I’ve been following Lauren Kung Jessen since her debut, Lunar Love, and I can definitely say that Yin Yang Love Song is her best work (so far!)

Thank you again, Forever Pub, for sending a review copy with ALC in exchange for an honest review.

Yin Yang Love Song follows an up-and-coming Chinese herbalist Chrysanthemum ‘Chryssy’ Hua whose family believe in a generational curse where Hua women are said to be doomed to never find lasting love. But this curse will be challenged when Chryssy met global sensation cellist Vin Chao - a certified heartbreaker. Chryssy knows how to fix a heartbreak but what about a heartbreaker?

Let me start my thoughts by saying that I haven’t read a romance book for months now and I’m so happy that I picked up YYLS because the main trope of this book is fake dating. I always say that fake dating is a hit or miss but trust me in this one because the author delivered one of the most practical fake relationship set in a steady pace and wrapped with a realistic third act and conclusion.

YYLS is written in a dual POV following both Chryssy and Vin’s thoughts as they venture into their faux relationship. The development of romantic interest in this book is such a banger - both MC tried to hide their blooming feeling not because they are worried that the other might bot reciprocate it but because they are aware of their personal issues that they need to work on before they dive into a lifelong commitment.

The maturity of the MC translated to how they handled the transition from fake to real couple well and I just love reading about adults who are deciding like adults.

I also enjoyed the discussion about traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) as the core of Chryssy and her family’s business, In Full Bloom. I read about the Yin-Yang dynamics, the functions of flowers and herbs as natural remedies to human woes, and other practicea such as acupuncture. The author mentioned in her note that discovering TCM has been such a revelation and I just love reading about it.

In Vin’s side, the main discourse is about finding balance. Being a renowned cellist running in a busy schedule, his character is riddled with bottled up feelings about what he really wants in life and about getting rest. As adults, we tend to overlook the importance of resting and this novel highlighted the significance of taking a break in order to achieve whatever goals or dreams we envision.

Overall, this is such an amazing romance novel from Lauren and I highly recommend. 4.5!

3.5 rounded up. Once again, Lauren Kung Jessen has a way of writing romances that have such high concept plots and are overly cheesy...and I eat it up. I didn't quite fall in love with this one as much as I did with Red String Theory or Lunar Love, but I still found this so charming and cute!

You *really* have to like a cheesy romance to like this, and even though that's sometimes a sticking point for me with other books, Lauren has a way of making it work where it doesn't bother me quite as much.

This blend of romance and homage to Traditional Chinese Medicine was a lovely read. There were several intertwined plots and lots of characters to meet, which made it a little confusing when listening to this as an audiobook, but the writing was superb, and emotions ran high throughout.

This book will be great for anyone curious about TCM, interested in cello music, or just looking for a unique romance plot that hasn’t been done a million times already.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the Hachette Audio for the opportunity to review this book!

It was so much better than I even hoped! Jenny Han type writing for adults, fade to black, heavy plot, family drama, with major romance friends to lovers

Thank you Forever Pub and Hachette Audio for my gifted copies. All opinions are my own.

I’ve really enjoyed Lauren Kung Jessen’s books. This was such a comfort read for me.

I alternated between the ebook and the audiobook. I really enjoyed the narration by Eunice Wong and Eric Yang.

Chryssy and Vin meet at an event. He and his brothers are famous cellists know for their music and heartbreaking ways. Chryssy and her aunts help heal heartbreak at their inn with traditional medicine. They strike up a fake dating agreement when they figure they can help each other.

I love fake dating so I knew this would be a good one! The women in Chryssy’s family believed they are cursed to not have lasting love. This book has a little mystery as Chryssy and Von try to solve the mystery of the curse. Despite pretending to be in a fake relationship they start to develop a friendship which blossoms into more.

There is something just so comforting about Lauren Kung Jessen’s books. I was nervous for Vin and Chryssy that their relationship wouldn’t last, but most of this felt like a comforting hug. Her books just have a constant smile on my face. I also loved learning more about the Yin Yang and traditional medicine. I really hope we get more books from her soon!

Yin Yang Love Song by Lauren Kung Jessen
Contemporary romance. Own voices. Mixed race Chinese American.
Chryssy Hua Williams is an herbalist at her family run healing retreat. She doesn’t want to believe in the family curse of predetermined heart break, but after counting her own 9 unsuccessful relationships, she’s given up on love. She’s going to keep her heart safe and uninvolved.
Van Chao is a famous rock cellist touring with his brother. They are known as being heartbreakers but it’s really an over exaggerated marketing ploy by their label. When Chryssy offers herbal tea at one of their engagements, they talk and realize their problems are similar. If they tell the world and family they are dating, even tho it’s fake, they can help each other build their brands and business. The more they are together, the more they question their motives. Does Van want to be a heartbreaker and does Chryssy want him to leave because of the curse? The answer is no for both of them. Now they have to figure out how to solve their looming breakup.

🎧 I alternated between an ebook and an audiobook narrated by Eunice Wong and Eric Yang. Each narrator performs their POV and it’s easy to tell who it is, not only because of chapter heading, but clear differences between male and female narrator. Probably the chapter headings were unnecessary in the audio version. Both do only slight variations of the voices in their chapters but since it’s their POV, it’s not an issue.
The two narrators are totally compatible with tone, speed and volume which can be hard to achieve.
Both print and audio are done well and are easy to follow. There were distinct voices for the female extended family so preferred the audio in general.
I do increase my speed to 1.5 which closer matches my reading and conversational speed.

Emotionally rich, romantic and charming. Belief can be powerful. So can love. I enjoyed their compatibility from the start and their growing closer. Low angst. Chryssy has a unique ability to look at things from a different perspective or angle. A priceless skill.

I received a copy of this from NetGalley and publisher Hachette Audio.

This was so good and it honestly hurt a little bit. Lauren Kung Jessen is definitely an auto-read author for me now! Narration was great as well!

This was a cute love story. It had a great background and had so much about heartbreak. Imagine growing up in a family where all the women are thought to be cursed. Well of course you have to do all you can to try to get rid of that curse if you meet a man who you think you could fall in love with. I love these kinds of books.

4.5 stars

Is it just me or is fake relationship just PEAK? I loved this story between a cellist and an herbalist combining forces to help his brother and in the end, each other in more ways than one. Tackling issues like burn-out, curses, and not believing in love, I enjoyed listening to these characters grow together and learn to relax. I also really appreciated learning about traditional Chinese medicine and am more interested than ever to give it a try.

The narrators were fantastic and felt perfectly suited to the characters.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ALC!

Lauren Kung Jessen is back with her third romance, Yin Yang Love Song. When a celebrity bad boy teams up with a woman who works at a family business, their complementary missions seem like the perfect duet: They’ll fake date to play up his heartbreaker image and promote her heartbreak-healing retreat. But what happens when their breakup plans no longer seem like the right course?

Why I Chose This Book:
I really enjoyed Lunar Love when it came out a few years ago, and though I missed Red String Theory, I was excited to learn about Yin Yang Love Song. First, I love anything to do with music; here, Vin and his brother are part of a popular strings duo (something like Lindsey Stirling). Second, Chryssy runs a heartbreak retreat that utilizes natural, herbal remedies. Third, this book is set in my home turf, the greater Seattle area. How could I resist?

What I Liked:
- Chryssy has been dumped eight times… thanks to a generations-long family curse
- Vin is known for breaking hearts… but part of that is due to his celebrity image
- Healing broken hearts with tea, flowers, and other natural remedies
- Vin is a cellist in a popular duo with his brother
- Family dynamics for both Chryssy and Vin
- Getting to know the greater Seattle area, from clamming to exploring Pike Place Market
- Fake dating with a planned breakup
- How much do the stories we tell ourselves impact our lives?

Audiobook
Eunice Wong and Eric Yang narrate Chryssy and Vin’s chapters, respectively. Both do an excellent job of bringing the characters to life and infusing their words with extra meaning. Chryssy’s general calm and nurturing demeanor and Vin’s more stressed but charming personality all come out thanks to these narrators. Both kept the whole book engaging from start to finish.

Final Thoughts
Yin Yang Love Song is such a feel-good romance. I love the themes of natural healing and fusion music, the contrast of always dumping your partners versus always being dumped, and seeing your family’s relationships as something to fear or strive for. This was a wonderful romance, and I will be reading more from Lauren Kung Jessen for years to come. First on my list: Red String Theory!

A closed door romance with a family curse on love. It was about Vin and Chryssy working through heartbreak together with the help of their families. It had very likeable characters but long chapters. I listened on audio which made the chapter length more bearable. Not to mention dual narrators always helps! The dual POV of Chryssy and Vin was good and the story was good. The play on floral character names was fun too.

Yin Yang Love Song by Lauren Kang Jessen. Thank you @hachetteaudio @readforeverpub for the ALC! The book is out today!

The audiobook is narrated by Eunice Wong & Eric Yang. I enjoyed it. The narrators were both great. Solid option if you like audiobooks and decide to read this book!

I really liked this authors first two books and I liked this one too! I think her writing is great and I’ll definitely keep reading her books in the future.

This one follows Chryssy, a Chinese herbalist with a family curse (re: love & breakups) and Vin, a famous rock cellist with a bad boy image. They have a fake dating agreement, they will date, he will seemingly break her heart, increase ticket sales to his shows, and he will promote her family’s business. But of course they catch real feelings and who is surprised, not us. Obligatory fake dating sarcasm, can’t help it sometimes 🤣 anyway, again, I liked the book and would recommend it and her other books!

read for: traditional Chinese medicine, tea, music, fake dating, a splash of magical realism, dual POV, closed door romance

There are some small quick nods to the previous books in her books but they are all stand alones. Not a series at all.

💛🧡

What a sweet story! When Chryssy meets Vin Chao, he offers her a deal. They will fake date and then he will break her heart which will increase tickets for his show and he will promote her business. What seems like a good plan.. might not be after all. Especially when they have unexpected chemistry!!
I definitely recommend this book, especially if you like:

Family relationships
Fake dating
Dual POV

I loved getting to listen to this on audiobook. I think the narrator did a wonderful job! Who doesn’t love a good romance story that makes your heart feel warm!

Thank you NetGalley, Hachette Audio and Lauren for the ALC!

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Publication: Jan 28 2025

#NetGalley #YinYangLoveSong

Jessen writes such heartwarming rom-coms! There's always a cozy blend of romance, family, and finding yourself.

Yin Yang Love Song is a story of generational curses, Chinese traditional medicine, and finding work/life balance. I thought the heartbreak curse of Chryssy's family was such an interesting plot point - especially how our perceptions affect how we live our lives!

Oftentimes poignant and charming, Yin Yang Love Song is like a warm mug of tea on a cold day.

I did this more in audiobook format even though I had both. I loved and enjoyed this.

I always feel like when I read Lauren's books, I could also be reading it as a manga. They just feel so vibrant, sweet, innocent. They give me all the feels. These two were just adorable and I loved them.

Narrators were on point, I can't wait to read more by this author.

I got an alc of this book on NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

One of the things I have started looking forward to every January is a new book release from Lauren Kung Jessen. From Lunar Love to Red String Theory to now Yin Yang Love Song, Jessen introduces readers to Chinese traditions and charming, contemporary love stories. I especially appreciated the focus on the role of Chinese medicine in this book. Plus, who doesn't love a rockstar cellist (especially as I have 2Cellos on repeat when I work)?

Many thanks to the author, my favs at Forever, and NetGalley for sharing this book with me.

LKJ stories are always so fun and sweet, and this one was no different! I loved Chrissy and Vin and their fake dating scheme and the way their relationship grew. I thought the musical elements and the pieces of Traditional Chinese Medicine and herbalism throughout were fascinating and the family dynamics and themes of heartbreak and healing were awesome. Highly recommend!

First of all thank you so much for the advanced listening copy! For me, Eunice Wong’s narration fell a bit flat and wasn’t as engaging as I would have liked. However, Eric Yang was perfect for Vin and brought his character to life so well! So it was a fifty/fifty split on this audio version for me. Again, thank you!

Thank you so much to Hachette Audio for an early copy of this audiobook!💖

Yin Yang Love Song is a gorgeous love story that includes cursed in love vibes + fake dating + celebrity romance + forced proximity + so much more! And this story cannot be contained by just tropes, there's also amazing themes of personal growth, family strength, an element of suspense about a love CURSE, and a theme of traditional Chinese medicine! I can't really define how much I enjoyed this book! There were so many cute moments and the book boyfriend vibes are STRONG! I loved so many aspects of this book and cannot wait for more Lauren Kung Jessen book! 🫶

Chryssy Hua Williams never fully embraced the notion of the Hua family curse, but after enduring more breakups than she can remember, she’s starting to think there may be some validity to it. Alongside her aunties, she runs a distinctive healing retreat center for the heartbroken. When Chryssy has a chance encounter with the infamous celebrity cellist Vin Chao, it creates quite a stir. He proposes a deal: they will enter into a fake relationship, he’ll “break” her heart (which will help boost ticket sales), and in return, he’ll promote her business.

True to the spirit of all Lauren Kung Jessen's works, Yin Yang Love Song is an adorable and heartwarming read rich with Chinese traditions. I thoroughly enjoyed the characters! They brought together a delightful mix of personalities. The narrative was charming and left my heart feeling joyful. The storyline was well-paced and brought a smile to my face!