GLORIA CHOA IS THE QUEEN OF FEEL GOOD BOOKS THAT MAKE YOU GOOEY AND THINK AND THAT'S JUST FACTS ON FACTS

Thank you PenguinTeen for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

Gloria Chao writing captures your attention from page one.
Story of strong sense of family and cultural traditions.
The rivalry between families and miss communication between Liya and Kai made the story compelling and the friendship was just adorable from the beginning.

I couldn't stop smiling while reading this book. I can easily say that this is the cutest book I've read in a long time. I don't see enough books like this anymore. I really enjoyed seeing the incorporation of pinyin from Mandarin, that touch of familiarity made me really happy and the fact that the entire story was centered around an all-Asian cast was the cherry on top.

Tender, heartwarming and magical—not to mention that it made me laugh out loud multiple times throughout the book. This is absolutely perfect for anyone who's a fan of Gloria Chao's works.

My reading kryptonite is when a book does A LOT of info-dumping in the first couple chapters. This book definitely did that. There was barely any action or dialogue in the first 10%, so I didn't feel connected to the characters or their lives. I had a hard time muddling through. I also hate when an entire romance book is based on a miscommunication that happens before the book even starts/at the beginning. It could have been resolved with a simple conversation and the couple would be together.

These two factors meant I dnfed this book.

Magic, wishes, romance- what else could you POSSIBLY need? Plus the added bonus of wishing on LANTERNS gave me all the Rapunzel vibes and then some. This BFFs to enemies to lovers is the perfect book for Valentine's Day (good thing that's the pub date!) and should absolutely be on your list for the upcoming romance season. It will definitely make you smile and swoon in all the best ways, and you could feel the magic not only within the wishes but also in the culture and traditions that were displayed throughout. I really loved the family aspect at the core as well and thought it was well-written over all.

This was a sweet young adult romance book that is rich in Chinese culture. It takes place in Chinatown of Chicago in near modern times - when cell phones exist but not social media. The book is written from a first person point of view that alternates between our two main characters.

Our two main characters are about 16 years old and the writing style reflects their younger perspectives. At times I felt like the narration style was similar to the movie Seeing Red, where it felt like the main character was speaking directly to the reader at times. Liya, our female main character, is sassy and insecure like many teenage girls are while Kai, our male main character, is kind and shy. I think many younger readers will find these characters relatable.

This book showcases Chinese culture not only through the Asian community established in the storyline but also through the typical Asian family dynamics between siblings, parents and grandparents. Additionally, this book also mentions many Chinese stories like the mooncake rebellion.

I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a heartwarming romance read or looking to learn a little bit about Chinese culture in a more contemporary read. I would not recommend this to anyone who dislikes miscommunication tropes or childhood friends tropes.

Thank you to Viking and NetGalley for providing me this arc for my honest review!

Maybe ex-friends to lovers DO deserve rights !! This was such a cute and fun read. The way this author writes friendships, family, and community dynamics was so good.

The moment I read Liya and Kai's first scene together, you could feel the chemistry SO quickly. It was done so well! They really are the best of friends. And it's the he falls first trope which I absolutely love.

This was just so wholesome and sweet, I definitely recommend it!

For the last fifty-one years, the store When You Wish Upon a Lantern has been a staple of the Chinatown community adjacent to Lake Michigan in Chicago. But after Liya’s beloved Nainai passes away, everything seems to change. Liya accidentally finds notice of her family’s looming eviction, and even though her family is not good at talking to one another, Liya knows she must step in to help save her family’s store. Together with her childhood friend Kai, Liya begins a top secret project to reignite Nainai's efforts to help bring the desires of others to fruition, and along the way she discovers the bravery to grant her own wishes, as well. This delightful romantic tale combines the drama of Romeo and Juliet with the richness of Chinese culture and tradition. The narrative alternates perspectives between Kai and Liya, which gives readers direct insight into each of the character’s thoughts and emotions. Dramatic tension abounds as the duo struggles to balance their friendship with the deeper feelings they have for one another. Interestingly, the characters themselves are seventeen, but the narrative reads more like a middle grade novel than a young adult novel. Though there are occasional scenes with kissing and emotions inherent to romantic relationships, the majority of the text is particularly geared toward younger readers. Young readers transitioning to young adult literature will feel comfort in this design choice, but it does seem unusual at times since the characters themselves are nearing college-age. Love for family, friends, and cultural traditions are found throughout this enjoyable story, and Chinese language and storytelling are interwoven, as well. A glossary at the end helps to enhance comprehension of the potentially unfamiliar words and phrases in the story. Readers with an interest in human-centered tales where love conquers all will relish this novel. This is a light, feel-good addition to library collections for newer young adult readers.

This was cute! The yearning between Liya and Kai was so sweet! But there were SO MANY characters and very few of them were developed much

A beautiful cover and an equally beautiful story!

When You Wish Upon a Lantern is filled with Chinese culture; the foods, the traditions. I think those parts were my absolute favorite. I really felt like I was there at the festivals too.
Kai and Liya's story centered around their culture and how it shaped their choices as young adults. The chapters alternated between Liya and Kai, giving the reader a good glimpse into both of their home lives.
The middle of the book dragged a bit and there was miscommunication between multiple characters throughout the story. Being a YA novel, I didn't feel like it was necessarily a bad thing as that's a normal part of growing up, learning how to express your thoughts and feelings.
"Sometimes I wish you could bottle up moments and relive them when you need to."

Overall, this book has a very feel-good, magical quality to it. It's a sweet and heartfelt romance with some young adult, awkward humor rolled in.
Definitely recommend!

The glossary at the back of the book was very helpful and highly appreciated.


Thank you PenguinTeen for the e-ARC to read and honestly review!

I'd love to interview Gloria on my podcast. When You Wish Upon a Lantern has one of my FAVORITE covers. It's about Liya and Kai who used to be best friends until the big fallout. They had a misunderstanding and haven't talked since. But when they're brought back together years later and have to work together - they might be able to rekindle their friendship if they can figure out where they went wrong.

This was cute! A fun, easy story to get lost in. A contemporary with hints of magic, which is always a sweet spot for me when it comes to contemporary. I definitely enjoyed my time reading it. Also, Liya & Kai are adorable.

The story of two former best friends, When You Wish Upon a Lantern follows Liya and Kai as they navigate responsibility in their respective family stores. Liya works for her family's store while Kai runs his family bakery. After an incident months ago, Liya and Kai have drifted apart. Now, Liya needs to Kai's help granting wishes for the lanterns her family sells. Things between them might not be what they once were, but working together has its ways of reminding the pair what they are missing.
This book took about the first fifteen percent to really get into it, but after that it was a super fast read. Having the alternating point of views not only made sure that the reader can understand where both characters are coming from, but keeps them from getting bored by changing things up. It was nice to see the love interests being good friends before their relationship because that made the romance more realistic. The funny and awkward moments they experienced together throughout the story had me rooting for them the entire time. Chao does a good job of writing the teenage characters realistically and making sure that they have relatable problems and experiences.
The one negative thing about this book was the parental relationships. Neither set of parents seemed to have respect for their child. For the most part that was not a bad thing given that it was meant to develop the plot and add to the conflict of the storyline. The issue came about when the feuds were resolved with the excuse of the parents caring about their children. It was clear that, as parents, they loved their kids. But to me that was not a justification to be dishonest or disrespectful.
Overall, this book is a great read for those who are interested in young adult romance. It was definitely a slow burn, but I think for most young adult that is to be expected. But if you are not a fan of that this may not be for you. As a fast read, it would be a good choice for those trying to get out of a reading slump.
Thank you netgalley and Penguin for giving us this arc!

Just like all of Gloria Chao's books, When You Wish Upon a Lantern was such an adorable read! There's something so pure and tender about best friends to lovers romances, and the case was no different with Liya and Kai. The love they have for each other was evident from page 1 and I mentally "awww"-ed at every interaction between them. I'm also a sucker for any type of book that features a Romeo and Juliet-esque forbidden romance between two characters whose families own rival businesses. I enjoyed seeing Liya and Kai navigate their friendship and relationship while trying to come up with creative ways to make their family stores stay afloat.

I also loved learning about the significance of wishing lanterns in Chinese culture. Overall, this book was brimming with knowledge about Chinese traditions, foods, proverbs, and more. As an Asian American reader, the family dynamics within Liya and Kai's families, and the differences between the two families, was definitely relatable.

I only wish that some events and inner monologues in the story weren't so repetitive, in the sense that Liya and Kai continuously go through this cycle of hanging out, granting people's wishes, avoiding talking about their feelings for one another, and then getting broken up by their families. This made the plot drag on for a bit, especially towards the middle of the story. This book also has a few moments of miscommunication between Liya and Kai, specifically about their feelings for each other, which I know can be off-putting for some readers. Otherwise, this was such a cute read and fans of Gloria Chao's previous novels will definitely enjoy it!

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