This was a heartfelt fake dating romance featuring Chryssy, a traditional Chinese herbalist who strikes a deal with cellist Vin to pose as his girlfriend to promote his new album, let him break up with her and in exchange he'll help promote her family's heartbreak healing retreat. With a family love curse, family secrets and great chemistry, this book taught me a lot about traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and the ways it can benefit burnout and stress/anxiety. Good on audio and perfect for fans of authors like Roselle Lim. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital and audio copy in exchange for my honest review!

This was a slow-burn fake dating rom-com. For fans of spice, you won't find it here. This was a good story, and I liked the cultural aspects of the traditional Chinese medicine that the main character practices. I liked the characters, and the romantic buildup was good. There were some parts that kind of read like a PSA for self care. For fans of the genre, you'll like it.

This book is utterly delightful. It is definitely a Jessen book-hopeful, sweet, tender, and warm. Romantic and magical. The narrators were not my favorite. They were okay, but felt mostly one dimensional. However nothing could stop me from falling in love with Lauren’s words.

I loved this one! thank you so much Forever. It made me feel seen as a half Chinese woman. I hope for more beautiful stories. A sweet healing novel in this one

Thank you to NetGalley, Forever, and Hachette Audio for this advanced copy! You can pick up Yin Yang Love Song on January 28, 2025.

I love how Lauren Kung Jessen tapped into a quieter and softer love story with Yin Yang Love Song. Rather than focusing on specific tropes and caricatures of characters, we see fleshed out protagonists with complicated lives and motivations. Chryssy is closed off to love because of her family's traumatic history with breakups and love lives ending (due to a familial "curse"). Vin is a workaholic musician who never slows down and never invests true time and energy into a relationship, earning him the moniker "heartbreaker."

When their paths cross, Chryssy and Vin enter a fake dating relationship that they believe will be mutually beneficial (okay so there's at least one big trope). But Lauren Kung Jessen spends a significant portion of the book showcasing the wonders of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and how slowing down can benefit our lives in the longterm. Through Chryssy and Vin, we see so much of our own lives and relationships reflected back at us, our own insecurities and worries spelled out before us. It felt almost soothing to read this book as Chryssy explained the benefits of different herbs and blends and plants to Vin as they grew closer and closer. It was relatable when Vin talked about burnout and how much his body felt effected by it.

Chryssy's relationship with her aunties was also beautifully depicted and showed how this was as much a story about familial love as romantic love. Generations of women were tied together by one curse, but together they found a way to move forward and not let it control their destinies.

While I loved the messages behind this story and how the romance played out, I do have to say that there were a few too many flower and music metaphors or analogies for my taste. At first, it made sense to incorporate them, but after a while, it became a bit heavy-handed and veered into therapist talk (there's nothing wrong with that, but I did have to break up my reading a bit so it wasn't overwhelming).

If you're looking for a softer romance with soothing messages and reminders about the wonders of natural healing and remedies, this is the book for you!

This was my first read from LKJ and ugh immediately added Lunar Love and Red String Theory to my tbr! This rom-com was the perfect cute and lighthearted read to bring life to my romance yearning soul.

The story is about Chryssy Hua Williams, a Chinese herbalist, who runs a healing center with her aunt and Vin Chao, celebrity cellist, who has built his whole identity as a heartbreaker. In order to promote her healing business, Chryssy enters a FAKE DATING agreement Vin to 1. use his fame to promote his business and 2. Vin gets to use the break up from this stunt to help sell his concert tickets. Fake dating things happen and well… Vin and Chryssy easily became one of my favorite couples!

I absolutely loved the nod to family dynamics in this story! The aunties in this story added such a fun humor element and the focus on Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) stigma opened up an entertaining and interesting points to the plot. As someone who studied Health Communication in college, I appreciated how Lauren communicated the importance and foundations of TCM highlighting the uses of acupuncture and herbal remedies. Truly a book that does it all, breaking down barriers!

Vin and Chryssy were such a well written pair. The flirty banter between the two had me squealing in the middle of the night. I loved how the plot progressed naturally and each moment was pure romcom deliciousness. Vin was such a charmer (and HE KNOWS IT UGH) and the exploration to his back story had me relating a lot with and wishing for a Chryssy in my life. I also loved the little details from the book like the recipes the author added into the story!

Huge thank you to Forever for giving me an early chance to review! I am forever grateful to you guys!