DNF. Unfortunately, I had to DNF this at around 10%. In those initial first few chapters, I wasn't gripped at all, and there was nothing about the story that held my interest. I'm afraid this book wasn't for me.

A cute love story and good representation of characters and culture. A cute love story and good representation of characters and culture.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group for this DRC.
A YA rom-com with boba and a silent and hot love interest, what’s not to like? Delicious food and an overinvolved mother add to the laughs.

#ATasteforLove #NetGalley

Not a typical romance reader but I liked the baking competition aspect added in. One big question remained at the end for me. Nice and quick read. Nothing too out of the ordinary but can see the appeal for romance readers, baking enthusiasts, or Asians with relationship meddling mothers. It was a strong 3.5 so I rounded up.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the DRC.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me an advanced copy of this book to read and review.

Falling into this book was such a treat! Though the plot followed the conventional romance story arc, the characters were fun and the baking competition was a fun romp through the kitchen. it was a diverse cast with insight into other cultures. A tasty treat!

This book a a sweet YA retelling of Pride and Prejudice. The characters were likable (especially Liza's immediate family), and it was a quick listen on audiobook. I plan to definitely obtain a copy for my classroom library because it's a sweet, clean YA romance that I truly believe my students will enjoy.

Actual Rating: 4.5

I went into this book not knowing what it was about, so I was pleasantly shocked as Liza’s mom’s shenanigans with the baking competition unfolded. Her mother was a lot to handle, and I definitely could not have handled growing up with that kind of pressure, so kudos to Liza for still being a genuine person. I really enjoyed the focus on the relationships in the story, especially Liza’s friendship with Grace and Liza’s relationship with her sister.
I love guys that are a bit rude, not because they’re mean, but because their social skills aren’t typical and they have problems completely trusting others, so James was the best love interest. Overall, I found the plot very fun and the drama was top-tier, although it did get a tad confusing at times.

This is a really cute YA romance, especially for those that love Jenny Han, Sarah Dessen, etc. I love the baking element within the story. The critique I have is that the story had so much going on at times that it kind of went off the rails and seemed to have gaps within the plot which also caused the love story to kind of seem superficial.

Oh my god. I loved this SO MUCH. I don’t know if it’s because I really needed a great romance after the previous books I’ve read or what, but I was absolutely IN LOVE with this.

It’s a modernized, loose version of Pride & Prejudice and normally, those kind of stories annoy me, but this one was just DELICIOUS. (Get it?) It had so much going for it! I loved it so, so much.

This one dragged a little too much for my taste. I loved the concept of baking and the contest. But I didn't really get James' appeal honestly. Seemed too instalove.

This was a very fun book that had wonderful moments that brought a smile to my face. The characters were easy to get behind and root for with many funny moments sprinkled throughout the book.

This is a wonderful read that makes me want to go out and find an Asian inspired bakery so I can taste all of the delicious food described in this book! 😋

Liza dreams of becoming a pastry chef, but her parents want more for her than what they have. The pushing (especially her mother’s) causes Liza to question herself and her dreams. Plus her mother constantly pushing Asian suitors her way (at least if they meet her mother’s criteria) makes it even harder for Liza to reach for what she truly wants. This book shows how difficult it can be to balance standing on your own and keeping those you love happy with your choices.

I love when YA contemporaries are told through classic retelling. Pride and prejudice isn't one of my favorites but I really liked this! It was super flirty and cute! I don't know what has been going on lately but I am going to catch all the calories through these foodie books!!!

Pride and Prejudice meets The Great British Bake Off in A Taste for Love! This modern, romcom reimagining is a fun take on Jane Austen’s classic novel. It’s full of family expectations, drama, first love, and a messy baking competition that are sure to entertain you. I loved the focus on the complicated mother/daughter relationship as well as Liza and James’ cute romance. This fun retelling will leave you hungry and craving pastries—there’s so many delicious food descriptions!

This was a cute YA Pride & Prejudice retelling. I appreciated the strong relationships between friends and family but the mother/daughter relationship seemed a tiny bit toxic. They didn't think about each other's feelings and there was a lot of degrading and belittling comments. However, there was a lot of growth between the characters and their relationship so it worked out in the end. I didn't really root for any of the romances. The main relationship I cared about was the friendship between Liza and Grace but even then. There is SO much drama in this book, that is starts to seem kind of ridiculous as more information gets revealed, but it makes for an entertaining read.

This book will reallllly make you hungry and crave boba tea. This is a perfect read for those who like Pride & Prejudice, The Great British Bake Off and The Bachelorette (because Liza's mom is constantly trying to hook her up with diff guys.)

Thank you to the publisher for providing me with an e-arc free to review.

A Taste for Love is such an entertaining young adult contemporary and definitely has left me wanting more from Jennifer Yen in the future.

I'm a big fan of contemporary books that weave in a baking theme and it's even better in this book with the added competition factor. Liza is a fun main character, she's driven and passionate, she can be strong and bold too. I love seeing her passion for baking and it's something I loved throughout the length of the book. I love that the baking competition turns out to be more of a matchmaking experiment and it certainly made me laugh and smile throughout.

I really enjoyed the overall storyline. It's a unique look at matchmaking and I think it's really humourous how the story evolves from the beginning to the end. It's lighthearted and fluffy and exactly the kind of book I enjoy.

While I wish the romance in the book was a little stronger, I still think it's a solid young adult contemporary.

It's the perfect book for fans of The Great British Bake Off and those who love lighthhearted contemporary that will make them smile the whole way through. I'm looking forward to Jennifer Yen's next book in 2022!

A Taste for Love by Jennifer Yen, 336 pages. Razorbill (Penguin), 2021. $18

Language: PG-13 (28 swears, 0‘f’); Mature Content: G; Violence: G

BUYING ADVISORY: MS, HS - ADVISABLE

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE

Liza Yang, 12th grader, is always wary of the blind dates her tiger mom finds for her with “good” Asian boys. Liza’s dream is to go to culinary school and become the head baker in her mom’s bakery, but mom insists that she become an accountant - a better way to help their family’s Yin/Yang Bakery and Restaurant. When the time comes for Mom’s annual junior baking competition, Mom allows Liza to be the technical judge. When the morning of the competition arrives, every contestant is a teenaged Asian boy! Mom! Feeling like a contestant on the Bachelorette, Liza will still do her job well. But she can’t help noticing James, the hot, kind of annoying, new guy in town.

A fun romantic romp with a great baking competition framing. Liza’s struggle to get her parents to accept her love of baking, not accounting, will ring true for many young people as they also struggle to separate from their own parents.

Cindy, Library Teacher, MLS

I feel like I've already heard this story many times before, but Yen's take is charming and her main character engaging enough that I forgive that it's yet another retelling of Pride & Prejudice.
Liza Yang is the typical Asian teenager trying to get her mom to realize that things don't have to be exactly how she wants them to be. They clash so much that seeing their relationship get cleared up is my favorite part of the story. That there's a perfect guy and his best friend who breaks her best friend's heart over a misunderstanding is par for the course and an indispensable part of the story being repurposed. Even with knowing all the hits that were coming, the twist of making a baking competition the center of the story along with the other tweaks that Yen incorporated to make the story wholly hers keep things fresh enough to excuse the familiarity of the basic plot.
Overall, it's fun fluff to pass a couple of hours in lighthearted entertainment. It's not genre-defining or life-changing, but it's sometimes good to just read for fun and this book definitely is fun.

Happy thanks to NetGalley and Razorbill for the entertaining read!

Overall I genuinely enjoyed this book! I enjoyed the concept of the book and felt like it was executed perfectly. I love a good rom-com especially when baking is involved. I would recommend this to the age group of 14-16 year olds as it is light and fun. Without spoilers, all of the couples were absolutely adorable and I enjoyed their storylines.

I also liked that it was not a perfect family situation and there wasn’t the “I’m the perfect daughter and teenager, my mother and I never argue” type of thing going on. It felt much more realistic this way!

I definitely would read again and look forward to others being able to read this when it is published.