Title: Bom‘s Expresso / Spring‘s Expresso
Author: Dolcenabi (original), Kwon Do-Hee (comic)
Artist: Kwon Do-Hee
Chapters: 62
Status: Completed
Tags: slice-of-life, first love, office romance, based on a novel
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Bom’s Expresso: Official Summary
Coffee-loving Yoon Bomsol has been struggling ever since her beloved business, Cafe Bom, went under. When she lands a job as assistant to Jake K., an arrogant but sought-after barista, she has no idea that he is really Kim Jaehee, a customer of hers who proposed to her almost a decade ago. Reunited once again in the world of coffee, will Bomsol see Jaehee for the man he’s trying to be? Or will this second encounter be a “latte” to handle?
Why You Should Read Bom‘s Expresso
Story‘s Pacing
When Yoon Bomsol was hired as Jake K.‘s assistant, she didn‘t recognize him as the boy who once confessed to her. It takes her a while to figure that out. Although Jake is initially introduced as arrogant, his actual personality is quite the opposite. He is charming, caring and deeply in love with the female protagonist.
As they work together and get to know each other‘s backgrounds, Bomsol slowly falls in love with Jake as well. However, they’re both too shy to admit their feelings.
Their confession takes place later in the novel and from that point on the story starts to feel a little rushed. In the first few chapters, nothing major happens, while in the second half, everything happens at once. Additionally, they both keep a lot from each other and don‘t communicate openly. Both of them say, “I didn‘t want to bother you”, but in a relationship, you are supposed to rely on each other. Because of this, many of the misunderstandings between them could have been prevented.
Characters
Female Lead: Yoon Bomsol
Bomsol used to own a café, but had to close it to help her brother. However, the novel never properly explains why, and since her brother only appears for a few chapters, his role ends up feeling rather insignificant. They grew up in an orphanage.
As Jake‘s assistant, her job is to schedule his appointments and help him settle into life in Korea. Although she is understandably discouraged after closing her café, she gradually regains her confidence once she starts working as Jake‘s assistant.
The job interview was one of my favorite scenes! I really liked how it focused on evaluating her actual abilities instead of something superficial. There’s a really cute side story behind her name, and of course, it‘s related to coffee.
One thing I didn‘t like about her is that she causes many misunderstandings by not communicating, expecially with Jake, who is incredibly kind and always does everything he can for her. She never tells him about her bad experiences, even though she clearly needs his help. Instead, she always says: “It‘s nothing,” even when she’s in danger.
Additionally, if you have a panic attack or need help, you‘d normally call your boyfriend–or at least let him know what‘s going on–instead of relying on another man who you know has feelings for you. Many of these misunderstandings could have been avoided if she had simply been more honest with him.
Male Lead: Kim Jae Hee alias Jake K.
Jake has a really sweet personality. Although he is korean, he has forgotten some Korean words because he spent the past nine years in the US studying to become a barista. He is now one of the world‘s best baristas. He did all this so he could stand on equal footing with Bomsol, whom he has loved since he was still in school. Back then, he was a regular at her cafe. Like Bomsol, he also grew up in an orphanage. There is also a sad backstory explaining why he always needs mint candy.
Despite all of his positive qualities, I do have one criticism. I think he should have asked Bomsol about the events she went through, especially since he was involved himself, instead of simply waiting for her to bring them up–because she never does. That would have helped their relatioinship grow and built more trust between them.
Art
Bom‘s Expresso has many scenes set in coffee shops and at workplaces, where coffee is also a central part of everyday life. The characters almos always drink coffee and rarely seem to consume anything else, which fits the overall theme of the story.
Besides the coffee-centered setting, I also enjoyed the visual style. The characters have a more European-inspired appearance, with round faces, large eyes, and double eyelids.
The backgrounds are simple, which keeps the focus clearly on the characters. I especially like when certain details are rendered in 3D, such as pictures or objects, because it makes the novel’s world feel more immersive.
Personal Reading Experience
At the beginning, the story develops too slowly for my liking. The ending feels rushed and introduces several plot twists and action scenes that could have been better integrated into the earlier parts of the story to make it feel more engaging.
Another aspect that bothered me was the handling of the second male character who was interested in Bomsol. Despite his kind personality, he didn‘t get a happy ending, even though the story seemed to hint at one. Additionally, he was too persistent in pursuing Bomsol and crossed the line several times, even after she told him that she couldn’t reciprocrate his feelings. To me, that felt out of character and didn’t really fit how he had been portrayed.
Overall, it‘s a nice little story and a must-read if you are a coffee lover!
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