4/5 stars

This is my second book by this author and I'm really liking the way she writes characters that are so true to themselves and the growth you see throughout the book!

Chryssy, a Chinese herbalist who due to a generational curse is constantly the one being broken up with, and Vin a cello player with a reputation for being a heartbreaker when they two agree to fake date to further their careers.

The creativity to write a fake dating troupe that has magical realism, forced proximity, a rock star, tea healer/cook and amazing side characters is amazing!!

I really enjoyed learning about Chryssy's family and the Chinese herbalist and herbal tea business to heal heartbreak.

This book is cheesy but if you lean into it, its so cute!

Overall, I liked this book and I'll be reading more by this author.

This book had such a hallmark vibe to it. It was a cute, easy romance read. Ultimately, this book was not just about breaking a heartbreak curse; it made us think of how we get so burnt out and need more “yin nights.” I love how they brought music and traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) together. This book has fake dating and dual pov.

thank you net galley and forever for gifting me this arc

rating 4 stars

personal beef with herbal medicine aside, i think this book was a delightful and romantic read. it was a balanced blend of romance, rich culture and self-discovery. the characters were developed at a steady and realistic pace. they both felt so human with their hopes and doubts.

i really love the family aspect of this book. the Hua women are strong and their dynamic is a standout. each woman’s personality contributed to the warmth and humor of the story. their heartfelt banter and moments provided depth beyond the central romance.

i think the book was a little too slow and sweet for my taste as i love fast-paced angsty books. this book was a refreshing addition in between of my angsty books.

I feel so seen and represented after reading Yin Yang Love Song.
Chryssy and Vin's love is sweet and wholesome and I am glad they were able to balance each other out and found love. I also loved seeing them with each other's family. Family is a big thing for me and I loved that part in the story as well. I am a hopeless romantic and I think that's why I could relate to Chryssy's pov on love and heartbreak.

Overall, I had a great time reading this one. Thank you Lauren and netgalley for the gifted arc and as always, these are my honest opinions!

I'm an instant fan of everything LKJ puts out into the world. I think her books are so special, I always come out learning more than I did before I picked up the book. I especially love the care and attention to detail she puts into the research of all her books, but ESPECIALLY with this book (with the TCM and musical components of the book) has been my favorite. I also always enjoy how Lauren's books are low spice but still packed with lots of heat and tension 🤭 although her novels are what I would call low spice / low stakes, I really appreciate the emotional growth of the characters. I will also always, always appreciate the beautiful Asian representation and rich culture Lauren Kung Jessen masterfully injects in her works 🥹❤️

thank you Forever pub for the eARC!!

Chrissy and her aunties run a Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) herb practice and healing retreat for the broken hearted outside Seattle. After all, the Hua women are cursed with heartbreak--Chrissy never believed but after breakup number nine, she became a believer. Chrissy though is focused on taking their company and healing tinctures to the next level.

After a chance run in with famous cellist and bad boy Vin Chao, the unlikely pair enter a fake dating arrangement to help his image and promote her brand. As the two begin to catch feelings, Chrissy's anxiety about the Hua curse and Vin's performance anxiety and years of pushing himself to the brink makes it difficult for them to see a way forward. Will the two be able to enjoy their connection or be subject to the family curse?

What I loved about this book was the frank open discussion about career burnout, open talks about expectation versus reality in relationships, and the danger of putting people (parents, etc) on pedestals.

However, the overwhelming detail of TCM overwhelmed the plot points in places and drug on for this reader. Also, the Hua curse was unbelievable to my Western sensibilities. The dialogue and chemistry of the leads were the high point of the book, and Jessen's prose really sings there. I think many writers will love this one even though it was a bit of a miss for me!

Thank you Netgalley and Forever publishing for the advanced copy of Yin Yang Love Song. This book hits shelves January 28, 2025!

Insta live is not my favorite trope. However I was rooting for them! I loved the family dynamics in this book. The Chinese herbalist business was interesting! I look forward to reading more by Lauren.

Such a wonderful book - I loved it even more than her first one. Really well written and the characters were all relatable. I didn't want the book to end! Can't wait to see what Lauren Kung Jessen comes up with next!

When I got the email that I received a eARC of Lauren Kung Jessen latest book, Yin Yang Long Song you could probably hear me squeal a mile away, I was so excited. She always writes amazing books that tie in Chinese/asian culture so perfectly. I knew from the get go that I’d love the characters in this book as much as I have loved the others. Must read, closed door rom com with lots of cultural references.


Thank you netgalley, Lauren Kung Jessen and forever publishing for this arc in exchange for a honest review!

I loved this book. It's available for request on Netgalley now and published in January. There were so many quotes I wanted to save. I definitely need my own physical copy. There are beautiful analogies about love with themes of music and flowers/tea blending. There is also a beautiful exploration of how the stories we tell ourselves might impact our reality. Vin and Chryssy both were reflective on their lives and driven in their fields and working to figure out a sense of balance. I also learned a ton about Traditional Chinese Medicine. It was so well done!

I knew from the first interaction between Chryssy and Vin that I'd be rooting for the two of them to fall in love and get their happily ever after.

Chryssy, who is cursed to never have lasting love, runs an inn and budding tea company with her aunts. Together, they heal heartbreak. If only their remedies could heal the family curse. Vin, who has the image of a heartbreaker, is a world-famous cellist and makes up the Chaos Brothers duo along with his brother, Leo. Vin needs to sell his heartbreaker image for his upcoming tour.

Chryssy has nothing to lose when Vin suggests they fake date (one of my favorite tropes) to help him with his heartbreaker image. So, together they hatch a plan with an end date in sight. But, we all know the best laid plans don't always go according to plan. As the fake relationship progresses, Chryssy and Vin grow closer and discover that maybe love is possible for the both of them.

This book is a heartwarming story filled with family, healing, sweet moments, and a bit of magic. I loved learning about traditional Chinese medicine and how to compose music. Something that will stick with me long after I finished this book is that love is risky, life is risky, but sometimes all it takes is a well-calculated risk to get your heart's desire.

Thank you NetGalley and Forever for the e-ARC! Fall in love with Chryssy and Vin (and the adorable cast of side characters) on January 28, 2025!

I know I can always count on Lauren Kung Jessen for a swoon-worthy rom-com that is filled with Chinese traditions. This is my third book by her and I loved it just as much as the others. Yin Yang Love Song blends traditional Chinese herbs with a family curse and also delves into yin and yang. I love the fact that not only do we always get a great romance story, but I also learn more about Chinese beliefs and traditions. The author has a way with weaving important life messages into the story. This book left me pondering some meaningful life lessons.

Thanks to NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) | Forever for a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was a dnf for me, unfortunately. It had a weird start to the story and the writing style made it difficult to keep going. Thank you for the arc.

I can't thank Forever and NetGalley enough for the eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review, so here goes:

I have had the honor of reading each of Lauren's books ahead of its release and I can say with confidence that Lauren has once again topped herself. Yin Yang Love Song is a beautiful story about love and heartbreak and the way they intersect, yes, but it's also about finding the beauty in quiet moments, the importance of rest, the mental and physical ailments associated with burnout, learning that dreams and desires can change (and that it's OK), the burden of generational trauma, the unrealistic expectations and standards we set for ourselves that all too often keep us stuck in place, and how going after something you want, even when the odds are stacked against you, is the bravest thing you'll ever do.

Lauren has always been remarkable at weaving themes flawlessly into her romances, but this might be her best yet. If you thought the way she combined science and art in Red String Theory was impressive, you'll LOVE the connections she makes between music, nature, and holistic healing. Every word is written with love, and you can tell she takes her research very seriously because she's looking to not only entertain us, but teach us and expand our minds to different facets of the world. I learned so much about Traditional Chinese Medicine, about the healing properties of flowers, the benefits of acupuncture, and so much more.

The thing I love most about Lauren's books, and Yin Yang Love Song is no different, is how REAL the characters are. Her commitment to character development is apparent, even in the 'side' characters. I loved that Chryssy and Vin were flawed because it made them HUMAN. I loved watching them stumble and retreat into themselves at times because that's HUMAN. I equally loved watching them slowly open up to each other and themselves because, yes, that's HUMAN. Being messy and flawed is all part of the human experience and I think Lauren captured that beautifully in these two characters.

One thing that will stay with me from this book is the idea that choosing to go after what we want against all odds is an act of bravery. Heartbreak is inevitable — we get broken up with, people we love pass on, we lose jobs, we get rejected — but it doesn't mean we're unlovable, unworthy, or cursed. We owe it to ourselves to love without conditions, to apply for the job we might not think we have a chance at, to change the direction of our lives even if it's scary.

If you like fake dating, forced proximity, meddling family members (but especially aunties), dual POV, women empowerment, curse-breaking, characters sharing soft confessions in the wee hours of the morning, dandelion wishes, and romantic one-liners, this is your book.

Lauren writes such beautiful rom-coms and this one is no exception. The opposites attract dynamic throughout the novel with the curse and Chinese medicine, and music and success/reputation creates the perfect mix of similarities and differences for the characters to grow together.
Vin is a rockstar Cellist with a reputation for breaking hearts. Chryssy is a Chinese herbalist who heals hearts at her family's inn for the heartbroken. An electric meet cute leads to a fake relationship with chemistry that is very real. As they work to boost her business and sellout his tour, the lines between fake and real begin to blur. But will the Hua family curse and Vin's reputation be too much for them to overcome?

One of my favourite things in this book is the way Chryssy and Vin describe each other is so beautiful and so unique to them. They create such vivid images using imagery from their passions making their feelings even more romantic. This book also has many unique scenes and activities that I haven't come across in other romance books. I liked the a-typical activities that allowed the characters to get to know each other better.

Overall, this is a really fun rom-com that is all about overcoming the image or story that has been placed on us by the world to create a new future.

Another winner of a read from LKJ! I have had the pleasure of receiving & reading early copies of all of her books thus far and have thoroughly enjoyed every single one of them, with "Yin Yang Love Song" being no exception. Are her stories a little cheesy despite their high concept plots? Most certainly lol. But do I eat them all up with a smile every time given how well Lauren writes? Absolutely! I love how she incorporates Asian culture and practices in all her books; I see so much of myself in them, despite not specifically being Chinese-American (I'm Filipino*-American), and so I'm certain others feel the same when it comes to such clear and honest representation. Definitely would recommend!!

he third book by Lauren Kung Jessen is a fake dating trope between Chryssy, a Chinese herbalist and entrepreneur and Vin, one half of the bad boys of cello band. They need each other to help themselves and their family get through difficult transitions. Their story is so sweet and kindhearted. While there is a degree of angst as expected by the trope, the gentleness of the characters and their ability to express themselves and walk through their difficulties was so lovely to read. Chryssy and Vin don't have much in common on the surface but they belong to and need each other in ways they didn't know. I loved the larger families in this book as well, the support and real life frustrations that come with it.
Lauren’s prose is gentle and careful and naturalistic which makes this book an easy joy to read.

This book fell a little flat for me. I love the cultural aspects of the book but the actual romance did not work for me. I didn’t really feel any chemistry between the two of them at all.

[arc review]
Thank you to NetGalley and Forever Publishing for providing an arc in exchange for an honest review.
Yin Yang Love Song releases January 28, 2025

Chryssy is a traditional Chinese medicine chef and acupuncturist, and works at her family’s holistic retreat which aids in healing heartbreak. Due to a mutually beneficial publicity stunt, Chryssy — a woman who comes from a cursed lineage of heartbreak and being broken up with — has started fake dating a famous cellist who’s notorious for being a heartbreaker.

While this story offers introspective reflections surrounding love and burnout, Chryssy and Vin’s happenstance was very forced and transactional, and I had a hard time getting past that in order to buy into the supposed romance. This lacked the organic chemistry and relatability that I loved in Jessen’s previous two novels.

Love this own voices novel. That I'm not sure how to classify. I mean it's a cross between a rom com and and women's fiction. It's got the funny aspect of a rom com but not really the romance of a rom com. But it was still a funny and enjoyable read.