Behind Five Willows

Hardback Published on: 26/05/2026
Price: £20.00
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Synopsis

From the New York Times-bestselling author of A Crane Among Wolves comes a warm and romantic homage to Jane Austen set in historical Korea, about a reader and a writer who secretly fight against government book banning and find themselves irresistibly drawn together.

As the dutiful second daughter of a poor family, Haewon is expected to marry well. Instead, amid harsh censorship and rampant book bans, she secretly works as an illegal book transcriber - dangerous work she loves, especially when copying the writings of her favorite author, the elusive Black Lotus.

When her older sister begins courting a wealthy young man, Haewon is dragged along as chaperone - forced to endure the company of his arrogant, insufferable best friend.

****

As the only son of a noble, Seojun is expected to embody wealth, status, and propriety. No one can know that he secretly writes fiction - or that the only thing keeping him going under pressure from his overbearing father are the warm, insightful letters from his transcriber, 'Magpie'.

But when his best friend falls for a girl far below their social rank, Seojun must join their chaperoned outings - alongside her sharp-tongued younger sister. Yet the more time Seojun and Haewon spend together, the more they realize how wrong their first impressions were . . .

READERS LOVE BEHIND FIVE WILLOWS:

'I genuinely think that this book will be my favourite read of the year'

'I was hooked from the beginning'

'I loved every second of this suspense and romance'

'June Hur has done it again, and I do not know what to do with my life after reading yet another masterpiece. I found myself flying through the pages, constantly wanting more. NEEDING more!'

Publisher information

  • Publisher: Headline Publishing Group
  • ISBN: 9781035434435
  • Number of pages: 336
  • Dimensions: 236 x 158 x 34 mm
  • Weight: 540g
  • Languages: English

Customer Reviews

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Behind Five Willows
Behind Five Willows is a fast-pased Young Adult book
4.5 STARS ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️.5 POV: Dual Spice: light kissing 0.5/5 Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, romance, historical fiction, forbidden love, pen pals, secret... READ MORE
Chelsey Zarraga
This reviewer received a free of charge product for review.
Behind Five Willows
Charming
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 prejud... READ MORE
Jennifer Charlton
This reviewer received a free of charge product for review.
Behind Five Willows
Another great YA novel
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 an... READ MORE
Midge B
This reviewer received a free of charge product for review.
Behind Five Willows
For fans of K-dramas and historical fiction
It's been a while since I've read a YA book. When the characters blushed, I blushed along with them too. The storyline was very cute as well as giving us s... READ MORE
Bao Bao
This reviewer received a free of charge product for review.
Behind Five Willows
Breathtaking
Thank you to the publisher Headline for providing this book for review purposes via NetGalley. All opinions are my own. This book was so much more than... READ MORE
LauraFay
This reviewer received a free of charge product for review.
Behind Five Willows
Ugh! The yearning!
Once again, it's been proven why i love reading books written by June. Her writing flows so easily and sucks me in straight away. I get transported back in... READ MORE
A.S.
This reviewer received a free of charge product for review.
Behind Five Willows
Stunning
A gorgeous, atmospheric and stunning retelling of Pride and Prejudice. I loved the leads, their secret identities and that they slowly fall for each other ... READ MORE
Emma Renshaw
This reviewer received a free of charge product for review.
Behind Five Willows
The best Austen-tribute I have ever read, and it still becomes it's own book
I will do my best to not scream in caps lock, but I have to say that this is my book for the year 2026. I am a born and fully formed Jane Austen fan, and h... READ MORE
Elisabeth Pih
This reviewer received a free of charge product for review.
Behind Five Willows
Pride and Prejudice inspired historical romance
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 unde... READ MORE
Janine
This reviewer received a free of charge product for review.