Publication Date: 28th Jan 2025
Genre: Contemporary Romance
3.7 Stars
One Liner: A slow-paced introspective read
Chryssy Hua Williams, a Chinese American herbalist never believed in the family curse that left all Hua women heartbroken. However, after her ninth breakup, she could no longer ignore it. Deciding that love isn’t for them, Chryssy joins her three aunts to start In Full Bloom an inn where they cure heartbreak using Traditional Chinese Medicine.
Vin Chaos and his brother Leo are famous musicians with a reputation for breaking hearts. Even their band is called Heartbreak. A chance meeting between Vin and Chryssy becomes viral. Vin needs her to be his fake girlfriend for tour promotions. Chryssy decides Vin could help promote her tea brand as well. A beneficial deal for sure!
Well, love might have other plans but what about the curse?
The story comes in the first-person POV of Chryssy and Vin.
My Thoughts:
The premise is quite fun, though my main reason for grabbing the book is TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine). It has similarities with Ayurveda (both are ancient and use natural medicine). In that aspect, I enjoyed the information provided – the properties of flowers and herbs, the importance of balancing Qi (possibly equal to prakriti/ prana), and the need for self-discipline to improve our health.
This is an #ownvoices book, so the cultural aspects are just right without being OTT. The aunts and family members are diverse and quirky, much like our Indian relatives.
The main characters started out well. I liked Chryssy. She is cool, composed, and independent. A bit too independent maybe but I won’t hold it against her. Vin started out average but gained some depth as the story progressed. I liked his brother as well (and want to know if he’ll have a book of his own).
The dual POV, though helpful, wasn’t easy to read. I often got confused between their voices and had to check whose POV it was in that chapter. The voices need to be more distinct, especially Vin’s, which didn’t help in understanding his personality.
Since this is primarily a romance, the chemistry had to be good. Sadly, the graph fell flat here. Their interactions were nice, friendly even but the spark wasn’t there. This dampened things a bit. There were all the necessary scenes, gestures, and dialogues but somehow I couldn’t feel the vibe. There’s only a little spice, thankfully.
The pacing is on the slower side, something I did not expect. Maybe it was because of the explanations and internal thoughts. I didn’t mind the detail about TCM (I wanted it), so can’t really complain.
The curse part was decently handled (no magic realism and all that). I liked the discussion around it, though. The exploration of what a supposed curse did to multiple generations of women and how it shaped their lives, identities, and relationships with themselves and others was portrayed very well. It doesn’t get overwhelming or excessively dramatic.
There’s a lovely author’s note at the end and a couple of recipes (another surprise). I understand what she says about the stereotyping and distrust in TCM. Despite the various benefits and success rate, Ayurveda faces similar discrimination.
To summarize, Yin Yang Love Song is a story of not just finding love but also of self-care, breaking generational cycles, taking care of our health (physical, psychological, and emotional), and realizing that our fears don’t have to dictate our actions.
Thank you, NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing), for eARC.
#NetGalley #YinYangLoveSong
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