Flirty & cute, A TASTE FOR LOVE brings together baked deliciousness, mysterious past secrets, and a cooking competition that's a low-key disaster.

I was prepared to be satisfied with a cute romance, and move on with my life, but something about A TASTE FOR LOVE just stuck out to me and latched on. It was definitely more well-layered than I expected from a light romance--like Liza's layered agar cake!

We not only get a romance between our headstrong protagonist Liza and the stand-offish & a little bit shy James, but we also get a heaping of friendship vibes, sisterhood, post-high school dreams, and a baking competition that turned in to the Bachelorette. Also, a deeper backstory than you might expect! (Check out the CWs at the end.)

I started reading, and I ended up devouring the story in less than a day. Y'all--I was so hungry. There's so much delicious food in here--a gazillions types of buns, san bei ji, boba, cakes, breads, and a plethora of pastries. I was practically drooling the whole way through.

In some ways, I admit that I wasn't entirely sure A TASTE FOR LOVE would be a book I enjoyed. I've been getting tired of reading about a strict Asian parent/tiger mom, especially because my own experience is some ways similar, other ways very different. More and more Asian-American teens are diverging from a more traditional immigrant-parent experience, and I've been seeking stories that tell this more complex ground.

I think it's totally valid for Yen to write this type of dynamic, but it hasn't really been my cup of tea recently.

Still, I ended up enjoying Yen's portrayal of Liza's relationship with her mother. I wasn't sold in the beginning, but ultimately the way Yen teased out some of the later dynamics made it worthwhile. I particularly related to portrayals of
- parents not giving warning before they rope you into a commitment, without really respecting your time, plans, or opinions
- the push/pull kind of transactional appeasement a child has with a parent to gain leeway to do something.

Kind of bleak, honestly, but I ultimately thought the dynamic was portrayed well in the end.

I think what A TASTE FOR LOVE does best is bring you along for a story that you ultimately know will make your day a little bit brighter. It's a pick-me-up in the way that Liza triumphs, food is woven in, and the characters are shaped and developed to leave you satisfied when you put it down.

With a nice balance of plot, character, and voice, A TASTE FOR LOVE should be another addition to your collection of heartwarming Asian YA romance novels. (Taiwanese-American rep, specifically!)

Content Warnings: cheating (not condoned, but once or twice a character might have some internalized issues/not believe another girl's account in favor of the cheater. it happens more frequently than you'd expect in a rom-com tbh), comments about weight (here and there, never a plotline of its own), manipulative people, microagressive white person towards Asian people (she kind of learns? but don't expect too much)

A Taste for Love follows the story of Liza Yang, a Taiwanese American, who loves baking and they have a family business called Yin and Yang Restaurant and Bakery. Determined to show her parents—especially her mother, her skills in baking, she asked to join the annual baking contest they organize. However, her mom refused but allowed her to be a judge instead—to her surprise, her mother picked this year’s competitors based on her standards for whom Liza should date because she wants her daughter to date an Asian guy. This is written on Liza’s point of view. And is mostly set in Houston, Texas.

I love the writing. It was simple, easy to read, that just carried me away from the start. It was full of funny, delightful and heartwarming moments, but there is also a serious side. This is also mouthwatering. I love the descriptions of foods so much—almost like I can smell and taste them. Reading this also felt like I had a mini tour in Houston and New York. I really love how certain places were described and introduced. I was not familiar with many of the places mentioned but this made me curious enough to do a quick search about them, allowing me to easily picture them in my head and feel transported in those scenes.

I loved Liza from the very beginning. I easily connected and related to her. How she reacted to certain situations also reminded me of my teenager self. I love the small details included in her life. She is a reader, she loves to bake, to drink bubble tea with her best friend and to always hang out in the bubble tea store, she listens to K-pop, eats at Korean, Chinese, and Thai restaurants, she watches C-drama, and always watches on Netflix. We have some common interests and she just feels like a teenager in the present day. As an Asian, even the small detail of consuming things that originated from Asia makes me feel so seen and I love how I can also see my friends in her and her friends.

I love the familial, platonic, and romantic relationships. The love interest, James, is one even I have found attractive from the start. It took a bit of a time to get to know him, but I still ended up liking him. There really was a chemistry between him and Liza. I really appreciate the side characters as well, from Grace, to Ben, to Mrs. Lee, to Jeannie, and more. They have distinct personalities and roles that contributed a lot to the whole story.

A Taste for Love tackles family expectations, Asian diaspora experience, miscommunication between parent and child and how that affects their relationship, reaching and fighting for your dream, passion, friendship, family business, baking, and being your own person. I like how these were explored. And love how it shows various Asian cultures as well.

Majority of the plot focus on the baking competition. It was not boring. Though I am not really into cooking, I still enjoyed it. I love how it really talks about cooking, especially baking. I also highly appreciate the inclusion of various Asian foods, especially the pastries. I was also introduced to many foods that I do not know about and would love to try someday.

A Taste for Love talks about family expectations, complex parent-child relationship, dreams and passion, a swoony romance, Asian cultures, and lots of food. It gave me so much joy and made me feel seen. I highly recommend, especially if you are looking for a fun read that talks about the abovementioned topics. Just do not read this when you are hungry or craving for bubble tea!

Quick review: Loved the book. It's a contemporary YA take on Pride and Prejudice featuring Chinese pastries baking contest, and lots of boba. Check, check, check. All I've wanted to do was go to a Chinese bakery but I was too lazy to leave my house.

The fact that this book was a take on Pride and Prejudice escaped my radar. Most people emphasized GBBO, The Bachelorette, and Jenny Han. I personally need more P & P, less The Bachelorette comps.

I did have an issue with weird choice. Not sure if this was edited in the final copies, but at one point, the Yangs sit down for breakfast, and we are told the dish is soupy rice. Head scratch. SOUPY RICE?!? not jook, not congee, not even rice porridge. Toppings: pork sung, rice gluten. No explainations needed/provided. Earlier in the book, Liza had to purchase kanten, no description. Then there's the use of SOUPY RICE. At least it makes the book memorable

Enjoyed the quiet sibling jealousy, while still maintaining a supportive and loving relationship.

Liza and James are super cute in their bad first impressions to relationship. There's this one scene where James helps her with her seat belt, and I just adored it. Grace and Ben were also a super cute couple. (Yes, I used super cute twice, not sorry) I also liked Sarah and how she was willing to learn some things (plus her falling in love with boba tea immediately).

Confession: I don't like boba. Usually when I go to a tea cafe, I'll order a fruit tea with jellies. Or a milk tea with egg pudding.

CW: cheating, diet culture. Additionally, food descriptions may cause you to want to go to your nearest Chinese bakery.

Liza's about to graduate from high school and her mom is still pushing her to follow the path her parents want her to take in life: date (and eventually marry) only Asian boys and study accounting at nearby Rice University so that she can do the books for the family's bakery.

Liza isn't interested in the boys her mom keeps picking out for her and she's much more interested in baking than accounting. She wishes her mom would trust her to make her own decisions. It all comes to a head when the bakery's annual baking competition comes around. Liza wants to enter but her mom (correctly) points out that it would be a conflict of interest and and assigns her to be a technical judge instead.

Surprise, surprise, on the first day of the competition when Liza gets a look at the contestants, they're all Asian boys that her mother has picked for her to date. Will the best baker win her heart as well as a scholarship?

Despite not being a baker (or really, even liking baked goods that much), I liked this book a lot. The best part was the baking competition. Unfortunately it took a long time to get to that point, which surprised me because it was such a major part of the plot that I expected it to begin much sooner.. Liza referenced the Great British Bake Off multiple times. I've never seen that specific show but I've seen similar American shows and I could almost hear the judges' lines in the book being said by the TV judges. The different parts to the competition, all of it was very, very familiar. You might even say Liza's mom ripped off the GBBO in creating her competition. Good for her for making it a scholarship opportunity though.

My one major problem with the book was the romance. Other than being hot (which she mentions several times), I don't get what Liza saw in James. At all. The guy's an asshole and sure, in the end, he has reasons, but she likes him before that. Even if you're an asshole for reasons, you're still an asshole.

Overall, I gave this book 4 stars. Yes, even with my problems with the romance, I enjoyed it that much. There was enough going on with the baking competition, Liza's relationship issues with her parents, and some more minor storylines that involved Liza's friends that I thought this book was worth reading.

I started this book as an arc on kindle that @penguinteen sent me and I honestly loved it from the first sentence. Growing up in an Asian household made me relate to the character so much with her mother always being over her shoulder to date someone of her own race. All Liza wants to do is her own thing, date people she wants to and bake. Her mother honestly annoyed me so much being in her business but I think it's just because I've been through it and I understand how frustrating it can be when your parents try to control your life. This book was very fast paced and the characters were very fun and easy to like. The baking competition, baking different desserts from different Asian countries brought me back to my own childhood (not baking because I am a terrible baker, but buying them from Uwajimaya and loving it!). I would recommend this read if you like fast paced, cute romances that ends with a happily ever after.

“For fans of Jenny Han, Jane Austen, and The Great British Baking Show, A Taste for Love, is a delicious rom com about first love, familial expectations, and making the perfect bao.” So far, this description from Goodreads perfectly encapsulates the feel of this novel, which is a fun YA romance sprinkled with just the right amount of drama, excitement, and baking. Liza Yang is forced to judge a baking contest hosted by her parents’ restaurant and bakery, but because of her mother’s scheming, this baking contest seems more like the Bachelorette than the Great British Baking Show. The worst part is Liza is actually developing some feelings for one of the contestants, the mysterious James Wong. I’m about halfway through the book, the baking contest has officially begun, and I’m hungry for more!

Thank you to @penguinteen for sharing this eARC. A Taste for Love comes out on 2/2/21! ✨

“It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a mother in possession of great wisdom must be in want—nay, in need— of a daughter who will listen.”

Liza Yang not only doesn’t embrace the traditional expectations her mother has for her, but outright rebels against her mother’s desire to choose a nice Tawaniese- American boy for her to date. Mrs. Yang, however, is just as determined as her stubborn daughter and turns her annual junior baking competition into a dating game of sorts with Liza helping to judge the participants. Filled with laughs and delicious descriptions that make you long for bao and boba, this romcom balances fun and romance with the realistic ups and downs of finding your own path amidst familial pressures.

Thank you Penguin for this fun YALLWrite giveaway win!

This is, to put it simply, a rave review of A TASTE FOR LOVE.

Before reading this book, I was worried that the author tried to combine too many different elements in an attempt to make this a modern Pride and Prejudice retelling. I'm also a huge fan of the Great British Baking Show, so I know how each episode is structured and how long it takes each season to get a winner, so I was worried that this would be repetitive.

Both of these concerns were eradicated.

Jennifer Yen has written an adorable, modern retelling of Pride and Prejudice that I as an Asian American woman and fan of GBBO loved. Liza, her friends and love interest are all at least 18 years old and their personalities and interactions are written realistically for that age group. The author also incorporated her own experiences of growing up in a strict Taiwanese household in this novel and made that a major plot point. I believe that many children of immigrants will be able to relate to Liza's story even if their parents never used a baking contest to find them a spouse.

One of my favorite aspects of this novel was the imagery of all the food. Liza's parents own a bakery and restaurant and every description of the food made my tummy grumble. Food is also such a huge part of many Asian cultures--the act of sharing food, having someone cook for you, and ask if you've had enough to eat is a sign of love and care in families who don't outright say "I love you."

I also love how creative the major conflict in this book was. It definitely is different from any other rom-com I've read, but it fits nicely within the plot.

This novel left me feeling so warm, hungry and also wishing I can find me a man who knows his way around the kitchen. Also I want a sequel because I want more of Liza and to see how she goes through life after high school!

🧋Pride and Prejudice retelling
🧋Lots of baked goods
🧋Sweet slow burn romance
🧋Taiwanese-American own voices story

I love Pride and Prejudice retellings. This was done so well, it focused on the main storylines and took creative liberties. I think a good retelling doesn’t stick exactly to the original story. The baking competition was so fun and I enjoyed the diverse cast of characters.

4.5/5 ☆

This book was everything I needed right now. The rom-com feelings? Yup. The asian representation? Absolutely. THE FOOD? Oml yes I got so hungry while reading! This book had me laughing so many times.

The pacing was pretty good, and I was hooked on the story almost immediately. The book is kind of a loose re-telling of Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, so if you loved that book you'll definitely want to check this book out! The inclusion of food and almost-bachelorette competitions made me find this book hilarious and entertaining.

After reading some heavy books with tough themes, it felt amazing to read a cute rom-com. I really enjoyed it. I'll also mention that I've been feeling very (very, very) single these days, so I've been craving to read books with romance. And the romance in this book did not disappoint, as it came across as really cute and wholesome.

Moreover, I really did feel represented in this book, and also inspired by the growth of the main character, Liza. She felt really grounded, and I do believe many others can relate to her. I also hope she can be an inspiration for others. I'm so glad next generations of asian immigrants have the opportunity to see themselves represented in media and books.

So yeah, I really enjoyed this book. I definitely read it at the right time. And I wholeheartedly recommend this book to all of you, if you ever want a quick read with humour and romance.

Over and out. -Nora<3

Review posted on GoodReads (January 31st, 2021)
Review Linked.

3/5 stars!

A huge thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Teen for sending me an E-ARC of this book for an honest review.

I have pretty mixed feelings about this book. I thought that the idea of the book was super cute, and I did really like some of the conversations happening in this book. However, I really didn't connect with the writing. I liked the characters, but sometimes their dialogue felt really stunted or immature. For me, the romance and the plot of this book were not well paced at all. And, even though I liked the idea of the baking show towards the end of this book, it really came out of nowhere and I felt like the majority of the book should have been about the baking competition, or it should have been a shorter section of the book.

Overall, I thought that this was a cute YA Contemporary romance but not my favorite that I've ever read.

Thanks for reading!
Caden

3.5/5

I was promised a cute contemporary read that would be reminiscent of Jane Austen and the Great British Bake off and I was not disappointed!

While this book was a cute read, I found that the romance was not my favorite part. Liza’s growth compelled me the most, and seeing her relationship with her mother develop over the course of the story made it incredibly engaging. Her arc was rewarding and one of the highlights of this book. I especially loved the nods to Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice and definitely felt echoes of that iconic love story throughout Liza’s experience with James.
The descriptions of the food were done so well and made the story so immersive. I love how the cooking tied into Liza’s culture and connected me with her roots. She mentions several times how the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach, and I feel like as a reader, I got to know her as a character through the foods that she prepared. It was such a delightful way to get introduced to a character and I felt so warm the entire time I was reading.
My only issue with this story was the writing. I wish it was a bit more detailed when it came to describing emotions and banter. Some scenes felt underwhelming because of how bare the descriptions were, but luckily they were strong during other demanding moments, like describing the flavors of foods and new settings. It was a short book, so I understand that some sacrifices had to be made to have good pacing, so it’s not a huge deal.
Overall, this was a fun book and I know so many people will love it. It tackled so many important themes regarding family, race and autonomy, while maintaining a lighthearted atmosphere that was easy to enjoy.

As seen on my GoodReads. This will also be close to what is written on my Bookstagram @ohyouread :

This was such a sweet Own Voices RomCom!!! I love that it was about the daughter of an overprotective Taiwanese Mom. She wants to follow in her Mother’s footsteps and become a Baker, but the only think her Mom wants is to set her up with the “Perfect Asian Boy.”

Liza’s Best Friend is Bisexual... the reason I’m stating this is because it seems to be a choice that a lot of Authors are making so that there is at least one Queer Character in the book. Grace (the BFF) may be Bi, but she only dates guys for the entirety of this book. There is conversation about a female ex.... but my concern is that it feels as though it’s being added in ONLY for the representation.

Beyond that, I LOVED this book. It’s synopsis states that it’s To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before meets The Great British Baking Show and that is the PERFECT description for this book, but also add in a bit of Loveboat, Taipei!

4/5. Would Def Recommend!

This loose <i>Pride and Prejudice</i> retelling had me laughing, loving, and wishing I could bake all the food mentioned.

I didn't realize this was kinda a loose retelling until about halfway through. Things began to sound familiar and that's when I realized it kinda sounded like <i>Pride and Prejudice</i>. Like I said before, it's a pretty loose retelling so there are still plenty of surprises and things that happen that I didn't expect.

I really liked all of the characters in this book, but I think I especially loved all the baking contestants that were introduced. Some I didn't get to know very well due to them being eliminated from the competition early or whatnot, but I like those I did get to know. They were all very different and a lot of fun to read about. I laughed out loud multiple times throughout the book due to them and their antics. I just really loved the competition portion of this book.

Along those lines, the competition (which I thought was kinda the main plot point of the book) doesn't even begin until about halfway through the book. The first half, while important in getting to know some main characters, didn't really seem to have a point? It wasn't boring per say, but I kept waiting until the "real story" began.

Lastly, I should probably mention the romance. For the most part, I really enjoyed it. We get to see lots of main characters in relationships, both new and old, which is fun. I wasn't completely sucked in by our main character, Liza's, romance. It was cute and made me smile, but it wasn't anything amazing.

Overall, I'd recommend this book for those who enjoy sweet romances especially when they involve food!

A Taste for Love is an adorable YA rom-com about a Taiwanese–American teenager who attempts to balance relationships with family and friends, love for baking, and a shot at finding love all on one platter.

To the outside world, Liza Yang may seem like she is living the life every high school teenager could dream of. It is her senior year and she is looking towards bigger and better things for her future. She is free-spirited, determined to chase her dreams, and will not settle for anything less, at least, that’s what her friends think. In comparison to her prim, proper, and perfect older sister, Jeannie, Liza is the daughter every Asian mother fears: an out of control, headstrong, rebellious girl determined to escape the restrictive traditional values of her culture, especially the ones that involve dating.

Other than butting heads almost 24/7 with her mother, Mrs. Yang, Liza maintains a somewhat civil relationship with her through their passion for baking at the family-owned Yin and Yang Bakery located in Houston, Texas. With high school ending, college months away, and the bakery’s annual junior baking competition coming up, this might be Liza’s chance to prove to her mother she is more than an Asian mother’s nightmare. Just when things couldn’t get any crazier, Liza comes to find out the contestants for the baking competition are of course, young Asian-American men that her mother picked as potential suitors. James Wong, one of the competition’s contestants, sticks out like a sore thumb to Liza and she cannot help but be attracted to his irritating and aloof personality. With a tiger mother looking over her shoulder and a shot at love right in front of her, Liza begins to realise she may have to bend the rules of family traditions and dating to achieve the best recipe for success.

A Taste for Love is a wonderful read filled with its soft and fluffy moments, delicious foods both savoury and sweet, and the realities of what it’s like in an Asian-American household, especially with parents who were born overseas. Oh and of course... All. The. Boba!

The relationships from this book were my most favourite aspect! Several of them were very relatable and quite easy to resonate with. The familial bond Liza has with her parents and Jeannie is what truly holds the book together. The development, dynamic, closeness, and tensions that arise between the four of them are all very realistic aspects within an Asian-American family. Grace is that best friend everybody needs. And James and Ben are what you would call a near impossible to attain dream, yet attractive and kind gentlemen nonetheless. 

Although Liza wasn’t born in the States, she possesses many of the values American kids grow up with: an individualist mindset, the freedom to make decisions, and to forge their own life path. These aspects are what interfere with Eastern culture, and it is no surprise why Liza’s parents (especially her mother) fear for their daughter’s future. The story does a wonderful job of cross-culturing two very different worlds, which was very much appreciated.

Being an avid baker and recipe developer myself, it was so much fun seeing the food come to life in both the bakery and restaurant! It was a joy to visualise the imagery from the bakery kitchen and restaurant’s ambient atmosphere. You could quite literally smell the aroma of the food coming off the pages and I was a bit afraid I was going to eat my Kindle by accident, so, fair Warning, you may want to get Taiwanese food and some boba tea after reading this!

This novel was a short and truly sweet one to devour! I may be a bit biased in my rating because I myself am of Asian-American descent, but I really loved how fun this was to read and what it brings to the YA genre, including more diversity, a look into the cultural practices of Asia, and how relationships (familial, romantic, and friendly) are handled. There is good balance between mushy gushy romance and the seriousness of family which makes it feel more real to the readers. This is also fantastic for anyone who loves to bake, has an obsession with Boba, and are looking for a great modern love story. A Taste for Love is definitely one of my favourite books of 2021 already and I highly recommend this not only to young readers, but to anyone who wants to diversify their bookshelf and wishes for something sweet and satisfying to read!

Liza has always had a knack for baking. Despite being overshadowed by her older model sister and her mom’s obsession of finding Liza a nice Asian boyfriend, Liza never stops finding ways to stick to her identity while simultaneously appeasing her mother. Until she actually meets someone who fits her mom’s list of boyfriend criteria.

This was a sweet #ownvoices YA where The Great British Baking Show meets Jenny Han. Infused with traditional Taiwanese culture meshed with modern American thinking, I enjoyed every aspect of Liza’s story. I mean, I hung out at bubble tea places with my friends, too (miss you, Tapioca Express), I definitely connected with the strict parenting style (mom, it’s not your fault), and oh how I love Asian pastries (it’s been a minute since I’ve had a taiyaki). There was a mystery aspect women in that made it a notch above interesting, and I absolutely adored the different dynamics among the relationships between characters.

I definitely recommend to fans of TATB!

"Do you what you love. If you do that, it'll all work out."

The Bachelorette meets (insert favorite binge worthy baking show). High-school senior Liza Yang is the troublemaker of the family. Rule breaker. Poster child for obedient Asian daughters, she is not. Liza's mom is strict to a fault and more opinionated than a top food critic. The one thing Liza and her traditional mother agree on is baking. Cream runs in their veins. Liza's family is owner of Houston's popular Yin & Yang Bakery. The bakery hosts an annual junior baking competition and Liza agrees to help in order to prove to her mom that she is so much more than her rebellious ways. Day one of the bake-off and behind every station is an Asian boy. No one gets between Mrs. Yang and a potential husband for her daughter.

A delightful debut from Jennifer Yen! Readers will devour this story and be inspired to bake! I laughed (arguing over which celebrity Chris is the hottest), I swooned (my eyes turned into actual hearts over James Wong), and I salivated (leek dumplings, fudge cake with strawberry filling, milk bread). Young Adult readers need to meet A Taste for Love's MFEO, sweet-ship (lizames?)!

🧁 READ IF YOU LIKE 🧁:
-baking shows
-enemies 2 lovers
-boba🧋tea & steamed buns
-laughing 😂
-Broody hero guy (🥰 James- total bae material)

🎶 song: Ice Cream by Blackpink ft. Selena Gomez 🎶

Thank you Penguin Young Readers for an advanced copy! 👏🏼 off to the test kitchen! 🍪🥧🧁🍰

This book was super cute- I loved the characters, the baking challenge, and the romance. Liza loves to bake and she enjoys working at the bakery her parents own and run. She is set to help out with the baking challenge her parents put on every year, but this year turns out to have a surprise for Liza.
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I really liked Liza as a a main character. She is a great baker who wants to go to culinary school even though her parents want her to go for a more practical program. I liked how strong Liza was, and how she tried to toe the line between fighting for what she wants and be respectful to her parents. The contrast between Liza and her sister, Jeannie, was also well done. I always enjoy reading about siblings and how different they are.
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This book was filled with fun drama, friendships, romance, and boba!

Quick Stats:
Overall: 2 stars
Characters: 3/5
Plot: 2/5
Writing: 2/5
~
Pitched as Jenny Han meets The Great British Baking Show, this book has Chinese-American culture, baking, romance, and drama. And it sounds great. In theory. In actuality, it fell flat.
The characters were somewhat of a redeeming quality. Mostly well-rounded and engaging, I did connect well to each character, with a few exceptions. The three main adult characters were flat, poorly written, lacked motivation, and were often childish. They didn’t speak or act like adults. Liza’s mom is a main driving force of the tension in the novel, but she lacked any motivation behind her actions, reacting unpredictably, and oftentimes oddly petty. Liza’s father was childish. He read like a teenage girl at some points. You could have changed his character to a younger sister and left all his lines and actions the same, and it might have made more sense. The final adult who played a role was Mrs. Lee. We don’t hear much from her until the end, but when we do, her dialogue comes off as awkward, flat, and insincere.
However, all of the teens—as well as Jeannie and Nathan—were well written. I loved Liza, Grace, Sarah, Ben, and even Edward. They all had obvious goals and motivations and were easy to connect with and care about. James was the only one who fell flat. He just seemed a carbon copy of every other broody love interest. Tall, dark, rich, and kind of a jerk. His one motivation was protecting Ben, which is nice, but the way and extent to which he does it is melodramatic, and he has no goals or motivation or personality of his own.

The plot was not great. It took much to long to get to the baking competition—which was the main redeeming part in my opinion. There were a lot of unnecessary scenes and content to get to that main part that really started the movement of the plot. A lot of those earlier scenes and information could have been condensed. I flew through the actual baking parts of the book. I found them very interesting and well done.
The middle of the book and the lead up to the climax felt like every page there was an obstacle thrown in the way of Liza and her friends, but it would be resolved within one to two pages. There was no time to build tension or develop potentially interesting plotlines. These road blocks were thrown in our face all of a sudden, and their solutions came out of the blue just as awkwardly. I would really have liked to see some of those plot points drawn out to build intrigue and tension. These lead the climax itself to be underwhelming. It didn’t get a chance to shine because I was still preoccupied by all the things that had flown at me out of left field in the previous chapters.
Honestly, the writing, plot, and pacing just screamed debut.

There were also issues with fat phobia and tokenized LBGTQ+ rep.

All in all, I wouldn’t recommend this book. If you’re looking for an own voices book by a Chinese-American author, there are many better ones out there—Gloria Chao’s or Abigail Hing Wen’s books for example.

Thank you so much @RazorbillBooks, @PenguinTeen & @NetGalley for giving me this physical ARC in exchange for my honest and unbiased review (Release Date | 02 February 2021)

SYNOPSIS | Liza Yang wants to follow in her parents footsteps & attend culinary school to pursue her love of baking, but her parents want a better life for her. Her mum is constantly trying to set her up with a nice Asian American boy, yet Liza isn't interested in dating someone that ticks all of her mum's boxes. Her mum hosts a bake-off every year & Liza is overjoyed to be offered the position of a technical judge until she see's that the contestants are all Asian American boys...

WHAT I LIKED:
- it was a really cute, fluffy & wholesome story that'll leave you craving pastries & boba tea
- it's perfect for fans of To All the Boys I've Loved Before, The Great British Baking Show & The Bachelorette

WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE:
- it read on the younger side of YA
- the mother/daughter relationship (there was a lot of belittling, meddling & a complete disregard for each others feelings)
- i didn't root for any of the romances
- so many references to boba