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kristenlees's review against another edition
2.0
I don't normally publish reviews for ARCs this early but since First to Read is shutting down, I know I will forget to grab my reviews before they disappear so I'm doing it now.
whelp. that was a bit of a letdown.
how gorgeous is this cover? the synopsis sounded great. i was super excited. nowhere in the synopsis does it say anything about magical realism though, except calling it a magical debut, which didn't prepare me for the magical realism. and i like magic and stuff! but this was just weird, with the tears turning to crystals and the steaming skin. and whats with all the birds.
i love romance. i read other genres, but mostly romance. i did not pick this up for the romance but thought it would be a bonus. no. so, so, so cringey. instalove, unbelievable, cringe city. why is he paying so much for the food? how are they in love after saying 2 or 3 things to each other?
also, how is she able to cook in this restaurant that has been closed for decades, how is everything clean? how does everything magically work? nothing broke down in a couple of decades? really?
i am okay with recipes in books, not my fave but not a big deal. but this one is so centered around food - which, i am okay with - that every time she is cooking, we got the recipe AND a page or two of cooking details. way too much. i wanted a story, but i felt like i was reading a cooking show.
natalie was hard to like. i felt she was selfish and naive. she is very self absorbed and i felt like the daddy/abandonment issues got old.
all in all, this was a bummer. i wanted to love it but the main character and the story did not work for me. the writing also wasn't my favourite, i felt like it was way too tell and not enough show. overly descriptive and underdeveloped. the dialogue felt stilted to me.
i try not to DNF arcs and i kept hoping it would get better but ultimately, not a fan.
ARC received from First to Read in exchange for honest review
whelp. that was a bit of a letdown.
how gorgeous is this cover? the synopsis sounded great. i was super excited. nowhere in the synopsis does it say anything about magical realism though, except calling it a magical debut, which didn't prepare me for the magical realism. and i like magic and stuff! but this was just weird, with the tears turning to crystals and the steaming skin. and whats with all the birds.
i love romance. i read other genres, but mostly romance. i did not pick this up for the romance but thought it would be a bonus. no. so, so, so cringey. instalove, unbelievable, cringe city. why is he paying so much for the food? how are they in love after saying 2 or 3 things to each other?
also, how is she able to cook in this restaurant that has been closed for decades, how is everything clean? how does everything magically work? nothing broke down in a couple of decades? really?
i am okay with recipes in books, not my fave but not a big deal. but this one is so centered around food - which, i am okay with - that every time she is cooking, we got the recipe AND a page or two of cooking details. way too much. i wanted a story, but i felt like i was reading a cooking show.
natalie was hard to like. i felt she was selfish and naive. she is very self absorbed and i felt like the daddy/abandonment issues got old.
all in all, this was a bummer. i wanted to love it but the main character and the story did not work for me. the writing also wasn't my favourite, i felt like it was way too tell and not enough show. overly descriptive and underdeveloped. the dialogue felt stilted to me.
i try not to DNF arcs and i kept hoping it would get better but ultimately, not a fan.
ARC received from First to Read in exchange for honest review
petitepapier's review
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
mcpham's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
thelizzabee's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
jess_mango's review
4.0
I won a copy of this book from a GoodReads giveaway. Thank you to the publisher Berkley for the giveaway of this book!
tishywishy's review
3.0
This is not a romance novel. Yes there is a romance involved but it's not the primary focus of the book...or even the secondary focus. It's like a small segue story that's happening to the protagonist and in a fast, slightly erratic way at best.
Natalie returns home after her agoraphobic mom passed away. She is saddened to see how the neighbourhood has become more and more gentrified while her long standing neighbours have suffered financially. She searches for a way to bring business and vitality back to the community - re-opening her grandmother's restaurant and finding her grandma's recipe book. The book has tons of cultural references, characters who really bring the neighbourhood to life, and is filled with magical realism, which makes the recipes even more exciting.
What irked me was the constant message that only Natalie - through her grandmother's recipes - could bring the neighbourhood back to its previous splendor. It felt as though the ENTIRE place would fall to ruins if she didn't work her cooking magic to make it happen. The story kept harping on this and at some point it got overbearing.
Then it was a romantic interest that seemed tossed in for story line sake. Frankly, it would have been just fine with out a love interest.
Natalie returns home after her agoraphobic mom passed away. She is saddened to see how the neighbourhood has become more and more gentrified while her long standing neighbours have suffered financially. She searches for a way to bring business and vitality back to the community - re-opening her grandmother's restaurant and finding her grandma's recipe book. The book has tons of cultural references, characters who really bring the neighbourhood to life, and is filled with magical realism, which makes the recipes even more exciting.
What irked me was the constant message that only Natalie - through her grandmother's recipes - could bring the neighbourhood back to its previous splendor. It felt as though the ENTIRE place would fall to ruins if she didn't work her cooking magic to make it happen. The story kept harping on this and at some point it got overbearing.
Then it was a romantic interest that seemed tossed in for story line sake. Frankly, it would have been just fine with out a love interest.
missfortune99's review
4.0
4.5 ⭐
The writing in this book is vivid and enchanting. Lim writes in beautiful prose that spark a reader's imagination, yet she has the perfect balance of descriptive writing that doesn't overload the narrative and slow the pace of the book. I found the plot both creative and relatable, and the vibrant Chinatown setting was truly a delight. My one complaint was the romantic subplot. I feel like interactions between Natalie and Daniel relied strongly on the concept of telling, not showing, and the chapters focusing on them felt rushed and sparked no emotion for me. Removing the romance entirely wouldn't have altered the plot at all, which tells me it wasn't executed well. Even with that, I'm a huge fan of Lim's writing style and beautiful story telling, and I'll definitely be back for more.
The writing in this book is vivid and enchanting. Lim writes in beautiful prose that spark a reader's imagination, yet she has the perfect balance of descriptive writing that doesn't overload the narrative and slow the pace of the book. I found the plot both creative and relatable, and the vibrant Chinatown setting was truly a delight. My one complaint was the romantic subplot. I feel like interactions between Natalie and Daniel relied strongly on the concept of telling, not showing, and the chapters focusing on them felt rushed and sparked no emotion for me. Removing the romance entirely wouldn't have altered the plot at all, which tells me it wasn't executed well. Even with that, I'm a huge fan of Lim's writing style and beautiful story telling, and I'll definitely be back for more.
lawryn's review
3.0
Yummy food and a beautiful look into the first and second generation Chinese American culture in the US.
alicebme's review
2.0
I liked the idea of this book, but it was religiously formulaic. Also, I guess I’m not into magical realism so much. But, it was a solid effort.
emmylh's review against another edition
slow-paced
3.0
The story picked up in the last bit of the book