I will read anything with adoption representation and First Love Language delivers! If you’re looking for a swoony story about family and identity, add this to your TBR! I love the fake dating, connecting with our first language, and the swoons! Keep reading this book review of First Love Language for my full thoughts.
Summary
Taiwanese American Catie Carlson has never fit in with her white family. As much as she loves her stepmom and stepsister, she yearns to understand more about her culture and find her biological mother.
So Catie is shocked when an opportunity comes knocking on her Her summer spa coworker, Toby, says he’ll teach her Mandarin. In exchange, she needs to teach him how to date so he can finally work up the courage to ask out his crush. The only problem is that Catie doesn’t actually have any dating experience. But she can fake it.
With her late father’s copy of The Five Love Languages and all his annotated notes, Catie becomes the perfect dating coach. Or so she thinks. As she gets dangerously close to Toby and to finding out what really happened to her biological mom, she realizes that learning the language of love might be tougher than she thought.
Review
(Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.)
The premise is catchy alone – never having a partner and giving love language lessons in exchange for Mandarin lessons. And on the other hand we also have Catie’s investigation into her own past as she also gets to know her family better – both sides. Her having questions about her birth mother resonated with me as an adoptee and you know I had to read this! First Love Langauge made smile. It’s emotional and entertaining. It was amazing to watch the memories come back to her, the ways language is connected to our memories.
First Love Language is about unearthing memories and family. But it’s also a story about second chances, forgiveness, and love. The relationship is precious as both Catie and Toby not only learn about each other, but also themselves. What do they envision for their future? What kind of person do they want to be? And how brave are they? As one of my first reads of 2025, First Love Language did not disappoint. Find First Love Language on Goodreads, Storygraph, Amazon, Bookshop.org, & Blackwells.
Tour Schedule
| Tour Date | Tour Hosts | Type of Post |
| January 14th | @blithesquesttoread | Bookstagram feed post + Reel |
| @lochislibrary | Bookstagram only | |
| Awonderingreader | Instagram + Tiktok | |
| January 15th | @Debreadsalot | Bookstagram only |
| Utopia State of Mind | Bookstagram + Blog | |
| January 16th | @toffiladyreader | Bookstagram only |
| @stargirls.magical.tale | Bookstagram feed post + Reel | |
| January 17th | Dear Rivarie | Bookstagram + Blog |
| A French Augurey | Bookstagram feed post + Reel | |
| January 18th | @bibliobliss_literarylens | Instagram + Tiktok |
| sel_reads | Instagram + Tiktok | |
| Dorianhellfire | Bookstagram feed post + Reel | |
| January 19th | @btwnprintedpgs | Bookstagram + Blog |
| chitti_reads | Bookstagram feed post + Reel | |
| @metamorphodani | Bookstagram only | |
| January 20th | Bookmunchies | Bookstagram only |
| Naturally.caffeinated.reader | Bookstagram only | |
| Crystal Z. Lee | Bookstagram feed post + Reel | |
| @inmybookishhaze | Bookstagram feed post + Reel |