This was so well written with the genres and blended them well together to tell the story. I enjoyed the overall concept and how the characters felt like real people. I was invested in what Stefany Valentine wrote and enjoyed the young adult element to this book.

This book had me hooked but also left me feeling a bit conflicted. On one hand, it’s got that breezy YA romcom vibe—think The Summer I Turned Pretty or The Kissing Booth—and it nails that playful energy. But at the same time, it’s trying to tackle some seriously deep topics like identity, family, grief, religion, and transracial adoption. Both parts are done well, but the shifts between them felt a bit jarring.

Catie Carlson is an adoptee figuring out where she fits, especially after her dad passes, leaving her feeling disconnected from her white stepfamily. Things get more interesting when she teams up with Toby—a Korean-Black teen who needs dating help. She agrees to coach him while he teaches her Mandarin. Their dynamic is cute and funny, and the romance had all the right romcom feels. But then, the book dives into some heavy emotional stuff, and that’s where things felt a little out of sync for me. It’s like two different stories in one—both good, but maybe not meant to be mashed together in the same book.

That said, I really appreciated the exploration of identity and belonging. It’s not often you see a book take on topics like grief and adoption with such care. But when the romcom moments popped up in the middle of that? It kind of threw me off. I wanted to enjoy the fun, flirty parts, but I was still processing the deeper themes.

If you’re into a mix of playful romance with emotional depth, this one’s worth checking out. Just be ready for some tonal whiplash along the way.

Thank you so much to the publishers and to Stefani for the beautiful e-arc of this book. Once I started reading, it was so hard to put this book down😶🙏 full review will be up by next week.

A cute little novel and peek into the Mormon church and how things can bring different people together.

Really good story line. I had finished in one day, it had a great cast of characters. I loved the character department

Beautiful cover, sweet characters, a heartfelt love story, and inspirational representation of LGBTQ+ identity, language barriers, and embracing cultural heritage make this surprisingly adorable book a hidden gem that fully deserves my five stars! I lost count of how many times I sighed and smiled while reading about the love language lessons and the blossoming romance between Catie and Toby. It’s so refreshing, honest, and engaging!

The story centers around a young Taiwanese girl, Catie Carlson, who is raised by her stepmother and struggles to communicate with her brooding stepsister, still grieving the loss of their father to cancer two years ago. On top of that, they are forced to move from their home in San Diego, which they can no longer afford, to Utah, where they will live with their conservative Mormon aunt, uncle, and cousin, whom they barely know. Leaving their old life behind to live under their aunt’s strict rules—such as attending church every Sunday and facing criticism about their clothes and makeup—is tough. Catie also misses her biological mother, who may still be in Taiwan. She has no idea why her parents divorced, or why her father got custody, and though she loves her stepmom, she doesn’t want to hurt her feelings by talking about her mother.

When Catie starts looking for jobs and is hired as a receptionist at a popular spa, she befriends Toby, the son of the spa owners. When she learns Toby has a huge crush on one of the customers, she offers to help him in exchange for free Mandarin lessons, which she hopes will help her reconnect with her cultural heritage. Pretending to be more experienced in love than she is, she even lies about having a boyfriend to avoid seeming inexperienced.

Fortunately, she finds her father’s favorite book, The Five Love Languages, and uses it as inspiration to create special “practice” dates with Toby, teaching him how to approach his future crush. They also begin their Taiwanese lessons and start spending more time together after work, growing closer as they share their secrets and family issues, walking the fine line between friendship and something more.

Catie knows she needs to come clean about her relationship status and stop lying to Toby, even if it risks their friendship. But what if she's also risking her heart?

Overall: This is an inspirational read about embracing culture, heritage, language, and sexual orientation, alongside a heartwarming young adult romance that I highly recommend as one of the best upcoming YA fiction novels of 2025!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group/Penguin Young Readers Group/Penguin Workshop for sharing this lovely YA romance’s digital review copy with me in exchange for my honest thoughts.

Thank you to the publisher and author for the copy.
Stefany is a stunning writer—I loved that she drew inspiration from her own life and crafted a romantic dramedy about finding love, reconnecting with one’s heritage and culture.

Well done! Can’t wait to read more books by this author.