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This charming rom-com from an author whose writing is “deeply romantic, real, funny, and heartfelt” (Christina Lauren) is filled with Chinese traditions and a curse-breaking love story that will make readers of Helen Hoang, Jasmine Guillory, and Sarah Adams swoon. In this charming rom-com filled with Chinese traditions and a family curse, an herbalist fake dates a star musician–perfect for fans of Helen Hoang and Jasmine Guillory. Chinese herbalist Chryssy Hua Williams never actually believed in the Hua family curse. But after Break-Up #9, Chryssy stopped laughing. Now she and her aunties run a special healing retreat center for the broken-hearted. After all, there’s nothing a proper cup of herbal tea can’t fix...but Chryssy’s innocent run-in with celebrity cellist and bad boy Vin Chao has everyone brewing about a different kind of tea. So he offers her a deal: they’ll fake-date, he’ll “break” her heart (and increase ticket sales), and in return, he’ll promote her business. It’s like Chryssy’s whole cursed love life has been leading up to this moment. But all it takes is one kiss—and a whole lot of unexpected chemistry—to land both of them in hot water . . .
Publication Year: 2025
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Lauren writes such beautiful rom-coms and this one is no exception. The opposites attract dynamic throughout the novel with the curse and Chinese medicine, and music and success/reputation creates the perfect mix of similarities and differences for the characters to grow together.
Vin is a rockstar Cellist with a reputation for breaking hearts. Chryssy is a Chinese herbalist who heals hearts at her family's inn for the heartbroken. An electric meet cute leads to a fake relationship with chemistry that is very real. As they work to boost her business and sellout his tour, the lines between fake and real begin to blur. But will the Hua family curse and Vin's reputation be too much for them to overcome?
One of my favourite things in this book is the way Chryssy and Vin describe each other is so beautiful and so unique to them. They create such vivid images using imagery from their passions making their feelings even more romantic. This book also has many unique scenes and activities that I haven't come across in other romance books. I liked the a-typical activities that allowed the characters to get to know each other better.
Overall, this is a really fun rom-com that is all about overcoming the image or story that has been placed on us by the world to create a new future.