Life is a K Drama: A Novel

A heartfelt, interracial contemporary romance debut—and a love letter to K-dramas—featuring a single mother whose chance to transform her neighborhood restaurant into a household name is upended by an unexpected spark with a swoon-worthy Korean business magnate. Perfect for fans of Kennedy Ryan, Tia Williams, and Susan Lee.

Keisha Thomson loves K-dramas, but she never imagined her own life would become one. Keisha is a 37-year-old divorced mother to her beloved autistic son, Kai, and the ambitious owner of True Soul, a Harlem soul-food restaurant. Set between Harlem and Seoul, this novel follows bold and pragmatic Keisha, charming yet duty-bound Han Seojun, and the viral red velvet cake that brings them together.

What begins as a cultural and culinary clash becomes a whirlwind romance that challenges everything they thought they knew about love, ambition, and the courage it takes to put yourself first.

Life Is a K Drama brings together Sherri Shepherd and Jayci Lee’s complementary voices to create something truly fresh. Part escapism and part self-discovery, this story is for anyone who has rebuilt themselves from scratch and for readers seeking joy that feels earned and authentic.

With shades of Tia Williams’s Seven Days in June and Sally Thorne’s The Hating Game, this sweeping, cinematic love story shines with humor, heart, and hard-won hope. More than a romance between Keisha and Seojun, it is also a love story about family, food, and culture.