A sweet romcom with lots of Chinese traditions that really reminded me of how important it is to embrace and cherish one’s culture. I really loved how through this story the FMC embraces her culture and traditions. The family dynamic and business added a humorous layer to this romance and was perfect to add history to the characters and the book’s setting.

I am always a sucker for fake dating and forced proximity, which are both strong tropes within the book. While a lot of their relationship goes, I do feel a slight disconnect because of their similar pasts of heartbreak and trust.

This was a super sweet romance about not only finding love but finding your real self and true desires in life. Lauren Kung Jessen infuses so many beautiful cultural discussions around Traditional Chinese Medicine and you will come away from this book with so much more knowledge.

Chryssy and Vin are opposites when this book start out. They decide to fake date in order to help Vin's image and promote Chryssy's new healing tea brand. The two end up living as roommates and as they spend more and more time together, they develop a deep friendship that opens them up to their romantic feelings.

In addition to the love story, there is a fun mystery of the curse of heartbreak that befalls Chryssy's family. We get to follow along as that is uncovered and revealed along with the falling of Chryssy and Vin for one another.

This gives you so much in one book to enjoy!

Thank you to Forever for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I have loved and devoured Lauren's first two books and was elated to be accepted to read this newest novel! This book would probably be your cup of tea if you like cozy and charming love stories, family curses, fake dating tropes, and chemistry filled tension. If I’m not reading romantasy or dark romance I’m an absolute sucker for a cozy feel good romance with fake dating and undeniable chemistry. Which Yin Yang Love Story has all of.
It’s a beautiful story filled with healing and understanding, and touching on the concept of family curses. I loved the feel of the whole thing and am looking forward to reading another book by this author.

3.7 Stars
One Liner: A slow-paced introspective read

Chryssy Hua Williams, a Chinese American herbalist never believed in the family curse that left all Hua women heartbroken. However, after her ninth breakup, she could no longer ignore it. Deciding that love isn’t for them, Chryssy joins her three aunts to start In Full Bloom an inn where they cure heartbreak using Traditional Chinese Medicine.
Vin Chaos and his brother Leo are famous musicians with a reputation for breaking hearts. Even their band is called Heartbreak. A chance meeting between Vin and Chryssy becomes viral. Vin needs her to be his fake girlfriend for tour promotions. Chryssy decides Vin could help promote her tea brand as well. A beneficial deal for sure!
Well, love might have other plans but what about the curse?
The story comes in the first-person POV of Chryssy and Vin.

My Thoughts:
The premise is quite fun, though my main reason for grabbing the book is TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine). It has similarities with Ayurveda (both are ancient and use natural medicine). In that aspect, I enjoyed the information provided – the properties of flowers and herbs, the importance of balancing Qi (possibly equal to Vata/ prana), and the need for self-discipline to improve our health.
This is an #ownvoices book, so the cultural aspects are just right without being OTT. The aunts and family members are diverse and quirky, much like our Indian relatives.
The main characters started out well. I liked Chryssy. She is cool, composed, and independent. A bit too independent maybe but I won’t hold it against her. Vin started out average but gained some depth as the story progressed. I liked his brother as well (and want to know if he’ll have a book of his own).
The dual POV, though helpful, wasn’t easy to read. I often got confused between their voices and had to check whose POV it was in that chapter. The voices need to be more distinct, especially Vin’s, which didn’t help in understanding his personality.
Since this is primarily a romance, the chemistry had to be good. Sadly, the graph fell flat here. Their interactions were nice, friendly even but the spark wasn’t there. This dampened things a bit. There were all the necessary scenes, gestures, and dialogues but somehow I couldn’t feel the vibe. There’s only a little spice, thankfully.
The pacing is on the slower side, something I did not expect. Maybe it was because of the explanations and internal thoughts. I didn’t mind the detail about TCM (I wanted it), so can’t really complain.
The curse part was decently handled (no magic realism and all that). I liked the discussion around it, though. The exploration of what a supposed curse did to multiple generations of women and how it shaped their lives, identities, and relationships with themselves and others was portrayed very well. It doesn’t get overwhelming or excessively dramatic.
There’s a lovely author’s note at the end and a couple of recipes (another surprise). I understand what she says about the stereotyping and distrust in TCM. Despite the various benefits and success rate, Ayurveda faces similar discrimination.

To summarize, Yin Yang Love Song is a story of not just finding love but also of self-care, breaking generational cycles, taking care of our health (physical, psychological, and emotional), and realizing that our fears don’t have to dictate our actions.
Thank you, NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing), for eARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

🎶Yin Yang Love Song 🎶

“I want our love song to be better than perfect. I want it to be real.”

Oh my heartttttt this book!! Lauren Kung Jessen has done it again. I adore Chryssy and Vin and their beautiful story. I want to hug them both.

Vin is one half of a famous rock cellist duo known for their skill on the strings and history of heartbreaking. Unfortunately, his brother Leo is the heartbroken one who needs the helps of Chryssy and her aunties healing retreat based in Traditional Chinese Medicine. Vin’s label ask him to uphold his heartbreaker reputation before their next tour. Who better to help than Chryssy? She’s living proof that the women in their family are destined to be heartbroken. How can fake heartbreak hurt if she’s cursed not to get the real thing?

Of course, the publicity may be fake, but the feelings between Chryssy and Vin are real. Woven together with themes of healing and the importance of rest and balance, I absolutely adored this beautiful love song.

I highly recommend, especially if you’re looking for:
🎶 Fake dating, celebrity musician romance
🎶 Traditional Chinese Medicine herbalism
🎶 Themes of burnout, rest and healing
🎶 Forced proximity / roommates
🎶 Curse breaking and delightful aunties antics

Thank you to Forever for this ARC! My opinions are my own. Yin Yang Love Song is on shelves January 28, 2025!

Despite this not being a holiday-themed story, this was a great book to read during this season. The atmosphere felt very uplifting and cozy.

This is the story of Chryssy, a florist and herbalist who decides to fake-date a hugely popular cellist named Vin for mutual career benefit.

Though this was an enjoyable and light read, I unfortunately did not like it as much as Lunar Love or Red String Theory. The standout element for me were all of the mentions of traditional Chinese medicine and culture, as well as the familial relationships. I never felt that the bond between Chryssy and Vin seemed more than platonic.

This was also *very* cheesy, and I think you have to like a corny romance to really enjoy this. Ultimately, I still enjoyed Lauren Kung Jessen’s writing and will continue anticipating her releases, but this was very okay for me.

What a sweet and delightful read! I really enjoyed all the characters and the settings described! Chryssy and Vin are authentic and adorable! It's hard sometimes to read about a couple involved in a romance when sometimes the writing seems overplayed. However with this book everything flows naturally and beautifully! I love that there was a slight magical element about breaking a curse! Makes me think I'm watching a Netflix romcom lol

Bravo! ☕

Posted on Goodreads.

Another charming read from Lauren Kung Jessen! This time, the story introduces us to Chryssy, a legacy Traditional Chinese Medicine herbalist from a lineage of women burdened by a love curse. Together with her aunts, she runs a retreat center on Whidbey Island, catering to those nursing broken hearts. Chyrssy is preparing to launch a commercial line of teas while also working at the retreat center. The male main character, Vin, is a rockstar cellist and one half of a band with his brother, the duo famously known as “heartbreakers.” While their image thrives on this reputation, the tables turn when Vin’s brother finds himself heartbroken. To ensure their rehearsal time for an upcoming tour isn’t disrupted, Vin accompanies his brother to the retreat center so he can heal and be ready for their upcoming tour. Chryssy and Vin enter into a fake relationship to mutually boost their careers. He can provide publicity for her upcoming tea launch and she can serve as the flavor of the month for Vin. This forced proximity sets the stage for authentic feelings to blossom between them. The result? A heartfelt and engaging romance.

I found this book enjoyable and think Lauren Kung Jessen continues to stand out as an above-average romance author. The Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) aspect was both fascinating and a bit overdone at times, but I appreciated the opportunity to learn more about the practice. The characters were likable and displayed realistic self-development arcs, adding depth to the story. While the pacing was slower, it didn’t detract from my overall enjoyment. If you’re looking for a sweet, layered romance with a unique cultural twist, this book is definitely worth a read!

If you are ready to be all up in your feels, Yin Yang Love Song is absolutely stunning. I am a music girlie so the MMC being a cellist was the bee's knees for me and I am obsessed. Lauren is in credibly creative and completely captures your attention and the real world slowly disappears as you immerse yourself in her writing.

4/5 stars

This is my second book by this author and I'm really liking the way she writes characters that are so true to themselves and the growth you see throughout the book!

Chryssy, a Chinese herbalist who due to a generational curse is constantly the one being broken up with, and Vin a cello player with a reputation for being a heartbreaker when they two agree to fake date to further their careers.

The creativity to write a fake dating troupe that has magical realism, forced proximity, a rock star, tea healer/cook and amazing side characters is amazing!!

I really enjoyed learning about Chryssy's family and the Chinese herbalist and herbal tea business to heal heartbreak.

This book is cheesy but if you lean into it, its so cute!

Overall, I liked this book and I'll be reading more by this author.

This book had such a hallmark vibe to it. It was a cute, easy romance read. Ultimately, this book was not just about breaking a heartbreak curse; it made us think of how we get so burnt out and need more “yin nights.” I love how they brought music and traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) together. This book has fake dating and dual pov.

thank you net galley and forever for gifting me this arc

rating 4 stars

personal beef with herbal medicine aside, i think this book was a delightful and romantic read. it was a balanced blend of romance, rich culture and self-discovery. the characters were developed at a steady and realistic pace. they both felt so human with their hopes and doubts.

i really love the family aspect of this book. the Hua women are strong and their dynamic is a standout. each woman’s personality contributed to the warmth and humor of the story. their heartfelt banter and moments provided depth beyond the central romance.

i think the book was a little too slow and sweet for my taste as i love fast-paced angsty books. this book was a refreshing addition in between of my angsty books.

I feel so seen and represented after reading Yin Yang Love Song.
Chryssy and Vin's love is sweet and wholesome and I am glad they were able to balance each other out and found love. I also loved seeing them with each other's family. Family is a big thing for me and I loved that part in the story as well. I am a hopeless romantic and I think that's why I could relate to Chryssy's pov on love and heartbreak.

Overall, I had a great time reading this one. Thank you Lauren and netgalley for the gifted arc and as always, these are my honest opinions!

I'm an instant fan of everything LKJ puts out into the world. I think her books are so special, I always come out learning more than I did before I picked up the book. I especially love the care and attention to detail she puts into the research of all her books, but ESPECIALLY with this book (with the TCM and musical components of the book) has been my favorite. I also always enjoy how Lauren's books are low spice but still packed with lots of heat and tension 🤭 although her novels are what I would call low spice / low stakes, I really appreciate the emotional growth of the characters. I will also always, always appreciate the beautiful Asian representation and rich culture Lauren Kung Jessen masterfully injects in her works 🥹❤️

thank you Forever pub for the eARC!!

Chrissy and her aunties run a Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) herb practice and healing retreat for the broken hearted outside Seattle. After all, the Hua women are cursed with heartbreak--Chrissy never believed but after breakup number nine, she became a believer. Chrissy though is focused on taking their company and healing tinctures to the next level.

After a chance run in with famous cellist and bad boy Vin Chao, the unlikely pair enter a fake dating arrangement to help his image and promote her brand. As the two begin to catch feelings, Chrissy's anxiety about the Hua curse and Vin's performance anxiety and years of pushing himself to the brink makes it difficult for them to see a way forward. Will the two be able to enjoy their connection or be subject to the family curse?

What I loved about this book was the frank open discussion about career burnout, open talks about expectation versus reality in relationships, and the danger of putting people (parents, etc) on pedestals.

However, the overwhelming detail of TCM overwhelmed the plot points in places and drug on for this reader. Also, the Hua curse was unbelievable to my Western sensibilities. The dialogue and chemistry of the leads were the high point of the book, and Jessen's prose really sings there. I think many writers will love this one even though it was a bit of a miss for me!

Thank you Netgalley and Forever publishing for the advanced copy of Yin Yang Love Song. This book hits shelves January 28, 2025!

Insta live is not my favorite trope. However I was rooting for them! I loved the family dynamics in this book. The Chinese herbalist business was interesting! I look forward to reading more by Lauren.

Such a wonderful book - I loved it even more than her first one. Really well written and the characters were all relatable. I didn't want the book to end! Can't wait to see what Lauren Kung Jessen comes up with next!

When I got the email that I received a eARC of Lauren Kung Jessen latest book, Yin Yang Long Song you could probably hear me squeal a mile away, I was so excited. She always writes amazing books that tie in Chinese/asian culture so perfectly. I knew from the get go that I’d love the characters in this book as much as I have loved the others. Must read, closed door rom com with lots of cultural references.


Thank you netgalley, Lauren Kung Jessen and forever publishing for this arc in exchange for a honest review!

I loved this book. It's available for request on Netgalley now and published in January. There were so many quotes I wanted to save. I definitely need my own physical copy. There are beautiful analogies about love with themes of music and flowers/tea blending. There is also a beautiful exploration of how the stories we tell ourselves might impact our reality. Vin and Chryssy both were reflective on their lives and driven in their fields and working to figure out a sense of balance. I also learned a ton about Traditional Chinese Medicine. It was so well done!

I knew from the first interaction between Chryssy and Vin that I'd be rooting for the two of them to fall in love and get their happily ever after.

Chryssy, who is cursed to never have lasting love, runs an inn and budding tea company with her aunts. Together, they heal heartbreak. If only their remedies could heal the family curse. Vin, who has the image of a heartbreaker, is a world-famous cellist and makes up the Chaos Brothers duo along with his brother, Leo. Vin needs to sell his heartbreaker image for his upcoming tour.

Chryssy has nothing to lose when Vin suggests they fake date (one of my favorite tropes) to help him with his heartbreaker image. So, together they hatch a plan with an end date in sight. But, we all know the best laid plans don't always go according to plan. As the fake relationship progresses, Chryssy and Vin grow closer and discover that maybe love is possible for the both of them.

This book is a heartwarming story filled with family, healing, sweet moments, and a bit of magic. I loved learning about traditional Chinese medicine and how to compose music. Something that will stick with me long after I finished this book is that love is risky, life is risky, but sometimes all it takes is a well-calculated risk to get your heart's desire.

Thank you NetGalley and Forever for the e-ARC! Fall in love with Chryssy and Vin (and the adorable cast of side characters) on January 28, 2025!