I adore romance books and the healing powers of flowers so I knew this one would be a book that would give me alllll the feels. I think my favorite thing about this book was the way Lauren wrote Chryssy and Vin's friend/crush to lovers. They had instant chemistry and I loved reading the beginning of their love story. The heartbreak hotel aspect was also so fun to imagine. I want to visit/work/live there in real life.

The first half of this book was 5 stars. The second half felt a bit drawn out since it was mostly about the curse vs. their relationship but I do see how it was all connected to the progression of the Hua bloodline as a whole. In order for Chryssy to move on, there had to be some healing there as well so I'm not mad about it. I would definitely check out Lauren's other books.

Thanks NetGalley for the ARC!

If you're looking to slide into 2025 with a chill vibes romance, Lauren Kung Jessen's third novel, Yin Yang Love Song is the one. It mixes fake dating, rock star cellists and Traditional Chinese Medicine/herbal medicine. It's low angst and the relationship feels totally organic, even as both Chryssy and Vin deal with issues around burnout and generational curses (generational trauma takes many forms, let me tell you). At points the flower and music metaphors were a bit much for me personally, but overall a satisfying low spice read.

P.S. If rock star cellists seems like a stretch to you because you only think of Yo-Yo Ma, check out Jake Shimabukuro on his ukulele and see if still seems like a stretch.

I love this author. She always incorporates Chinese culture into a sweet little love story.

This follows Vin, a cellist prodigy that is not only famous for his musical ability but for his heartbreaker status. And Chryssy a woman that specializes in healing heart break through the use of traditional Chinese medicine with a wholistic approach. Did I also mention that her family is cursed and destined for heartache?

They meet and the press goes wild with speculation. They decide to fake date and you can guess what happens next!

Thank you to the author and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this as an ARC!

Thanks to Forever for the ARC of this book! I really wanted to love it but unfortunately it just was not for me. I think the story has a lot of potential but ultimately it felt like nothing reallt happened. Super slow storyline and not many events. Others might love it but I was just a little bored. Thanks for the opportunity to read it!

Sometimes you don’t so much read a book as feel a book. YIN YANG LOVE SONG is a book you feel at your very core. It’s deceptive; at times both delicate and strong, much like the characters Lauren Kung Jessen weaves throughout the story.

Chryssy (Chrysanthemum) is descended from a long line of Hua women who are destined to live without love due to a curse placed on them by an ancestor. She, in partnership with her aunts, has turned her personal heartbreak into a profession using TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) to heal heartbreak in others. Vin is a former prodigy who, along with his brother, has achieved fame as a rock star cellist. He’s also earned a reputation as someone who leaves a trail of broken hearts scattered in his wake. Neither is looking for love because neither believes true love is possible for them. When they see fake dating as a way to achieve their professional goals, it seems foolproof because expecting nothing means risking nothing.

This story is rich - full of wisdom and centered on the concept of healing through balance. Through Chryssy and Vin, the author shows what is possible when we shed what we think we know as truths and open ourselves to new ideas. The love story is gentle and full of promise, but that doesn’t mean it’s simple. Both main characters are challenged to examine long held beliefs and take a gigantic leap of faith. It’s a beautiful love story.

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for the advance copy in exchange for my unbiased review.

With Lunar Love, I knew Lauren Kung Jessen would be a repeat author for me, and I was proven right with her second novel, Red String Theory. Both of these books explore aspects of Chinese culture, intertwined with a charming love story, vivid food descriptions, cute pets, and lovable characters.

Yin Yang Love Song is no different. Chryssy and Vin, along with their families big and small, are great. They’re all cozy and create a community anyone would be lucky to be part of. The mention of Goji always brought me a smile as I imagined the fluffy bunny. I enjoyed reading about the different types of flowers and what they help with. The messages in the book are also great, focusing on taking care of yourself and understanding you are in control of your life. Overall, it was an enjoyable book.

I’ve only given it three stars because it hasn’t been my favorite of hers, and while it was good and had the elements I loved, it was also harder for me to connect to and almost too soft. There is heartbreak, of course, the whole book centers around heartbreak and what causes it and how one heals, but there wasn’t really anything that tugged at my personal heart strings. But this is personal to me, and I would still recommend the book to anyone who has enjoyed her previous works as they may have an entirely different experience!

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever for a copy of the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Did I save the Last 40 pages of this so I could start my year with a 5 star read? Yes I did.

Hands down, Lauren's best book yet. An herbalist who helps heal heartbreak fake dating a cellist known for breaking hearts? Sweet, full of heart, and many to be savored.

This was a beautiful love story. Chrissy is a practitioner of TCM, using food, tea, acupuncture, and other traditional Chinese remedies to help heal heart break. While at an event for a former famous client, she has a run in with Vin Chao, half of the famous duo the Chao brothers, heart breaker cello players. During their meeting she senses that Leo is heart broken, and slips Vin their card telling him to bring Leo to their inn if he wants to heal, pretty sure she will never see or hear from either of them again. However much to her great surprise, the brothers show up at her family’s healing inn, but it is to propose a fake relationship for them. Chrissy has no interest, until she thinks about the exposure she could get for her family’s inn, and the new tea line they are about to launch. What follows is a fake relationship between them, that teaches both characters so much about themselves and what they have been missing in their lives. A beautiful book, and a fabulous first read of 2025! I received an ARC, and this is my honest review.

*Thank you to Forever and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review*

Apparently I have a type and it's hot cellists. Who knew? (LKJ, that's who)

I felt like I learned a lot about traditional Chinese medicine throughout this romance and enjoyed the depth of knowledge displayed throughout. It was nicely juxtaposed with the family curse - superstitious science always makes me giggle. Chryssy is so clearly loved by her family and everyone who meets her, so how could she be cursed? Also I maybe spotted a cameo from a future heroine?? (Give me a antique bookseller ANY DAY). I enjoyed the fake dating mixed with a celebrity romance, especially with all of the press they receive. The way that Chryssy and Vin show their love for one another, even as they're denying its existence, was perfection.

It's comfy, it's cozy, and it showcases modern love in a way that I didn't know I needed.

I liked the premise of this book much more than the execution. I didn’t really feel the chemistry between the two main characters. It was interesting learn more about CTM, though.

Lauren Kung Jessen might just be one of my new favorite authors! Her love stories are always the perfect mix of sweet and banter and I am here for it!
In “Yin Yang Love Song,” two people who have terrible luck in relationships decide to fake date for both of their images. Chrissy helps her family run a wellness retreat for heartbreak, dating Vin would help boost sales for their new line of teas. Vin is a musician known for breaking hearts, he could use a sweeter romance to maintain his image. But what if instead of ending, their relationship lasts?
The way I absolutely adored Chrissy and Vin. Sigh. So good. They’re cheesy, but in the best way and they seem to balance each other out. This is one of those books where you get exactly what you want, and you wouldn’t want it any other way.
Also, I loved the wellness moments where Chrissy is explaining a technique or a meal/tea to help with both mental and physical health. In my postpartum life, I’m not sure that the American view of healthcare is always the most helpful and this book made me tempted to try some different methods to help me on my path back to myself. Even things as simple as warmer meals might be a good shift.
ANYWAY. This book was absolutely 5 stars for me. Consider me a fan for life. I can’t wait to see what Lauren Kung Jessen comes out with next!
Thanks to NetGalley and Forever Publishing for an ARC! This book publishes on January 28th!

Lauren Kung Jessen has given us another incredible book! What I love most about Lauren’s writing is how real that she makes her characters feel! I absolutely loved Vin and Chryssy’s love story. Although they did go through some hard things it was realistic to real life and so heartwarming at the same time!

Thank you to Netgalley and the author for a free ARC of The Yin Yang Love Song.

I have read every one of Lauren Kung Jessen's books and I have to say that I think this one might be my favorite yet. While this is absolutely a romcom with a fake dating trope, I tended to find the focus of this book on wellness, balance, and understanding family dynamic and change to be a beautiful storyline. I felt that the FMC, Chryssy and her MMC, Vin were in synch for most of the book and the fake dating felt more realistic than most fake dating tropes tend to be. The fact that the main controversy centered on whether to risk you heart when romance seemed to always end (either via curse or divorce or growing apart), made the emotional growth of the characters feel more real and less cliche. I really enjoyed this book and I cannot wait to read another by this author.

One of the things I have started looking forward to every January is a new book release from Lauren Kung Jessen. From Lunar Love to Red String Theory to now Yin Yang Love Song, Jessen introduces readers to Chinese traditions and charming, contemporary love stories. I especially appreciated the focus on the role of Chinese medicine in this book. Plus, who doesn't love a rockstar cellist (especially as I have 2Cellos on repeat when I work)?

Many thanks to the author, my favs at Forever, and NetGalley for sharing this book with me.

Thank you to the author and to Read Forever publishing for access to this advanced reader copy! This wholesome romance centered on heartbreak and healing had me rethinking my relationship with my career and my approach to wellness.

I enjoyed learning about Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) through main character Chrissy’s work as a TCM chef and acupuncturist and through the Hua family business. Vin is a fun contrast as Chrissy’s fake boyfriend given he’s a celebrity musician whose lifestyle differs greatly from her own.

This is a sweet love story that’s closed door romance and filled with generations of strong women. This one will leave you reflecting on your own health, heartbreak, and healing. There’s great discussion on the impacts of a demanding career, questioning if it’s worth it, and if it is, how to make it sustainable.

I greatly appreciated the ways in which this book affirms the impact of heartbreak whether it’s a relationship ending or a loved one passing away. In the world, we’re expected to continue on with ‘business as usual’ when we’re impacted in this transformative way. Reading this book is a reminder that it isn’t a natural expectation and that we deserve to receive and extend grace.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a sweet, uplifting story!

Yin Yang Love Song was a cozy read. I liked that this book focused on topics we rarely see in romances: Traditional Chinese medicine and cello playing. I thought Lauren Kung Jessen created realistic and flawed characters. Chryssy and Vin were well-established main characters. The dual POV's helped me develop a greater understanding of their characters. I thought their character arcs were done beautifully. I especially enjoyed Vin's character development. It was nice seeing him open up over time. I liked the concept of Chryssy and Vin's relationship: a cursed women with a notorious heartbreaker. Vin and Chryssy were cute together. They were a good match and complemented each other well. Their relationship had some cute moments. I liked the bungee jumping and firefly dates. I do feel like there was something missing with Chryssy and Vin's relationship. I'm not quite sure what it was, but I didn't feel 100% absorbed by their relationship. I enjoyed the author's writing voice. I also thought she did a fantastic job intertwining the books' themes of connection and healing with the characters. Thank you to NetGalley and Forever for the ARC.

Thank you to Forever and Lauren Kung Jessen for this ARC.

I have read two other books by Lauren Kung Jessen, and they were the perfect blend of Chinese culture and rom-com tropes. So, when I saw her new novel was coming out, I knew I needed it in my life.

🍵What did you love the most?
This entire novel centers around a theme that I hold dearly to my heart: giving yourself the grace and time to relax when the world demands so much from you. This theme is an undercurrent to the entire plot and was so beautifully done that I will be thinking about it for a long time.

🍵What to expect:
Rock star
Magical realism
Fake dating
Dual POV
Forced proximity

🔥Steam level: clean romance

🍵How was the romance?
Chrissy and Vin, the MCs, are extremely authentic and had many healthy, honest conversations about their insecurities and career paths. It was super refreshing to read this dynamic. There are tons of themes around love and heartbreak and how to balance career aspirations with a relationship, and it just made sense to me.

🍵Do you recommend this book?
I loved this book. It had some cheesy romcom moments, classirom-comnce book tropes, and a serious underlying message about self-care. Overall, I couldn’t put this one down, and Jessen is becoming an auto-buy author for me.

4/5

LKJ does it again!!

I absolutely adore the characters and worlds that Lauren brings to life. I especially love how artistic each female character is, and their devotion to their family and culture. Each character is somehow so different and uniquely themselves, while also sharing this same foundation of wanting to do good in the world and selflessly extend kindness, generosity, love, and light to those around them as they also find themselves.

With that being said, I fell in love with Chrissy and Vin and found myself relating to each of their challenges / growing pains in this book. I also really loved Chrissy’s family and the overarching theme of nature throughout this book. The aunties were HILARIOUS. My aunties act the same way, so I was laughing out loud through various points of this book. There were also so many quotes I highlighted! Lauren’s writing is just so beautiful.

I took my time with this one because I didn’t want it to be over, but nonetheless, I finished it with a smile on my face. It’s an added bonus to have a female character that looks like me (Asian American - Chinese and Filipino) and one whom continuously learns more and more about their culture everyday. Thank you for writing my favorite books, Lauren! And thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book before it publishes.

I took my time with this book. It felt like a journey and I wanted to savor it. I loved the characters, I loved the tension of the curse, and I loved the strong female characters. I did find at times for the pace to be a bit too slow, but I’m so glad I stuck it out.

This is a story about finding true love, learning about self-care, taking care of our health- emotional, physical and psychological.  We also learn that our fears should not dictate our actions. I was hoping to enjoy this one as much as the other two books. 
I enjoy learning about Chinese Culture, TCM x herbalism and learning about the paths we will take when we make certain choices. 

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing)-Forever for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review