"You'll miss out on good people if you believe compatibility is the one and only way to love."

Thank you NetGalley for granting me access to a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Such a great premise, but a bummer for me. It didn't hit in all the right places. I felt a little lost in the writing and could not connect with the main characters. I didn't really get a lovers vibe? I just think maybe this book wasn't for me, but it could be for you! I wanted to learn, and I just felt lost.

I feel like I usually vibe so well with fake relationships, but only because it starts out with the obvious connection of "this is going to be a fun trick we play on everyone, but we both know about it." False pretenses within the actual relationship, one party not being privy to the truth, that just filled me with dread. I'm a huge fan of watching two characters unwillingly fall in love and the connection that thrives because of it, but having one party not be in the know made my stomach hurt.

Hoping to read another Lauren Kung Jessen and love it. Definitely a lot of potential in these pages.

I loved the idea of this one but the storyline got a little boring for me. The zodiac information included throughout really was the highlight for me while I read.

"Lunar Love" by Lauren Kung Jessen is a celestial romance that transports readers to a world where love and destiny intertwine beneath the light of the moon. This novel is a captivating exploration of love, fate, and the magic that can be found in unexpected places.

Jessen's writing style is enchanting and evocative, creating a narrative that is both poetic and immersive. The characters in the novel are beautifully crafted, each with their own dreams and aspirations that contribute to the depth of the story.

At the heart of the narrative is a captivating love story that unfolds against the backdrop of the celestial heavens. The author skillfully weaves elements of magic and destiny into the narrative, adding an ethereal touch to the romance.

"Lunar Love" successfully captures the enchantment of the night sky and the emotions that it can inspire. The exploration of themes like fate, choice, and the power of love makes the story resonate on a profound and emotional level.

In conclusion, "Lunar Love" is a mesmerizing and dreamy read that invites readers to believe in the magic of love and destiny. If you're looking for a novel that blends romance with celestial wonder, this book offers a captivating and enchanting journey that will leave you starry-eyed.

When Olivia takes over her grandmother’s matchmaking business, she is upset to learn about a new dating app that also uses the traditional Chinese zodiac approach to matchmaking. Determined to learn more about the app, she makes a fake profile in order to match with the app’s founder Bennett. As the businesses go head to head, Olivia and Bennett make a deal: they’ll find a match for each other…

I thought this was a super cute read. I loved learning more about Chinese/Zodiac matchmaking. I thought Olivia and Bennett had a lot of chemistry and good banter. You should read it!

The more Lunar Love went on the more and more I liked it. Olivia and Bennet romance was a cute and enjoyable read. Favorite thing about this was Olivia’s relationship with her Pòpo (grandmother) that reminded me of my relationship with my grandmother. That relationship just hit very close to home. That was a heartfelt part of the book. Olivia and Bennett rivals to lovers romance was also a highlight. Loved the chemistry and the dates they had. Loved the Chinese zodiac and matchmaking aspects to this one. Really liked the side characters as well. Would love to read more Lauren Kung Jessan.

I gave Lunar Love four stars. Thank you Netgalley and Forever publishing for this arc.

This was a cute, clean romance! It's a perfect romcom for when you're looking for something lighter!

What you can expect:
- Enemies to lovers (rivals)
- Good banter
- Keeping secrets/lying as a plot device
- Chinese background

Thank you to NetGalley for an eArc of Lunar Love. These are my honest opinions.

I think I'm officially done with this one -- I've tried twice and am just really struggling to like / be interested in the female MC. I'm not planning to finish it.

I really liked the premise of this book, and I wanted to like it once I started reading it as a light, easy romance. However, I wanted more depth to the characters and story in general. It had a lot of promise, and it just did not deliver for me in general. Hopefully I re-read it in the future and have my opinions changed.

There is never any doubt where this one is heading. Right from the start. But I was still drawn into Liv and Bennets love story. I was a fan of the rival astrology businesses and the Chinese heritage surrounding Liv. I thought they had the right amount of enemies and compassion and I always say the most important thing to me in a romance is that I root for the characters. And they had that in spades.

I am a fan of the chase in a romance and this one was all about the chase so color me happy.

DNF at 25% I am very sorry to say.

I like the subject matter of this story and was looking forward to it, but I could not get into the author's writing style, the prose itself. It felt kind of straight-forward. I may be used to more creative writing, which is perhaps a ME problem.

I'm only going to review the book here because I don't want to drag their Goodreads rating. I know a lot of people liked it!!

I really liked all the movie references and that this was more grumpy x sunshine rather than enemies-to-lovers. I also loved Olivia's family and their dynamic. However, the chapters were too long for me and I also would have liked to see ZodiaCupid be a bit stronger and have more to offer because I felt that comparing it to Lunar Love and having the two businesses compete felt like a stretch. It felt obvious to me that Lunar Love was the stronger company right from the beginning. We also only get Olivia's POV in the book and I think it would have been better for it to be dual POV with Bennett's POV as well.

This was a really cute book! I really enjoyed getting to know the characters and becoming more familiar with the Chinese zodiac and Chinese culture. While I didn’t love the deceit in parts, I did love getting to see Olivia’s relationship with her grandmother and other family.

This was such a different take on enemies to lovers or star crossed lovers. The look into Chinese American culture and the Chinese zodiac was so interesting. I honestly can say that I went into this book knowing absolutely nothing about the Chinese zodiac but I don't think that made the book any less enjoyable. The author was able to put just enough information in to educate the reader as she told the story of Olivia and Bennett.

I enjoyed the story and really appreciated getting to see the different culture, food and traditions as we got to see Olivia struggle with her sense of duty or what she thought she knew. There were times that I felt the Liv's schemes and thought processes were a little forced/flat and I literally wanted to yell at her when she got in her own head and how she acted towards Bennett but it was overall a cute story.

Lunar Love follows Olivia as she takes over the family matchmaking business that makes matches based on the Chinese Zodiac. She immediately ends up in several meet-not-so-cutes with Bennett O'Brien, a man who steals the last pastry, argues with her during a panel, and all around leaves a bad impression.

As if that couldn't get any worse, it turns out that Bennett O'Brien is also the founder of a brand new dating app that also uses the Chinese Zodiac and threatens to put Lunar Love (her family's business) in jeopardy.

This is honest, enemies to lovers goodness all wrapped up in a romcom plot that is fresh and fun to read. Olivia and Bennett have top tier interactions and banter, and the dynamics shift between them often enough to keep you on your toes.

This book was written for you if:
1) You love the enemies to lovers trope
2) You want a romcom with no spice but tons of romance
3) You want a fresh story about Chinese-American culture and the power of family

This book was cute but unremarkable. I didn't think the main love interests had much chemistry, to be honest. fell flat on the matchmaker premise Lots of food discussion/ mentions

2.5 stars

I was super excited to get into this enemies-to-lovers romance including the Chinese zodiac (and Chinese culture, food, matchmaking, etc). However, the “romance” left a lot to be desired.

The romance started off at the beginning under false pretenses. Our hero, Olivia, is trying to gain intel and ruin the launch and reputation of a dating app, ZodiaCupid, which is run by Bennett. Liv is working hard to save her generational, traditional matchmaking service called Lunar Love. They meet again on a podcast and make a bet that they will be the matchmaking service to make the other one fall in love.

First off, there are a few different plots here that fizzle out. The first bit of this book I enjoyed since it was very
You’ve Got Mail, and I was excited to see these true enemies fall in love. But then it becomes clear that they both knew who the other one was, and now they make a bet??? On top of that, Olivia isn’t giving us “enemy-to-lover” vibes, she’s giving “needs to go to therapy vibes”. She is constantly trying to ruin his business, which left a bad taste in my mouth.

I would have preferred a “real” enemies to lovers plot, but there wasn’t even witty banter past the first meeting, it was just Olivia one-sidedly bashing poor Bennet. I genuinely don’t know why he continues to feel for her when she treats him like hot garbage? Bennet is just a genuine, oblivious dude. If it wasn’t evident, I didn’t care for Liv - she’s one-dimensional to the point where all she ever does is arrogantly argue about matchmaking. Seriously. I didn’t find talking about matchmaking or app data as titillating as I was expecting, especially since Bennett and Olivia have zero chemistry. I would regularly zone out and have to re-read paragraphs because I would get bored. Since the matchmaking prospect wasn’t as interesting as I thought (and the only thing Olivia would talk or think about) the romance didn’t have the room to blossom.

Bonus points for the stunning cover and representation, not to mention the delicious recipes.

This was a hard one for me to rate. I really enjoyed so many aspects of this book - the family dynamics, the ties to Chinese culture, the rivalry. However, I had a really hard time relating to, and even liking, Olivia. She was unnecessarily cruel to the people around her, and in particular she was very unkind to Bennett. I understood her stress and the pressure she felt she was under, but even the rivalry between them shouldn’t have resulted in so many caustic comments. Her character felt really immature and unlikeable as a result. Because of this, I also had a hard time believing that there could be a romance blooming between Olivia and Bennett if she acted the way that she did.

Overall, this was an interesting read, and I would still say to give it a chance! It was just not really for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Lunar Love is a really fun read that opens the door to learning more about Chinese culture and the Chinese Zodiac. I picked this book up several times and it was this one that finally caught and help my attention - it truly wasn't the right time before because I read this in a day and loved it!

This book is filled with a super sweet romance and a great cast of characters. Olivia takes over her Chinese-American family's matchmaking business and struggles throughout the book with her past affecting her ability to be flexible as she tries to keep the business afloat. She meets Bennett O'Brien who is testing a new app that is based off the Chinese Zodiac. She immediately views him as competition and thus starts a ridiculous attempt to "spy" on Bennett.

I was most disappointed with the characterization of Olivia - at times her stubborn nature is insufferable. There was a small portion where I truly did consider not finishing, BUT I'm glad I did not and pushed through. Olivia is very stuck in her ways and that creates many issues for herself in both matchmaking and her own relationships. But the growth she experiences ends up being a highlight of the book!

Bennett is the perfect book boyfriend - kind, thoughtful, and gorgeous! I adored him from the start and give him props for going after Olivia while also respecting her. He could have walked away and instead they both helped each other grow. It was freaking adorable at times and I was so here for it!

While I only rate this 3.5 stars, I still recommend it! There are enough things that balance out my frustration with the main character. I look forward to the author's next release!

I received an ARC from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was a sweet, fun, closed-door romance. Olivia was a character I connected to in so many ways. The need to impress my parents, meet tradition, and mounds of pressure on myself 🫣😅.

I loved the chemistry between Liv and her rival match-making company CEO, Bennet. I really believe their connection and the passion they each have for their company. I loved learning about each of their histories and how they both felt like they had to prove themselves Asian enough.

The amount of Chinese zodiac, matchmaking, and pining was perfect for me. Would I have liked this to be an open-door, full smut romance? Yes! Was I happy with the warm feelings I got from this read instead? Hell yes lol

This felt like a romance that would be amazing on screen and I'd love for someone to make that happen lol. I will definitely be keeping an eye out for more of Lauren Kung Jessen's work in the future!

3.25 stars!

I think that there were parts of this book I really loved: Bennett and Olivia together, the integration of Chinese culture, and the talk about being biracial in America and how they felt their identities in America. I think where this book lost me a little was actually with Olivia by herself. I felt like she was so strict and rigid by herself that it made me a little upset. There was just a lot of stubbornness and rude feelings towards each other and that really wasn't my favorite.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!