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louisekf 's review for:
Lunar Love
by Lauren Kung Jessen
emotional
hopeful
informative
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Lunar Love was Lauren Kung Jessen’s debut novel, but it’s the second one of hers that I’ve read. (I’ve read Red String Theory.) The story has two Asian-American main characters, Olivia/Liv and Bennett, both of mixed race. Their backstories reveal how they often feel not Asian enough because of their mixed heritage.
Lunar Love is not just the title of the book; it’s the name of the Los Angeles matchmaking company that has been in Liv’s family for a couple of generations, having been started by her beloved grandmother, who she calls Po Po. Liv is just starting to take over the business, which has been struggling of late. Their matchmaking philosophy is based on the Chinese Zodiac. Bennett is beta-testing a new matchmaking app with the same concept, which he calls ZodiaCupid. So this is a rivals-to-lovers story. Liv and Bennett have a meet-cute but they don’t know who each other is at that point. Once they know, things get awkward.
I enjoyed this book but didn’t love it as much as I did Red String Theory. I had a hard time warming up to Liv. Bennett, on the other hand, was a much more appealing character. I loved how he kept spouting data points but gradually realized there was more to life and love than data. Unfortunately, the book didn’t have any chapters from his point of view; that would have made the book more interesting to me.
There’s a lot of wonderful content revolving around Chinese traditions and Chinese foods. Bonus: there are two recipes at the end of the book: Chinese Swiss rolls (a cake) and Pan-Fried Pork Dumplings.
Thank you to Forever and NetGalley for the opportunity to read a review copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
Lunar Love is not just the title of the book; it’s the name of the Los Angeles matchmaking company that has been in Liv’s family for a couple of generations, having been started by her beloved grandmother, who she calls Po Po. Liv is just starting to take over the business, which has been struggling of late. Their matchmaking philosophy is based on the Chinese Zodiac. Bennett is beta-testing a new matchmaking app with the same concept, which he calls ZodiaCupid. So this is a rivals-to-lovers story. Liv and Bennett have a meet-cute but they don’t know who each other is at that point. Once they know, things get awkward.
I enjoyed this book but didn’t love it as much as I did Red String Theory. I had a hard time warming up to Liv. Bennett, on the other hand, was a much more appealing character. I loved how he kept spouting data points but gradually realized there was more to life and love than data. Unfortunately, the book didn’t have any chapters from his point of view; that would have made the book more interesting to me.
There’s a lot of wonderful content revolving around Chinese traditions and Chinese foods. Bonus: there are two recipes at the end of the book: Chinese Swiss rolls (a cake) and Pan-Fried Pork Dumplings.
Thank you to Forever and NetGalley for the opportunity to read a review copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Grief, Death of parent