I loved this! Very solid modern fantasy with Chinese elements. I loved the romance too although it did take me a bit to get into. Overall I really enjoyed it!

As a descendant of the Chinese god of medicine, ignored middle child Elle was destined to be a doctor. Instead, she is underemployed as a mediocre magical calligrapher at the fairy temp agency, paranoid that her murderous younger brother will find her and their elder brother.

Using her full abilities will expose Elle’s location. Nevertheless, she challenges herself by covertly outfitting Luc, her client and crush, with high-powered glyphs.

Half-elf Luc, the agency’s top security expert, has his own secret: he’s responsible for a curse laid on two children from an old assignment. To heal them, he’ll need to perform his job duties with unrelenting excellence and earn time off from his tyrannical boss.

This book was such a delight! I loved the modern-day fantasy elements and the global setting. It felt very real yet fantastical. I loved the Chinese elements and felt very connected to its theme around the Chinese diaspora. Elle Mei is a relatable character, and I adored her relationship with Luc, plus with her friend Lira and brother Tony. This was a love story that also focused heavily on friendship, family, mortality, and healing. I would recommend to fantasy fans and other Chinese-American readers!

I thought that the premise for this book was clever and had excellent cultural representation. I liked all of the characters and I thought that the world building and establishment of the magic system was well-executed. I also enjoyed the slow burn romance and the steamy chemistry between Elle and Luc.

I did struggle to get into the story and felt like the first half was slow at times and had inconsistent pacing. However, the second half was much more entertaining when the action picked up and conflicts became clear.

Overall, I think it was a solid debut novel, and I look forward to reading future works from this author.

Thank you so much to Tachyon Publications and NetGalley for this ARC. All opinions are my own.

As a descendant of the Chinese god of medicine, Elle was destined to be a powerful healer, but after a conflict with her two brothers left her and her brother Tony assumed dead, she has hidden her power while creating average-level protection glyphs as a magical calligrapher. She saves her best and most powerful work for one special and secretive client: Luc, a half-elven security agent for the mysterious Bureau. Their mutual pining fails to progress to anything overt because both carry painful secrets that make them feel unworthy. But when Luc is assigned to track down Elle's brother Yiwu, their worlds and secrets begin to weave together in ways that prove irresistible.

I was initially captivated by the idea of "magical calligraphy" and didn't really pay too much attention to the rest of the book's summary, so I started reading with no clear idea as to what I might find. This fantasy romance set in the modern world with immortal creatures and a wide variety of magical skills hooked me from the first mesmerizing lines and never let me go. Elle and Luc might be immortal, but their struggles and yearnings are wholly relatable and humanizing. Other characters are intriguing from the first as well: Elle's co-worker Lira and brother Tony hold their own on the page, and Luc's friction with his team members highlights the various personalities among them.

The story flowed smoothly, gradually ratcheting up the tension with multiple conflicts (Elle and Luc's budding relationship, Luc's mission, etc.) all the way to a powerful ending that really worked for me.

I'll also point out that the author's note at the end explained her purpose in using phrases in multiple languages (without translation) throughout the book as a deliberate way of making space for other cultures in a reading world heavily slanted towards the dominance of English. Well done.

Thank you, Tachyon Publications and NetGalley, for providing an eARC of this book. Opinions expressed here are solely my own.

A beautiful cover, for a beautifully intricate story about friends & family, sacrifice and finding yourself.

This story starts with Else who is a Chinese descendent of the God of Medicine. She’s a middle child and mainly forgotten by her family but she’s currently posing as a medical calligrapher well below her skills. She’s sacrificing and hiding her true magical abilities to protect her eldest brother from being killed by their youngest brother.

While Elle works hidden without a social life she meets Luc who is a French half eleven fixer. Luc works directly for the head of the agency, practically raised by him as his right hand man. Luc has a dangerous personality and lacks a decent relationship with his colleagues mainly due to misunderstandings

I liked the idea of the world and setting. The world was interesting with a mix of multiple folklore and mythologies. I liked the concept however, I couldn’t really get into it and sometimes had difficulties understanding it. It might be because I haven’t read a lot of folklore and mythologies though.

The characters were amazing. I absolutely loved Tony’s character and he wasn’t even the main character! Probably not his past given how it was but then again there wasn’t any clarity or confirmation on it. I felt that Elle and Luc’s characters were great but probably wouldn’t hit my Top 50 favorite Book Character list. They both had their good sides and their evil badass moments however, sometimes I found that they made ridiculous decisions for being labeled “smart” or “dangerous”.

This story felt more like romance than action or adventure to me. I liked how the story started with subtle hints of Elle’s family drama. It felt like a mystery with sprinkled hints of upcoming action. However, that wasn’t the highlight of the story and had a dull finish to it. To be fair, none of the agents’ missions were and I felt they were given a backseat. Instead the relationships were key. Building and earning trust, unconditional love and understanding as well as just being there in the time of need. There are also some very graphic sex scenes in this book.

Overall, this was a good book. It had a slow start with some awkward conversations and dialogues but it did pick up into a good story with a focused plot. I didn’t like some of the decisions these characters made and I found some characters were just there without any real purpose except to play their part in a scene. I would have probably loved this more if it were a series and if the romance was built over time including the characters overcoming their grief and trauma.

Great characters, a fascinating setting, some excellent erotica, and a solid plot about magic, familial responsibility, and dealing with personal sacrifice all come together perfectly in this fantasy novel. I enjoyed everything from the various forms of magic to the fantastical transportation systems to the seedy side of corporate magic. A fun read. More please, and with more about the ghosts?

Actual rating: 3.25 stars

Let me start by saying that this is a good and interesting story with okay writing. I was really intrigued by the premise and the plot of the story itself. I liked Elle as a main character. Everything she does is for the love of her family. I also really liked Luc as both a character and love interest. Who doesn’t love a morally grey character. I do however wish that there was more buildup of their relationship. It felt like the first half of the book was rushed and fast paced, in bad way. Doing this led to a loss in what could’ve been a good romantic buildup between Elle and Luc, but instead it seems like their relationship is somewhat forced and rushed in the beginning. After the halfway point it slows down a bit, which I liked. It’s there that we really get more of the relationship which still isn’t a lot in my opinion. And while this is a fantasy and the romance isn’t the main story, the fantasy plot line also feels rushed. But I did really enjoy the ending, which had me gripping my iPad as I was reading.

Overall, this was okay overall. Good potential for both fantasy and romance, but not great pacing.

Read if you’re looking for…
•morally grey love interest
•hates everyone but her
•Chinese fantasy inspired

This was a fun read! I don't usually pick up urban fantasy but when I do, I look for stuff like this. Strong worldbuilding, strong characterization, fast paced and action packed. I really enjoyed the all the cultural references and how they created an interesting, rich world and magic systems. As one other reviewer pointed out, I recommend reading the author's note before going into the book tho, as it provides context that gives a new layer of understanding the language and cultures used.

Elle and Luc's pining at the beginning of the book had me blushing and kicking my feet with how adorable they were. I have a soft spot for characters that are perceived as cold and unfeeling and Luc especially touched me as a character. However, I think their relationship culminated a little too quickly, I was rooting for a bit more getting to know each other and more cute interactions. Their dialogue also felt choppy at some points. I also felt like there were some pacing issues in general, and I got lost a couple times, so I'm curious to check out the final version when this is published.

I loved Tony. I hope Tony has a good life. I wouldn't mind seeing a little more of the Wrecking Crew, Lira and really, Oberon. I hope more comes out of this universe and we get to see more about Roland & Riddle agents, there's so much potential in this world!

This is paranormal contemporary fantasy . Not my usual, but the cover and the story drew me in.

Ellie is a Chinese immortal who is posing as a magical calligrapher with mediocre talents while she tries to protect her eldest brother from her youngest who wants them both dead. Luc Is French half-elf fixer with a scary reputation who is just trying to impress his boss enough so he can earn time off to break a curse.

The world building here was excellent and there is nothing better than two badass characters with chemistry who adore each other and get their HEA.

I adored this book so much. one of my favorite reads of the year.

Thanks Netgalley and Tachyon Publications for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

A fantasy romance with magic, language, and love at its center. Luc and Elle are really wonderful characters, and it's lovely to see them grow together and fight for what they want. I would recommend this romance to anyone looking for a romance with more teeth.

Rating: 4/5
Spice: 2.5/5
Storyline: 4/5
Tropes:
Content Warnings: n/a

This book was an incredible surprise! A beautifully told Urban Fantasy with a really fun romance. I loved the strong element of Chinese mythology, and the unique, but subtle fantasy characters. The plot is quickly driven forward and you want to know more about the main characters, Elle, and the handsome and funny Half-elf Luc. Both the characters had interesting backstories that you slowly unraveled throughout the book. There were quite a few side-characters, but we don't get to know much about them. Though I think this helps elevate the main characters and their plots. You can't always know everything about everyone, and they are left as acquaintances or co-workers, and nothing more.
It was hard, at first, to adjust to the Chinese and French, but I read the authors note about keeping English readers in the dark about the translation, and it makes total sense. It actually immerses the reader into the world and make the story more authentic.
One of my few issues with the story was the Agency that both Luc and Elle worked for. It's never really explained, and so I viewed it just as a random job that people might have.
Overall, I loved this book and though I knew it was going to be a stand-alone, I kept hoping for a cliffhanger and we'd get to see more of the characters and the world Mai Tsai created.

This was my first book by Mia Tsai and I'm glad I was able to read this. It was such a well done story and had a unique take on a fantasy romance novel. The characters were what I was hoping for and they were interesting people, I wanted to know more about them. I enjoyed the story and getting to read it from beginning to end, I look forward to reading more from Mia Tsai.

"That’s Ēnlián’s way of insinuating Elle doesn’t belong in San Francisco. Neither does she belong in Shénnóngjià. She’s been through too much. “I see it when I look at my paintings. Maybe one day I’ll go back, but I’m busy with things here.”

An interesting paranormal romance. Luc is the top enforcer at Roland & Riddle, the premier fae organization. Elle is a low level practitioner making glyphs for Roland & Riddle employees and other fae. Both are hiding dark secrets and paying for previous mistakes. But the French half-elf and the Chinese descendant of a god of medicine seem drawn to each other. Each seems to fill a void in the other's life. But just as things are heating up, their secrets intersect and they have to quickly decide what is most important - happiness together or misery apart? And what will be the price paid this time? Mia Tsai has created a world inhabited by quirky characters that resonate with the reader. Hopefully, Mia will write more tales in this universe! This was the romance I needed now.

Thanks Netgally and Tachyon Publications for the chance to read this tale!

First of all, this is an arc courtesy from Netgalley/Tachyon Publications! Thanks for giving me the chance ♡

Now, the review which I'll split in two: the positive and negative. And I'm sorry if there are anything poorly writen here, sometimes I still have difficult to write long texts in english (I do my best at reading).

Positive!
- The cover was the first thing that made me wanted to read this book and I'm happy that the story was as good as the beautiful cover. Now, I want to have a fisical copy on my bookshelf.
- I enjoyed a lot to read, mainly because Mia's writing is SO good and easy and fluid. If you want to read something with a bit of adrenaline, but nothing "omg i'm think i'm dying omg", Bitter Medicine IS the best choice you'll have. BTW, I thinking about recommend this book like "Good if you have literary hangover" (idk if it is how to write ressaca literária in english, but you understand)
- THE CHARACTERS!!!!! They are the best part. Omg I love them so much. Elle is so sweet and brave, Luc is so cool, I want to be Lira's best friend, and TONY!! He is my favorite character. I love him sm, I found him so funny, I've laughed many times with his quotes. I will miss Tony!!
- If there were something between "slow burn books" and "fast burn/insta love books", I think Bitter Medicine would be there. I liked how Mia worked that. We know that Elle and Luc love each other since always, but they don't start as a couple or take months to catch the feeling. I liked this type.
- I think I've said this before, but I will say again: I like the story sm and I think it's a good one to relax (even with all the adrenaline and chaos and everything).

Negatives!
- Sometimes I thought that the story goes fast and sometimes, goes slow. In one chapter, for example, there were times that happened so many things at once and in the other (or even the same), almost anything.
- And that brings us to the next point. I think that the chapters don't needed to be so long like they are. Some could be parted in two (or more), even if it ended up increasing the number of chapters. Despite enjoying the story a lot, the length of the chapters made me tired at a certain point.
- I thought too that the plot will focus more on Elle's brother issue, but it ended so fast and started other that would work better if they went togheter, happening at the same time or something like that. I must admit I'm a little sad about it :(

Well, in general, Bitter Medicine is a good book that I liked a lot to read! I can't wait for for this to be released so I can recommend a lot to my friends! This books suprised me in a good way. Ah, I've posted this same review on my Goodreads!

What an amazing book!
The book is super exciting and would love to read more from the author!

Thankyou netgalley for the ARC

Elle is the forgotten middle child. She should have been a doctor, as the God of Medicine's descendant, but instead she's working at a fairy agency making mediocre glyphs for the agent's, and hiding the truth depth of her skills from everyone. All because of a deadly family squabble.
Half-Elf Luc is the agency's "fixer". He does whatever his boss tells him to do, whenever his boss wants. And Elle is his favorite glyph maker.

Okay, so as I was reading this book I really liked it. I think I read it cover to cover in one night. I don't typically like romance novels because of the way that m/f couples tend to be written. Like a girl totally beholden to some guy and they usually end up just feeling kind of yucky. But NOT this one. I liked the romance between them, and how it felt mostly equal and balanced. Elle is totally kickass and powerful and that balances out Luc's skill well.

I also like the melting pot of mythology that was in the book. Everything from Elves to Chinese gods of medicine, there was a little bit of everything and I really liked that. I almost wished it got more into the Chinese folklore side of things though, and developed Elle's magic system a little more.

Looking back on it, I think that some aspects of it were confusing and underdeveloped, but nothing enough that I struggled to understand what was happening in the moment. The story was good and sweet, and Elle especially was well developed. I would have liked more about Luc and more about how the two of them overcame the differences and obvious trust issues both of them have though.

All in all I liked it. But. MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD

I HATED the ending, where Elle looses all of her power to her brother. That's bullshit. That is hands down, my least favorite trope in fantasy, where the super powerful woman loses all her power so a man can be powerful again. Bullshit. Not a fan. At all. But there was enough book after it to redeem the ending. I just don't like that part. At all.

An interesting concept from a new author to me. I loved the two main characters especially but I would have liked parts of the story to be more in depth.

it's a cute, entertaining and a bit sensual friends to lovers story.
I was born in a place where people from all parts of the world pass through and I feel the author did a good job representing globalization and diversity. Although if it were me, I would put the language note at the beginning, but this is just my personal opinion.
This magical underworld that the author created I liked quite a bit and I liked the idea of the story as well, however, frankly speaking there are gaps in the story and situations or stories that I would have liked to see more depth.
I would have liked to witness the backgrounds of the main characters a little more or at least have more details. I would have liked to witness relationships being created and others being broken. I needed more reasons to make the motives of the antagonists more believable to me.
Despite that it was a light read, entertaining and left me with a good taste in my mouth.

Fresh concept, interesting world and characters; hoping for more fleshed-out back story of main/secondary characters.