Olivia Huang Christenson has been preparing for this day for years. It’s her grandmother Pó Po’s 90th birthday, and it’s at her party that she is announcing that Olivia will be taking over the family business. Pó Po started the business 50 years ago. She retired after 25 years, when Olivia’s Auntie Lydia took over. Now Lydia is ready to retire, and it’s Liv’s turn to take over Lunar Love, the matchmaking business that Pó Po set up to help people find love based on the Chinese zodiac.
Liv baked Pó Po’s cake herself, a horse in chocolate with salted caramel, since Pó Po, like Liv, was born in the Year of the Horse. But she had also stopped by her family’s favorite bakery to pickup some buns and other treats. It was at the bakery that she had met a man who stole Pó Po’s favorite bun right out from under Liv’s tongs. It took some fast talking and the sacrifice of the pork bun that she’d chosen for herself for Liv to get it back, but she managed. Now it’s hours later, and she’s still thinking about Bakery Guy.
The party is a success, and the family is excited for Olivia taking over Lunar Love and carrying on the family matchmaking tradition. She starts her new job by going to a big conference for relationship professionals. The two other employees of Lunar Love are with her, and they go to a variety of talks to learn more about the business and the trends of the future. In one session, Liv finds herself speaking out about the importance of compatibility in a relationship while some guy at the back of the room argues for the possibilities that open up when the partners are not compatible. Liv glances back to see who is fighting against her (to see who is so wrong), and she discovers that it’s none other than Bakery Guy.
Later that day, as they’re walking (quickly) through the app corner of the conference, Liv hears that voice again. He’s talking about his new app, ZodiaCupid, a dating app where people will be matched up on their Chinese zodiac signs. All three stop in their tracks. Immediately, Liv knows that if she looks over there, she will once again see him. Bakery Guy. He’s developed an app that stole her grandmother’s business idea, and she’s livid. The app is still in beta mode, but Bakery Guy announces a code they can use to sign up. Liv downloads the app and signs up to be a beta tester, as Bakery Guy talks about how he believes in the app so much that he’s using it himself.
Liv sees that as a way to get to him, to do some research (okay, spying) to find out more about him and his dating app. She reads a bunch of articles on the app and its founder (Bennett, it turns out, is his name), so she skews her answers to try to get matched with him. There are no photos on the app, so she won’t have to worry about him recognizing her. And then she waits.
When they get matched on the app, Liv suggests they go on a date, and when he shows up, she acts surprised that it’s him. She asks him first date questions about what he does, trying to find out more about the app. But she also finds that he’s smart and funny and they get along really well. And when she sees an old friend that she doesn’t want to talk to, he throws himself on the floor as a distraction for her to get away.
But Liv can’t help but feel guilty about lying to Bennett. And when the wrong draft of an article about ZodiaCupid gets posted online, Liv feels even worse. She had just been venting her anger with that draft. She’d written a nicer version, but she uploaded the wrong one into Dropbox, and that was the one that got submitted. But it’s when they both appear on a popular podcast that things get really interesting. After debating about whose approach to relationships is better, they create a wager. Whoever can find a match for the other person first, who can make the other fall in love first, wins.
Liv is certain that her approach is better, but she can’t deny that a lot of people are interested in ZodiaCupid, and her appointments keep getting cancelled as people look for a faster way to find a match. Will Lunar Love be able to withstand the competition, especially now that’s she staking not just her reputation on her skills, but she’s risking her heart as well?
Lunar Love is a sweet rom com with a strong sense of family and a lot of competition. It’s clear that Liv and Bennett are a perfect match from that first meeting at the bakery, but watching the twisty road that they take to finally come together is a lot of fun to watch. These are strong characters, with humor and passion and dedication to hard work, so the competition gets heated. And getting to learn about the Chinese zodiac and the importance of the Lunar New Year.
I really enjoyed Lunar Love. Author Lauren Kung Jessen has a lot of fun with these two characters and with their chemistry. I adored Liv’s father, a screenwriter of campy horror movies, and enjoyed all the ways that Liv and Bennett circled around each other. Seeing Practical Magic at the drive-in? I would love that. However, all that talk of delicious food made me constantly hungry, so come prepared. Bring snacks, your sense of humor, a few tissues, and your love of love. Lunar Love will take care of the rest.
Egalleys for Lunar Love were provided by Forever (Grand Central Publishing) through NetGalley, with many thanks.
