In short, this was a little underwhelming for me. I was expecting a lot more to happen both from a character/romance standpoint as well as from the standpoint of the cause they were fighting for.

While a lot of the reactions and outcomes in the book (does that sound non-spoilery enough??) probably mirrored reality very well, that’s not why I picked up the book. I was looking for a spine tingling young romance with a charitable foundation power couple. Instead, I got two people who sniped at each other more than they d each other and very little progress on the charity front.

Danny was straight up a jerk to Clementine sometimes always being on the defensive. It was , dude, you’re right but do you have to be so belligerent about it? That’s a no go for me in my MMC. And Clementine very much had a Mary Sue thing going on for most of the story. She excelled at everything she did, she had a bunch of extra-curriculars, and she had a great group of supportive friends. Towards the end she did get the swift kick she needed, but I also felt that her realization of that was pretty glazed over. She ended up doing better, but it was almost the character development there was a passing reference.

They weren’t super able characters for me, but they were fine enough for the overall story.

For the nonprofit, we saw a lot into the day-to-day boring aspects (ie, canvassing), but I didn’t feel enough really came out of the nonprofit being involved. They were definitely involved throughout the whole story and were the overarching reason our MCs started hanging out, but I was hoping for more success from the efforts, even if it was more detail into their goings on at the end of the story. Perhaps an epilogue could have been used here to state the fruits of their labor around the foundation a bit more.

Another criticism I have is I was expecting more communications to happen via their online personas than actually did, especially once one of them found out who the other was. I was a bit disappointed in how little they interacted online throughout the whole thing as I thought this would be a main feature of the book.

What I did really was the comradery from their friend groups, as well as their internal monologues. Their friends were total MVPs! No matter what was thrown at them, their friends always had their backs and were always cheering them on. Their monologues had me dying at times! They were funny, realistic, and self-deprecating to the max, and were honestly just so good. I remember thinking a lot of the same things when I was young, dumb, and full of...lust.

I also d the sense of community the author built, which was a large part of the overall story. All the Aunties and Uncles, all of the various shop owners with different backgrounds, and the whole Chinatown backdrop was captured very nicely.

Final Thoughts:
Overall, I d the idea behind this, but it lacked in execution for me. A fine read for anyone looking for an introductory to the world of YA romance.

Rating: 3 stars

Thank you to NetGalley, HarperCollins Children’s Books, Quill Tree Books, and Livia Blackburne for the opportunity to read this book. The review expressed above is honest and my own. netgalley8 s Natasha Leighton 528 407

3.5 Stars
Exploring themes such as class, identity, gentrification and community, Livia Blackburne’s charming, You’ve Got Mail-style YA was a sweet and incredibly heartfelt read—guaranteed to pull at your heart strings and make even the grouchiest of readers chuckle.

Told through the alternating POVs of online enemies turned IRL collaborators, Clementine and Danny. Who, despite their differences of opinion, find themselves falling for one another as they try to figure out how best to help their Chinatown community (in the midst of gentrification.)

I’m a sucker for the enemies to lovers trope and when done well, absolutely love a good secret identity/misunderstanding arc. So naturally, I jumped at the chance to read this and was NOT disappointed.

Our protagonists (Clementine and Danny) were incredibly nuanced and depth filled characters, whose very personal motivations and juxtaposed opinions were especially intriguing to explore. Allowing us to explore their lived experiences (from two socio economic backgrounds) and understand their reasonings (and flaws) a little better. The Sunshine x Grump-esque dynamics between Clementine and Danny was also really entertaining.

It does focus on the experiences of two Chinese American teens and their own differing connections to their Chinatown community and cultural heritage. But the exploration into their community and the amazing people within it ( Aunty Lin and her endearing over-competitiveness when playing mahjong) really brought home just how important it can be in finding support and a place to belong.

Overall, a fun yet moving read that would definitely be perfect for starting conversations around activism with younger (teen) readers—and showing that enacting change at a local level is possible, despite how challenging can seem.

Also, a huge thank you to Harper360YA for the proof. 2023 contemporary-ya physical-arcs ...more6 s Stephanie Fitzgerald868

4.5 stars
I’m on a roll! Two sweet, gentle Y.A. books in a row that I thoroughly enjoyed! And that had no alcohol, drug use, or foul language. Sigh…another one that was a breath of fresh air to read!best-of-2023 reviewed-on-goodreads6 s1 comment Katie (Kitkatscanread)720 164

I found this book to be extremely cute!

I love that it has blogging involved, journaling and even tea!

I love the community feel that it had.

I could really feel the emotions.

Would definitely read another from this author.

Definitely recommend this book!physical-books-i-own5 s Janis Yue51 1 follower

I received an advanced reader’s copy of this book.

To be honest, I went into reading this book with a pretty critical eye as Livia gathered a lot of the research that informed this book from the organization I’m a part of and care deeply about: Chinatown Community for Equitable Development.

What I found what that Livia was able to capture the nuances of current situations that Chinatowns across North America are facing as well as the nuances of all the different kinds of actors involved in a way that felt really authentic.

The romance between Clementine and Danny was also so fun with the conceit of the food blogging fights, and I think this book would be an engaging and accessible way to teach about gentrification. The moments where they would notice each other’s body parts got to be a little much/cringe for me but I supposed typical in YA lol

Overall, highly recommend this fun & meaningful read!5 s kate1,364 965

A sweet YA romance exploring activism, the power of community and the impact of gentrification.

While I enjoyed this overall, it didn’t entirely blow me away. I wasn’t the biggest fan of the romance, specifically the outcome of a certain aspect of it (which I can’t mention without spoilers) and other than the protagonists, I found the characters weren’t fleshed out enough for me.

That being said, I really d the community tea shop aspect, the nuanced discussions of gentrification and and Clementines gutsy ‘go get em’ attitude.
I also came away wishing I was a tea drinker because Livia wrote about it in such an enticing way!audiobook contemporary poc-rep ...more4 s Trini189 17

I can commend this book for its bravery. It directly discusses gentrification and the complex problem of cultural preservation, creating space for these important topics all while maintaining its lighthearted YA tone. I really d how the protagonists had different perspectives and how both were, in some ways, wrong, but still good-hearted and wanted the best for Chinatown. Although there was some complexity that I thought the book could've reached for in its conclusion, overall the presentation was mature! And it's a good way of introducing the topic to YA readers who might not know about it normally.

I struggled with getting attached to the characters, and the entire romance plot seemed a little rushed to me - it's as instalove as instalove can be without being completely instant. Genuinely, if I have to read another mention of some teenager's "well-defined" biceps, I will lose it. I thought that Danny was well-written, and I could relate to a lot of his internal conflicts, but I think there was just a lot of lost potential in his interactions with other characters.

In general, I felt that there was a lot of lost potential everywhere. The "secret identity" trope is so fun to play with, and it was almost never brought up. The blog subplot honestly felt shoehorned in, and imo, it caused more problems than it needed to. Clementine is always talking about how successful her blog is and how big her audience is, but then why does nobody talk about it at school? Danny casually hates on Clementine's blog in private but then suddenly his friends also hate on it too?? Clementine says she's been running this blog for YEARS, so has she been reviewing tea since she was in middle school??? I was too confused about a silly little blog for the entire book.

I think it was mostly just a clash of style: Blackburne writes about a very serious issue, and manages to introduce the complexity of it, but I didn't feel there was any major insight delivered. Part of this, I believe, is in how the narration is also lacking. I am not joking when almost every chapter ended abruptly on some random dialogue, without internal reflection or monologue. I genuinely felt I was missing something in my ARC. But I really admire the concept, and I think activism in YA is definitely a subgenre that can be more explored!4-star read-in-2023 reviewed4 s Sophie1,286 559

I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher, via NetGalley. This in no way impacted on my view.

Clementine Chan has a full schedule on her plate, what with her school work, college applications, the school paper, and her popular blog. Dealing with a rogue troll, BobaBoy888, is one thing, but when she learns that a popular strip mall is about to be destroyed, and a chain move in to take it's place, Clementine joins forces with the Chinatown Cares community group, and an unly volunteer, Danny Mok. Danny has worked in his parents tea shop for as long as he can remember, and he hates the idea of change. Working with Clementine was not what he expected, but the more time he spends with her, helping the community, the more he thinks of his future. But he is hiding the fact that he is BobaBoy, and if the two discover just what the other has been hiding, it'll change their relationship for good.

I was initially drawn to this book by the cover, but once I started reading it, I was gripped by Clementine and Danny's story. Both have flaws, and strive for perfection, though it's not easy to find. Clementine runs herself ragged trying to be the best she can be, and takes on more and more responsibility without really considering the cost. I d that she wobbled, and had moments of self doubt. It made her feel a real person. She was an idealist though, and didn't always consider that her experience in life might be different to that of others. Danny felt very different to Clementine, and he relished in tradition and the old way of things. He hated Hibiscus's blog, and the way they wanted to get Chinatown to modernise. Venting his frustrations in whatever way he could, usually via comments on Babble Tea, he felt slightly better, but still, he knew that his parents way of thinking, and the Kalecorp takeover, was inevitable. I knew that there had to be moments of angst, and it definitely came, but the solution and conclusion was well worth it. A great YA contemporary!2023-new-releases-challenge 2023-releases 4-stars ...more3 s Darya165 16

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???? ???? ??????, ?? ????????? ???????????? ???????? ?????? ? ????? ?????'??????? ????? ???????? ????????? ??? ???? ?????????-?????????? ??????? ?? ??????????????. ??, ?? ???????????? ??????????, ? ??????? ????????: ????, ??? ?????? ??????? ??????, ???????????? ? ?????, ? ? ?????????? ?????? ???????????? ????, ??? ??? ???? ?????????????. ? ??, ???? ?? ?? ?????????, ??????????? ??? ??????????????, ?? ???? ??????, ?? ?? ?????? ???? ????????? ????????? ?? ????? ? ?????????, ??? ???????, ? ????????, ??? ?????? ??? ????????????? ??? ??? ???. ????????? ??????, ??? ? ?????? ?? ?? ???? (There Goes the Neighborhood), ???? ???? ???????????, ???? ? ?????? ?????? ???? ????? ???????? ?? ???? ??? ?????????, ??? ???????? ?? ???? ?????????, ?? ?????? ??????. ???, ?? ??????? ??? ????? ????, ????? ??????????? ?????????, ??? ? ?????? ???? ???????, ?? ???? ??????? ???? ?????? ? ?????? ??????????????? ????????. ?????? ? ???? ??????? ??? ????????? ? ?????, ? ? ???????? ??? ????????? ????????. ?? ??????, ??? ???????? ? ?????? ?????? ??????????? ?????????, ???? ??????? ?????????, ???? ???? ??????? ??????????? ?? ?? ??????????? ?? ????, ?? ???? ?????? ?????? ??????????, ? ???? ???? ??????????? ?????????? ?????????? ? ?????????? ???????? ??, ??? ?????? ? ???????????????? ??????????? ????? ?????. ??? ? ??? ?????? ?????? ???? ??????????? ?? ?????????? ???????????????, ? ?????????? ??????? ????? ?????????? ?? ????? ????????? ????????? ???????. ?? ??????? ??? ???? ?????????? ?????????? ???????? ??????? ????? ?????????? ?????, ???? ???????? ????????, ?? ???????? ?????????? ?????? ? ????? ??????????.

? ????????? ???????????? ??? ???? ??? ??????????? ????? ??? ???????? ????? ?????????? ? ?????, ?? ? ????? ? ??? ????????? ? ????? ?????, ? ? ?????? - ???? ? ????????. ????????, ?? ???? ??????? ???????? ?? ???? ???? ????????? ???????????? ? ?????????? ???????????? ???????, ???? ???? ??????????? ??????????????, ???????????? ? ????? ??????? ?? ?? ? ??????, ? ??? ??????? ???????????? ?? ???????????? ?? ?????. ? ???, ???????????, ??????? ?????? ????? ????? ??????? ???????? ??? ??????????? ??? ?? ???????.2023-read contemporary migration ...more2 s Cheryl78 2

Clementine and Danny are both students at the same high school in China Town, but don't really know one another in person. Online is another story. Clementine blogs about different tea spots in China Town, while Danny, who's parents own a teahouse in the area haaaates Clementine's blog and critiques each of her posts in the comments. But when a Wholefoods-type superstore wants to buy out the strip mall where Danny's parents' tea shop is, both he and Clementine feel passionate enough to fight the gentrification of their beloved China Town. Pairing up in real life, all the while not knowing they are online rivals, the two work side by side developing a friendship along with maybe something more.

This very much is a YA take on the movie You Got Mail and I was very here for it. The characters were charmingly imperfect and the story was delightful. I read this in almost one sitting and couldn't put it down as I was simply enchanted by the world the author created and wouldn't have minded living there a little longer. Even though the characters did deal with an array of real issues that will certainly resonate with readers, overall it left me with a light, happy feeling overall.

Thank you so much to Net Galley for providing me with a free e-copy in exchange for an honest review.2023-tbr2 s Genna490 17

The backstory is interesting - saving a historical establishment in a Chinese community. But the mmc is behaving a 12 year old instead of his age, 18. The conflict that he has created is just immature and throwing a tantrum.
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