🌟4/5 stars🌟

'A Taste for Love' was one of my most anticipated reads fo 2021, and it didn't disappoint! It was a fun, light-hearted contemporary romance that truly did embody a modern-day Pride and Prejudice. I adored the representation and the plot that revolves around baking (because duh food is amazing who wouldn't), along with our strong-willed MC Liza Yang. She's a relatable and overall enjoyable character to read about, and I definitely recommend this book to anyone looking for an entertaining and well-written read.

Age range 14+

A Taste for Love by Jennifer Yen combines two of my favourite things in YA–baking and competition. This is such an entertaining story about a baking competition that turns out to be a matchmaking scheme, and there are some fantastic descriptions of food inside. I enjoyed the main character’s passion for baking, but I would have liked to see more about the competition itself. Despite this, this is still an engaging read and a quirky take on Pride and Prejudice.

This book tells the story of a girl who helps out with her family’s annual baking competition, only to realize that the competition is actually a matchmaking scheme orchestrated by her mother, and the boys are competing for a date with her. This premise is so original, and the way it loosely incorporates elements from Pride and Prejudice adds even more dimension. I am a big fan of both books about baking and books about competition, and this one really brings out the best in both with its mouthwatering descriptions of food and its quirky side characters.

❀ HEADSTRONG MAIN CHARACTER

Liza is an easy character to root for, and she is very headstrong. She loves to bake and dreams of going to culinary school, but her parents don’t approve of this pathway. I admired Liza’s passion and her willingness to fight for what she wants despite what her parents want for her, and the fact that she is a judge in the competition was also interesting to me, as this is something I’ve never seen before in YA.

❀ HEAVY ON DRAMA

I think my main issue with this book is that it needed more about the actual competition. This is the strongest aspect of the book, and the competition itself doesn’t begin until about halfway through. Once it does begin, though, everything is resolved a little too quickly. I also found this book to be a little heavier on drama than I was expecting, but I wasn’t sold on the romance. I understand that James is supposed to be the Mr. Darcy character, but he has no chemistry with Liza, and I didn’t warm up to him by the end.

❀ AN INVENTIVE STORY

A Taste for Love by Jennifer Yen is an inventive story about a baking competition that is not what it seems. I loved the descriptions of food sprinkled throughout the book, and the main character is passionate about what she does. Where the book falls flat, however, is with its pacing and its lacklustre romance. However, this is still a fun read, and fans of The Great British Bake-Off will definitely find it appealing.

<<Resenha...>> A Taste For Love - Jennifer Yen | 304p. @prhinternational 4,5⭐🇺🇲
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Liza é uma garota quase comum, de descendência asiática e com uma mãe bastante tradicional tudo que ela mais quer é liberdade. Por isso ela não namora garotos asiáticos, por isso ela desistiu de cozinhar e por isso ela tenta ficar longe do radar da mãe. Só que Liza acaba conhecendo James, um rapaz asiático que tem absolutamente tudo que a mãe dela quer. Depois de cair numa armadilha da mãe e acabar em uma competição culinária com apenas garotos asiáticos, Liza vai ter que decidir se dará uma chance a James.
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Uma narrativa fofa e com uma proposta de aquecer o coração, A Taste for Love entrega tudo que os leitores de Young Adult mais amam: uma mocinha tentando se encontrar e um mocinho taciturno que faz tudo por ela.
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Liza recebe muita pressão por parte da mãe e isso acaba deixando as coisas entre as duas muito ruins algumas vezes. Confesso que esse tipo de mãe é algo que sempre me deixa chateada, mães controladoras beirando a toxicidade e é isso que temos nessa relação. Apesar disso, Liza tem amigas maravilhosas e um pai que tenta colocar panos quentes na relação das duas.
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James, por sua vez, também vem de uma família tradicional e com um bom financeiro. Ele está na cidade por um tempo e se encantou com Liza desde o início, mesmo que ele tenha tido algumas atitudes que eu não curti.
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A relação deles vai crescendo de forma divertida e gradual e isso me agradou bastante.
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Enfim, recomendo para quem está querendo um livro fofo e divertido. E aí me conta: já leu algo nesse estilo?

A Taste for Love was a great book to get me out of the reading slump I have been in for the last few weeks. This is a super cute rom com that has a little bit of enemies-to-lovers vibes.

Liza, the main character, is a girl who is just graduating high school and has different dreams for herself than what her parents want for her-- I feel like we can all relate a little bit. Her parents own a bakery and restaurant and want nothing more than for her to never have to deal with the stress and grueling hours of that career path. But baking isn't something Liza want's to do because it's comfortable, it's her passion and she is nervous to tell her parents that.

This book is a great coming to age story about being true to yourself, in addition to having a cute romance story line also. Liza's parents are hosting an annual baking contest, but instead of picking the contestants based on who is the most qualified, Liza's mom uses it to find her a potential boyfriend-- one who checks off all of Mrs. Yang's "boxes" in what she wants for her daughter.

I definitely felt that the conflict towards the end became a little too overdramatic, but I still really enjoyed the book! Definitely a great easy romance to get me back into my reading-groove!

“Only book boyfriends are that perfect.”

A Taste for Love - 🌟🌟🌟🌟

Have a snack at the ready when you read this one because it will make you hungry! I have now compiled a very long list of delicious treats I’ve never heard of that I need to try right away. Topping that list: Pandan Chiffon Cake 🤤

This book was really fun and I loved the baking competition storyline! I could totally see this being made into the perfect YA Netflix movie 😍

This is so cute and so much fun! A great british baking show inspired love story. This was fun and cute!! I loved this so much!

After a really rough day, I was looking for something light and fluffy (not what I was currently reading). Razorbill and NetGalley had been kind enough to send me this ARC (thank you!) and it definitely was what I was looking for. It actually has more substance than the description lets on, and I totally didn't see the Pride & Prejudice inspiration until seeing other people reviews (note, I've only read P&P once). Overall, a very nice book in a genre I don't read much of. Up from 3.5 stars.

” Change the world, one cake at a time? ” 🍰

Reading A Taste for Love was an absolute treat! It’s been a while since I’ve been completely absorbed in the delicious-ness of books, so I’m really glad that I picked A Taste For Love up. If you’re a fan of cooking/baking shows like I am, A Taste for Love should be the next book on your tbr. Be warned though – this book will make you crave cakes and all kinds of desserts, so make sure you have something to eat by your side. 😂

I love reading about Asian characters, so I obviously adored Liza with all my heart. She was the best female lead a book like A Taste for Love needed. Her character was the perfect recipe for boldness and kindness. 💜 Liza’s attitude literally radiated warmth throughout the story. I have a strict mom like Liza too, even though Mrs. Yang’s strict-ness is on a whole different level – I really related to Liza in that aspect. I couldn’t help turning the pages to know how her life in a bachelorette situation turned out.

The romance between Liza and James was very cute! I love grumpy male heroes who turn out to be the sweetest guys – and I feel the same way about James. I think I would have enjoyed reading about their relationship a lot more if the book included some chapters from James POV too.

The representation of Asian culture was the highlight of reading A Taste for Love! I loved how the author made sure to include deep insight into Asian households and norms in the story. ALSP THE FEMALE FRIENDSHIPS + SISTERHOOD in this book were just so perfect OMG. I knew I’d love reading A Taste for Love since features food and all, but I ended up loving so many other things. All the drama, the humor, and comedic conversations made this book a joyous ride. :’) 💚

Please pick this book up ASAP. You’ll fall in love! 😌

This was a very cute read but I fear the author has dated it with too many specific references. Years from now, will readers really know what the "Great British Bake Off" truly is? Probably not. Not only that, but references to specific foods without descriptions of what the foods consist of means I struggled to enjoy the foods as much as the MC. I am a reader that prefers the author to "show me, don't tell me". Don't read this book hungry because the references to food was great, but like I said, it was hard to really wrap my head around how to picture it all.

Liza was a decent character but her voice came across as whiny, immature, and bratty. I understand that she did like the sneaky plan her mother devised in the hopes of finding her daughter a boyfriend, but there had to be better ways for Liza to convey that. she was a headstrong female who knew what she wanted. I felt Liza was overall too hard and cruel to her mother.

I also felt there were too many topics crammed into the story: bullying, mix-race dating, potential eating disorder, stereotyping, and a few more. While these are very serious topics, I don't feel they were handled correctly or even properly discussed. Apparently Liza's sister was a model and Liza felt she was "looking too thin" because she didn't touch her dessert. Liza brought up the topic to her sister where it was address AND DISMISSED in one paragraph. That did not sit right with me. It felt as it was included simply to move the story along. That's the worst thing that could have been done so it should not have been included at all.

Overall I liked the baking aspect of the story (as I'm a baker myself) and the light-hearted romance, but the rest felt as if it needed to be flushed out more.

I enjoyed reading A Taste For Love by Jennifer Yen!! It had almost the same set up as Pride and Prejudice with the romantic tensions included but set in modern times with Asian characters as the lead. I’m basing it off the movie with Kiera Knightley and Matthew Macfadyen since I watched it recently for the first time. This book got me hungry with the descriptions of various pastries and got me craving for milk tea.

A Taste for Love follows Liza, a baker, as she deals with her overbearing mom, a baking competition, and a cute boy.
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This story was so adorable! I loved the dynamic between Liza and James and I also enjoyed the competition! It felt a lot like the Great British Baking Show, which is amazing.
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The characterization was very and it was easy to understand them and their motives by the end! I recommend this to those who love food( it definitely made me hungry!), family, and the sweetest relationship! This truly was an adorable story wrapped in cakes and jellies!
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TW- HP references, cheating, kissing without consent
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Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

This was a fun book filled with food and romance. I loved the bake off and how teens were involved in that. It's a quick read and one that you'll remember for a long time.

Pride and Prejudice but set it in modern Houston, Texas with Taiwanese American families. Throw in a baking competition, and that’s how I would describe Jennifer Yen’s A Taste for Love. This was an addictive read that I just flew through.

I love the sisters’ relationship and the female friendship in the book, almost as much as I enjoyed the progression of the relationship between Liza and James. I also appreciated how even though A Taste for Love was a sort of retelling of Pride and Prejudice, it didn’t adopt all the subplots from Pride and Prejudice. Instead, Yen took what made sense for the setting and characters and put her own spin for her book.

As someone who was born and raised in North America but whose parents came from an Asian country, I definitely could relate to many of the things talked about. For instance, Liza’s aversion to dating Asians guys is definitely something my siblings have in common with her, although unlike her they remain steadfast in their determination. The passive aggressive mind games between Liza’s mom and Mrs. Lee was also hilarious, though I’m relived that Mrs. Lee ended up being a reasonable person in the end. Finally, I also loved all the baked goods in this book, and it’s always interesting to have characters who have to help at their family’s small shops on top of being a typical teenager.

Despite not intending to make it my first read of the new year, A Taste for Love was the perfect book to kick start my 2021 reading!

Thank you so much @penguinteen for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review!

Yay for more adorable rom-coms! This was so cute! It definitely took me by surprise because I thought the protagonist was going to be with someone completely different, but I was pleasantly surprised! She actually ended up with someone way better than I thought originally!

I looooooved the baking aspect in this. Baking in books is seriously the most fun thing! I need to read more of them!

And the competition in this was so amazing. I think competitions are so fun, as I LOVE watching cooking competitions on Netflix!

𝗥𝗲𝗰𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲: Baking, Competitions, Cute Couples, Family, Sisters, Besties.

Thank you @prhinternational for the free e-book!
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This ARC was provided for review, but in no way affects the following unbiased and impartial review:
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4*
Pros: If you are looking for a perfect mix of a Great British Bake-Off episode, a K-drama, and a retelling of Pride and Prejudice, look no further, this is the book for you! Fun and enjoyable story, heavily inspired by Chinese and Taiwanese cultures. Romance was not the focus, but rather an added bonus. The spotlight was on the love for baking traditional dishes and through it, finding your passions and your place in the world. Talks about shaky parental relationships and mending bridges.
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Cons: Extremely sugar-coated ending. The important issues brought to light were by the end mostly disregarded.

I received a free e-ARC of A Taste For Love thanks to PenguinTeen in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are solely my own.

I loved this book. I usually don’t like rom-com books because I find them too cheesy, but I knew I’d enjoy this one. What’s better is that it is a retelling of my favorite book: Pride and Prejudice! How can you not win with that?!

So what’s it about? We have Liza Yang, a seemingly perfect high school student. Except for the fact that she dates non-Asian guys, that is. Liza’s mom would prefer if she dated Asian guys—the more traditional and suitable partner—but Liza refuses. When Liza gets to help her mom judge the baking competition they host every year, Liza realizes her mom has set her up: all of the contestants are Asian American men. Will Liza go along with it? And what happens when she starts to fall for one of the contestants?

This is such a light fun read. I loved all of the descriptions of the food and baking. Although this was a light contemporary read, one thing that I really appreciated was the dynamic between the family. The relationships between different family members felt real. The tension and inability to see eye-to-eye was so relatable. While it did have a unique cultural aspect, I felt like it could be recognizable to others outside of the Asian cultures.

There was one thing that I did find a little bit confusing. Mrs. Yang, Liza’s mom, hosts the competition and picks the contestants. I was a little surprised at the caliber of the contestants that were participating in the competition, especially since there was such a big turnout. It just seemed like the competition would have been a little more stiff.

One thing that I found a little bit eye-roll worthy was that, of course, James was perfect. The rest of the book made up for this, though, and it was so minor that I was able to overlook it.

Overall, this book was a hit. I’d recommend this book to anyone who enjoys fun contemporary reads, food, or who wants to read a twist on a classic. A Taste For Love is out today, so be sure to pick up your copy!

This story was a cringeworthy episode of BRITISH BAKING SHOW where the contestant threw his cake in the garbage when time was up. This is worse than that time someone knocked someone else’s cake over when bringing it up for judging. Right off the bat, you can tell who can bake and who can’t and it’s hard to watch those try to put in an effort for the sake of finding love. Yet, I really enjoyed this train wreck. It was funny and fast paced, and made me really want to break my no sugar month rule. I’ve never wanted a sweet so badly! Or Boba. There is lots of boba.

If you love romance and baking shows, this ones for you! A TASTE FOR LOVE by Jennifer Yen follows Liza as she tries to prove to her parents that baking is her passion and is a real career option, while also pushing back against her mother’s traditional dating values. When Liza jumps at the chance to help her mother judge their shops baking competition, she doesn’t know that all of the contestants were handpicked by her mother for her to date.
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This story is just what I’ve been craving lately— a cute, fluffy romance. I really enjoyed my time reading this one! I found the friends, family and romantic relationships all well fleshed out and interesting— the growth in Liza’s relationship with her mother was very nice to see. The baking competition was a lot of fun to read about, and everything they baked sounded incredible; it made me hungry. My eARC did seem to be missing paragraphs here and there, but I don’t feel as though I’ve missed much of the story. I’ll get a finished copy to see what I’ve missed.
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4/5 stars! A TASTE FOR LOVE comes out today, February 2nd, 2021.
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Thank you to Penguin Teen & Netgalley for sending me an eARC to review!

Flirty & cute, A TASTE FOR LOVE brings together baked deliciousness, mysterious past secrets, and a cooking competition that's a low-key disaster.

I was prepared to be satisfied with a cute romance, and move on with my life, but something about A TASTE FOR LOVE just stuck out to me and latched on. It was definitely more well-layered than I expected from a light romance--like Liza's layered agar cake!

We not only get a romance between our headstrong protagonist Liza and the stand-offish & a little bit shy James, but we also get a heaping of friendship vibes, sisterhood, post-high school dreams, and a baking competition that turned in to the Bachelorette. Also, a deeper backstory than you might expect! (Check out the CWs at the end.)

I started reading, and I ended up devouring the story in less than a day. Y'all--I was so hungry. There's so much delicious food in here--a gazillions types of buns, san bei ji, boba, cakes, breads, and a plethora of pastries. I was practically drooling the whole way through.

In some ways, I admit that I wasn't entirely sure A TASTE FOR LOVE would be a book I enjoyed. I've been getting tired of reading about a strict Asian parent/tiger mom, especially because my own experience is some ways similar, other ways very different. More and more Asian-American teens are diverging from a more traditional immigrant-parent experience, and I've been seeking stories that tell this more complex ground.

I think it's totally valid for Yen to write this type of dynamic, but it hasn't really been my cup of tea recently.

Still, I ended up enjoying Yen's portrayal of Liza's relationship with her mother. I wasn't sold in the beginning, but ultimately the way Yen teased out some of the later dynamics made it worthwhile. I particularly related to portrayals of
- parents not giving warning before they rope you into a commitment, without really respecting your time, plans, or opinions
- the push/pull kind of transactional appeasement a child has with a parent to gain leeway to do something.

Kind of bleak, honestly, but I ultimately thought the dynamic was portrayed well in the end.

I think what A TASTE FOR LOVE does best is bring you along for a story that you ultimately know will make your day a little bit brighter. It's a pick-me-up in the way that Liza triumphs, food is woven in, and the characters are shaped and developed to leave you satisfied when you put it down.

With a nice balance of plot, character, and voice, A TASTE FOR LOVE should be another addition to your collection of heartwarming Asian YA romance novels. (Taiwanese-American rep, specifically!)

Content Warnings: cheating (not condoned, but once or twice a character might have some internalized issues/not believe another girl's account in favor of the cheater. it happens more frequently than you'd expect in a rom-com tbh), comments about weight (here and there, never a plotline of its own), manipulative people, microagressive white person towards Asian people (she kind of learns? but don't expect too much)

A Taste for Love follows the story of Liza Yang, a Taiwanese American, who loves baking and they have a family business called Yin and Yang Restaurant and Bakery. Determined to show her parents—especially her mother, her skills in baking, she asked to join the annual baking contest they organize. However, her mom refused but allowed her to be a judge instead—to her surprise, her mother picked this year’s competitors based on her standards for whom Liza should date because she wants her daughter to date an Asian guy. This is written on Liza’s point of view. And is mostly set in Houston, Texas.

I love the writing. It was simple, easy to read, that just carried me away from the start. It was full of funny, delightful and heartwarming moments, but there is also a serious side. This is also mouthwatering. I love the descriptions of foods so much—almost like I can smell and taste them. Reading this also felt like I had a mini tour in Houston and New York. I really love how certain places were described and introduced. I was not familiar with many of the places mentioned but this made me curious enough to do a quick search about them, allowing me to easily picture them in my head and feel transported in those scenes.

I loved Liza from the very beginning. I easily connected and related to her. How she reacted to certain situations also reminded me of my teenager self. I love the small details included in her life. She is a reader, she loves to bake, to drink bubble tea with her best friend and to always hang out in the bubble tea store, she listens to K-pop, eats at Korean, Chinese, and Thai restaurants, she watches C-drama, and always watches on Netflix. We have some common interests and she just feels like a teenager in the present day. As an Asian, even the small detail of consuming things that originated from Asia makes me feel so seen and I love how I can also see my friends in her and her friends.

I love the familial, platonic, and romantic relationships. The love interest, James, is one even I have found attractive from the start. It took a bit of a time to get to know him, but I still ended up liking him. There really was a chemistry between him and Liza. I really appreciate the side characters as well, from Grace, to Ben, to Mrs. Lee, to Jeannie, and more. They have distinct personalities and roles that contributed a lot to the whole story.

A Taste for Love tackles family expectations, Asian diaspora experience, miscommunication between parent and child and how that affects their relationship, reaching and fighting for your dream, passion, friendship, family business, baking, and being your own person. I like how these were explored. And love how it shows various Asian cultures as well.

Majority of the plot focus on the baking competition. It was not boring. Though I am not really into cooking, I still enjoyed it. I love how it really talks about cooking, especially baking. I also highly appreciate the inclusion of various Asian foods, especially the pastries. I was also introduced to many foods that I do not know about and would love to try someday.

A Taste for Love talks about family expectations, complex parent-child relationship, dreams and passion, a swoony romance, Asian cultures, and lots of food. It gave me so much joy and made me feel seen. I highly recommend, especially if you are looking for a fun read that talks about the abovementioned topics. Just do not read this when you are hungry or craving for bubble tea!