Chinese herbalist Chryssy Hua Williams and famed celebrity cellist Vin Chao enter into faux dating scheme to boost their business and ticket sales respectively. After their fake relationship takes a very real turn, the two must decide how to proceed, all while fighting Chryssy’s familial curse that has left a long line of Hua women brokenhearted.

Yin Yang Love Song was a heartwarming romance that left me feeling light. I delighted in Chryssy and Vin’s journey and loved how central Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) was to the story. This was a deeply introspective novel full of healthy conversations surrounding personal growth. I learned a lot about TCM as a whole and left wanting to implement more of these practices into my daily life.

When it comes to audiobooks, I enjoy when dual POV novels are narrated by two separate narrators. It keeps me firmly cemented in the story when each character has a distinct speaking voice. Eunice Wong (Chryssy) and Erik Yang (Vin) both did a spectacular job narrating this book! They really brought Chryssy and Vin to life and I could glean every bit of humor and emotion that the characters were feeling through their performances. It was also helpful to hear the narrators pronounce certain TCM terms. It made for a smooth listening experience and I was able to soak up information I hadn’t been familiar with before.

Thank you Hachette Audio for providing me with an ALC in exchange for my honest review.

3.5⭐️

Jessen’s stories are some of the most lovely, cozy, and charming I have ever read. I love how the central themes in her stories are family and honoring traditions. I always come away from Jessen’s stories with a heart full of hope and warm fuzzies.0

The premise of Chryssy’s family healing hearts while trying to break their own generational curse had me intrigued, and my favorite scenes were those with the entire family. There was such a warmth and welcome present in those moments that made your heart feel safe and cared for. It was fascinating learning more about tea and Chinese medicine, and the intention of healing the whole body. I also adored Jessen’s author’s note - it was such a wonderful reminder to take care of yourself and SLOW DOWN in this world that is so focused on hustle.

While there were many aspects of the story I loved, Vin’s character left me a little confused and frustrated. I understand why he was guarded but he was incredibly selfish and quite rude on more than one occasion to Chryssy, which I didn’t care for.

Overall, this was very sweet but I wasn’t quite sold on the fake dating. I would love for Leo to get a book! I adored his character!

I did really enjoy the dual pov and the dual narration was wonderfully performed!

Chryssy (short for Chrysanthemum) is a chef and traditional Chinese medicine herbalist. She also believes that she, alongside all of the women in her family, are cursed to never have lasting love. Vin is a rock cellist along with his brother. Their lack of lasting relationships has earned them a reputation as "heartbreakers". When Chryssy and Vin meet, a picture is taken out of context. To get the record label off his back Vin devises a plan to fake date Chryssy while his brother takes part in the heartbreak healing retreat that Chryssy and her aunties run on Whidbey Island.

Through the entire first half of this book, I thought it was a five-star romance. The tension and slow burn between Chryssy and Vin were excellent and I loved their connection. Plus the aunties are hilarious. However, as the story developed and the curse became more and more important, I became annoyed. The curse was a huge part of the story but brought down the plot overall.

All in all, it was a fun story that I recommend. The two narrators were excellent and made it a very engaging listen.

Thank you to Net Galley, Forever, and Hachette Audio for the DLC. All opinions are my own.

No one wants to believe in the Hua family curse but breakup after breakup has them convinced. Chryssy and her aunties run a healing retreat center for the broken hearted. A run in with Vin, a musical prodigy also known for breaking hearts sparks rumors about the two of them dating. They decide to take advantage of the media buzz to benefit their careers thinking they’re both cursed to end up alone anyway. But all it takes is one kiss and a whole lot of unexpected chemistry to land them in hot water.

I understand why everyone adores this author, her writing is beautiful. The story flows incredibly well and I completely lost track of time listening to Chryssy and Vins story.

They’ve both lost so much because of their beliefs, running from a curse that’s been built up by people around them. Thinking the only way not to end up alone is breaking the curse they try to solve the mystery. I don’t want to spoil anything but the ending is so heartwarming.

Get yourself a cup of tea and get comfy because once you start reading it’s difficult to put it down.

Read this if you like
💙Fake dating
💫Family relationships
🌼Dual pov
🫶🏼Celebrity Cellist x Chinese herbalist

Chryssy Hua, a Chinese herbalist, meets musicians Vin and his brother Leo at an event. The brothers are known as the heartbreakers but in reality, Leo is heartbroken after a recent painful breakup. Chryssy’s family believes that all Hua women have been cursed to experience only heartbreak and have created a healing inn for those suffering from it. Vin needs Leo healed so they can go on their tour so they move into the Hua’s inn to fast track the process. Vin also needs Chryssy to be his fake girlfriend to he can break up with her and maintain his reputation. The two end up spending a lot of time together and while real feelings begin to form, between Vin’s label requiring him to be a single and Chryssy’s family curse they are not sure they can make it.

This was a fun romance and I read/listened the whole book in a day. For me the mix of romance, traditional remedies and cooking were a recipe (pun intended) for a great read. I read and listened to this one and the audiobook narrators were wonderful and I loved that there were voices and POVs for both Chryssy and Vin (I find these books work better with the dual POV). I personally liked this one better than her last and it was such a nice surprise.

Thank you to Hachette Audio for the ARC to review

Thank you Netgalley and hachette audio for the free ALC. My opinions are being left voluntarily. I really enjoy Lauren's books. I love learning about Chinese traditions culture and the benefits of stuff . I have loved all of her books and look forward to reading more.

Recommend giving it a try.

4.5/5☆

This was my first book by Lauren Kung Jessen, but won’t be my last. I am literally checking out her previous books as I type this review.
At first, I felt a little eye-roll-y at the heartbreak hotel and how serious the character took herself. But once I got past that and let myself enjoy the story, I really enjoyed it. This is truly an adorable romance with just enough real-life levity to ground the story. Thanks so much to Netgalley for the advanced copy!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for granting access to this book and audiobook

Lauren Kung Jessen has done it again!! She has written another fantastic romance. I really enjoyed the chemistry between Chryssy and Vin and witnessing them fall in love throughout the book was magical! I also enjoyed learning about different types of herbs and Chinese medicinal culture.

For the audiobook portion, I thought that Eunice Wong did a great job (as always). I was not familiar with Erik Yang as an audiobook narrator, but now that I have listened to one book by him, I would be interested in listening to more audiobooks narrated by him in the future!

Lauren Kung Jessen always has a fascinating hook to her stories and incredible female characters. Getting to know Chryssy and her aunts were a highlight of this book. While I didn't dislike Vin per se, I didn't find him a compelling lead, and didn't get as invested in their romance as I'd hoped. Both the audiobook narrators did a nice job.

This was such a sweet romance. Fake dating doesn't always work for me but I really enjoyed how it was used in this book. Chryssy and Vin had great chemistry immediately and transitioned from friendship to love interest so smoothly. I adored all of the side characters too. I don't know a lot about traditional Chinese medicine but really enjoyed learning about it through Chryssy's business. This was my first Lauren Kung Jessen book but it will not be my last.

I read this on ebook and audio. I particularly enjoyed the audio. Eunice Wong and Eric Yang brought a lot of life to the characters.

Thank you to NetGalley and Hachette Audio for the ALC in exchange for an honest review.

I just love and adore LKJs writing style. Her characters are so unique while being incredibly relatable and truly special. Her stories live with me long after I’ve set the books down and I know this one will be no different.

Love. Why is it so many are in pursuit of a thing that can cause so much pain? Heartache is a real thing, with real, physical, symptoms. Is it ever worth it?

Chryssy has dedicated her life to healing with an eastern, Chinese medicine, approach. She and her auntie's run a retreat center to help the lovesick heal their broken hearts. She has plenty of experience with them. Her whole family does, in fact, because the women of her family are cursed. Not a one of them has had a successful long-term relationship because one of their ancestors cursed them. She's come to accept it. So when a celebrity cellist comes along asking to strike up a deal for a publicity-relationship, she doesn't see any reason not to. When she starts catching feelings though...she's convinced they're doomed for heartache all over again.

This book has a lot of really cozy elements. Chryssy essentially makes people cups of custom tea for a living, after all. She listens well to people, hears between the lines what they may need, and prepares for them something to help. Reading about that process was very calming.

The structure was quite good as well: having Vin's brother be in need of Chryssy's family's services was an organic in for the fake dating element. For me, that trope is over-tired, but for this book it didn't make me roll my eyes, at least. There was enough meat in the plot to keep things interesting.

That being said, I was hoping for a little more steam in the romance. I liked both Vin and Chryssy, and while there were some sweet moments, I was left wanting a little bit more. I was missing the fireworks. The pop and sizzle of real, deep chemistry.

Luckily there was more to this book than just the romance. I really enjoyed learning about Chryssy's business and her knowledge of Chinese medicine. Her auntie's added some layered interest to the story. The B-Plot of the family curse didn't do a lot for me outside of it being the vehicle for Chryssy to do some soul-searching and self-examination of her own beliefs brought on by the curse-myth upheld by her family. I found this novel to be just as much about personal growth as it was about finding love.

I was granted an early listening copy of the title from netgalley and the publisher, and I really enjoyed the audio narration. I recommend it if you're able to get your hands on it.

This book and me did not jive. It’s overall very bland and there’s not much chemistry between the two mains. They seemed more like friendly acquaintances than in love. The scenes were also pretty disjointed and this made the book not flow very well for me.
I DNFd about halfway through because I was ultimately just really bored

I enjoyed learning about Chinese medicine in this book. It gave this romance a unique spin. I found the actual romance to be just okay as I was hoping for a bit more chemistry between the characters which I think would have helped. Loved the aunties who were in the background. The audiobook was narrated well, I just feel the story needed a bit more oomph.

Chryssy and Vin have their little meet-cute moment and the story unfolds. This fake-dating turned falling-in-love story was sweet. The characteristics of Chryssy, Vin, and the side characters were interesting. You will learn a lot about flowers and how they can help heal you. The story itself has a lot of unique elements to a familiar trope.

“Our hearts go through so much, stress, heartbreak, love, and still they keep us alive.”

I was instantly drawn to this cover… I mean how dang perfect! Yin Yang Love Song is about Chryssy a Chinese herbalist, who runs a healing retreat center and is launching a flower tea line with her meddling aunts on Whidbey Island. She finds herself on her 9th breakup and the rumors of a family curse in love to be true. Until she starts fake dating a celebrity rockstar cellist Vin, to improve his and his brother’s ticket sales, and in turn have him promote her business.

“It would be an honor to stand in your shadow.”

Fake dating + family curses… say no more! I was instantly pulled into this story. I loved the education shared about TCM (traditional Chinese medicine) finding balance and restore through acupuncture & herbal medicines. Another highlight for me was the PNW setting, I wish I could attend the retreat center Lauren so beautifully described. At the heart of it, it’s a book about taking chances and believing in love and healing. This book feels like a heartwarming cup of tea 🫖

A first for me by Lauren Kung Jessen and I will for sure be reading her backlist (I have Red Sting Theory on my shelf)

Thank you Hachette Audio | Forever

50 State Challenge/ WASHINGTON

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I loved this! The crossover of the heartbreak healer and the heartbreaker was so interesting. I loved learning about Chryssy’s cultural and medicinal practices. I loved the way that Chryssy and Vin’s story progressed from their initial agreement and grew deeper as the book went on. Their story unfolding amongst their past love and experiences with heartbreak was beautifully done. I listened to the audiobook of this one, and I especially liked the narration by Eunice Wong and Eric Yang. I was glad to listen to the story to hear the pronunciation of some unfamiliar terms. It read to me like an audio family history, reflective and romantic. I would definitely recommend this read and the audiobook!

Thanks to NetGalley and Hachette Audio for this ARC!

This charming rom-com seamlessly blends cultural richness with the delightful tropes readers adore: fake dating, opposites attract, and a touch of magical realism through the Hua family's intriguing love curse.

Chryssy, a Chinese herbalist running a healing retreat for the broken-hearted, represents a fascinating blend of pragmatism and vulnerability. Her ninth breakup has left her skeptical about love, making her the perfect candidate for a strategic fake relationship.

Enter Vin Chao, a celebrity cellist whose bad-boy persona masks deeper complexities. Their arrangement - a mutually beneficial fake dating scheme that promises to boost his ticket sales and her business - sets the stage for unexpected emotional exploration. The novel brilliantly subverts expectations, transforming what seems like a calculated transaction into a genuine journey of connection.

The chemistry between Chryssy and Vin crackles with authenticity, challenging the very notion of performative love. Their relationship becomes a nuanced examination of healing, connection, and the thin line between calculated performance and genuine emotion.

I liked the audiobook and the narrators were fantastic too. However, I kept losing my interest in the characters. The beginning of the book is slow paced to my liking. The story has incredible potential however due to the pacing of the book, it got affected. Don't get me wrong, the author's writing is good, she knows where to steer and what to reveal, so there's no reason not to pick up this book. I guess my expectations were way too much.

I was given an audiobook for an honest review.

Hands down love this book and really enjoy reading from this author. i adore this author aince her.debut novel. So when i saw this cover and read that synopsis i was all in. Especially when it has a fake dating trouble with a celebrity trope with his my guilty pleasure. It was cute it was easy to follow along the narrators both did a great job bringing these characters to life.