This was a super cute rom-com that had me laughing and tearing up and would probably make an excellent Hallmark movie. However, it's definitely one of those books that if you think too hard about, everything starts to fall apart.

Kimmie works for a boutique in Oklahoma with a boss who is a huge jerk and berates his employees. Finally getting fed up over it, she tells him off and quits... but has a sort of dissociative anxiety episode while she does that results in her basically having a one-sided dance battle with him. It's all recorded by a coworker and uploaded to the internet where it promptly goes viral. Now unemployed, Kimmie starts throwing all her energy into her Etsy shop. She takes a picture of her best friend, Alicia, with some of her items and everyone assumes Alicia is Kimmie. She doesn't correct them because she's terrified of the viral video. Matt is a customer from the Etsy shop and he strikes up a flirtation with her over Instagram. They start to fall in love, but now she doesn't know how to tell him the truth.

There are so many subplots going on with the book, Kimmie's parents died in a freak accident and she finds out she's adopted. She's having an identity crisis because she thought she was Korean, then Chinese and now she's actually Taiwanese. She's afraid to leave Oklahoma because she's equated following your dreams to death. We've got the viral video that follows her around and then she's meeting her birth mother and it's just a lot and most of it doesn't feel needed because it's not really explored. The first half of the book feels like an Etsy ad mixed with the movie The Truth About Cats and Dogs. Kimmie is offered a collaboration with a major company and the CEO is impressed with her sales and profit and loss, but her shop has been open for years and only has 1000 sales. It just stops making sense. And it's a CLEAN romance, so there isn't even smut to save it.

Kimmie is hilarious bordering on obnoxious at times and Matt... well, he's hot. He doesn't have much of a personality, but he has abs so... Kimmie's aunt Hana was probably my favorite character and she was only in the book long enough to tell Kimmie she was being an idiot and to tell her she has lovers all over the globe. You go Aunt Hana!

All that said, this was a cute story, but it's probably not something I'd read again.

This was such a great book. I was totally absorbed into the story. I really fell for Kimmie and Matt.
I just reviewed Crazy Bao You by Lyn Liao. #CrazyBaoYou #NetGalley
[NetGalley URL]

If you want something quick and easy to read, this is the book for you. Let me first say that Kimmie and Matt were fine. Kimmie bordered on being just a bit annoying at times. Matt was a Gary Sue if I've ever read one. He was perfect. Like boringly perfect. Not once does he get upset over the fact that Kimmie catfished him for a month. No, he's all super understanding about it and is all "LOL WHAT A HILARIOUS MISCOMMUNICATION". It was okay because that's not how he pictured Kimmie at all in his head anyway. "There's no way this well put together woman on Instagram, INSTAGRAM OF ALL PLACES, could be the sweet, dorky woman I've been talking to all this time." NONE OF THESE COULD BE MUTUALLY EXCLUSIVE. Okay, fine. At least that situation was cleared up and they realized that they do like each other and have chemistry. At least, that's what the author wants us to think. These two had more chemistry with the food they were eating throughout this entire book than each other. I believed they were meant for each other because they were both just...there.

Also, once I realized that Matt was a white dude (I guess I spaced out when Kim was describing what he looked like for the first time between all the "omg he's so hot"), the racist undertones when he was describing that area of the Bronx was not a good look as the millennials say. This could be based off Liao Butler's experiences since her husband is firefighter with the FDNY, but it didn't sit right with me.

There was also too much going on in this book for it being less than 300 pages. The viral video, which in this day and age, I refuse to believe people would have actually recognized her or cared. There's the catfishing. There's the product line with Matt's dad's business. There's Kimmie's birth mother. There's the accident at the last 1/4 of the book. It was too much and instead of shoving another issue into this book, the author could have spent more time building the actual relationship between Matt and Kim.

Like I said, if you want something easy, light, and quick to read, this is for you.

Crazy Bao You is a cute, light, fast-paced multicultural romance. I definitely recommend this novel for anyone who enjoys contemporary romances. Thank you netgalley for the ARC!

This book was a fun light read! There were some moments in the book that made me laugh out loud. Matt was such a great guy that it was hard for me to sometimes see what he saw in Kimmie. Sure he kept going on about how sweet and funny she was, and clever, but she wasn't willing to give them a chance when he was the one who gave her business the deal with Endless. Overall still enjoyable!

Oooh, definitely crazy bao this story!! This one was sweet and cute with all the misunderstanding and craziness. What begins with a DM slide-in and harmless flirting eventually turns into something more serious. Kimmie and Matt may not have known each other for a long time, but that thankfully didn’t stop them from realising that they do indeed belong together.

Great characters and a heartwarming story made this steaming plate of baos a wonderful read. Thank you for my advance copy @netgalley

thank u netgalley for the arc!

This book is about Kimmie Park, an Etsy shop owner from Oklahoma, who meets Matt West, a FDNY firefighter from New York. Despite the distance and the fact that they have never met in person, they connect and have great chemistry. However, Kimmie is hiding her recent internet fame from a viral video where she twerked while quitting her retail job, and Matt has no idea what she looks like. As their relationship develops and Kimmie gets a chance to partner with Matt's father's retail store, she knows she needs to come clean about her past. But in order to do that, she must confront the sorrows of her past and decide whether she's ready to embrace who she really is.

It was such an easy and enjoyable read, with well-portrayed relationships between Kimmie and various characters such as Alicia, Matt, Matt's grandmother, Kimmie's aunt, and her birth mother. I found it refreshing that there wasn't much conflict surrounding them and that the majority of the problems revolved around Kimmie and Matt. Additionally, I admired how Lyn resolved the challenges they encountered (such as with Matt and his father), aside from those that involved Kimmie and Matt, in a seamless manner.

However here are the things that bothered me about this book:

First, the main character, Kim, has too many problems going on at once. While this may be realistic, not all of them are thoroughly addressed. I found myself frustrated with Kim because she could have just told the truth from the beginning, but chose not to. If I were Alicia, I would have been angry with her.

Second was how often Matt was late. He's on probation, so it's frustrating that he couldn't be on time especially since that's on first appearance on the book.

Third, it also didn't sit right with me that the main character didn't know why she twerked while telling off her boss. It's understandable to go on autopilot when angry, but it was odd that she felt very clueless when she saw the vid like “THATS ME??” as if she doesnt know what she looked like. It's annoying, to be honest. And she just went “I don't know why omg I didn't even know I did that” all through out the book so why make it like one of the main details if she's not even aware of that happening.

Another issue I have with the book is that Kim's serious conversations are often interrupted by her thoughts about food or how attractive Matt is. I know the story wasn't in a serious tone and it's supposed to be light but when addressing a serious issue or having a serious talk, it feels out of place and takes away from the overall tone of the scene.

Additionally, the constant delays in Kim's confession were frustrating. It was understandable when it happened once or twice, but the repetition became tiresome.

<i>But then I realized Alicia didn't look Chinese. Even though she was half-Asian, she didn't look it. People often mistook her for Mexican or Italian, possibly Filipino. But definitely not Chinese. Crap.</i>
I also disliked the implication that Alicia didn't look Asian, even though she was half-Asian. It was frustrating its always implied that KIMMIE LOOKS ASIAN and alicia isnt because she looks either mexican or FILIPINO as if Filipinos arent asians on god.

Lastly, the addition of a new problem near the end of the book felt unnecessary and added more frustration.

Despite the issues, the book was a fun and easy read, and Kimmie and Matt's dynamic was cute.

First thank you Lyn Liao Butler and NetGalley for the ARC!!
I love every book that this author has written and this is no exception. I think that the similarities in her real life and this work of fiction are fantastic. Lyn’s love of her NYFD hubby and dogs is clearly evident and I appreciate the connection! The story itself is fun and lighthearted but also deals with some real life issues of grief and anxiety. The romantic scenes are genuine which I really enjoy! In conclusion I have to say in regards to this book Im Crazy Bao You and can’t wait for the printed version to be in my hands!!!!

I voluntarily read an ARC of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
I'll be honest, I'm not a huge fan of the snowballing lie trope. It frustrates me when the main character can't tell the truth at different opportunities. I understand it makes the story more interesting, but yeah, not for me.
The characters were relatable, and I liked the history behind Kimmie's adoption. Was nice to see how they could reconnect again.
Kimmie and Matt were sweet once everything was out in the open.

4.5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨
Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and Lyn Liao for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!!

This book was super cute!! It made me laugh and I loved that Kimmie was an Etsy store owner!!!
Matt’s grandma was sooo cool and awesome too!!
I really enjoyed every minute of this book

Thank you to Netgalley and the author for an ARC of this book.

Kimmie works at a clothing store but after she goes viral yelling at the owner for being rude to his employees she focuses all her time on her Etsy store. Matt is an FDNY firefighter who recently left his dad's company. He messages her after buying one of her products for his grandmother and so their romance begins The story continues with an almost innumerable amount of subplots.

I enjoyed the subplot surrounding Kimmie meeting her biological mother and finding out more about her heritage. I also enjoyed Matt's grandma. She was definitely my favorite side character.

However, I think this story has so many subplots that every single one felt rushed, Honestly even the romance felt rushed because of how many subplots were included in this book. This book was also really REALLY cheesy. Like, the main character twerks in that viral video at the beginning of the book but she didn't do it intentionally levels of cheese. That amount of cheese made it personally really difficult for me to relate to her.

If you are looking for a romance with cheesy humor that isn't boring or slow this is definitely for you.

Received this ARC via NetGalley…

This was a super cute book and quick read. If you need a fun, feel good book, this is for you. And it tugged on my heart strings, but not too much ❤️

Content warning: discussions around death of parents.

Crazy Bao You is a heart fluttering delight of a romance filled with quippy banter, misadventures, and a loveable cast of friends and family. I rooted hard for Kimmie and Matt from beginning to end as they found themselves, and love along the way.

I loved reading this one. I just love this kind of books.
4 stars read for me. I love this authors writing style.
Thanks to netgally for this arc.

Mistaken identities, sexy firefighters, and steamed buns make for an irresistible romance filled with heart and humor. You will go wild a-bao this story!

It's really hard to capture everything that happens in this book. Kimmie quits her job with A LOT of energy (including twerking), and it's all captured on video. Of course, it goes viral. To help her deal with her professional and personal crisis, her best friend and aunt move in with her. She was living alone after her parents died suddenly and traumatically. On top of all of this, her Etsy shop is blowing up online, and she's becoming romantically involved with someone who bought something from her shop. Matt is a FDNY firefighter. He's definitely a romance trope: sweet to his grandmother, hot, and the son of a retail store magnate. He and Kimmie start flirting almost immediately, and things get heated between them very quickly. The big problem is that Kimmie is in Oklahoma, and she's been using photos of her model best friend to sell her merchandise online. Matt thinks Kimmie is her best friend, and Kimmie has a lot of a insecurity. Oh wait, did I forget to mention that she's also trying to figure out if she wants to meet her birth mother? Her understanding of her own identity has shifted from Korean to Chinese to Taiwanese.

If you're looking for a Romance with a lot of plot points, this one won't disappoint. You're definitely not going to be bored while reading this. And if you're craving sweet and sexy firefighter in your Romance, you'll find it here as well.

Thank you NetGalley for the digital ARC of this book.

I loved the name of this book and thought the cover was cute. I expected some cheesiness, but the amount of cheese in this book gave me a stomachache.

I did enjoy the dynamic between the two main characters. They had adorable exchanges and I liked how real Kimmie was. However, if you expect any spice in this book, it is not the book for you. There was none.

It was also really repetitive. As in the characters actually repeated themselves many times throughout the book word for word, which I didn't care for. This was a really easy read, so that is appealing to some.

It didn't have enough layers to fully get hooked by the story. There was a lot of build=up prior to them meeting which is fine because there was some good tension during that time. However, the end of the book was a rollercoaster. It felt like it just keep being bad thing after bad thing and it came out of nowhere.

I didn't fully believe the FMC's fears and hesitations when it came to leaving her home state. The tragic backstory that she was given wasn't enough to justify the massive phobia in my opinion. Especially when she was such a driven woman who clearly had a huge passion for life and her work.

Also, I probably wouldn't include a line about how the MMC "loves animals" when a lot of the book is them talking about all the meals they eat which you guessed it, always contain animals. But that's just me.

my first book from this author. now i have to find the other books. i did enjoy this story and liked it alot. will read more from this.

3.5 / 5
A heartwarming romantic comedy about a creative Etsy store owner and a New York firefighter. This book touched on feelings of grief and loss but Kimmie’s character development, especially her self-acceptance, definitely stood out to me. Matt was such a cute book boyfriend and I thought he handled the mistaken identity situation well.
I did expect some spice because of how hot & sexy Matt and Kimmie described each other but there was just a short paragraph or two (nothing descriptive so safe for any non-spice readers). It was also very dialogue heavy.
I’d recommend this book to any who is a sucker for rom-coms and is looking for a quick and easy read with cute vibes and loveable side characters.
Thank you NetGalley for an arc of this book.

An amazing reading . Kimmie a young woman just quit her job and someone recorded it and post it and she became a viral meme . Her passion is making unique bags and accessories . One of her buyer is Matt an attractive FDNY . Then the two of them start texting and talking . When her best friend Alicia models her creations everyone believes she is Kimmie . She doesn't correct them because she doesn't want them tofind out that she is the woman from the viral video . The problem is when Matt father's the owner of the bigger retail company in NY wants to be partners with her and she has to fly to NY from Oklahoma .and meet Matt in person for the first time . Will she give them a chance to love when something horrible happen to a person she loves ?
I received this book from net galley and the publisher as an ARC. Thank you! All thoughts and opinions are my own .