What do you think?
Rate this book
Blue Cedar Falls #2
Return to Cherry Blossom Way
In this sweet second-chance love story, two opposites discover their once-in-a-lifetime chemistry has only gotten stronger.
May Wu is no longer the shy teen who skipped out of her small North Carolina town right after graduation. Now she’s a successful travel writer who can handle any challenge. Until her latest assignment sends her home to Blue Cedar Falls, where, of course, she runs straight into Han Leung, a.k.a. the guy who got away. How dare he still be so good looking, funny, and easy to talk to?
Han always does the responsible thing, which is why he put aside his dreams of opening his own restaurant to run his family’s business. But when May re-enters his life, he can no longer ignore his own wants and desires. Garden gnomes are stolen, old haunts are visited, and sparks fly between the pair, just as they always did. But Han and May broke up because they wanted vastly different lives, and that hasn’t changed—or has it?
May Wu is no longer the shy teen who skipped out of her small North Carolina town right after graduation. Now she’s a successful travel writer who can handle any challenge. Until her latest assignment sends her home to Blue Cedar Falls, where, of course, she runs straight into Han Leung, a.k.a. the guy who got away. How dare he still be so good looking, funny, and easy to talk to?
Han always does the responsible thing, which is why he put aside his dreams of opening his own restaurant to run his family’s business. But when May re-enters his life, he can no longer ignore his own wants and desires. Garden gnomes are stolen, old haunts are visited, and sparks fly between the pair, just as they always did. But Han and May broke up because they wanted vastly different lives, and that hasn’t changed—or has it?
352 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 23, 2022
18 people are currently reading
2709 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 80 reviews
July 18, 2022
May Wu has the perfect life in New York where she writes for a travel magazine, Passage, and travels the world. She had grown up in the small North Carolina mountain town of Blue Cedar Falls. May is a biracial Asian / Caucasian American who had suffered bullying in high school, making her want to leave the small town and never look back. But her family is still there, and so is Han, the man she has always loved. She hasn't seen Han in thirteen years after their breakup when she left for New York and he felt he had to stay in Blue Cedar Falls.
May is assigned to write an article about her hometown and the surrounding area. With trepidation she returns to Blue Cedar Falls to spend time researching her article. While there she reconnects with her family, and, of course, runs into Han who is still working at his family's Chinese restaurant. Feelings for him are brought to the surface and they start seeing each other, with an agreed 'no emotional attachment'. Han is just going to help May with her research.
This is a delightful second chance romance set in a warm, friendly small town. The characters were all likable and I could relate to them (well all except Jenny). The plot was well developed and the prose was easily readable and flowed well. I enjoyed reading about the pair's hurdles and decisions. I also liked the town. As a North Carolinian I always enjoy reading a book set in North Carolina.
Thanks to Forever (Grand Central Publishing) through Netgalley for an advance copy. This book will be published on August 23, 2022.
May is assigned to write an article about her hometown and the surrounding area. With trepidation she returns to Blue Cedar Falls to spend time researching her article. While there she reconnects with her family, and, of course, runs into Han who is still working at his family's Chinese restaurant. Feelings for him are brought to the surface and they start seeing each other, with an agreed 'no emotional attachment'. Han is just going to help May with her research.
This is a delightful second chance romance set in a warm, friendly small town. The characters were all likable and I could relate to them (well all except Jenny). The plot was well developed and the prose was easily readable and flowed well. I enjoyed reading about the pair's hurdles and decisions. I also liked the town. As a North Carolinian I always enjoy reading a book set in North Carolina.
Thanks to Forever (Grand Central Publishing) through Netgalley for an advance copy. This book will be published on August 23, 2022.
January 7, 2023
May Wu desperately needed to leave hicktown Blue Cedar Falls to pursue greener pastures in New York. In doing so, May left behind the love of her life, Han Leung
Han had dreams of following May, but those dreams were dashed when his father passed leaving Han to run the family restaurant.
Thirteen years later, both May and Han have each forged new lives. Han is the co-operator of a Chinese take out and May is a successful travel writer who has pretty much shunned her hometown. But May is forced to return to Blue Cedar Falls for research on a blooming story that has potential to be a cover feature on the magazine she writes for. That’s when May runs into Han and the sparks re-ignite the embers hidden in their hearts.
Return to Cherry Blossom Way is the second book in the Blue Cedar Falls series. Though is is possible to read as a standalone novel, I would recommend that the first novel, Inn at Sweetbriar Lane, be read in advance as a lot of the narrative in Return to Cherry Blossom Way refers to the past histories of many of the characters in the first novel.
The story follows a second chance at romance between former sweethearts in a small town. But it is much more than a romance since family relationships come into play. The Wu family and the Leung family dynamics are on display and their interractions to me were so relatable.
The characters are well developed and I liked each and everyone of them. I especially like Han as he still had his dry humor, but he also shows his softer side in this novel. I had to warm up to the other main character, May since she had that New York chip on her shoulder in the beginning. I did enjoy the minor character of Elizabeth the youngest of the Wu sisters as she still retained that quirky style of hers from the previous novel. And as fate would have it, the third book in the Blue Cedar Falls series will showcase Elizabeth. I can’t wait.
Overall, Return to Cherry Blossom Way was a very enjoyable and entertaining read. It is the perfect and must read novel for second chance romance fans and own voices readers. Five stars.
I received a finished paperback copy of the novel from Forever (GCP.) The review herein is completely my own and contains my honest thoughts and opinions.
Han had dreams of following May, but those dreams were dashed when his father passed leaving Han to run the family restaurant.
Thirteen years later, both May and Han have each forged new lives. Han is the co-operator of a Chinese take out and May is a successful travel writer who has pretty much shunned her hometown. But May is forced to return to Blue Cedar Falls for research on a blooming story that has potential to be a cover feature on the magazine she writes for. That’s when May runs into Han and the sparks re-ignite the embers hidden in their hearts.
Return to Cherry Blossom Way is the second book in the Blue Cedar Falls series. Though is is possible to read as a standalone novel, I would recommend that the first novel, Inn at Sweetbriar Lane, be read in advance as a lot of the narrative in Return to Cherry Blossom Way refers to the past histories of many of the characters in the first novel.
The story follows a second chance at romance between former sweethearts in a small town. But it is much more than a romance since family relationships come into play. The Wu family and the Leung family dynamics are on display and their interractions to me were so relatable.
The characters are well developed and I liked each and everyone of them. I especially like Han as he still had his dry humor, but he also shows his softer side in this novel. I had to warm up to the other main character, May since she had that New York chip on her shoulder in the beginning. I did enjoy the minor character of Elizabeth the youngest of the Wu sisters as she still retained that quirky style of hers from the previous novel. And as fate would have it, the third book in the Blue Cedar Falls series will showcase Elizabeth. I can’t wait.
Overall, Return to Cherry Blossom Way was a very enjoyable and entertaining read. It is the perfect and must read novel for second chance romance fans and own voices readers. Five stars.
I received a finished paperback copy of the novel from Forever (GCP.) The review herein is completely my own and contains my honest thoughts and opinions.
October 2, 2023
I was looking for comfort this month & just as with the first book in this series, it was just what the doctor ordered. I especially loved that both MCs in this second-chance romance were Chinese-Americans within an otherwise largely white small town, and the subtleties of how growing up within the racism of that town (and duty to their families) affected them differently, due likely to gender (although this wasn’t openly examined, I think the implications are there) and the power of stereotypes. I was also particularly invested in Han’s journey with food, and the conversations between him and his mom when it came to Han wanting to break out beyond the standard American Chinese takeout restaurant, while his mom staunchly stood behind the importance of that standard American Chinese takeout restaurant for their family’s security (and how grief for Han’s dad is all tangled up in it too). Again, this is a comforting mass market romance so it doesn’t get too deeply into the cultural food politics of it all (and there is obviously a lot to say about Chinese food in America, particularly in small towns), but I always enjoy a cultural-food-family storyline either way.
May and Han’s past is especially messy, so there’s also a decent amount of angst in this one, especially toward the end; I will say I agree with a lot of points b.andherbooks made in her review. While I was happy with the ending, I just wanted a bit more of a lot of things. One thing I actually wanted more of throughout was May’s life in New York—more examples of *why* it was her dream (other than just hating Blue Cedar Falls), and *why* she loved living there for so long, along with the travel writing she does. I think it would have just added even more depth to her storyline and the difficulties of her choices. But again, I know sometimes a book (that is specifically trying to do one thing) can only do so much. (Which is okay!)
Really looking forward to enjoying Elizabeth’s story (I am already invested!!) the next time I need an IV of Idyllic Small Towns (That Also Have Diversity).
May and Han’s past is especially messy, so there’s also a decent amount of angst in this one, especially toward the end; I will say I agree with a lot of points b.andherbooks made in her review. While I was happy with the ending, I just wanted a bit more of a lot of things. One thing I actually wanted more of throughout was May’s life in New York—more examples of *why* it was her dream (other than just hating Blue Cedar Falls), and *why* she loved living there for so long, along with the travel writing she does. I think it would have just added even more depth to her storyline and the difficulties of her choices. But again, I know sometimes a book (that is specifically trying to do one thing) can only do so much. (Which is okay!)
Really looking forward to enjoying Elizabeth’s story (I am already invested!!) the next time I need an IV of Idyllic Small Towns (That Also Have Diversity).
June 22, 2023
absolutely enchanted with Chin's prose, and I was gliding along famously with this slow-burn romance (with pay off! ! !) but the character choices at the end made me so frustrated! I will definitely read more from this author, as the small-town setting that doesn't turn away from the small minded racism and economic woe problems that can come with them.
Do also want to note there is a lot of grief in this book, both main characters have at least one deceased parent (one from cancer) and it also took me a minute to settle into all of that. I wish I had finished before fathers' day. these plot points are all alluded to in the back matter and i just ran out of time to read for my book club.
Spoilery details about ending:
All in all, this is a ME thing, and i otherwise really enjoyed reading.
thank you to the publisher for the ARC
Do also want to note there is a lot of grief in this book, both main characters have at least one deceased parent (one from cancer) and it also took me a minute to settle into all of that. I wish I had finished before fathers' day. these plot points are all alluded to in the back matter and i just ran out of time to read for my book club.
Spoilery details about ending:
All in all, this is a ME thing, and i otherwise really enjoyed reading.
thank you to the publisher for the ARC
January 31, 2023
Giving this 3.5 stars - I really enjoyed most of it, May and Han were both strong characters and it kept me guessing as to how it was going to end since they seemed so stuck to their individual paths. Unfortunately the hero did one really terrible thing that I couldn’t forgive him for, and it took the whole book down a star for me.
March 31, 2023
(Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.)
Having absolutely loved May from The Inn on Sweet Briar Lane, I was so excited for Return to Cherry Blossom Way. Han and May instantly got me. I loved the ways May is struggling to reconcile her dreams with the feeling of being at home. Being stuck back in her old ways and these old relationships, and the pain. And how Han feels like he's so close to striking out on his dreams and seeing his path diverge. Han and May felt like such fully fleshed characters on their own. Because at the end of the day, what happens when we have achieved our dreams but it's not what we thought? Or we have given up on a vision of our future, only for us to have lingering questions? If you love those ideas, then you have to read Return to Cherry Blossom Way.
full review: https://utopia-state-of-mind.com/revi...
Having absolutely loved May from The Inn on Sweet Briar Lane, I was so excited for Return to Cherry Blossom Way. Han and May instantly got me. I loved the ways May is struggling to reconcile her dreams with the feeling of being at home. Being stuck back in her old ways and these old relationships, and the pain. And how Han feels like he's so close to striking out on his dreams and seeing his path diverge. Han and May felt like such fully fleshed characters on their own. Because at the end of the day, what happens when we have achieved our dreams but it's not what we thought? Or we have given up on a vision of our future, only for us to have lingering questions? If you love those ideas, then you have to read Return to Cherry Blossom Way.
full review: https://utopia-state-of-mind.com/revi...
August 26, 2022
This is the 2nd Book in the series and my first. It can be read as a stand alone but I'll definitely be going back to find out more about May's sister June. I really enjoyed the romance between Han & May. Even though May was a tad annoying sometimes. The writing is great and I love the small town charm.
August 6, 2022
I wasn’t sure what to expect from Return to Cherry Blossom Way but I find myself pleasantly surprised. A short summary: May is a travel writer tasked with covering her hometown of Blue Cedar Falls—the same place she has done her best to avoid ever since she was 18 and broke up with her high school boyfriend. So who does she very quickly get entangled with upon returning? You guessed it: Chinese restaurant owner and chef Han—AKA her ex. Shenanigans occur.
I really enjoy this book. It’s rare that we see Asian protagonists and love interests in romances, and it’s even rarer to see them living in a small, rural town. Author Jeannie Chin does a great job of exploring the positives and negatives of this setting on her characters. May, for example, is traumatized by racist classmates in high school, and she is open and frank about her experiences with friends and family. It’s fantastic that we get to see such honesty in an otherwise pretty chill romance. I also really enjoy how realistic May and Han’s relationship is. They meet up, they know they’re making a mistake, and yet they can’t help themselves from getting involved again. I can’t even explain how much I understand and relate to this, and I appreciate that Chin manages to describe this struggle so well.
I have two critiques. First, I struggled a bit with the character of May through much (though not all) of the book. She’s honestly pretty selfish and unpleasant, focusing on her own feelings and desires at the expense of those around her, and it is to Chin’s credit that May experiences real character growth as the novel progresses. Second, the characters spend a lot of time in their heads. There’s a lot of thinking and contemplating and pages and pages of dwelling that honestly doesn’t add much to the book.
That being said, the book is quite lovely and ends on such a high note that it still has me smiling as I write this review. I haven’t read any other books by this author (or in this series) and I absolutely intend on reading more. Recommended for fans of second-chance romances; books with small, diverse towns; tortoises; honestly really dreamy male love interests.
Thank you NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I really enjoy this book. It’s rare that we see Asian protagonists and love interests in romances, and it’s even rarer to see them living in a small, rural town. Author Jeannie Chin does a great job of exploring the positives and negatives of this setting on her characters. May, for example, is traumatized by racist classmates in high school, and she is open and frank about her experiences with friends and family. It’s fantastic that we get to see such honesty in an otherwise pretty chill romance. I also really enjoy how realistic May and Han’s relationship is. They meet up, they know they’re making a mistake, and yet they can’t help themselves from getting involved again. I can’t even explain how much I understand and relate to this, and I appreciate that Chin manages to describe this struggle so well.
I have two critiques. First, I struggled a bit with the character of May through much (though not all) of the book. She’s honestly pretty selfish and unpleasant, focusing on her own feelings and desires at the expense of those around her, and it is to Chin’s credit that May experiences real character growth as the novel progresses. Second, the characters spend a lot of time in their heads. There’s a lot of thinking and contemplating and pages and pages of dwelling that honestly doesn’t add much to the book.
That being said, the book is quite lovely and ends on such a high note that it still has me smiling as I write this review. I haven’t read any other books by this author (or in this series) and I absolutely intend on reading more. Recommended for fans of second-chance romances; books with small, diverse towns; tortoises; honestly really dreamy male love interests.
Thank you NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
March 23, 2023
3.5 stars rounded up.
More than ten years have passed since May Wu was a bookish teenager chomping at the bit to leave her small North Carolina town after graduation. She’s become a successful travel writer who’s up for anything, but that gusto is put to the test when her latest assignment sends her back to Blue Cedar Falls. She immediately runs into her ex, Han Leung, the guy she still uses to measure all other dates against and he’s still even more handsome now and just as easy to talk to as ever.
Han has always put his duty above everything else, setting aside his dream to open a restaurant of his own so he could keep his family’s business afloat after his dad’s passing. But when May rockets back into his orbit, Han finds it harder to keep ignoring all the desires he’s been tamping down for over a decade. Unfortunately, nothing about their circumstances has really changed and the reasons they broke up before are all still valid, or so it seems.
I really enjoyed the first book in this series, so I was very excited for this follow-up, especially as a North Carolina native myself. There were parts of this I loved and it had me longing for a visit to the mountains, but there were also bits that were very lackluster for me, most of them stemming from the heroine. May and her struggles with fitting in and being bullied were very relatable; though I wasn’t bullied for the same reasons, her resultant insecurities were definitely familiar to me. What was frustrating and disheartening for me was how long she allowed that high school experience to define every aspect of her life. Her insistence on shaming and bad-mouthing an entire town because of the behavior of one person, an ignorant child no less, was a bit much and grew to be repetitive after a while.
May’s bitterness just began to seem like hypocrisy with a huge lack of empathy. She blazed onto the page with the same sort of judgmental mentality she had wanted so desperately to leave behind. She had no awareness of anyone else’s feelings but her own and it was pretty sad to see how little Han’s emotions mattered to her and how aware he was of that fact. Han’s character arc was also a bit puzzling to me just because he’d made this huge mistake that I would’ve struggled to forgive myself and, though I understand why it happened given the timing, it still just felt like an unnecessary addition to a story that was already drowning in angst. Some of that angst did grow repetitive as Han and May seemed to have the same conversation/argument over and over again and between that and the deep examination of May’s lasting scars from her high school bullying experience, the romance definitely took a backseat.
Also, I’m tired of reading about this idea that hometowns are poison and anyone who wishes to remain and make a place for themselves in their hometown is some sort of loser. The first half of this book especially was laden with this ambitious ideal that quickly becomes toxic as it sews this insidious idea that one must always strive for more and better. Not that there’s anything inherently wrong with desiring more, but it is all too easy to become obsessed with this ambition and fail to be appreciative, or to even notice, what one has already gained or been blessed with. Fortunately, I think this is something May recognizes in the end, and it saved the book for me. Achieving her dreams had not made her truly happy and she took steps to correct this and follow her heart in a way that made her much more fulfilled by being true to herself. I was satisfied by this ending and it definitely felt like Han and May would have a firm HEA together, but I still would’ve liked to see a bit more romance in their story.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Blog link: https://mustreadalltheromance.blogspo...
More than ten years have passed since May Wu was a bookish teenager chomping at the bit to leave her small North Carolina town after graduation. She’s become a successful travel writer who’s up for anything, but that gusto is put to the test when her latest assignment sends her back to Blue Cedar Falls. She immediately runs into her ex, Han Leung, the guy she still uses to measure all other dates against and he’s still even more handsome now and just as easy to talk to as ever.
Han has always put his duty above everything else, setting aside his dream to open a restaurant of his own so he could keep his family’s business afloat after his dad’s passing. But when May rockets back into his orbit, Han finds it harder to keep ignoring all the desires he’s been tamping down for over a decade. Unfortunately, nothing about their circumstances has really changed and the reasons they broke up before are all still valid, or so it seems.
I really enjoyed the first book in this series, so I was very excited for this follow-up, especially as a North Carolina native myself. There were parts of this I loved and it had me longing for a visit to the mountains, but there were also bits that were very lackluster for me, most of them stemming from the heroine. May and her struggles with fitting in and being bullied were very relatable; though I wasn’t bullied for the same reasons, her resultant insecurities were definitely familiar to me. What was frustrating and disheartening for me was how long she allowed that high school experience to define every aspect of her life. Her insistence on shaming and bad-mouthing an entire town because of the behavior of one person, an ignorant child no less, was a bit much and grew to be repetitive after a while.
May’s bitterness just began to seem like hypocrisy with a huge lack of empathy. She blazed onto the page with the same sort of judgmental mentality she had wanted so desperately to leave behind. She had no awareness of anyone else’s feelings but her own and it was pretty sad to see how little Han’s emotions mattered to her and how aware he was of that fact. Han’s character arc was also a bit puzzling to me just because he’d made this huge mistake that I would’ve struggled to forgive myself and, though I understand why it happened given the timing, it still just felt like an unnecessary addition to a story that was already drowning in angst. Some of that angst did grow repetitive as Han and May seemed to have the same conversation/argument over and over again and between that and the deep examination of May’s lasting scars from her high school bullying experience, the romance definitely took a backseat.
Also, I’m tired of reading about this idea that hometowns are poison and anyone who wishes to remain and make a place for themselves in their hometown is some sort of loser. The first half of this book especially was laden with this ambitious ideal that quickly becomes toxic as it sews this insidious idea that one must always strive for more and better. Not that there’s anything inherently wrong with desiring more, but it is all too easy to become obsessed with this ambition and fail to be appreciative, or to even notice, what one has already gained or been blessed with. Fortunately, I think this is something May recognizes in the end, and it saved the book for me. Achieving her dreams had not made her truly happy and she took steps to correct this and follow her heart in a way that made her much more fulfilled by being true to herself. I was satisfied by this ending and it definitely felt like Han and May would have a firm HEA together, but I still would’ve liked to see a bit more romance in their story.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Blog link: https://mustreadalltheromance.blogspo...
August 21, 2022
Was it predictable? Yes. Was it a bit too cliche? Yes. But it was also absolutely lovely! I love this series and the diversity representation. The author does such a fabulous job portraying complex characters. The town is charming and I loved returning. I can’t wait for more in this series!
July 16, 2022
I was very happy to return to Blue Cedar Falls. This series focuses on a few Chinese-American families and their loves and friends in a small mountain town in North Carolina. This is a second chance romance with a focus on May Wu. She got out of town, lives in NYC and got her dream job writing for a travel magazine. Her latest assignment takes her home where things are more changed than she expected. She didn't know that her mom didn’t bounce back fully from her stroke or how tight things are at the family B & B Inn. And then there is Han Leung. He was supposed to leave with her but instead chose a state culinary school before dropping out after his fathers death. He was needed to run the family Chinese restaurant and support him mom and sisters. It’s been 13 years since they’ve seen each other but the longing has always been there for both of them.
I really liked this story. There is never denying the feelings they have for each other. But the obstacles are real. Cultural and family obligations tie Han to the town that he loves. But May was miserable there. Taunted by mean girls in high school she couldn’t wait to put the town behind her. It’s complicated and I think the book shows both their view points well. I was drawn more to May and her story but Han is solid, nice and dependable. I like that interaction between May and her sisters too. June has carried the weight of the family and I was happy to see that realistically discussed.
This is the second full novel in the series and I really loved the novella that takes place between the books. This is a family and community I am looking forward to reading about in the next novel. Thank you to NetGalley, Forever (Grand Central Publishing) and the author for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
I really liked this story. There is never denying the feelings they have for each other. But the obstacles are real. Cultural and family obligations tie Han to the town that he loves. But May was miserable there. Taunted by mean girls in high school she couldn’t wait to put the town behind her. It’s complicated and I think the book shows both their view points well. I was drawn more to May and her story but Han is solid, nice and dependable. I like that interaction between May and her sisters too. June has carried the weight of the family and I was happy to see that realistically discussed.
This is the second full novel in the series and I really loved the novella that takes place between the books. This is a family and community I am looking forward to reading about in the next novel. Thank you to NetGalley, Forever (Grand Central Publishing) and the author for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
August 23, 2022
I've been really enjoying this series. I love when I start a new author and they just work for me. That's how I felt with Chin. Right away I loved her characters and want to know more about them. You've already learned about the Wu family from the first book. They are the main characters so far in the series. I really love them but haven't really gotten to know June's sister as much as I would have liked in her story.
Not a big deal we've got May's story now and I will tell you for the most part I really enjoyed it. I understood why May felt the way she did about her hometown. She hadn't had a great life growing up and it really molded her as an adult. I do feel that at times her anger was missed placed. She like so many of us take it out on easier targets, like the ones you love us.
I love Han. I liked him from the first book. He's one of those characters that grab you and make you want to know their story. I felt for him. The way his life turned out wasn't really what he wanted but that didn't stop him from stepping up and taking charge when he has to. I loved that about him. It's not always easy to not become bitter when life steps on your dreams and wants.
These two have so much going against them. I sometimes wondered how they would get together and stay together. Out of the two Han is the more likable person. He's a lot less selfish and thinks for others before himself. May his a problem with that. She thinks of herself first then maybe others after.
As the story moves on you see them both grow as characters and find them learning to deal with their past. As a whole, I enjoyed this story and can't wait for more in the series.
Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
ARC received for an honest review
August 28, 2022
Like a screen door in a hurricane, I had a banging good time reading Return to Charry Way by Jeannie Chin! I feel as if there are so many levels to unpack in the book. From escaping the past to reclaiming it with fervor. May will make your life your own. I was cheering with her and for her so many times.Sigh.... I really love this book.
~Tanja
*Thank you to @foreverpub for sharing this title with me.
Follow me on
Instagram✿Twitter✿Facebook✿Pinterest✿TikTok
~Tanja
*Thank you to @foreverpub for sharing this title with me.
Follow me on
Instagram✿Twitter✿Facebook✿Pinterest✿TikTok
October 14, 2022
Return to Cherry Blossom Way is a small town second chance romance.. May returns to her small town for her travel job. She runs into Han, ber high school sweetheart whom never left. He shows her what has changed in the 13 years that she's been gone.
This was a cute story that not only talked about romance between May and Han. But it also talked about pressures of family, how people treat you because you are different than them.
I felt it was a little Hallmark-esque, you know the formula I'm talking about. But like with Hallmark movies, we still watch then because we love them. I loved the aspects of it being Asian Americans as the main characters. I felt May was a little childish at times, but she grows and after some discussions, she grows up.
Overall, I liked it and would recommend for small town lovers.
This was a cute story that not only talked about romance between May and Han. But it also talked about pressures of family, how people treat you because you are different than them.
I felt it was a little Hallmark-esque, you know the formula I'm talking about. But like with Hallmark movies, we still watch then because we love them. I loved the aspects of it being Asian Americans as the main characters. I felt May was a little childish at times, but she grows and after some discussions, she grows up.
Overall, I liked it and would recommend for small town lovers.
August 21, 2022
Blue Cedar Falls is a bucolic community. May wants nothing to do with it. She fled after high school and hasn’t really been back since then. Her heart was shattered when her love, Han stayed and treated her harshly, severing the relationship.
May returns on a job assignment and begins exploring her past.
I love,the characters in this little NC town. I thought June actually went easy on May about not being there when she was needed.
Han still carried the torch for May, but can they resolve their differences?
Sometimes the dreams we had at a younger age fade and new possibilities emerge; things we couldn’t see ourselves during earlier.
The cover art is exquisite.
Thanks to Forever and NetGalley for the early read.
May returns on a job assignment and begins exploring her past.
I love,the characters in this little NC town. I thought June actually went easy on May about not being there when she was needed.
Han still carried the torch for May, but can they resolve their differences?
Sometimes the dreams we had at a younger age fade and new possibilities emerge; things we couldn’t see ourselves during earlier.
The cover art is exquisite.
Thanks to Forever and NetGalley for the early read.
March 31, 2025
As much as I really loved the setting of this small town and the characters, I found it hard to stay invested and this story didn't hold my attention as much as I hoped it would. The story is low stakes and predictable but sometimes those can be the coziest and most necessary of reads.
I really liked the main characters both individually and in their chemistry along with the cast of side characters. It really read as a warmhearted small town read in a town that you could easily fall in love with.
Maybe it was the story, maybe it was the timing in which I read it but unfortunately this wasn't the read for me but I'm sure it will be the perfect read for someone else.
***I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review***
I really liked the main characters both individually and in their chemistry along with the cast of side characters. It really read as a warmhearted small town read in a town that you could easily fall in love with.
Maybe it was the story, maybe it was the timing in which I read it but unfortunately this wasn't the read for me but I'm sure it will be the perfect read for someone else.
***I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review***
October 8, 2022
3.7 stars
I received this book for free, this does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
She hadn't been back to Blue Cedar Falls outside of Christmas and family emergencies in thirteen years.
Second in the Blue Cedar Falls series, this focuses on the Wu's middle sister May. I haven't read the first in the series but I didn't have a problem starting here. The series is set in Blue Cedar Falls, a small town in North Carolina that May grew up in. Originally from New York, May, her mother, and two sisters moved after her parents marriage dissolved. May's mother gets remarried to a great guy named Ned and their family runs the Sweetbriar Inn. May has a loving family and close friends, especially Han Leung who's family runs the Chinese restaurant the Jade Garden but she's mercilessly bullied at school by the popular girl Jenny for being Chinese. All May can think about is getting free of the town and bullying, when her friendship with Han turns into a dating relationship, May, kind of blindly, pushes him to leave with her.
Wasn't it bad enough that he was the one who got away? Did he also still have to be the best-looking guy she'd ever met? The funniest and the easiest to talk to?
Han faces his own racism but it's never as bad for him as May and he wasn't fully aware of the extent of how much it affects May, he loves his hometown and is starting to not want to leave. When tragedy strikes and his father dies suddenly, he decides to stay after graduation and help his mother with the restaurant and his two younger sisters. He breaks it off with May not wanting to hold her back and they end up not seeing each other for thirteen years, until May is given an assignment by her travel magazine to write about Blue Cedar Falls and the small-town festival and internet sensation cat that just so happens to be her mom's. May doesn't want to go back because of how it brings back the pain of her highschool years, the guilt tripping she feels from her mom and older sister June, and the possibility of running into Han. However, once May starts to settle in, she begins to realize that her escaping might have just given her the strength and confidence to deal with bullies and now she's ready to appreciate the town's small charms, along with rekindling a certain romance.
But that was the thing. With people you really loved...
You did what you had to do. Even when they couldn't find a way to ask it of you.
When I started reading this, right away I was pulled in by the emotions, for what looks like a fairly new author, I was impressed with how this aspect of the writing popped. When May is going back home her anxiousness about how distant she feels from family, past memories of bullying, and knowing the only man she ever loved is there, were felt by me as the reader. Those jumbled emotions of hurt, pain, and love were threaded deep throughout the story. I thought the author did a great job of not putting full blame on anyone person, the racist bully Jenny even got a little understanding thread that I'm not sure the character deserved. With May feeling alienated from her family, she has distanced herself from them to pursue her career and the guilt tripping June does, because from her perspective, May has ditched her family ties. It's a theme throughout the book of chasing your personal dreams or maybe not getting or doing all you personally want in favor of supporting family members. This creates solid angst and swirls of emotions.
Friends with the girl he used to be in love with and who still made his whole body hum whenever they got close. What could go wrong?
May was the side of chasing her dreams hell or high water while Han was more trying to stay true to his wants but leaning more towards family values. Readers get the story first from May that after Han's father died he ditched his plans to leave to New York with May to stay and help his family. I liked how May had understanding for this, even if it wasn't what she wanted him to do. A little later we get Han's perspective and readers learn that he never felt the same way about their hometown that May did, he actually liked it there and felt steamrolled by May to leave and when he was trying to tell her, his father died and, at the moment, didn't resent the fact he felt he had to stay to help his mother. The hurt and love with the scene from Han's point-of-view of him breaking it off with May because he wanted her to achieve her dreams and not tie her down was so good!
But deep down, it felt like the earth beneath his feet was shifting. For the first time in ages, things were changing.
And it was going to turn out to be either the best thing to ever happen to him.
Or the worst.
By 50% the air is, mostly, cleared between the two, even if there is still some lingering hurt of needs and wants for life paths not matching up, and May and Han just can't stop each other from falling back together. This had some open door heat and I loved it because this couple had that hurt and tension that you just want to see explode on page. Even while they're semi-together there is still the lingering end date, May's assignment is only supposed to keep her in town for the week but she decides to extend it another week to cover the Taste Festival, and Han seems to be holding in a secret about something to do with May's tormentor Jenny (it's pretty obvious what the secret is). The second half has the high of the couple together heating up the sheets and growing to know one another again but the tension of that looming end date, unless they can figure it out.
This was an invitation to do something unbelievably stupid. Something that was going to hurt.
Coming into the series in book two, it was still easy to follow the family and friend circles and I actually would have liked more scenes of the Wu sisters together, there's June and May hashing out their issue and May and her younger sister Elizabeth hanging out but I would have loved to have “seen” the times they hung out all together and with their mom, because of how strong the emotional pull with May and this storyline was. Around 60% I thought the story staggered a little bit as May and Han are said to be just traveling around neighboring towns for May to highlight in her article and I would have liked that to be cut to streamline the story more or May and her sisters to be added for more of emotional punch. I can see how that might try to pull this more into book club fiction but I thought the romance plot and Han as a character, with his own issues with his mother and romance with May, was strong enough to keep this firmly in romance genre.
The only answer left was that he had to put his heart---and maybe his entire conception of his life---on the line.
If he wanted to be with May, he had to make the decision and commit.
Quite simply, he had to fight.
At 80% we get the black moment where May learns about Han's secret with Jenny and she lets her hurt blind her for a while. Honestly, even at this point and close to 90% I wasn't sure about the happily ever after, I know it's romance genre and was going to have one but May and Han took a very sweet time to get there. The mixture of happy or content, growing up and how life experience gives you different dreams, seeing things in a more emotionally stable way, and staying true to yourself but also to your dreams were all added into this ending. The ending felt true to the characters, nothing forced, and I liked how I could see how May and Han got there as the building blocks were given throughout the story. This had feeling true emotion, open door heat, family dynamics, and a romance that you couldn't help rooting for, definitely a contemporary romance to pick up.
I received this book for free, this does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
She hadn't been back to Blue Cedar Falls outside of Christmas and family emergencies in thirteen years.
Second in the Blue Cedar Falls series, this focuses on the Wu's middle sister May. I haven't read the first in the series but I didn't have a problem starting here. The series is set in Blue Cedar Falls, a small town in North Carolina that May grew up in. Originally from New York, May, her mother, and two sisters moved after her parents marriage dissolved. May's mother gets remarried to a great guy named Ned and their family runs the Sweetbriar Inn. May has a loving family and close friends, especially Han Leung who's family runs the Chinese restaurant the Jade Garden but she's mercilessly bullied at school by the popular girl Jenny for being Chinese. All May can think about is getting free of the town and bullying, when her friendship with Han turns into a dating relationship, May, kind of blindly, pushes him to leave with her.
Wasn't it bad enough that he was the one who got away? Did he also still have to be the best-looking guy she'd ever met? The funniest and the easiest to talk to?
Han faces his own racism but it's never as bad for him as May and he wasn't fully aware of the extent of how much it affects May, he loves his hometown and is starting to not want to leave. When tragedy strikes and his father dies suddenly, he decides to stay after graduation and help his mother with the restaurant and his two younger sisters. He breaks it off with May not wanting to hold her back and they end up not seeing each other for thirteen years, until May is given an assignment by her travel magazine to write about Blue Cedar Falls and the small-town festival and internet sensation cat that just so happens to be her mom's. May doesn't want to go back because of how it brings back the pain of her highschool years, the guilt tripping she feels from her mom and older sister June, and the possibility of running into Han. However, once May starts to settle in, she begins to realize that her escaping might have just given her the strength and confidence to deal with bullies and now she's ready to appreciate the town's small charms, along with rekindling a certain romance.
But that was the thing. With people you really loved...
You did what you had to do. Even when they couldn't find a way to ask it of you.
When I started reading this, right away I was pulled in by the emotions, for what looks like a fairly new author, I was impressed with how this aspect of the writing popped. When May is going back home her anxiousness about how distant she feels from family, past memories of bullying, and knowing the only man she ever loved is there, were felt by me as the reader. Those jumbled emotions of hurt, pain, and love were threaded deep throughout the story. I thought the author did a great job of not putting full blame on anyone person, the racist bully Jenny even got a little understanding thread that I'm not sure the character deserved. With May feeling alienated from her family, she has distanced herself from them to pursue her career and the guilt tripping June does, because from her perspective, May has ditched her family ties. It's a theme throughout the book of chasing your personal dreams or maybe not getting or doing all you personally want in favor of supporting family members. This creates solid angst and swirls of emotions.
Friends with the girl he used to be in love with and who still made his whole body hum whenever they got close. What could go wrong?
May was the side of chasing her dreams hell or high water while Han was more trying to stay true to his wants but leaning more towards family values. Readers get the story first from May that after Han's father died he ditched his plans to leave to New York with May to stay and help his family. I liked how May had understanding for this, even if it wasn't what she wanted him to do. A little later we get Han's perspective and readers learn that he never felt the same way about their hometown that May did, he actually liked it there and felt steamrolled by May to leave and when he was trying to tell her, his father died and, at the moment, didn't resent the fact he felt he had to stay to help his mother. The hurt and love with the scene from Han's point-of-view of him breaking it off with May because he wanted her to achieve her dreams and not tie her down was so good!
But deep down, it felt like the earth beneath his feet was shifting. For the first time in ages, things were changing.
And it was going to turn out to be either the best thing to ever happen to him.
Or the worst.
By 50% the air is, mostly, cleared between the two, even if there is still some lingering hurt of needs and wants for life paths not matching up, and May and Han just can't stop each other from falling back together. This had some open door heat and I loved it because this couple had that hurt and tension that you just want to see explode on page. Even while they're semi-together there is still the lingering end date, May's assignment is only supposed to keep her in town for the week but she decides to extend it another week to cover the Taste Festival, and Han seems to be holding in a secret about something to do with May's tormentor Jenny (it's pretty obvious what the secret is). The second half has the high of the couple together heating up the sheets and growing to know one another again but the tension of that looming end date, unless they can figure it out.
This was an invitation to do something unbelievably stupid. Something that was going to hurt.
Coming into the series in book two, it was still easy to follow the family and friend circles and I actually would have liked more scenes of the Wu sisters together, there's June and May hashing out their issue and May and her younger sister Elizabeth hanging out but I would have loved to have “seen” the times they hung out all together and with their mom, because of how strong the emotional pull with May and this storyline was. Around 60% I thought the story staggered a little bit as May and Han are said to be just traveling around neighboring towns for May to highlight in her article and I would have liked that to be cut to streamline the story more or May and her sisters to be added for more of emotional punch. I can see how that might try to pull this more into book club fiction but I thought the romance plot and Han as a character, with his own issues with his mother and romance with May, was strong enough to keep this firmly in romance genre.
The only answer left was that he had to put his heart---and maybe his entire conception of his life---on the line.
If he wanted to be with May, he had to make the decision and commit.
Quite simply, he had to fight.
At 80% we get the black moment where May learns about Han's secret with Jenny and she lets her hurt blind her for a while. Honestly, even at this point and close to 90% I wasn't sure about the happily ever after, I know it's romance genre and was going to have one but May and Han took a very sweet time to get there. The mixture of happy or content, growing up and how life experience gives you different dreams, seeing things in a more emotionally stable way, and staying true to yourself but also to your dreams were all added into this ending. The ending felt true to the characters, nothing forced, and I liked how I could see how May and Han got there as the building blocks were given throughout the story. This had feeling true emotion, open door heat, family dynamics, and a romance that you couldn't help rooting for, definitely a contemporary romance to pick up.
August 17, 2022
Return to Cherry Blossom Way by Jeannie Chin (Blue Cedar Falls series) 3.5 stars
This is the first time I’ve have read this author and I was entertained and charmed. This has all the best elements of a small-town romance - A second chance love story that reflects the maturity and life experience of the two main characters, family conflict on either side and a new beginning. What gives this a twist from the mainstream is the fact that the two main characters are Asian. You don’t think Asian characters when the location is North Carolina, but in reality Asian Americans are spread out throughout the entire US. The traditional elements of familial pressure and culture are embedded in the plot. I think I will try to find the other books that is set in this small town and see what I missed.
Thank you Netgalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for this ARC.
This is the first time I’ve have read this author and I was entertained and charmed. This has all the best elements of a small-town romance - A second chance love story that reflects the maturity and life experience of the two main characters, family conflict on either side and a new beginning. What gives this a twist from the mainstream is the fact that the two main characters are Asian. You don’t think Asian characters when the location is North Carolina, but in reality Asian Americans are spread out throughout the entire US. The traditional elements of familial pressure and culture are embedded in the plot. I think I will try to find the other books that is set in this small town and see what I missed.
Thank you Netgalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for this ARC.
March 29, 2023
I was gifted a physical copy this past weekend from @Forever. I can't wait to read it since I have loved this series so far. I purchased the ebook today.
This was my favorite book of the series. Han and May were so vulnerable and wonderful together or apart. This has been a wonderful series and I can't recommend it enough.
This was my favorite book of the series. Han and May were so vulnerable and wonderful together or apart. This has been a wonderful series and I can't recommend it enough.
August 24, 2022
Jeannie Chin's storytelling continues to shine in this second full-length book in her new small-town series. There are so many things I'm enjoying about Blue Cedar Falls. The western North Carolina setting is beautifully described, evoking wonderful memories of days spent winding my way along lush mountain roads, leisurely exploring small, quirky towns. I can easily visualize the festivals, Han's family's Chinese restaurant, the new bar on Main Street, and the Wu family's B&B.
I love the Asian-American representation in Chin's books, placing the Wu and Leung families front and center. It's something that's still an exception rather than the norm in contemporary romance but I'm happy to see that's slowly changing.
Second-chance romance is one of my favorite tropes but thirteen years is a long time. Han's and May's reunion could have easily felt forced or unrealistic, but it doesn't. Chin navigates them through the ups and downs of a reignited relationship with finesse, humor, emotions that feel organic, and believable challenges. Not only are they getting to know one another as adults, they are also each individually dealing with complex family dynamics, career concerns, the life-altering effects of teenage bullying, and dreams delayed. It's a journey of growth for both Han and May. I love the ease between these two, the sizzling chemistry, the fun and sweetness that speaks to their long-time - if interrupted - friendship. But I also appreciate that there are issues needing to be addressed. Kudos to the author for tackling those difficult topics head-on, especially within their family units.
The secondary cast in this book is large, colorful, and necessary. I especially enjoyed Han's friend group, the people who are there for him, supportive but not afraid to be brutally honest when necessary. I love how they support his food dreams (oh my gosh, the food!). Yes, there was a good deal of drooling on my part as I read those scenes. ;-)
If you enjoy small-town romance with humor, heart, emotional depth, and positive cultural representation, give Jeannie Chin's Blue Cedar Falls series a try. Return to Cherry Blossom Way stands well on its own but for a full understanding of the Wu and Leung families, the complex dynamic among the Wu sisters, and the issues facing the town of Blue Cedar Falls, I recommend reading the stories in order.
Book 1: The Inn on Sweetbriar Lane
Novella: Only Home with You
Book 2: Return to Cherry Blossom Way
The third book, The House on Mulberry Street, is scheduled to be released March 7, 2023 and is available for pre-order. It's the youngest Wu sister's best friends - to - lovers story and I can't wait to dive in.
*ARC received from Hachette/Forever via NetGalley for fair and unbiased review
I love the Asian-American representation in Chin's books, placing the Wu and Leung families front and center. It's something that's still an exception rather than the norm in contemporary romance but I'm happy to see that's slowly changing.
Second-chance romance is one of my favorite tropes but thirteen years is a long time. Han's and May's reunion could have easily felt forced or unrealistic, but it doesn't. Chin navigates them through the ups and downs of a reignited relationship with finesse, humor, emotions that feel organic, and believable challenges. Not only are they getting to know one another as adults, they are also each individually dealing with complex family dynamics, career concerns, the life-altering effects of teenage bullying, and dreams delayed. It's a journey of growth for both Han and May. I love the ease between these two, the sizzling chemistry, the fun and sweetness that speaks to their long-time - if interrupted - friendship. But I also appreciate that there are issues needing to be addressed. Kudos to the author for tackling those difficult topics head-on, especially within their family units.
The secondary cast in this book is large, colorful, and necessary. I especially enjoyed Han's friend group, the people who are there for him, supportive but not afraid to be brutally honest when necessary. I love how they support his food dreams (oh my gosh, the food!). Yes, there was a good deal of drooling on my part as I read those scenes. ;-)
If you enjoy small-town romance with humor, heart, emotional depth, and positive cultural representation, give Jeannie Chin's Blue Cedar Falls series a try. Return to Cherry Blossom Way stands well on its own but for a full understanding of the Wu and Leung families, the complex dynamic among the Wu sisters, and the issues facing the town of Blue Cedar Falls, I recommend reading the stories in order.
Book 1: The Inn on Sweetbriar Lane
Novella: Only Home with You
Book 2: Return to Cherry Blossom Way
The third book, The House on Mulberry Street, is scheduled to be released March 7, 2023 and is available for pre-order. It's the youngest Wu sister's best friends - to - lovers story and I can't wait to dive in.
*ARC received from Hachette/Forever via NetGalley for fair and unbiased review
September 16, 2022
Jeannie Chin is now an auto-buy author for me. I'm already looking to order her other books in this series and I'm saying that as my recommendation for this right up top like a newspaper article.
Two people re-connecting is a particular favorite of mine so May's and Han's story hits a particular heartstring for me. May wants to find the place where she belongs. The racially charged bullying she endures throughout high school ignites her desire to get the hell out of Blue Cedar Falls even more. Han wants to be with May and if that means going to New York then sure, he'll give it a shot. Unlike May though, he hasn't received the same type of bullying she has. Also, he likes Blue Cedar Falls, where he's at, and perhaps maybe one day May will come around. That day doesn't come and May leaves after high school without Han. After his father dies in the middle of their freshman college semester, May rushes to Han. He asks her to stay and she says no. It seems like a pretty irreconcilable case.
Fast forward 13 years. May works at a travel magazine. Her mother's cat has gone viral and her boss wants her to go home to cover the story and highlight the town. Han stayed home and put his younger siblings through college and kept his family business afloat and still dreams about opening his own restaurant. There's a festival coming up he's going to do a pop-up restaurant at and feature a brand new menu.
You will like this if you like drawn-out scenes where the dialogue and layered communication is built into one long set piece. Like a play. Their reunion scene lasted probably like 40 pages? They go steal like a gnome and reminisce. The emotions are earned. The tentative touches are earned. It's a good mix of show and tell. Where in one POV May will think of an observation about Han and then he'll demonstrate it through action. I think this serves the purpose of how well she knows him, and most good stories are a mix. Where Chin doesn't rely on the narrative device of flashbacks but rather on May's feelings and knowledge of Han and then to have it proven correct in the moment. It's tight writing.
Anyway, who should make the sacrifice of moving May or Han? I think Jeannie Chin resolves the conflict in a satisfying way. Cannot recommend it enough.
Two people re-connecting is a particular favorite of mine so May's and Han's story hits a particular heartstring for me. May wants to find the place where she belongs. The racially charged bullying she endures throughout high school ignites her desire to get the hell out of Blue Cedar Falls even more. Han wants to be with May and if that means going to New York then sure, he'll give it a shot. Unlike May though, he hasn't received the same type of bullying she has. Also, he likes Blue Cedar Falls, where he's at, and perhaps maybe one day May will come around. That day doesn't come and May leaves after high school without Han. After his father dies in the middle of their freshman college semester, May rushes to Han. He asks her to stay and she says no. It seems like a pretty irreconcilable case.
Fast forward 13 years. May works at a travel magazine. Her mother's cat has gone viral and her boss wants her to go home to cover the story and highlight the town. Han stayed home and put his younger siblings through college and kept his family business afloat and still dreams about opening his own restaurant. There's a festival coming up he's going to do a pop-up restaurant at and feature a brand new menu.
You will like this if you like drawn-out scenes where the dialogue and layered communication is built into one long set piece. Like a play. Their reunion scene lasted probably like 40 pages? They go steal like a gnome and reminisce. The emotions are earned. The tentative touches are earned. It's a good mix of show and tell. Where in one POV May will think of an observation about Han and then he'll demonstrate it through action. I think this serves the purpose of how well she knows him, and most good stories are a mix. Where Chin doesn't rely on the narrative device of flashbacks but rather on May's feelings and knowledge of Han and then to have it proven correct in the moment. It's tight writing.
Anyway, who should make the sacrifice of moving May or Han? I think Jeannie Chin resolves the conflict in a satisfying way. Cannot recommend it enough.
August 19, 2022
I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.
Return to Cherry Blossom Way is the second in Jeannie Chin’s Blue Cedar Falls series. It can be read as a stand-alone, although I did also enjoy the previous full-length novel and novella, and what the series so far has brought to the Southern small-town romance subgenre in terms of more expansive racial diversity, of Asian characters in particular.
May is the second sister of the Wu family, who first appeared in book 1, and she’s intriguing in that she works as a travel writer and has a bit of a complicated relationship with her hometown. Through her we get the standard “big city woman reconnects with her small-town roots,” but I love that there was a bit more to it than I expected. The commentary on racist bullying is particularly cathartic to read, given how the standard small-town-set books (and their real-life counterparts) have often alienated BIPOC.
Han is a wonderful love interest, and I appreciate there’s a balance between showing he has always had good intentions, while also not always being aware of the true extent of what May was and still is going through, although he tries to be there for her once he is made aware. It’s wonderful to see them really have to confront the issues of their past, and whether their current feelings for each other merit confronting those issues.
This is another sweet read, and I’m excited for what’s next for the Wu family and Blue Cedar Falls in the next book! If you’re looking for more diverse small-town romance, I recommend keeping an eye out for this one!
Return to Cherry Blossom Way is the second in Jeannie Chin’s Blue Cedar Falls series. It can be read as a stand-alone, although I did also enjoy the previous full-length novel and novella, and what the series so far has brought to the Southern small-town romance subgenre in terms of more expansive racial diversity, of Asian characters in particular.
May is the second sister of the Wu family, who first appeared in book 1, and she’s intriguing in that she works as a travel writer and has a bit of a complicated relationship with her hometown. Through her we get the standard “big city woman reconnects with her small-town roots,” but I love that there was a bit more to it than I expected. The commentary on racist bullying is particularly cathartic to read, given how the standard small-town-set books (and their real-life counterparts) have often alienated BIPOC.
Han is a wonderful love interest, and I appreciate there’s a balance between showing he has always had good intentions, while also not always being aware of the true extent of what May was and still is going through, although he tries to be there for her once he is made aware. It’s wonderful to see them really have to confront the issues of their past, and whether their current feelings for each other merit confronting those issues.
This is another sweet read, and I’m excited for what’s next for the Wu family and Blue Cedar Falls in the next book! If you’re looking for more diverse small-town romance, I recommend keeping an eye out for this one!
October 27, 2022
I was so happy to be back in Blue Cedar Falls with Jeannie Chin's latest novel, Return to Cherry Blossom Way.
This romance novel is a second-chance romance between another Wu sister, May, who works for a magazine in New York. She's constantly traveling for work which gives her the perfect excuse to rarely return home, which holds a lot of memories she'd like to forget, and people she'd like to avoid. One of those individuals is her ex-boyfriend, Han Leung, who still lives in Blue Cedar Falls after the death of his father.
After her mom's cat becomes a quick internet sensation, May takes a job that brings her back home. It isn't as easy to come home as she thought as one of her sisters is giving her the cold shoulder, but she easily reconnects with Han. She'd be lying to herself if she said her love for him was gone. As they continue to spend more time together, her feelings for him get more confusing especially since she knows he'd never leave home and she's never seen herself living in North Carolina.
I fell in love with Blue Cedar Falls last year with Jeannie's debut, The Inn on Sweetbriar Lane. Return to Cherry Blossom Way was just as delightful as her previous endeavour. Jeannie Chin has easily become an auto-buy author for me. Her characters are so relatable and I love the town that she has created for them. The secondary characters in this novel are also well rounded and fleshed out that they stood out easily on their own. I can't wait for the final book in the Blue Cedar Falls trilogy and whatever she'll write when she does afterwards.
Thank you to Forever for providing me with a copy in exchange for my honest review.
This romance novel is a second-chance romance between another Wu sister, May, who works for a magazine in New York. She's constantly traveling for work which gives her the perfect excuse to rarely return home, which holds a lot of memories she'd like to forget, and people she'd like to avoid. One of those individuals is her ex-boyfriend, Han Leung, who still lives in Blue Cedar Falls after the death of his father.
After her mom's cat becomes a quick internet sensation, May takes a job that brings her back home. It isn't as easy to come home as she thought as one of her sisters is giving her the cold shoulder, but she easily reconnects with Han. She'd be lying to herself if she said her love for him was gone. As they continue to spend more time together, her feelings for him get more confusing especially since she knows he'd never leave home and she's never seen herself living in North Carolina.
I fell in love with Blue Cedar Falls last year with Jeannie's debut, The Inn on Sweetbriar Lane. Return to Cherry Blossom Way was just as delightful as her previous endeavour. Jeannie Chin has easily become an auto-buy author for me. Her characters are so relatable and I love the town that she has created for them. The secondary characters in this novel are also well rounded and fleshed out that they stood out easily on their own. I can't wait for the final book in the Blue Cedar Falls trilogy and whatever she'll write when she does afterwards.
Thank you to Forever for providing me with a copy in exchange for my honest review.
August 24, 2022
Return to Cherry Blossom Way is the second book in Jeannie Chin’s Blue Cedar Falls series but can be read as a standalone. When travel writer May returns to her home town of Blue Cedar Falls for an article she is brought back into who she was before she left for New York 13 years ago. She must face the realities of her family’s inn, being reunited with her high school boyfriend, and the fact that her former bully keeps popping up around town. Chef Han is struggling with balancing his family’s Chinese restaurant and his dreams of opening a restaurant of his own when his high school girlfriend suddenly returns and throws his life into chaos. The pair agree to an emotionless fling while May is in town but old feeling bubble to the surface.
This book was darling. Second chance romances are hit and miss with me, but this one worked. I adored both May and Han. I really liked that this book was dual POV because I felt like I really got to know both characters and fully understood their motivations. This was a book with a lot of heart and also the ugliness of life. I liked that May was able to confront the racism she received without having to forgive those who tormented her. I liked that both May and Han had complicated family dynamics because it just made their situations more realistic as familial relationships are always complicated. This book just made me happy and was a nice, fun, relaxing read.
Thank you to NetGalley and Forever for the ARC and Forever for the gifted copy in exchange for an honest review.
This book was darling. Second chance romances are hit and miss with me, but this one worked. I adored both May and Han. I really liked that this book was dual POV because I felt like I really got to know both characters and fully understood their motivations. This was a book with a lot of heart and also the ugliness of life. I liked that May was able to confront the racism she received without having to forgive those who tormented her. I liked that both May and Han had complicated family dynamics because it just made their situations more realistic as familial relationships are always complicated. This book just made me happy and was a nice, fun, relaxing read.
Thank you to NetGalley and Forever for the ARC and Forever for the gifted copy in exchange for an honest review.
December 30, 2022
3.5 stars. Yay: interesting family dynamics, small town, Asian MCs. Second chance romances are a fave trope of mine normally, but this one makes me understand the perspective of a reading buddy who hates them. I'm not sure they *should* get back together so precipitously? I'm just concerned for them as a couple and for each of them and their mental health individually.
Also, ok, this is probably silly BUT. in the final chapter before the epilogue, there's a throwaway description of her NY apartment with big windows, including how she hand-selected sea glass and slate and a five star showerhead for her bathroom renovation. WHAT. does this mean she owns an apartment in Manhattan? Is she hand selecting a custom shower as a RENTER? what kind of money is she making for this magazine???? And if she owns (and can now presumably rent or sell) a recently renovated fancypants Manhattan apartment, why is she concerned about finances at all? She could sell it and make bank, or at least enough bank that she doesn't need to worry about her finances in small town NC for a good long while. This kind of reminds me of my least favorite ending of a movie of all time, where after following this hipster couple across the country visiting friends and checking out different cities they might want to live in it turns out that they actually owned an empty, gorgeous beach house the whole time. WTF I'M STILL MAD.
Also, ok, this is probably silly BUT. in the final chapter before the epilogue, there's a throwaway description of her NY apartment with big windows, including how she hand-selected sea glass and slate and a five star showerhead for her bathroom renovation. WHAT. does this mean she owns an apartment in Manhattan? Is she hand selecting a custom shower as a RENTER? what kind of money is she making for this magazine???? And if she owns (and can now presumably rent or sell) a recently renovated fancypants Manhattan apartment, why is she concerned about finances at all? She could sell it and make bank, or at least enough bank that she doesn't need to worry about her finances in small town NC for a good long while. This kind of reminds me of my least favorite ending of a movie of all time, where after following this hipster couple across the country visiting friends and checking out different cities they might want to live in it turns out that they actually owned an empty, gorgeous beach house the whole time. WTF I'M STILL MAD.
August 23, 2022
This book is a classic second chance romance with a small town feel. May Wu left town after high school for NYC and really hasn't looked back. She loves her job traveling the globe and writing for an established magazine. What she doesn't expect is that her job will lead her right back home. When May arrives for her weeklong assignment she doesn't expect to quickly run into her first love, Han. Han has never forgotten May and how she broken his heart by refusing to stay for him all those years ago. These two find they still have that same chemistry but also find themselves tied to two different places.
I enjoyed May and Han's story. Each had completely believable reasons for separating when they were young as they wanted to branch out in their own ways. I admired May for being true to herself and going for what she wants. I also appreciated Han's dedication to his family and home. It was nice to see these two talk through things and overcome some of the emotional challenges they had gone through in their past. I love the small town aspect to this book and found the ending satisfying. If you are a fan of second chance romance, you will love this one. Chin's writing is so easy to read that you can imagine yourself sitting at the Junebug bar or behind the desk of the Inn along with the characters in the book. This is the second in the series but reads completely fine on its own.
Thank you to Forever for an ARC of this book. The opinions here are my own.
I enjoyed May and Han's story. Each had completely believable reasons for separating when they were young as they wanted to branch out in their own ways. I admired May for being true to herself and going for what she wants. I also appreciated Han's dedication to his family and home. It was nice to see these two talk through things and overcome some of the emotional challenges they had gone through in their past. I love the small town aspect to this book and found the ending satisfying. If you are a fan of second chance romance, you will love this one. Chin's writing is so easy to read that you can imagine yourself sitting at the Junebug bar or behind the desk of the Inn along with the characters in the book. This is the second in the series but reads completely fine on its own.
Thank you to Forever for an ARC of this book. The opinions here are my own.
August 18, 2024
This was just a boring book for me. This is about May going back to her hometown because she's a travel writer and her mom and sister are doing something newsworthy. I don't really get what they were doing and there was no talk of covering the topic when she was there, but whatever. She gets there and starts interacting with her young love, Han. They broke up because she wanted more than the small town life and he wanted to stay. They immediately fall back into a relationship of sorts. Was long distance just not an option? If you've been pining that long, why haven't you stayed in touch? The sibling relationship was weird; family dynamics were touched on but not really explored; the book was just bleh. I did like the conversation around the bullying May underwent as a young person, but she literally COWERED at the idea of the girl who bullied her. There was some character growth, but overall this just wasn't it for me. We do get Han's perspective as he is trying to open his own restaurant without offending his mom who currently owns and runs their family restaurant with him. The foodie elements are fun if you like that, but also, why couldn't they work together to change the family restaurant? There was so much about this book that didn't make sense and I just didn't enjoy.
August 29, 2022
May is working her dream job as a travel journalist based in New York. Han runs his family restaurant in their hometown in North Carolina. And they run into each other when she returns to write a cover feature.
This is a second chance romance. The Inn on Sweetbriar Lane suggested a history between May and Han. I was pleased how quickly we were able to learn what that history was and understand both of their perspectives.
That said, I found it difficult to like May. She disappeared when her family needed her, not being there for her mom after a stroke or offering her family's bed and breakfast the support she was uniquely positioned to provide.
Han also had a lot of growing he needed to do. This romance was quite deep, as it dealt with serious issues both faced individually and with barriers to their relationship. I love seeing a small town romance with such depth.
I recommend reading the first book (and the novella - check my Goodreads for my full review) first. This book spoils the first.
Thank you to Forever for the book. These opinions are my own.
TW: racism
This is a second chance romance. The Inn on Sweetbriar Lane suggested a history between May and Han. I was pleased how quickly we were able to learn what that history was and understand both of their perspectives.
That said, I found it difficult to like May. She disappeared when her family needed her, not being there for her mom after a stroke or offering her family's bed and breakfast the support she was uniquely positioned to provide.
Han also had a lot of growing he needed to do. This romance was quite deep, as it dealt with serious issues both faced individually and with barriers to their relationship. I love seeing a small town romance with such depth.
I recommend reading the first book (and the novella - check my Goodreads for my full review) first. This book spoils the first.
Thank you to Forever for the book. These opinions are my own.
TW: racism
October 13, 2022
May hasn't been home in a while working as a travel writer in the city. Now she's sent by her job to go back to her hometown to write a piece and of course she'd run into her ex and things are being complicated. Its certain that old feeling are still there but there is so much to unpack when it comes to her short stay there.
This was an enjoyable read. I liked getting to know the characters. Then theres the reasoning why May didn't want to stay in town dealing with bullies, and then there was the feeling of betrayal when Han broke it off with her and just going her own way. There was so much more to what was going on if May and other peoples lives and it was interesting seeing things as they come out. I liked the romance between May and Han and couldn't help but root for them and wondering how the outcome would turn out. Then there was Han's side of the story of what happened and why he broke it off with her. You can't help but want things to go his way for once, he took on so much and gave up so much and deserved so much more. This was a pretty great book I really enjoyed it. Pretty much binge read it from start to end. Highly Recommend.
This was an enjoyable read. I liked getting to know the characters. Then theres the reasoning why May didn't want to stay in town dealing with bullies, and then there was the feeling of betrayal when Han broke it off with her and just going her own way. There was so much more to what was going on if May and other peoples lives and it was interesting seeing things as they come out. I liked the romance between May and Han and couldn't help but root for them and wondering how the outcome would turn out. Then there was Han's side of the story of what happened and why he broke it off with her. You can't help but want things to go his way for once, he took on so much and gave up so much and deserved so much more. This was a pretty great book I really enjoyed it. Pretty much binge read it from start to end. Highly Recommend.
December 6, 2022
Return to Cherry Blossom Way by Jeannie Chin is the second in her Blue Cedar Falls series, and is about May Wu, the middle sister, and Han Leung, her one who got away. Or rather, the other way around…
May couldn’t leave Blue Cedar Falls quickly enough—a cruel classmate made high school an ordeal, and the exciting opportunities and new experiences and possibilities in New York always beckoned. Han, in contrast, has always felt bound to their hometown, both in good and sometimes painful ways.
More than a decade later, May returns to write a feature article on the area, and Han and she find that their feelings are as strong as ever. As are their reasons that they might not work…
Jeannie Chin writes Han and May beautifully, and their families and friends feel so real, as do their joys and fears. I appreciated how well their interactions with their families are portrayed, both the warmly loving and the emotional minefields. I also loved when they are able to be brave and speak honestly about their desires and fears, and loved seeing their parents supporting them through their struggles to find their way forward. A terrific read!
May couldn’t leave Blue Cedar Falls quickly enough—a cruel classmate made high school an ordeal, and the exciting opportunities and new experiences and possibilities in New York always beckoned. Han, in contrast, has always felt bound to their hometown, both in good and sometimes painful ways.
More than a decade later, May returns to write a feature article on the area, and Han and she find that their feelings are as strong as ever. As are their reasons that they might not work…
Jeannie Chin writes Han and May beautifully, and their families and friends feel so real, as do their joys and fears. I appreciated how well their interactions with their families are portrayed, both the warmly loving and the emotional minefields. I also loved when they are able to be brave and speak honestly about their desires and fears, and loved seeing their parents supporting them through their struggles to find their way forward. A terrific read!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 80 reviews