While we know how this book is going to end, it's a feel-good read that invites you to enjoy the journey! Bennett and Olivia have similar dreams, albeit with a very different path to get there. They learn that by working together, they can help each other achieve those. The lessons in this book are subtle, too, yet pretty informative for anyone who isn't familiar with the traditional Chinese zodiac and culture.

Thank you to Netgalley and publisher for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Publication: January 10, 2023

Rating: 3.5 stars

This was a cute traditional enemies to lovers romance. I always like finding different types of plots and when I saw that this was about a traditional matchmaker going up against a modern dating app.

Things I loved:
- All the cultural aspects surrounding zodiac matchmaking, the food described!
- Descriptions of Chinatown near LA
- Descriptions of the app

Things I didn't enjoy:
- The characters- I couldn't connect with them which I think was a me problem
- Some of the writing fell a little flat with me
- I appreciated the growth of Liv and Bennett but since I couldn't connect with them, I therefore couldn't fully appreciate this growth

Overall, this was a cute read for me and I loved all the cultural pieces added in. I'm always looking to learn something new. This would have been four stars if the characters could have been fleshed out more.

Perfect for fans: enemies to lovers trope, cultural pieces added, vibes from The Soulmate Equation by Christiana Lauren

*3.5/5
what a nice read this was. i liked the premise of the bet between olivia and bennett, using their respective businesses to find the perfect person for the other to fall in love with while simultaneously falling in love with each other. the scenes in which they chaperone their dates and you can clearly tell they have feelings for each other, are jealous of their dates and are afraid that they both might have actually done their job too well and found the perfect match for the other were my favourites. their every interactions, their banter, i absolutely loved them! i personally loved bennett and his trivia knowledge about literally any topic. other than romance, it also explored olivia's and bennett's different approaches to tradition and the chinese zodiac. i also loved reading about olivia's and her pó po's relationship. other than this, i found the ending pretty predictable and some details of the story felt like they were added just for a bit of drama (ex. the whole real estate agent thing), but there is something that happens in the last part of the book that i did not see coming and it felt like a knife to the heart and that's all i'm going to say. it was still a nice and enjoyable read and i'm definitely going the check out the author's next works.

arc provided by netgalley and forever (grand central publishing) in exchange for an honest review.

Lunar Love was such a sweet, fun read! It has the fun enemies to lovers trope mixed in with business rivals. The first half of the book especially had a lot of “You’ve Got Mail” vibes and it was PERFECT! :)

The best part about this story wasn’t even the romance between the MCs (which I did love!!) but the family and supporting characters in the story. Lunar Love gives you a wonderful look into the traditions and culture of a Chinese American family and their matchmaking business that’s been around for generations based on the Zodiac. It was such a cozy sweet read with a lot of heart and trope-filled moments. :)

Thanks to NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for this ARC to review! :)

I'm not often one to fall in love with a romance... but this book took me by storm.

Olivia inherits a matchmaking business from her family. Tradition runs strong in this family, and a dating app owned by the guy she ran into at the bakery threatens the family business. Olivia and Bennett enter a bet to see who can pair the other with the best fit -- but why does the pair feel jealousy seeing the other with their "perfect match?"

This book was a bit of a slow burn, and I enjoyed the light enemies to lovers trope. Once the two realized their feelings, however, the pace quickened immensely and I could not put it down. I learned a lot in this novel about Chinese culture and zodiac matchmaking.

The only downfalls of this novel was how irritable Olivia was quite repetitive and a little too stubborn for my taste. Also, the words "compatible" and "incompatible" were getting quite annoying -- I recommend finding a few similar words before publishing so the reader doesn't get tired of it.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced reader copy with me in exchange for a review!

I really enjoyed this book. It will be an easy hand sell title and will have a wide audience. I think it will definitely be an easy add on for fans of Roselle Lim.

This is a sweet rivals to lovers/opposites attract romance that showcases Chinese heritage in an authentic way.

It’s full of delicious food descriptions. Liv’s family plays a big part in the story, especially her grandmother, Po Po. I love the scene where they’re making dumplings together. Details of Chinese traditions, especially around matchmaking, weddings, the zodiac, and the Lunar New Year, are skillfully woven throughout the book. There’s a real sense of warmth from the connections of friends and family.

Liv and Bennet felt authentic in their search to learn about and be true to their Chinese heritage and incorporate it into their lives. They also felt true to themselves as they explore whether an algorithm or zodiac sign compatibility is the best way to find love.

The moments between them were filled with clever banter, sweet kisses, and heartfelt discussions about family, heritage, and entrepreneurial ambition. I enjoyed their discussions about helping others find love and the best way to do that.

CW: Grief over the loss of loved ones

This book centers around two characters, rivals in the matchmaking business, who, you guessed it, falls in love! It’s the sweetest rivals to lovers rom-com that’s also perfectly infused with the Chinese zodiac, family, and the struggles of having an identity crisis. It’s like Chinese bakery cakes, they’re absolutely perfect in sweetness and fluffiness!

Olivia steps up to be the Chief Executive of Love at her family business, Lunar Love, which matches people based on the compatibility of their Chinese zodiac signs. She then meets Bennett who turns out to be the CEO of a startup ZodiaCupid, which is an online dating app based on the Chinese zodiac. Olivia spies on and bets with Bennett to gain information on ZodiaCupid so she can use it to save Lunar Love, which is in desperate need of more customers. I mean, it is obvious that they would be rivals due to the incompatibility of their signs right? Well you’ll just have to read the book to find out how their compatibly incompatible love story unfolds. 😉

I loved the mixed raced representation that Lauren Kung Jessen highlighted in the novel. It just warms my heart when authors write about something that is just so dear to them. I also adore how Lunar Love is a product of the hard work and love of many generations of strong Chinese American women. Jessen’s writing is like watching a movie unfold in front of you. It grabs your attention and pulls you right into the lives of all the characters. The scene that touched me the most was when Olivia made dumplings with Popo; it just felt so homey and tender, like something so familiar that you forget about until you are reminded of it and a wave of love just pours over you.

The romance in this book is so cute. Maybe it’s because I’m a horse, but seeing Bennett be so patient with Olivia’s stubbornness just made my standards even higher. Their dialogue is so funny and cute, I mean they just get each other’s humor and are able to be themselves which just sends serotonin into my bloodstream. (Also, giving flour instead of flowers is lowkey one of the cutest gifts I’ve ever seen!)

Even if you think this book is incompatible with what you usually like to read, I promise you, you just can’t help but fall in love with the heartwarming and funny story of Lunar Love !

I never knew a book could make me so hungry! This was a really sweet slow-burn romance, and I enjoyed the multi-generational aspect very much. Olivia and Bennett are rival Chinese zodiac matchmakers in LA, and I loved learning more about the various signs, as well as their cultural heritage. If you're looking for a warm hug of a book, definitely give this a read. Afterward, plan on driving *immediately* to the nearest bakery, H Mart, or baseball stadium for snacks.

Thank you to Forever (Grand Central Publishing) and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

✨Somebody please be my matchmaker✨

I think this is the first book in a long time with a writing style that won me over more than the characters or the romance. I loved Lauren’s writing style and her authorial voice is incredibly strong. From page one, Olivia had such a presence on the page and I could really hear her in my head as if she was talking to me.

This is single POV and probably more women’s fiction than romance. It also draws inspiration from You’ve Got Mail but it doesn’t feel like a blatant rip-off of the script. There were nice odes along the way, but it was thankfully it’s own thing. There’s a certain thing that happens at the end that made me *unhappy* and definitely solidified the WF feel.

✨

The relationship was cute, but a lot of times it felt extremely one sided. I loved and appreciated Olivia’s prickliness and ability to say what was on her mind, but man that first date was ROUGH and she always grilled the guy and jumped to conclusions and just straight up couldn’t see beyond compatibility.

They both did end up doing some mildly shady things though and I really appreciated how her article and identity and everything weren’t actually the cause of any fallout! Everything was revealed before 50% and it was SO refreshing. We still got a breakup but it was for a different (but also pretty expected) reason.

The author tried to position Olivia’s views on compatibility as being colored by her past relationship and a few other factors, but it still didn’t quite make sense to me. Her shift by the end although the natural conclusion, still felt rather abrupt and kind of unbelievable.

✨

The few times Olivia and Bennet kissed, the chapter was immediately over and we never got to see how they interacted after the kiss, how they said goodbye, how they acted. It always time jumped to Olivia at Lunar Love or somewhere decidedly not with Bennett. I needed a bit more from these interactions to fully get a feel for the relationship.

My favorite moment of theirs was the Dodgers game because the tension there was perfect. Also good 10/10 tastes better at a ballpark, especially branded hotdogs. More Dodgers game vibes and less jump cuts!

✨

Overall, this one started out strong (and DELICIOUS omg I was drooling during their meet cute please I want moon cake) and had an incredibly solid backbone, but the relationship needed a bit more depth. I was also frequently perplexed and confused about Olivia’s views on compatibility (and it being the only way to fall in love). As mentioned above, something happened at the end with little to no warning and I simply wish it Didn’t. (I’ll list it in the CWs but it is a spoiler so you’re warned.) These things did impact my overall enjoyment of the book and left it solidly in the “good” but but not “great” category.

⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5 0🌶*/5

*Generally 1🌶 pepper on my spicy scale means there’s at least some sexual talk or content or something to be closed out of. However here, sex was never mentioned and nothing was ever alluded to. The book never gave a sexy vibe so this did make sense.


CWs: death of parent in the past, death of grandparent in the present

This debut novel from author Lauren Kung Jessen is the perfect “curl up with a good book” read. It kept me turning page after page.

The details in writing created wonderful pictures in my mind to allow me to feel as if I were right there at Lunar New Year Parties, weddings, Halloween parties or even the simplicity of friends on a hike. I loved taking a mini dive into the Chinese culture of the Lunar Zodiac signs and how they are used in matchmaking.

Olivia and Bennett both head up Chinese Zodiac matchmaking businesses. One from a 50 year family run business and one in a new tech startup app. Will one beat out the other? Does tech beat tradition? Can things that seem incompatible find ways to make magic happen?

I loved this book. It had me smiling, flush with the feeling of a new relationship and even tearing up. I hope you read it and love it too.

Overall, a pleasant debut novel!

The premise was original, with Olivia taking on the weight and responsibility of her family's long-running matchmaking service. Through strong-willed and loyal to her beliefs, Olivia's resolve is tested once she becomes entangled with Bennett, an industry rival she wishes to repel but can't seem to resist.

In addition to the romance that evolves between the Bennett and Olivia, Lunar Love also shines a spotlight on Chinese culture and tradition. These themes serve as a nice backdrop for the development of the MCs, of their love story. Their differing personalities and beliefs ended up serving them well, providing their relationship a building block to expand upon.

I just didn't connect to the characters and story the way I wished to. There were a few moments where I felt truly engaged, truly invested, but the feeling wasn't sustained, loving my final rating of the book a bit. As mentioned, this was an enjoyable read, well-written and developed, I just couldn't get my heart into it in the end.

Review
Lunar Love by Lauren Kung Jessen

The first thing that drew me to this book was the BEAUTIFUL cover with all of the Chinese elements and reference to the Lunar Calendar #adoptivemom #chinadoptionlove Then I read the synopsis and it sounded so cute!

Olivia Huang Christensen is the next in a long line of family members to take over Lunar Love, a matchmaking service that matches clients based on the Chinese Zodiac. She is a true believer that relationship success of two individuals is deeply rooted in the compatibility of their zodiac signs. Bennet O’Brian is the app developer of ZodiaCupid, a dating app that “loosely” uses the Chinese Zodiac to make their matches. With the popularity of dating apps and ZodiaCupid’s use of the zodiac signs as Lunar Love, Olivia is both concerned and outraged at the atrocity of this dating app.

Coincidentally, Bennet is also the same handsome gentleman Olivia met in a local Chinese bakery & spared with at a business convention. Using the information she gained from these run-ins, Olivia secretly uses ZodiaCupid, manipulating the data, to match with Bennett. She uses their early dates to dig for intel on her competitor, but when they are both invited to a podcast, her true identity as the owner of Lunar Love is revealed & a deal is struck…they will each use their own matchmaking technique to find the other love; the first to fall in love loses…but, as they get to know each other more (in the name of finding the other a match, of course!), they might just find that compatibility isn’t determined by a singular set of signs, traits, or attributes…

There were so many things to like about this book. The wealth of Chinese culture was richly described and woven through each aspect of the story. The closeness of Olivia’s family and her relationship with her Po Po was beautiful. Bennett, the hero, was swoony, book boyfriend material. He was sincere, caring, attentive, thoughtful, and so invested in all things that made Olivia happy, going so far as to include an app upgrade based on her favorite flower. However, I really struggled connecting with Olivia’s character. Her outrage toward ZodiaCupid and Bennett seeped through each page of the book, even in moments when it was clear she and Bennett were falling for each other. Her skepticism of his intentions was hard to swallow, when the writing made it clear that Bennett was a great guy with pure intentions. However, the last 30% of the book showed Olivia’s true nature, when she finally let her guard down & some of her stringent traditions go, making her more dimensional in my eyes. I wish more of the book showed this softer part of her.

3.75 out of 5 stars

Thank you to Forever (Grand Central Publishing) and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review. Available Jan 10, 2023.

#sweetromance #cleanromance #culturalromance #contemporaryromance #foreverpub #netgalley #romancereader #romancebookstagram #romancereadersofinstagram #bookstagram #lowkeybookstagram

It warms my heart to read so many books with such strong Chinese culture elements!!! Lunar Love is a sweet story about Olivia, who inherits her grandmother's traditional Chinese zodiac-centered matchmaking business Lunar Love, in her struggle to compete with Bennett, creator of the world's newest dating app ZodiaCupid, for singles looking for love.

I really enjoyed Olivia and Bennett's meetcute, I wish more romance novels began in a Chinese bakery! The smells and sounds were so nostalgic and endearing, igniting within me a strong desire for Bo Lo Bao. Between the bakery scenes, the dumpling folding scenes, and the whirlwind relationship between Olivia and Bennett, this book definitely had me hungry for more on so many levels.

I only wish that there had been physical descriptions of the main characters during the beginning, to help the readers navigate the physical traits the main characters found alluring about each other! If I hadn't read the synopsis, I don't think I would've figured out Olivia and Bennett were half-Chinese until much further on in the story.

I also found that there were times that the main characters' relationship fell into pretty clichè tropes, and the conversation leading up to Bennett's "I can't believe anyone would break up with you" line was a little uncomfortable. However, as enemies to lovers go, I found myself enjoy this one more than I expected to! The back and forth was nuanced and I liked the discourse on the "tradition versus modernity" debate!

All in all, I really liked Lunar Love for the ways it embodies some of my favorite aspects of Chinese culture and the deeper topics it covers; it's my first contemporary romance with a Chinese American setting and I'm looking to picking up more in the future!

I love this cute rom-com with Asian American representation. I love how Bennet and Olivia meet and how Olivia hatches a plan to trick Bennet and find more information about her competitor. It's hilarious how they both are tricking each other. I enjoy their banter and witty comebacks at each other. Also loved how Bennet fell for her first. I also enjoyed the info on zodiac signs and the Chinese traditions that were mentioned. Opposites really do attack because Olivia believes in the traditional approach to finding love while Benett follows a more modern approach. I also enjoyed Olivia's relationship with her grandma and how she gives Olivia advice overall I really loved this book.
Fav quote: "You're the only peony for me "
"How dare you disrespect ratatouille-like that "

Lunar Love is a lovely novel featuring mixed race Chinese American main characters. Olivia is set to become the new head of her family owned company, Lunar Love, a traditional matchmaking company built around comparability through the zodiac signs. Due to the influx of dating apps, the business is struggling and Olivia must deal with the weight of how to continue to manage a successful traditional business. Bennett is the developer of a start up dating app which also bases matches on the zodiac which he started in trying to discover more about his own heritage. Olivia sees Bennett as stealing her family’s idea and sets them up as rivals. Although this was touted as enemies to lovers, it never really had that vibe. And, while predictable at times, it was fun reading about their journey to discover if compatibility overrides attraction and love. A cute love story filled with heart and food and traditions.

first of all, thanks to netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an arc in exchange for an honest review.

Olivia and Bennet were really cute and loveable. the chemistry between the two was almost palpable, it was so much fun to see the two of them flirting. i loved the bet concept and all the ancient matchmaking art.

I really liked that all the lies that were accumulating were clarified before the bet. many books use this type of plot as a climax towards the end of the book and that's what I thought was going to happen in Lunar Love too, so it was a very positive surprise that it didn't.

the insight into Chinese culture was very interesting and I learned and appreciated it in an even deeper way than before.

it was a very fresh and intretaining book!

<blockquote>"I think watching you fall in love is going to be the highlight of my career."</blockquote>

I have received <i>Lunar Love</i> by Lauren Kung Jessen as an e-ARC through NetGalley. Thank you!

<i>Lunar Love</i> is a rom-com about Olivia Huang Christenson, who is taking over her Pó Po's zodiac-matchmaking service. But, then, she meets Bennet O'Brien, who uses similar theories for an dating app. In hopes to settle which matchmaking-method is the best, they have a bet to see who can make the other fall in love first.

This is genuinely a really fun book, and I really like both Olivia and Bennet. I'm the type of person that thinks that characters make or break the story, which does get hard sometimes, but I really liked the two of them. The plot is sweet and had me smiling at 2 in the morning.

The only real issue I had with this book was the writing itself.

It's definitely a matter of opinion, but I felt like the writing just seemed kind of <i>off</i> in some places because what they said and how Olivia described it seemed unnatural. I also don't typically read first-person POV and that did make it a little harder for me to fully immerse myself into the story.

But it's still a nice book! I really can't wait until <i>Lunar Love</i> releases next year!

True Rating: 3.5 Stars

WOW. This book sent me into a tailspin. I loved every single moment. The witty banter, sexual tension, family love, and just journey to self-discovery was amazing.

Okay, I loved Olivia, but I need to start with Bennett. I LOVED HIM. God, I wish I had one of those in my life. He was so sweet, so sexy, and just such an amazing person. I wanted to bundle him up and keep him safe from harm. He cared so much about Olivia and I just couldn’t get enough!! Now, back to Olivia. I really loved her, but at times she annoyed me so much I couldn’t take it. I think since I’m just not such a type A person where I am stubborn to change it pissed me off sometimes. She was so reluctant to just let herself feel even though literally all of her closest people told her to let it go. I understood why and I felt for her, but there were times I just couldn’t stand it. However, this isn’t me saying the book was bad or that it took away from the book. I think that her being insufferable at times is what shaped the book. She was meant to be guarded and just stubborn because that’s what her character called for.

I cannot stress enough how much I loved this. I loved Po Po so much and her wisdom really resonated with me. I loved how accepting she was and how she never pressured Olivia to be a certain way. I feel like sometimes authors have this tendency to make grandparents who are passing down a legacy hard asses who never let them deviate from the path. Especially POC grandparents. It was refreshing to see Po Po be so warm and accepting of change.

I hope that when this book releases everyone will get a copy and experience the joy of this book. I know once it’s released I’ll be buying myself a copy.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a free copy for an honest review!

This story was sweet but a bit of a snooze. I loved the references to Chinese culture and the zodiac, but the story was rather anti-climactic. I didn’t find myself attached to either MC and didn’t even really like Liv in the beginning of the story. I did appreciate that both Liv and Bennett were able to grow and embrace a tradition/modern balance, but I generally found the story a bit boring and didn’t love it.

I was given an ARC by NetGalley and Forever. All opinions are my own.