A Taste for Love is a YA romance book that I will definitely be reading again and again. Liza Yang is the protagonist of this novel and comes from a very traditional Asian family. Her parents run Ying and Yang Restaurant and Bakery in Chinatown in Houston. Liza helps out and loves baking. However, she hasn’t baked recently because her parents want her to major in something sensible in college. Still, her passion is baking.
Another thing her mother is pushing is having Liza date a nice Asian boy. Her mother has her own idea of a ‘nice Asian boy.’ He must come from a well off family, want to be a doctor, and above all, be Asian. Liza, though, does not want to date an Asian boy her mother sees fit. Therefore, she rebels and dates American boys behind her back. Liza is not like her older sister Jeannie and refuses to obey her mother in her dating life.
Still, when James enters the picture, can Liza deny there just may be an Asian boy who catches her eye and heart? That thought shatters when James proves to be arrogant. No matter how hard her best friend, Grace, pushes her in James’s direction. Liza will not admit to liking James in the slightest. Still, as Grace spends more time with James’s cousin Ben, bringing Liza along, will her thoughts change? After all, James might not be who she thought.
Amid Grace’s matchmaking, there is the annual Ying and Yang baking contest Liza helps her mother judge. Little does Liza realize that her mother only agreed to let her judge because all the contestants are potential dating matches for Liza. Each boy fits her mother’s description of the perfect Asian boyfriend. However, it becomes clear these boys have no idea what they are doing when the first round begins. When James and Ben unexpectedly join the competition, will Liza admit James may not be so bad? Find out when you read this YA novel!
A Taste for Love by Jennifer Yen is seriously the most adorable YA romance book.
The characters, the plot, the cover—everything about this book is excellent. The characters are well rounded and very well developed. I can see the similarities between Pride and Prejudice. It is done in such an original way that makes this story that much better. The characters’ voices are another plus in the novel, making them that much more vibrant!
Author Jennifer Yen delivered in A Taste for Love, especially with the plot. It was fun, fresh, and moved along nicely. I loved the baking aspect, and no, you do not have to know how to bake to read this book. The cover complements it, tying it all in! My favorite part was reading Liza and Grace’s scenes.
They are BFF GOALS!
Together their chemistry was spot on, making me want a best friend like Grace! As for the romance, it is also perfect! I love James and his similarities to Jane Austen’s Darcy character. I also enjoyed reading about Grace and Ben’s relationship as well! The cast of characters is still original but with classic characteristics that make this book that much better.
My Rating is…
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