A wonderful debut romcom!
The writing here is fantastic. Jessen draws the reader in from the very first page. I found her writing to be easy to read and addicting. I think Jessen has a big future ahead of her as an author.
The romance here was super cute and sweet considering it was between rivals. The kiss scenes were good and the tension was 10/10. This book is a clean romance so if that isn't your cup of tea you have been warned.
I do think the romance stood on its own without having sex included. There was still a compelling story being told and I was invested in not only the romance but the characters as well.
I would recommend this for readers who enjoy low steam, enemies to lovers, rivals to lovers, slow burn, matchmaking, diverse reads/romance, and opposites attract.

There was so much to love about this book. Olivia and Bennett were two strong characters that I was rooting for the whole time. Olivia is a traditional matchmaker who is just handed the reins of the family business Lunar Love, matching people in person based off of their Chinese zodiac signs. Bennett is a tech guy, working to revolutionize the dating world, getting ready to launch a dating app using the Chinese zodiac signs. I loved the push pull, enemies to lover slow burn romance between these two. It was wonderful to read a book with mixed race main characters, and the struggle that they can experience when caught between two cultures. I also enjoyed the theme of tradition vs modernization of our cultures and our lives. This was a great debut novel, and I look forward to hearing more from this author. I received an ARC from Forever, and this is my honest review.

Love reading this and learning more about Chinese astrology! This was a cute and fun read! Loved the enemies to lovers trope usage and I think that Lunar Love would be a great book club pick!
Thank you to Netgalley for this arc ebook in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own!

Lunar Love is a wonderful debut novel by Lauren Kung Jessen. Olivia works in the family matchmaking business which her grandmother started 50 years ago and she is about to takeover the family business .She hasn’t been lucky in her own personal love life and decides to focus on her job instead. Along comes a modern matchmaking business on the internet who becomes competition for her traditional matchmaking business and her grandmother thinks there is room for both companies, Olivia is worried and stressed. Lots of drama, humour and love encounters throughout this novel and the author I feel has written this debut book as a labour of love and the reader will definitely fall in love with this incredible story. It is such a feel good read and is definitely a must read and I can’t wait to read her next novel. Bravo Lauren and thank you to NetGalley for sending me an early E- book copy to read and review. I just love this book and is one of my top reads for the year.🙋‍♀️🇨🇦🥰👏🤗❤️📚

3.5 stars

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for the eARC in exchange for a honest review.

***One quick technical correction. Chapter 16 says ‘pPlus one’ instead of ‘plus one’***

This book starts off slow, the first few chapters might have been able to be condensed so the book would start off closer to their ‘bet’. However I understand why the author took this route, it allowed us to explore the characters better, but I still think it could have been condensed some.

I felt the main character was a little shallow and very set in her ways. For example, the character is very against matching people who are incompatible, but when she finally explains her reason why, it feels too short. For her to be so all or nothing, I thought she would have a very compelling reason. I wish her reasons were explored on a deeper level than just being told in a few sentences. Without this depth, her stance on compatibility felt more frustrating than understandable.

I really enjoyed the lighthearted feel of this book and the infusion of Chinese culture. It was like a warm cup of tea and I enjoyed returning back to it. The relationship between the two main characters was also very adorable. Overall this was a sweet and heartwarming romance that I think many will enjoy! I look forward to the author’s next book!

Olivia Haung Christienson inherits her Po Po’s business “Lunar Love”. Lunar Love is an in person dating service using the compatibility of the Chinese Zodiac. Olivia is met with a few challenges, one being Bennett O’Brien founder of a new dating app ZodiaCupid. Olivia believes in finding love traditionally by comparing zodiac signs and not by using algorithms. She wants to see what she is up against, sets up a profile on ZodiaCupid and gets matched with Bennett. At a panel event, she and Bennett wager a bet on who finds love first. Lunar Love is a cute and quick read!

Lunar me loved this. I wanted to read this book. It was a good read and I really enjoyed this from the beginning to the end of it. Will read more and liked it very much.

When I chose this book, I was so excited because even though I knew about the Chinese zodiac signs, I wanted to learn more. The plus of reading a Fabolous story made it all better. Olivia just got her family's business & now she has to figure out ways to keep it afloat. Bennet is trying to get his Chinese-inspired zodiac internet dating company. Liv, feels like he's direct competition & she must stop him. I enjoyed this story so much. I only wish I had learned more about the zodiac a is, but I did like Bennet's random facts. If I could change something, I would've liked more from it, the climax and the resolution were mellow. But overall a nice story with a pretty fun chart in the end.

Interesting take on dating services. It was nice to learn a bit more about the matchmaking industry in Asian communities. The main character was annoying at times and tended to self sabotage. Would have loved to have some chapters in Bennett’s point of view. The ending was a bit hurried and could’ve tied in better with the rest of the story. Will definitely purchase more novels written by the author.

I thought the premise was adorable, but in the first half of the book I found it hard to get past the lying and genuinely like the characters. If there was not as much lying and deception I would have loved this, but the lying was with malicious intent, not little white lies. The spark between Olivia and Bennett was there, I will admit, but it’s hard to stay connected when I don’t like the main characters.

I also found that the second half of the story was so jam packed with events that it felt overwhelming. Between having a hard time connecting to the characters and then having one thing thrown at you after the other it was a lot. I would have enjoyed if the events had it been a longer book, and more time to process the events. I do understand that life happens like that and everything happens at once, but personally it was a bit much for me.

I went in thinking I would love this story, and I’m really disappointed that it turned out the way it did.

Pub date: 1/10/23
Genre: romcom (enemies to lovers, business competition), own voices
One sentence summary: Olivia is bringing her grandmother's matchmaking business, Lunar Love, into a new era - until she finds out competitor Bennett has turned the Chinese zodiac into a Tinder-like app, ZodiaCupid.

This rom-com has something special, and I loved reading it! Enemies to lovers is one of my favorite tropes, and the sparks flew between Olivia and Bennett! I really enjoyed getting to know both of them and their approaches to love. Bennett was swoon-worthy, and his scheming kept me amused.

Both Olivia and Bennett have mixed race heritage, and I loved seeing this representation and their connections to their families and the zodiac. This one is low steam but high banter and emotional connection.

If you're looking for a sweet romcom with a twist, this is a great pick! I'm very excited to read more from Lauren Kung Jessen.

Thank you to Forever Publishing for providing a NetGalley ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Let me start off by saying this book exceeded my already high expectations. Lunar Love is a stunning debut novel by Lauren Kung Jessen and has instantly put her in my “must read” author category. The prose was beautiful, conflict believable, and the characters felt well fleshed out and realistic. Hell, I’d even go as far to say that I think this is in contention for my favorite romance read of this year.

Liz is a matchmaker set to take over her family’s business, and Bennett is the creator of a dating app that uses the Chinese Zodiac as a basis for their matches. While their goals may be very similar, their approaches couldn’t be any more different – Liz embraces tradition while Bennett feels like tradition exists to be disrupted, and a bet between the two forces them to confront things both about themselves and one another.

This was a joy to read. Arguments between the two main characters never felt contrived, and rather than have one character I sided with for the entirety of the novel, I really wanted them to work because I could understand both of their perspectives and reasonings.

On a more personal note, I really related to the way that both the main characters grappled with their Asian identities and how they both reconciled that with themselves. Both Liz and Bennett take very different approaches, and yet I found both sides to be compelling and very relatable.

Overall I’m really grateful to have gotten my hands on a copy of this ARC, and it’ll definitely be an immediate purchase for me as soon as it comes out.

*First I would like to say thank you to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for an ARC in exchange for an honest review*

I went into this book with a lot of hope, and it paid off. Olivia Huang Christenson comes from a long line of matchmakers using the Chinese zodiac, and just as she is about to take over the family business, an app with the same premise becomes very popular. She meets the app's creator and fellow mixed race of Chinese heritage Bennett, and the chemistry is off the charts. Of course, Liv is worried that their two businesses won't be able to survive together, and a bet comes to fruition: the two matchmakers will use the other's services, and whoever falls in love first gets a promotion deal with a highly influential romance conference and sponsors.

I really like the two leads, even though the story is only one POV (Olivia's). I feel like a lot of the middle of the book could have been condensed a bit because when it comes to the dates that the other have picked for each other it feels a lot slower. One of my favourite scenes is when Liv and Owen (and Bennett) at the baseball game because we see how these characters really interact with each other and their dynamics.

I'm also Chinese, and being adopted, I wasn't raised with a lot of knowledge of the Chinese zodiac, and it was great to read more about my culture in a way that's accessible and interesting. I can't wait for this book to come out and everyone read it.

Thank you Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for an advanced copy of this book for exchange of my honest review!

Delightfully sweet, this is what a rom com should be! I adored this book from start to finish and thought it perfectly captured the essence of what makes a romance book amazing! Humor, sentiment, joy and most importantly love!

The main characters, Olivia and Bennett’s chemistry jumps off the page and I found their relationship so endearing. I also appreciated how the story focused on Olivia’s relationships with her friends and family which are just as important in life.

The concept of using Chinese zodiacs was fascinating to me and I found myself researching more about them (I’m a horse 😆)! All in all this was a fantastic book that is sure to be a chart topper (someone turn this into a movie)! Grab your copy when it’s out in January.

All the stars to Lauren Kung Jessen for this superb story!

Olivia has just taken over as head of her family’s matchmaking service based on the Chinese zodiac. A new dating app is gaining popularity based on the same principle, meaning they have some serious competition now. Olivia clashes with the head of the app, Bennett, and it’s no wonder given their incompatible zodiac signs. But is incompatibility and competition enough to keep them apart?

This was super cute! I loved the original concept of this book. The characters were all so loveable and I could feel myself getting very emotionally attached to the story. I may have shed a tear at a certain part in the book!

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever for the advanced reading copy in exchange for my honest review.

An enemies-to-lovers (or rivals?) that I couldn't resist. Bennett and Olivia meet before they actually know each other in the perfect meet-cute as they both grab for the last cocktail bun, then haggle over it when neither wants to give it up. It's then hijinks galore as they realize later that they both are matchmakers; Olivia follows the traditional Chinese Zodiac style of matchmaking, while Bennett created an app that loosely matches you by your sign. There is plotting and scheming, a bet on the best way, setting each other up with different dates. Slowly they realize that maybe they were meant to be, but then, of course, misunderstandings happen, and Olivia and Bennet both have to decide what they really want.

Overview: Olivia is the Chief Love Officer of her family’s Chinese Zodiac-based matchmaking business, Lunar Love. To her dismay, she discovers that there’s a new rival in town - a new app called ZodiaCupid that similarly uses the Chinese Zodiac to determine compatibility. Even worse - this app is being developed by Bennett O’Brien, a tall and attractive stranger she had a flirtatious encounter with just days ago. Will Olivia be able to protect both her family business AND her heart against this new rival?

Thoughts: Overall this is a remarkably well-written debut rom-com that is bursting at the seams with charm. Olivia’s and Bennett’s meet-cute in a Chinese bakery?! Gah, GENIUS! Additionally, I loved Olivia’s sense of humor and feistiness throughout the story (all in the name of saving the family business, of course!). While I’m not normally a fan of “cinnamon roll” heroes, Bennett’s sweet and innocent personality worked well as a nice counterbalance to Olivia’s, especially considering some of her antics! Although Olivia and Bennett had good chemistry, my favorite part of the story was Olivia’s close relationship with Po Po - the author did a lovely job of showcasing their long history and their affection for each other. Finally, I must express my appreciation for the sheer amount of delicious FOOD that was described on the pages here - this book makes me want to run, not walk, to my nearest Chinese bakery!

Summary: Lauren Jung Kessen’s shining debut novel “Lunar Love” is a charming take on the rivals-to-lovers trope with mixed-race Asian-American characters. I highly recommend this sweet and clean romance, especially for fans of “You’ve Got Mail” and “The Soulmate Equation.” The author also does a fantastic job highlighting Chinese-American culture, with its emphasis on family, tradition, and (of course) food. Can’t wait to see what Lauren Kung Jessen will write next!!

Big thanks to NetGalley and Forever for this digital ARC!

Lunar Love by Lauren Kung Jessen is an enemies-to-lovers romcom and it’s the story of Liv and Bennett.
 
Liv recently took over her grandmother’s traditional Chinese matchmaking business and everything that involves astrology is super fascinating to me. I really liked how you get to see matchmaking in a traditional and modern way. Liv is a person that deeply respects her family, and this also provides her with the motivation to work hard and continue the family business.
 
Bennett is L.A.’s most-eligible bachelor and he also has a connection to the Chinese zodiac signs and creates a matchmaking app with it. He appreciates Liv’s family business as he has a connection to her grandmother. He was such a sweet hero, and I would even say that he is the one to fall in love first.
 
Liv and Bennett meet in a bakery and that was such a fantastic meet cute. I could immediately feel the sparks, but then it turns out that they are business rivals. This added some excitement to it and over the course of the book there are so many beautiful scenes where they spent time together. They also try to find a match for the other and sometimes the best is just right in front of you.
 
Overall, I adored this book, and it was an amazing debut. 4 stars.
 
(ARC kindly provided in exchange for a review.)

I loved this rivals to lovers book. Had some you've got mail feelings to it and I couldn't put it down!
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

DNF @ 26%. I just can't get into the writing style or the characters. I really like the concept and the way the author writes the Chinatown setting but the story and characters feel very stiff and unnatural. I liked the first scene but things kind of went downhill from there. Olivia's inner thoughts, emotions, and motivations feel way too juvenile given her background and age.