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.

Yin Yang Love Song is Lauren Kung Jessen’s latest novel and not to be missed.. I have read all of her books and you will definitely not want to miss her latest book. Thank you Lauren and can’t wait for your next book. Bravo and never stop writing these wonderful stories. 🙋‍♀️🇨🇦❤️👏💐📚👍

I enjoyed the general theme of self-care, reconnecting with nature and learning about different forms of Traditional Chinese Medicine that were new to me. Weekly yin nights (basically just restful nights where you engage in activity that brings you joy) is something I fully subscribe to! The romance was more of a subplot and not as developed as I had hoped for. I wish there had been more scenes like the bungee jumping one and dragon boat festival. If you go into this for the self-care nature vibes with Chinese customs, you're more likely to enjoy it!

A Chinese herbalist who specializes in herbal teas for healing and a rock cellist find real love while fake dating in Lauren Kung Jessen’s Yin Yang Love Song.

Along the way, the story explores themes of burnout, broken hearts, family, traditions, and healing. 

It’s another cozy love story from Kung Jessen, perfect to read when you want to slow down for a bit and wrap up in a warm blanket with a steaming cup of tea

I received an advance copy of the book from Forever. All review opinions are my own.

Thank you Forever and NetGalley for the gifted DRC book.

After adoring Lunar Love, I was excited to pick up Yin Yang Love Song. Upon reading the premise, the main characters jumped out at me as particularly intriguing – a Chinese herbalist and a celebrity cellist. The musicians I typically see in romance and rom-coms tend to be guitarists or pop star vocalists, so seeing a cellist in the spotlight was refreshing and really awesome. I loved the inclusion and education surrounding Traditional Chinese Medicine which led the way for self-care to be a major theme of the book. This really resonated as I lean into embracing rest. The voices of Chrissy and Vin weren’t quite unique enough causing some periodic confusion of which character the dual POV was focused on. Though romance was necessary for the given plot, I found it to be lackluster compared to the cultural and health themes which were really what held the book for me. I enjoyed this well enough, though Lunar Love remains my favorite of Lauren Kung Jessen’s books.

3.5 stars

My favorite part of this story was all of the knowledge about Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). Unfortunately, the story itself, while very cute, just didn't fully do it for me. It was still a good read, but I will probably not be thinking about it for very long.

I really enjoyed Chryssy and Vin’s story. They were so cute together and I think the two of them going into the fake relationship knowing they would break up allowed them to keep their guards down and really get to know each other. I loved the supporting cast and the use of eastern medicine and remedies. This book was well written and Lauren Kung Jessen is becoming a fast favorite of mine!

3.75 stars

Chryssy practices traditional Chinese medicine, specifically working with teas. She and her aunts run a retreat where clients come for healing from heartbreak. Enter the Chao Brothers - world-famous violinists. Leo’s heartbroken, and Vin’s cynical. While she agrees to help Leo recover, she also agrees to fake dating Vin - for reasons - and during this time she tries to convince him to bring more balance to his life. But she can’t fall in love because the women in the family are cursed to never find love. Her growing feelings for Vin test that.

This is a slow burn that places the central focus on Chryssy and Vin overcoming their own hurdles - mainly that of self-care, work-life balance, managing private and public expectations, and that blasted curse. I didn’t quite sense their chemistry though; Chryssy appeared kind of neutral to me as she didn’t seem to get excited by much. Vin was just stressed all the time. I did find anything to do with TCM fascinating so I enjoyed when Chryssy lit up working with teas or explained about them. Honestly, I admire her for prioritizing her own health and well-being which is why she got into TCM. And she’s not shy about encouraging others to do the same. I thought the family curse subplot was interesting, too.

Highlights:
🫖 Dual POV, romance, fake dating, low spice
🫖 Family curse
🫖 East Asian rep
🫖 TCM, healing, well-being, life balance
🫖 All the women are named after flowers

It seems it’s become tradition in the past few years for me to read a book by Jessen around the new year. 𝗬𝗶𝗻 𝗬𝗮𝗻𝗴 𝗟𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝗦𝗼𝗻𝗴 is a sweet and thoughtful romance, and perfect if you’re looking for something even-keeled, and quietly inspiring.

Thank you @readforeverpub & @netgalley for my ARC in exchange for an honest review. 𝗬𝗶𝗻 𝗬𝗮𝗻𝗴 𝗟𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝗦𝗼𝗻𝗴 is available January 28th.

What do you get when you cross one half of a bad boy cellist duo known for breaking hearts and a Chinese herbalist known for fixing broken hearts? You get a delightfully satisfying love story that will warm your soul.

This is the kind of story that is meant to be slowly savored not devoured. I enjoyed dipping into a few chapters every night and watching Vin's bad boy persona slowly melt as he and his brother fell under the spell of the Hua family's healing retreat.

I'm a total sucker for a good fake dating trope and this one definitely hit the spot. Especially as she helped him realize he needed change in order to be happy with his career path and fall in love with music again while she (and her entire family) needed to realize that their supposed curse may be nothing more than a self fulfilling prophesy.

The aunties were such a hoot. The scene with the boat race had me in stitches as Vin was so confused about their enthusiasm for not being last.

This book is equal parts funny, heartwarming and reflective and if you're looking for a feel good romance that will maybe give you a different outlook on life even if just for the time you take to enjoy it, then I recommend you check this one out.

3.5/5

I am truly a huge Lauren fan and I absolutely adore her work; however, this one didn't live up to the expectation of her last books.

I always love how she weaves Chinese mythology throughout and makes it the core focal point of the novel. The whole idea of a cursed line of women with the main . The familial meddling was such a fun aspect to this novel. I loved how specific each woman in Chryssy's family was and I really enjoyed that Lauren spent the time highlighting that while not losing sight of the main relationship between Chryssy and Vin.

I really enjoyed Chryssy's character growth over the course of the novel. She gets hit with some pretty life alternating realizations that directly clash with her believe in love. The way she reacted, gave herself a moment, and then moved on to help the greater good of her family, really made me respect her as a FMC.

I also really liked the Chao Brothers!!! I thought that their dynamic and conflict really heightened the conflict and effortlessly engrained itself into the main plot.

Overall, I truly did like this, but it did fall a little flat for me. (I just love The Red String Theory wayyyy too much; sue me)

Thank you Forever Publishing, Lauren Kung Jessen, and Netgalley for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publishing Company for this Advanced Readers Copy of Yin Yang Love Song by Lauren Kung Jessen!

Yin Yang Love Song by Lauren Kung Jessen
Genre: contemporary romance
Format: eARC
Rating; ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 (3.5 out of 5 stars - rounded up to 4 for NetGalley and Goodreads)

A sweet dual POV romance. I loved how close each main character was with their family. The tradition Chinese medicine component was super interesting as well. I wish I felt a little more of a connection between the main characters, however! They were both likable but I didn’t see their chemistry as much as I wanted to!

❤️ dual POV
❤️ AAPI rep
❤️ famous musician
❤️ TCM
❤️ fake dating
❤️ lovable cast of characters

This book was so wholesome and cute. I had the warm fuzzies the whole time. I love Laurens books beacsuse they are always cute and fun rom-coms but I also learn something about a different culture that I was unfamiliar with. If you like Traditional Chinese Medicine, family curses or hot Cello players then pick this one up!