nicely and left me highly satisfied. It still reminds me very much of Korean daytime soaps because of the family drama and how unrealistically the generational tensions are resolved, but frankly I prefer a happy ending and am willing to voluntarily suspend all disbelief. All in all this was a really satisfying and engrossing recreational fun.

I am very grateful to Netgalley and POPPYPUB for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review

Ok didn’t expect this at all! The first book was cuteness overload and a lot of fun so this one didn’t disappoint. I’m glad how the story panned out, I was satisfied with it. Defo would recommend as a light read to my friends.

This was a very fun read. The second book picks up right where Part 1 ended. I enjoyed reading more about Soohyuk and Yuna as a couple and how they are now living together. The relationship development was my favorite part of the book, and it was so sweet seeing their interactions together.

In Part 1, we got to see their relationship flower and grow, whereas in Part 2, Soohyuk’s relationship with his family was the focus. We got to see more of Soonhyuk’s family life and his struggles with his separation from his parents. I would recommend this book to anyone wanting a very heartfelt and feel good read!

Thank you, POPPYHUB and NetGalley, for providing me with this ARC (Advanced Reader's Copy) in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you so much to Poppy Publishing and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book. The conclusion to this story was very awesome and sweet but dramatic all at the same time. Again, like its predecessor, it has the feels of a drama but at the same time fulfilling. Trigger warnings for abuse, rape, blunt language, death, surgery, and familial distress due to pediatric disease . Definitely a slow-burn on every aspect of this book including character development but I feel that this book went a little faster than its predecessor. I think my only issue with this again was the writing and a little too long for me personally. However, if you enjoy K-Dramas, I think you should at least give this duology/duet a try. 4.5 out of 5 stars

“Just the two of us... that’s what she’d said.” Just The Two of Us by Ryu Hyang

3.5 stars! I think this is the last book of Soohyuk and Yuna. I think. And it continues where it left off from the previous book.

Soohyuk and Yuna become a real couple here. And both learn to help carry each other’s baggage. Soohyuk, in particular, had a tough time dealing with his.

When his family starts to realize that he’s one they’ve been looking for, the way they all started interacting with each other changed. Especially when Soohyuk allowed them to enter his life.

I normally avoid duets, especially those that have the first book end in a cliffhanger. This particular one, I accidentally stumbled into. Luckily, the 1sr book didn’t end in a cliffhanger, more of a happy ever after for now.. But the HEA was finalized, realized here in the 2nd book. And I do like it. It’s rhythm was different, as is the setting and the way people interacted with each other was different too. It made me what to check out Korean tv series.

Thank you PoppyPub and NetGalley for this arc! I enjoyed it!

Unfortunately i struggled reading the first book in this series, it was the dialogue I struggled with. Because I was too busy trying to follow and understand the dialogue I lost myself in the story. I feel the second book was the same and didn't make sense after not reading the first book.

I absolutely loved this continuation of Yuna and Seooyuk's story. While I also enjoyed the first book, the added emotional depth in this sequel was a wonderful surprise. Hyang's woven together a seamless story about loving difficult, family relationships and the perspective we should have when faced with hardships. If I could only use one word to describe this book it would be hope. Hope that we will be loved despite our shortcomings, hope that we will be supported in the midst challenges and hope that some of our greatest wishes will become a reality. I'm so glad I was given an early copy by the publisher!

I was eating japchae and watching a K-BBQ video, so I caved and downloaded this because I apparently wanted to torture myself with more Korean food-related content. (I'm also Asian and can't say no to free things.) It's been a while since I read the first book and instead of re-reading my review like a sane human being would, I decided to read the rest of the series because I have problems.

I thought the first book was bad, but this was a hot mess. I'm not sure how much was lost in translation and how much was just the writing, but the level of cringe was at an all time high.

"Surrendering to his persistence, she asked with utmost awkwardness, 'What do you think of my smile?'
It all happened in a flash. Soohyuk let go of her hand to wrap his arm around her shoulders instead and kissed the crown of her head.
'Mr. Cha...' She nervously pushed him away in response to his sudden action.
'It makes me want to do this,' he answered as he pulled her even closer to him and kissed her on the forehead."

There's the kind of the standard cheesiness you'd expect from any Asian drama, but there's also nonsense stuff like, "his lips gently caressed hers as if to calm her down. She could taste the winter wind on his lips" (whatever that means) and "their bare skins touched affectionately" (okay...) Oh, and let's not forget, "you're really cute. I could just bite your cute little face off and crunch, crunch, crunch..."



I know translating is no easy feat, but I was surprised some things didn't get cleaned up during the editing phase. Soohyuk supposedly has the palate of an eight-year-old and doesn't eat spicy food, but he'll eat a hamburger with jalapeños? There's also a lot of repetition in this book, like multiple ba-boom, ba-booms and "she's so cute's." And don't worry about forgetting the title of the book, Hyang makes sure to beat it into our heads. Soohyuk and Yuna repeatedly talk about how it's "just the two of us," but it's also an apparent reference to the Will Smith song?? The song plays on repeat throughout the story (there are some major song-fic moments in this book) to really bring the point home.

Not gonna lie, I didn't read huge chunks of this. When words like "supple" started appearing, that was my cue to avoid that part of the book (I pretty much skipped all of chapter 5.) There's literally a scene when Soohyuk wants to "go home" 😏 and only agrees to stay after getting Yuna to agree to "do everything I ask of you tonight." Like, this is the kind of Fifty Shades of Grey garbage I did not sign up for.

As an actual story, Just the Two of Us isn't very good either. The biggest problem is that the plot is all over the place. You might be able to blame part of it on the fact that the romance escalates so ridiculously quickly that Hyuang ends up just throwing in random obstacles to drum up some "drama," but that doesn't explain why there's no real logic to when, why, or how certain things are revealed. Plus, the supposed hurdles the couple face end up resolving pretty quickly, so why even bother? As a whole, the story is piecemeal, and the pacing is jerky. The storyline surrounding Soohyuk finding his birth family is especially weird. I can't even try to make sense of why it's handled the way it is. None of the characters' motivations are convincing or believable, because there aren't really any emotional stakes involved in the story line, the whole thing falls flat, making the resolution particularly dissatisfying.

I went into this with pretty low expectations, and I was still disappointed. Honestly, I feel like even that half-star rating is generous. I mean, I only have myself to blame for this, but I guess I read this so you don't have to?

I really enjoyed the first part of this book, but this was even better!

The story picks up right from where it left off in the previous book. The reason why this is much better than the first part is because this time the characters were developed much better. And also there was more depth in the plot rather than just being an ordinary romance novel, it focused on family, love and importance of forgiveness.

I loved how the family relationships got developed in this plot. Soohyuk struggle to come to terms with finding his birth family was understandable but I think having Yuna by his side made it a lot more easier.

I wish there would have been another book, but, I can't really complain much, as the ending was like a typical K-Drama.

Overall, an enjoyable read.

Thank You NetGalley and POPPYPUB for this ARC!

After reading book one, I can say that book is definitely an improvement on the first one in terms of the translation (and therefore readability).
I loved the fact that the story wasn't drawn out into a convoluted multi-part series and I think the duology worked really well to service the different parts of the story.

In terms of the plot, it was really fun to see the behavioural changes in Soohyuk as he overcomes the trauma of his childhood and comes to terms with the truth about his adoption. I am really a sucker for the I have everyone but my lover trope in main leads but I feel authors often take it too fat to the point that the character is almost unlikeable. However, here the author balances it very well with Soohyuk and I really enjoyed that particularly.

Despite enjoying the book I did have some things that I didn't quite vibe with. I feel the way in which he rediscovers his birth family makes very little sense. I think it would probably work better (as in being more acceptable to someone consuming the media had it been in television show format however in a book it felt rather clunky and confusing. This book however does read like a typical Korean melodrama in the form of a novel so it was something I pretty much accepted quite quickly.

Another thing about the book was the sex scenes, they were rather uncomfortable and almost clinical. I wasn't sure if this was simply down to the translation, but some of the phrases felt unnaturally poetic for the type of scene that they were depicting. This might also be my own personal tastes clashing with the authors writing style for those scenes (I don't want to simply automatically blame the translator...)

Aside from those two points of contention, I did find the book enjoyable and I did in fact read it in one sitting ( I stayed up late despite knowing I had to get up early the next day... that how you know I was truly sucked into the story). I really enjoyed this duology and I would LOVE to read more of Ryu Hyang's work although they aren't literary masterpieces they are fun and enjoyable and et you so involved in the going on. So yes check this out, especially if you enjoy any sort of soap opera tv show, this will probably be right up your alley.

I preferred this so much more than the first book in the series. I think the translation was a lot better, although it still wasn’t the best.

The plot played out almost exactly the way I imagined so there were no surprises but it was comforting because you knew the characters from the first book.

There was more character development and it was nice to see the story play out.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book felt much better than the first one especially in terms of the translation. It didn't feel as awkward and clunky as before. I appreciated that slow reveals were given their due justice to gracefully unfold and resolve themselves instead of the run of the mill rushed ending that happens in most romances. Seeing characters develop (especially Soohyuk ) was really great and all the better for how well they were executed. Overall, a decent read.

Actual rating: 3.5 out of 5

Just The Two Of Us deffffffinitely got so much better here in the second book. I’m still a little annoyed with how the first book ended and I think if the two books were combined into one book, I would’ve rated them 4 out of 5!! I really liked book 2. The writing/translation got so much better or maybe I just got used to it? Anyways, book 2 is much easier to understand even if there were still some confusing parts. Loved how everything played out!! I am so glad I decided to pick this one up after reading book 1.

The family aspect and dealing with one’s personal issues are two of my favorite things in this book. The drama didn’t feel forced and rushed and I really really liked that. Also, wow the 180 degrees turn!! The book went from being cute and fluffy almost all throughout the first book to the drama and hotness that is the book 2.

Thank you to Netgalley and POPPYPUB for letting me read this book in exchange for an honest review!

This is the second delivery in the "Just the Two of Us" duology, where we can see how Soonhyuk and Yuna's story, how Yuna's nephew's illness evolves, and more about Soonhyuk's biological family.

I love the relationship between Yuna and Soonhyuk, how they got each other's back and know how each one of them and that their relationship went faster from the beginning from this book than how it was in the first one was something I did appreciate.

Soonhyuk was the main focus in this book, in comparison to the first one where both Yuna and Soonhyuk shared the role of the protagonist. The main point was how Soonhyuk life was affected by the fact of being separated by his parents, what kind of insecurities and behavior issues he has and also why did it happen. We are also able to see how Soonhyuk biological family suffered from it too.

A bad part of the story though was that everything went so fast, there were no other conflicts than the ones in the first book that were closed to an end already, so I felt like everything went too smooth, easy, and quick.

My favorite part of the book was without a doubt the food, I have just eaten Korean twice in my life but every time a different dish appears in the book I could feel my mouth watering.

To sum up, I liked the book, but it felt more like a conclusion of the first book than a book on its own, also I got the feeling the writer wanted to do a happily ever after ending and I didn't quite like it because my favorite thing about this story is how real it was, the way not everything was perfect and how life can be hard sometimes, and the ending is a completely different story and I felt like it was kind of forced.