Park Yeon-woo is a free spirit determined to live life on her own terms. So when her parents arrange for her to marry the “ugly old” master I figured some type of marriage contract would come out of the union. Imagine my shock when the “ugly old” master ended up being young and hot, then ends up keeling over on their wedding night. And that’s pretty much how this story went with some predictability but having a few great twists.

It’s always difficult for shows to do the fish out of water stories but the writers did well with this one. They addressed some of the bafflement Yeon-woo would have with living in the future without it overwhelming the story. Though the series was supposed to center around the marriage contract this element had little relevance to the overall story. It played no role in the drama and tension within the story, which actually worked. The game of chess between Tae-ha, Sang-mo and Hye-suk over the future of SH Seoul and SH New York generated enough tension and entertainment to keep the story interesting.

Moreover, the relationships between the friends, enemies , families and lovers was fun to watch. Though I didn’t care much for the stepbrother to start, he seemed like an annoying spoiled brat,. He actually turned out to be a good person whom I grew to enjoy. The villains had their “reasons”, but thankfully no one was at a mustache twirling level. Sang-mo could be nasty but she had some layers once her backstory was revealed. Though the story had its serious moments it also had some really funny comedic moments. The leads had great chemistry and the romance was well done. It started off as a slow burn but then built and built until it became swoonworthy.

The present’s tie to the past was done in a way where some found themselves in the same place while others had an alternative setup. The stories intertwined nicely in both timelines. The show did drag just a little in the last couple of episodes. At times it seemed like the writers were using filler until they were ready to move the story forward. I did think they kept present day Yeon-woo and Tae-ha apart a little too long in the final episode, but overall this was a really good show. The story, acting and chemistry of the characters was great. The love story was beautifull and the business shenanigans was entertaining. Its definitely worth watching and is a show I’ll rewatch in the future.