All of the Chinese stereotypes were on point. Cecily is a very realistic character and reminded me of myself, but she also felt kind of annoying! I didn’t want to read about myself! 😂 By the end, it felt like just as much (if not more) a book about him than her.

I found the writing to be kind of clunky and disjointed. Maybe this just wasn’t the book for me.

The characters hated each other one sentence and then giggling and kissing in the next. I was just very confused about the whole thing.

The Year of Cecily is a very predictable book that will do everything you are expecting it to do. It’s a book about a second chance at love that sadly does not take any chances or try to be different in any way.

The main character Cecily has a bunch of resolutions for the new year. None of which include getting back with her ex-fiancé Jeffrey. Jeffrey called off their wedding ten years ago and seems to have regretted but it still took him ten years to try to get her back.

Unfortunately, both main characters are too predictable and do not have much depth to them. Jeffrey is definitely the worst of the two. He is trying to win Cecily back but really goes through no development to get to a point to win her back. It just happens.

The best part of the story for me was all the passive aggressive arguments Cecily and Jeffrey’s families had. I would read an entire book of just that.

If you like stories about a second chance at love then you should check out The Year of Cecily, just don’t expect it to be more than just that, a second chance love story.

This is the year Cecily is going to get everything that she wants, she's tired of being a workaholic and not focusing on herself. She has to return home for Lunar New Year and the ONE person she doesn't wan to see is her ex, Jeffery. Too bad for her, Jeffery is making some resolutions of his own. Win Cecily back. When he sees her at the airport, he takes it as a sign that he should start the process immediately.
I really enjoyed the second chance that these two got, and while I don't love what Jeffery did, I really loved his persistence in winning her back and making her understand just how much she means to him. Cecily did forgive a little early for my liking after what he did, but in the end she stood up for herself and made Jeffery realize it wasn't going to be smooth sailing just because there was love still there. This was a low angst read, even with the heartbreak that happened before.
The narration was perfect. Thank you to Dreamscape, Netgalley and Lisa Lin for an early copy.

Quick Summary: A second chance with boldness romance

My Review: The Year of Cecily by Lisa Lin was an inspiring call to women everywhere. It proclaimed a year of the best. It was about wanting the best for self, wanting to follow one's best passion pursuits, wanting the best desires to be realized, and wanting the best things because of it being deserved. I adored those messages.

About the Story: While this story presented an Asian American family, it sounded like the families I grew up around. It was a community of people and personalities that were all too familiar. I could relate to every aspect of what was presented. Because of that, it made the story that much more believable. The frustrations, joys, conflicts, and successes gave great insight into both leads. It was easy to see how what they had experienced in their families and in their community shaped them.

About the Characters: Cecily was a strong woman. I loved her strength and conviction. She worked hard and was driven. She had goals. She was honest with herself about what she had to deal with. She didn't shy away from grasping what she wanted with both hands. She dealt with her family with grace and patience, especially her mother. Her character showed growth.

Jeffrey was firm in his zeal to win back the heart of Cecily. I admired his tenacity. He was just as feisty as her and wasn't afraid to call her on her stuff. Even with that, he knew when to give her space and not pressure her. He was not ashamed to show his vulnerability...in the end. That made him more appealing. His character had some growing to do, but in the end, it was evident that he progressed as needed.

About the Romance: Cecily and Jeffrey knew each other so intimately. I loved how she had an unconditional approach to supporting him. I appreciated how he cared for her in totality, even her prickly parts. Despite what they had endured and the time that had passed, their soul attraction and emotional investment in each other remained. Their chemistry was evident from the first point of contact at the airport.

My Final Say: This story was colorful, textured, and very satisfying. I loved that the characters were mature adults who had lived life and gained some experience. Readers who enjoy second chance romances will really like it.

Rating: 4/5
Recommend: Yes
Audience: A
Audiobook: Yes
Series: Yes
Status/Level: ⚡

Appreciation is extended to the author, to the publisher, and to NetGalley, who provided access to an audio ARC in exchange for an honest review. The words I have shared are my own and were voluntarily submitted.

A Goodreads review has been posted.

Thank you NetGalley, Dreamscape and the author for a gifted ALC in exchange for honest opinion. I love when second chance is done well. I love when we get great representation in books including mental health and where she is the educated one we tend to see it opposite. This was a GREAT (lunar) new years romance. Also the family dynamics was also sonso well done my heart was with the MCs and how they dealt with their families. Highly recommend. I would LOVE a physical copy.

A beautifully understated story. The Year of Cecily has an ironic sense of humor, but proves quite wise when it comes to life. Cecily's road to happiness is full of chaos. From meddling family to unsuccessful romances, her journey consists of finding her voice when the chaos of life gets to be too loud. Lisa Lin tackles complicated relationships, unpredictable emotions and an ever changing canvas of frustrating, yet irresistible characters without ever losing heart.

I loved this one way more than I was expecting!!! First I love both a good San Francisco & Brooklyn setting. I loved seeing both in this second chance romance! Loved the list of resolutions that Cecily created for herself… really putting herself out there and going outside her comfort zone. With some family drama, friendships and great banter I found myself never wanting to put this one down!

I really enjoyed this second chance romance/#ownvoices women's fiction story about an Chinese American lawyer who wants to make several resolutions in her life as the New Year looms.

Full of great cultural traditions and Chinese American culture, I am definitely finding myself leaning in to books that feature female main characters in their mid thirties trying to make changes, even when it means giving an old flame a second chance or standing up to parents with high expectations.

Great on audio and definitely an author I'll be excited to read more from in the future. Recommended for fans of other debut books like Lunar love by Lauren Kung Jessen. Much thanks to NetGalley and Dreamscape media for an early ALC in exchange for my honest review!

4.25 Stars
A fun and quick second-chance romance with a sprinkle of spice.

For the new year, Cecily decided it was time to spruce up her life. So she made herself a list of goals. A list she intends to complete once she survives her visit home and hopefully avoids her ex. Of course, things didn't go exactly to plan.

The novel was spot on when it came to Asian parents. From all their criticizing and nagging to their passive aggressiveness. It was hilarious. Unfortunately, the romance didn't offer anything new, but I still enjoyed every moment of it.

***I would like to thank NetGalley, Lisa Lin (the author), and Dreamscape Media for graciously sending me the audiobook to review. As always, all thoughts are my own.***

It has been a long time since I have felt personally attacked by a book, but that is exactly what happened with The Year of Cecily by Lisa Lin. I was lucky enough to receive an audiobook ARC (my very first!) through NetGalley recently and it was a good time.

Attorney Cecily Chang is ready to grab the new year by the horns and makes a set of resolutions that she is sure will reinvigorate her monotonous life. She’s ready to start…as soon as she’s done celebrating the Lunar New Year with her family. Then she runs into screenwriter Jeffrey Lee (literally). The man who broke her heart ten years ago is the only one who could possibly derail all her plans. While Jeffrey sees their chance encounter as fate giving them a second chance at love and happiness, Cecily does her best to thwart every attempt he makes to rekindle what they once had.

From the get go, I felt a kinship to this story since Cecily lives in San Francisco and Jeffrey lives in Los Angeles, two places this Bay Area native and Disneyland aficionado is very familiar with. The bond I felt with this story deepened as the two returned to their native Brooklyn and interacted with their families. Based on my own experiences and those that I have heard other members of the Asian American diaspora talk about, the portrayal of our main characters’ overbearing, critical, and nosy family members is beyond accurate.

The story moves through time quickly. One moment, Cecily is trying to find some New Year’s Eve coverage to watch on TV and, the next, she is boarding her flight to New York the following month. While you don’t want to bore a reader with descriptions of mundane day-to-day life, there was something about the way time passed in this story that felt a bit jarring and out of rhythm. There was also a bit of a disconnect for me when the story would switch from following Cecily to following Jeffrey within the same chapter. I have read a lot of romance in my time and I am accustomed to one chapter being from one POV, so that was also a bit jarring at times to jump from one POV to the other within the same chapter.

The relationship between Cecily and Jeffrey (as well as their relationships with supporting characters throughout the book) is written so well that I felt like I knew and understood them deeply. The playfulness between Cecily and Jeffrey is so sweet and endearing and I found myself rooting for them, even as Cecily tries to force herself to not get sucked in again. It was hard at times for me to get through the interactions between Cecily and her mother only because it struck such a nerve and reminded me so strongly of my own relationship with my mother. Each character’s actions and motivations were clear and there were times when I was able to predict what they would do in whatever situation they were in.

As a fun surprise, in much the same way that TV shows will produce backdoor pilots to introduce spinoffs, Lisa was able to introduce some characters that were both important to the plot, but that we will also be seeing in the future. I don’t want to give too much away, but I don’t think this is going to be the last we see of this world.

The narrator provided a dynamic performance that had me zoned in completely, even when there were things going on around me that could have easily distracted me. If I am to nitpick a bit, there were some moments that felt like the pronunciation was not completely accurate for the minimal Chinese throughout the book. This likely would not be noticeable to the average reader, but as someone who grew up surrounded by Cantonese, it stuck out a bit to me.

Another thing to nitpick at was the transition from one chapter to the next. With audiobooks that I have listened to in the past, there is a slight pause and then the next chapter will begin. In this recording, there were such long pauses between chapters that I found myself checking if my phone had stopped playing the book on multiple occasions.

If you’re looking for a second chance romance between childhood friends with some spice thrown in, this is the book for you. Not only is it a good time, it will also make you feel less alone if you are someone that feels the heavy weight of expectations on your shoulders.

3 stars

This is an entertaining journey of rekindled love between Cecily and Jeffrey, though it's important to not expect many surprises here. What readers anticipate is what they'll get.

Upon finishing the book, I can't figure out what's particularly compelling about either character (especially Jeffrey), but I do know that they share a penchant for bizarre dialogue. Often, I felt like they were 30 years older than they are supposed to be. Additionally, the narration in the sex scenes...it's not for me. BUT it will be for folks who tend to read and enjoy slightly more descriptive scenes. This isn't graphic, but it nearly feels that way because the rest of the book is relatively chaste. Honestly, I cracked up or said "Whoa!" a couple of times. Folds, openings, a man laughing at woman's enthusiasm over physical pleasure (because this is...adorable...? Cute? I just...)... This isn't exactly for me, but if it's for you, enjoy.

Despite some of my misgivings about the diction and relative predictability, I still was engaged throughout. I'm looking forward to the sequel but hoping to get some more character development and fewer inappropriate giggles.