Representation: Asian and Black characters
Trigger warnings: Racism, cheating
Score: Six out of ten.
Find this review on The StoryGraph.

This one was okay. I wanted to read A Taste for Love by Jennifer Yen for a while but I put it off for a few months, before finally picking it up at a library only a few days ago. The blurb sounded promising, but the ratings were low, so I headed in with low expectations. When I closed the final page, it was okay.

It starts with Liza Yang, a Taiwanese American, living with her controlling mother, seeing her as rebellious compared to her sister, Jeannie, but only because of one subject: traditional values. Liza's mother only wants Liza to date Taiwanese or Chinese men, and no one else. Why? I'm unsure, other than it's a value promoting monoracial marriages. The pacing is slow in the opening pages, and it doesn't pick up steam at any point in the narrative. The characters are likable and have character development, but it wasn't easy to connect or relate to them, especially Liza's second love interest. All the characters lacked depth, so I didn't feel like Liza and her partner had any chemistry, but adding more depth would improve the reading experience.

I like the diversity here, but I keep seeing a lot of Asian American stories, and I'd like to see more outside America, like British Asian and Asian Australian ones. Nothing much happens in the first 160 pages of the story, but the second half is more engaging as I get to see a baking competition, but the contestants are all Asian men. Liza soon realises the true purpose of the bake-off--her mother selected them, hoping Liza would date one of them, and she does. The relationship starts slowly but picks up, but I'd love to see more of the side plots, particularly those about racism and cheating.

I don't get to see why Liza's mother has a tight grip over Liza's life, especially considering she won't allow Liza to play sports (explaining her lack of swimming abilities until the 6th grade,) claiming she could risk tanning her skin and make herself less appealing (she still plays indoor sports behind her back without consequences, though.) It sends a message that Asians have a culture of not playing sports, meaning no swimming culture, soccer culture and so on, perhaps due to systemic racism. Really? I would've enjoyed A Taste for Love more if Liza's mother also changed as a character. ( )

Pretty cute ( )

*I got this book for review from the publisher for my honest thoughts*

I really loved this read. It was such a fun read. I loved the bakery as a setting of this read mixed with competition but also a bachalorette elements that just made me smile. I really loved how this book was about the asisan american culture. I thought this book had a nice balance between sweet but also tackling harder topics. This book had so many side characters and so many romances that just made me smile. I really loved how this book also tackled the summer after high school or but also parent expectation vs child wants. I will def read more by this author in the future. ( )

*I got this book for review from the publisher for my honest thoughts*

I really loved this read. It was such a fun read. I loved the bakery as a setting of this read mixed with competition but also a bachalorette elements that just made me smile. I really loved how this book was about the asisan american culture. I thought this book had a nice balance between sweet but also tackling harder topics. This book had so many side characters and so many romances that just made me smile. I really loved how this book also tackled the summer after high school or but also parent expectation vs child wants. I will def read more by this author in the future. ( )

A Taste for Love is a 2022 Lone Star novel.

Liza Yang loves to bake. Her mom owns a bakery which lies next to the restaurant her father runs. She calls her mom "tiger mom" at least once in the novel. Her Taiwanese mother holds tight reins on Liza, making Liza sneak around in order to date. Her mother insists she date Taiwanese boys--she has a hierarchy of Asian boys for Liza. Liza hates these boundaries, so she dates secretly. She's currently unattached, as she finds out her boyfriend has been cheating on her. When a confrontation occurs with the cheating boyfriend, a young man comes out of the blue and insists the guy leave. Liza finds this guy super rude. Her best friend is Grace, and they have another friend named Sarah who serves as the character in the book who doesn't realize she makes racist comments while still being a good person. She has her own learning curve to follow in the novel.

It's that time of the year. It's mom's baking contest. When all the contestants are chosen and the contest begins, Liza learns that her mom selected boys only. Mrs. Yang expects Liza to date one of them. Problem is--they can't all bake. Will this ruin the competition? Interestingly, the guy she met when breaking up with her boyfriend shows up as a contestant. James supposedly plans on helping Liza so that she doesn't have to worry about him or Ben in this "pick a mother-approved boyfriend" plot. Ben and James are cousins; Grace and Ben fall for each other pretty quickly. They hope James and Liza will become a couple as well. You also meet the other contestants. As the competition unfolds, some strange incidents occur. Also, it turns out, that several characters have pasts that are meant to be secret that affect the competition.

Overall, it's a lovely reading experience. You'll enjoy Liza and the relationships she has with her mother, her sister, Grace, and Sarah. You'll enjoy the interactions between the romantic couples as well. They're cute. If you like baking, you'll find the contest fun as well. If you enjoy nice romance novels (I always think about reading on a rainy day), you'll enjoy this selection. It's not the absolute best in the library, but it is very nice and you'll enjoy it. I did. ( )