Beautifully written and filled with fantastic characters. This cosy book instantly pulled me into it's setting, and had me rooting for our protagonists.
While some of the moments in this book were heavier and sadder in tone, the book as a whole reads like a warm hug. It's the perfect summer read to settle in with.
Truly from start to finish I was invested.
A wonderful read that I'll definitely be tempted to read again in future.

This was a fine, cosy book. There's a lot of these coming out of Asia and some are a little bit too same-y same-y, like this one.

‘Hakuda Photo Studio’ follows Jebi, a burnt-out woman who stumbles across the titular photography studio when she’s down on her luck on the last day of her holiday on Jeju Island. Jebi has worked in a photography studio before and happens to be good at running social media accounts. All too conveniently this studio is hiring and wouldn’t you know it, the owner, Seokyeong, is terrible at promoting his business. They team up and the story follows them as they photograph a wide variety of people on the island each with their own issues and lessons to be learnt.

The story has a pretty typical formula that’s found in a lot of the recently translated cosy fiction titles- if you’ve read ‘Before The Coffee Gets Cold’, ‘What You Are Looking For Is In The Library’, ‘The Second Chance Convenience Store’ or anything of that ilk you know the vibe- but it somehow manages to fall flat and was a struggle to read. I don’t think the translation was the issue here, rather the writing just feels stunted and disconnected. There’s an attempt at worldbuilding, but Her Taeyeon often jumps from one event to another without a good transition, so I sometimes struggled to connect all of the pieces together. Additionally, I found the main character, Jebi, to be annoying and one dimensional so I just couldn’t root for her- the line “When will I get to be the main character in my own life?” really cemented her as unlikable for me. Particularly in the first half of the story, the supporting characters also just feel awkward, they pop up at random times with random bits of exposition (that arguably aren’t even needed) just to disappear again until Her Taeyeon decides they need to come back and dump more irrelevant information on us. I understand that the author was trying to flesh out what we know about the island and get us to learn about the islanders’ customs and traditions, but it all felt quite unnecessary- most of the time it wasn't woven into the narrative naturally- and I think keeping the story contained to the photo studio and shoot locations only would have worked a lot better.

However, the biggest turn-off for me is that this book deals with subject matters that are far too serious for this genre and style of writing. The book starts off with pretty normal subjects as the focus- squabbling newlyweds, high school friends reuniting for a road trip and divers getting an underwater photo shoot before they return to their office jobs- but then shifts to exploring much more serious themes (don't even get me started on the detective story in Chapter 9). In the latter half of the book, Her Taeyeon attempts to examine themes such as experiencing postpartum depression after an unwanted pregnancy, the trauma associated with giving a child up for adoption and the difficulties of being a single parent but every dissection is too surface level and glossed over too quickly. Those three topics are all brought up and are pretty much ‘resolved’ in a mere five pages, and whilst the author does weave in mentions of the adoption throughout the second half of the book, it does feel heavy-handed and forced, particularly in the final chapter. The book falls into a trap that a lot of Korean healing fiction tends to in that it has very little nuance or subtly in the ‘advice’ being offered or the ‘lessons’ being learnt and, coupled with the fact that it views pretty complex themes through an overly optimistic and extremely simplified lens, the ‘healing’ aspect comes off as patronising and ill-informed, even if it was written with the best intentions.

I feel like ‘Hakuda Photo Studio’ had all the right elements to be another solid entry into the cosy, healing fiction space based on its premise but the preachy, and honestly naïve, writing style just doesn’t work for exploring heavy themes. Additionally, the tonal shifts between chapters could be really jarring at times so there isn't always a good narrative flow. I really wanted to like this book, but it was not an enjoyable read for me- it took me almost two weeks to finish it whereas it would usually only take me 2-3 days for something of the same length in the same genre. If you look at the work episodically instead of as one single narrative it's not so bad and I could see this being a successful K-drama, but as a written piece of media it doesn't quite hit the mark.

Thank you to John Murray Press | John Murray and NetGalley for the chance to read this ARC.

Healing novels are really hit and miss for me. All of them are formulaic and rarely particularly inspiring, but the best ones can make me feel relaxed and immersed in slice of life storytelling. The best ones also make me invested in the specific hobby, small business idea or location they are based around. If I don't finish a healing novel inspired to sign up to a pottery class or visit an indie bookshop (or whatever the core concept might be), I consider that a failure in this type of novel.

Hakuda Photo Studio was a frustrating read, because Her Taeyeon really tried to shake up the stale formula and explore substantive themes through the various scenarios at hand, but the reading experience was not very inspiring. The protagonist is a Seoul girl disappointed with her creatively dead job at a baby photo studio in the big city, and she decides to extend her vacation in Jeju Island by taking up a a job at a recently opened studio there. Right off the bat, it is giving more Hometown Cha Cha Cha than Before the Coffee Gets Cold. The narrative tries very hard to be a romcom and to amuse the reader by the contrast between the protagonist's Seoul ways and the life of the Jeju. The insider/outsider dichotomy and the question of belonging is explored both playfully and in a more serious way through discussions of dialect, tourist spot strategic essentialism and Jeju customs. The book truly is a love letter to Jeju, as the author's affection for the island shines through. About halfway through, the book takes a more serious turn, exploring sombre issues of unwanted pregnancy, war and disability rights. The 'quirky customer' formula is at the core of the book, but in each story Her Taeyeon tries to do something slightly more interesting and different. In addition to the usual weddings and old friend reunions, we have stories centring war photography and child disability.

Despite all these positive things, I struggled to enjoy or be engaged by this book. I don't expect stellar prose from healing novels, but the writing style in this one was particularly dull and mushy. Despite appreciating what the author was doing with the individual narratives, I did not find any of them particularly engaging. Most importantly, I did not walk out of this book with a burning desire to learn photography, or even to visit my local photo studio. I was struggling to motivate myself to pick the book up and was relieved when it ended.

An entertaining read about two things I am passionate about - photography and the sea.

Hakuda Photo Studio sits on the island of Jeju, a real island that the author live on for some years as a child. It is a love letter to the island and it's history, dialect and respect for the ocean and her inhabitants. Jebi goes for a holiday there and, when an incident leaves her stranded there, she begins work at the photography studio. Whilst each chapter tells a story of a different customer, it also pushes forward Jibi's narrative about life on the island. It is warm, uplifting and funny, a real treat to read.

A beautiful little book about Jeju Island and the people of a fictional Village, called the Giant Octopus Village. Jebi has spent the summer there and on the day she is going to leave she puts her hand in the mouth of the Octopus statue and makes a wish. Then she falls in the water and loses her phone, her money and her ticket home.
She wanders into a photo studio and ends up helping the photographer with a grumpy baby. He ends up offering her a job which she accepts as she has no job or home to go back to. During the months that follow she learns a lot about photography and the island. The resident Haenyeos, which are all women who free dive for seafood are friendly but distant, but she hopes to win them over. When something happens and it is down to one of them to help her, it is a very trying time.
Meanwhile the photo studio is going from strength to strength between Jebi and her boss and their unusual way of business seems to be working.
I loved reading this book after learning about the Haenyeos in an exhibition a couple of months ago, it was great that they feature strongly in this. They exist!

A sweet and gentle story. I felt it was a little slow at times, but I liked all the characters and the setting was lush.

This was a very easy to read enjoyable story. Set in a photography studio, where a variety of different customers come to visit, it didn’t fall into the trap of becoming repetitive. The story flowed well between each photoshoot, following the lives of those living on the island. I personally liked all the characters and the development we see in them.

Thank you NetGalley and John Murray Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Set against the idyllic backdrop of Jeju Island, The Hakuda Photo Studio is a captivating, slow-burning novel that blends moments of magic with quiet emotional depth. The story follows Jebi, a woman who has escaped the chaos of her life in Seoul, only to find herself in an unexpected place of healing in a charming village by the sea. From the moment she encounters a statue of an octopus with a mysterious promise to granting wishes, the novel pulls you into a world where new beginnings and personal growth unfold gently yet powerfully.

Jebi’s journey is beautifully woven together with various characters who each have their own stories and struggles. She helps a group of women bikers with a spontaneous photoshoot, takes part in a quirky pre-wedding shoot for a very demanding bride-to-be, and even assists a geologist whose camera breaks, each moment carrying its own lessons and warmth. There are family photoshoots, hidden secrets, and unexpected connections that gradually reveal the truth of the village’s past.

The setting truly feels like another character, much like in Hometown Cha Cha Cha, offering that same comforting, small-town charm. There’s something deeply satisfying about watching Jebi grow into her place in the village, not just as a helper at the photo studio, but as someone who begins to accept her own worth. The bond she forms with Seokyeong, the photo studio owner, and the quiet wisdom of the village help her embrace a new path, one that ties her to the ocean and the mysterious octopus legend.

However, there were a couple of elements that didn’t quite resonate with me. The story of the retired policeman, who confesses a decades-old crime, felt oddly out of place within the otherwise serene and heartwarming vibe of the novel. His backstory didn’t seem to align with the tone of the book and, in my opinion, wasn’t needed.

Despite these small bumps, the novel shines through its moments of genuine emotion, unexpected tenderness, and thought-provoking themes about love, loss, and healing. Jebi’s eventual journey into the sea to return the octopus feels like the perfect culmination of her personal growth. It's not just a magical act; it's an emotional release, a letting go, and a step towards finding peace within herself.

The Hakuda Photo Studio is a tender, quietly transformative novel, perfect for anyone who loves stories of self-discovery, the beauty of small towns, and the mysterious ways the universe brings us what we need.