Okay, first and foremost, I’m grateful to NetGalley for the chance to check out this title before it’s released.
Now to the rating: I want to be clear that I don’t think this is a bad book. That said, I did not connect with these characters, and part of that was that the dialogue felt really forced to me.
But, what sealed the deal for me was actually pretty early on in the book, when Matt makes some really sexwork phobic mental comments while walking in a NY neighborhood. I know a lot of people have different views on that topic, but it’s a big sticking point for me, and it really changed my perception of his character.

I have no doubt a lot of people will enjoy this book. It’s a fun concept, and I think there is definitely a market for it! It just wasn’t my favorite bao filling <3

This book is about Kimmie an Etsy shop owner, who meets Matt West, a FDNY firefighter. But they have never met in person
It was such an easy and enjoyable read. I found it refreshing that there wasn't much conflict surrounding them and that the majority of the problems revolved around Kimmie and Matt.

Crazy Bao You was just the book to take me out my reading slump! It was such a lighthearted read despite the heavy items spoken about, ie parental death, car accidents, fear of death, etc.

From the description of the video that made Kimmie vital to the way Kimmie and Matt’s relationship is described, the book is an easy pleasant read! I couldn’t put this book down and would definitely recommend it to anyone who wants a lighthearted romantic comedy!

Online romance-Mistaken Identity-Firefighter-Designer-Food Lovers

This book was extremely cute. I loved watching Matt and Kimmie's relationship grow from DM buddies to something more. Matt is so sweet and honestly the perfect guy while Kimmie is a spot of sunshine. They both discover that it is never too late to follow your dreams/ discover new ones.

A fun fluffy read for anyone looking for a palate-cleanser romance.

I was so excited to receive an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley! The cover is so beautifully illustrated and the title screams cute. I loved the plot line as a fellow seamstress and adored the depth of all the different side characters. The ending was very abrupt for me and seemed very rushed. I really hoped for a more climatic break between the main characters but that part also seemed very wishy washy. Overall it was a super cute and quick read to get me out of my reading slump.

This book is such a fun read. I enjoyed it so much I will most likely purchase the hard copy when it’s available for purchase in store.

Thank you NetGalley and the author for having this available as an ARC.

This book involves slight catfishing, a viral meme, an Etsy shop, instagram DMs, friendship, family, laughter, past trauma and individual growth. It’s a romance, but is also about one woman’s battle, to get over her own fears that have stopped her from evolving.

I was smiling so much during this read because the MC Kimmie had me laughing so much. Whether it was her random thoughts or witty retorts, she was a delight to read. Matt is a hot fireman that would pique anyone’s interest, but he was caring and down to earth. I liked how their relationship developed online and it was more than just looks. The connection was a genuine one.

This was such an easy read and well paced. I felt like I had some form of reaction within each chapter whether it was fun, cringey, heartfelt, awkward… and I remember having a few “oh no” moments. Definitely was a refreshing story - very lighthearted, but when those serious moments came, it was done with understanding and care.

Loved the author’s writing and want to check out her other work. Definitely recommend!

The story is really lighthearted and an easy read but I could not get past how the characters all sounded like the exact same person. There was no original voices. The text conversations sounded like the ones I had as a 15 year old but these are characters supposedly in their late 20s/early 30s. It honestly wouldn't gave bothered me so much if they had actually been written as late teens early 20s.

Outside of that, it was a fun quick read. I did enjoy parts of it.

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

BLURB: Kimmie Park has finally met a man who gets her and laughs at her jokes. Matt West is kind, compassionate, and he’s a smoking hot FDNY firefighter. There’s just one (or many) problem. They’ve never met in person because he lives in New York and she’s in Oklahoma. He also doesn’t know that her life recently imploded when she very publicly quits her retail job and becomes a meme in a viral video, known as the woman who twerked as she tells off her boss. And he has no idea what she really looks like.

After quitting her job, Kimmie focuses on her Etsy shop designing purses and accessories. She’d posted pictures of her best friend Alicia with her merchandise, not realizing people would assume Alicia was Kim from My Crafty Bao. That’s fine with Kimmie since she’s still hiding out from her recent unwanted internet fame. But as the chemistry between her and Matt sizzles and their every interaction threatens to set them both on fire, she knows she needs to tell him the truth. Especially since Matt’s father, the CEO of a huge retail store, sees Kimmie’s shop and wants to partner with her.

As Kimmie prepares to visit New York City for the first time, she grapples with the sorrows of her past which have kept her in Oklahoma ever since her parents died when she was sixteen. Will she be able to let go of her fears and embrace who she really is, or will it cause her to lose the man of her dreams and the opportunity of a lifetime?

REVIEW: I had high hopes for this book and was pretty disappointed it didn’t deliver. The story follows Kim and Matt as they meet and navigate the world of dating, and on the plus side, it was an easy, light read.

However, what bothered me was that Kim lied, continuously, for no reason. Matt, a probationary firefighter, was always late, which is unrealistic. Where I come from, chronic lateness while on probation is cause for dismissal. It also really irked me that the author kept saying that the multicultural characters ‘didn't look Chinese. Even though she was half-Asian, she didn't look it’. Also, every time Kim tried to have a serious conversation she would space out and have an internal monologue about how cute Matt is, which was so out of place it kept dragging the reader out of the story.

Thank you to NetGalley for a copy of this in return for my honest review.

All I wanted was a sweet rom com that would make me laugh and smile. Crazy bao you delivered in spades.
Right from the get go I was chuckling, both Kimmie and Matt are immediately likable and once they start interacting the banter is funny and flirty.
Matt mistaking Kim’s friend for her and the chaos that ensued was handled well not dragging out too long but not resolved instantly either.
I really enjoyed the gentle subbplot of Kim’s adoption and how she views herself in terms of her cultural identity especially in regards to food. “ I closed my eyes, letting the contradiction of flavors and textures meld in my mouth, and I knew I was tasting the flavors of my heritage”.
The TAB wasn’t my favorite but thankfully was over quickly.
No spice but I don’t think it needed it. The romance was warm and wholesome just like a good bao ;)

All in all I would say a solid 3.5/4 out of 5 stars

This book, by far, is one of this year’s easiest read. It is entertaining, down to earth, with relatable characters. Love the wit and the writing style.
Crazy Bao You by Lyn Liao is the story of Kim and Matt, how they met, their connection, how you react to the « obstacles » life puts in your way and how never it’s too late to follow your dreams, even if you put them on hold for years. You’re never too old to try and learn.

Uno de los libros más fáciles y entretenidos de los que he leído en el transcurso del año. Me divertí mucho con las situaciones y malentendidos entre Kim y Matt… No importa por cuántos años has puesto en espera tus sueños, siempre vale la pena luchar por ellos y hacerlos realidad.
Gracias por la oportunidad de dar una reseña para éste libro.

Romances usually take me 3 hours to finish. This took me 3 days – I desperately wanted to DNF but forced myself to push through. This book was a mess, stuffed full of half-baked tropes and cartoonish characters.

From the start, I really struggled with the FMC, Kimmie, whose behavior is erratic and narrative voice immature and anxious. The situation with the viral video that disrupts her life is nonsensical, and her reaction to it – and, especially once she begins talking to Matt, hiding herself and allowing him and the world to think she was actually her best friend – was gross. She basically catfished him, and he was fine with it? I thought their chemistry was pretty much non-existent and their banter did absolutely nothing for me, and I found it jarring that she was fine making with filthy innuendo (Firemen and hoses? Really?) but then was uncomfortable with the word penis (What actual adult says “pee-pee”?). Her third-act freakout was not only the worst trope – bad random thing happens and of course it’s my fault and I must completely destroy my life in response – and then was resolved in a matter of just a couple pages.

I wanted to enjoy a book that, on paper, had so much to recommend it: Asian lead, adoption, a chance online connection, a hot fire fighter, and a lot of yummy food! Sadly, this was not it.

[book:Crazy Bao You] by [author:Lynn Liao Butler]
⭐️
🌶️ The food was spicier than anything between the leads.
🤳💃 The perils of going viral
👛🥟 There was a time I probably would have been very into Kimmie’s accessories
👨‍🚒🐶 Every fireman needs a good dog


<i>Thanks to NetGalley and LLB for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.</i>

A fun and delightful read . The main character is very likeable as well .

Thank you for the opportunity to read this eArc.

I think this book tried to accomplish too many things, and unfortunately it didn’t really do any of them particularly well. I wanted to like this book because it generally sounded pretty cute, but I couldn’t get into because there was too much going on and the writing was a bit immature. These characters didn’t speak like almost 30 year olds, and the writing felt a bit like a run on sentence. I was happy that the story ended with a HEA, but it just wasn’t the book for me.

I was given an ARC by NetGalley and LLB, Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA). All opinions are my own.

This book was really cute! I enjoyed reading about Kimmie and Matt and their antics. If this was made into a movie, I would definitely watch it.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the chance to honestly review this book

BLURB: Kimmie Park has finally met a man who gets her and laughs at her jokes. Matt West is kind, compassionate, and he’s a smoking hot FDNY firefighter. There’s just one (or many) problem. They’ve never met in person because he lives in New York and she’s in Oklahoma. He also doesn’t know that her life recently imploded when she very publicly quits her retail job and becomes a meme in a viral video, known as the woman who twerked as she tells off her boss. And he has no idea what she really looks like.

After quitting her job, Kimmie focuses on her Etsy shop designing purses and accessories. She’d posted pictures of her best friend Alicia with her merchandise, not realizing people would assume Alicia was Kim from My Crafty Bao. That’s fine with Kimmie since she’s still hiding out from her recent unwanted internet fame. But as the chemistry between her and Matt sizzles and their every interaction threatens to set them both on fire, she knows she needs to tell him the truth. Especially since Matt’s father, the CEO of a huge retail store, sees Kimmie’s shop and wants to partner with her.

As Kimmie prepares to visit New York City for the first time, she grapples with the sorrows of her past which have kept her in Oklahoma ever since her parents died when she was sixteen. Will she be able to let go of her fears and embrace who she really is, or will it cause her to lose the man of her dreams and the opportunity of a lifetime?

REVIEW: I had high hopes for this book and was pretty disappointed it didn’t deliver. The story follows Kim and Matt as they meet and navigate the world of dating, and on the plus side, it was an easy, light read.

However, what bothered me was that Kim lied, continuously, for no reason. Matt, a probationary firefighter, was always late, which is unrealistic. Where I come from, chronic lateness while on probation is cause for dismissal. It also really irked me that the author kept saying that the multicultural characters ‘didn't look Chinese. Even though she was half-Asian, she didn't look it’. Also, every time Kim tried to have a serious conversation she would space out and have an internal monologue about how cute Matt is, which was so out of place it kept dragging the reader out of the story.

Thank you to NetGalley for a copy of this in return for my honest review.

Crazy Bao You was a fun, light-hearted read with cozy characters. I loved the FDNY aspect and fire department scenes. Matt was a cinnamon roll- but for as much as he valued his job he sure was late a lot! Kimmie had too much going on at once. I wanted to cheer for her but she did kind of catfish Matt the first half of the book with essentially zero consequences? I liked reading about all the different types of food (totally ordering Thai for lunch now). Not a fan of the third-act "breakup" as it was just one more drama to add for Kim's plate. My favorite scenes were them getting to know each other and being in NYC, and they handled discussions of death of a parent with grace. Overall it just felt like SOMETHING was missing.

Crazy Bao You is a charming book that will appeal to young adult romance readers, especially those who prefer their stories leaning hard into courtship, attraction and eventual love (the romance side of things) with less emphasis on graphic sex scenes. Our hero (Matt) and heroine (Kim) meet via a DM on Instagram for her Etsy shop, and due to an initial photo mix-up (Kim is trying to distance herself from an embarrassing twerking viral video), get to know each other with Matt believing Kim looks like her gorgeous best friend (the photo Kim is “borrowing” for her profile pic.) Will Matt still like Kim when he finds out what she really looks like? Crazy Bao You is fun, easy to read, with characters realistically presented with all their human foibles and life challenges (maybe a few too many, but hey, that’s true-life, right?). Kimmie's gleeful child-like reaction on her first visit to New York City from her home in Oklahoma were especially light-hearted and enjoyable (made me yearn for a trip to the city!). On Matt's side, the scenes in the NYFD firehouse where he works and the camaraderie among the firefighters were up-lifting. Overall, a gentle escapist read, with the expected ending.

2.5 stars

This wasn’t my favorite. While there were some sweet moments, and I enjoyed learning more about Korean and Taiwanese food, it just didn’t keep my attention. I felt like it was an awkward collection of problems that were too unrealistic. I didn’t find myself rooting for the main characters and didn’t feel the connection between them.

This was a really cute romcom I liked Matt and Kimmie and how they connected online. The whole viral video about Kimmie and how she became famous was funny as well. One thing that annoyed me was that Kimmie could have avoided a lot of her problems by being honest from the start. I liked how caring Matt was and also enjoyed all the food mentioned in the book. Overall it was a very easy read.