Chen is a delightful and witty dive into high school drama and unexpected love. Juliana Zhao, self-proclaimed love expert, finds her world flipped upside down when she’s forced to partner with her childhood frenemy for a dating advice column. Just when she thought she had it all figured out, she starts to question everything about love and success. It's funny, sweet, and witty. If you're looking for the perfect summer read then pick up Asking for a Friend.
*Thank you for the ARC!

Asking For a Friend Is a Romance novel mixed with a coming-of-age story following the main character character Juliana who enters into a local business competition. Juliana is headstrong and determined to win the competition at any length especially with her mom pushing her from behind. She ends up teaming up with her former friend/frenemy Garrett to ace the competition. When old feelings arise things become complicated in the competition and her family life. It’s up to Juliana to choose what path she must take towards the future.

“But what if there were things— people— I couldn’t give up? At what age can you stop saying, It was because my parents told me so, and take responsibility for your actions? When do you have to finally admit that your choices are who you are?”

This novel gives friends to lovers or feelings for the romance aspect but as a whole the novel felt more like a coming-of-age story about growing up and making hard choices. Juliana ultimately has to make a choice, choosing between what her head and her heart truly want. The novel also is a commentary on culture and immigration as well as grief. All topics intertwined within the plot smoothly and I think some of the discussions in the novel make this a relatable read for its YA audience. The novel also is a commentary on culture as well as grief. Juliana as well as her family grapples with losing her father and missing him dearly but also wants to carry on his legacy in the best way. She becomes torn as the past arises and some secrets that come to light. What is it that her dad would want for the family’s future?

I enjoyed the setting of the Old Taipei community and its residents. Readers get to see the rich Taiwanese culture from the food and traditions and how the community is affected by an ever-changing world (and greedy corporations). This novel reminds its audience, about how important it is to keep cultural centers for people to keep the community together and how when these places are destroyed the community community can fall apart. The competition aspect was fun and exciting and I like to see how Juliana and Garrett take on each challenge as well as slowly start to repair their relationship with each other after their fallout from years past. The romance was very sweet and it kind of gave a slow-burn feel as they slowly discover their true feelings for each other.

This is a great novel about growing up and discovering that the choices that we make are not always easy. It’s a lesson that we should choose things that best impact our future and not make choices based on what others want for us.

Even after finishing Asking for a Friend I’m not sure what I thought of it. I know that it was a solid read that was well written, but the plot fell a little flat in my opinion.

The concept of the competition was very intriguing and I really liked Juliana’s idea of giving out love advice. It’s the type of site I could imagine a lot of teens using for help. I also really liked their ‘sunny’ and ‘cloudy’ personas. These fit them perfectly and painted a lovely picture of what their business concept was. Sadly, the implementation of the challenges just wasn’t exciting to me. The final challenge could have made for some really interesting events, but it never comes to pass.

My biggest issue with Asking for a Friend was it being marketed as a romcom when it wasn’t romantic or really all that funny. Yes, there were some moments that were lighthearted and the characters would say something meant to be funny, but the overall feel of the book for me was one of tension. 

I enjoyed the moments when Juliana and Garett were getting along and not worrying about the competition or their families. The friendship between them was apparent, but I wasn’t sold on the romance. Maybe if we got to see more of them from their time spent together two summers ago, but there wasn’t really any build up.

My favourite part of Asking for a Friend was definitely the sense of community in Old Taipei. I love small communities and the bonds that form because of them. The cultural centre was a wonderful setting to get to know who Juliana was outside of the competition–it brought out the best in her and I'm glad she realises in the end.

My favourite character was definitely Juliana’s sister. She’s the comic relief that actually gave pretty sound advice. I can’t speak on the family dynamic as it’s not my culture, but I loved the bond between the sisters, it’s one that can only come from a strained home life.

I can appreciate the complexities of life as an immigrant (even though I have no experience of this myself, so it’s not my place to comment on it) and I liked how these were displayed with raw emotion, but personally, this book was not for me. As I think it was well written and I liked the characters I will be giving it a solid three stars.

This was a great review about over baring parents and strict culture views. It was a super cute romance with an enemies to lovers feel. The chemistry with the characters was spot on and so freaking cute.

Asking for A Friend is a great coming-of-age story with a relatable cast of characters and powerful messages about family, growing up, grief, fighting for what you believe in, and more. The story follows Juliana, a high school student who enters The Asian American in Business Competition, a contest her deceased father created. Determined to win but dumped by her partner, Juliana asks her estranged friend Garrett to pair with her. The pair haven't spoken since he ghosted her the previous summer.

Juliana is so positive and optimistic, and Garrett is more of a realist with a bit of cynicism. I love the grumpy sunshine vibes they have going on! They even named their business Sunny and Cloudy. How perfect is that? And the love advice they give is contrastingly comical and really shows their distinctly different personalities. They have a fabulous ex-friends- to-lovers romance, and it was one of my favorite parts of the story!

Juliana goes through a lot in the story, and she changes so much. She's very conflicted, and the pressure mounts as she pushes to win the competition. Between her mother's pressure and the pressure she puts on herself, it's no wonder she struggles so much. I like how, as she works at the community center and with Garrett in the contest, she starts to see the toxicity in some of her relationships. The story takes a hard look at family dynamics and the pressure put on kids to live up to their parent's expectations.

The community center and all the wonderful people Juliana meets there sharply contrast the community her mother is a part of. Where her mother’s social circle is competitive, fickle, and, filled with backtalking gossips who will drop you for ridiculous reasons, the community center people are supportive, caring, and united. They juxtapose each other well. It becomes a safe haven for Garrett, his younger sister, and eventually, Juliana, as this is one place where they can escape the family problems and truly be themselves. It's an eye-opening experience for Juliana who constantly walks on eggshells with her mother and can't really be honest with her. Her mother is so unbending and rigid! However, the time Juliana spends at the community center opens her eyes to so many possibilities, and that, as well as her relationship with Garrett, gives her the courage to stand up for herself and what she wants.

The story also delves into topics like gentrification, the importance of preserving community and a cultural identity, friendship, and more. And even though it explores heavier topics, it's also super cute and fun with a lot of sweet and comical scenes. Special thanks to Quill Tree Books and Netgalley for providing me with a copy of the book. All thoughts are my own.

Actual Rating: 4.75 stars. I received an ARC from Quill Tree Books in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

When people talk about reading to understand other people and other lives, this is the kind of book I think of: a story that captures the complexities of living a life that’s balancing on the edge of two completely different cultures.

I will never fully be able to understand the Taiwanese American experience. But it’s through books like this that I can begin to learn that they go through things I cannot fathom. Things that don’t make sense to me because I have never and will never experience them. But for some people—for these characters—this is real and this is happening.

This is what life looks like, feels like, and what life expects them to be.

At it’s core, this is a story about family, love, and the choices we make, both for ourselves and for others.

It made me giggle and kick my feet, but it also made me cry. I found myself highlighting paragraphs full of wisdom and resonance that I could ponder forever. It made me think more deeply about how lucky I am to have parents who have always loved and supported my dreams, never once hesitating to ask me what I want for my life.

This book made me feel things in a way that was both painful and cathartic all at once . . . and I think that sometimes those are the best kind of stories.

What I Loved:
- Juliana and Garrett's relationship. This is the best kind of grumpy x sunshine pairing. I haven't read a ton of books with that trope, but this one wins for me. Juliana is such a hopeless romantic, and Garrett is . . . well, he's not so quick to jump into romanticizing the idea of love. They really couldn't be more different, and it's those differences that make their journey so beautiful. There's also, like, really good banter. So, that's also a huge bonus.
- Garrett. Everything about this boy was literally perfect, and I shall not be accepting criticism. He's complicated. There' s so much more to him than just the brooding, angsty sad boy mask. I literally have no critiques.
- The intricate relationship between Juliana and her mother. As someone who has a close relationship with my own mother, I didn't understand everything about their relationship. They're very different from the mother/daughter relationships I've seen and experienced, and then there's the added cultural differences. But . . . I could sympathize at the beginning. I could watch as Juliana tried to fix everything that was broken in her family and know that things would probably come crumbling down. I could listen to their conversations and begin to experience their relationship through Juliana's eyes. I don't want to spoil anything, but trust me when I say that this particular relationship really made the book.
- The way that grief was explored and not just casually thrown in for "depth." I read a lot of novels about grief, and I'm always worried about how it'll be portrayed. But Chen did an incredible job. No, grief isn't the main point of this novel. It's not even the primary conflict. But it's present. It's there. It lingers in the cracks of Juliana's story because that's what grief does. It lays dormant in certain seasons before coming out and wreaking havoc on our lives. The destruction of grief and the different ways people handle it (or don't handle it) are depicted in both an honest and delicate way that will leave you feeling like you're right there with the characters in their darkest moments.

What I Didn't Love:
- The LGBT themes. This didn't bother me that much—mostly because it wasn't a focal point of the story—but it was something that I didn't love.

Content Warnings:
Cancer, cursing, death of a parent (mentioned) grief, LGBT themes (there are LGBT couples mentioned briefly, and some of the protagonist's friends are in same-sex relationships), racism, sexual content, and xenophobia.

Juliana Zhao is determined to win the Asian Americans in Business Competition, and she will do that with her friend Eric. That is, until he bails on her, and she is forced to partner with her nemesis, Garrett. The two make an unlikely pair and begin to answer anonymous submissions of questions about love. This book was a cute YA rom-com that is perfect for fans of Emma Lord and Emiko Jean.

Kara HL Chen is so talented! I absolutely gobble up her writing because she is so intricate, yet goofy, yet tender and authentic. I loved this story so much and I thought nothing could top Love and Resistance. However, this was another beautiful coming of age story from Kara HL Chen. I highly recommend it to everyone, not just teens.

Thank you to Quill Tree Books and NetGalley for this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Seventeen-year-old Juliana (Juju) is the middle daughter of Taiwanese immigrants. Her father passed away when she was younger and is now trying to live up to his business legacy. That means she must win the Asian American in Business Competition that her father founded. Her first partner dumped her most likely because of a scandal in her family, so Juliana pairs up with frenemy Garrett Tsai. She keeps all this secret from her controlling, classist mother. Their project revolves around giving love advice, which Juliana considers herself an expert. But all is not what it seems and Juliana must make important choices about her life and future.
This was a very cute YA rom-com that I really enjoyed. It reminded me a bit of Crazy Rich Asians. This will make a great summer read.
#AskingForAFriend #NetGalley

This is a very engaging book. I was captivated right away and even when I had to stop reading, I thought of what was going on in the story and guessing on where it was heading.
For anyone who has put pressure on themselves, or had pressure from other people, this book strikes the right chord of the frustration, anger, and hopelessness you can sometimes feel. Especially when you see yourself and your actions in a new light - which is sometimes not flattering. So to confront the problem, pick yourself up and make the changes to move on is so important to do. And that is just what the author accomplished in this story.
It was nice to also read a story where you have to make moral decisions that you will have to live with forever. It was really well done.
This was a well balanced story of friendship, family, and the future.
Enjoy!

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was a fun book. I enjoyed it a lot!

I enjoyed reading this book! The struggle to find a balance between a parent’s wishes and their own wishes is something many youth can relate to, especially when you have cultural expectations added to the mix. I also enjoyed the slow-building romance between her and Garrett as well as the side characters of her sisters. Well done! I can’t wait to add this to my classroom library.

This was such a cute novel but also very impactful. I know so many of my students deal with and struggle with the issues found: managing teenage relationships and heartbreak, trying to break the cycle of impossible cultural/parental expectations and standards, figuring out how they can do it all and thrive instead of just barely survive. The pacing was excellent and kept me engaged. I would've liked to have more of the advice columns interspersed and more questions answered in the Sunny/Cloudy banter.

As an Asian and a brown woman, I'm always on the lookout for books representing different cultures. I think this book did an okay job of talking about the pressures and struggles of being an immigrant, because I could more than relate to the superficial relationships and high expectations. I do feel that the story could've been executed much better and made more enjoyable with immersive writing style and refined editing.

Though I don't think this novel is very memorable, I loved the little nuances showed in Juliana's relationships, and the intensity of her emotions. I appreciate the backstory and context the author gave for the negative actions of the characters, humanizing them in their portrayal. Not something I would enthusiastically recommend, but nevertheless, it's not bad.

This one was a bit hard for me. I wanted to keep engaged but I felt like the transitions at some point weren't fluid enough. The back story between the two was confusing and the format that we read it in adds to that. I couldn't really see any chemistry between any character and it felt like a lot of threads were left unresolved. I appreciated the cultural angle but feel like I've read this story before but maybe executed a bit better.

Cute and charming! Our main characters setting out in this entrepreneur competition was so fun and the drama was very realistic. Thanks for the arc