4.5/5

A delightful adult debut from Susan Lee. I love reading any kind of Asian representation in romance, and I truly enjoyed reading this one. Julia is a badass FMC and I was really rooting for her to find her happiness. She is struggling with her love life and feels insecure about herself and asks her childhood friend, Tae, for help. Tae himself is trying to discover what he wants for his future. He enjoys helping his community, and can't resist it when his childhood crush asks for his help with her dating life. I loved Tae - he has such a good heart and is truly selfless. While he feels that Julia is out of his league, he still wants to show her what she truly deserves from her future partner. Despite their insecurities, Julia and Tae like each other for who they truly are and make each other feel happy and at home.

While there's a lot of lighthearted moments, the book also explores a lot of relatable and deep topics, like familial responsibilities, dealing with health issues and the overall healthcare system, finances, struggling with cultural identity, and the hardships of being a primary caregiver. I also really liked reading about and related to aspects of Korean culture, such as family dynamics and community values, and I felt like I was truly immersed in the community created by the author.

Thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC!

4.5 stars.

This is the first book I’ve read by Susan Lee, but don’t foresee it being the last. This was a really fun, easy read that I devoured in under twenty-four hours.

Julia Song is driven, the CEO of a Korean-American skincare company. She’s done a lot at the young age of thirty, but one of the things she hasn’t accomplished is being successful at dating. To her Korean parents and grandmother, marriage is a box she should be checking off sooner rather than later. Her grandmother shares news with her at her 80th birthday party that rocks her world and has her agreeing to three dates that her parents and aunts arrange to find her a partner.

Requirements: smart, successful, and tall. Oh, and not a wimp since apparently that one time it happened gave Julia the reputation that she makes men cry.

She had more than one past date tell her she was undateable because she’s too blunt, too harsh, too stubborn, just too much. She’s taken these words to heart and has decided she’s just no good at dating. So with the three dates looming in front of her, she does what she’d do with any other aspect of her life: she hires a coach.

Enter Taehyung Kim, her neighbor who she used to babysit and who she firmly put in a box as “little brother.” Except he’s not little anymore. He’s twenty-five and has come back home to take care of his dad who was battling cancer for the second time. The life he was living in Chicago prior to returning home didn’t quite fit for him, and now he’s trying to figure out what his future holds while he helps everyone who asks with whatever they need. Thus, it’s an easy yes when Julia drunkenly asks him for his assistance getting more comfortable about dating. He knows it’s going to be hard to take this on, what with the crush he had on her growing up, but how can he pass up the opportunity to take Julia on practice dates.
I loved how open Julia could be with Tae on their practice dates, where the nerves slipped away and she could just be herself without worry of judgment. He saw her and liked what he saw, not wanting her to shrink herself in any way. The dates were trainwrecks, but that’s just because maybe what you’re looking for is closer than you think and you just need to open your eyes.

One of my favorite parts was when Tae got Julia to see that the age gap that exists between them is really not a big deal. I also adored how soft he was with her, how even before they got together he did all he could to show her that she was worthy and that any man would be lucky to date her, that she could be honest with him and he wouldn’t shy away from it but instead find it refreshing.

Julia fought so hard to be the woman Tae needed, the one to support him without pushing while he carried the weight of the world on his shoulders. To be the woman to see him as Superman without needing Superman to save her.

This gave me lots of ooey gooey feelings, the butterflies, and even when the misunderstanding trope came into play, I got it, and I was rooting for them to work it out. It was a funny lighthearted story with lots of heart. The family dynamics on both sides were a joy to watch.
There was just a dash of spice, but I bet you’ll never look at a race car bed the same way again.

And those requirements, turns out that Tae had all of them even if not in what society would consider the traditional sense. But he had one extra quality that was vital: he made Julia’s eyes sparkle with joy. And joy is something we all could use in our lives.

I’m crossing my fingers that Susan will have Rachel’s story slated for future release, because she was the friend I was most interested in learning more about.

Check this out if you’re a fan of:

- Friends to lovers
- Childhood crush
- Fake dating/dating lessons
- Strong FMC
- He falls first

Thank you to NetGalley, Harlequin Trade Publishing, and Canary Street Press for the eARC.

This was a tremendous adult debut from Susan Lee—swoony, hilarious (so many delightfully cringey rom-com moments!), heartfelt. I loved the role family played in this novel alongside the romance and the nuanced themes about finding your path and caring for yourself and others. A total delight, and I can't wait for everyone to read it!

Julia Song is a successful in many ways, such as heading a popular cosmetic brand, but she is unsuccessful in the one area her family values most: dating. When her grandmother comes to her family with some sad news, Julia is suddenly desperate to find a boyfriend and turns to her family to help set her up on dates. She also looks to Tae to help "coach" her through this dating process and, as a shock to no one, they end up falling for each other instead.

This book was a fun time with so many charming components: a meddling family, a journey of self discovery for both the FMC and MMC, and of course a sweet romance at the center. Susan Lee is a phenomenal YA reader, and this adult romance release from her is sure to be a huge hit!

I LOVED this book so much!!! This is my first book was the author and I cannot wait to read her others! Julia was such a fun character to follow, and Tae! What a dreamboat. I’m obsessed with him. They were so cute together! Loved this love story.