Always a matchmaker, never a match...

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

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

Lunar Love has been published in the following territories:

Italy

Türkiye

 
 

Praise for Lunar Love

"ABSOLUTELY adored it!!"
— Christina Lauren, New York Times bestselling author


★ “Debut author Kung Jessen does an impeccable job helping two adversarial lovers find common ground in their Chinese American heritage and creating a slow-burn romance with lots of humor, family, and food. An excellent match for fans of Jackie Lau, Jayci Lee, and Helena Hunting.”
— Library Journal, starred review


“Jessen’s debut rom-com hits all the beats of a tried-and-true rivals-to-lovers narrative.”
— Publishers Weekly


“Tradition meets modern progress, and it's a delicious combination!”
―Abby Jimenez, New York Times bestselling author of Part of Your World

"A refreshing and unexpected take on matchmaking! This will be a perfect match for any reader looking for a heartwarming romance steeped in cultural traditions."
— Jesse Sutanto, national bestselling author of Dial A for Aunties


“I dare you not to fall in love with Lauren Kung Jessen’s writing. Lunar Love is a sweeping romance that celebrates the deep-rooted family legacies that shape us and how these traditions evolve into our own. Brimming with crackling chemistry from page one, Olivia and Bennett prove that those who may appear the most incompatible on paper may just be our perfect match.“
―Amy Lea, author of Set on You


“Fans of Jasmine Guillory and Sally Thorne will delight in Lunar Love, a deliciously romantic tale about the true and wildly unpredictable nature of attraction, compatibility, and love. Lauren Kung Jessen's debut is pure heartwarming joy, complete with matchmaking enemies who battle over tradition on one side and change on the other and who might have more in common than they think.”
― Amy Poeppel, author of The Sweet Spot, Musical Chairs, Small Admissions, and Limelight


"Is it better to find a soulmate using ancient traditions, or is a modern, high-tech approach the more efficient way? In this charming and original debut, Lauren Kung Jessen tackles the question with a breezy, tender joy. Lunar Love is filled with wide-eyed optimism and singular characters whose search for love will delight even the most cynical of readers."
― Lynda Cohen Loigman, USA Today bestselling author of The Two-Family House and The Wartime Sisters

"Can technology ever take the place of tradition? And can a couple that’s incompatible make love last? These are the questions Lauren Kung Jessen asks in LUNAR LOVE, a delightful, sparkling romance full of family bonds, a swoon-worthy hero, and plenty of delicious food. This super sweet read is perfect for rom-com fans!"
— Kerry Winfrey, author of Just Another Love Song and Waiting for Tom Hanks


"LUNAR LOVE is a touching tribute to Chinese-American culture and the power of family. Set against a vibrant Los Angeles backdrop, this romance is packed with plot twists, thought-provoking questions about love and astrology, and sentimental scenes that will stay with you long after you read the final page. Bennett O'Brien is the perfect book boyfriend!"
— Hannah Orenstein, author of Meant to be Mine and Playing with Matches


”Lauren Kung Jessen writes supremely satisfying slow-burn and rivals-to-lovers. LUNAR LOVE's characters feel real, with flaws and depth and so much to love and root for. Where Bennett's strong determination meets Olivia's own steely resolve, there's heat, friction, sparks--it's a lit match. An incompatible match in zodiac terms, at that, but it just might be what both of them need. With surprises that are, in turns, adorable, wickedly funny, and heart-twisting, I'll be thinking about Olivia, Bennett, Swiss rolls, and LUNAR LOVE for a long time.”
― Sarah Hogle, author of Just Like Magic


”A lovingly crafted rival-to-lovers rom-com about navigating the space between traditional and modern dating! I loved the contrast between Liv’s commitment to honoring her family’s Chinese zodiac matchmaking legacy, and Bennett’s drive to bring traditional methods to a modern dating app. But more than that, I loved watching Liv and Bennett’s sizzling chemistry grow from their bakery meet-cute, to their perfectly compatible happily ever after. This book is a delight!”
— Farah Heron, author of Kamila Knows Best 

"Lunar Love has everything I love in a book: smart characters, a love story with chemistry, the nostalgia of family traditions, and a plot that is both emotional and laugh-out-loud funny. Oh, and did I mention the food? Yes, please. This sweet opposites attract story shines brighter than a supermoon on a warm summer night. It has all the feels and will make you believe in soulmates. It’s a match made in heaven for all rom-com fans."
— Elizabeth Thompson, USA Today bestselling author of Lost In Paris

“With an endearing cast of characters and a heartwarming plot, Lauren Kung Jessen's LUNAR LOVE is a delightful romantic escape. Tradition and technology collide in this scrumptious match made in rom-com heaven.”
— Dylan Newton, author of All Fired Up and How Sweet It Is


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


“A sweet, buttery treat. An enemies-to-lovers romance with a warm and gooey cinnamon bun hero. It was an added bonus to learn so much about Chinese culture."
— Jayci Lee, author of Booked on a Feeling, The Dating Dare, and A Sweet Mess


”Prepare to laugh, cry, swoon, and rush to the nearest Chinese bakery to get your fix of Swiss rolls with vanilla cream filling! With You’ve Got Mail vibes, witty banter, delicious tension, strong character development, and a yummy cinnamon roll book boyfriend, Lunar Love grabbed me from the first page and never let go.”
— Meredith Schorr, author of As Seen on TV


"Lunar Love has a lot to say about modern love while securing its place as a timeless classic. Lauren Kung Jessen is an author to watch and her debut romance is both smart and swoony and will earn a place on your keeper shelf.”
— Elizabeth Everett, author of the Secret Scientists of London series


“Order take out, settle in, and find your perfect match in this delightful and thoughtful romance.”
— Elizabeth Boyle, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of Six Impossible Things

"Love is written in the stars in this charming, cheery rom-com! YOU’VE GOT MAIL meets the Chinese Zodiac in Jessen's delightful ode to food, Los Angeles, family, and finding your perfect match. A delicious treat for fans of Jasmine Guillory and Helen Hoang."
— Georgia Clark, author of It Had to Be You and Island Time


“Lunar Love has all the makings of a new romcom classic. Liv and Bennett’s chemistry-filled rivalry over technology vs. tradition serves as the perfect setting for a nuanced exploration of what it means to be truly compatible. Insightful, atmospheric, and breathtakingly romantic.”
— Ava Wilder, author of How to Fake It In Hollywood


"A bright new voice in romance. Kung Jessen writes with such affection, you can't help but see the silver lining in everything. A heartwarming, sticky sweet debut that upends everything you know about love."
— Carolyn Huynh, author of The Fortunes of Jaded Women

Bookseller praise

“Is 'a matchmaker that can't be matched' a trope? Perhaps a very niche trope? I'm absolutely here for it! Lunar Love is a perfect classic rom-com. The head of a family-owned matching making business that has utilized the Chinese Zodiac for decades has met her biggest competitor - a matching app and its creator. Beginning with a precious meet cute in a Chinese bakery, this enemies-to-lovers rom-com questions the importance of tradition, debates the necessity of change, and asks if opposites really do attract? This is one of my top listens of the year! ”
— Amy, Auburn Oil Co. Booksellers (Auburn, AL)

“Such a fun read featuring rival matchmakers, who both use the Chinese zodiac to make matches! The discussions that Liv and Bennet have, about matches, family and change, are discussions that should happen more often. And, the dates they arrange for the other, were so cute, especially when they went out of their way, to make the dates enjoyable for the other person, in the guise of setting them up. This slow burn will have one looking up their own zodiac sign and traits!”
— Belmont Books (Belmont, MA)

 

“LUNAR LOVE is a debut rom-com with lots of love! When Olivia takes over her family's matchmaking business, she's immediately threatened by a rival matchmaker also using the Chinese Zodiac - in the form of a dating app.  Her life is thrown into a tailspin, though, when a test run of the app matches her with none other than the app's creator. This is enemies-to-lovers romance at its most fun!”
— Bookmarks (Winston Salem, NC)

 

“Olivia is gearing up to take over her grandmother's matchmaking business and usher it into the 21st century when she meets a cute man that makes her blush and laugh at her local bakery. Flash forward and Liv learns said man, Bennett O'Brien, is the same man that is using Chinese zodiac matchmaking on a new dating app. When the two butt heads at an interview and thrown down the bet that they will find love for each other on their preferred method of matchmaking all bets are off. Super cute read that follows the friends to lovers path just perfectly. Excited to see more from Jessen.”
— Old Firehouse Books (Fort Collins, CO)

 

“A wonderful match-making romance, with the right balance of heart and heat.”
— Bookpeople (Austin, TX)