3 stars

There was much to enjoy in this urban fantasy romance - real, weighty stakes; two complex lead characters; an interesting world (though I did think the world-building could have been more detailed and clearer in many areas); and a super cute romance for all that their lives and pasts intervened (I particularly enjoyed how much genuine communication there was between these two - including at a point where other novels will insert the second/third act miscommunication trope). I also had an issue with the pacing of the plot and felt like the book took on too much as a standalone story and somehow didn't fully satisfy either the romance plot or the fantasy elements and the plot involving Elle's younger brother and family (though I can see the potential for expanding the world, especially with some of the side characters).

I feel like the blurb misled me on this one. I thought it was a magical adventure with romance, but it turned out to be a romance with some magical adventure.

The pacing was all over the place. Things changed in the relationship very suddenly, and then we had a moment of action that felt like the climax...but it was only halfway through the book. The second half dragged and felt like it went on forever.

I also had a really hard time with the FMC making excuses for all the men who used her and/or betrayed her trust. Her purpose both in her mind and in the book seemed to be what she could do for her love interest and her brother. No thanks.

I was not a huge fan of this, but someone who doesn't mind a romance with the main conflict being a terrible, exhausting corporate job and for a random sex scene that lasts forever??? This could be for you.

I received an arc through NetGalley and Tachyon Publications in exchange for an honest review.

It's a very well-written paranormal fantasy that takes you to a world of intrigue and romance. The beginning is a little slower for my taste but I think it's perfect in this case because it gives you a chance to get into the story. I especially loved how it combines so many cultures and languages. It's one of the best books I have read with diverse characters.
Elle is more powerful than she admits to anyone, most of all to herself. In the past, she did something that is haunting her and she thinks happiness isn't for her. That is until Luc comes into her life and proves her wrong.
Lucien is working for a man he can't respect doing a job he hates. There is no way out, though. That is until he has a reason to try harder. Now, he is determined to change his circumstances and help Elle regain her happiness.
I'm a fan of Asian Fantasy and the premise of this book is what piqued my interest first. Then I read more about it and knew I would love it and I wasn't wrong. I thoroughly enjoyed the story and loved every character.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with this arc!

This book has a beautiful blend of mythologies and folklore from various cultures, though I’m not overly familiar with all of them. Which made for a very unique world, with a magic system that was both intricate and intriguing. Normally I don’t read contemporary fantasies, as I find I rarely like the worlds they offer, but this one was absolutely incredible and I loved every second of it.

The characters were easy to love and the romance between the two protagonists was super sweet. Their banter also had a few moments that were really funny, like “made me laugh out loud while reading funny” which I really enjoyed. The supporting cast of side characters was also really charming and I loved seeing them all grow closer throughout the course of this story.

Review will be up on my Instagram (@kratis0) closer to release

I wanted to love this and enjoy it so much. The idea behind it is so unique but the execution fell flat for me. Right from the start there was lack of background and information. The world building was practically non-existent in my eyes. I was fairly confused and just felt disappointed and disconnected from these characters. Elle is an immortal adult who does not give off those vibes at all. I felt like I was reading about a teenager. It was one thing that kept me from being immersed into the story, along with the jumbled and disjointed world building.

Wonderful idea, just poor execution. Thank you so much to netgalley and the publishers for an arc copy in exchange for an honest review.

Mia has brought us an addictive romance fantasy that captivates us with the world building and really sucks you in with the characters.

The different languages and culture weaved throughout really is the perfect toppings on the pizza.

The epilogue was just what I needed to tie this masterpiece together, I really hope we get to visit this world again.
Tony would make a very interesting read.

John Wick meets Fantasy.

Special thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for a free, electronic ARC of this novel received in exchange for an honest review

There is much to love about this novel- the culture, the family dynamics, and the writing which is at times lyrical and almost poetic. Elle is a descendant of the Chinese god of medicine, but after a family conflict left her brother presumed dead, she must hide her power behind creating low-level magical glyphs as a run-of-the-mill calligrapher. She has some excitement in the form of a special client, Luc, a half-elven security agent for the powerful Bureau. And when Luc's work forces him to monitor one of Elle's brothers, their story begins to intertwine in a more complex and exciting manner.

I especially enjoyed Elle's relationship with her brother and all the cultural references, many of which I understood and related to. I also enjoyed reading about Luc's difficult relationships with his boss and colleagues, and the parent-like relationship he shared with a sphinx. While Elle and Luc's relationship was a sweet love story, there was an awkwardness to it which was endearing. Perhaps because of the nature of it, I thought it could have done without the sex scenes which I understand might appeal to some but didn't really add anything to the story for me.

I enjoyed the author's note at the end which explained her use of multiple languages throughout the novel and the importance of different voices and cultures within publishing. Perhaps the publisher might consider putting this note at the front of the book which would have been welcome from my point of view.

All in all a sweet romantic read with enjoyable cultural references and entertaining relationships between the different characters. Thank you to Tachyon Publications and #NetGalley for providing an ARC.

Holy hell, this book was SO FREAKING GOOD?! I remember first hearing about Bitter Medicine from Mia Tsai's socials and being super intrigued by the premise of the novel. I'm so glad I picked up this book because within the first few pages, I was immediately captivated by the world and magic system. In particular, the world that Mia Tsai has created in Bitter Medicine, filled with lush mythology and magic from a variety of cultures—not just Chinese—is so alluring. I'm only familiar with a some aspects of Chinese lore from reading other xianxia-inspired fantasies, but the level of intricacy Mia Tsai included with her magic system in this novel was soooo well done. The action sequences in this book are top-notch and truly feel like something straight out of a movie.

I also adored these characters so much!! Elle is such a relatable main character, and gives such "eldest daughter in an Asian household" energy. I empathized with her so much as she navigated protecting Tony from her family while trying to atone for her past actions, grieve over the loss of her family, find a deeper connection with her magic and art, and navigate her relationship with her crush, Luc, our other main character. I really enjoyed reading Luc's arc, too, and watching him struggle with his growing relationship with Elle while being forced to make incredibly hard and morally unjust decisions at work, most of the time against his will. The additional side characters, including Tony, Lira, and the Wrecking Crew provided such charming comedic relief that perfectly balanced the more serious parts of the plot. Watching these characters grow closer throughout the novel was definitely my top highlight of the story.

This is definitely one of the best contemporary fantasies I've ever read, and I would honestly love to read more stories from this world, because it's genuinely so cool! I really look forward to Mia Tsai's future works, but in the meantime, go pre-order Bitter Medicine!!!

What a delightful read and definitely exceeded my expectations! Surprisingly, it’s very well-written for a debut novel.

I’m diving into this book first because the blurb was interesting. It mentioned Elle, an immortal and descendant of Chinese god of medicine having a crush with Luc, a French half-elf and top secret agent. I think this combo is quite rare and exceptional. And yes, it turns out that this book has not failed to satisfy me.

I admit that the world-building and the character’s background story was weak in the first half, but the romance goes strong from the start. I love their dynamics and I can easily connect with the main characters from the start. Good point for a start. After the first half, the plot is going better, the secrets about each character are revealed and all started to make sense, and at that moment, it only makes me love them more. I also love the writing style, so feathery but also deep in some points. The banters are brilliant, with good timing and not too cheesy.

Formerly, I had issues with the author who didn’t provide translation for some foreign language used: mandarin, french, and some latin (I guess?). But then she explained it on the author notes, so I make a peace with it. Lol.

Fun fact: I usually not a fan of insta-love due to my inability to connect with the MCs, but this one I can approve dearly. Hands down for the fun and flowy narrative, so it helps me to connect with the characters easily.

I received this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I enjoyed this. There was a lot of Chinese culture i didn't know before this and I loved the fantasy element.

Wow, this was such a great book and I learned so much while reading this. A contemporary fantasy novel that follows Elle, a Chinese Immortal and Luc, a French Elf. It is action packed and full of adventure! Elle and Luc’s love story is so cute and had me kicking my legs like a teenager in love again. There were a lot of “awww” moments for me.

The first half was slow with its pacing but picked up in the second half and I couldn’t put it down after that. I did also get confused as to what was happening a few times with dialogue and some of the transitions in scenes.

The different cultural references were wonderfully done and I always look to learn something new from a book. Kudos to the author on the thought-provoking afterword. I’ve been thinking about it for days and know it will stay with me for some time.

I’d love if this were a series, it feels like there is a lot more to learn about all these characters! Can’t wait to read more from this author.

I received an ARC from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.

This was such a charming, charming book with two extremely likeable lead characters. It follows romance beats - I would say this reads like a romance novel that has urban fantasy elements, but I loved it because I also love romance!

For me, Mia is an extremely relatable character. I am also a middle child of East Asian descent so really identified with her inner world, her struggles, and all the complex family dynamics! As a love interest, Luc was swoon worthy - I'm a massive fan of the 'I'm only nice to you' trope and this delivered in a big way! I really enjoyed reading about his struggles to balance his work and personal life, and felt his character arc was satisfying to see. His challenges feel very relevant to the current world.

All in all, I was totally swept away by the world Mia Tsai created, and finished the book within two days.

A gorgeously written fantasy with some truly wonderful characters at its heart. I would love to see more of Elle, Lucien and others in this world.

• 𝑩𝒐𝒐𝒌 𝑹𝒆𝒗𝒊𝒆𝒘 •

𝗧𝗶𝘁𝗹𝗲: Bitter Medicine
𝗔𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗿: Mia Tsai
𝗥𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴: ☆☆☆☆ 4/5

𝗣𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝗡𝗼𝘁𝗲: 𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘛𝘢𝘤𝘩𝘺𝘰𝘯 𝘗𝘶𝘣𝘭𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘨𝘪𝘧𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘦 𝘢𝘯 𝘈𝘙𝘊 𝘷𝘪𝘢 𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘎𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺. 𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘢 𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘣𝘫𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸, 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘰𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘮𝘺 𝘰𝘸𝘯.

This was such a great read!! Romance, spice and a magical world that I could not get enough of. The relationship between the two main characters was paced so well. There was a buildup of trust, friendship and love whilst they were also finding themselves and learned to love themselves. That scene where they made love for the first time was amazing, it had heat and emotions. It was just so well balanced it made me FEEL. I've studied Chinese and it was so much fun to recognize words. After reading the author note at the end, the way it was done made so much more sense and the thought behind it is just so beautiful. It gave the story another dimension. The pacing was not as strong throughout the whole book and I'm still left with some questions I would like answered. I do think the ending was prefect for these characters even if I would have thought the author would go in a different direction. The author kept me on my toes. I would love to read more stories in this world and I would definitely pick up more books from this author. I highly recommend reading this book if you love a paranormal adventure.

I had a good time reading this! The representation and diversity in this story made me feel. so good. I love how language was included as well.

The banter and humor felt like I was in my own circle going back and. forth. Tony! My how I love Tony. The sibling relationship was sweet and sometimes misguided but definitely relatable. I wish the storyline with their family was a little more fleshed out. I would have loved to see what happened with the younger brother and Tony's decisions on his role.

The romance was sweet, even if I found myself slightly annoyed by either one of them speaking up. As frustrating and slow as it was sometimes, I understood why they were being careful and protecting themselves. Still, the sweet and sometimes hilarious relationship worked, They were just what each other needed, and even with the slow burn, you could feel how much they cared for one another with each word.

I wish we could have had more details on their pasts and the company. That portion of the story could have been more fleshed out and would've made the characters more understood. I wanted to care for the characters more than I did. There were some slight pacing issues but not to the point where I wanted to skim. so it was still manageable.

Overall it was a feel-good story. The story as a whole was about loving yourself more and choosing happiness even if it means starting over. I loved the story just wish the journey itself was more detailed.

tl;dr
Romance sits front and center in this urban fantasy with two smart and likable adult leads.

About
Elle is a low-level employee at Roland & Riddle, making simple magical glyphs for members of the agency. Luc is the agency's top security expert, favored by Oberon himself. When Luc starts coming to Elle for glyphs for his mission, feelings blossom on both sides. But both sides also carry a lot of secrets - Elle's hiding the true extent of her power, and Luc's still living with the fallout of an old assignment gone wrong. There's also the small matter of Elle's murderous younger brother, and Luc's latest assignment to hunt him down...

Thoughts
Congratulations to fans of pining, this one's for you. The pining is incredibly strong here, with both characters quietly and powerfully into each other before the first page, and a lot of longing thoughts even after their mid-book hookup. I typically read fantasy books with romance in them, but this is most certainly a romance book with fantasy in it. Our lead couple's relationship is firmly fixed as the focus of the book, which is a surprising thing to say about a piece that also includes family drama amongst descendants of gods, and a fight against the fae king Oberon. And yet, it works. In some ways, it feels as if we're getting a slice of insight into our two leads - all the things that mattered before do not matter quite so much in the presence of a loved one.

Elle's arc learning to love herself first before she allows herself to love Luc was incredibly painful in a very real and relatable way (I was not expecting to feel so attacked by this book, but here we are). I love that she's already extremely smart and capable, and she knows it. I also love that a plot twist in the middle could have turned into my least favorite trope - bad communication - and Elle navigated it incredibly well and made no assumptions. I genuinely cheered.

Luc is a likable lead as well, although we get significantly less insight into his story. The narration did a good job of highlighting who he is at work vs who he is with Elle, and his own struggle with who he wants to be always. Also, I will never not be excited about an elf who also cooks.

I think my only "complaint" about the book is that it's written in third person present tense, which is for some reason really hard for me to get into. It took a couple false starts from me before I could actually finish this, but I'm glad I did.

Elle and Luc are the sweetest burn of a romance that I’ve come across in an urban fantasy. Typically we get heroes that are brash and jarring but both Elle and Luc have been through enough in their long lives that all they want is to fly under the radar, plus Tony has more than enough for everyone involved in this story. I struggled a bit to understand the magic system and world building in this one and wish there was a glossary, or reference section, but there were enough context clues for me to put it together. I wouldn’t recommend this book for someone trying to dip their toes in urban fantasy, but it was a fun story with enough romance and action to throughly keep me entertained and I’m excited to see what this author does next.

Genre not quite my cup of tea.
This was fast-paced and smooth reading.
I will rec to my students who prefer fantasy and romance.
I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

3.5 rounded up. This i was a fun fast paced read. I loved the lead characters and their character development throughout the book. I enjoyed the world building and the mythologies mixed into the magic system. Mia did a really great job of pulling me into the story and keeping me invested, I couldn’t put it down.

My only complaints was that the pacing was a little off and felt confusing at times. And also how the mcs got together was a little anticlimactic and could’ve slow burned it a little bit more. But regardless they made a cute couple and had many cute moments.
overall I enjoyed this book more than i thought I would and is a perfect mix of fantasy and romance

Thank you netgalley for this arc.

Thank you to Tachyon Publishing and NetGalley for the eARC of Bitter Medicine!

This book was so unsurprisingly good! Incredible story with incredible characters! Definitely one you should add to your bookshelf!!

-> Urban Fantasy Romance
-> Excellent World Building and Magic System
-> Chinese Mythology Elements
-> Fast-paced