September 26, 2022
Jessen’s debut rom-com hits all the beats of a tried-and-true rivals-to-lovers narrative. Olivia Huang Christensen, the new head of Lunar Love, a Chinese zodiac–based matchmaking business founded by her grandmother, is not interested in love of her own—but the “matchmaker who can’t be matched” can’t deny the sparks when she meets Bennett O’Brien at her favorite bakery. Then she learns that Bennett is the founder of ZodiaCupid, a new dating app that’s essentially digitizing Lunar Love’s concept. Olivia’s initial plan to prove theft of ideas before the app’s launch gives way to a more contrived conceit: she and Bennett agree to a contest to find the other a love match and so prove whose matchmaking system is superior. Inevitably, this contest ends with them giving in to their mutual attraction. Self-righteous Olivia can be a difficult heroine to root for, coming across as hypocritical in both her stance on love and her criticisms of Bennett. Luckily, delicious descriptions of food (Olivia loves to cook) and charming supporting characters like Olivia’s grandmother add appeal. It’s not perfect, but it’s sure to find some fans. Agent: Ann Leslie Tuttle; Dystel, Goderich & Bourett.
Starred review from October 1, 2022
DEBUT Olivia Huang Christenson is poised to take over Lunar Love, a third-generation family-run matchmaking business focusing on clients' compatibility using Chinese zodiac traits. After decades of success, Olivia feels the pressure, especially since business hasn't been booming recently, and a new dating app called ZodiaCupid could mean Lunar Love's demise. Bennett O'Brien wants to honor his Chinese lineage by creating a successful dating app that matches users based, in part, on their Chinese zodiac animal. Olivia is incensed that Bennett stole a traditional, in-person matchmaking method to create a watered-down version for ZodiaCupid. When Olivia and Bennett confront each other on a live podcast, they agree to match one another, and whoever's match results in true love, wins the wager. But both Bennett and Olivia learn that love doesn't play by their rules when the two of them fall for each other. VERDICT Debut author Kung Jessen does an impeccable job helping two adversarial lovers find common ground in their Chinese American heritage and creating a slow-burn romance with lots of humor, family, and food. An excellent match for fans of Jackie Lau, Jayci Lee, and Helena Hunting.--Eve Stano
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November 1, 2022
Two warring matchmakers vie to make one another fall in love in this debut romance. The key to finding the perfect match is written in the stars--at least according to Olivia Huang Christenson, the newly appointed Chief Executive of Love. Her family has shaped their decades-old matchmaking business, Lunar Love, around using the Chinese zodiac to make compatible pairings. Ever since her P� Po--whose matchmaking success rate sits astronomically high--left the company to her, Liv has made it her mission to carry on the family tradition. Taking on the role of Head Matchmaker is easier said than done, however, especially with realtors knocking on the door of their Chinatown office and the company's income sinking. On top of that, Liv's own love life is practically nonexistent...that is, until a fateful run-in with a handsome cocktail-bun thief at Lucky Monkey Bakery. Like her, Bennett O'Brien is mixed race with Chinese heritage, and just as Liv begins to imagine a future with him, she discovers that he's the creator of a new, numbers-based matchmaking app called ZodiaCupid. Not only does Bennett's app threaten to put Lunar Love out of business, he's also a Rat--the most incompatible sign to her Horse. When they end up featured on the same podcast, Liv challenges Bennett to a contest: She says Lunar Love can help him find true love faster than ZodiaCupid can find a match for her, with the ultimate prize of social media exposure and guaranteed new clients. Can Liv put aside her beliefs about incompatibility and algorithms in time to realize that opposites do, in fact, attract? Jessen's debut excels at explaining the history of the Chinese zodiac and throwing in fun matchmaking tidbits (did you know Rembrandt was born during the Year of the Horse?), but, unfortunately, the romance falls flat. Liv is often unkind and paranoid toward Bennett, and the sweet, cozy moments of their courtship are overshadowed by her constant scheming to sabotage his company. An uneven rom-com that offers readers a match not made in heaven.
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December 1, 2022
Jessen's wholesome #OwnVoices debut transforms two incompatible, mixed-race Chinese American entrepreneurs from enemies to lovers in this sweet contemporary romance. Olivia Huang Christenson is taking over her family's Chinese zodiac matchmaking business, Lunar Love, which prides itself on making the most successful matches. But a new digital competitor is luring clients away with the dating app, ZodiaCupid, that turns Olivia's matchmaking traditions into a gamified farce. To infiltrate the competition, Olivia hacks the app's algorithm and lands a date with the new CEO, Bennett O'Brien, but even though they should be wrong for each other, Olivia and Bennett are a match in wits and in their shared passion for business. Family and belonging take center stage in this charming love story, featuring such Los Angeles attractions as Chinatown, Dodgers Stadium, Griffith Observatory, and the Getty Center. It's not surprising that so many of the city's best film settings are included since Jessen is already collaborating with a film agent. The tremendous popularity of the Crazy Rich Asians franchise is proof that rom-coms featuring Asian American leads are in high demand.
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