One of:
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Country Living’s 22 Best Romance Novels To Make You Swoon This Year
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lifesavvy’s Best Beach Reads 2022
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The Washington Post’s Summer Romances Recommended by Ali Hazelwood
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Apartment Therapy’s Notable Books in June
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USA Today’s Top Rom-Coms for June
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USA Today’s Best Rom-Coms of 2022
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BookRiot’s Best Books Out This Week (6/21)
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Nerd Daily’s Must-Read Beach Reads
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Cosmopolitan’s Hottest New Beach Reads for Summer 2022
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An ambitious career woman signs up for a co-parenting website only to find a match she never expected, in this unflinchingly funny and honest novel from the author of Last Tang Standing.
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.
“Like Ho’s hilarious Last Tang Standing, Lucie Yi Is Not a Romantic is a mix of laugh-out-loud humor and surprisingly sharp insight, in this case about parenthood. Finding new twists on the rom-com is hard, but Ho makes it look easy.”
—Star Tribune
“Lauren Ho masterfully captures the internal struggle many women go through when trying to balance work life, familial and societal expectations, and their own happiness.”
—USA Today
“Lucie Yi Is Not a Romantic is a book you’ll want to add to your summer arsenal. The grief the main character experiences over things lost and what could have been are going to resonate with a lot of people. But there’s also humor and romance... making for a book that is as touching as it is fun.”
—BookRiot
“As in her stellar debut, Last Tang Standing (2020), Ho skillfully employs humor to make heartbreaking truths more bearable.”
—Booklist (starred review)
“A beautiful exploration of both grief and romance starring a lovably hilarious heroine.”
—Kirkus Reviews
“Lauren Ho’s writing is voicy and funny, her commentary on-point and her stories a wild ride. Pick up this book for the opposites-attract relationship, and stay for the friendships, the Singapore setting and the journey to motherhood.”
—Ali Hazelwood via The Washington Post
“If Jane Austen and Kevin Kwan had a love child, it might well be Lucie Yi Is Not a Romantic. Lauren Ho’s most recent novel sits delightfully at the juncture of modern fertility, modern women, and modern romance.”
—Jodi Picoult, author of Wish You Were Here
“Funny, sharp, and uniquely voicy, Lucie Yi Is Not a Romantic is what happens when an uber talented writer tackles important subjects with humor and charm! I cried and cheered and rooted for Lucie in her journey and determination to seize happiness—and in her discovery that maybe she is, after all, a romantic! I am simply in awe of the way Lauren Ho blends women’s fiction and romance. I adored Last Tang Standing, I loved Lucie Yi Is Not a Romantic, and I cannot wait to see what Lauren Ho gifts us next!”
—Ali Hazelwood, author of The Love Hypothesis
“Sardonically witty, deeply relatable, and surprisingly vulnerable, Lucie Yi is a glorious take on modern romance. I read it in one take and then hated myself afterward for not savoring. A smart, sharp, laugh-out loud delight. Lauren Ho is at the top of her game.”
—Christina Lauren, author of The Soulmate Equation
“Fresh, funny and thought provoking – Lucie Yi is a romantic heroine for the 21st century.”
—Sophie Cousens, author of Just Haven’t Met You Yet
“A sharp, fresh story of finding yourself, and letting love follow. I AM a romantic—and I was rooting for Lucie Yi!”
—KJ Dell’Antonia, author of The Chicken Sisters
“A captivating and original take on modern love, family, and friendship, written with sparkling voice and humor.”
—Helen Hoang, author of The Heart Principle
“Lucie Yi is Not a Romantic kept me gripped from the very first page. It’s full of humour and heart — I couldn’t wait to see how Lucie’s journey played out.”
—Beth O’Leary, author of The Flatshare
“After Last Tang Standing, my expectations were unreasonably high, but Lauren Ho somehow managed to exceed them with Lucie Yi Is Not a Romantic. Prepare yourselves for a heroine who is laugh-out-loud funny and incredibly savvy. Lauren Ho is an auto-buy author for me!”
—Jesse Q. Sutanto, author of Dial A for Aunties
“Lucie Yi Is Not a Romantic features one of the most unique meet-cutes I’ve ever read, with an unconventional path to pregnancy and parenthood that I’ve never seen explored before. Lauren Ho’s writing is witty, charming, and deeply relatable; she nailed the dynamics of thorny familial expectations, relationships with friends that alter when one of them begins having children while others don’t, and best of all, Lucie and Collin. Collin is the adorable, supportive hero Lucie deserves and would never have found if she hadn’t taken parenthood into her own hands, and Lucie is the brave, vulnerable, hilarious love of my life. Mark Thum made me burn holes through my Kindle with my eyeballs. I would like to fight Mark Thum.”
—Sarah Hogle, author of Twice Shy
“Laugh-out-loud funny and unflinchingly honest, Lucie Yi Is Not a Romantic is a love letter to friendship and found family that manages to be head-spinningly romantic while simultaneously burning down the patriarchy.”
—Madi Sinha, author of At Least You Have Your Health
“Lucie Yi Is Not a Romantic is smart, fresh, and incredibly funny. Lauren Ho’s voice is so distinct and witty, and she nails the impressive balancing act of writing a book that feels light and effortless while still offering a thoughtful look at friendship, family, and the sometimes-winding path to finding love.”
—Martha Waters, author of To Love and to Loathe
“This thoroughly modern and witty women’s fiction is about a woman who discovers that even meticulous planning can’t stop her heart from knowing what it wants. With a great cast of characters, unexpected plot twists, and complex family relationships, Lucie Yi Is Not a Romantic is fun, compelling, and a charming love story.”
—Farah Heron, author of Accidentally Engaged and Tahira in Bloom
“Lucie Yi Is Not a Romantic is a reassuring and tender look at modern motherhood, families born and found, and the breadth of parent-child relationships. With clever, quippy narration, Lauren Ho delivers honest, upbeat observation on the physical, social, and emotional transformations of motherhood, especially as it relates to class and cultural differences when co-parenting. Lucie Yi Is Not a Romantic exists in that wonderful, terrifying gap between what we think motherhood looks like and what it actually is.”
—Lillie Vale, author of The Shaadi Set-Up
“A gloriously entertaining and completely addictive read. Warm, sharply-observed and wickedly funny.”
—Nicola Gill, author of We Are Family
“Lauren Ho has a knack for creating stories with a compelling blend of humor and honesty. Lucie Yi is Not a Romantic is a sharp, refreshing novel that explores parenthood, love, and identity. The witty storytelling, compelling protagonist, and universal themes pulled me in from the first pages. This delightful novel will win over readers everywhere!”
—Saumya Dave, author of Well-Behaved Indian Women
“Lucie Yi is not a romantic but she is funny, clever and utterly compelling. A razor sharp story of family, friendship and love in all its many forms, I devoured Lucie Yi Is Not a Romantic in a single sitting. Lauren Ho’s writing is so witty and relatable, I would read her shopping list if she published it.”
—Lindsey Kelk, author of Cinders and Sparks
“With her signature warmth and wit, Lauren Ho explores the trials of elective parenting, pregnancy, dating and family conflicts. Lucie Yi is certainly not a romantic, but she navigates her relationships and friendships with love, generosity and vulnerability. This is a hilarious and honest novel about a woman living on her own terms.”
—Balli Kaur Jaswal, author of Erotic Stories for Punjabi Widows
“Smart, funny, heartfelt and definitely romantic – I loved it!”
—Sarah Morgan, author of Beach House Summer
Lauren Ho, author of adult romcoms Last Tang Standing and Lucie Yi is Not a Romantic, is a reformed legal counsel who now prefers to write for pleasure. Hailing from Malaysia, she is currently based in Singapore, where she’s ostensibly working on her next novel while attempting to parent. Find her on Instagram and Twitter @HelloLaurenHo.
