Blog Review: Face Time, Life in the Digital Age. S.J. Pajonas

Reading Level: Contemporary Romance/New Adult Format: Ebook Publisher: Onigiri Press 4/25/14 Rating: 4

This book is "what happens when ELEANOR AND PARK grow up and move away." As much as I liked E&P, I liked this one a bit better. The characters Laura (Caucasian) and Lee (Korean American) are likable characters. Extremely so. I had a hard time getting a feel for how Laura looked. I know that she was toned, she had brownish/reddish hair and was 5'7. But Lee gets more descriptors and I honestly kinda inserted Daniel Dae-Kim in that role (Jin from LOST). 

There is a bit of a cute-meet in the book, but it adds to the flavor of the book. Laura shows up at the Blue Room at the Alqonquin Hotel (gorgeous hotel btw) to meet up with single co-workers after work. Unfortunately she's been stood up and isn't in the best of moods. So when this guy starts insinuating himself into her conversation with the bartender, she gets a bit snippy. Fortunately for her, she's snippy with the gorgeous Lee. To apologize she buys him a drink. From there they talk pretty much for the evening and a connection is made.

Unfortunately, Lee is only in the States for a day and half. Lee, not one to let something good go past. Asks Laura out to dinner for the next night. Laura questions her sanity going out with someone who lives in Korea. We find out that Lee is originally from Seattle. So he's American born and bred, but took a job in Korea with a high-powered law firm. Laura works for HBO.

The book is told in alternating POVs and I loved that because we got inside both of their heads. Once Lee leaves for Korea is when the romance really heats up. They talk over Face Time when they can and when Lee's schedule allows them too. He travels all over Asia for his job and Laura is stuck in NYC with a crazy mom. Being a third party to the growing romance might seem a bit voyeuristic, but I found myself smiling.

As we learn more about Laura and Lee, we see into their former home life and how different it was, but in some ways similar. Laura was treated horribly by her parents after a brief time of rebellion. Lee's mother wants him to marry a Korean woman. He wants to marry for love and not acceptance and standing.

My only issue with the book was the abrupt ending. It could've gone on forever for me. Hurry up and purchase this book. You'll fall in love with it just as much as I did.