Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press | Wednesday Books for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I really enjoyed this book. I thought the storyline was great and also the character development. I would recommend this book.

Hangry Hearts is a YA-romace about to former friends who are now rivals. Julie and Randall grew up together but eventually they turned into rivals. Their families are also rivals which causes some drama with they are forced to work together on a school project. They team up with another student London for their project and jealousy starts to fly. Honestly, the writing in this story felt more middle grade than YA. The plot wasn't too exciting and there wasn't much to keep me entertained. I did finish it but it was just ok.

This was such a cute read! It’s funny and sweet and I loved the themes of friendship and family and acceptance. Romeo & Juliet vibes?? Sign me up! I loved and how we see Julie and Randall rekindle their friendship…and it maybe it turns into something more!

It’s hard for them because their families are rivals…but it is the year of the Dragon! Could the Lunar New Year provide not only a second chance for Randall and Julie, but for their families as well?

I loved all the food references and the representation in this book. Randall is a trans boy and we see how that affects him. Overall this is a heartwarming read…but I wouldn’t start this book hungry!!!

✨What To Expect:
💖 YA Romantic Comedy
🥀 Romeo & Juliet Inspired
🧺 Farmer’s Market
🗡️ Rival Families
✌️ Second Chance
🐉 Year of the Dragon
🥟 All The Food!

Thank you Wednesday books and the author for a free advanced reader copy of this book.

BLURB
Randall and Julie’s families have been feuding for years. Their rivaling restaurants are ran by their grandmothers who have been fighting for years. When they are forced to work on a school project together, it seems that their feelings might differ from their families.


REVIEW
This was a cute YA, Romeo and Juliet retelling. I found that the switching of POVs in the middle of chapters was a little hard to follow for me, but I still enjoyed it for the most part. Great representation of different types of Asian family dynamics, trans representation, and overall a fun read.

I don't think I was the right reader for this book. Although the premise was cute, it fell flat for me, and I ended up DNFing it at about 20%.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press | Wednesday Books for the e-ARC of this title to read and review. There was a lot that I wanted to like about this book, but ultimately I didn't feel like any of it came together at all. I felt like I was reading maybe an *outline* of a great YA food-based romance book, with some sections of potential plot and ideas for snappy dialogue - but none of it felt fully-formed and scenes didn't flow together. I think the storytelling and plot richness was completely missing here, just reaching moments where things kind of happen, but then end just as quickly. Seemingly important points are brought up but then are never mentioned again, time passes for no apparent reason for those jumps, and there aren't a lot of chances to get closeness to any of the characters, their personalities, or their emotions.

I appreciate that there was some trans joy rep for a character with heartwarming support from Grandma, but it ultimately didn't go much deeper.

I have slightly conflicting feelings about this book. The concept is super cute and I do think for the most part it was executed well. However, I don't personally think I would call this a Romeo and Juliet inspired story like it is described as. Yes the families are "rivals" but to me describing such a cute wholesome YA book as even inspired by Romeo and Juliet gives the wrong impression. This book however was super good and cute, there were some aspects that I thought were a little strange or out of place (such as the constant mention of random none speaking or very minor roled characters races, to me it did kind of just seem like it was getting included to be like "but we did have diversity" and not as a "this is just a part of everyday life". Maybe that was just me though) I also definitely feel like these characters somehow read as both middle schoolers and 20 years old at the same time when they are supposed to be high schoolers and they didn't feel like high schoolers at all to me

Hangry Hearts is the story of Julie and Randall- two ex-friends whose families are now in a legendary feud. When they are forced together for a class project, neither of them expect sparks to fly between them. As Julie and Randall reignite their friendship, they start to crush on each other. But since their families would riot if they came clean about their feelings, do they even have a future together?

Hangry Hearts is a lighthearted and sweet YA. The descriptions of food were mouthwatering and I enjoyed how Julie and Randall had such a strong connection to their families through food. Don’t read this book hungry! I loved the LGBTQ rep and how accepting their families were. Hangry Hearts is as much a story about families and the ties that bind them together as it is about romance. I really enjoyed the relationship between the two grandmothers and learning about the reason behind their feud. Hangry Hearts is a deliciously sweet YA! Readers who enjoy stories about complex and loving families, tasty food, and LGBTQ rep will enjoy this book.

Thank you so much to Jennifer Chen, Wednesday Books, and NetGalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

For publisher: My review will be posted on Goodreads, Amazon, Storygraph, and Barnes & Noble etc.

I had a hard time getting into this one. It didn't felt like a true enemies to lovers. I really liked the characters. Randall was my favorite. I love how dedicated he is. I think I would have loved that book better with feedback from the past to understand what the feud was about in the beginning.

I would have love to see time when they were still friends too before the feud.

Unfortunately, this one was not for me. From the get-go there were inconsistencies in the storyline and I know they’re teens, but the writing was just cringey. Maybe actual teens will like this more, but they’d have to be more in the tween range.

My thanks to NetGalley and Wednesday Books/St.Martin's Publishing for the ARC of 'Hangry Hearts' in exchange for an honest review.
Oh, the food, the food. One of those books where you can hear your stomach rumbling all the through the read. By the time you finish,, you're already waiting for Door Dash or Grubhub to deliver a 10 course Taiwanese-Korean meal.
The book? Very standardized YA Romeo & Juliet/Friends-to-enemies=t0-rivals-to-kissers, all against a backdrop of feuding food truck families. The two kids are duly adorable, destined for boyfriend-girlfriend status and once that's established, proceed to smooch at every opportunity.
The story construction, however, is another story altogether. Author Jennifer Chen throws in a lot of different elements here, with the intention, I'm supposing, of keeping all these balls in the air at the same time. (Gender transition, generational divides, sibling rivalries, culture assimilation, community outreaches). But somewhere on the way to the expected Happily Ever After for everyone, subplots fade away and disappear, never to be seen or heard from again.
Julie Wu and Randall Hur grew up in warm friendship right along with their two families. But a traumatic event forever affecting both families split them apart into hated enemies and rivals at their separate Farmer's Market food booths. This makes tough going for Randall and Julie, who still nurse lifelong crushes on each other even as their force-of-nature grandmothers (and super chefs) hurl death glares at each other.
A community school project throws our rival cutie-pies together and before you can say 'Wherefore art thou'?' romantic sparks fly. But our feudin' foodies need to keep their non-stop kissing hush-hush lest their unforgiving families smell what's cookin'.
As I mentioned before, the book never keeps a firm grip on all the issues it raised. Randall's gender transition is put out there, but not really dealt with in any depth and seems irrelevant to the main story anyway. The community school project falls to the wayside less than halfway through. And the book resorts to a too perfectly timed easy way out of yet another of its conflicts.
I could accept all of the above flaws but then the book tries something that takes a lot of nerve for an author. By that I mean assuming we've so fallen in love with all the characters that we won't mind hanging out with them even after the main story's been long resolved. I usually can't stand this, but to author Chen's credit, I didn't mind staying in the company of families We and Hur a little bit longer than necessary.
Julie and Randall are indeed the sweetest kids imaginable (as well as their extended families. (Not to mention terrific, dedicated kissers). But YA readers will, I"m sure, make up their own minds if they're charmed enough to spend all that superfluous time with them.
Nothing in this story you haven't read before, but oh that food. Pardon me while I order some to go.......

First and foremost as always thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book. This was an incredibly good read! The story was beautifully written and the characters were flushed out really well! Loved this! Definitely worth the read!

3.5/5
What a cute YA, Romeo and Juliet-inspired romance! I was immediately sold on how cute this book cover is, and obviously its synopsis. I loved the rivalry between Julie and Randall’s families, which ultimately broke their friendship. When they are forced to work together on a community-service school project, the two realize how much they’ve missed each other, and feelings quickly follow. The push to be together, while also not wanting to upset their grandmothers, quickly forces them to navigate these new dynamics. As most reviews have mentioned, this book will leave you hungry! The food descriptors had me desperately wanting to head over to my local farmers market and snack away!
I will also add that I loved that this YA story included LGBTQ2S+ representation via Randall’s character. We need more in novels, because at the end of the day, representation truly does matter!

There was a lot to like in this "Romeo and Juliet" (ad language for the book) for young adults. Specifically the food descriptions, with dim sun and Korean street food lovingly and deliciously described. I loved the sense of filial piety from traditional custom up against LA's laid-back cultural chaos.

I also liked the idea of many of the characters, and some of the dialogue was fun. But it took me a long time to read the book. Partly that was due to the grammar errors, which I hope were ironed out in the final version, but mostly because the author seemed to be trying to reinvent the omniscient narrator, the result being oddly jerky segments split between POVs, which, interspersed with text messages, could get confusing. The pacing thus seemed off, and the narrative voice would frequently undercut the dialogue by telling crucial bits before we saw the action.

Finally there was a formulaic feel, largely because The Big Incident that caused the families to feud was referred to without being told up front. I found myself impatiently reading for the "why" of all the drama.

So it was a bit of a mixed bag, but with lots of potential. Especially the food! Looking forward to more by this author.

I was excited to read this YA 'Romeo & Juliet' inspired romance. When I started 'Hangry Hearts' I thought it had so much promise. Then after a while the pacing felt off and I started to skim. Unfortunately it just didn't hold my attention like I'd hoped.

Jennifer Chen’s Hangry Hearts is a sweet, food-filled romance with a nostalgic best-friends-to-enemies-to-lovers arc. Julie Wu and Randall Hur navigate family rivalry, high school drama, and a love triangle, all while juggling their feelings for each other. The novel shines in its depiction of Taiwanese culture, especially through mouthwatering food descriptions and the lively Pasadena Farmers Market setting. The exploration of generational family conflicts adds depth, making the story more than just a romance.

While the book has charming moments, the pacing feels uneven, especially in the middle where the love triangle subplot slows the momentum. London Kim’s presence creates tension, but it sometimes overshadows the central romance rather than enhancing it. Julie and Randall’s relationship development is sweet but predictable, and their struggles—while heartfelt—don’t always pack the emotional punch needed to make their story stand out in the crowded YA romance genre.

Despite its flaws, Hangry Hearts is an enjoyable read for fans of food-centric romances and second-chance love stories. The Lunar New Year backdrop adds a unique cultural touch, and the hopeful resolution is satisfying. Though not groundbreaking, it delivers a cozy and lighthearted experience with themes of love, family, and reconciliation.

I didn’t love this book. It felt super dragged out and there was so many scenes I felt were unnecessary to put it. The main couple was always breaking up and fighting and it just felt ingenue. I had a really hard time just getting through the book. I liked learning more about the different cultures and food but that was the only good thing about the book.

I loved Artifacts of An Ex. I was way too excited for a new Jennifer Chen story.
Hangry Hearts was such a fun, romantic exploration of love, family, and food. Great banter, fun chemistry and a truly enjoyable read.
From the first page to the last, this book held me spellbound. The characters are so richly developed, and the storyline is beautifully crafted.
The chemistry between our characters flowed well and their growth independently was refreshing. Side characters were also entertaining.
A great book for those looking for cute romance, adorable friendships and great writing.

This is a sweet romance. Julie and Randall used to be friends, but a family feud meant the end of their friendship. A school project forces them to work together, and the question is whether they can mend not only their relationship but also one between their families. Romeo and Juliet-inspired, this is also a love letter to Korean and Taiwanese food. I thought the story was well-written, and I liked the character development.

this was cute but much like jennifer chen’s first book it is not for me!! the food talk is fun and this is a very lighthearted time, but there’s something deeper missing here — at least for me.