★Jessen, Lauren Kung. Yin Yang Love Song. Forever: Grand Central. Jan. 2025. 352p. ISBN 9781538741634. pap. $17.99. CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE

Chryssy Hua Williams is a traditional Chinese herbalist specializing in healing heartbreak. Together with her aunts, she runs an inn and healing center for the brokenhearted, which is ironic, since the Hua women are cursed to never find true love. Cellist Vin Chao, one half of the Chao Brothers musical group, is known as a heartbreaker—none of his relationships have lasted longer than a month or two. When Chryssy and Vin have a conversation at a child’s birthday party, social media blows it out of proportion. Vin’s publicist wants him to run with it, as the publicity is helping sell concert tickets. So Vin makes a deal with Chryssy; if she will fake-date and then break up with him, he’ll help promote her family’s business. It seems like a perfect deal, but as they get to know each other, warning bells start to ring—this fake relationship could get very real if they don’t watch out. The protagonists are well-developed, and secondary characters provide levity as they push Chryssy and Vin together at every opportunity. VERDICT With fluid writing and an unputdownable story, Jessen’s (Red String Theory) witty rom-com leans hard into the fake-dating trope with great success.