This was mostly a sweet and quick read about a young woman who can read fortunes. She doesn't want to have this talent and has tried to suppress it, which has only made things worse. Aunt Evelyn wants to help Vanessa control her fortune telling and together they travel to Paris. The location of Evelyn's new Paris tea shop enhance the novel, as do the wonderful descriptions of all the French food!

An interesting part of the book deals with when a boycott is suggested against the tea shop and racism is used to promote this boycott. Otherwise, I'd call this book fluffy and sweet. I enjoyed it, but it wasn't deep otherwise. The main issue of the story is about whether or not fortune tellers can have a love match. Evelyn believes that they cannot.

Part of this book reminded me of Matchmaking For Beginners which is a book I loved. This one also has bits of magical realism. It is also about family and Vanessa has a lot of various aunts in her life! Finally, it is about taking chances on love. Overall, a sweet read.

Vanessa Yu can see people's futures, good and bad, in their teacups and blurts them out against her will. Some of these predictions cause hurt, which hurts her. She hates her gift, causing friction with her aunt who also inherited the family gift, only in the form of clairvoyance.

Vanessa has no love life because of this gift. Her aunt insists that’s the cost of the gift, making Vanessa even more angry . . . but at the same time, she resists her mother’s forceful attempts at matchmaking. So she goes to Paris with her aunt to learn to control the gift.

Once she arrives, she begins working at her aunt's teashop, starts lessons in controlling her predictions, and begins to learn about her aunt’s private life, as well as the sad romantic situation of her aunt’s baker friend. Meanwhile there is a very nasty plot against the success of the tea shop. Vanessa is determined to do something about those situations, especially when she meets the wonderful Marc . . .

I found this book uneven. It’s a very material book as well as sensory. We get plentiful details of her aunts’ buying extravaganzas, and Vanessa’s apartment is even qualified with its square footage, though that site is scarcely in the book. On the other hand, the descriptions of art and especially of food are absolutely scrumptious.

In fact, the food, and the appreciation for art, was the best part of the book for me. The author managed to make certain flavors that I can’t stand sound enticing. And the love for Paris casts a golden glow over a city that many find magical already.

Unfortunately, the romances don’t get anywhere near the complexity that is spent on the food. They are more perfunctory than developed, with Vanessa unconsciously emulating her mother as she bulldozes into others’ lives for their own good, even though (like Vanessa with her mother) no one wants her interference. Causing some downright cringe moments. Equally cringy was her implied triumph at refusing to learn French, or Chinese, and sticking only with English in her travels.

But it turns out there is a reason for her focus on others’ love lives, furnishing the one unexpected twist in the story.

Overall I enjoyed it, but I do wish the author crafted her characters as well as her food descriptions.

Vanessa can see prophecies but she can't control them. She'll be drinking tea and the prophecy just blurts out of her. The worst part is most of them foresee death. She decides to visit Paris and her aunt there. Maybe she can help her control them...

Berkley and Net Galley allowed me to read this book for for review (thank you). It will be published on August 4th.

Aunt Evelyn says she's getting headaches because she's full of prophecies and she'll have to let them out. As she serves tea and cookies, she also occasionally serves up prophecies. When she finally runs out, her aunt tries to teach her to do it without tea. That's not working. When her aunt pressures she gets mad and decides to move out.

While moving out, she falls in the street and is only able to save herself by sacrificing her suitcase. After a night in the hospital she moves back in with her aunt. But her prophecies seem to be gone. Now she's becoming a matchmaker...

Can she reunite her aunt and the man she left behind in Paris? Does she has a chance at love? Maybe...

VANESSA YU’S MAGICAL PARIS TEA SHOP by @rosellewriter was a sweet book about searching for love and realizing your destiny might not be what you wished for. The romantic setting of Paris was on point, both magical and romantic, it has all the wonderful parts a great love story. Oh and the food!!! Beware, you will be hungry when reading this book! If you love magical realism and Hallmark love stories, then this one is for you!

Included as a top pick in bimonthly August New Releases post, which highlights and promotes upcoming releases of the month (link attached).

Reading Vanessa Yu's Magical Tea Shop transported me to my last vacation in Paris and had me craving all the pastries! (What I'd do for a real croissant right now!) Vanessa Yu can see people's futures, good and bad, in their teacups and blurts them out almost against her will. She sees her gift as a curse and when recent events (and her parents insistent matchmaking) put her over the edge, she flees to Paris with her aunt who also has the same abilities and offers to help her control them. Once she arrives, she ends up learning about more than just her abilities. She begins working at her aunt's teashop, does a bit of matchmaking of her own (including for her aunt!), explores Paris and even meets someone who makes her think love might be for her after all. The parts where she explored the city (and the food) and bonded with her aunt were the parts I enjoyed most. The romance was cute and a pleasant surprise but what I've realized after reading two of Roselle Lim's books now is that her romances tend to be the least developed aspect of her stories. They're super light and usually on the insta-love side (no, sexy romances to be found here either in case that's what you were hoping for that). Since I knew that going into this story, I was able to set my expectations since I usually prefer a heavy dose of romance, with a side of angst. At the end of the day though, it's truly about Vanessa learning about herself and coming to the realization that she controls her own destiny.

The book is about:
Have you ever wondered what it would be like if you can see the future every time you drink tea? Vanessa Yu’s Magical Paris Tea Shop tells the story of Vanessa Yu and her unique skill of clairvoyance. Though it can be treated as a gift, Vanessa sees this as a curse. Aside from the predictions coming at inappropriate times, she also gets massive headaches whenever they come. Eventually, Vanessa was given the chance to come with her Aunt Evelyn in Paris, as her aunt also has the ability of clairvoyance and she can teach her how to control her powers better.

What drew me in:
Earlier this year, I have read Natalie Tan’s Book of Luck and Fortune. Her captivating writing style alone made me so excited to read more of her work. I am happy to see that she has delivered the same descriptive way of writing that makes me feel like I am actually there with her. Also, I was attracted to explore the themes as hinted at in the blurb. I don’t usually dabble in magical realism, but Vanessa Yu’s Magical Paris Tea Shop delivered something special.

Characters & connections:

Vanessa Yu’s also introduced an amazing selection of characters. I tend to get lost when there are many people within a book, especially like Vanessa’s family. However, Roselle Lim has created vibrant characters with personalities that leap off the page. I felt connected with each of them and everything that they stand for.

Everything I liked:
When I think about the things I liked about this book, so many things come to mind that it’s so hard to decide where to start. I guess I can begin with what this book made me feel. I had a craving for a read that is simple but immersive and this definitely had that. Vanessa Yu’s felt like a cultural immersion – with Chinese traditions, beliefs, and delicious food. And then, it took me on an adventure to Paris – a place I have always dreamed of going. Again, I have to commend how beautiful Roselle Lim writes. She paints vivid pictures of scenes that you can’t help but imagine being there in the flesh with all of the characters. Paris is one of my dream destinations, and I felt like Vanessa Yu brought me along for the ride.

Overall thoughts:
I don’t know if it’s the theme of the book or just my mood, but I loved this book better than the author’s debut novel. Vanessa Yu’s Magical Paris Tea Shop combined everything that I love in my reads. I got that signature Asian family drama, culture, food, travel, romance, mystery, adventure, and a dash of magic to give me that extra boost. Can’t wait to read the author’s future works!


My Book Rating Breakdown

🌼 Blurb:⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
🌼 Main Character:⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
🌼 Significant Other:⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
🌼 Support Characters:⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
🌼 Writing Style:⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
🌼 Character Development:⭐⭐⭐⭐☆
🌼 Romance: ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆
🌼 Pacing: ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆
🌼 Ending: ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆
🌼 Unputdownability: ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆
🌼 Book Cover:⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

OVERALL RATING: 4.5/5 STARS!

Loved it! Super fast read, highly reccomend for millenial asian americans suffering from dysphoria. A good followup for fans of Helen Hoang and Jasmine Guillory.

Just like her Aunt Evelyn, Vanessa can see people's future just by looking at their drink. Believing herself to be cursed, especially since fortune tellers are destined to never marry, she has spent her life suppressing her abilities. Until one prediction rattles her and Evelyn whisks her away to Paris so she can teach her while she opens her new tea shop. Vanessa has never felt more cursed than when she meets charming Marc Santos, who shows her the city and the food. If only she can get her gift under control. Or get rid of it.

The Characters: A Close-Knit Family

I adored the characters. Being also Chinese with plenty of nosy aunts, the characters felt both fun and familiar. They definitely reminded me of my family, with all the good and the annoying. They were fun, enthusiastic, and incredibly protective of each other. I loved how close they were as a family even though it's really a very massive one. I loved that they were there for each other. It was nice to see Vanessa leaning on her family instead of friends, as is so often seen in books. Her family was both a source of strength and annoyance, but there was so much love.

Vanessa was a fun character. In her late twenties, she's basically cornered by her mother and aunts as the oldest unmarried cousin. But, with her gift of seeing the future, a match isn't in the cards for her. I loved how she wanted love so badly she tried to shun her gift. She's head strong and stubborn. But also meddlesome just like almost all of the women in her family. It was nice to see the family traits come out in her even as she tried to pave her own way. It was fun to see her dedication to getting her way, though it did hurt some of the people around her. But it also showed her strong family ties and the goodness in her heart to try to help those around her.

My favorite character has to be her Aunt Evelyn. She's so classy and beautiful, and reminded me a lot of two of my own beloved aunts. I loved how self-assured she was, and admired how she was able to keep her secrets close to her heart despite the meddlesome family. There was also an undercurrent of sadness to her throughout the whole novel, one that really struck me in the heart. She seemed so perfectly confident and self-assured that the sadness and stubbornness made her feel real.

The Setting: Paris, With Food

Most of the story takes place in Paris. There were times when I struggled to remember it's set in Paris, but the bits of French and the restaurants bearing French names always reminded me. There was a general air to it that said Paris, but it was as light as the perfumes Vanessa sniffed. I didn't feel like I was walking the streets of Paris and enjoying the sights, but I definitely felt like I was eating my way through the city.

The story does hit on some touristy spots like Versaille and some of the art museums, but they're not a big focus. Instead, most of it was about Vanessa and Marc getting to know each other and enjoying some good food. It was nice to get a peek at some of the iconic sights through the eyes of a tourist and someone who had lived in the city for a few years, but this was a relatively small part of the story.

I don't think it said "Paris" to me, but I felt the setting was mostly set through food. It was diverse and always sounded delicious. There was so much food talk it might seem off-putting, but it also reminded me of stories my aunts and grandmother used to tell where almost all of them revolved around food. It plays a big role in Chinese families, so it was actually kind of comforting to read so much about food. There's a lot of love in it, which feels quite fitting in the City of Love.

Even though I struggled with remembering this book mostly takes place in Paris, there was still a nice waft of it floating through the book. It poked in here and there, but I felt it really was more to support the characters and their stories. It was both romantic and beautiful, and really the perfect location.

The Plot: A Love Story

This was a fun, easy read about a woman trying to learn to control a gift she hates while trying to find love in Paris. It moved at a nice pace, feeling more or less organic. There were a few pieces, especially when it came to some of the side romantic stories, that felt a little contrived, but, as a whole, it was a sweet story full of heartache and hope.

I liked the story of Vanessa trying to control her gift, but I also felt it came in second to all the food. Honestly, this felt more like a book about food than anything else. It seemed she was always eating, if not taking a moment here and there to enjoy some piece of art. It was fun reading her predictions and I kind of wish there had been more of them. I really liked the tension her gift caused as she tried so hard to live a normal life and fought against the bounds her aunt laid out for her as a fortune teller.

Overall, though, this felt more like a love story. There's more than one love story and Vanessa was involved with all of them. But it's largely the story of two women who know love is out of the question for them no matter how much they long for it. One has accepted it and the other actively fights against it. Paris is the perfect backdrop for it as it felt incredibly romantic and it was impossible to think there couldn't be a happy ending for anyone.

This was a fun story, easy to read and very sweet. There's a lot about food and a lot about romance, but it's also a beautiful story about family and the lengths they will go for the happiness of one of their own.

Overall: All About Family, Food, and Love

The characters were clearly the stars of this book for me. They were fun and familiar to me. The setting was also lovely, though I think it's more accurate to say I enjoyed "eating" my way through Paris. It all sounded so delicious, and I think I come away from this book thinking more on the food and the romance than about Vanessa's struggles with her gift. But it was a fun story, a light read with some heavy bits as racism played a role in causing some problems. Still, I really enjoyed this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher, Berkley Publishing Group, for a free e-copy. All opinions expressed are my own.
Link to post: https://thelilycafe.com/book-review-vanessa-yus-magical-paris-tea-shop-by-roselle-lim/

The magical streets of Paris combined with the mysteries of prophecy and clairvoyance? Sign me up!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
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Vanessa Yu has been prophetic ever since she was a little girl and saw the dregs of a drink for the first time. It can happen with any beverage, but tea’s the strongest, and she’s avoided tea and rebelled against her gift (and lessons with her clairvoyant aunt) for her entire life. All that changes when Vanessa realizes she needs to take control of the prophecies, and she travels to Paris with her aunt to begin learning more about her gift and herself.
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I am a newbie to Roselle Lim, but she’s now an auto-buy author for me. Vanessa Yu’s Magical Paris Tea shop has everything: magic, family, personal growth, Paris, and a little bit of romance. Lim’s unique take on reading tea leaves is fresh, modern, and charming, and she adds dashes of magic in just the right places.
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Vanessa is everything I love in a heroine: she’s candid, funny, honest, and real. She’s also plenty strong: she stands up for herself and her family time and time again. Her relationship with her aunt Evelyn and the rest of her family is wonderful, and her struggles with maintaining those relationships while forging her own path are earnest and familiar. The supporting cast, including a Parisian baker, detective aunties, and a French chef, is delightful and memorable through and through.
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Of course, we’re in Paris, and Lim has captured the city so beautifully. The food and drinks are deliciously written, and I found myself yearning for the pastries and teas. We learn early on that Vanessa’s prophecies are each touched with a different flavor, and the connection between taste and event is fascinating. And, it’s not Paris without a little nod to fashion, right? The clothes sounded gorgeous and very fitting for Parisian travels. This was a lovely summer read that I would absolutely recommend. It warmed me up from the inside like a good cup of tea, and I give it five out of five stars. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
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Vanessa Yu’s Magical Paris Tea Shop is available on August 4th. Thank you to @berkleypub and @netgalley for this #gifted e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Vanessa Yu's Magical Paris Tea Shop is undeniably and beautifully whimsical, and was the perfect pick-me-up as I was coming off some pretty angsty books. The book is a great mix of lighthearted banter and teasing between family, and the emotional, mental, and even physical burdens that Vanessa faces along with her gift of predicting the future. There was no shortage of tense moments between Vanessa and her Aunt Evelyn as the two clashed on their philosophies about what their lives as clairvoyants could entail, and I loved that extra layer of complicated family dynamics, where two people can be so similar and so different simultaneously, but underneath the fraught emotions and angry words, you know there's a steady foundation of unconditional love supporting their relationship.

Read my full review here: https://loveyoshelf.com/2020/07/29/blog-tour-and-review-vanessa-yus-magical-paris-tea-shop-by-roselle-lim/

Vanessa has always had a gift. Peering into others’ drinks, she can look into the future and reveal what it has in store for them. But she never asked for this gift, she never wanted it. And when a few difficult prophecies leave her and her family devastated by the results, she resolves to travel to Paris and do what she couldn’t back when she was a child: train under her Aunt Evelyn and learn to control her gift. Despite her gift of prophecy, she never could have foretold all that was in store for her in the city of love.

I received an advanced reading copy of Vanessa Yu’s Magical Paris Tea Shop in exchange for an honest review.

Vanessa Yu’s Magical Paris Tea Shop is a novel by Roselle Lim. The title might actually seem familiar to you, mainly as the construction of it is quite similar to Natalie Tan’s Book of Luck and Fortune, Lim’s debut novel which I reviewed last year. Her debut blew me away with the magical realism, and honestly just made me feel like I was starving with every page. Lim’s descriptions of food were one of the things that stood out in that book, and so, when I opened Vanessa Yu’s Magical Paris Tea Shop, I was expecting something similar. I was not disappointed.

Vanessa Yu’s Magical Paris Tea Shop is similar to Lim’s debut in more than just the title. We have the same mouthwatering descriptions of meals, descriptions that will make you hungry even after having an entire dinner (I know, I tested it). We have a story about a woman who’s attempting to connect with a part of her family or heritage. And we have magical realism all around.

As in Natalie Tan’s Book of Luck and Fortune, one of my favorite parts of this book was the focus on family. Sure, we get a hint of romance, but the main person Vanessa connects with in this book is her Aunt Evelyn, with whom she’s had several arguments in the past. It’s not an easy relationship, but felt all the more familiar and realistic because of its frequent ups and downs. Everyone has a relationship with a family member like that, where you love each other fiercely even when you’re in disagreement. It’s like that with Vanessa and Evelyn. And Vanessa’s other aunties featured prominently in this as well! It was quite different from Lim’s debut, since that one barely had any family members. Here, Vanessa basically has an entire army of aunties, ready to take on the world for her and to find her a suitable match. It was very sweet to read about, actually. The aunties really stood out and brought so much comedy and love to this book. It was very well done.

But now that I’ve talked about the characters and the food (oh my gosh, the food), I want to talk about the plot. There were several threads going on at once: you have Vanessa’s struggling with her gift, the beginnings of love between her and a handsome young man she meets in Paris, her growing relationship with her aunt, and her aunt’s business. I will say that this book often took me in unexpected directions, some more unexpected than others. There was a pretty big curveball about 70% through the book, one which shocked me and changed everything. And while the resolution was very cute, I’m not sure I loved it? I got a few explanations for it, and some conclusions made sense, but others seemed a little too neat, a little too easy. I guess I was hoping for a different sort of ending, one that maybe made things more difficult for the characters, while still keeping it nice and sweet. One narrative in particular felt like a game of tug-of-war. I think you’ll recognize it if you read the book. With so much going into that, I was shocked to see it end the way it did. And not 100% thrilled for the characters, but what am I to do. I’m just the reader.

Regardless, I thought Vanessa Yu’s Magical Paris Tea Shop was a wonderfully sweet read. I read the entire thing in a single day. It was light, it was full of magic and family and food, and I was ravenous by the time I turned the last page. Definitely another book to add to the list for anyone who enjoyed Natalie Tan’s Book of Luck and Fortune, or honestly, anybody who considers themselves a foodie. And now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to look up how much food I can realistically get sent to my place. Do you think I can get French food delivered?

Vanessa Yu’s Magical Paris Tea Shop will be released August 4. You can pre-order your copy now through Penguin Random House at this link.

VANESSA YU’S MAGICAL PARIS TEA SHOP BY @rosellewriter ⁣
⁣
𝐅𝐀𝐕𝐎𝐔𝐑𝐈𝐓𝐄 𝐐𝐔𝐎𝐓𝐄𝐒:⁣
“𝘐 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘦𝘤𝘩𝘰 𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘦.” ⁣
⁣
“𝘞𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘰𝘯𝘦, 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘢𝘭𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘣𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴, 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘪𝘧 𝘪𝘵’𝘴 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘣𝘺 𝘢 𝘴𝘱𝘰𝘰𝘯𝘧𝘶𝘭.” ⁣
⁣
“𝘛𝘰 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘣𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘭𝘺 𝘪𝘴 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘨𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘪𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘴𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘰𝘯’𝘵 𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘰𝘸 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘰 𝘧𝘶𝘮𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘢𝘳𝘬.” ⁣
⁣
“𝘋𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘺 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘦. 𝘓𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘣𝘶𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘪𝘯. 𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘯𝘰 𝘨𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘨𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘫𝘰𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘴𝘰𝘶𝘭 𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘴. ⁣
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𝗙𝗔𝗩𝗢𝗨𝗥𝗜𝗧𝗘 𝗔𝗦𝗣𝗘𝗖𝗧𝗦:⁣
This book was a light, fun, read admits a sea of heavy reading I’ve been doing. I was instantly swept away in Aubrey’s journey to Paris. ⁣
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The gorgeous descriptions of food, the lyrical writing, the beauty of Paris, created a whimsical atmosphere to fall into. This was definitely a light and easy read, there was something incredibly sweet about the characters and the plot. The simplicity of the plot made the character arcs easy to follow, this was a perfect day read ⁣
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The story itself deals with serious themes of self-acceptance, self-worth, love, with a humorous and lovely touch. The story of lost loves, new loves, the meaning of family and the importance of your dreams is emphasised with the ability to tell fortunes and find soulmates. This fantastical element made the story unique and intriguing, giving the plot and characters an interesting twist ⁣

However, there were points where I felt the story was extremely cliche. I found myself cringing in certain aspects and I do wish Aubrey had a stronger backbone to her character.
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𝗥𝗘𝗖𝗢𝗠𝗠𝗘𝗡𝗗𝗘𝗗 𝗙𝗢𝗥: readers looking for their next light, foodie, romance read.

This was a magical read full of family, love & Parisian food. Vanessa was a character I fell in love with and wanted her to find love so bad. I loved reading her journey going to Paris to learn more about her 'prophecy gift' and experience Paris for the first time.
Overall a cute book plus all the food...made me hungry for days.

Roselle Lim's Vanessa Yu's Magical Paris Tea Shop is both atmospheric and romantic, meant to make you fall in love with Paris and realize you can change your destiny.

Full review will be posted soon as part of the #VanessaYuTour hosted by Caffeine Book Tours!

This novel was really cute! A little bit of love, a little bit of magic, and a little bit of Paris. Lim's sophmore novel does not disappoint. I felt like this one was a little bit better than her first personally, even though I did really enjoy the first one. I found Vanessa very charming, and the setting of Paris perfect for this particular story. Lim continues to have amazing depiction of food within her novels, and if you are a foodie lover, you will love those descriptions. I also love books with matchmaking elements in it, and this one definitely hit the mark right.
Overall, I would recommend picking it up!

As I've traveled around the world, I've heard whisperings of the women who can see the future in the remnants of tea leaves and coffee beans. In Vanessa Yu's Magical Paris Tea Shop, we follow the story of a young woman who wants nothing more than to be rid of the "gift" that's ended most of her relationships as she blurts his deepest, darkest secrets or foretells the death or illness of a loved one.

When her parents arrange a visit to a matchmaker, who tells her she has no "red string," indicating a partner, Vanessa follows her aunt, who shares her gift, to Paris. If she can't get rid of her gift, she needs to learn to manage it. During her time abroad, she'll learn that perhaps the future isn't as set in stone as it may have originally appeared.

Brimming with family, food and fun, Vanessa Yu’s Magical Paris Tea Shop is a sweet story that celebrates Paris, paintings, pastries and the joy of discovering your own unique path through life.

Vanessa Yu sees dead people. Well, not really but she can foresee death, adultery, proposals, arguments, new jobs, job loss and a host of other things. Since she gazed into the bottom of her first tea cup at three years old, she has been cursed with the ability to tell fortunes. Worse, the prophecies verbally burst out of her, with no effort on her part being sufficient to prevent it. And to top it all, it happens with any drink - gazing into someone’s cappuccino mug, taro slushes, a thermos full of coffee - you name it, she can read your future in your beverage.

Fortunately, Vanessa has been able to limit the number of people exposed to her gift. She works in the family accounting business and spends her free time with relatives who, even though they consider her weird have at least become accustomed to her eccentricity. And it’s not as though they are unfamiliar with her plight. Her Aunt Evelyn has also been blessed with the sight since birth and has maneuvered the gift with grace and skill. Unfortunately, Vanessa was such an unwilling pupil her aunt stopped trying to teach her and left her to apply the ability on her own.

When Vanessa starts to have more frequent visions and to get painful headaches after every one, she decides she needs to do something to get this aspect of her life under control. Fortunately, Aunt Evelyn knows she needs help before Vanessa can even ask, and shows up on Vanessa’s doorstep, ready to whisk her off to Paris. The following morning, they head to France, where her aunt is opening a new tea shop. They can work on Vanessa’s precognition talents as they set up the store.

The expensive Shanghai matchmaker her parents hired warned Vanessa she would never find love, but on her first day in Paris she meets the delectable Marc Santos. The two quickly bond over their mutual interest in architecture, food and sketching. Vanessa has (sorta) accepted she isn’t meant for passion, that any relationship she manages to forge with Marc is doomed to failure. But as she gets caught up in the charm of the City of Love and Lights she can’t help but dream of romance.

I was initially concerned that Vanessa would make a difficult heroine. She was whiny about having this ‘gift’ thrust upon her and was equally morose over the matchmaker telling her she would never find true love, and her relationship with Evelyn is combative. The enchantment of Paris quickly works its magic on her though, and after she meets Marc and spends several days enjoying delicious cuisine, breathtaking sights and wonderful companionship, the real Vanessa - a loving young woman who is fiercely loyal to her family, adores art in all its forms, is a complete foodie, and has an amiable yet assertive personality - starts to shine. Vanessa can’t live with her gift as it is but she is determined she will not simply comply with the rules in order to control it, to seize her own destiny and develop her own path

Evelyn, too, comes across as a gorgeous, graceful, sophisticated but cold and negative person. She has structured her life around a mysterious and archaic set of rules that govern fortune telling and has added to that the burden of family obligations, both of which have seriously hampered her ability to be happy. I hasten to add that Vanessa and Evelyn have an absolutely wonderful extended family, it's just that Evelyn doesn’t want the same enmeshed lifestyle which all of them share.  Once in Paris and working on her dream of owning a tea shop, her loving, artistic and generous side is made manifest. I loved how Vanessa’s challenging the rules that govern their ability had Evelyn very slowly realizing that she, too, could move beyond them.

Cultural heritage, community and family are all important elements of the novel. Although she is fourth-generation Californian and very American in most respects, the legacy and customs of Vanessa’s ancestors remain a strong influence in her life, especially the magical elements, such as a matchmaker who can see the red emotional chords that bind lovers and use that to find your soulmate, and of course her own talent for seeing the future.  Vanessa’s family all work together and play together, and she is very aware that when making decisions she must consider what her family will think of them. She also recognizes how much support she receives from them, not just financial but emotional and spiritual support as well. The way they care for each other - by helping resolve issues through direct interference - is an inherent part of her nature as well. As she explains to Evelyn, this is an important expression of their love and one meant to make whoever they are helping feel seen, valued and supported.

Much of the story is taken up by both Evelyn and Vanessa exploring  what they want from life and working out how to get it. There is romance here, but it plays a secondary role to the journey of self-discovery both ladies are on. Marc and Vanessa’s relationship is cute and charming when they are together but there was a darker component that developed around the midpoint of the book which gave me some concerns. The author shows the issue as resolved by the end of the tale but I couldn’t help but wonder if this wouldn’t be a dimming factor in the otherwise bright HEA going forward. In keeping with that, Evelyn’s love interest does something that I found hard to forgive and that I thought showed an underlying cruelty that I wouldn’t want in my own significant other. These discordant notes kept me from thoroughly enjoying the love stories.

Fortunately, I loved everything else about Vanessa Yu’s Magical Paris Tea Shop. The fantasy/magical surrealist component of the tale is completely charming, deftly handled and utilized with precision and skill. It wove perfectly into the narrative and was compellingly believable. The characters' journeys were wonderful and the prose lyrical and elegant. Despite the glitches in the romances, I would recommend it to any fan of women’s fiction.

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After enjoying Natalie Tan's Book of Luck and Fortune, I was thrilled to find out that Roselle Lim was publishing another book this summer. I also enjoyed Vanessa Yu's Magical Paris Tea Shop. I didn't expect the magical realism in Natalie Tan, but this time around, I knew it was coming and was able to enjoy it for what it was worth. I liked the imagery that Roselle created through magical realism.

The premise of the story was interesting and the characters were a lot of fun. All the aunties meddling in everyone's business reminded me of Last Tang Standing. There were a lot of great moments and the food descriptions made my mouth water. The armchair adventure aspect was great too, as it would be nice to visit Paris one of these days! Roselle made it sound so beautiful and inviting.

If you're looking for an entertaining story to brighten up your summer, definitely add this to your TBR in August!

Movie casting suggestions:
Vanessa: Christine Ko
Aunt Evelyn: Ming-Na Wen
Marc: Ross Butler
Uncle Michael: B.D. Wong
Girard: Olivier Martinez
Ines: Léa Seydoux

Vanessa Yu was a fantastical treat that felt like a warm hug from an old friend but in book form. Filled with beautiful scenery and a lovable main character, this story will make you want to put Roselle Lim's works at the top of your TBR forever.