Made in Korea

By: Sarah Suk

Narrated by: Raymond J. Lee, Joy Osmanski

Frankly in Love meets Shark Tank in this feel-good romantic comedy about two entrepreneurial Korean American teens who butt heads—and maybe fall in love—while running competing Korean beauty businesses at their high school.

There’s nothing Valerie Kwon loves more than making a good sale. Together with her cousin Charlie, they run V&C K-BEAUTY, their school’s most successful student-run enterprise. With each sale, Valerie gets closer to taking her beloved and adventurous halmeoni to her dream city, Paris.

Enter the new kid in class, Wes Jung, who is determined to pursue music after graduation despite his parents’ major disapproval. When his classmates clamor to buy the K-pop branded beauty products his mom gave him to “make new friends,” he sees an opportunity—one that may be the key to help him pay for the music school tuition he knows his parents won’t cover…

​What he doesn’t realize, though, is that he is now V&C K-BEAUTY’s biggest competitor.

Stakes are high as Valerie and Wes try to outsell each other, make the most money, and take the throne for the best business in school—all while trying to resist the undeniable spark that’s crackling between them. From hiring spies to all-or-nothing bets, the competition is much more than either of them bargained for.

But one thing is clear: only one Korean business can come out on top.

Critic reviews

"Narrators Raymond J. Lee and Joy Osmanski dazzle with their performances of two teens who sell competing K-beauty products at their high school. Osmanski portrays Valerie Kwon with a sharp tone, channeling her intelligence and laser focus to succeed. Her narration shines in her ability to capture Valerie's humanity and faults. Lee, on the other hand, gives Wes Jung a laid-back tone that reflects his less competitive, endearing nature. Lee's narration is especially compelling when he expresses Wes's desire for acceptance by his family. The alternating first-person narration moves the story along briskly. Scenes featuring both Valerie and Wes together are splendid as the tension mounts and sparks fly. Both narrators render convincing teenage emotions and cultural authenticity, adding richness and depth to this listening experience."

Cute

Fun and cute YA book! Easy and funny to listen to. Nice Korean culture references throughout.

So Cute

4.5 stars
That was SO FREAKINNG CUTE !! it's been a while since I last read a good light hearted book like this
The story is about Valerie and Wes, both of them are competing in selling kpop products in school but as time goes on they realize they are falling for each other, it's a classic enemies to lovers story
everything about the story was cute and I liked both Wes and Valerie, both had a unique perspective and their chemistry was really good .. I wish if there was more intense moments between them but the story flowed seamlessly with me .. my only objection was the grandmother arc, she deserved better than this
I liked this book overall and I highly recommend it :D

The narrators did an amazing job narrating the characters and they were really into it .. amazing choice, worth the credit

So cute!

Such a cute read! I thoroughly enjoyed this start to finish! If you are looking for something that is at some points light hearted but has some serious moments then this is it!