This review originally appeared in the January 2021 issue of SFRevu.

I was drawn to review Vanessa Yu's Magical Paris Tea Shop because I enjoy a good cup of tea as well as wondering just how a story about someone's magical tea shop in Paris would play out. First, the Paris tea shop belongs to Vanessa's Aunt Evelyn. The tea shop is only magical in that it is a beautifully serene oasis filled with the scents of a delightful array of teas. What is magical, in a way, is that Vanessa has flashes of precognition and her Aunt Evelyn is an accomplished clairvoyant.

Vanessa had her first prediction at age three when she looked into a cup of tea. Her Aunt Evelyn began to train her on how to use her talent, but Vanessa fought her training and finally just refused to continue. That didn't stop the visions or the painful headaches that resulted afterward. Vanessa saw the visions as a curse, not a gift, and wanted to be rid of them. Her family revered having members with such talents which made things even more difficult.

Finally, after a particularly upsetting prediction, Vanessa begged her Aunt Evelyn to train her; promising not to quit this time. Aunt Evelyn was going to Paris to open a tea shop and offered to have Vanessa join her. Vanessa would have some training, help in the tea shop, and then be free to explore Paris.

In Paris, Vanessa learned that there were hidden depths and secrets swirling about her aunt. Love was in the air as one would expect in Paris--the city of romance.

So, while the book was not exactly what I expected, it had some wonderful well-developed characters, interesting observations on people, life, and love as well as some surprising bits of magic mixed into a tale of regret, family expectations, acceptance, and love. I enjoyed the story far more than I thought I would and the running thread of clairvoyance and prediction along with the discussions of responsibility--gift or curse--were thought-provoking.

I'll add a warning to readers, be sure to eat a hearty meal prior to reading because food in all its taste, texture, scent, and luscious description are throughout the story. Vanessa Yu and her entire family love food, and not just any food, but food lovingly prepared and presented. I spent a good portion of my time wishing I could rush to a great restaurant for a meal, or trying to remember just what ingredients I had on hand to make a memorable meal.

Of course, you have to love the setting of Paris. Also, a great change using Chinese tea as a main part. Very different, fun and makes you want to read her next book!!

An amazing read!! i felt as if I was walking alongside the characters they felt so real to me!! I cannot wait to see what Roselle Lim does for an encore!!

In Vanessa Yu's Magical Paris Tea Shop by Roselle Lim, Vanessa can see the future. Sometimes. Usually unreliably and without specificity. If she catches a glimpse of the beverage someone has been drinking, a prediction will burst forth unbidden and unexpected. It may be a nice thing, like winning the lottery, but in most cases it is disappointing or traumatic information that Vanessa has no way of controlling. It should be easier for her, but when she was a child she gave up on the lessons with her Aunt Evelyn who has the same gift. When life isn't working out the way she'd like and the predictions are causing more and more trouble, Vanessa agrees to accompany Evelyn to Paris where she is opening a new tea shop in hopes that she can resume her lessons.

This was a cute, easy read and more of a romance than I had anticipated. Magical Realism is one of my favorite fun genres and this one fits squarely in that category. There were, however, a few things that bugged me. First of all, the title is too long. The Magical Paris Tea Shop would have been better. And then as you read the book, you discover that maybe even that would be a misnomer. Also, I'm all for adding texture by including all five senses, but the amount of time the author spent describing gourmet foods didn't match with this plot very well, as if it was just something fun to add, but not really necessary. And finally the love interest is, in my opinion, too flawed. I won't get into why for fear of spoiling it for you.

Luckily for me, this book came at just the right time when a light, fluffy novel was just what I needed. These are stressful times so if you are also in need of this kind of read, may I recommend this one?

Vanessa has an usual ability: she can see people's futures and is compelled to tell them what she sees. She tries to avoid getting close to people since telling someone that their boyfriend will cheat or their mother will die from cancer tends to end relationships. When her over-invested family invites a matchmaker to find Vanessa's true love, she discovers that she will never find lasting love because of her gift of seeing the future. Desperate for answers, she travels to Paris to stay with her Aunt Evelyn, who also has the gift of seeing the future. Evelyn seems to have a perfect life--she is chic, owns a beautiful tea shop, and follows all the rules of being a clairvoyant. But Vanessa and Evelyn are about to discover that when it come to love and seeing the future, sometimes they have to make their own rules.

Vanessa and her story fell a bit flat for this reader. Roselle Lim writes with the kind of easy charm that we love to see in contemporary romance, but the characters felt like archetypes. Vanessa is entirely passive within her own life, her family members aren't distinctive, and the man she meets in Paris seems almost too good to be true. However, the irresistible descriptions of amazing food in both San Francisco and Paris might be enough for the reader who loves both a tasty treat and a happy ending.

By far my favorite thing about this book was the food. If you read this one, prepare to be hungry! Sadly, as much as I wanted this to be a win, it just didn't quite do it for me. I had a hard time feeling invested in the characters and found the story to be a little all over the place.

Roselle does it again with this sweet and magical romantic tale. This is heartwarming, fun & makes you smile!

This is such a fun book and the Chinese tea shop in Paris is a delightful setting! I especially love the character of the aunt who owns the shop. I hope Lim will write a book centered on her!

Vanessa Yu's Magical Paris Tea Shop
By Roselle Lim

What is it about books with Paris in the title that I navigate to and just absolutely want to read. This one is no exception and such a fun read too! Reading a previous book by Roselle Lim, I know that I would be in it for some swoon full of romance, and a magical adventure. Lim does not disappoint and delivers in this amazing story that whisked me away to an entertaining adventure through Paris.

When you can see the future is that a gift or a curse? Vanessa "Van" is able to foresee the future and blurt out these information at the most uncanny times. She works as an accountant and forces herself to look at life as an observer to prevent causing trouble to others. Until aunt Evelyn comes to turn her life around and asks Van to help her out in opening her tea shop in Paris.

Lim's writing is always so fun and refreshing. She brings a huge smile to my face as I relate to her stories and the myriads of aunties that abound. I love her stories about love and family, while also spinning it into a magical story.

I really enjoyed this read.

Last year I read and liked Natalie Tan’s Book of Luck and Fortune, so when they opportunity came up to read and review Roselle Lim’s Vanessa Yu’s Magical Paris Tea Shop, I knew I had to take it. I was genuinely excited about Lim’s sophomore, sweet romance, and not only because she’s a Canadian author. I really thought I’d enjoy the next foray into her type of magical realism with a Filipino-Chinese twist, and I was right.

If you are expecting a sequel to Natalie Tan’s story, then you might be disappointed, but if you go into the novel knowing that the crossover into the world Lim created in her first book will be limited to a focus on Evelyn Yu, her family, including the main character Vanessa, and a brief mention of the dumpling restaurant in San Francisco’s Chinatown, which is a nod to Natalie’s restaurant, then you’ll be happy indeed.

Even though it isn’t a sequel, there are similarities. First, food is once again written as though it were another character. Lim goes out of her way to explore the sights, smells, and tastes of the food that Vanessa samples both in Palo Alto and Paris. Vanessa isn’t a chef. In fact, she’s inept in the kitchen. However, she is a self-described foodie, and it shows. Second, as with her first novel, the main character is mentored by an elder—this time it’s her Auntie Evelyn Yu. Instead of learning the art of running a restaurant, Vanessa is meant to learn how to control her fortune-telling abilities from Evelyn who is an expert, but also someone with whom the niece has conflicting feelings...at least when it comes to their shared, genetic ability to see the future of other people. As in her previous novel, there is a small Montreal connection. Finally, it is a slow burn romance with magical elements, and as with Lim’s first novel, it stays on the sweet side.

Vanessa Yu has never wanted to see anyone’s future—no matter whether it’s positive or negative—in tea leaves. To avoid blurting our these prophecies, she switched to coffee, but nevertheless, when she least expects it, fortunes find a way of escaping her mouth and ruining people’s lives. To add to this plight, her romance life is so nonexistent that her ma and aunties hire a matchmaking expert from Shanghai. When she foretells death for the first time, Vanessa decides she can’t live until she finds a way to get rid of or control her abilities. Auntie Evelyn makes the tempting offer to whisk her away to Paris to help her with her gift. There, Vanessa learns more about herself and the root of her gifts and realizes one thing to be true: knowing one’s destiny isn’t a curse, but being unable to change it is.

As one can expect, there is a lot of tension in this novel between Vanessa and many other characters, including her Auntie Evelyn and Marc, Auntie Evelyn Girard Renaud, and even between Auntie Evelyn and the city of Paris, which goes a long way toward driving the plot. Given the current state of events in the world, I appreciated, in particular, the way the tension played out between Evelyn and the surrounding community in Paris because it goes beyond the person to reflect the false accusations against her business, which hinge on nationalistic and racist ideologies. This conflict is timely and addresses the way hatred and suspicion can easily grow bigger and bigger until it becomes impossible to quell.

However, the best thing about this book was the magic. The way Vanessa’s predictions force themselves out of her mouth with the taste of a particular food accompanying them is unexpected as is the way this changes once she develops more control over her skills. However, this isn’t the only magical element of Vanessa Yu’s story. The way the wind or a kaleidoscope of butterflies shows the characters where they ought to be or what they ought to do is really special. Moreover, the idea of being able to see a red thread tying people who love one another together is really beautiful, though that the opposite—that there are some people without a red thread who are destined to be alone—is really sad unless there is a way to change one’s fate or destiny over the course of one’s lifetime. However, you’ll need to read the book yourself to find out how all the magic and drama plays out.

Whether you loved Natalie Tan’s Book of Luck and Fortune or are new to her magical and sweet romances, Vanessa Yu’s Magical Paris Tea Shop should be on your TBR!

4.25/5 stars!

When Vanessa Yu made her first fortune-telling at the age of three, she had hated that she had this power. After one fortune-telling of the bride at her cousin's wedding, she decided she needed help from her aunt, the other person with the same power. By going to Paris to continue her lessons, Vanessa encounters love, revelation, and secrets from her aunt's past that brings an epiphany and change for herself and her outlook in life

I enjoyed this book because of the heroine's self-discovery, the descriptions of scrumptious food, family dynamics, and romance. I would have liked some more details of certain characters and the future of a set of siblings in relation to a certain situation. Overall, the book has a nice vibe and I look forward to more Roselle Lim books.

**Thanks to the publisher and Harlequin Junkie for the copy.**

This was definitely the book I needed to get me out of my reading slump. A story that features my favorite things? Yes, please sign me up. It has magic, food, Paris, and a story about a young woman who's trying to find herself. It's also got a little bit of romance, a smidgen of mystery, and of course there's some magical powers.

The descriptions and usage of food in this book was drool-worthy. I found myself craving one thing after another especially when Vanessa's vision came with an olfactory effect. Mmm Korean BBQ with a side of "you're going to cross paths with your one true love" kinda feeling.

Paris was also a huge component in this story and I loved the various trips around the town. It reminded me so much of Paris and how much I loved walking down the rues with a book and a baguette I'm going to devour by myself. If you're wistful for travel especially during the pandemic, then this will definitely transport you to Paris.

What I truly appreciated from this novel was the incorporation of psychic powers, fortune telling, clairvoyance and how it relates to the Chinese culture. I'm Korean American, but I've been told all my life that my family has a gift passed down from generation to generation. It's a psychic ability and while this might sound weird, it's definitely a huge component of our culture. Seeing it written in a story was truly magical especially how it's incorporated into the story. I loved that it was a prominent feature than just something to mention and never do anything with.

I think the only issue I had with this story was that there wasn't a clear focus. There were many different components to the story and for some part of it, it moved in a linear motion. But as the story progressed, there were more and more things being introduced and some things were falling off. I can see where Roselle Lim was going with the story, but keeping up with everything happening as it was happening was a little too much for me.

Overall, such a good read when you need a little break from the world. It's not a romance novel, but it was definitely filled with emotion and heart.

THIS ONE WAS SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO FUN! I really liked the asian rep in this one, the paris scenery, and how it wasn't entirely romance but focusing on our main female character's family issues and her own magical powers. She acted super childish at times so it annoyed me that she couldn't just accept that she has powers but I can also see it being frustrating a lot when you have to have visions all the time. Adorable romance and aunt storyline!

Paris! A tea shop! Decadent pastries! A touch of magic! It was all so charming and an absolute delight to sink into. Oddly enough, for being set in the city of romance, it was the main character's love story that I liked least about this book.

This is the perfect example of magical realism, with the base of a contemporary romance/women's fiction story with a few magical elements that swirled around the storyline to add flavor. I really enjoyed that premonitions were associated with food flavors and memories popped up to be witnessed with color changes. It was all very well down, making it seem like it was perfectly normal and expected to taste emotions and see memories.

This was not a bad book, it was ok in general but my take home message from the story is that I love all kinds of food, I need to go back to eat in Paris again and that I was perpetually hungry while reading this. The characters were ok, the plot was ok, the romance was ok...but the food was fantastic. And I fully support the important cure all of eating delicious treats that the characters use in the story. I will say that I was way more curious about the main character's mysterious magical aunt and her past/romantic encounters than I was invested in the main character and her romantic endeavors.

It would also be easy to say this is a love letter to the city of Paris and all the art that lives there. If you are a fan of that city or art in general you will probably have a greater appreciation for the story and all the intricate details of the art the book went into great detail about.

I totally went into this one blind and it was SO FUN!

Imagine you could read peoples futures just by the taste/smell of the food you are eating with them. Sounds like a win-win right? But there's a catch. No matter what the future shows you immediately blurt it out loud and can't hold it back.

No matter how awful. Or where you might be. Or who you might be with.

Cue the angry friends... the disrupted weddings... the hurt boyfriends.

Poor Vanessa's gift seems more like a curse. A curse that proves she is doomed to be alone, forever.

I thought this one was really cute. When she's sent to work with her Aunt in Paris at her tea shop so her Aunt can help her get a hold of her "gift" and use it to her advantage - a mystery is presented, family is tested, a new man enters, and there is SO MUCH FOOD.

I loved the bit of magic in this one and enjoyed most of the story - especially how Vanessa ends up... but had a few issues with the men. I didn't love them or their story arcs and wished they had been "better"... but we can't always have the perfect man I guess, right?!?

Very cute - looking forward to reading other buy this author!

What a whimsical tale of love, great (and not so great) fortunes' and the leap of faith to let life to play out.

As a woman who's always seen other's fortunes at the bottom of the teacups, Vanessa Yu had trouble keeping that bit of information to herself most go the time. She's stressing out her family and they're so worried that she'll never find her true love or someone who's a decent enough guy, that they ask for help from a matchmaker, but that doesn't go as well as she hoped. Afterwards, Vanessa simply wants to find a way to get rid of her abilities and decides to head to the City of Lights to figure out why she has these "gifts" in the first place.

Roselle crafted a lovely, tender, and heartfelt read that made me want to book a flight to Paris.

I featured this book on my book picks for San Antonio Living: https://news4sanantonio.com/sa-living/books-series-to-put-on-your-list

*I received a copy of this book for an honest review.

Title: Vanessa Yu’s Magical Paris Tea Shop

Author: Roselle Lim

Publisher: Berkley

Format: Trade paperback, $16.00 US

Reader’s Guide Included

Published: Aug. 4, 2020

Read An Excerpt: Here

Buy It: Amazon Barnes

Vanessa Yu’s first prediction surfaced when she took a sip of her mother’s tea and gazed at the tea leaves on the bottom of the cup. She was only three year’s old. She later found that each prediction had it’s own taste and demanded to be spoken. She had no control over its release. For this reason, she knew she may never have a life of her choosing. This gift was valued by her family. A respected clairvoyant, her Aunt Evelyn of the San Francisco Yus who ran a successful tea import-export business. Vanessa’s family, the Palo Alto Yus, owned an accounting firm that supported the tea empire.

It had long been the wish of Vanessa’s family that she accept her gift and get married. Though there were those that didn’t believe marriage was possible for a clairvoyant. They didn’t have red threads, the spiritual binding of lovers. Vanessa didn’t believe it was possible to have an intimate relationship until she could get her gift under control. The weight of responsibility weighs down her own spirit. Vanessa feels that she can’t continue on this path. Her gift reveals truths which upset people and she needs help. When she reached out to her Aunt Evelyn, her aunt suggests she accompany her to Paris. Vanessa welcomes the trip and agrees to it.

Shortly after arriving in Paris, her aunt tells her to wear a scarf and start her exploration at a specific fountain. No sooner does her scarf get carried away by the wind, does she meet Marc. He loves art, as well, and they seem to get along rather well. They agree to meet the next day to see the sites.

Vanessa doesn’t want this experience to end. So, she simply enjoys the moment: sharing delicious food and historical sites with Marc. He makes it a game for her to try to guess his career. She’s afraid to admit the truth that her auntie is a clairvoyant and brought her to Paris to teach her how to accept her gift for the sake of spiritual harmony. But fate has a way of raising its head and being noticed. Marc witnesses her gift and wishes to learn more about it. Other men would run, but Marc is interested.

While sketching in the Hall of Mirrors in Versailles, he tells her that he came to Paris two years ago and he feels that it’s time for him to move on. It’s clearly a turning point in both their lives. There are challenges to overcome and both have to decide whether to deal with their issues or walk away. There’s also a realization that it’s not too late to be with the one you love.

Vanessa Yu’s Magical Paris Tea Shop, for me, is about sacrifices and the ability to change your life. Vanessa’s aunt chose to remain with her family and to fulfill her destiny. In order to do that she had to turn away from the man she loved. Vanessa felt that she had no control of her life. Her gift overpowered her and love seemed out of reach. But sometimes fate has a way of changing the tide and you might find that there’s more than one life you can choose.

The book is well written and offers a glimpse at a close-knit family who wants the best for their loved one. It presents the perspective of a person with paranormal abilities. The human perspective. It lets you see life through their eyes.

four blue butterflies out of five

Denise Fleischer

gottawritenetwork.wordpress.com

Oct. 11, 2020

This was very sweet. Less of a romance and more about family and magic. Reminded me a bit of Chocolat but with food or Sarah Addison Allen's novels, only with less focus on romance. While I would have liked a bit more character development, the mood of this is lovely and such a nice escape from the world right now.

I was lucky enough to be able to review Roselle Lim’s debut novel, Natalie Tan’s Book of Luck and Fortune, last year. In a world where we are constantly moved by the hustle and bustle of things, it’s rare to find a book that makes you want to stop and stand still, while you feast into its world with fervour. Natalie Tan’s Book of Luck and Fortune was such a book, and it was on my mind even while I was reading Lim’s sophomore effort.

To Lim’s credit, she hasn’t written herself into a rut like some genre writers have, where each book is a slight variation on its former, sticking clearly to a formula that has worked so well before. Vanessa and Natalie are very different women, and their journeys, while filled with learning and growth, aren’t the same.

Vanessa has been blessed (or cursed in her words) with the gift of clairvoyance. From when she was three years old, she was able to predict the future. But her gift remained largely beyond her control, compelling her to speak of the future even if she would rather not say anything. When the prediction mill forces her to deliver a fortune during her cousin’s engagement, Vanessa, who has been running away from this part of herself her entire life, decides that maybe it’s time to get things under control.

This is where her Aunt Evelyn comes in, who is a clairvoyant much like herself, but unlike Vanessa, has mastered her gift. They travel to Paris together, since Evelyn has just opened a tea shop over there, and Vanessa embarks on training sessions with Evelyn, while also enjoying the joys that Paris has to offer. I have been to Paris before; it was a short stop-over and we only had time to visit the Eiffel Tower (which took a few hours by the way), but I lament that I never got to see it the way Vanessa did. The sights, the sounds, the food…especially the food.

Lim has proven herself to be quite the gustatory provocateur – in the sense that she provokes my taste buds into a joyous dance, only to realise I don’t have the culinary delights available to match these descriptions. Food remains as central to her writing as ever, which I appreciate, because the best way to introduce a setting is to get us involved in the food the culture has to offer. I can’t pronounce any of those words (they are French and I would butcher them – much like Vanessa I would prefer not to try), but everything sounds delightful and oh so delicious.

As always, I enjoy the magical realism that colours her novels. In her hands, kisses sound transcendent, moments gather together like beautiful blue butterflies – real life becomes art. I appreciate every slice, every layer of what she’s built, and relate so much to Vanessa’s search and desire for love, even when she is told that isn’t a possibility.

Evelyn and Vanessa are in the clairvoyant business, they spill what fate has in store, yet Lim wants to remind us that fate is never an immovable thing. Your fate can be decided for you, by your parents, by the powers that be, by difficult choices, but you mustn’t be afraid to chase happiness when possible. We must stop dying martyred lives of obligation – be brave, take risks, take a leap of faith. Who knows what awaits you around the corner?