From Beijing, With Love: A Novel

by Bei Lin

A candid exploration of identity and the love we deserve, this steamy rom-com will remind you that sometimes you have to get a little lost before you can find yourself.

Daniel Wu’s life in Amsterdam is far from spontaneous. When his boyfriend dumps him on the same day a work mishap lands him on leave, he breaks all his rules by impulsively escaping to Beijing to visit his best friend Poppy.

There’s just one hitch—Poppy isn’t there.

Alone in the foreign city his late father grew up in, Daniel wants nothing more than to fly home early. After all, running away is what he does best. But then Poppy signs him up for a tour of the Great Wall.

Enter Yang Li, the PhD student moonlighting as a tour guide. A transplant to Beijing, Yang has never felt at home in the bustling capital—or with himself. Cynical and disciplined, he isn’t the least impressed when Daniel shows up to their tour hours late. The tour is painful in more ways than one, but at least it’s a one-time ordeal.

Then life pushes them together again and again, until time spent together over stunning sights and mind-blowing eats feels less like vacation and more like finally finding home.

From Beijing, to Xi’an, to Tokyo, will they confront their own ghosts—past and present—to find their happily-ever-after?

Brimming with humor, wanderlust, and emotional vulnerability, this charming debut is perfect for fans of Casey McQuiston and Alexis Hall.

Genres: Romance, LGBT, Adult, Contemporary, M M Romance, Queer, Fiction

336 pages, Paperback

Expected publication September 29, 2026

About the author

Bei Lin is a Chinese Canadian writer based in Vancouver. She has lived on three continents and visited over thirty countries. Travel and food are her passions, along with giving her characters their well-deserved happily-ever-after. When she’s not writing, she’s daydreaming about her next trip and eating chocolate cake. You can find her on Instagram (@Beilin_writes) or her website https://beilinauthor.com/.

Reviews

[Marieke (mariekes_mesmerizing_books) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Actual rating 4.5 stars.

I requested From Beijing, With Love solely because of two things. First of all, I loved the cover. I immediately saw the resemblance to Tom Vellner’s Thirty Love, another book I adored. Both covers are illustrated by the same artist. Then my eyes fell on the word Amsterdam, and I hit request without reading any further. I love finding books written in English with a connection to my home country, especially now that my own YA story is set in Amsterdam.

So, did I know much about this book when I started reading? No. Did I love it from the first page? Definitely.

I adored anxious mess Daniel from the moment I met him, although I have to admit that I needed a little time to warm up to Yang. Under that cool, controlled facade is such a sweet, lovable guy. The two of them are so good for each other. Yang is incredibly patient with Daniel’s OCD, and Daniel in turn helps Yang open up more and more.

The story feels light, yet it tackles heavier themes like OCD, the loss of parents, meeting parental expectations, and being queer in China.

For a long time I thought I would rate this debut 4 stars, but I smiled so much while reading. I loved the Dutch references, and I connected to so many themes and places in the story. A cat café, for example. And because of the cat café I rounded my rating up from 4.5 to a beautiful 5 stars.

Just one thing, Bei Lin 😅: luckily most Dutch moms are sweeter and more lovable than Daniel’s mom.

Thank you, Alcove Press and NetGalley for this wonderful ARC!

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[Gabbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an amazing debut!!! I loved it so much. This sweet, tender queer love story did not disappoint. As soon as I saw the cover I wanted it and I’m so thankful for the ARC.

I honestly don’t have anything bad to say about this. The vulnerability and communication was perfectly timed. Their love story takes place mainly in a week spanned and it was so believable and I think that goes to show Bei Lin’s writing skills and storytelling!!

[Bookevin · Rating 5 out of 5]

THESE BOYS HAVE MY HEART. What a sweet and tender love story between two men from different worlds. Full review to come.

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I HAVE AN eARC ON NETGALLEY. Hold on, please.

[Brady · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you Alcove Press and Netgalley for this eARC, these opinions are my own. This was a super cute story! After messing up at work and then being dumbed by his boyfriend Daniel decides to travel to Beijing to see his best friend Poppy. The thing is he never travels spontaneously, traveling is usually months of preparation. But he had a panic attack that sent him out of the country. The only problem is Poppy isn’t in Beijing, she’s in another city for a week. She doesn’t want Daniel to just sit in the hotel for the week until she gets back so she books him a private tour of The Great Wall. Yang is in the final years of his PhD program and hoping to get a postdoctoral fellowship at his university. While attending he works as a tour guide to make money. When him and Daniel meet it’s a disaster. Daniel’s OCD and anxiety makes the trip uncomfortable and Yang quickly loses his peppy tour guide attitude. That should be the end of their relationship but somehow they keep ending up in each other’s orbits. And as they do the more the attraction grows. But Daniel eventually leaving to return to his country they both know there’s an expiration date on their possible relationship. Would a short time together be worth it if they can’t have forever? Being from America I love reading books where we get to explore countries that I’m not familiar with. The descriptions of the food, culture, and history of China made me long to see it myself! I loved both Daniel and Yang and their journeys of self discovery and acceptance! Bei Lin’s depictions of disability are relatable, and I love the way that Yang worked with Daniel to help him feel safe, seen, and understood! I loved the teasing and jokes between them, as well as Poppy! A charming story that had me in my feels and gave me the warm and fuzzies!

[Tania · Rating 4 out of 5]

I saw this gorgeous cover and just had to request the ARC !
This was a really cute romance overall, between Daniel - who suffers from huge anxiety and panic attacks and is fleeing from job problems and a bad breakup - and Yang - a cool and serious closeted PhD student who part times as tour guide, and quietly suffers under all the parental expectations so typical in Asian families (and which I found so relatable).

The start of Daniel and Yang's relationship is a bit rocky, to say the least, their first meeting is disastrous and I quite enjoyed their bickering in that initial phase (I did wish we could've gotten more of that later on, as I love good banter). Their relationship progresses quickly but in a way that felt natural. Between Daniel's OCD and anxiety, Yang's school and family issues, and the fact that their time together comes with a set expiration date, it was enough to keep the plot engaging till the end. I also enjoyed Poppy's character, she's the ultimate BFF and sidekick.

The fact that the story is set in China and Japan was also a big plus, as I loved all the descriptions of sights, culture, and especially delicious food, as they spend time in Beijing, then Xi'an and finally Tokyo.

[Fernanda (ivyfer_isreading) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I usually love books when the main character is traveling and getting to know a new place, culture and especially food. And from Beijing, with love did it beautifully. The writing was easy and flowed really well.
The depiction of Daniel's anxiety and OCD was great, showing how it affected him without making his entire personality about his disorder. I would like for Yang's queerness to be more explored, I don't think we got enough of it. The ending was also too rushed for me.
It's a good book, I just didn't connect as much as I thought I would.

Thank you Netgalley and Alcove Press for the ARC.