With a title like, Lucie Yi is Not a Romantic, for a romance book, you’ve got to be intrigued. And I was! Having been eyeing Lauren Ho’s previous book, I was so excited for this upcoming release. If you love a unique premise with some cute character dynamics, keep reading this book review.
Summary
Management consultant Lucie Yi is done waiting for Mr. Right. After a harrowing breakup foiled her plans for children—and drove her to a meltdown in a Tribeca baby store—she’s ready to take matters into her own hands. She signs up for an elective co-parenting website to find a suitable partner with whom to procreate—as platonic as family planning can be.
Collin Read checks all of Lucie’s boxes; he shares a similar cultural background, he’s honest, and most important, he’s ready to become a father. When they match, it doesn’t take long for Lucie to take a leap of faith for her future. So what if her conservative family might not approve? When Lucie becomes pregnant, the pair return to Singapore and, sure enough, her parents refuse to look on the bright side. Even more complicated, Lucie’s ex-fiancé reappears, sparking unresolved feelings and compounding work pressures and the baffling ways her body is changing. Suddenly her straightforward arrangement is falling apart before her very eyes, and Lucie will have to decide how to juggle the demands of the people she loves while pursuing the life she really wants.
Review
(Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.)
TW: previous miscarriage, islamophobic incident
Reading a book about a woman who is feeling the pressure of ticking biology was an experience. There were some fears that felt a bit too close to home. I loved this idea because I think that with dating and relationships being so difficult – and so much about luck and timing – and still wanting a family, Lucie Yi is Not a Romantic is a fabulous contemporary romance. If you love characters denying their feelings and opposites seemingly attracting, this is for you!
What I enjoyed the most, was how on the edge of my seat I was. Until the very end, I wasn’t even sure who Lucie would choose. What future she would see for ourselves. We can have this idea of what we ‘think’ we want. What is stable or secure or what we think of as these. But what happens when we realize that’s not all there is to life? This theme, especially as Lucie and Collin both have to struggle with this idea, is central to Lucie Yi is Not a Romantic.
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In many ways, Lucie Yi is Not a Romantic is an unconventional romance story. But I’ve been reading a few recently that have subverted this idea of how a romance story ‘begins’. When a love story happens. And so in many ways, Lucie Yi is Not a Romantic feels like a refreshing breath. Considering the long lead up, I wish there had been a bit more space at the end for the resolution, but ultimately I really enjoyed these two different characters exploring their priorities and own ideas of the future. Overall, if you love the premise, then you have to read this modern romance. Find Lucie Yi is Not a Romantic on Goodreads, Amazon, Indiebound, Bookshop.org & The Book Depository.