Lunar Love

Always a matchmaker, never a match...

Olivia Huang Christenson is excited-slash-terrified to be taking over her grandmother's matchmaking business. But when she learns that a new dating app has made her Po Po's traditional Chinese zodiac approach all about "animal attraction," her emotions skew more toward furious-slash-outraged. Especially when L.A.'s most-eligible bachelor Bennett O'Brien is behind the app that could destroy her family's legacy . . .

Liv knows better than to fall for any guy, let alone an infuriatingly handsome one who believes that traditions are meant to be broken. As the two businesses go head to head, Bennett and Liv make a deal: they'll find a match for each other-and whoever falls in love loses. But Liv is dealing with someone who's already adept at stealing business ideas . . . so what's stopping him from stealing her heart too?

“"A heartwarming debut about two matchmaking rivals who go to great lengths to carry on their family's legacy. Readers will be charmed by the undeniable chemistry that shines throughout their test of wills. Lunar Love is a sweet romcom that shows that in the battle of tradition and modernity, love plays by its own rules." -- Julie Tieu, author of The Donut Trap”

"Can technology ever take the place of tradition? And can a couple that's incompatible make love last? These are the questions Lauren Kung Jessen asks in LUNAR LOVE, a delightful, sparkling romance full of family bonds, a swoon-worthy hero, and plenty of delicious food. This super sweet read is perfect for rom-com fans!"--Kerry Winfrey, author of Just Another Love Song and Waiting for Tom Hanks
"LUNAR LOVE is a touching tribute to Chinese-American culture and the power of family. Set against a vibrant Los Angeles backdrop, this romance is packed with plot twists, thought-provoking questions about love and astrology, and sentimental scenes that will stay with you long after you read the final page. Bennett O'Brien is the perfect book boyfriend!"--Hannah Orenstein, author of Meant to be Mine and Playing with Matches
"ABSOLUTELY adored it!!"--Christina Lauren, New York Times bestselling author
"A fun, flirty romance book with an emphasis on family, culture, and food!"--TeaTimeLit.com
"Debut author Kung Jessen does an impeccable job helping two adversarial lovers find common ground in their Chinese American heritage and creating a slow-burn romance with lots of humor, family, and food."--Library Journal
"Rich and tender in the best of ways, Lunar Love wraps an enemies-to-lovers story around a tale of family devotion and love."
--AllAboutRomance.com
"A bright new voice in romance. Kung Jessen writes with such affection, you can't help but see the silver lining in everything. A heartwarming debut that upends everything you know about love."
--Carolyn Huynh, author of The Fortunes of Jaded Women
"Jessen's debut rom-com hits all the beats of a tried-and-true rivals-to-lovers narrative."
--Publishers Weekly
"A refreshing and unexpected take on matchmaking! This will be a perfect match for any reader looking for a heartwarming romance steeped in cultural traditions."
--Jesse Sutanto, national bestselling author of Dial A for Aunties
"Lunar Love has all the makings of a new romcom classic. Liv and Bennett's chemistry-filled rivalry over technology vs. tradition serves as the perfect setting for a nuanced exploration of what it means to be truly compatible. Insightful, atmospheric, and breathtakingly romantic."
--Ava Wilder, author of How to Fake It In Hollywood

"Love is written in the stars in this charming, cheery rom-com! You've Got Mail meets the Chinese Zodiac in Jessen's delightful ode to food, Los Angeles, family, and finding your perfect match. A delicious treat for fans of Jasmine Guillory and Helen Hoang."

--Georgia Clark, author of Island Time
"Tradition meets modern progress, and it's a delicious combination!"
--Abby Jimenez, New York Times bestselling author of Part of Your World
"With an endearing cast of characters and a heartwarming plot, Lauren Kung Jessen's LUNAR LOVE is a delightful romantic escape. Tradition and technology collide in this scrumptious match made in rom-com heaven."
--Dylan Newton, author of All Fired Up
"Lunar Love has everything I love in a book: smart characters, a love story with chemistry, the nostalgia of family traditions, and a plot that is both emotional and laugh-out-loud funny. Oh, and did I mention the food? Yes, please. This sweet opposites-attract story shines brighter than a supermoon on a warm summer night. It has all the feels and will make you believe in soulmates. It's a match made in heaven for all rom-com fans."
--Elizabeth Thompson, USA Today bestselling author of Lost In Paris
"Matchmaking meets the modern age in this delicious and delightful romantic comedy."

--Elizabeth Boyle, New York Times bestselling author of Six Impossible Things

"Lunar Love has a lot to say about modern love while securing its place as a timeless classic. Lauren Kung Jessen is an author to watch and her debut romance is both smart and swoony and will earn a place on your keeper shelf."
--Elizabeth Everett, author of the Secret Scientists of London series
"Prepare to laugh, cry, swoon, and rush to the nearest Chinese bakery to get your fix of Swiss rolls with vanilla cream filling! With You've Got Mail vibes, witty banter, delicious tension, strong character development, and a yummy cinnamon roll book boyfriend, Lunar Love grabbed me from the first page and never let go."
--Meredith Schorr, author of As Seen on TV
"A heartwarming debut about two matchmaking rivals who go to great lengths to carry on their families' legacies. Readers will be charmed by the undeniable chemistry that shines throughout their test of wills. Lunar Love is a sweet romcom that shows that in the battle of tradition and modernity, love plays by its own rules."
--Julie Tieu, author of The Donut Trap
"A lovingly crafted rival-to-lovers rom-com about navigating the space between traditional and modern dating! I loved the contrast between Liv's commitment to honoring her family's Chinese zodiac matchmaking legacy and Bennett's drive to bring traditional methods to a modern dating app. But more than that, I loved watching Liv and Bennett's sizzling chemistry grow from their bakery meet-cute to their perfectly compatible happily ever after. This book is a delight!"--Farah Heron, author of Kamila Knows Best
"A sweet, buttery treat. An enemies-to-lovers romance with a warm and gooey cinnamon bun hero. It was an added bonus to learn so much about Chinese culture."
--Jayci Lee, author of Booked on a Feeling
"Fans of Jasmine Guillory and Sally Thorne will delight in Lunar Love, a deliciously romantic tale about the true and wildly unpredictable nature of attraction, compatibility, and love. Lauren Kung Jessen's debut is pure heartwarming joy, complete with matchmaking enemies who battle over tradition on one side and change on the other and who might have more in common than they think."
--Amy Poeppel, author of The Sweet Spot
"Is it better to find a soulmate using ancient traditions or is a modern, high-tech approach the more efficient way? In this charming and original debut, Lauren Kung Jessen tackles the question with a breezy, tender joy. Lunar Love is filled with wide-eyed optimism and singular characters whose search for love will delight even the most cynical of readers."
--Lynda Cohen Loigman, USA Today bestselling author of The Matchmaker's Gift
"Lauren Kung Jessen writes supremely satisfying slow-burn and rivals-to-lovers. LUNAR LOVE's characters feel real, with flaws and depth and so much to love and root for. Where Bennett's strong determination meets Olivia's own steely resolve, there's heat, friction, sparks--it's a lit match. An incompatible match in zodiac terms, at that, but it just might be what both of them need. With surprises that are, in turns, adorable, wickedly funny, and heart-twisting, I'll be thinking about Olivia, Bennett, Swiss rolls, and LUNAR LOVE for a long time."
--Sarah Hogle, author of Just Like Magic
"I dare you not to fall in love with Lauren Kung Jessen's writing. Lunar Love is a sweeping romance that celebrates the deep-rooted family legacies that shape us and how these traditions evolve into our own. Brimming with crackling chemistry from page one, Olivia and Bennett prove that those who may appear the most incompatible on paper may just be our perfect match."

--Amy Lea, author of Set on You

Lauren Kung Jessen is a half Chinese-American writer with a fondness for witty, flirtatious dialogue, and making food with too many steps. From culinary school to the world of Big Tech, Lauren cares about creating experiences that make people feel something. She spends her days as a user experience content designer and writer of love stories with mixed race characters at the forefront. She also runs a food and film blog, A Dash of Cinema, where she makes the food you see in movies and is a contributor to the Rom Com Fest blog. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband (who she met thanks to fate-read: the algorithms of online dating), two cats and a dog.

Always a matchmaker, never a match...Olivia Huang Christenson is excited-slash-terrified to be taking over her grandmother's matchmaking business. But when she learns that a new dating app has made her Po Po's traditional Chinese zodiac approach all about "animal attraction," her emotions skew more toward furious-slash-outraged. Especially when L.A.'s most-eligible bachelor Bennett O'Brien is behind the app that could destroy her family's legacy . . .Liv knows better than to fall for any guy, let alone an infuriatingly handsome one who believes that traditions are meant to be broken. As the two businesses go head to head, Bennett and Liv make a deal: they'll find a match for each other-and whoever falls in love loses . But Liv is dealing with someone who's already adept at stealing business ideas . . . so what's stopping him from stealing her heart too?

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