Lunar Love by Lauren Kung Jessen
Rating: 3.5 stars
Closed Door
Pub Date: 1/10

Lunar Love is a sweet, enemies-to-lovers rom-com and the Novel Friend’s Book Club pick for January!

Olivia is taking over her family’s matchmaking business, and she feels pressure to keep their traditional ways intact. Her family’s matchmaking is based on the Chinese zodiac, and when she learns about a new dating app that also uses the Chinese zodiac to match its members, she worries it could ruin her business. She’s determined to meet the owner of the app and assess how much of a threat it is. Of course, the owner is Bennett O’Brien, L.A.’s most eligible bachelor, and Olivia spends as much time fighting her attraction to him as she does gathering information.

This book has one of the sweetest meet-cutes I’ve ever read, and I liked Bennett immediately! I love learning about other cultures, and the premise behind this one intrigued me. I really enjoyed reading about all the delicious food and learning the intricate details of the Chinese zodiac.

The banter and friendly competition between Olivia and Bennett were fun to watch, and I felt the tension building between them from the moment they met. Bennett is sweet, thoughtful, and driven, and I swooned a little during some of his dates with Olivia. He’s the first new addition to my book-boyfriend list in 2023.

While I loved all those things, I had a very hard time liking Olivia. She was rude, immature, and closed-minded when it came to her traditional values. Instead of admitting that being traditional doesn’t mean doing the same thing all the time, she dug her heels in and insisted that her way was the only way. She was terrible to Bennett from the start, with her lying and spying on him and his company. I was hoping to see some growth from her by the end, but sadly it never happened.

Overall, this was a really cute story, and I think my rating would have been drastically different with a more likable FMC. This book is perfect for fans of Helena Hunting and Jasmine Guillory. Read this if you like diverse characters, closed-door romance, matchmaking, and food! Thank you so much to NetGalley and Forever for my advanced copy! Lunar Love is available tomorrow!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5/5
No spice, only 😘

After starting my year off with a book that did not grab me, I was eager to start one that I knew would do the trick. Lunar Love instantly sucked me in. Any story that has an absolutely adorable meet cute in its first moments can do no wrong in my eyes!

I loved the rivals to lovers romance, especially with Olivia and Bennett! Olivia is the third-generation owner of Lunar Love, a matchmaking business that uses the Chinese zodiac to pair up clients with their most compatible match. She is desperate to prove herself and make her grandmother proud. Bennett has just been dubbed LA’s most eligible bachelor and is spearheading a new dating app that also uses the Chinese zodiac to match users. Olivia is convinced that Bennett is out to destroy her family legacy, but can’t help but feel the electricity that sparks when he is around.

I absolutely loved the characters in this story, especially, Olivia’s grandmother, Pó-Po, a vibrant woman with so much wisdom to impart. I absolutely loved the relationship between the two and felt that her character really brought to light the root of a lot of Olivia’s troubles.

Beyond knowing I was born in the year of the dragon, my knowledge of the Chinese zodiac and many Chinese traditions is regrettably, nonexistent. I really loved how this story shared so many Chinese traditions and brought them to life on the page.

Overall, I loved this story and I cannot wait to read more by Lauren Kung Jessen! Be sure to pick this one up soon and add it to your 2023 TBR!

A huge Thank You to The author, The publisher and NetGalley for providing the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.
Such a loving book. AHHH!

Truthfully, I didn’t start Lunar Love with any high expectations. I thought it sounded cute and something nice to read. That was about what I got, I guess. Lunar Love was enjoyable enough but personally didn’t work for me.

Olivia Huang Christenson is poised to take over her grandmother’s matchmaking business. She’s well-versed in everything that makes a match, including Chinese zodiac compatibility. When she finds out about a new dating app centered around the Chinese zodiac, she can’t help but feel a little put out, especially once she meets the creator, Bennett. They strike a deal to prove who’s the better matchmaker, although as time goes on, it’s clear that the person they’re looking for might not be that far away.

I should preface everything I’m about to say with: I’m very picky with my romances, particularly in the adult genre. Something about the writing in a lot of books just doesn’t appeal to me, and I’ve never been able to pinpoint what it is. I do think this book will work out for other people, but overall I was just really bored with it. By the time I got halfway, I just wanted to get to the ending already but it just kept dragging on.

I did like the characters for the most part. It’s clear that Liv just wants to do right by her grandmother, which pushes her to be so rigid about tradition. Bennett was just different enough from her to irritate her, but they clearly connect over a lot of things, including wanting to stay connected to their Chinese heritages.

I’ve been told that 3 stars seems too high for a book that I feel very little about, but I did think it had its moments! There was just so much though that I felt apathetic about / was irritated by. Like, how is Bennett the hottest thing in the start-up world right now when his app honestly doesn’t stand out in any way? Overall, I think people would enjoy Lunar Love for a focus on the Chinese zodiac and how we can uphold tradition in new ways without letting go of the old. It just didn’t work for me in the end.

I loved the representation in this book. I never thought about how little books there are about mixed races, and I absolutely loved this one! I loved getting to know both Olivia and Bennett. Being adopted from Korea, I have always called myself a fake Asian, so I really resonated with Bennett. I really enjoyed learning more about the Chinese Zodiac and Chinese traditions (don’t want to spoil, but traditions towards end of book).

This one surprised me because it went against the typical romcom structure. What I thought would be a conversation towards the end of the book happened sooner, and wasn’t the predictable blowout I was expecting. There were so many honest conversations between Olivia and Bennett. This book will make you smile, laugh, cry and leave you with warmth in your heart.

Thank you so much Forever for my gifted copy in exchange for a honest review!

This was a mostly light hearted, intriguing, cute rom-com read.

I really liked Liv and Bennett together. Their banter was great and I could sense the chemistry.
Their interactions were so well written. I felt like I was watching it all play out on screen. I could totally see this being turned into a cute rom-com. Especially the meet-cute.

I did like learning about the Chinese Zodiac throughout this book. It gave me a look into something I know nothing about and Lauren Kung Jessen did a great way of teaching readers in her writing.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for my honest opinions!

3.5 stars

“Love is like the moon. Case in point: love moves in phases.”

Olivia and Bennett are both owners of matchmaking businesses, with Olivia’s being in-person and Bennett’s being online, but both base their matchmaking on the Chinese zodiac. I thought this was a cute romance, and I loved the addition of the Chinese zodiac into the story! Liv starts off the story just becoming the lead matchmaker of her family’s match-making business, and it was cool to see her growth throughout the story. Jessen doesn’t steer away from tackling some heavier topics in this story, which I thought added a lot of depth to this book. All of the descriptions of the food made me so hungry! Do yourself a favor and check this one out!

TW: Death and Grief

Thank you to Forever Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This was a sweet romance novel and I loved it. The book was sweet and lovely.

I wanted to love this book! The premise sounded so great and it's got an amazing cover. Unfortunately I didn't like the heroine and never got into the story.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Forever (Grand Central Publishing) through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you, Forever (Grand Central Publishing).

Liv is taking over the family matchmaking business, which has been around for 50 years and uses the Chinese zodiac to make perfect love matches. She finds out there's a new competition in town, Bennett's zodiac dating app, and immediately begins to investigate and try to sabotage him. Which means spending time together. Which means probably falling in love.

If I have to read the word "compatible" one more time.... Ugh. Overall this was clunky, with so much emphasis on shop talk between the matchmaking business owners. Liv could not stop going on and on about compatibility, and actively avoided her feelings in the name of "the family business", even when she knew she started having feelings for Bennett. And the dramaaa. Like has she never heard of business having competition? That's the nature of business. Anyways. The last 70ish pages got much better and more natural and flowy, and the scene on the rooftop was pure and sweet.

A+ for Chinese representation, learning about cultural traditions, a cute grandma, and a cute boat kissing scene. Meh for most everything else. 2.5 stars

This was really fun! I laughed a lot while also learning about the Chinese zodiac. I'll definitely be recommending this sweet romance.

I learned so much reading this rivals to lovers contemporary romance! Olivia has just been left in charge of her family’s business, a boutique Los Angeles matchmaking firm based on the traditional Chinese zodiac, finding complementary sign pairings and avoiding any potential issues. She randomly meets a stranger at her favorite bakery, and - surprise, surprise - he is also in the matchmaking field! Bennett is working on a dating app involving some modern interpretations of Chinese zodiac signs, set to debut some new features in honor of the Lunar New Year. This is coming up on January 22nd, 2023! Prior to reading Lunar love, I didn’t know very much about the Chinese zodiac, besides knowing I was born in the year of the dog. I’m intrigued to learn more, after enjoying this introduction to Chinese culture and traditions. And the mouth-watering food descriptions sounded especially great - I started searching for mooncakes near me!
Thank you to NetGalley and Forever for an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion. I hope you’ll check it out if this sounds interesting to you - or at least see if you, too, can find mooncakes near you!

Many of my friends know I love me a good enemies-to-lovers romance, so I was thrilled to be selected to arc read and review Lunar Love by Lauren Kung Jessen.

Olivia inherits her family business that uses Chinese zodiac in their matchmaking family business. Imagine her ire when she meets Bennett, who runs a rival business, a dating app that uses algorithms for matchmaking. Olivia has to protect the family business. What could go wrong when they decide to find one another their ideal match?

This book is cute, funny, and a light-hearted page turner. It's ideal for romance and romcom readers looking for a quick read. I also loved the representation of Chinese culture and people of color.

This is a strong 4 out of 5 stars for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher, Grand Central Publisher (Forever) for allowing me the opportunity to read and review this novel.

Right. Well. Really was not expecting to love and dislike this in equal measure.

First, I'd like to say that while I am not a big believer in horoscopes, astrology, tarot, zodiac—you name it—this review will not be critical of any of those fields. I came into this with an open mind as I'm always looking to learn more about something I'm not well versed in. And this did deliver in that area. Olivia, the main character in this book, is incredibly passionate about the zodiac and the role it can play in life and love. I really enjoyed learning about the more intricate details behind the zodiac and how it can be interpreted. All I've ever known is I'm year of the Monkey, but never considered that there could be much more to it, so I appreciate the interest this has sparked.

Where this book really shined was in the relationship. Bennett and Liv are absolutely adorable together. The way they interact, the banter, the competition and the manipulation (which sounds bad but I promise is not in contest)—adore them! The baseball date? Ugh, I loved that scene so much. They truly are so cute and if I hadn't been rooting for them before that scene, I most certainly was after. The entire premise of two competing business owners wrapped up in a bet on who can make the other fall in love first just screams You've Got Mail vibes, so that alone was what made me pick this up. And the comparison of two zodiac-based matchmaking businesses, one traditional and in person, the other simplified as a Tinder-type app, was such an intriguing choice by the author!

Bennett is probably my favourite character in the whole book—ahead of Pó Po, who is not afraid to dish out some tough love whenever it was needed. Bennett was just a wonderful person all around, and it was kind of hard not to fall in love with him too. Like Liv, Bennett is also biracial, being Chinese on his mom's side. I feel the conversations the pair had about the importance of the zodiac to them both, in understanding and doing justice to that side of their heritage, were some of the book's strongest moments. It revealed a lot about them each and proved why they were such a great match, compatible or not. He challenged her in so many ways, and I feel that was worth so much to them both.

On her own though, Liv is not a character I warmed to. She's introduced as very pessimistic and stuck in a self-made box of rigid tradition. As I said before, Liv is incredibly passionate about the zodiac, but made me quite frustrated by refusing to look beyond her own opinions. She is adamant that couples must be compatible based on the traits determined by their zodiac signs, which, that's fine. But she says it with her whole chest that incompatible couples can never work because it didn't for her when the proof is literally all around her that they can. Like, her sister is in her best relationship and about to marry someone "incompatible," but that doesn't matter. Liv also puts so much stock in the traits that apply to individual signs, but declares that she doesn't identify with certain of her own Horse traits when called out on it. She constantly makes limiting assumptions against others and imagines all sorts of hypothetical scenarios that fuel her negative outlook. She pushes so hard to find all the things wrong with people, especially Bennett, based on those assumptions and it's what made this book harder to enjoy.

Finally, I feel like the execution of certain things was very surface level or not well thought out. Many conversations didn't feel like they did much for character development, even if they were enjoyable. Liv's attempts at subterfuge, to infiltrate Zodiacupid and take them down, were also off-putting. Not everyone is cut out to be a spy, but this was a little bit cringe. She came across about as subtle as a brick through a window.

Overall, this book was okay. It's a sweet romance with a great premise and love interest, but the main character may not be for everyone.

- 4.5 Stars -
What an unexpected gem of a book!! I found myself laughing, smirking at the pages and enjoying almost every second of it. The added pieces of the Chinese zodiac information were really cool because I had never really looked into any of these things before! I found the way that they would match people up based on signs and specific personality traits to be super fascinating and it really added an interesting piece to the storyline!

Honestly, I found Olivia a little rude at the beginning (and kind of all the way through the book too) but I think she had a reason for it. I know it seems weird that I would be defending a rude character, when typically I am very against it, but this matchmaking job was her LIFE. I totally get why she would have gone on the defensive about someone creating an online dating platform that essentially mimics what she was doing the good old fashioned way. So I understand the rudeness, however I do think she could have gone about it in a more kind way.

Bennet was such a sweetheart. I actually loved the way he was written (men written by women am I right!?!) He was such a gem, and I loved that he really paid attention to Liv’s preferences and things that she deeply cared about. Obsessed. The romance between the two of them was definitely a one-sided enemies to lovers, but it was still quite sweet and made me smile. The book also covered some heavier topics and it was really well done in my opinion. This book has definitely become a newfound favorite of mine!

⚠️TW: death, death of parent, toxic relationship

Thank you @readforeverpub and @netgalley for this advance copy in exchange for my honest review! All of the thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

Lunary Love (eARC) — 5 ⭐️

𝐏𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞: January 10th

𝐁𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐟 𝐃𝐞𝐬𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: Olivia is a matchmaker who cannot be matched. After taking over her family’s business, she quickly realizes there is an upcoming dating app that has the potential to be a strong competitor. Once she meets the handsome owner, she’s conflicted. Her brain is telling her to take down his business while her heart seems to have a mind of its own.

𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰: Lunar Love is my first five star read of 2023! I adored every chapter, and I could not get enough of the characters or the story. I enjoyed learning about Chinese culture, especially about the traditions and astrology aspects. I’m blown away that this is the author’s debut book, and I liked the bonus features she included in the book. I’m looking forward to her upcoming book that will be published next year!

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞𝐝 —
🥊 Rivals to Lovers
🤩 Addicting Read
🖤 Diverse Characters
👩‍🏫 Ambitious MC
🔐 Closed Door Romance
🥰 Feel-Good Story

𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐢𝐟 —
📲 You’ve used a dating app
🥟 Your favorite dish is dumplings
🥘 Your perfect first date involves a cooking class
💞 You enjoy playing matchmaker
👵 Your grandma is your favorite person

𝐓𝐖: death, grief

Thank you, NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing), for providing me an eARC copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

What a fun read!
It begins with a bun war which was a great scene. It’s tradition versus technology. I loved the matchmaking business based on the Chinese Zodiac. I also loved the cultural blending backgrounds for both Olivia and Bennett. I loved reading about all the festivals, celebrations, and the recipes included in the back.
Olivia learns that she doesn’t have to sacrifice tradition and Bennet learns that technology doesn’t always hold all the answers.
Why can’t they have both? Read the book and see if they do.
Anytime I eat at a Chinese place and they have the zodiac placemats I’m reading my sign, the Ox, as I Have done since I was a kid. I’m not thrilled with the animal, but I like the characteristic traits.

“For those who are also mixed and have felt like they aren’t enough or don’t belong. You are and you do.”

Lunar Love by Lauren Kung Jessen is a contemporary romance set in LA. It follows Olivia, a matchmaker based on Chinese traditions, and Bennett, the head of a rival matchmaking company with a modern twist on Chinese traditions. This book explores family traditions, what it’s like to be mixed-race Chinese-American, and finding love and compatibility using the Chinese zodiac.

I learned a lot in this book and found it to be an important story to tell! I urge all readers to flip to the back of the book— there is a chart breaking down the characters Chinese zodiac animals and traits, as well as recipes for Swiss rolls and pork dumplings— two very important foods in the book! Lauren Kung Jessen is now an auto-read author for me, and I’m excited to read her next book. A sincere thank you to Forever and netgalley for providing me with an e-arc of Lunar Love in exchange for an honest review.

“Maybe there is beauty in opening yourself up to the love you don’t expect and the traits that will keep you guessing. Because compatible or incompatible, we’re all just trying to love and be loved, however that might look.”

Olivia Huang Christenson is taking over as the third generation owner of her grandmothers matchmaking business. The match-making is based upon compatibility using the Chinese zodiac signs as one of the key indicators. While worrying about how she will continue her beloved Po Po’s legacy she meets Bennett O’Brian. He has launching an app and for a new dating app promoting it as based on the same Zodiac symbols. His app uses an algorithm and is gimmicky, including game gaming features. His knowledge of the Chinese animals signs come straight from Wikipedia. But it doesn’t mean it wont steal her clients. With chemistry sizzling between them they allow themselves to be drawn into a bet on finding love for the other person using their methods.

I really like Olivia, she is stubborn as a horse (her zodiac symbol) and has vast knowledge of the Chinese Zodiac. I loved learning about the zodiac symbols and the many other Chinese cultural parts of the book. My spouse lived in Hong Kong for two years and any time we go to major cities a visit to Chinese bakeries and restaurants are always a must. The food made my mouth water and I appreciate there are a couple of recipes in the back of the book along with questions and an interview with the author.

Bennett is adorably sweet. I wish there was some of the story from his POV to get his thoughts and emotions. I sighed for him every time Olivia didn’t give a reaction he anticipates and she sees his face or shoulders deflate. The story is enriched with Olivia’s family and friends and Po Po is a delight in her wisdom. This is a clean book with some kissing and I could easily recommend it to my neighborhood bookclub. Thank you to NetGalley and Forever for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

5/5 stars. So, so good! I am mostly a thriller reader, but I occasionally enjoy a chick lit book. I bought this from BOTM, and received an ARC thinking it would be an okay read. I absolutely adored it and finished in 1 day!
Olivia takes over her family match making business, and is trying to get dirt on her arch nemesis, Bennet at Zodiacupid. I found the story heartwarming and humorous. I love when a book just pulls you in like this one did. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!