Thank you to the publisher for my eARC!

Vin and his brother (Leo) are celebrity cellists. Their cultivated image is that they are heartbreakers as evidenced by their short relationships. But Leo is going through his own real breakup behind the scenes and needs a break from their life before their next tour begins.
Chryssy works with her aunts to heal broken hearts with a combination of Traditional Chinese Medicine, food, and rest. Every woman in her family believes in the family lore that they are all cursed in love so Chryssy is content with her life.
But Vin and Chryssy meet randomly and Leo decides to heal with Chryssy’s family’s help. Chryssy needs a famous face to launch her newest tea blend, and Vin needs a new relationship and then breakup to keep making headlines for the new tour. So the 2 decide to fake date… but definitely catch feelings.

This book was heavier than I expected but still such a sweet story. Jessen explores themes of burnout, self worth, and finding work you love which are all themes I think we can all relate to.

✨ Review ✨ Yin Yang Love Song by Lauren Kung Jessen, Narrated by Eunice Wong & Eric Yang

Thanks to Forever, Hachette Audio, and #netgalley for the gifted advanced copy/ies of this book!

Chryssy, a Chinese herbalist, specializes in healing heartbreak. Vin, one half of the Chao Brothers, a violin/strings/rock duo, brings his heartbroken brother to Chryssey and her aunts for healing. While he's skeptical of what they have to offer, he stays to support his brother, moving into Chryssy's two-room cabin with her. Quickly, they start spending time with each other, and realize they could benefit from a fake dating arrangement. Chryssy and her matrilineal line have been cursed in love -- she’s forced to confront her fears while Vin explores what he really wants from his life and his career.

The book celebrates Traditional Chinese Medicine, tea-making, herbalism, and so many amazing sounding foods. It blends lots of my favorite tropes including forced proximity, fake dating, grumpy sunshine, and more!

The book dragged a little bit for me, moving slower than some of her other books (the middle one in the series I think was my favorite), but overall, I enjoyed the ride!

🎧 I loved the audio - it was the perfect amount of immersive character development and great narration.

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
Genre: contemporary f/m romance
Setting: rural Washington state
Length: 11 hours 3 minutes
Pub Date: Jan 28 2025

Read this if you like:
⭕️ holistic healing from heartbreak
⭕️ learning from about Traditional Chinese Medicine and herbalism
⭕️ fake dating romances
⭕️ classical + rock music mashup

Charming fake dating romance that explores family mythology and generational trauma. This is a bit slower paced but it fits the tone of the book. You’re meant to meander through and savor the wander rather than race straight to the finish line. Traditional Chinese Medicine also plays a role in the book and I enjoyed the peek into a topic that I don’t know a lot about.

I started reading with my eyes and had to switch to audio. The narration by Eunice Wong and Eric Yang was good but I particularly enjoyed Eunice.

**I received an eARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.**

Review of "Yin Yang Love Song" by Lauren Kung Jessen
"Yin Yang Love Song" is a hug in book form, a delightful rom-com that whisked me away to a charming Pacific Northwest island and kept me utterly captivated. Lauren Kung Jessen has crafted a truly heartwarming tale that I couldn't put down!
Imagine a cozy island inn, a sanctuary for the brokenhearted, run by our protagonist and her adorable, meddling aunties. It's a place steeped in the comforting rituals of flower tea and the gentle wisdom of traditional Chinese medicine, creating an atmosphere that's both soothing and enchanting. This unique setting, combined with the classic fake-dating trope, made for a truly irresistible read.
The touch of a family curse adds a playful layer of intrigue, keeping the narrative light and engaging. And at the heart of it all, the sweet romance blossoms beautifully, leaving you with a genuine smile.
"Yin Yang Love Song" is the perfect escape for anyone seeking a lighthearted, cozy read. It's a story that warms the soul, filled with charming characters, delightful traditions, and a romance that will leave you swooning. Highly recommended!
Thank you to Forever (Grand Central Publishing) and NetGalley for providing a copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

This book was so very interesting to learn about Chinese culture and how ancestry plays a huge part in their culture. I enjoyed the story however I feel like there could have been more chemistry between Vin & Chrissy. Overall I did enjoy the story and now it makes sense as to why it is called “Yin Yang Love Song.”

Oh how it absolutely PAINS me to give an LKJ book 2.5 stars. I have absolutely adored her previous books so had super high expectations going into this and refused to DNF because I kept having hope it would get better.

My biggest gripe is that I feel like I never got a full read on the main characters. From the get go I couldn’t quite pinpoint their personalities and I felt zero chemistry between the Vin and Chrissy. I kept waiting for the spark to come, or for their relationship to click but it never came.

I loved the TCM piece and that felt super well researched, it’s just a bummer because this has all the makings of a book I would usually love but it didn’t work for me.

I will of course keep reading whatever LKJ releases, she is one of my favorite low spice authors and her stories are always heartwarming and charming.

Thank you NetGalley for providing me with an e-arc in exchange for an honest review!

This was super cute and I loved the TCM aspect of the book. It makes me want to try some of my own. Vin and Leo’s relationship was a typical brothers relationship and I loved the aunties all having their distinct personalities but blending together so well. Now I feel like I need to grow some flowers.

This was so cute!! Lauren Kung Jessen always writes the most comforting, vibrant romances, and I always love her books! Yin Yang love song was no exception with its swoony romance between Vin and Chryssy and I loved the Aunites! I will say it was really heavy on information about TCM, which I loved learning about! But I would have loved a few more romantic moments between Vin and Chryssy added in. But overall, such a swoony, sweet story!

3.25 stars

Thank you Netgalley for providing me with an advanced copy of this book. Yin Yang Love Song was a cute and fun read. I enjoyed the writing style and learning about TCM. The reason why I didn’t vibe with this book as much as I would’ve liked is because I didn’t feel strongly about the connection between the two MCs. They were still lovely characters, I just wish they would’ve been developed at a deeper level. Nevertheless, this book is great if you are looking for a charming and lighthearted story that will heal your heart as well as your soul.

Lauren Kung Jessen is one of my favorite authors, her prior 2 books - The Red String Theory and Lunar Love were both so rich and engaging - I loved both books with all of my heart and still find myself thinking about them both on occasion. I was giddy about this one and eager to read more about Chinese Medicine!

Chryssy, an herbalist, and Vin, a famous cellist, are brought together and there is a rather intense spark that hits them both - but they both are adamant that nothing can come of it! Chryssy is part of a family where they believe that all of the women are cursed - they cannot maintain any romantic relationships. It's just as well because Vin is a heartbreaker by nature. So it's just as well that nothing aside from a fake relationship can happen...

I absolutely loved the talk of Chinese medicine, the herbs, the history, just all of the amazing education that was provided and showcased throughout the book. Chryssy felt far more real as a result of this, and I didn't struggle with liking her as a character (and I simply must try one of her recipes! That is thankfully included in the book - Lavender Egg Tarts... so delicious sounding and I can only imagine how wonderful the flavor is!). Vin just felt flat, I never found myself enjoying, or really even caring about the character... and the love story? It just didn't work and I never found myself rooting for them - or really even enjoying them together at all.

In her other books the yearning and pining were both what I considered to be top notch, and I just didn't get those vibes from this one. I would recommend it for the traditional chinese medicine elements, and also for the families of both characters as they are just so much fun!

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever Publishing for this e-arc in exchange for my honest review!

I received a DIGITAL Advance Reader Copy of this book from #NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I read one of Jessen's previous books and really enjoyed it, and this one didn't do it for me. The majority of the book felt boring to me and like nothing truly happened. I also didn't really love the MMC, he seemed like he had no real personality and was almost robotic in some ways. Or just that his entire personality was that he plays cello and that he was a prodigy.

2.5 stars rounded down

I’m one of the marketer and publicists so my bias may be showing, but I adore Lauren so much and honestly I think this is her best book yet!!

I loved Red String Theory, but this one was not for me. I didn’t feel their chemistry and I never really connected with the story. It was ok overall, and I enjoyed the family curse component, but not a favorite.

I absolutely adored Lunar Love so I had to check out Laura’s newest book. The fake dating trope was done well but it was a very slow burn. I wanted more banter and happenings like Lunar Love. While this one was ok for me I will still read anything Lauren writes!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC! This one was a solid 3 stars for me… I really enjoyed the first half, but by the second half the story felt very repetitive and slow. I just kind of wanted to story to …. End.

I loved the premise of fake dating but it didn’t last long at all! The pacing of the story felt too disjointed and with that, I feel like a lot of their story was lost. I don’t feel like I got to really watch them get to know one another.

I appreciated the emphasis on rest and truly loved both Chryssy and Vin! They were great main characters and I would’ve loved to see more of their chemistry.

Absolutely loved the beautiful and sweet characters! This book held me to the very last page ad 2 star crossed lovers navigate some trials some would say is a multigenerational curse!!!

Delayed review!

I have loved every book I have read by Lauren Kung Jessen and this one did not dissapoint. I think this one may be my favorite! I loved learning about the different flowers/herbals. If you love a fake dating trope, you will love this too. I liked bother characters and getting to know more about Chryssy and her family and their backstory. I highly reccomend this book- it's available now so check it out!



Thank you NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for the chance to read an ARC of "Yin Yang Love Song".

I think Lauren Kung Jessen is a very talented writer. I really enjoyed their first two books. Unfortunately, Yin Yang Love Song was not the book for me.

I would be interested to try another book by this author.


Thanks to NetGalley & Forever Publishing for the gifted copy, which I voluntarily read & reviewed.

bookscoffeebrews Book Review: YIN YANG LOVE SONG
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Author: Lauren Kung Jessen
Publisher: Forever @@readforeverpub
Thank you @netgalley for the ARC

This contemporary romance was a laugh-out-loud,
tears-streaming-down-my-face, can't-get-enough read
that reignited my passion for romance and left me
feeling like a goofy, lovesick teenager again. The story
of Chryssy Hua Williams, a talented Chinese herbalist,
and Vin Chao, a charismatic celebrity cellist, is a
sidesplitting tale of love, growth, and self-discovery
that had me rooting for them from the get-go. As they
navigate a fake dating arrangement that blossoms into
real feelings, Chryssy and Vin embody the power of
vulnerability, open communication, and mutual respect
- and I was totally here for it. I was particularly inspired
by the way the author wove together themes of family,
tradition, and holistic well-being, highlighting the
importance of self-care and the value of Traditional
Chinese Medicine - who knew being healthy could be
so hilarious? With its uplifting message, engaging
characters, and nuanced exploration of love and
relationships, Yin Yang Love Song is a true
masterpiece of romance and inspiration that will stay
with me forever - or at least until I need my next
romance fix.

#YinYangLoveSong #LaurenKao #FakeDatingTrope
#RomComReads #BookReview #MustReadRomance
#BookLover #TCM #RepresentationMatters
#ChineseHerbalMedicine #RomanceBooks
#HeartwarmingReads #SlowBurn #BanterGoals
#LoveAndGrowth #readers #read #books
#ReadingCommunity #bookstagram
#booksofinstagram #readreadread #readersgonnaread
#bookstagrammer #booksbooksbooks #bookshelf

Lauren Kung Jessen does it again! Culture and familial love thrums through the pages of this novel, the result being a beautiful symphony worth the read. I've long been a fan of how LKJ weaves her characters, adding complexity and backstory that make them feel real. A word that comes to mind when thinking of this book is balance: it's so well-balanced between Chryssy's own personal journey, her relationship with Vin, and the running of her family business. The curse felt a little convenient, but all things considered, it's easily overlooked with the rest of the book being what it is. Especially for readers who are looking for closed-door romances, diverse characters/backgrounds, or books with strong family presence, YIN YANG LOVE SONG is one I can easily recommend.