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Fancy Meeting You Here: A Novel
"For the rom-com fans, you can never go wrong with a Julie Tieu book." -- Buzzfeed Opposites attract when an always-the-bridesmaid florist and a grumpy caterer mix business with pleasure in this swoony romantic comedy in the vein of 27 Dresses from Julie Tieu, author of The Donut Trap and Circling Back to You. Every single one of Elise Ngo's close girlfriends--Rebecca, Jesse, and Beth--is getting married within the same few months, and every single one of them has asked her to be both bridesmaid and florist. Though it's a lot for her to juggle, the work and exposure is a boon to her struggling flower shop. The stakes are high at Rebecca's high-profile wedding, where the guests are mostly political connections of Rebecca's parents. Desperate for the event to go off without a hitch, Elise enlists the help of an outside caterer who turns out to be Ben Yu, Rebecca's elusive younger brother. Though Ben is prickly and aloof, he offers Elise much needed business designing flowers for his mom's campaign fundraisers and Elise begins to see there's more to Ben than his gruff and handsome exterior. But their romance takes off as the political campaign ramps up, complicating their relationship with unforeseen consequences. Now always-the-bridesmaid Elise must fight for what she wants to finally get her own happily ever after.
1 pages, Audio CD
First published November 7, 2023
92 people are currently reading
20741 people want to read
About the author
Julie Tieu
7 books505 followersJulie Tieu is a Chinese-Cambodian American writer, born and raised in Southern California. When she is not writing, she is reading, on the hunt for delicious eats, or dreaming about her next travel adventure. She lives in the Los Angeles area with her high school crush husband and two energetic daughters.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 387 reviews
November 13, 2024
$3.99 @ Libro.fm
Elise Ngo, a struggling Chinese Vietnamese American florist, stars in this novel amidst her friends’ weddings, where she also doubles as a bridesmaid. The love interest, Ben, didn’t do a lot for me. Honestly, neither did her friends. How did they not notice how much work Elise was doing for them? And how much she was struggling? Friends and boyfriend aside, I loved all of the East and Southeast Asian rep and local LA spots.
Elise Ngo, a struggling Chinese Vietnamese American florist, stars in this novel amidst her friends’ weddings, where she also doubles as a bridesmaid. The love interest, Ben, didn’t do a lot for me. Honestly, neither did her friends. How did they not notice how much work Elise was doing for them? And how much she was struggling? Friends and boyfriend aside, I loved all of the East and Southeast Asian rep and local LA spots.
October 29, 2023
"Fancy Meeting You Here" was a really cute romance. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. This is the second book I've read by Julie Tieu. I wasn't obsessed with the first one I read, but I'm a sucker for a romance with a political/campaign element so I was enticed to pick this one up. I liked "Fancy Meeting You Here" more than I liked "Circling Back to You" and I think most of the things I didn't love about both of the books were more matters of preference than actual critiques.
For me, Tieu's romances are a little too close to reality for me. While I thought "Fancy Meeting You Here" had a little more of the embellished drama that I look for in a romance novel, it still didn't totally sweep me off my feet. Again, that's not a criticism, I think there's a lot of people who will love this style of book.
I loved the cast of supporting characters in "Fancy Meeting You Here" (though I sometimes had trouble remembering how they all knew each other). I thought each supporting character brought something different and unique to the book and I also loved seeing how Elise's friend group functioned as a unit.
My biggest criticism of the book has to do with part of the political plotline. I work in politics, and love reading political rom-coms. Usually, I can suspend my disbelief when there are inaccuracies in how the campaigns function, but there was one issue in "Fancy Meeting You Here" that did bother me a little. (Minor spoilers ahead). The big drama in the back half of the book had to do with the campaign being accused of campaign finance/ethics violations. However, the things they were accused of would not have actually been violations (hence there was no need for an investigation). Additionally, there were actual campaign finance violations committed elsewhere in the book that were not addressed. The actual violations were nothing egregious and things that I'd normally not mind in a novel. However, given that the plot revolved around the campaign being accused of campaign finance violations, I wish that there was a little more research done to make sure the campaign wasn't actually breaking the law.
With that said, there were a lot of political moments that I absolutely loved so I also want to share those: Parents usurping their children to work on their campaigns is 1000% something that happens in real life. The fundraiser where all of the donors begin eating the centerpieces was absolutely iconic. The son getting demoted from fundraisers to canvassing and yard signs after the failed fundraiser is hilariously accurate. Local campaigns getting into fights over things like replacing each other's yard signs is also hilarious and true to life. And I think there was a Four Seasons Total Landscaping reference in there, which was fantastic.
Overall, this was an enjoyable book that just wasn't totally my style. I think a lot of people will absolutely adore this book and Julie Tieu's other novels. I should probably be more chill about the politics things.
3.5 stars
Thank you NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for the eARC. All opinions are my own.
For me, Tieu's romances are a little too close to reality for me. While I thought "Fancy Meeting You Here" had a little more of the embellished drama that I look for in a romance novel, it still didn't totally sweep me off my feet. Again, that's not a criticism, I think there's a lot of people who will love this style of book.
I loved the cast of supporting characters in "Fancy Meeting You Here" (though I sometimes had trouble remembering how they all knew each other). I thought each supporting character brought something different and unique to the book and I also loved seeing how Elise's friend group functioned as a unit.
My biggest criticism of the book has to do with part of the political plotline. I work in politics, and love reading political rom-coms. Usually, I can suspend my disbelief when there are inaccuracies in how the campaigns function, but there was one issue in "Fancy Meeting You Here" that did bother me a little. (Minor spoilers ahead). The big drama in the back half of the book had to do with the campaign being accused of campaign finance/ethics violations. However, the things they were accused of would not have actually been violations (hence there was no need for an investigation). Additionally, there were actual campaign finance violations committed elsewhere in the book that were not addressed. The actual violations were nothing egregious and things that I'd normally not mind in a novel. However, given that the plot revolved around the campaign being accused of campaign finance violations, I wish that there was a little more research done to make sure the campaign wasn't actually breaking the law.
With that said, there were a lot of political moments that I absolutely loved so I also want to share those: Parents usurping their children to work on their campaigns is 1000% something that happens in real life. The fundraiser where all of the donors begin eating the centerpieces was absolutely iconic. The son getting demoted from fundraisers to canvassing and yard signs after the failed fundraiser is hilariously accurate. Local campaigns getting into fights over things like replacing each other's yard signs is also hilarious and true to life. And I think there was a Four Seasons Total Landscaping reference in there, which was fantastic.
Overall, this was an enjoyable book that just wasn't totally my style. I think a lot of people will absolutely adore this book and Julie Tieu's other novels. I should probably be more chill about the politics things.
3.5 stars
Thank you NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for the eARC. All opinions are my own.
June 3, 2024
This was a cute, fast wedding rom-com read. I wasn’t really invested in the characters, they were fine but nothing that made want to root for them. I liked the strong friendships Elise has and same with Ben. Their whole friend group seems to be really strong.
July 19, 2023
To be fair, maybe I'm not the right person to review this book because I think the whole wedding industry is a cash grab, but alas, here's my take on it.
In Fancy Meeting You here, the main character's (Elise) close friend plans on marrying and the book focuses on the wedding preparations, in which Elise is heavily involved. Wedding planning is chaotic, and so was the plot. There were a bunch of "comedic" elements to it, but it wasn't my kind of humour.
Part of the plot had to do with politics since the parents of the bride are politically well-connected. I can't recall anything about that subplot anymore though, which is probably a good indicator of the memorability factor of the whole book in general.
There's obviously a romance, it's between Elise and the bride's brother, Ben. There was zero chemistry between them and the overall romance felt underdeveloped and lacklustre.
The author also included one of my biggest bookish pet peeves: random pop culture mentions. In this case some musicians and the Kardashians. I just hate random namedropping of famous people when there is no reason to do so.
In conclusion, "Fancy Meeting You Here" had the potential to be a cute and fun romcom, but due to the lack of chemistry between the main characters and the mediocre plot I was left somewhat dissatisfied.
[I received a free copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.]
In Fancy Meeting You here, the main character's (Elise) close friend plans on marrying and the book focuses on the wedding preparations, in which Elise is heavily involved. Wedding planning is chaotic, and so was the plot. There were a bunch of "comedic" elements to it, but it wasn't my kind of humour.
Part of the plot had to do with politics since the parents of the bride are politically well-connected. I can't recall anything about that subplot anymore though, which is probably a good indicator of the memorability factor of the whole book in general.
There's obviously a romance, it's between Elise and the bride's brother, Ben. There was zero chemistry between them and the overall romance felt underdeveloped and lacklustre.
The author also included one of my biggest bookish pet peeves: random pop culture mentions. In this case some musicians and the Kardashians. I just hate random namedropping of famous people when there is no reason to do so.
In conclusion, "Fancy Meeting You Here" had the potential to be a cute and fun romcom, but due to the lack of chemistry between the main characters and the mediocre plot I was left somewhat dissatisfied.
[I received a free copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.]
April 5, 2024
DNF
Sadly, not working for me. I do not like the writing style. Difficult for me to connect with characters and plot.
2 stars
Sadly, not working for me. I do not like the writing style. Difficult for me to connect with characters and plot.
2 stars
May 27, 2023
special thanks to Avon and Harper Voyager for this ARC!
this was my first book by Julie Tieu and it’s safe to say i loved it! the main character Elise and all her friends were so relatable and i could see my own friend group in them so much!! i loved Ben and his super cute x awkwardness and how almost chaotic the book got at times to show how crazy weddings like these really can be! overall i loved the wedding setting and how it brought this best friends brother trope together! excited to read more from Julie!!
this was my first book by Julie Tieu and it’s safe to say i loved it! the main character Elise and all her friends were so relatable and i could see my own friend group in them so much!! i loved Ben and his super cute x awkwardness and how almost chaotic the book got at times to show how crazy weddings like these really can be! overall i loved the wedding setting and how it brought this best friends brother trope together! excited to read more from Julie!!
June 26, 2023
Thank you so much to Avon for providing me with an ARC!
4.25 stars
4.25 stars
January 22, 2024
A light hearted wedding themed Rom com.
October 25, 2023
(Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.)
I enjoyed Circling Back to You and Fancy Meeting You Here just might be my new favorite. First of all, if I had a nickel for every romance book I read about florists, I'd have two nickels...But this one was fabulous. I love a good meet cute and could instantly relate to Elise. To the ways she pushes herself and tries to always be accommodating, to be the best, and how she didn't let anyone in to see her struggle. She's convinced she can do everything on her own without asking for help - talk about a bit too on the nose!
I enjoyed Circling Back to You and Fancy Meeting You Here just might be my new favorite. First of all, if I had a nickel for every romance book I read about florists, I'd have two nickels...But this one was fabulous. I love a good meet cute and could instantly relate to Elise. To the ways she pushes herself and tries to always be accommodating, to be the best, and how she didn't let anyone in to see her struggle. She's convinced she can do everything on her own without asking for help - talk about a bit too on the nose!
August 24, 2023
3 ☆
a bit slow for my taste. took about the 50% mark for our couple, elise and ben, to get together. i wasn't super invested at the start, but it got better as it developed into something more. a super cute premise with elise being a wedding florist (and essentially a wedding planner) and ben being a caterer.
i found myself more invested in elise than the romance, rooting for her and relating to her always being on the move. she's very much a perfectionist and always seems to put other people's needs before hers. her friend group is really supportive and seeing them have a heart to heart to reassure elise and remind her to lean on them was very sweet. the ending is kind of abrupt so i didnt love that, but i did really feel for elise, admire her work ethic, and enjoy reading about POC characters i could relate to.
a bit slow for my taste. took about the 50% mark for our couple, elise and ben, to get together. i wasn't super invested at the start, but it got better as it developed into something more. a super cute premise with elise being a wedding florist (and essentially a wedding planner) and ben being a caterer.
i found myself more invested in elise than the romance, rooting for her and relating to her always being on the move. she's very much a perfectionist and always seems to put other people's needs before hers. her friend group is really supportive and seeing them have a heart to heart to reassure elise and remind her to lean on them was very sweet. the ending is kind of abrupt so i didnt love that, but i did really feel for elise, admire her work ethic, and enjoy reading about POC characters i could relate to.
June 11, 2023
A delightful book that and I had fun reading it. I wish a romance was more filled with tension, but it was heartwarming and entertaining nonetheless.
ARC kindly provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
ARC kindly provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
February 25, 2023
I cant wait for more books by Julie Tieu!!!
March 21, 2024
Cute but nothing overly exciting or any "wow" factor. Unfortunately, pretty forgetable.
October 30, 2023
A grumpy chef and a florist? Sign me up. I really looked forward to this book because of the aforementioned, but I felt like I had a really hard time connecting to either character. Ben wasn't as aloof as he was made out to be and I didn't see enough of the chef aspect I was really hoping for. There were so many characters in this story that I had a hard time keeping track of who was getting married when and where everyone was at and who they were with. I found it a little weird that Elise didn't know Ben or have any knowledge of what he looked like and he was her best friend's brother, but I let that go.
I felt bad for Elise, always trying to be helpful to everyone, and putting herself out constantly. Ben was a slice of happiness for her, but the way they hid made me sad. Elise struggled so much and I know she didn't talk about it, but it is like no one thought about her and what she had to do to make a living and just wanted her to do all these things for their weddings. I just feel like, no one considered Elise and that made me sad. I felt like Ben and Elise were destined to be together though, and that is what pushed me through. 3.5 stars.
Thanks to Avon, Netgalley and Julie Tieu for an early copy.
I felt bad for Elise, always trying to be helpful to everyone, and putting herself out constantly. Ben was a slice of happiness for her, but the way they hid made me sad. Elise struggled so much and I know she didn't talk about it, but it is like no one thought about her and what she had to do to make a living and just wanted her to do all these things for their weddings. I just feel like, no one considered Elise and that made me sad. I felt like Ben and Elise were destined to be together though, and that is what pushed me through. 3.5 stars.
Thanks to Avon, Netgalley and Julie Tieu for an early copy.
December 17, 2023
It was ok. Not amazing but a decent read
January 27, 2024
This book had very sweet and hilarious moments but overall the romantic connection felt very underdeveloped to me.
September 26, 2024
i love weddings idc
February 1, 2024
While serving as bridesmaid and florist at three of her best friends' weddings (Rebecca, Jesse, and Beth), Elise hires caterer Ben, who is also Rebecca's brother. Will a romance ensue?
I mean, this story was ok, but in my opinion, nothing about the characters or the romance between them made it stand out. Plus, just a few days ago, I read another story about a bridesmaid called The Worst Best Man (4 stars) by Lucy Score, and it was much more entertaining.
Location: California
I won an advance copy of this book in a Goodreads giveaway. All opinions are my own.
Audiobook
I mean, this story was ok, but in my opinion, nothing about the characters or the romance between them made it stand out. Plus, just a few days ago, I read another story about a bridesmaid called The Worst Best Man (4 stars) by Lucy Score, and it was much more entertaining.
Location: California
I won an advance copy of this book in a Goodreads giveaway. All opinions are my own.
Audiobook
November 7, 2023
All of Elise's girlfriends are getting married within the same few months and they have all asked her to be their bridesmaid and florist. With stakes at an all-time high, she enlists the help of an outside caterer, Ben who just so happens to be the brother of one of her friends that is getting married. Ben is on the grumpy side, but Elise is starting to see there is more to him. Their romance takes off with some complications and unforeseen consequences.
Fancy Meeting You Here is a fun rom com that keeps you entertained, and you can get through quickly. I really do like a grumpy/sunshine trope and that's what you get here, but my favorite part of this story is the friendship between the group. Although they all have busy lives, they've managed to keep in touch and maintain such close relationships, and I can get behind that! This is my first Julie Tieu book and I definitely plan on reading more from this author.
Fancy Meeting You Here is out tomorrow, 11/7/23!
Thank you so much Avon books for my gifted copy and the chance to read and review it honestly.
Happy reading
Fancy Meeting You Here is a fun rom com that keeps you entertained, and you can get through quickly. I really do like a grumpy/sunshine trope and that's what you get here, but my favorite part of this story is the friendship between the group. Although they all have busy lives, they've managed to keep in touch and maintain such close relationships, and I can get behind that! This is my first Julie Tieu book and I definitely plan on reading more from this author.
Fancy Meeting You Here is out tomorrow, 11/7/23!
Thank you so much Avon books for my gifted copy and the chance to read and review it honestly.
Happy reading
November 28, 2023
A fun and quick AAPI rom-com that tics all the boxes
✔️Opposites attract
✔️Forced proximity
✔️Best friend’s brother
✔️One Bed
✔️2010s pop culture references
Ben is awkward but totally endearing. And Elise is bold without being brash. Their friends (specifically Jessie, Rebecca, and Beth) are charming as we follow the characters through each wedding, and it was fun to read their group dynamic and see how each wedding was so different. This book was probably extra relatable to me: a single, 20-something year old woman who also has three weddings to go to in the next few months
✔️Opposites attract
✔️Forced proximity
✔️Best friend’s brother
✔️One Bed
✔️2010s pop culture references
Ben is awkward but totally endearing. And Elise is bold without being brash. Their friends (specifically Jessie, Rebecca, and Beth) are charming as we follow the characters through each wedding, and it was fun to read their group dynamic and see how each wedding was so different. This book was probably extra relatable to me: a single, 20-something year old woman who also has three weddings to go to in the next few months
February 15, 2025
Relaxing but i didn’t love it.
The part where they had vegans coming over for dinner and they didn’t have any vegan options to which the reply was “if they don’t see how the sausage was made, there is no problem” doesn’t sit well with me.
The part where they had vegans coming over for dinner and they didn’t have any vegan options to which the reply was “if they don’t see how the sausage was made, there is no problem” doesn’t sit well with me.
November 14, 2023
This one was compared to 27 Dresses (which is one of my favorite movies) and I think that’s ultimately why it only ended up being 3 stars for me. I often struggle when books are compared to something that I love so much because it’s hard to live up to it. This certainly has similarities to 27 Dresses, but I needed a little more character development and build up in order to fully believe Elise and Ben’s romance. With that being said, there were a lot of things I loved about this story!
What I loved —
💐 the friendships 🫶
💐 rom-coms are my favorite and this had some great humorous moments
💐 small business owner 🌸
💐 best friend’s brother
💐 forced proximity
I love romance stories that center around the wedding industry and I look forward to reading more by this author!
What I loved —
💐 the friendships 🫶
💐 rom-coms are my favorite and this had some great humorous moments
💐 small business owner 🌸
💐 best friend’s brother
💐 forced proximity
I love romance stories that center around the wedding industry and I look forward to reading more by this author!
November 5, 2023
This was a really cute rom-com and such a quick read! Thank you to Avon & Harper for the ARC.
I went into this story very skeptical because I’m not too big on weddings or hearing about bridezillas. But, I was pleasantly surprised to see a lot of the story being from an industry person’s POV. I’ve shot a few weddings and wow, the stories I have about pricing, bridezillas and people getting absolutely trashed during the reception. So that drew me in and then I stayed for the friendship, budding relationship and really cool descriptions of the cultural weddings. It’s insane that all of her friends got married in just one book, my wedding was screaming while thinking of how much this must have cost them all.
While the story still had a lot of cheesy elements, mainly surrounding the budding relationship between Elise and Ben/Tom, I really enjoyed myself and would recommend to anyone needing a quick and less stressful read.
I went into this story very skeptical because I’m not too big on weddings or hearing about bridezillas. But, I was pleasantly surprised to see a lot of the story being from an industry person’s POV. I’ve shot a few weddings and wow, the stories I have about pricing, bridezillas and people getting absolutely trashed during the reception. So that drew me in and then I stayed for the friendship, budding relationship and really cool descriptions of the cultural weddings. It’s insane that all of her friends got married in just one book, my wedding was screaming while thinking of how much this must have cost them all.
While the story still had a lot of cheesy elements, mainly surrounding the budding relationship between Elise and Ben/Tom, I really enjoyed myself and would recommend to anyone needing a quick and less stressful read.
April 13, 2025
This was... rough. I was really rooting for this because, quite frankly, I'm always rooting for romances written by BIPOC, and I had a particular interest in one highlighting Asian American voices and cultures. But this wasn't it for me.
I'll elaborate later, but in short:
+ Pros: digestible and decent writing, a sweet romance for the most part that also spotlights friendship, diversity and representation, characters that you might like
- Cons: a splintered story, representation that didn't feel immersive to me, an entire cast I did not like
Details below, but if you're not interested in reading more, I'll end it here with a thank you to William Morrow/Avon Books for sending me a galley copy.
---
Alright, let's start by saying that I'm grateful for more representation in this genre. I really am. And Tieu isn't a bad writer. I appreciate that she's out there representing our communities in a relatively homogenous genre, and I'm so happy to see other people enjoying Asian American stories. There are also some great details in this, like how the protagonist's hands are rough and calloused from working as a florist. Plus, a couple of quips genuinely made me smile, like one about how being outside with long hair in the wind results in being forcefed your own hair.
But. That being said. Here's what really didn't do it for me.
1) Tieu set out to write a novel centering both friendship and romantic love, all wrapped up in weddings. Great in theory, but the split focus didn't land in execution. This novel felt a touch scattered throughout, and I wish one of the two big storylines had been cut because everything suffers when every plot line is trying to be the main plot line. If everything's a main character, then nothing is—speaking of which...
2) This cast of characters was way too big. I'm still not wholly sure why all of them were present all the time or who all of them even were. For comparison: I had less trouble remembering characters during Gideon the Ninth, because at least they all were memorable and/or served a purpose.
3) On that note, not only are scores of these characters useless, the rest of them are boring at best and awful at worst. Everyone sucks here. Even the protagonist manages to be so bland—somehow, despite having an undercut and a sleeve of floral tattoos?—that when I'm frustrated or annoyed at her, that's a welcome relief to feeling absolutely nothing. Her friends are also all. Not great. Pass.
4) And, perhaps because of this gigantic cast of blah, the writing was often clunky. For example, I don't need to know every person's full name just to confirm that yes, they're Asian, because they have an Asian last name. Sure, it's efficient, but it's also ham-fisted and repetitive (and a touch problematic, but that's another intersectional essay).
5) Finally, I don't know how to describe this last issue I had with Fancy Meeting You Here, but the cultural representation didn't feel... immersive to me. It wasn't quite there. Reading this felt more like going down a checklist of #JustAsianAmericanThings rather than experiencing a narrative from a modern-day Asian American woman. It didn't feel lived in. For example, you expect me to believe the Asian main character actually thought she could make out with someone at an Asian wedding without a single auntie knowing? Absolutely not. What next, not bringing cash to Chinatown?
Look. I'm not here to be a crappy Chinese American woman tearing down another Chinese American woman. But this book never clicked with me, no matter how badly I wanted it to. That said, I hope it may have clicked with you, because I'd love to see more representation across the board in the romance genre regardless of my singular experience here.
I'll elaborate later, but in short:
+ Pros: digestible and decent writing, a sweet romance for the most part that also spotlights friendship, diversity and representation, characters that you might like
- Cons: a splintered story, representation that didn't feel immersive to me, an entire cast I did not like
Details below, but if you're not interested in reading more, I'll end it here with a thank you to William Morrow/Avon Books for sending me a galley copy.
---
Alright, let's start by saying that I'm grateful for more representation in this genre. I really am. And Tieu isn't a bad writer. I appreciate that she's out there representing our communities in a relatively homogenous genre, and I'm so happy to see other people enjoying Asian American stories. There are also some great details in this, like how the protagonist's hands are rough and calloused from working as a florist. Plus, a couple of quips genuinely made me smile, like one about how being outside with long hair in the wind results in being forcefed your own hair.
But. That being said. Here's what really didn't do it for me.
1) Tieu set out to write a novel centering both friendship and romantic love, all wrapped up in weddings. Great in theory, but the split focus didn't land in execution. This novel felt a touch scattered throughout, and I wish one of the two big storylines had been cut because everything suffers when every plot line is trying to be the main plot line. If everything's a main character, then nothing is—speaking of which...
2) This cast of characters was way too big. I'm still not wholly sure why all of them were present all the time or who all of them even were. For comparison: I had less trouble remembering characters during Gideon the Ninth, because at least they all were memorable and/or served a purpose.
3) On that note, not only are scores of these characters useless, the rest of them are boring at best and awful at worst. Everyone sucks here. Even the protagonist manages to be so bland—somehow, despite having an undercut and a sleeve of floral tattoos?—that when I'm frustrated or annoyed at her, that's a welcome relief to feeling absolutely nothing. Her friends are also all. Not great. Pass.
4) And, perhaps because of this gigantic cast of blah, the writing was often clunky. For example, I don't need to know every person's full name just to confirm that yes, they're Asian, because they have an Asian last name. Sure, it's efficient, but it's also ham-fisted and repetitive (and a touch problematic, but that's another intersectional essay).
5) Finally, I don't know how to describe this last issue I had with Fancy Meeting You Here, but the cultural representation didn't feel... immersive to me. It wasn't quite there. Reading this felt more like going down a checklist of #JustAsianAmericanThings rather than experiencing a narrative from a modern-day Asian American woman. It didn't feel lived in. For example, you expect me to believe the Asian main character actually thought she could make out with someone at an Asian wedding without a single auntie knowing? Absolutely not. What next, not bringing cash to Chinatown?
Look. I'm not here to be a crappy Chinese American woman tearing down another Chinese American woman. But this book never clicked with me, no matter how badly I wanted it to. That said, I hope it may have clicked with you, because I'd love to see more representation across the board in the romance genre regardless of my singular experience here.
November 9, 2023
An adult romance with opposites attract, best friends brother, and workplace romance tropes. I enjoyed this book! It was a cute, funny, and lighthearted read. Perfect for those who love weddings and flowers! Definitely check it out!
November 20, 2023
I wanted to love this book, really I did. I was just so bored. I’m not a fan of the wedding scene and maybe that was my issue. I’m not saying that someone else wouldn’t absolutely adore this book. It just wasn’t for me and that’s okay.
January 17, 2024
This was a pure delight in every way.
FULL REVIEW: https://marvelousgeeksmedia.com/2023/...
FULL REVIEW: https://marvelousgeeksmedia.com/2023/...
February 13, 2024
This book was a easy read but I found it rather juvenile.
August 25, 2024
Everyone was getting married all at once, I couldn't tell who was who.
January 31, 2024
Fun and relatable rom com
Filled with hot mess meet cutes and moments. Great and realistic friend group of close girlfriends.
I was invested in the secret hook ups/ friends with benefits dynamic. I do wish we had more time to swoon, sprinkled a bit more longing and angst. But maybe I am too much of a feeler lol.
I can sit back and appreciate all of the important conversations that kept getting addressed. The girl to girl, besties addressing their hurt feelings and misunderstandings. Since wedding planning can get so high stakes and tension filled, the bristling of feelings were very understandable.
As well as juggling the intersecting drama of the election campaign the family is involved in. The plot juggled both those high tension situations well, and even when both things merged and sh!t hit the fan, it all was addressed and situated so well.
Def recommend for romance readers that love wedding season and wedding based books!
Filled with hot mess meet cutes and moments. Great and realistic friend group of close girlfriends.
I was invested in the secret hook ups/ friends with benefits dynamic. I do wish we had more time to swoon, sprinkled a bit more longing and angst. But maybe I am too much of a feeler lol.
I can sit back and appreciate all of the important conversations that kept getting addressed. The girl to girl, besties addressing their hurt feelings and misunderstandings. Since wedding planning can get so high stakes and tension filled, the bristling of feelings were very understandable.
As well as juggling the intersecting drama of the election campaign the family is involved in. The plot juggled both those high tension situations well, and even when both things merged and sh!t hit the fan, it all was addressed and situated so well.
Def recommend for romance readers that love wedding season and wedding based books!
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