Brimming with family, food and fun, Vanessa Yu’s Magical Paris Tea Shop is a sweet story that celebrates Paris, paintings, pastries and the joy of discovering your own unique path through life.

Vanessa Yu sees dead people. Well, not really but she can foresee death, adultery, proposals, arguments, new jobs, job loss and a host of other things. Since she gazed into the bottom of her first tea cup at three years old, she has been cursed with the ability to tell fortunes. Worse, the prophecies verbally burst out of her, with no effort on her part being sufficient to prevent it. And to top it all, it happens with any drink - gazing into someone’s cappuccino mug, taro slushes, a thermos full of coffee - you name it, she can read your future in your beverage.

Fortunately, Vanessa has been able to limit the number of people exposed to her gift. She works in the family accounting business and spends her free time with relatives who, even though they consider her weird have at least become accustomed to her eccentricity. And it’s not as though they are unfamiliar with her plight. Her Aunt Evelyn has also been blessed with the sight since birth and has maneuvered the gift with grace and skill. Unfortunately, Vanessa was such an unwilling pupil her aunt stopped trying to teach her and left her to apply the ability on her own.

When Vanessa starts to have more frequent visions and to get painful headaches after every one, she decides she needs to do something to get this aspect of her life under control. Fortunately, Aunt Evelyn knows she needs help before Vanessa can even ask, and shows up on Vanessa’s doorstep, ready to whisk her off to Paris. The following morning, they head to France, where her aunt is opening a new tea shop. They can work on Vanessa’s precognition talents as they set up the store.

The expensive Shanghai matchmaker her parents hired warned Vanessa she would never find love, but on her first day in Paris she meets the delectable Marc Santos. The two quickly bond over their mutual interest in architecture, food and sketching. Vanessa has (sorta) accepted she isn’t meant for passion, that any relationship she manages to forge with Marc is doomed to failure. But as she gets caught up in the charm of the City of Love and Lights she can’t help but dream of romance.

I was initially concerned that Vanessa would make a difficult heroine. She was whiny about having this ‘gift’ thrust upon her and was equally morose over the matchmaker telling her she would never find true love, and her relationship with Evelyn is combative. The enchantment of Paris quickly works its magic on her though, and after she meets Marc and spends several days enjoying delicious cuisine, breathtaking sights and wonderful companionship, the real Vanessa - a loving young woman who is fiercely loyal to her family, adores art in all its forms, is a complete foodie, and has an amiable yet assertive personality - starts to shine. Vanessa can’t live with her gift as it is but she is determined she will not simply comply with the rules in order to control it, to seize her own destiny and develop her own path

Evelyn, too, comes across as a gorgeous, graceful, sophisticated but cold and negative person. She has structured her life around a mysterious and archaic set of rules that govern fortune telling and has added to that the burden of family obligations, both of which have seriously hampered her ability to be happy. I hasten to add that Vanessa and Evelyn have an absolutely wonderful extended family, it's just that Evelyn doesn’t want the same enmeshed lifestyle which all of them share.  Once in Paris and working on her dream of owning a tea shop, her loving, artistic and generous side is made manifest. I loved how Vanessa’s challenging the rules that govern their ability had Evelyn very slowly realizing that she, too, could move beyond them.

Cultural heritage, community and family are all important elements of the novel. Although she is fourth-generation Californian and very American in most respects, the legacy and customs of Vanessa’s ancestors remain a strong influence in her life, especially the magical elements, such as a matchmaker who can see the red emotional chords that bind lovers and use that to find your soulmate, and of course her own talent for seeing the future.  Vanessa’s family all work together and play together, and she is very aware that when making decisions she must consider what her family will think of them. She also recognizes how much support she receives from them, not just financial but emotional and spiritual support as well. The way they care for each other - by helping resolve issues through direct interference - is an inherent part of her nature as well. As she explains to Evelyn, this is an important expression of their love and one meant to make whoever they are helping feel seen, valued and supported.

Much of the story is taken up by both Evelyn and Vanessa exploring  what they want from life and working out how to get it. There is romance here, but it plays a secondary role to the journey of self-discovery both ladies are on. Marc and Vanessa’s relationship is cute and charming when they are together but there was a darker component that developed around the midpoint of the book which gave me some concerns. The author shows the issue as resolved by the end of the tale but I couldn’t help but wonder if this wouldn’t be a dimming factor in the otherwise bright HEA going forward. In keeping with that, Evelyn’s love interest does something that I found hard to forgive and that I thought showed an underlying cruelty that I wouldn’t want in my own significant other. These discordant notes kept me from thoroughly enjoying the love stories.

Fortunately, I loved everything else about Vanessa Yu’s Magical Paris Tea Shop. The fantasy/magical surrealist component of the tale is completely charming, deftly handled and utilized with precision and skill. It wove perfectly into the narrative and was compellingly believable. The characters' journeys were wonderful and the prose lyrical and elegant. Despite the glitches in the romances, I would recommend it to any fan of women’s fiction.

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After enjoying Natalie Tan's Book of Luck and Fortune, I was thrilled to find out that Roselle Lim was publishing another book this summer. I also enjoyed Vanessa Yu's Magical Paris Tea Shop. I didn't expect the magical realism in Natalie Tan, but this time around, I knew it was coming and was able to enjoy it for what it was worth. I liked the imagery that Roselle created through magical realism.

The premise of the story was interesting and the characters were a lot of fun. All the aunties meddling in everyone's business reminded me of Last Tang Standing. There were a lot of great moments and the food descriptions made my mouth water. The armchair adventure aspect was great too, as it would be nice to visit Paris one of these days! Roselle made it sound so beautiful and inviting.

If you're looking for an entertaining story to brighten up your summer, definitely add this to your TBR in August!

Movie casting suggestions:
Vanessa: Christine Ko
Aunt Evelyn: Ming-Na Wen
Marc: Ross Butler
Uncle Michael: B.D. Wong
Girard: Olivier Martinez
Ines: Léa Seydoux

Vanessa Yu was a fantastical treat that felt like a warm hug from an old friend but in book form. Filled with beautiful scenery and a lovable main character, this story will make you want to put Roselle Lim's works at the top of your TBR forever.

Vanessa Yu has always been able to read people's fortunes (good and bad) by seeing the dregs of their drinks. After she predicts a death in the future, Vanessa feels the responsibility and guilt of her ability weighing on her. When her aunt Evelyn extends an invitation to Paris for a visit so that she can teach Vanessa how to use her ability, she jumps at the chance. But while she's in the City of Lights, Vanessa might learn that it's not necessarily about finding control but instead discovering more about herself (and her family) and learning to accept it all.

I really, really enjoyed Vanessa Yu's Magical Paris Teashop! Roselle Lim works her magic yet again as she incorporates food, family and a journey of self-discovery all into one tale. In her sophomore release, Lim really does an incredible job portraying Paris. She invites the reader to feel nostalgic or wistful for it by using an array of details. And, as proven in her first novel and cemented by this one, Lim also has a knack for incorporating food incredibly well into her narratives. Her descriptions lend to the feeling that you are experiencing the food right alongside the characters, and I was constantly hungry and craving all the dishes (especially the pastries, my goodness, the pastries) she wrote about. The story itself is also compelling to read. Lim does well juggling a variety of plot points that weave together Vanessa's personal growth, her relationships with her family, her aunt Evelyn's reasons for settling in Paris, and a budding romance for Vanessa. I really got swept up in the narrative fairly quickly and enjoyed it all, though I did find the ending to be a little rushed for my liking and perhaps a little too movie magical in its near perfect happy ending for all. Still, it was such a delight to read from start to finish! I would definitely recommend checking out Vanessa Yu's Magical Paris Teashop when it comes out in August.

In Lim’s sophomore title (after Natalie Tan's Book of Luck and Fortune) Vanessa Yu has inherited her the ability to foretell the future… and it’s ruining her life. She hates it. She can’t stand being the bearer of bad news—and that feels like what she overwhelmingly predicts. Her aunt has hoped to train her so she can control the gift. Her mother just wants her happy and married. According to her aunt, she can’t have both. Things come to a head when a dark prediction forces her to join her aunt in Paris for proper training, but events in the city of Love don’t go quite as planned. This is a fun and funny story about choosing your own path even when it seems impossible and I loved it just as much as Lim’s debut.

This book was very entertaining with fun characters and a great location - Paris!
My only critique was all the food references throughout the book. They were everywhere. I guess if you knew what the foods were you might like it but I didn’t know the references so it got bogged down for me.
Otherwise I enjoyed the story and especially the women standing up for their happiness - even if it meant meaning losing the person they loved.

Super cute, magical Romance. I absolutely loved the way Roselle Lim set up the way the prophesies would start. She's a talented writer when it comes to descriptions, especially food. I'm sensing she's a foodie and it definitely comes across in the story. IF I had anything to complain about it's that the ending was sort of thrown together. I don't really like that Vanessa's red string broke and then reattached again. She didn't have to have a happy ending. The fact that she found herself and her purpose was enough. And she helped her aunt, which I felt was the stronger romance in the story.

As someone who has always been intrigued by the idea of fortune telling, Vanessa Yu's Magical Paris Tea Shop landed in my lap at the perfect moment. Combining a robust and lively family, decadent food descriptions, and explorations of power and responsibility, Lim's sophomore book is a delightful read. If I had to summarize what I loved about Vanessa Yu's Magical Paris Tea Shop, it comes down to food, family, and fortune.

ou will need a snack while reading this book because it's a book for foodies. Not only did I love the Paris setting - having just recently gone after years of wishing - but I also loved how Lim used food to make the setting come alive. There's nothing I love more than gorgeous writing paired with food descriptions. The ways we use food to connect to people. To taste the secrets of our heart.

I absolutely loved Roselle Lim's debut novel and her second book did not disappoint. This is a light, magical book about finding your own way (despite family or so-called destiny). family, and is a bit of a love letter to Paris as well.

Vanessa Yu has a gift she does not want - she can see the future, and the predictions come out unexpectedly and uncontrollably. She's spent her life fighting the gift (and avoiding the bottoms of teacups) and the result of all this avoidance is becoming unbearable. Oh, and her relationships are a disaster - even a trip to a matchmaker doesn't end the way she or her family expects. A revered auntie who shares her gift invites her to Paris to try to master the gift. Vanessa goes, but she balks at the so-called rules that apply to fortune tellers and tries to carve her own path,

I loved the interactions with her aunties in this book. They are loud, noisy, in your business - and foremost, loving and supportive. Her Aunt Evelyn is a bit of a mystery to Vanessa, and one that she unravels while she lives in Paris.

There is a romantic interest in the story, but I don't know that I would label this a romance. In fact, the romance is the one element that, in the end, I was less than happy with, but I'll leave that to you to decide.

If you are looking for a novel to escape in, Lim's novel catches the magic of Paris beautifully. The sights, and goodness, the FOOD. Her descriptions will sweep you away.

this was so lovely, and absolutely lived up to the magnificence that was Lim's debut! it's equally delicious (you will be SO hungry while reading!) and absolutely lush in the way that magic and reality were woven together.

clairvoyance, matchmaking, and family all play such a huge role in this story--and of course with some romantic undertones! I would highly recommend you pick up all of Roselle Lim's books for swept-off-your-feet levels of delightful.

Vanessa Yu has a gift/curse of reading people's fortunes in tea leaves. The fortunes blurt out of her causing pain to her and the receiver. In order to control this power, she travels to Paris with her aunt. Paris is the city of love, so it is no shock that several character's future become intertwined. Roselle Lim created another adorable character and story full of magic, heart, and food.

Paris. Magical fortune telling. I feel like I should have loooooved this book but…I didn’t. I liked it, but I didn’t love it.

The premise is really fun. But I just kept waiting for…more I guess? The food descriptions and the exploring of Paris is delightful. I loved the infusion of magic with a tight-knit family, lovingly obnoxious family.

Something about the central romance here just didn’t grab me though. I wanted more substance there. Sure, frolicking around Paris is a great beginning. But more development and connection would have sold this couple for me..

This author is funny and has a bright, engaging writing style so, as I haven’t yet read her debut novel, I’m still looking forward to that one.

Thank you Berkley and Netgalley for the opportunity to read an advanced copy. I voluntarily read and reviewed this book and all thoughts and opinions are my own.

For those of you who don’t know me, I was supposed to be in Paris this summer, and my trip was cancelled due to COVID-19. I expected reading this to be bittersweet, and I expected to feel hurt. Surprisingly, none of that happened! Instead, I completely fell in love with this love story.

Vanessa’s “gift” is more of a curse to her, and she spends her life coughing up predictions at inopportune moments while lacking the dashing romance her aunts so desperately want her to have. That is, until she travels to Paris with her aunt Evelyn in hopes of taming her gift, for Aunt Evelyn is also a clairvoyant. This is a quieter romance, more introspective-contemporary than bodice-ripper, and we see a lot of Vanessa’s self-doubt come through while she adjusts her perspectives and considers the implications of her gifts. I enjoyed Vanessa’s character over the course of the novel, and I think her narration will be fun and engaging for many readers.

My favorite part of the book, however, was the blend of magic and foodie culture in one of the most culinarily respected cities in the world. Food is important in the Yu family, so readers are treated to mouthwatering descriptions of dishes that Vanessa eats as she explores Paris. Lim’s worldbuilding is simply… magical, for lack of a better word! From the art museums Vanessa explores with her love interest to Evelyn’s well-stocked tea shop, I truly felt like I was exploring the Marais along with Vanessa. It’s one of my favorite districts in Paris for a reason—there’s so much to see and do!

Even though the book is billed as a romance, it’s a bit on the subtler side as I stated earlier. Readers will appreciate the romantic tendencies, but those interested in a simple contemporary will also love Vanessa. I didn’t mind this too much, the lack of “heat,” so to speak, left room for the novel to explore family relationships and Vanessa’s mysterious gifts more fully. Sometimes a simmer works just as well!

Overall, I quite enjoyed Vanessa Yu’s Magical Paris Tea Shop! It’s a sweet summer read that will have every reader head over heels, as I’m sure Lim’s 2019 debut did as well—I’m for sure going to pick that one up soon. 4/5 stars for this lovely novel.

Vanessa Yu's Magical Paris Tea Shop by Roselle Lim is one of those fun reads that entertains while adding a bit of thoughtful messages to contemplate. There's a magical element to all of this with fortune telling and matchmaking in line with Chinese fairy tales and folk lore. It's quite interesting in reading about the strong family dynamics of a big Chinese family, which is a bit different than those in say Kevin Kwan's Crazy Rich Asians series. Vanessa Yu's Magical Paris Tea Shop more down to earth and focused more on the second, third or even fourth generation Chinese Americans.

In terms of romance, I pleasantly enjoyed the fact that they play second fiddle to the theme of finding and controlling one's own fate, yet still provide readers that enjoy romance in books an adequate and pleasing amount of it. The secondary characters are quite enjoyable and provide the humor of the story, while our main characters, Vanessa Yu and Aunt Evelyn provide readers a relevance to our own lives, for young and older readers.

In all, a good and easy read that any reader will breeze through. I sure did.


Disclaimer: I received an ecopy of this book from the author/publisher. I was not required to write a positive review, and have not been compensated for this. This is my honest opinion.⁠

Roselle Lim’s debut was my favorite book last year and I’m so pleased that her follow up is just as delightful. So magical and charming!

This book seems at first like a muted version of Crazy Rich Asians. Not quite as funny, but filled with sumptuous descriptions of an Asian American family. The heroine has an uncontrollable gift of prophesy which drives her to seek the help of her similarly gifted aunt. I ended up loving this romance with its magical descriptions and happy ending. Would recommend for those who like romance, food, paris, family and magic.

Vanessa has the power of clairvoyance, passed on through her family. Her many aunties would like to see her in a relationship, but she doesn’t see how that would happen as her predictions just pop out at inappropriate times. Her Auntie Evelyn takes her to Paris to help her deal with her gift, the same one Evelyn also has under control. The best part of the book was the many detailed descriptions of French food and pastries, as important to the story as the characters and romance. The magical tea shop actually belongs to Evelyn, so the title is misleading. I liked it and thank Netgalley for the ARC.

I loved Vanessa Yu's Magical Paris Tea shop. The characters were delightful. I love learning more about Asian culture and the pressures descendants of Asian immigrants experience finding their way in the world.

A quick trip to Paris gave me only two days to explore the magical City of Lights, but Vanessa Yu's Magical Paris Tea Shop let me pretend I was back there again, dropping into sidewalk cafes and wandering down streets and alleys, exploring shops and museums and all the city's iconic spots.

Author Roselle Lim writes about her main character, Vanessa, reads tea leaves and has difficulty staying in relationships because she always blurts out any truth she sees in the cup. Then her aunt takes her to Paris to refine her skills, and adventure ensues. If the pandemic is getting you down (if it isn't, you must have your own kind of magic) then escape into this lighthearted, sweet novel.

Vanessa Yu is cursed. Well, her family calls it a gift, but her ability to predict the future at inopportune moments has certainly not felt like a gift to her. When her clairvoyant aunt offers Vanessa the opportunity to leave California and travel to Paris to help set up a new tea shop and learn more about how to control her ability, she reluctantly accepts. After all, she can't have a lasting romantic relationship if she's constantly blurting out predictions.

Roselle Lim skirts the line with magical realism again in this novel. Butterflies painted on a dresser flutter to life. Wind shakes flower petals loose when two characters kiss on the street. The city of Paris is enchanted, too. I loved last year's Natalie Tan's Book of Luck and Fortune, and this new book has the same lovely sense of wonder. This is a romantic story, but only part of that is due to the seemingly-perfect man Vanessa meets. It's also about learning to love and accept yourself and your family.

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for the ARC to review.