Return to Cherry Blossom Way by Jeannie Chin (Blue Cedar Falls series) 3.5 stars

This is the first time I’ve have read this author and I was entertained and charmed. This has all the best elements of a small-town romance - A second chance love story that reflects the maturity and life experience of the two main characters, family conflict on either side and a new beginning. What gives this a twist from the mainstream is the fact that the two main characters are Asian. You don’t think Asian characters when the location is North Carolina, but in reality Asian Americans are spread out throughout the entire US. The traditional elements of familial pressure and culture are embedded in the plot. I think I will try to find the other books that is set in this small town and see what I missed.

Thank you Netgalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for this ARC.

Can you go home again? May isn't sure-and she's done her best to stay away from Cedar Falls, where she was bullied as a kid. Now, though the travel writer has an assignment and she needs to see her family, which has been struggling more than she knew with health issues and other things. Should you have a second chance romance? That's the question she faces with Han, who didn't leave town and is still running his family's Chinese restaurant. This is a lovely novel which doesn't turn from the impact of being different or of second chances. I liked both Han and May, who need one another more than they realized. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A good read that while trope-y in outline is more grounded in reality.

I wasn’t sure what to expect from Return to Cherry Blossom Way but I find myself pleasantly surprised. A short summary: May is a travel writer tasked with covering her hometown of Blue Cedar Falls—the same place she has done her best to avoid ever since she was 18 and broke up with her high school boyfriend. So who does she very quickly get entangled with upon returning? You guessed it: her ex, Chinese restaurant owner and chef Han. Shenanigans occur.

I really enjoy this book. It’s rare that we see Asian protagonists and love interests in romances, and it’s even rarer to see them living in a small, rural town. Author Jeannie Chin does a great job of exploring the positives and negatives of this setting on her characters. May, for example, is traumatized by racist classmates in high school, and she is open and frank about her experiences with friends and family. It’s fantastic that we get to see such honesty in an otherwise pretty chill romance. I also really enjoy how realistic May and Han’s relationship is. They meet up, they know they’re making a mistake, and yet they can’t help themselves from getting involved again. I can’t even explain how much I understand and relate to this, and I appreciate that Chin manages to describe this struggle so well.

I have two critiques. First, I struggled a bit with the character of May through much (though not all) of the book. She’s honestly pretty selfish and unpleasant, focusing on her own feelings and desires at the expense of those around her, and it is to Chin’s credit that May experiences real character growth as the novel progresses. Second, the characters spend a lot of time in their heads. There’s a lot of thinking and contemplating and pages and pages of dwelling that honestly doesn’t add much to the book.

That being said, the book is quite lovely and ends on such a high note that it still has me smiling as I write this review. I haven’t read any other books by this author (or in this series) and I absolutely intend on reading more. Recommended for fans of second-chance romances; books with small, diverse towns; tortoises; honestly really dreamy male love interests.

Thank you NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Return to Cherry Blossom Way is the third novel in Jeannie Chin's series at Sweet Briar Inn and it is just as sweet as the first two. May Wu is the eldest Wu sister who skipped town as soon as she graduated high school. She is now a successful and fairly well know travel writer who has traveled the globe. She has been tasked with writing about none other than her hometown AND her mom's insta-famous cat. No joke. But she also comes face to face with the things she ran from- her school bullies, her small towns racism and her ex boyfriend Han Leung. Handsome Han Leung.

Jeannie Chin has written such a beautiful their novel in this series. I absolutely LOVE all three of these novels and I would absolutely read anything she writes. I think she is a wonderful writer and her characters are the best.

Was it predictable? Yes. Was it a bit too cliche? Yes. But it was also absolutely lovely! I love this series and the diversity representation. The author does such a fabulous job portraying complex characters. The town is charming and I loved returning. I can’t wait for more in this series!

This book is the second in the Blue Cedar Falls series, but it can also be read as a standalone. In this book we meet the second sister May Wu, who failed to make an appearance and help the family in book 1. May is a successful travel writer who lives in NYC and hates her hometown of Blue Cedar Falls. In this book May is forced to go back to her hometown against her will by her boss to write a story. While at home May has to face all the things that have changed and stayed the same with her family and her town. While home, May runs into her ex-boyfriend and former love of her life Han. Han co-runs his family’s Chinese restaurant and stayed behind to run the restaurant and lead his family while May went off to live her dream in NYC. This was a wonderful second chance romance, full of family drama, good food, and fun. Blue Cedar Falls is one of those places you wish was real, so you could go and gusty. I’m really hoping a book for the final Wu sister Elizabeth is coming soon! I received an ARC and this is my honest review.

Return to Cherry Blossom Way was a delightful read. It did take a third try to get into the book, but once I was there, it was an easy finish.

**minor spoiler**
The book starts about a small town girl, May (who is of Asian descent), who has fulfilled her dreams of leaving the small town behind. This meant leaving the love of her life behind. In self discovery and a trip home, she finds her HEA at the end.

Thank you to NetGalley, Forever Publishing, and Jeannie Chan for allowing me to read an advanced eCopy of this book.

May Wu has the perfect life in New York where she writes for a travel magazine, Passage, and travels the world. She had grown up in the small North Carolina mountain town of Blue Cedar Falls. May is a biracial Asian / Caucasian American who had suffered bullying in high school, making her want to leave the small town and never look back. But her family is still there, and so is Han, the man she has always loved. She hasn't seen Han in thirteen years after their breakup when she left for New York and he felt he had to stay in Blue Cedar Falls.

May is assigned to write an article about her hometown and the surrounding area. With trepidation she returns to Blue Cedar Falls to spend time researching her article. While there she reconnects with her family, and, of course, runs into Han who is still working at his family's Chinese restaurant. Feelings for him are brought to the surface and they start seeing each other, with an agreed 'no emotional attachment'. Han is just going to help May with her research.

This is a delightful second chance romance set in a warm, friendly small town. The characters were all likable and I could relate to them (well all except Jenny). The plot was well developed and the prose was easily readable and flowed well. I enjoyed reading about the pair's hurdles and decisions. I also liked the town. As a North Carolinian I always enjoy reading a book set in North Carolina.

Thanks to Forever (Grand Central Publishing) through Netgalley for an advance copy. This book will be published on August 23, 2022.

I was very happy to return to Blue Cedar Falls. This series focuses on a few Chinese-American families and their loves and friends in a small mountain town in North Carolina. This is a second chance romance with a focus on May Wu. She got out of town, lives in NYC and got her dream job writing for a travel magazine. Her latest assignment takes her home where things are more changed than she expected. She didn't know that her mom didn’t bounce back fully from her stroke or how tight things are at the family B & B Inn. And then there is Han Leung. He was supposed to leave with her but instead chose a state culinary school before dropping out after his fathers death. He was needed to run the family Chinese restaurant and support him mom and sisters. It’s been 13 years since they’ve seen each other but the longing has always been there for both of them.

I really liked this story. There is never denying the feelings they have for each other. But the obstacles are real. Cultural and family obligations tie Han to the town that he loves. But May was miserable there. Taunted by mean girls in high school she couldn’t wait to put the town behind her. It’s complicated and I think the book shows both their view points well. I was drawn more to May and her story but Han is solid, nice and dependable. I like that interaction between May and her sisters too. June has carried the weight of the family and I was happy to see that realistically discussed.

This is the second full novel in the series and I really loved the novella that takes place between the books. This is a family and community I am looking forward to reading about in the next novel. Thank you to NetGalley, Forever (Grand Central Publishing) and the author for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is a good book. The two main characters are May and Han. They known each other all their lives and dated in high school. They broke up when they went away to college. May lives in New York City and is a magazine writer and Han lives in North Carolina and runs his family restaurant. May returns to North Carolina to write an article and runs into Han. There is still a mutual interest. They each have their own issues but together they work them out and fall in love.

Love and romance…second chances…friends and family…this is a fun quick read with quirky characters.. this book was sent to me for review by Netgalley. Written by a talented author, it is a must read for a rainy afternoon by a warm fire or a beach read also. Enjoy…the story does move slowly at times…but most of it is quick…

A lovely, fun story. A new author for me. There are more in the series that I haven't read yet but will!

May returns to her hometown for work; she’s tasked with writing a piece about Blue Cedar Falls and the surrounding small towns for the travel magazine she works for. She runs into her ex, Han, and the girl who bullied her in high school. What will happen next? Will May and Han fall back in love or will bad memories from the past keep May from sticking around?

This book was well-written with good pacing and relatable characters. The author does a great job providing the reader with background for why May and Han make certain decisions and behave the way they do. Plus there’s good food mentioned!

Loved reading this book. New author for me. I enjoyed reading this book. I'm looking for to more in the series. I suggest reading them in order.