Never did I think a man playing a cello would unlock a new fantasy...

📚: Yin Yang Love Song
🖋: @laurenkjessen
🗓: January 28, 2025

Thank you @readforeverpub for the #gifted copy of Jessen's latest romance & @bookswithnopictures + @just_talking_to_my_shelf for organizing this traveling arc.

Lauren does it again, ladies & gentlemen... are we surprised? No. This woman is a romance genius.

I adore Lauren's writing style. The way she weaves in the themes of each romance novel into her prose is so beautiful. "Yin Yang Love Song" plays with the beauty of music & nature. This entire book is so stunningly gorgeous & if you've ever read any of her books, you just know what I am talking about.

On top of just the endless beauty that is in Jessen's words, I learn so much when I dive into her romances. If holistic living. healing, flower, or music pique your interest... you're gonna need this.

The creativity & beauty that Lauren weaves into her romances are what keep me coming back. Her latest is top-notch. I was obsessed with the themes of giving & receiving love at your own pace, getting the most out of life + loving it deeply, and the most important message giving yourself the grace & time you need to R E L A X.

🎻 Rock Star
🫖 Tea
🪷 Magical Realism
🎻 Curses
🫖 Fake Dating
🪷 Dual POV
🎻 Forced Proximity
🫖 Healing
🪷 Green Pepper Spice

While YYLS might not be my favorite Jessen romance, I do really appreciate its messages about recognizing burnout and not giving up too quickly on love.

One thing I will always love about Lauren’s books are how she builds the friendship between her main characters. Every single time the pacing of the building of their relationships are done SO SO well and feels so genuine
I really enjoyed how focused the story was on not only the progression of the Chryssy & Vin’s relationships but their individual growth as well. These are two people who come together and strive to grow and better understand themselves, and I loved how you could so clearly see that they did it for themselves first. Because they recognized that *they* deserved to be the best version of themselves and how that commitment to their individual growth served a role going into their romantic relationship.
Chryssy’s love and passion for TCM and cooking came together so beautifully and it was something I resonated with. To see cooking be a part of chryssy and how she processes her own emotions and experiences and shows her love was so well done and unlike other main characters I’ve been reading recently!

I have adored every book that Jessen has written thus far, and I think this one might be my favorite! Her characters have such heart, and her romances are always both swoon-worthy and hard-hitting which is what I'm always looking for in my books. I cannot wait for this one to be out so I can talk about it even more!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the advanced copy of this relaxing and charming romance.
The book centers on Chinese herbalist Chrissy, who starts a pretend relationship with famous cellist Vin to help Vin's reputation as a heartbreakr and for Chrissy to promote her family's inn and new herbal tea company. As the two spend more time together, the relationship becomes more real than fake.
The book was very cozy and easy to read. Much of the book goes into TCM: Traditional Chinese Medicine. It inspires you to be more intentional with your nutrition, time, and energy. Other important topics are passions and finding balance to avoid burnout; growth personally, professionally, and in relationships; and family legacy.
This is the third book by this author, and it was another wonderful story. I recommend making a lovely cup of herbal tea and reading it.

RATING: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Yin Yang Love Song by Lauren Kung Jessey is about 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.

I loved Chryssy and Vin and found myself rooting for them the entire book! I think there could have been a little bit more pining and angst within their fake dating trope.

I absolutely loved the family dynamic in this book, and I loved that the family dynamics specifically focused on strong women! Each of the Hua women all had their own unique personalities and watching them all come together and interact was hysterical sometimes.

Also I thought the addition of the Chinese herbalist and herbal tea business to heal heartbreak was incredible. It was such a unique concept and like nothing I’d ever heard of before!

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Readforever Pub for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Over all I liked this one. I liked the characters and the premise and enjoyed little tidbits of Chinese culture. The writing was a little basic and not my favorite but was a good read to have during the week leading up to the election.

Jessen slam dunks it again! I learn so much about other cultures whenever I read a book of hers, and this one is no exception. I really had a great time with this story and I highly recommend.

A beautiful story about self discovery, family dynamics, being true to yourself and of course a love story 🥰

Chryssy is a passionate and bubbly Chinese herbalist who runs a healing retreat center for heartbreak with her aunts. The females in her family are cursed to experience heartbreak and Chryssy believes she will fall into the curse as well.

Vin is a celebrity cellist and heartbreaker, who is struggling with a big decision about the career of his music group with his brother.

After an unexpected meet cute at a party, Chryssy and Vin agree to a fake dating plan to help them both achieve their goals: Chryssy to promote the retreat's new line of teas through a celebrity endorsement and Vin to increase media attention and sell more tickets to his big show.

As Vin & Chryssy spend more time together, the two begin to form a deeper connection through honest conversations about family, hopes/dreams and their pasts. I thought that Laura Jessen did a beautiful jon depicting these difficult conversations in a way that was relatable and heart warming, while layering in Rom com moments that had me unable to put this book down.

Thank you Forever for the ARC.

A cute, though predictable rom com with an interesting setting and family occupation. Enemies to lovers is the trope for this romance. A light, entertaining read, with cultural references and Chinese traditions that make the characters and situations more interesting.

3.5 rounded up. Once again, Lauren Kung Jessen has a way of writing romances that have such high concept plots and are overly cheesy...and I eat it up. I didn't quite fall in love with this one as much as I did with Red String Theory or Lunar Love, but I still found this so charming and cute!

You *really* have to like a cheesy romance to like this, and even though that's sometimes a sticking point for me with other books, Lauren has a way of making it work where it doesn't bother me quite as much.

Thank you to Forever Pub for the ARC!

This delightful rom-com blends Chinese traditions with a family curse, featuring Chryssy, an herbalist, who finds herself fake dating Vin, a bad boy celebrity cellist. I loved Chryssy and Vin, and the supporting cast, especially Leo and the aunties, is such a highlight!

I loved the perfect mix of laughs and swoon-worthy moments, all wrapped around messages about slowing down to savor life and embracing the art of reinvention. If you want a heartwarming read celebrating love and cultural richness, this book is for you!

I need to catch up on my tandem read of The Reformatory. I’m not ready for tomorrow’s checkpoint discussion.

Thank you to Forever Publishing for a copy of this book.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this arc!!

What a good book! I enjoyed this more than I thought I would. I loved the main characters! They had great chemistry and worked so well together. I loved how the book just flowed. My first by this author but will not be my last!!!

I love Lauren Kung Jessen! I have read all her books and I can't get enough of her. Bringing in Chinese culture and tradition with a new age twist to all her books each one will be a fresh read that will keep you engaged till the very last page!

Yin Yang Love Song is the perfect combination of a beautiful love story, growth, self-discovery, and relationships, plus gorgeous writing. Loved it!

In Yin Yang Love Song, Chryssy and her aunties run an inn and herbal tea business to heal heartbreak, complete with special Chinese brews, acupuncture, and peace. The women in Chryssy’s family are cursed (or so they all believe) never to find lasting love, and so she’s done with trying. The last thing she needs is another heartbreak, so her focus is on an upcoming product launch.

She comes across celebrity cellist and heartbreaker Vin at a party, and rumors quickly start that she’ll be his next victim. He needs to increase ticket sales for his upcoming tour, she needs exposure for the launch, so why not fake date and help each other out? They can plan a breakup so no one gets hurt or catches feelings, right?

Haha, wrong. We all know how a fake dating romance plays out, but the journey in Yin Yang Love Song is unique, beautiful, and just perfect. It’s way more than just two people developing feelings. Chryssy and Vin are both such authentic, insightful, and loving people (even if they’re fake dating, but whatever). They had honest conversations with each other and weren’t hiding behind insecurities as events played out; they questioned their paths and relied on each other for support and balance in figuring out their next steps. It was so refreshing and so joyful to read!

Yin Yang Love Song's themes of love and heartbreak, the fleeting yet enduring nature of love and life, questioning beliefs when they no longer make sense, and finding balance in life resonated with me and drew me in even more. Plus the side characters added so much to the story and rounded everything out.

So far I’m two-for-two on Lauren Kung Jessen books—I adored Red String Theory and might’ve loved Yin Yang Love Song even more. Highly recommend!

Yin Yang Love Song offers a fun twist on the fake dating trope, blending romance with elements of Chinese culture and traditional herbal remedies. The story centers on Chryssy, a Chinese herbalist struggling under her family’s “curse” of failed romances, and Vin, a famous cellist looking to boost his image. They strike up a deal to fake-date, aiming to heal hearts (and drive ticket sales), only to discover an unexpected spark.

The book’s strengths lie in its cultural references and Chryssy’s relationship with her aunties, which adds a rich layer of family warmth and humor. However, the romantic connection between Chryssy and Vin feels uneven. Their banter sometimes lacks natural flow, and the chemistry can feel forced rather than heartfelt. Additionally, the pacing is a bit disjointed, with some plot jumps that make certain scenes feel abrupt.

While not a standout in the rom-com genre, Yin Yang Love Song offers a charming dive into cultural traditions and family expectations. For readers interested in romance with a cultural twist, it’s an enjoyable, light-hearted read.

I like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read.

I love my clean romances, and I love reading books that have honest, good Chinese heritage representation. I've been following the author since her debut - her previous book was actually better than her first, and I was hoping that this one would continue that growth.

In some places it did, some places it didn't. I'd give this a 3 star, but I'm settling for two.

I feel the characters lacked any sort of chemistry. They felt too... independent? for one another. While the male lead did / was labeled a heartbeaker, there wasn't anything really showcasing him in a negative light (besides being the dumper) that would make me feel like he'd have issues. As for her, she seemed too put together, too strong to lean on a male / need a male to assist her company.

Their moments were cute, and the dating was nice, but like Lunar Love, I felt like the fake dating / feelings caught on too quickly and reading the rest of the book felt like filler.

Vin is a famous musician and he’s in a band with his brother Leo, who is having a hard time at the moment since his very private relationship has ended. He can’t tell anyone that he was in a relationship and he can’t tell anyone that he is heartbroken.

Chryssy is an herbalist who helps heals broken hearts. She knows all about how to heal a broken heart as every woman in her family is cursed and will never find true love. They always end up with a broken heart. She meets Vin and she soon learns about Leo’s situation. She offers Leo to stay with her and her family so that he can heal his heart and live life more normally since Leo is currently not eating or sleeping very well.

How can Vin and Leo twist this story? No one can know what’s goin on in Leo’s life and the record company wants Vin to go through a very public break-up because with every break up equals more sales and sold out shows.

Chryssy decides that Vin and her will pretend to be in a relationship, go public with it, and then break up.

Will Vin and Chryssy be able to prove that they are in a “real” relationship? Will Vin and Leo be able to satisfy their record label’s request? Will Leo heal from is broken heart?

This was such a great read and I absolutely loved learning about all the different flowers and local plants that help heal the body. As someone who really loves home remedies, I loved how detailed the descriptions were for the plants that were mentioned. I also loved the recipes in the back of the book. This story was so fun to read and I loved reading about Chryssy and Vin’s plan to solve it all!

This is a really cute romcom that actually has great depth and hits home for me as an Asian American. At first, I was just expecting a cute fake dating, one person's famous rom com. However, I quickly realized there was a lot more and loved how it really made you think about how much we "doom" ourselves by believing narratives passed down to us. How much do we close ourselves off to good things because people have told us something is true? I've always thought about horoscopes and things where people often use it to confirm things they believe or see, or start seeing things because they're given a "look into the future". I agree it's really important to keep revisiting the things we are told and especially what we tell ourselves in life. It also reminded me of the book "Expiration Dates" where she tells herself a narrative for her relationships.

While my family was never into tons of Asian medicine but my family has always been big on healthy ingredients/superfoods, I used acupuncture for different things in life, and do believe there is benefit to alternative medicines. I also fully related to Vin's side of the story of feeling burnt out, or doing something you love with too much pressure or because you don't want to let parents/others done, that it becomes not fun anymore. I really enjoyed the book, and especially having mixed race kids, identified with so much in this book.

I liked the premise of this book since fake dating is one of my favorite tropes. And I enjoy seeking out romance stories where the main characters are from a different culture than me. I just couldn’t get into the herbalist parts of the book, but that’s just me. I feel like others will love it.

Thanks as always to NetGalley for the ARC.