Hello, I Love You by Katie M. Stout
Grace Wilde is running—from the multi-million dollar mansion her record producer father bought, the famous older brother who’s topped the country music charts five years in a row, and the mother who blames her for her brother’s breakdown. Grace escapes to the farthest place from home she can think of, a boarding school in Korea, hoping for a fresh start.
She wants nothing to do with music, but when her roommate Sophie’s twin brother Jason turns out to be the newest Korean pop music superstar, Grace is thrust back into the world of fame. She can't stand Jason, whose celebrity status is only outmatched by his oversized ego, but they form a tenuous alliance for the sake of her friendship with Sophie. As the months go by and Grace adjusts to her new life in Korea, even she can't deny the sparks flying between her and the KPOP idol.
Soon, Grace realizes that her feelings for Jason threaten her promise to herself that she'll leave behind the music industry that destroyed her family. But can Grace ignore her attraction to Jason and her undeniable pull of the music she was born to write? Sweet, fun, and romantic, this young adult novel explores what it means to experience first love and discover who you really are in the process.
**Book Links**
**Excerpt**
“I’ll see you tomorrow,” I say. “Wait, are you walking back?”
“Well, I’m not sleeping at the library tonight.” He doesn’t take the bait. “I’ll give you a ride.”
I imagine what it would feel like to sit behind him on the bike, my arms wrapped around his waist. That now-familiar heat radiates through my body again. How is it that Jason has turned me into the blushing type of girl?
“Don’t worry about me.” I wave my hand in dismissal. “I’ll be fine.”
He straddles the bike’s frame. “I don’t mind. Get on.”
I hesitate a moment, but when I see that he isn’t budging, I step up to the bike. “Uhh . . . how am I supposed to ride this thing?”
He pats the metal rack on the back of the bike, made for hauling inanimate objects.
“You’ve got to be kidding.”
“I’m not going to kill you. Just trust me.”
Trust. Such a small word. Which implies so much. I lost my trust in boys when Isaac cheated on me, then lied to my face about it.
Jason’s gaze softens just a hair. “Come on, you’ll be fine.” Biting my lip, I straddle the bike, stomping down any fear
that threatens to grow in my chest.
Jason turns around to look at me. “Sit sideways, like riding a horse sidesaddle. More comfortable.”
I follow his instructions, not sure how I’m going to balance myself. When I rode with Sophie, I was more afraid of falling and cracking my head open on the pavement, but with Jason, my fear lies more in my body’s response to being so close to him.
Blowing out a slow breath to ease my nerves, I settle onto the metal rack behind his seat and pull up my feet. I knot trembling fingers in the fabric of his T-shirt, which hangs away from his body. But when he pushes the bike into motion, on instinct, I grab onto something more substantial. My eyes snap closed, and it takes me a good thirty seconds to realize my fingers are digging into his sides.
Though the wind that blows against us chills my skin, I’m so hot I feel I might spontaneously combust. Every time I attempt to let go of him, the bike teeters to the side.
“Hold on tighter,” he says over his shoulder.
I spend the entire ride in my own personal Hades, torn be- tween fear of falling and fear of Jason.
When he pulls up to my dorm, I jump off the bike so fast I stumble. He grabs my arm to steady me, and it takes an excruciating amount of effort not to rip myself away from his grasp. Memories of us dancing, of him leaning against me in the limo, flash through my brain, and a fresh stab of longing cuts through my chest. Seeing him sitting there, it seems like Saturday night wasn’t even real.
“Grace?”
My heart sprints. “Yeah?”
He picks at one of the bike’s handlebars in one of those rare instances of discomfort. “Do you want to go with us to the music video shoot next Friday?”
“What?”
“I’m sure Sophie would have asked you, anyway,” he adds. “But I just thought you should go. So we can work on the song some more.”
“The song. Right. Umm . . . sure.” I wait for the fog to clear from inside my head, but it lingers. “I guess I’ll see you tomorrow in class. For the test.”
“If my legs can get me home. You were heavy to carry here.” I gape at him until I realize that was his idea of a joke. Jason
just told a joke.
He gives an awkward wave. “Good night, Grace.”
“Wait a second.”
He pauses with his foot ready to peddle. “What?” “Does this mean we’re . . . friends now?” “Friends?”
“Yeah. You tutoring me, and me helping with the song. Going to the shoot next week. Are we friends?”
Why does my breath hitch at the thought?
The scowl I’ve come to associate with him reappears on his face, and arrogance drips from his voice when he says, “I’ll think about it.”
But even in the dark, I can see his scowl has transformed into a smile.
**About the Author**
Author Links:
**Giveaway**
St. Martin's Press is sponsoring a giveaway for 1 copy of Hello, I Love You!
- US/Canada only
- Ends June 18th, 2015 at 12 am EST
- Enter through the Rafflecopter below!
My review for this one goes up on Friday! Nice teaser!
ReplyDeleteI've read missed reviews for this one, but the excerpt has me wanting to read it for myself.
ReplyDeleteI love the cover. Sounds cute.
ReplyDeleteI like the idea of a boarding school in another country. I can picture the blooming love story :)
ReplyDeleteI keep reading such mixed reviews about this one....but I LOVED the excerpt. The writing is excellent. And I love a good story about a girl learning to trust again. So, yes yes yes!
ReplyDeleteSierra @ Yearning to Read
So excited for this book. I love the synopsis and excerpt and everything!
ReplyDeleteI'm so excited for the release of this book! The excerpt just made me more eager to read it!!
ReplyDeleteCarolina M on rafflecopter
my pre-order of HELLO, I LOVE YOU came in the mail yesterday, and after starting it last night, I've had a hard time sitting at work all day staring at it and not being able to pick it back up! I can definitely hear Katie Marie as she writes the character of Grace, which just makes the character that much more believable. I can't wait to get home and book binge until I'm finished! I'd love to win another copy to share with my friends, as my little hometown doesn't offer HELLO in stores here, and I'm loathe to lend out my only, much-anticipated copy!
ReplyDeleteI am beyond excited to read this one! It sounds incredible!!
ReplyDeleteGreat Excerpt! Sounds like one very exciting ride! Jason sounds a little arrogant, or maybe he's teasing Grace with the friends thing...
ReplyDeleteLindy@ A Bookish Escape
I'm excited about the book. The Excerpt just leaves you wanting more! It sounds like it's going to be a great book.
ReplyDeleteSounds like a cute book!
ReplyDeleteBooks sounds so cute!! Can't wait to read it:D
ReplyDeleteThis sounds adorable! Very excited about this contemporary!
ReplyDeleteI am excited to read this book because I know nothing about K-Pop and I am curious to know more!
ReplyDeleteSuch a cute excerpt! I really can't wait to finally read this book.
ReplyDeleteI love me a good contemporary, especially during the summer time. What I love most about this book, as that it incorporates other culture. I'd like to take a trip around the world with books.
ReplyDeleteThe excerpt was cute. awww puppy love
ReplyDeleteI can't wait! The excerpt is awesome. I've been in the mood for a cute contemporary as of late and this one seems adorable:)
ReplyDeleteI have read so many good books this year that I can't name them all. I am looking forward to reading more!
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