I honestly don't think that Lauren Kung Jessen can do any wrong when it comes to sweet romance books. I really enjoyed the way that this one focused on healing (not just from heartbreak) and on slowing down. As someone who has experienced burnout before, this book resonated with me quite a lot and for that I am very grateful!

I thought that Vin and Chryssy's love story was very sweet. The way that they were both able to better the other as their friendship progressed into more made me smile as I was reading through their story. It felt very real, which doesn't happen often in romance books for me.

The way that all of the Hua women were named after different kinds of flowers was such a fun and unique touch to the story!

Overall, this is a sweet closed door romance that was genuinely just very sweet. It made me think and reminisce on burnout and how detrimental that can truly be in a person's life. So all in all, I would definitely recommend this book!

🎵 Book Review 🎵

This was my first read by Jessen. Yin Yang is a fun fake dating romance with elements of Chinese culture and healing remedies.

I loved Chryssy’s relationship with her aunties and the strong bond of family. I also fell in love with the family’s inn of healing heartbreak through acupuncture, herb remedies, and flowers.

In regards to the chemistry between Vin and Chryssy it lost me. I had a hard time believing in the chemistry and overall relationship between the two. The “feelings” came too quickly and I didn’t feel any tension or fire between the two.

The romance felt “too perfect” but there was no chemistry. It also was a tad overly cheesy for me.

I did love the life lessons about slowing down in life and providing rest and balance. Also, that sometimes you can make certain perspectives in life and it hurts your life/heart with the negative impact. Love that message.

Overall, I’m looking forward to more of Jessen!

Thank you to @readforeverpub @netgalley for my copy.

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️/5

Thank you Netgalley, Forever ( Part of Grant Central Publishing) and Lauren Kung Jessen for this early copy of Yin Yang Love Song. I'm so incredibly thankful and grateful for this opportunity.

Once again, Lauren has created such a magical and lovely LOVE story. From the first sentence, I was completely captured and ready to devour this book. I've been so lucky to read each of her novels early and it's truly something I've come to look forward to each January. I enjoy starting my year out with something so new and fresh each time. This one specifically hit home for me with it being set in the PNW, it was such a nice feeling to read.

Now, onto our main characters, Chryssy and Vin. Chryssy, comes from a family who presumes to be cursed when it comes to love. She doesn't quite believe in it until her 9th breakup occurs and she in so many ways, decides to not give into love, until she runs into celebrity cellists and bad boy Vin Chao. Through their innocent run-in, he offers her a deal - for them to fake date. It will help his image/ ticket sells and help her family business get the attention it needs. They agree to fake " break up' since he's a known heartbreaker but as they get to know each other more, there's a different outcome from what they expected and planned.

Throughout this novel, we see so many lessons of letting go of what's not meant for you just because it seems it is meant for you. To slow down in life and let yourself enjoy the now instead of waiting later. Life doesn't always have to be on the go and it doesn't always have to go as planned. Their connection and how they help each other was really so beautiful and sweet. I loved how they both used each other's careers to relate situations to each other, it shows how much they listen to each and care. Truly, just melts my heart thinking about it, I felt so giddy and happy!

Lauren, knows how to really pull the reader in and make them think about such topics that are presented, while also intertwining the rom-com feel and making it fun. Like her previous novels, this one is no different but also is at the same time. I felt like we got to see a new direction and feel in this novel, I truly loved the vibe so much. One of my favorite novels of 2025 already.

Also, I really appreciate how the Chinese culture and Traditional Chinese Medicine was explained and expressed throughout. I learned so much that I never knew about and it makes me want to go find new teas, remedies and ways to release my own stress or anxiety. Hands down, a 10/10 book! :)

Yin Yang Love Song is a romance book that blends themes of work-life balance, parental expectations, and finding one's own purpose.

Chryssy is a chinese herbalist specializing in tea and mending heartbreak. Vin is a world-famous cellist who's known for being a heartbreaker. The two end up fake-dating to help with each other's public image.

I enjoyed this book immense along with every other book Lauren Kung Jessen has published so far! She does a great job tying in asian culture to asian-american characters and having them balance these cultures with their american upbringing.

Thank you @readforeverpub for an early reader's edition of this book! Yin Yang Love Story comes out 1/28

This was a spunky read. The clashing of personalities leading to romance was entertaining to read. I liked the look into being a Herbalist, it was really interesting.
The way these two butted heads, but were also attracted to each other created great chemistry. The opening scene hooks you and keeps you reading to find out how these two will continue to "torment" each other.

Thanks NetGalley for this ARC.

Words can’t really express my thoughts on this book, so let’s talk feelings.

Happy. Every page I turned I just felt happy, smiling ear to ear.

Healthy. Chryssy & Vin’s relationship was healthy. Yes, they were fake dating but they were up front & straightforward about everything. They talked. They discussed. There was no miscommunication & it was beautiful.

Strong. All the talk of TCM and flowers and Qi and listening to your body, it made me feel strong. And also made me want spring to get here faster so I could be outside & tending to my flowers again.

Love. At every corner of this book was love. Not only Chryssy & Vin’s but the brotherly love between Vin & Leo, familial between Chryssy & her aunts & her parents & the rest of her family. Vin’s love of music. Chryssy’s love of cooking and TCM. It was everywhere and so woven throughout that you couldn’t help but feel it too.

I already know that this book is going to stay with me and that it’s going to be in my favorites for 2025.

Another sweet and thoughtful read from Kung Jessen, its love story braided with running themes about the importance of family, connecting with nature, one’s agency in writing one’s own story, finding balance and making space for rest when work pressures mount, and both the destructive and healing powers of belief. With two main threads that link these themes—one about music and one about Traditional Chinese Medicine—the story provides so much for a reader to engage with. I loved learning about various flowers and herbs, and how they affect the body, and I could feel the author’s genuine love of music throughout the work. Perhaps, most of all, I loved the celebration of generations of women, united in both struggle and hope, coming together to make something beautiful. In short, it’s a book about healing that in itself is just that.

3.5 rounded up

This author continues to bring such a fresh take into romance from what I have read in regards to the emphasis she continues to put on the inclusion of ancestry and heritage in the current generation's life. This one having to do with a curse was a little hard for me to fully get into but I liked how it ended up resolving itself at the end of the book. Chryssy was a down-to-earth character that I connected to in terms of needing to guard her heart and opening giving away pieces of herself if it meant everyone was meeting their goals. Vin was hard for me to completely understand at times and it felt less mysterious at times and more unclear personality. The beginning hooked me, the middle was muddled a bit but the end did bring it back. I enjoyed the epilogue, a very cute ending to a real relationship.

I truly adore Lauren Kung Jessen's writing style, characters, stories and overall vibe.
She allows you to truly escape your world for her world and I love when an author can do that - its truly a gift. You won't want to miss LKJs recent release!

A really cute fake-dating story between a Chinese herbalist whose family believes their chance at love is cursed and needs to promote a new business and a bad boy cellist who needs to increase ticket sales. Of course they end up having insane chemistry. I love a good fake dating story and this was fascinating with it's aspects of acupuncture and herbs woven in. If you like her other books, you'll like this one!

Thank you to Forever via Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Charming, endearing, healing and sweet. I typically love fake dating but this one didn’t quite hit for me. I wanted more depth and more tension from the romance. I did really enjoy the TCM aspect and the familial plot line.

4.5⭐️ rounded down.
I have enjoyed all of Lauren Kung Jessen books! I would highly recommend this one. I love how her books mix her Chinese culture with romance!
Chinese herbalist Chyrssy has been cursed by her families history of break-ups. She always thought the curse was made up until she realized she had had 8+ breakups and it never gets serious. She meets famous cellist Vin Chao at a friends kid birthday party and after photos were taken with them the rumors stared flying that Vin has a new girlfriend. Vin already has the reputation of being a heartbreaker and his agent is pushing his next relationship. He sells a fake relationship to Chrssy to benefit his label and her business. He ends up staying at her families Inn while they are take a hiatus and his brother recharges. While they are spending time together they plan public outings so people believe in their relationship. They slowly start to catch feelings. What will happen with this unlikely pair?

A great read, the story of Chryssy and Vin. I liked how it was told from both points of view and the information on flowers was really interesting.

If you haven’t picked up an LKJ book yet, you’re missing out. Each charming romance features the cutest meet-cute (i.e: two strangers, 24 hrs, NYC) and are peppered with the best tropes and have Asian-American rep/characters. And did you SEE the book covers? Take another look because every cover is mesmerizing and captures the storylines perfectly.

I picked up Lunar Love when it first came out and have grabbed every book since! The moment Red String Theory was announced with a pub date, I immediately added it to my Goodreads and started a countdown. I screamed when I got my hands on a digital copy of YYLS from @foreverpub because it meant I got to continue on the journey of LKJ romance. I love that they’re not overly cheesy and cover bigger issues like family drama and heartbreak without taking away from a wholesome love story. Each book has been very different but they’re all rooted in Chinese traditions and just make you happy inside.

Lunar Love: Chinese zodiac matchmaking
Red String Theory: red string fate (SWOOOOOON)
Yin Yang Love Song: heartbreak herbalist

“You may be named after the chrysanthemum but you don't have to let yourself always bloom last.”

Yin Yang Love Song transports readers to the beautiful PNW (which is honestly a great start for any romance) and follows a heartbreak healer herbalist and a heartbreaker musician. If brother-duo musicians, holistic health and forced proximity are of interest, then you’ll devour this one! There’s a steamy acupuncture scene (!) fake dating for the plot and family curses. But there’s also a sweet story about healing and growth, self-discovery and a reminder to take time for yourself when life gets crazy.

Fall in love with Chryssy & Vin in Yin Yang Love Song, available 1/28. Thanks so much @readforever and @laurenkungjessen for the opportunity to enjoy this gem of a story early.

I have loved this authors previous works but unfortunately this one did not work for me.

Chinese herbalist Chryssy Hua Williams never actually believed in the Hua family curse. But after Break-Up #9, Chryssy stopped laughing. Now she and her aunties run a special healing retreat center for the broken-hearted. After all, there’s nothing a proper cup of herbal tea can’t fix...but Chryssy’s innocent run-in with celebrity cellist and bad boy Vin Chao has everyone brewing about a different kind of tea. So he offers her a deal: they’ll fake-date, he’ll “break” her heart (and increase ticket sales), and in return, he’ll promote her business.

To me, someone who doesn’t use herbal medicine or anything like that, I felt like I had to really suspend my belief in order to follow the storyline. I loved the cultural aspects but something was still missing and the writing style made this one feel “silly”. The fake dating was also over the top and could have been executed better.

Overall, glad I read it but not my fav

Yin Yang Love Song is a sweet, wholesome, and charming read. This book is a story of love and family. And the love story is beautiful and pure, chef’s kiss! Chryssy and Vin’s chemistry jumps off the pages. Bonus points that it has my fav trope: fake dating. My favorite thing about LKJ’s books is they are so effortless. They are not overly wordy and the stories always flow so beautifully. At the same time there is much wisdom on these pages! If you liked her other books, you will undoubtedly love this one too.

Oh my stars, I LOVED this book!

It was so refreshing to see how much the art of slowing down can actually help us heal and changing your mindset can help you grow.

Both Chryssy and Vin needed each other to further themselves, which is how they land in a fake dating scheme, but that quickly transforms into a relationship with very real feelings. I enjoyed the pacing of their love story because sometimes, love blooms when you’re not even looking for it. Our two MCs were holding onto small details of each other and committing bits and pieces of themselves to each other before they realized what they were even doing.

As someone who has lived life very similarly to Vin, someone who is always on the go-go-go, someone who doesn’t know how to sit still or with discomfort, this book was everything I needed to remind myself that it’s okay to slow down, to dig my heels in and ground myself, and to place roots either somewhere or with someone.

Lauren Kung Jessen reminds us that heartbreak isn’t always romantic - it can happen from anything and then be healed in any way.

Thank you for a copy of this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Tropes:
☕️Opposites attract
☕️Grumpy X sunshine
☕️Mixed race
☕️Fake dating
☕️Found family
☕️Slow burn

🎻My favorite thing about Lauren’s books is how she brings in the Chinese cultural elements to the story effortlessly. This story is the same.

☕️Chryssy runs a healing center for the brokenhearted while Vin, a celebrity cellist is a heartbreaker. They start fake dating to make Chryssy’s business bloom and to solidify Vin’s reputation. We all know how fake dating ends up 👀but the character reputation of Vin being a heartbreaker plus a generations old family curse in Chryssy’s family makes them question their relationship. Will it end up being another heartbreak?

🌸This story is full of life lessons, growth and self discovery. The leads become more vulnerable and rely on each other to disover themselves in ways that they haven’t done before. The romance is effortlessly blooming but to me the center of the story lies in believing in oneself and being open to love no matter what. It’s also a lot about being who you are and loving yourself for who you are.

☕️The retreat that Chryssy runs sound amazing. Wish that was real 🥹.

🎻If you love a slow burn romance with lots of self discovery, this would be a great read for you.

The reason I gave this a 4 ⭐️ is the pace is slower than I expected. And I wouldn’t say romance is the main theme. It’s more centered around personal growth.

Thank you Read Forever for an advanced copy. All thoughts are my own.

I always love how Lauren beautifully showcases Chinese traditions in the romance space and this book was no different. Chryssy, a Chinese herbalist who runs a heartbreak healing retreat with her aunties, believes the Hua family curse to be true and has accepted that she will likely grow old alone with her aunties as her companions. An innocent encounter with Vin has her world turned upside down after they are spotted at an event and conspire to fake date to promote her business and maintain his reputation as a heartbreaker. I was hooked from the first encounter and could not put down the book. Her meddling aunties and the circumstances that force them together was like fate guiding them together. Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the free eARC. All opinions are my own.

Instagram review will be live 27Jan25.

With her third novel, Lauren Kung Jessen shows her versatility and talent for writing original and charming contemporary romances. Yin Yang Love Song is such a sweet and heartwarming romance as well as a tribute to the bonds of family and friendship. Chryssy and Vin seem to be opposites on paper, but they essentially want the same thing and find it in each other in the most unusual way!