4.5 STARS ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️.5 POV: Dual Spice: light kissing 0.5/5 Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, romance, historical fiction, forbidden love, pen pals, secret identities Behind Five Willows is a fast-pased Young Adult book Two teenagers are brought together during a period of book banning by the Korean government. Each has a secret...Haewon is a scribe while Seojun is her favorite anonymous writer, Both are in danger and she's willing to do whatever it takes to protect his work. "I wish you could see my heart. I wish you could see how I feel for you." AHH the way I blushed when I read this haha. Dare I say that I enjoyed this book more than I thought I would. I blushed SO MANY TIMES throughout the book. The plot was so unique and well-developed. The writing? Beautiful. June Hur definitely did an amazing job. Throughout the book i thought i was living in the Pride and Prejudice world. Lots of fancy *times new roman* English. I am the eldest daughter and there was some reference about it. Haewon as the second-eldest did in fact made sure that her younger sister was behaving and cared for her safety, and as the youngest, she was a troublemaker and caused a conflict in the story, which helped making stronger the bond between Haewon and Seojun. In this book, the passion of writing and reading is kept constant throughout the book, which I loved. June Hur definitely made an amazing job. Now, onto the character development, I loved it! I'm such a lover for character development -- this is what makes a book thrive and succeed. Cons: The novel relies heavily on Korean terms that may be difficult for non-speakers to follow without frequent searching, even such as myself who has basic Korean knowledge. At the end of the book there was Name Glossary which would have been helpful at the beginning rather than the end. Readers might find it helpful to place the glossary near the beginning to maintain the book's fast-paced momentum. *thank you NetGalley, Feiwel & Friends, and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group for the ARC! All opinions are my own.*

It is a truth universally acknowledged... that I can't resist a Pride and Prejudice retelling! Behind Five Willows isn't a strict retelling, but it is undeniably heavily inspired. The tension, the yearning, and of course the terribly insulting initial confession of feelings between our protagonists Haewon and Seojun are all reminiscent of Lizzy and Darcy's relationship. Haewon's little sister also gives off such Lydia vibes, though she's slightly more likeable, despite getting herself and her family's reputation into just as much trouble! Behind Five Willows is set in South Korea in the late 1700s, during a time of literary censorship, which is a period of history I knew nothing about. This added historical context enriches the story and raises the stakes, as the plot revolves around the writing and distributing of these forbidden books. While this is certainly a story for Jane Austen lovers, it's also one for anyone who believes in the power of fiction, just as our protagonists do. It is a delightful, slowburn historical romance that I highly recommend. Thanks to Netgalley for the copy.

4 stars Content warning: injury detail, (historical) harsh treatment to a side character described Thank you to the author and publisher, via NetGalley, for a digital copy to review. All thoughts are my own. If you love the formula of k-drama romances, especially historically set ones, and you also love Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, then you're in for a treat with Behind Five Willows. I found this story interesting, centred on the edict imposed on society under King Jeongjo's rule that banned people from reading fiction, whilst following a very well-told romance between two people from different social rankings. Despite the romance between Haewon and Seojun being predictable, I really enjoyed the connection they formed, especially once their identities came into play. I appreciated the dual POV that showcased their feelings individually and allowed the reader to learn more about their positions in the Joseon era setting. As someone who has watched a lot of historical k-dramas over the years, there was a deep level of comfort for me in knowing the political points that might be raised in this novel, and being able to understand the world it was set within helped me slip into it further. That being said, I don't think readers who haven't developed an understanding of Korean culture or its historical eras will struggle to become immersed in this story, as Hur does a good job at world-building and setting the political tone almost immediately. I do have to admit that I probably would have enjoyed this more had I not reread Pride and Prejudice recently. Whilst Hur has created a world here that is separate from the Austen classic being paid homage towards in Behind Five Willows, the similarities between core events and themes between the books almost felt textbook. I lost a little joy at times when some situations played out so close to the original Darcy and Elizabeth romance, and I wonder if my memory of accounts from Austen's work wasn't so fresh that I could have sunk deeper into loving this read. That being said, this was a great first introduction to this author's writing for me, and I am eager to check out other stories they have written or will publish in the future.

I read an eARC of this book on NetGalley so thank you to the author and the publisher. This is a historical fiction novel that reworks Pride and prejudice into a Korean setting, and it’s lovely. The themes from the original novel are clear and present but with a unique take and setting. There’s an added layer to this as it’s set during a time where fiction is being banned, and the story largely surrounds a secret bookshop selling the forbidden fiction. There’s also a sweet undercurrent of a friendship that takes place in letters between a famous (and mysterious) writer and our main character, but their identities are hidden from each other. There’s also characters are likeable. The tension is palpable, the characters fighting to be able to be themselves in a society that expects them to do as they’re told. There’s real concern over being caught behaving in a way that’s deemed unacceptable and the ruin this could cause families. I was rooting for the two main characters and their romance. It’s an important part of the story, but there’s so much more to this book with the many challenges the characters face. It’s a lovely read with so much respect shown to Jane Austen whilst still being its own fascinating story.

Firstly thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the advanced copy of this book in return for my honest opinion.I love everything about Korean culture and books so thought this book would be right up my street . I have read all of June Hur’s previous books and enjoyed them and I did enjoy this one too. However I thought it was a little YA for me this time . I found tbe historical elements about book banning really interesting and did enjoy the authors note but I have enjoyed her other books more than this one . That being said it was a quick easy read 3.25⭐️ rounded up