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Chin-Williams #1
Not Another Family Wedding
Natalie Chin-Williams might be a cranky professor of climatology who thinks the world is doomed, but she believes in lasting love…just not for herself. She has a long history of failed relationships, plus the men she dates inevitably want children and she doesn’t.
Now thirty-six and single, Natalie expects endless comments about her love life when she attends her baby sister's wedding. Worse, weddings are always drama-filled disasters in her family. She needs emotional support to get through the weekend, so she enlists the help of her friend Connor Douglas, the dependable family doctor.
The wedding reception goes south when a drunk aunt announces a family secret that sends Natalie reeling and shakes her faith in love. Luckily, she has her long-time friend to lean on—a man she somehow ends up kissing. But there’s no way this could turn into anything lasting, is there? That’s impossible for her, especially now…
Now thirty-six and single, Natalie expects endless comments about her love life when she attends her baby sister's wedding. Worse, weddings are always drama-filled disasters in her family. She needs emotional support to get through the weekend, so she enlists the help of her friend Connor Douglas, the dependable family doctor.
The wedding reception goes south when a drunk aunt announces a family secret that sends Natalie reeling and shakes her faith in love. Luckily, she has her long-time friend to lean on—a man she somehow ends up kissing. But there’s no way this could turn into anything lasting, is there? That’s impossible for her, especially now…
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First published September 25, 2018
About the author
Jackie Lau
37 books710 followersJackie Lau decided she wanted to be a writer when she was in grade two, sometime between writing “The Heart That Got Lost” and “The Land of Shapes.” She later studied engineering and worked as a geophysicist before turning to writing romance novels.
Jackie lives in Toronto with her husband, and despite living in Canada her whole life, she hates winter. When she’s not writing, she enjoys cooking, hiking, eating too much gelato, and reading on the balcony when it’s raining.
Jackie lives in Toronto with her husband, and despite living in Canada her whole life, she hates winter. When she’s not writing, she enjoys cooking, hiking, eating too much gelato, and reading on the balcony when it’s raining.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 96 reviews
March 27, 2019
I wanted to like this, if only for the unusual instance of someone who knows they don't want kids and are perfectly fine being up front about it. Unfortunately, Natalie is an idiot. Not only does she delay having the talk with Connor beyond all reason (seriously, you can't say "hey, Connor, I know it hasn't come up before but I really don't want to have kids") but after it finally comes out she pulls the dumbest, completely unfounded stupidity of I'd complain about her monster negative motivation* only it turns out she has no discernable motivation whatsoever.
AND THEN when . She's supposedly a professor and goes on and on about science and how people should listen to her because she knows things. Given her level of intellectual rigor I have to wonder how she managed to tie her shoes every morning, let alone achieve tenure.
So I can't abide Natalie any more and I'm calling it quits at 76%. Connor is great. Love that guy. He is all that kept me going. I have no idea what he sees in a cranky-pants jerk who yells at her own sister for making choices she disagrees with during a wedding brunch. But he's sweet and has emotional courage and deserves someone who isn't a yelly-jerkface idiot.
So yeah, no stars. Or, you know, the one-star equivalent.
* Negative Motivations: I kind of hate that the term "negative motivation" isn't widespread, yet. Since it isn't, I'm going to save off this little jag to append to my reviews that feature the term. Jennifer Crusie blogged about it a bit back and it changed how I understand story. The problem with the term is that if you've never heard it before, you'd assume it meant motivations that are harmful or immoral. Not so. What it refers to is motivations not to do something. The thing is that many of us are motivated to not do things for a lot of different, perfectly valid and reasonable, reasons. The problem is that in a story motivations to not do things are a huge drag on the plot—particularly considering the fact that most negative motivations are overcome by the character simply deciding they don't care any more (or, rather, that they do care and are now motivated to do the thing). So not only do you have a counter to action but you also have a situation where to overcome it, all a character has to do is change their mind. Which means eventually, the reader is rooting for the character to get over him/herself already and do the thing we want them to do. Conflict drives story. Conflict between a reader and a main character drives readers away from story.
AND THEN when . She's supposedly a professor and goes on and on about science and how people should listen to her because she knows things. Given her level of intellectual rigor I have to wonder how she managed to tie her shoes every morning, let alone achieve tenure.
So I can't abide Natalie any more and I'm calling it quits at 76%. Connor is great. Love that guy. He is all that kept me going. I have no idea what he sees in a cranky-pants jerk who yells at her own sister for making choices she disagrees with during a wedding brunch. But he's sweet and has emotional courage and deserves someone who isn't a yelly-jerkface idiot.
So yeah, no stars. Or, you know, the one-star equivalent.
* Negative Motivations: I kind of hate that the term "negative motivation" isn't widespread, yet. Since it isn't, I'm going to save off this little jag to append to my reviews that feature the term. Jennifer Crusie blogged about it a bit back and it changed how I understand story. The problem with the term is that if you've never heard it before, you'd assume it meant motivations that are harmful or immoral. Not so. What it refers to is motivations not to do something. The thing is that many of us are motivated to not do things for a lot of different, perfectly valid and reasonable, reasons. The problem is that in a story motivations to not do things are a huge drag on the plot—particularly considering the fact that most negative motivations are overcome by the character simply deciding they don't care any more (or, rather, that they do care and are now motivated to do the thing). So not only do you have a counter to action but you also have a situation where to overcome it, all a character has to do is change their mind. Which means eventually, the reader is rooting for the character to get over him/herself already and do the thing we want them to do. Conflict drives story. Conflict between a reader and a main character drives readers away from story.
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March 22, 2019An enjoyable realistic romcom, as single childfree pessimistic climatologist Natalie brings her best friend as a date to a family wedding which is bound to be disastrous. The family wedding aspect is great, the extended cast handled really well, and I love the subtle gradations in family relationships (you're annoying but I love you, I love you but you're annoying, oh my god you're horrendous). I also really like that Natalie just doesn't want children at all, and especially that she's had an abortion and never regretted it in the slightest. It's so depressing how retrograde much romance is on this. Go Natalie's choices.
The conflict depends quite a lot on Natalie's unacknowledged issues and her habit of making damning/pessimistic assumptions. That's very much in keeping with her character and indeed her messed up family, but failure to communicate is never my favourite trope. However,
Connor is an utter sweetie of a hero who *does* actually just talk about stuff instead of building up problems in his head, and the growing friends-to-lovers romance is lovely.
The conflict depends quite a lot on Natalie's unacknowledged issues and her habit of making damning/pessimistic assumptions. That's very much in keeping with her character and indeed her messed up family, but failure to communicate is never my favourite trope. However,
Connor is an utter sweetie of a hero who *does* actually just talk about stuff instead of building up problems in his head, and the growing friends-to-lovers romance is lovely.
May 6, 2019
A curmudgeonly professor needs a date to her sister’s wedding, so she asks her longtime friend to join her—turns out, he had a thing for her back in college and now the sparks are flying. The heroine doesn’t want kids and is secure in her decision, which was super refreshing to see, plus there’s tons of complicated family dynamics going on, which is always a big yes for me. This one is short, just a skosh past novella length, and there were some scenes I wanted a little more from. However, there’s no excess either, which makes for a fun, fast read.
September 26, 2018
This is definitely my favorite Jackie Lau book so far! There was a moment I thought I was going to have to knock it down a little for an unwarranted character freak out, but I like the way it recovered from it so much that I don't need to do that.
But more than anything--Middle 30s heroine who has no interest in having her own children and who doesn't end up changing her mind about that!!! This is a unicorn of a book and I wish it weren't, so everyone should give this a try so we can maybe get more of them.
But more than anything--Middle 30s heroine who has no interest in having her own children and who doesn't end up changing her mind about that!!! This is a unicorn of a book and I wish it weren't, so everyone should give this a try so we can maybe get more of them.
September 25, 2018
There hasn't been a book by Jackie Lau that I haven't loved. She's one of my favourite authors at writing comedic situations that are also romantic and emotional. In this book, we have a main character that truly might be one of the characters that's closest to my heart now. She's in her 30s and doesn't want children. She lives within a family that's constantly asking her questions about when she's going to have them and that really affects her. I related a lot to her since I'm sure I don't want children and I've had a very similar journey with a lot of my relatives. She has to accept throughout the book that there are some members of her family that are trying to accept her and love her and who are fighting for her and some members that aren't worth caring for. Also, even though there were some tense moments and some sad moments, everything was so funny surrounding the problems with the weddings and I appreciated the sister relationship and that was also very relatable since I also have a younger sister who's my best friend and who's going to get married before me.
I absolutely adored that Jackie Lau doesn't shy away from talking about important issues that affect the everyday life of her characters. In this book, there was a lot of talk about racism and especially internalised racism because Natalie is biracial with an Asian dad and a white mother. Additionally, it discussed problems and decisions surrounding pregnancies, abortion and postpartum depression. It was talked about in such a caring and tender way. It described how it also affects the people who surrounds the person who's suffering especially the children of the mother who's suffering of the postpartum depression and how they understood her as they got older. I'm so happy it discussed Natalie's abortion in a way that didn't diminished the way she felt but it wasn't this traumatic event that she was going to regret. I appreciated all those talks so so much.
Connor was a fantastic hero. We didn't know everything about him since the beginning but I rooted for his happiness because he was obviously a good person who cared a lot about Natalie even if he wouldn't admit it. As we knew more about him, I began to love him and ship them as a couple and not only caring for Natalie and her happiness. What I adored the most about them is how different they were and how much they understood each other as well. Especially since she was such a pessimist about the world and he was a ray of sunshine. The gradual realisation that they cared for each other as more than friends was the best thing to read about. What I have to say is I'm aromantic and there were a lot of arophobic things as the phrase "just friends" was constantly used and it was implied that even though she didn't want kids she had to want romance otherwise she would be REALLY weird. I know those things weren't on purpose because there were a lot of discussions on prejudice and what other people think about your life and I know the author wouldn't do that to other people but it would be nice not to see those things in romance anymore. Other than that I have nothing bad to say, I loved every minute!
I absolutely adored that Jackie Lau doesn't shy away from talking about important issues that affect the everyday life of her characters. In this book, there was a lot of talk about racism and especially internalised racism because Natalie is biracial with an Asian dad and a white mother. Additionally, it discussed problems and decisions surrounding pregnancies, abortion and postpartum depression. It was talked about in such a caring and tender way. It described how it also affects the people who surrounds the person who's suffering especially the children of the mother who's suffering of the postpartum depression and how they understood her as they got older. I'm so happy it discussed Natalie's abortion in a way that didn't diminished the way she felt but it wasn't this traumatic event that she was going to regret. I appreciated all those talks so so much.
Connor was a fantastic hero. We didn't know everything about him since the beginning but I rooted for his happiness because he was obviously a good person who cared a lot about Natalie even if he wouldn't admit it. As we knew more about him, I began to love him and ship them as a couple and not only caring for Natalie and her happiness. What I adored the most about them is how different they were and how much they understood each other as well. Especially since she was such a pessimist about the world and he was a ray of sunshine. The gradual realisation that they cared for each other as more than friends was the best thing to read about. What I have to say is I'm aromantic and there were a lot of arophobic things as the phrase "just friends" was constantly used and it was implied that even though she didn't want kids she had to want romance otherwise she would be REALLY weird. I know those things weren't on purpose because there were a lot of discussions on prejudice and what other people think about your life and I know the author wouldn't do that to other people but it would be nice not to see those things in romance anymore. Other than that I have nothing bad to say, I loved every minute!
April 28, 2019
Ugh, I wanted to like this. I SHOULD have liked it. So much about it was right up my alley, but it really just didn't work for me. For one thing, I never quite clicked with the writing style (not that it was poorly written, it's more just personal preference). I realized that pretty early on, but I thought I could still enjoy the romance. Unfortunately, Natalie ended up driving me crazy. As someone who recently entered her 30s and doesn't plan on ever having kids, I felt like I should've liked Natalie and should've been sympathizing with her, but I found her so frustrating. First, when she basically insisted Connor must want kids without having any actual proof (such as, idk, ASKING HIM), and then when she finds out she was wrong and he DOESN'T want kids, she still insists that they won't work. There's one point where she's starting to change her mind and is like, "But it still couldn't work with someone like me," and I didn't even understand what that meant because 99% of her issue up to that point with the idea of dating Connor (or anyone) was the assumption that he'd want kids. It wasn't clear to me what was so fundamentally wrong with her that would make a relationship not work. And I get that she was kind of using that as an excuse, but man, if a character is saying they want something (i.e. to find someone who loves her who she also loves who doesn't want children) for an entire book and then she finally gets it, but then is like, "Actually, no," it's just frustrating. I also wanted to shake her for the entire brunch scene with Rebecca.
I liked Connor, but I also felt like the book was almost unbalanced between them. It was all about Natalie's issues and her family and relationships with them. Which makes sense considering most of the book is set during her sister's wedding, but it felt weird for Connor to also have POV chapters. He basically had nothing going on internally except falling in love with Natalie and trying to convince her to be in a relationship. And I had fewer issues with him than Natalie since his purpose was mainly there to support her, but it just felt kind of lopsided for Natalie to have flaws and be dealing with so many things, and Connor to just be… there. In contemporary romances like this, I tend to prefer both leads to have their own issues to deal with, but it was really all about Natalie, which made me wonder why we were getting Connor's POV at all.
Anyways, I feel like 2 stars is kind of harsh, in part just because I wanted to like this so badly (and maybe some of the low rating is just because it did disappoint me, and if I'd gone in with no hopes/expectations, I'd feel less negatively towards it) and because I do want more books that deal with topics like a woman in her mid-30s not wanting to have kids and not changing her mind, and the struggles that can come with that and dealing with family and dating and everything that comes with that, but the execution just wasn't there for me here.
I liked Connor, but I also felt like the book was almost unbalanced between them. It was all about Natalie's issues and her family and relationships with them. Which makes sense considering most of the book is set during her sister's wedding, but it felt weird for Connor to also have POV chapters. He basically had nothing going on internally except falling in love with Natalie and trying to convince her to be in a relationship. And I had fewer issues with him than Natalie since his purpose was mainly there to support her, but it just felt kind of lopsided for Natalie to have flaws and be dealing with so many things, and Connor to just be… there. In contemporary romances like this, I tend to prefer both leads to have their own issues to deal with, but it was really all about Natalie, which made me wonder why we were getting Connor's POV at all.
Anyways, I feel like 2 stars is kind of harsh, in part just because I wanted to like this so badly (and maybe some of the low rating is just because it did disappoint me, and if I'd gone in with no hopes/expectations, I'd feel less negatively towards it) and because I do want more books that deal with topics like a woman in her mid-30s not wanting to have kids and not changing her mind, and the struggles that can come with that and dealing with family and dating and everything that comes with that, but the execution just wasn't there for me here.
September 8, 2019
4.5 stars, rounding up
I'll just say straight up that this book might not work for everyone if you can't fully get behind Natalie and what are some honestly really frustrating personality traits and communication issues. But I felt so much in common with her that I just ended up loving this book. It might be my favorite by the author so far?
I don't think Natalie is always an easy character to love, but that made me love her even more. I mean, first off, she's a climatologist and incredibly intelligent and competent, which was awesome. But more than that, every time I wanted to grab her and shake her and tell her to TALK TO CONNOR INSTEAD OF MAKING ASSUMPTIONS and tell her she was being judgmental or whatever, I stopped and thought holy shit, is this how my friends think about me sometimes? Because it's almost eerie how alike we are in a lot of ways. That meant that I could feel myself inside her head as she made decisions or reached conclusions or pushed people away.
Connor is almost too good to be true. I don't really mean that in a bad way, and Natalie certainly thinks the same thing, but his character wasn't quite as compelling for me. This is really Natalie's story, IMO. And it was an important one in so many ways. Like, she's the only romance heroine I can ever remember who had an abortion (in her past, not in the book)? I don't consider that a spoiler, sorry! And she's deeply invested in not having children--EVER--and she doesn't change her mind. I can't stand it when heroines in romance novels say they don't have children and then in the epilogue, they end up with children. It feels like a betrayal. And Natalie realizes that even though she's always felt secure in that decision, she was also holding on to some negative feelings associated with not wanting children--with feeling like there's something wrong with her for feeling that way. Woo, do I know that feeling.
I wish there had been more exploration of the conflict in their relationship that came as a result of Natalie fearing that their relationship wouldn't last in the long-term past a honeymoon phase or that she always screwed up relationships. I actually found that more interesting than her fear that she couldn't be with Connor because she was convinced he would want children--something easily cleared up with AN ACTUAL CONVERSATION ABOUT THE TOPIC.
So, yes, maybe this won't be everyone's cup of tea, but it really worked for me. And I'm so happy we get characters like Natalie, women who are deeply flawed but who deserve love and who get their happy endings anyway. This is a deeply feminist romance novel for sending that message, and it's something I sincerely appreciate.
I'll just say straight up that this book might not work for everyone if you can't fully get behind Natalie and what are some honestly really frustrating personality traits and communication issues. But I felt so much in common with her that I just ended up loving this book. It might be my favorite by the author so far?
I don't think Natalie is always an easy character to love, but that made me love her even more. I mean, first off, she's a climatologist and incredibly intelligent and competent, which was awesome. But more than that, every time I wanted to grab her and shake her and tell her to TALK TO CONNOR INSTEAD OF MAKING ASSUMPTIONS and tell her she was being judgmental or whatever, I stopped and thought holy shit, is this how my friends think about me sometimes? Because it's almost eerie how alike we are in a lot of ways. That meant that I could feel myself inside her head as she made decisions or reached conclusions or pushed people away.
Connor is almost too good to be true. I don't really mean that in a bad way, and Natalie certainly thinks the same thing, but his character wasn't quite as compelling for me. This is really Natalie's story, IMO. And it was an important one in so many ways. Like, she's the only romance heroine I can ever remember who had an abortion (in her past, not in the book)? I don't consider that a spoiler, sorry! And she's deeply invested in not having children--EVER--and she doesn't change her mind. I can't stand it when heroines in romance novels say they don't have children and then in the epilogue, they end up with children. It feels like a betrayal. And Natalie realizes that even though she's always felt secure in that decision, she was also holding on to some negative feelings associated with not wanting children--with feeling like there's something wrong with her for feeling that way. Woo, do I know that feeling.
I wish there had been more exploration of the conflict in their relationship that came as a result of Natalie fearing that their relationship wouldn't last in the long-term past a honeymoon phase or that she always screwed up relationships. I actually found that more interesting than her fear that she couldn't be with Connor because she was convinced he would want children--something easily cleared up with AN ACTUAL CONVERSATION ABOUT THE TOPIC.
So, yes, maybe this won't be everyone's cup of tea, but it really worked for me. And I'm so happy we get characters like Natalie, women who are deeply flawed but who deserve love and who get their happy endings anyway. This is a deeply feminist romance novel for sending that message, and it's something I sincerely appreciate.
November 26, 2020
This was an excellent Sunday afternoon/evening book. And look! Friends-to-lovers without the pining I hate! (He did have a brief crush on her when they first met, but that was a long time ago.) And a woman who is "allowed" not to want kids!
That said, I didn't quite buy into all of Natalie's reasons for not believing a relationship could work out. She seemed to bounce back and forth. Which is realistic, but I don't think Lau quite pulled it off. There's also that thing where I, too, am a childless, single, mid-30's woman who doesn't really think she's going to find love . . . so I'm judging her some against myself.
Also people still aren't nagging me about being single or having kids. I still think maybe I should be offended about that!
That said, I didn't quite buy into all of Natalie's reasons for not believing a relationship could work out. She seemed to bounce back and forth. Which is realistic, but I don't think Lau quite pulled it off. There's also that thing where I, too, am a childless, single, mid-30's woman who doesn't really think she's going to find love . . . so I'm judging her some against myself.
Also people still aren't nagging me about being single or having kids. I still think maybe I should be offended about that!
August 21, 2019
Around the time the Alabama Anti-Abortion bill passed, there was a conversation on twitter about romances that dealt with abortion in a positive/normalizing manner. You can find many of the tweets with #RomanceforRoe. It’s most often been treated as a moral issue instead of a healthcare issue, and that should go out the door with slut shaming. A few readers and authors chimed in with books that addressed abortion as a healthcare choice that didn’t ruin the main character’s life. Canadian author Jackie Lau pointed to two of her books which dealt with abortion, and luckily I was planning to read both next anyway.
This review is a little unfair to the books, because I’m really only focusing on one aspect, which could give the impression that they are Very Special Episodes. They are not. Each book has it’s own rich tapestry of issues and moments. Most importantly, though one character in each book deals with an abortion in their past, those abortions are not a hindrance to the Happily Ever After. I enjoy Lau’s writing very much. She brings depth and complexity to characters.
When I was about 12, a good friend of my parents was going through a rough pregnancy. It was difficult physically and made worse by the discovery that her husband was expecting another child around the same time with another woman. I looked at her, stomach rippling with false contractions, her face hard with rage, and I knew I never wanted to be pregnant. A lot of people told me I’d grow out of it, that I would meet someone, that I would want kids of my own. I never did. I know that her experience wasn’t likely to be my experience, but still, that seed took root and I never wanted to be pregnant, or a mother.
Natalie Chin-Williams is 36, a climate scientist, and never wants children. She would like to be married, but that hasn’t worked out either. Now her baby sister is getting married and Natalie doesn’t want to go to the wedding without a date. She asks her longtime friend, Connor, to go as her date, but not her boyfriend. Connor agrees, and over the weekend their friendship becomes sexual and romantic. It was lovely to read about two friends seeing each other differently and falling in love.
In my early years of reading romance, one of the common tropes was the wife, girlfriend, or ex who had an abortion as a way to manipulate or torment the hero. The career driven woman who didn’t have time for motherhood was a foil to the sweet heroin who wanted to give the hero the family he deserved. Internalized misogyny is so fun. Natalie is that evil abortion haver turned on her head. She has been upfront about not wanting children, and she has good reasons – not that there need be any reason beyond how a person wants to live their life. Her last serious relationship ended when after a birth control failure, Natalie had an abortion. Her ex had thought she would change her mind when she got pregnant. When he realized she was serious, he reacts badly. His behavior is more traumatizing than the unplanned pregnancy and termination thereof.
Jackie Lau consistently does fantastic work with the complexity of family. She illustrates with compassion the way familial expectations and disappointments can be stumbling blocks as we try to go out in the world and be our own adults. Even loving families have the power to hurt with thoughtless words.
In both books, characters make the reproductive health choices that make the most sense for them. It in not the medical procedures they have that impact them negatively, but the stigma and judgement around those procedures. I believe very strongly in the power of pop culture to be a positive force in the world. We do need #RomanceforRoe. We do need to normalize making appropriate healthcare choices for ourselves. There is no point in my life that it would have been appropriate for me to be pregnant. I have never had to address a pregnancy, but I have sat with friends who have made the choice to terminate pregnancies for a number of reasons, I have talked with friends as they celebrated births, mourned lost pregnancies, and struggled with infertility. Every person I know who has contemplated abortion made the right choice for them at that moment in their life. No laws should strip a person of their right to appropriate healthcare, or hinder their access.
This review is a little unfair to the books, because I’m really only focusing on one aspect, which could give the impression that they are Very Special Episodes. They are not. Each book has it’s own rich tapestry of issues and moments. Most importantly, though one character in each book deals with an abortion in their past, those abortions are not a hindrance to the Happily Ever After. I enjoy Lau’s writing very much. She brings depth and complexity to characters.
When I was about 12, a good friend of my parents was going through a rough pregnancy. It was difficult physically and made worse by the discovery that her husband was expecting another child around the same time with another woman. I looked at her, stomach rippling with false contractions, her face hard with rage, and I knew I never wanted to be pregnant. A lot of people told me I’d grow out of it, that I would meet someone, that I would want kids of my own. I never did. I know that her experience wasn’t likely to be my experience, but still, that seed took root and I never wanted to be pregnant, or a mother.
Natalie Chin-Williams is 36, a climate scientist, and never wants children. She would like to be married, but that hasn’t worked out either. Now her baby sister is getting married and Natalie doesn’t want to go to the wedding without a date. She asks her longtime friend, Connor, to go as her date, but not her boyfriend. Connor agrees, and over the weekend their friendship becomes sexual and romantic. It was lovely to read about two friends seeing each other differently and falling in love.
In my early years of reading romance, one of the common tropes was the wife, girlfriend, or ex who had an abortion as a way to manipulate or torment the hero. The career driven woman who didn’t have time for motherhood was a foil to the sweet heroin who wanted to give the hero the family he deserved. Internalized misogyny is so fun. Natalie is that evil abortion haver turned on her head. She has been upfront about not wanting children, and she has good reasons – not that there need be any reason beyond how a person wants to live their life. Her last serious relationship ended when after a birth control failure, Natalie had an abortion. Her ex had thought she would change her mind when she got pregnant. When he realized she was serious, he reacts badly. His behavior is more traumatizing than the unplanned pregnancy and termination thereof.
Jackie Lau consistently does fantastic work with the complexity of family. She illustrates with compassion the way familial expectations and disappointments can be stumbling blocks as we try to go out in the world and be our own adults. Even loving families have the power to hurt with thoughtless words.
In both books, characters make the reproductive health choices that make the most sense for them. It in not the medical procedures they have that impact them negatively, but the stigma and judgement around those procedures. I believe very strongly in the power of pop culture to be a positive force in the world. We do need #RomanceforRoe. We do need to normalize making appropriate healthcare choices for ourselves. There is no point in my life that it would have been appropriate for me to be pregnant. I have never had to address a pregnancy, but I have sat with friends who have made the choice to terminate pregnancies for a number of reasons, I have talked with friends as they celebrated births, mourned lost pregnancies, and struggled with infertility. Every person I know who has contemplated abortion made the right choice for them at that moment in their life. No laws should strip a person of their right to appropriate healthcare, or hinder their access.
October 11, 2018
Jackie Lau covers a lot of ground in her latest romance, a friends to lovers story full of family wedding drama.
Natalie asks her long time university friend Connor to be her plus one at her sister Rebecca's wedding. Family weddings have always been fraught affairs with something happening to create a memorable day, sometimes funny, sometimes not. Natalie has a white mother and a Chinese father and their respective families weren't thrilled with their union. Their prejudices and racial biases exist to this day. Natalie knows that there will be the inevitable disagreements and just wants someone there to be her moral support. When Connor agrees, they also find that in close quarters there's a new attraction, leading to a sexy affair. But Natalie knows from experience that her not wanting to have children is a deal breaker when it comes to relationships. Do she and Connor have a chance at a happy ending?
I really enjoyed this story. It's rare to find a romance where the female character has no plans to have kids. It's also rare to find one where the heroine has had an abortion (this may be the only story I've read in this regard) from an unexpected pregnancy. That's part of Natalie's history, brought up simply as a matter of fact and part of her determination to remain childless. When Natalie's sister Rebecca was born (Natalie is 11 years older) their mother went through a long period of post partum depression and Natalie became her sister's caregiver for much of the time, until her mother, and eventually her father (who hadn't wanted a baby) took over their proper parental duties. It left her frightened of the effects of PPD, and not wanting the responsibility of another child. She enjoys being around children and relates to them well, so long as they are not going home with her at the end of the night.
Connor has his own issues with children, and is also not unhappy that his first marriage ended with them being childless. He's a great uncle to an energetic toddler but doesn't feel his life will be bereft without kids. In this way he's a perfect match for Natalie. But Natalie is so used to being rejected for her views on children that she's afraid to share them with Connor and spoil the bubble of sexy fun they've created for themselves at the wedding, even as other events are happening around them that make her question marriage and long term relationships.
Along with the typical wedding stress, the challenges of dealing with racist and homophobic relatives make for some uncomfortable situations. Natalie's brother is married to a wonderful Chinese man but that wedding has also brought out the less savoury aspects of their family. Natalie's paternal Chinese grandmother has become more accepting since the death of her husband and provides some of the more humorous moments in the story. The author does an excellent job of showing both cultures, the historical challenges of being immigrants to Canada and combining Rebecca's biracial heritage in her wedding celebration. Natalie has a lot to deal with at this wedding, including relatives questioning her unmarried and child-less state and even though Connor is just a friend (and then more) he is a great buffer to help her realize that her feelings are valid and normal and that she has value as a person on her own.
The romance is pretty sexy amid all the drama. It's Connor who falls first and wants to take a chance on something more, and Natalie who has doubts. But in the end she's willing to risk her heart for the man who is willing to stand by her side. Jackie Lau continues to write with an authentic voice and I am looking forward to more from her. Also, I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the great cover choice! It's wonderful to see the characters well represented.
Note: a copy of this story was provided by the author for review.
This review also appears at Harlequin Junkie: http://harlequinjunkie.com/review-not...
Natalie asks her long time university friend Connor to be her plus one at her sister Rebecca's wedding. Family weddings have always been fraught affairs with something happening to create a memorable day, sometimes funny, sometimes not. Natalie has a white mother and a Chinese father and their respective families weren't thrilled with their union. Their prejudices and racial biases exist to this day. Natalie knows that there will be the inevitable disagreements and just wants someone there to be her moral support. When Connor agrees, they also find that in close quarters there's a new attraction, leading to a sexy affair. But Natalie knows from experience that her not wanting to have children is a deal breaker when it comes to relationships. Do she and Connor have a chance at a happy ending?
I really enjoyed this story. It's rare to find a romance where the female character has no plans to have kids. It's also rare to find one where the heroine has had an abortion (this may be the only story I've read in this regard) from an unexpected pregnancy. That's part of Natalie's history, brought up simply as a matter of fact and part of her determination to remain childless. When Natalie's sister Rebecca was born (Natalie is 11 years older) their mother went through a long period of post partum depression and Natalie became her sister's caregiver for much of the time, until her mother, and eventually her father (who hadn't wanted a baby) took over their proper parental duties. It left her frightened of the effects of PPD, and not wanting the responsibility of another child. She enjoys being around children and relates to them well, so long as they are not going home with her at the end of the night.
Connor has his own issues with children, and is also not unhappy that his first marriage ended with them being childless. He's a great uncle to an energetic toddler but doesn't feel his life will be bereft without kids. In this way he's a perfect match for Natalie. But Natalie is so used to being rejected for her views on children that she's afraid to share them with Connor and spoil the bubble of sexy fun they've created for themselves at the wedding, even as other events are happening around them that make her question marriage and long term relationships.
Along with the typical wedding stress, the challenges of dealing with racist and homophobic relatives make for some uncomfortable situations. Natalie's brother is married to a wonderful Chinese man but that wedding has also brought out the less savoury aspects of their family. Natalie's paternal Chinese grandmother has become more accepting since the death of her husband and provides some of the more humorous moments in the story. The author does an excellent job of showing both cultures, the historical challenges of being immigrants to Canada and combining Rebecca's biracial heritage in her wedding celebration. Natalie has a lot to deal with at this wedding, including relatives questioning her unmarried and child-less state and even though Connor is just a friend (and then more) he is a great buffer to help her realize that her feelings are valid and normal and that she has value as a person on her own.
The romance is pretty sexy amid all the drama. It's Connor who falls first and wants to take a chance on something more, and Natalie who has doubts. But in the end she's willing to risk her heart for the man who is willing to stand by her side. Jackie Lau continues to write with an authentic voice and I am looking forward to more from her. Also, I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the great cover choice! It's wonderful to see the characters well represented.
Note: a copy of this story was provided by the author for review.
This review also appears at Harlequin Junkie: http://harlequinjunkie.com/review-not...
September 24, 2018
“It was going to be a disaster. Just like every other wedding in her family.” A cute start for a sweet rom com that somehow segued into Natalie’s reluctant and bittersweet attempt to be loved with longtime friend Connor. Think “My Big Fat Greek Wedding” meets “When Harry Met Sally”.
Nobody does hilarious Chinese family moments like Jackie Lau, whether they are fighting each other or teasing each other. I would love a family road trip saga by this author with sassy grandmas, cranky aunts, snarky siblings, etc.
But it isn’t all family hijinks and fun. Natalie has long decided she doesn’t want kids and this created serious problems for her past relationships. She despairs that she’ll ever be found “lovable”. Dragging old friend Connor to her sister’s wedding was only to be a way to avoid questions about her single status, but somehow an unknown spark lights between them.
Connor was a great balance to the “passionate but prickly” Natalie. He was the buffer and support she so needed during the highs and lows of Rebecca’s wedding weekend. I loved how Connor and Natalie each slowly realized their growing feelings for each other:
It seems like so many romances these days ends with an epilogue where the hero and heroine end up with a boatload of kids. This one made me think of people like my best friend J who has repeatedly vowed, “I’d sooner eat a child than have one.” J is one of the happiest people I know and this book honors people like her who just don’t feel the need to have kids.
Note: I voluntarily read and reviewed this eARC generously provided by the author.
Nobody does hilarious Chinese family moments like Jackie Lau, whether they are fighting each other or teasing each other. I would love a family road trip saga by this author with sassy grandmas, cranky aunts, snarky siblings, etc.
But it isn’t all family hijinks and fun. Natalie has long decided she doesn’t want kids and this created serious problems for her past relationships. She despairs that she’ll ever be found “lovable”. Dragging old friend Connor to her sister’s wedding was only to be a way to avoid questions about her single status, but somehow an unknown spark lights between them.
Connor was a great balance to the “passionate but prickly” Natalie. He was the buffer and support she so needed during the highs and lows of Rebecca’s wedding weekend. I loved how Connor and Natalie each slowly realized their growing feelings for each other:
Hope was a dangerous thing, and somehow, despite everything that had happened this weekend, Connor had given her a spark of hope. That bastard. That kind, caring, dependable bastard.
It seems like so many romances these days ends with an epilogue where the hero and heroine end up with a boatload of kids. This one made me think of people like my best friend J who has repeatedly vowed, “I’d sooner eat a child than have one.” J is one of the happiest people I know and this book honors people like her who just don’t feel the need to have kids.
Note: I voluntarily read and reviewed this eARC generously provided by the author.
October 7, 2018
3.5 Another category-length romance from Lau, with more telling than showing. But she brings up interesting feminist issues around abortion, parenthood, and choice, which made this far more interesting to me than the typical category-length read.
August 24, 2020
Wow, well, that was night and day from the last romance book. While "Bet Me" was kind of a bloated mess, NAFW was actually short, sweet, and to the point. Not just that, but the main characters were actually fun and interesting.
After reading "Bet me" i wasn't sure i wanted to give another romance book a try, but i decided, ah the hell with it and give it another go after reading the premise of this one. Trying to find interracial romance is hard. Trying to find Childfree Romance is even harder. When my sister told me there was an interracial childfree romance book i was like "well, okay, since this is pretty much EXACTLY what i was looking for, i'll give it one more chance." and honestly, i'm really glad i did.
This book is better than Bet me in every single way. It's only 205 pages which is the perfect length for one of these. It doesn't overstay its welcome at all. it's exactly as long as it needs to be.
While other books are romance novels where the main characters HAPPENS to be childfree, this book is actually a Childfree romance. as in, the story focuses around Natalie being childfree, and man, is it refreshing. She has a lot of vitriol and determination in her thoughts about being Childfree and doesn't hold back from her true thoughts on the matter which is really nice.
She's tired of people telling her that she'll change her mind (a boat i'm in myself) and is unsure whether she can find love because of her decision.
Mixed in with that is an actually fun list of side characters that are her family. Her gay brother and his husband are hilarious as well as her spunky Chinese grandma. While in Bet me i couldn't really tell you anything about the side characters and they're basically all terrible people, the characters in this story feel way more alive and fleshed out despite the book being 1/2 as long.
So if i'm giving this book so much praise, then why is it a 4 instead of a 5? well, technically i give the book a 4.5/5, but there's one reason i can't give it a perfect score, and that's because of the sex scenes. Listen, i'm no prude, but this book goes a TAD overboard on the description of the sex scenes. The story in itself feels like a PG-13 movie. Like I get a "meet the parents" vibe from the rest of the book, then all of a sudden BAM graphic sex scene. I feel like the author really didn't need to add these , or, if she did, tone them down. They were the only parts of the book that i felt were either unnecessary, or at the very least, toned down to an R rating level. The detail kind of caught me off guard. This book works better as a PG-13 Romance than a Harlequinn novel.
I've read a few self published novels before and this book feels way more polished than a lot of those. i don't really know why this book wasn't picked up for professional publishing. I think if she were to tone down the sex scenes this book could easily be picked up by a publisher.
Overall, I really liked this book and it was so nice to see a childfree romance with the emphasis on the character's decision. 4.5/5 rounded down to a 4.
After reading "Bet me" i wasn't sure i wanted to give another romance book a try, but i decided, ah the hell with it and give it another go after reading the premise of this one. Trying to find interracial romance is hard. Trying to find Childfree Romance is even harder. When my sister told me there was an interracial childfree romance book i was like "well, okay, since this is pretty much EXACTLY what i was looking for, i'll give it one more chance." and honestly, i'm really glad i did.
This book is better than Bet me in every single way. It's only 205 pages which is the perfect length for one of these. It doesn't overstay its welcome at all. it's exactly as long as it needs to be.
While other books are romance novels where the main characters HAPPENS to be childfree, this book is actually a Childfree romance. as in, the story focuses around Natalie being childfree, and man, is it refreshing. She has a lot of vitriol and determination in her thoughts about being Childfree and doesn't hold back from her true thoughts on the matter which is really nice.
She's tired of people telling her that she'll change her mind (a boat i'm in myself) and is unsure whether she can find love because of her decision.
Mixed in with that is an actually fun list of side characters that are her family. Her gay brother and his husband are hilarious as well as her spunky Chinese grandma. While in Bet me i couldn't really tell you anything about the side characters and they're basically all terrible people, the characters in this story feel way more alive and fleshed out despite the book being 1/2 as long.
So if i'm giving this book so much praise, then why is it a 4 instead of a 5? well, technically i give the book a 4.5/5, but there's one reason i can't give it a perfect score, and that's because of the sex scenes. Listen, i'm no prude, but this book goes a TAD overboard on the description of the sex scenes. The story in itself feels like a PG-13 movie. Like I get a "meet the parents" vibe from the rest of the book, then all of a sudden BAM graphic sex scene. I feel like the author really didn't need to add these , or, if she did, tone them down. They were the only parts of the book that i felt were either unnecessary, or at the very least, toned down to an R rating level. The detail kind of caught me off guard. This book works better as a PG-13 Romance than a Harlequinn novel.
I've read a few self published novels before and this book feels way more polished than a lot of those. i don't really know why this book wasn't picked up for professional publishing. I think if she were to tone down the sex scenes this book could easily be picked up by a publisher.
Overall, I really liked this book and it was so nice to see a childfree romance with the emphasis on the character's decision. 4.5/5 rounded down to a 4.
October 16, 2018
There were so many directions her life could have taken, but in the end, you only got one shot at it all. It wasn’t a Choose Your Own Adventure book in which you could read a bunch of different stories.
Jackie Lau has fast become a go-to author for me. Her blend of quirky characters—with even quirkier families—and sweet, sexy romance with depth makes me smile and swoon and think. Honestly, she’s writing exactly my kind of romance.
Not Another Family Wedding is an incredibly fun and refreshing read—with an important message. I was completely drawn in by the sometimes laugh-out-loud, sometimes heartbreaking family dynamic, and by the lovely, easy friends-to-lovers romance between Natalie and Connor.
I loved that Ms. Lau touched on important topics—motherhood and familial expectation and obligation being two major ones—without overdoing it. Those themes fed into the overall story, and when read alongside perfect Connor and relatable Natalie, made an already engaging story nearly unputdownable . . .
. . . and exactly my kind of book.
He knew exactly who she was, and despite that, he loved her. Because of that, he loved her.
Jackie Lau has fast become a go-to author for me. Her blend of quirky characters—with even quirkier families—and sweet, sexy romance with depth makes me smile and swoon and think. Honestly, she’s writing exactly my kind of romance.
Not Another Family Wedding is an incredibly fun and refreshing read—with an important message. I was completely drawn in by the sometimes laugh-out-loud, sometimes heartbreaking family dynamic, and by the lovely, easy friends-to-lovers romance between Natalie and Connor.
I loved that Ms. Lau touched on important topics—motherhood and familial expectation and obligation being two major ones—without overdoing it. Those themes fed into the overall story, and when read alongside perfect Connor and relatable Natalie, made an already engaging story nearly unputdownable . . .
. . . and exactly my kind of book.
He knew exactly who she was, and despite that, he loved her. Because of that, he loved her.
October 2, 2018
I’m torn with this book. The first half was fun. I liked Natalie and her crazy family. Her warnings to Connor about how weddings are a disaster in her family seemed odd, like they really couldn’t be that bad. However when they talked about past weddings it did seem they were that bad and I was looking forward to see what would go wrong with this wedding. It all looked good til towards the end and man…did things go wrong so very fast. Awkward is about the best to describe things. The only good thing to come out of it was Natalie crossing a line with Connor, leaning on him for comfort. These 2 were cute in this stage, both looking at the other in a different light and having fun. Things go weird when Natalie jumped to conclusions, wrong ones of course and dropped Connor like a hot potato. It took the other women in her family to give her perspective, to want to go back and talk to Connor, a good thing too, because their thinking was the same.
August 5, 2019
I planned on doing reviews for every book I’ve read this year and if someone were to say “How’s that working out for you?” I’d have to answer “Well, not so good.” I’ve gotten quite a bit behind so I’m going to have to do shorties, which goes against what I had planned. But if I don’t I’ll never get caught up. So her goes – Rapid Review
Not Another Family Wedding. This is the third book I’ve read by this author and I quite enjoyed the first two books. But alas, not so much this one. The writing is still good and I will still read more, indeed, I have a couple more of her books on the TBR pile. But I didn’t like the heroine in this book. I found her too bitter and too much of a glass half empty kind of gal. As such I couldn’t relate to her and kept thinking “get over yourself”. I liked the hero just fine but do wonder what he sees in her.
But as I said, although this particular book didn’t work for me, the author does so I will for sure read her again.
Not Another Family Wedding. This is the third book I’ve read by this author and I quite enjoyed the first two books. But alas, not so much this one. The writing is still good and I will still read more, indeed, I have a couple more of her books on the TBR pile. But I didn’t like the heroine in this book. I found her too bitter and too much of a glass half empty kind of gal. As such I couldn’t relate to her and kept thinking “get over yourself”. I liked the hero just fine but do wonder what he sees in her.
But as I said, although this particular book didn’t work for me, the author does so I will for sure read her again.
June 25, 2023
So.
If you know me, you know I love literally everything Jackie Lau has written.
Which is why the fact I really felt this book was dragging and the drama was contrived (and so I rated it 3 stars) is so upsetting to me. 😭
I kept desperately hoping it would improve, and that I could get past the bits that felt they could've been tighter/someone should've taken another pass at them. However, it soon became apparent that this wouldn't be when the MC just created an issue with their relationship with like 4 chapters left (dumb break up in the 3rd act trope).
This book should've, could've, would've been so much better if a lot of the extra STUFF was simply cut out.
Because I genuinely do think at the heart of this book is a genuinely lovely romance!! It's a fun road trip/family reunion with your best friend that oops you realize you have feelings with now that you're in close quarters at a romantic setting. Like what?? Perfection!
...in theory.
Just one more book of the author's and I'll have finished her backlist so I'm committed - book #2 of this series here I come (at a more reluctant pace).
If you know me, you know I love literally everything Jackie Lau has written.
Which is why the fact I really felt this book was dragging and the drama was contrived (and so I rated it 3 stars) is so upsetting to me. 😭
I kept desperately hoping it would improve, and that I could get past the bits that felt they could've been tighter/someone should've taken another pass at them. However, it soon became apparent that this wouldn't be when the MC just created an issue with their relationship with like 4 chapters left (dumb break up in the 3rd act trope).
This book should've, could've, would've been so much better if a lot of the extra STUFF was simply cut out.
Because I genuinely do think at the heart of this book is a genuinely lovely romance!! It's a fun road trip/family reunion with your best friend that oops you realize you have feelings with now that you're in close quarters at a romantic setting. Like what?? Perfection!
...in theory.
Just one more book of the author's and I'll have finished her backlist so I'm committed - book #2 of this series here I come (at a more reluctant pace).
September 18, 2018
I really enjoyed this one, especially because the heroine had my name, was the same age as me, also didn't want kids. Natalie felt so relatable and I cackled soooo many times at the family awkwardness and wedding mishaps. I could totally see this book as a funny rom com movie.
The family interactions were hilarious and tension filled and reminded me a bit of my family, who always asks about boyfriends and babies, so I truly felt Natalie's frustrations here! I really felt seen by this book. More books with older heroines who sees a HEA that doesn't include kids!
Also everything moved really quickly and so it was a pretty fast read filled with a lot of intriguing characters. I'm hoping Natalie's cousin Iris gets a book because Ngin Ngin is ready to meddle with some matchmaking I just know it!
The family interactions were hilarious and tension filled and reminded me a bit of my family, who always asks about boyfriends and babies, so I truly felt Natalie's frustrations here! I really felt seen by this book. More books with older heroines who sees a HEA that doesn't include kids!
Also everything moved really quickly and so it was a pretty fast read filled with a lot of intriguing characters. I'm hoping Natalie's cousin Iris gets a book because Ngin Ngin is ready to meddle with some matchmaking I just know it!
May 23, 2019
Another winner from Jackie Lau. There were many relatable aspects of Natalie for me, personally. While I did get frustrated when she dismissed Connor for reasons*, the effect it had was to show how insidious some of these negative self beliefs can have on a person. Natalie hasn’t had much positive reinforcement around being accepted for her childfree choices, and is jaded from the dating world. So when she sees a potential life with Connor, a person who has been her best friend for years... that intimacy feels like a mirage. It takes her some time to process and accept that she is worthy.
*reasons: stubborn belief that the relationship will fall apart because they always have for her. And honestly, if my boyfriend ditched me because I refused to have his baby and get married... that’s got to hurt... that Anthony ex-bf made her feel like a freak.
In general I find Lau’s writing style addictive, funny at times, poignant, with a good cast of characters like an ensemble drama.
*reasons: stubborn belief that the relationship will fall apart because they always have for her. And honestly, if my boyfriend ditched me because I refused to have his baby and get married... that’s got to hurt... that Anthony ex-bf made her feel like a freak.
In general I find Lau’s writing style addictive, funny at times, poignant, with a good cast of characters like an ensemble drama.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 11, 2022
Explicitly child free. Main character has had an abortion in the past. Main character is also 36 and has had a lot of familial pressure to get married and have children. She has a much younger sister and her mom had a difficult pregnancy and post partum depression. With all of that, this was still a lighter read with humor and heat and steam. The main character is half Chinese and her brother is gay and some of their family are racist and homophobic. It’s never on page, but that is often referenced.
December 29, 2019
I loved the heroine of this one--just a great character. I have to be honest...don't remember the hero at all. Oh well--still intend to read more by Lau.
October 26, 2018
“That’s why I don’t come back very often. There’s nothing to do, and it’s a long way from Ottawa. Plus, it burns a lot of fossil fuel to get here.” He took her hand in his. “It turns me on when you talk about fossil fuel emissions.” “You have a serious problem,” she muttered as he bent to kiss behind her ear."
Recommended and gifted to me by an author I follow on Twitter (THANK YOU), this was a sweet, contemporary romance between two friends who become lovers during a tense wedding weekend.
Natalie Chin-Williams is a 36 year-old climatologist and professor. She's had her share of heartbreak and has basically given up on dating. Natalie decided long ago she would never have children and she is tired of being told "the right one" will change her mind.
But, Natalie would like a date to her much younger sister's wedding, someone to be a buffer between her and her mixed bag family. Her racist grandmother and uncle are set to attend, and her Chinese grandmother won't relent in asking when Natalie will be getting married and having babies.
Connor has been friends with Natalie for well over 15 years, so he is happy to be her date to the wedding, even if it is far away. Heck, he once had a crush on Natalie, but time and various other relationships including his now failed-marriage meant he never acted on it.
As the wedding weekend progresses, Connor finds himself falling for Natalie as he learns more about her, her family, and her role in raising her little sister. Natalie also starts to see Connor in a new light and after some extremely unpleasant news rocks the festivities, they find themselves in bed together.
What follows is an endearing exploration of finding her perfect someone, despite the odds.
I loved that Connor was the first to fall and the one to fight for their relationship. I loved that both main characters were older (late 30s) than most romance novels, and I loved that they were both firmly in the no-kids camp. My only wish for the story was a bit more of Natalie and Connor together on page, as there are long sections with Natalie and her family.
Content warnings for divorce, mentions of miscarriage, abortion mention, and cheating (not between the main couple).
Recommended and gifted to me by an author I follow on Twitter (THANK YOU), this was a sweet, contemporary romance between two friends who become lovers during a tense wedding weekend.
Natalie Chin-Williams is a 36 year-old climatologist and professor. She's had her share of heartbreak and has basically given up on dating. Natalie decided long ago she would never have children and she is tired of being told "the right one" will change her mind.
But, Natalie would like a date to her much younger sister's wedding, someone to be a buffer between her and her mixed bag family. Her racist grandmother and uncle are set to attend, and her Chinese grandmother won't relent in asking when Natalie will be getting married and having babies.
Connor has been friends with Natalie for well over 15 years, so he is happy to be her date to the wedding, even if it is far away. Heck, he once had a crush on Natalie, but time and various other relationships including his now failed-marriage meant he never acted on it.
As the wedding weekend progresses, Connor finds himself falling for Natalie as he learns more about her, her family, and her role in raising her little sister. Natalie also starts to see Connor in a new light and after some extremely unpleasant news rocks the festivities, they find themselves in bed together.
What follows is an endearing exploration of finding her perfect someone, despite the odds.
I loved that Connor was the first to fall and the one to fight for their relationship. I loved that both main characters were older (late 30s) than most romance novels, and I loved that they were both firmly in the no-kids camp. My only wish for the story was a bit more of Natalie and Connor together on page, as there are long sections with Natalie and her family.
Content warnings for divorce, mentions of miscarriage, abortion mention, and cheating (not between the main couple).
Read
June 13, 2023i literally didn’t like a single character but mom cheats on dad and somehow it’s dads fault? im so mad good lord
a more detailed review:
the characters motivations and personalities made 0 sense and weren’t developed enough, except connor who is a little too perfect, natalie’s feelings are all over the place and none of her bad decisions make sense. the family is all 2-d or also makes decisions that have no real justification. why would you invite ur racist family to ur wedding when they hate your chinese father? whose internalized racism is that bad and even if that does resonate with people the execution was just???
all in all this might have worked in a longer novel but no one’s actions or justifications made any sense and the plot was all over the place. it just didn’t work
don’t think i’ll read anything more from this author bc the book just left a bad taste in my mouth
a more detailed review:
the characters motivations and personalities made 0 sense and weren’t developed enough, except connor who is a little too perfect, natalie’s feelings are all over the place and none of her bad decisions make sense. the family is all 2-d or also makes decisions that have no real justification. why would you invite ur racist family to ur wedding when they hate your chinese father? whose internalized racism is that bad and even if that does resonate with people the execution was just???
all in all this might have worked in a longer novel but no one’s actions or justifications made any sense and the plot was all over the place. it just didn’t work
don’t think i’ll read anything more from this author bc the book just left a bad taste in my mouth
September 25, 2018
I’m a pretty big fan of Ms. Lau’s books. They tend to have a warm, comforting rom-com feel, while also not pulling the punches about more serious subjects (depression in Mr. Hotshot CEO, racism and postpartum depression in this book). And since it’s not a Jackie Lau book without food, we’ve got poutine, falafel sandwiches, Cheetos, quiche, and tortellini, to name a few!
Natalie is returning home for her younger sister’s wedding. Since Rebecca’s eleven years younger than her, Natalie pretty much helped raise her, and she has conflicting feelings about her baby sister getting married before her – not to mention, something bad always happens at family weddings. Natalie’s biracial – her father is Chinese and her mom is white – this is also where the wedding troubles start, as neither set of parents attended their wedding. Food poisoning, drunken grandma fights, a groom falling into the cake… weddings have a tendency to go wrong in her family, but she’s hoping for the perfect day for her little sister. But, knowing that’s probably not going to happen, Natalie decides to bring backup. Connor – her best friend since freshman year of college – agrees to go along as her just-a-friend date. When the wedding curse strikes again and a major family secret is revealed at the wedding reception, it’s a good thing that Connor is there for her to lean on… and stay in his hotel room… and, well, distract her…
I loved Natalie. She’s a climatologist – in her words, she “spen[ds] her days discovering over and over again that the world was fucked.” Connor describes her as “passionate and a bit prickly” which is pretty much spot on. She’s quite pessimistic, and tends to anticipate the worst that could happen, from wedding disasters to sabotaging her relationships. Somehow, though, she’s also a romantic. She wants someone to bring her flowers, to cuddle on the couch with, to go on hikes or ski trips…. something like her parents’ marriage. What she doesn’t want, however, is kids, and it seems any guy who’s interested in a long term relationship is also interested in starting a family. Natalie has numerous reasons for why she doesn’t want kids, and she’s just plain tired of having to defend herself to everyone who thinks that since she’s 35, her biological clock must be ticking. Connor has been her best friend since college. He had a crush on her back in college, but forced himself to get over it, and he’d been married and divorced since, and their friendship has continued pretty much interrupted. They go skiing and meet up for lunch frequently, so it seems perfectly reasonable for him to help her out when she decides she can’t face the wedding by herself.
I have a definite thing for the hate-to-love trope, but, I find the friends-to-lovers trope can be just as angsty. The story is told from both characters’ POVs, and I loved the gradual realization they each had about their feelings for the other. After they become involved with each other, Natalie decides to treat it like holiday fling – nice while it lasted, but not something that should continue when they’re back home. A large part of that is that Natalie thinks Connor is like every other man she’s dated – that he’ll want kids. She’s worried that any relationship between them is doomed, and that the inevitable breakup will ruin their friendship. Connor, for his part, also doesn’t want kids, but thinks Natalie does. If anything, this was my least favorite part of the book – a simple conversation between the two would’ve saved them a lot of heartache, and while I understood the reasons why they both hesitated to have the “no kids” discussion, it didn’t work well for me.
It is downright refreshing to have a book where the heroine doesn’t want kids. Sometimes it feels like a wedding and babies (in the epilogue and in that order) have been made key components of the HEA, like not having them somehow makes the HEA “less.” There’s a lot of other issues covered in the book, many about respecting the choices of family members. Sometimes, out of love, we encourage people to do things the “right way,” the way that we think will make them happy, while ignoring what actually does make them happy, whether that’s being single and traveling the world, or choosing not to have kids, or quitting a high powered job to stay home with the kids. That family responsibility piece is also one of the best parts of the book. It was engrossing to follow along with all of the family drama (expected and unexpected), and I especially loved Ngin Ngin. Also, there’s a pretty good discussion on postpartum depression which you don’t see much of in romance.
Overall, Ms. Lau has delivered once again, and I’m very much looking forward to the next book starring Natalie’s cousin, Iris. If you’re looking for a slow burn friends-to-lovers romance, with lots of family drama, and most especially, a prickly heroine who doesn’t want kids, this is the book for you!
I received this book for free from the author in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Natalie is returning home for her younger sister’s wedding. Since Rebecca’s eleven years younger than her, Natalie pretty much helped raise her, and she has conflicting feelings about her baby sister getting married before her – not to mention, something bad always happens at family weddings. Natalie’s biracial – her father is Chinese and her mom is white – this is also where the wedding troubles start, as neither set of parents attended their wedding. Food poisoning, drunken grandma fights, a groom falling into the cake… weddings have a tendency to go wrong in her family, but she’s hoping for the perfect day for her little sister. But, knowing that’s probably not going to happen, Natalie decides to bring backup. Connor – her best friend since freshman year of college – agrees to go along as her just-a-friend date. When the wedding curse strikes again and a major family secret is revealed at the wedding reception, it’s a good thing that Connor is there for her to lean on… and stay in his hotel room… and, well, distract her…
“I’ll do it,” he said. “As long as you give me something in return.”
Oh, God. What was happening? Was Connor going to ask for sexual favors in exchange for being his date?
No, that was ridiculous. He’d never shown any interest in her in that way. Not when they were university students, not after he was divorced, and certainly not during his marriage. She was just imagining it.
Wasn’t she?
“I need you to help me look after my niece,” he said.
Right. Connor would never want anything like that from her, and that was totally cool. Wasn’t like she’d ever had a crush on him. They were just friends.
I loved Natalie. She’s a climatologist – in her words, she “spen[ds] her days discovering over and over again that the world was fucked.” Connor describes her as “passionate and a bit prickly” which is pretty much spot on. She’s quite pessimistic, and tends to anticipate the worst that could happen, from wedding disasters to sabotaging her relationships. Somehow, though, she’s also a romantic. She wants someone to bring her flowers, to cuddle on the couch with, to go on hikes or ski trips…. something like her parents’ marriage. What she doesn’t want, however, is kids, and it seems any guy who’s interested in a long term relationship is also interested in starting a family. Natalie has numerous reasons for why she doesn’t want kids, and she’s just plain tired of having to defend herself to everyone who thinks that since she’s 35, her biological clock must be ticking. Connor has been her best friend since college. He had a crush on her back in college, but forced himself to get over it, and he’d been married and divorced since, and their friendship has continued pretty much interrupted. They go skiing and meet up for lunch frequently, so it seems perfectly reasonable for him to help her out when she decides she can’t face the wedding by herself.
“He knew exactly who she was, and despite that, he loved her. Because of that, he loved her.”
I have a definite thing for the hate-to-love trope, but, I find the friends-to-lovers trope can be just as angsty. The story is told from both characters’ POVs, and I loved the gradual realization they each had about their feelings for the other. After they become involved with each other, Natalie decides to treat it like holiday fling – nice while it lasted, but not something that should continue when they’re back home. A large part of that is that Natalie thinks Connor is like every other man she’s dated – that he’ll want kids. She’s worried that any relationship between them is doomed, and that the inevitable breakup will ruin their friendship. Connor, for his part, also doesn’t want kids, but thinks Natalie does. If anything, this was my least favorite part of the book – a simple conversation between the two would’ve saved them a lot of heartache, and while I understood the reasons why they both hesitated to have the “no kids” discussion, it didn’t work well for me.
It is downright refreshing to have a book where the heroine doesn’t want kids. Sometimes it feels like a wedding and babies (in the epilogue and in that order) have been made key components of the HEA, like not having them somehow makes the HEA “less.” There’s a lot of other issues covered in the book, many about respecting the choices of family members. Sometimes, out of love, we encourage people to do things the “right way,” the way that we think will make them happy, while ignoring what actually does make them happy, whether that’s being single and traveling the world, or choosing not to have kids, or quitting a high powered job to stay home with the kids. That family responsibility piece is also one of the best parts of the book. It was engrossing to follow along with all of the family drama (expected and unexpected), and I especially loved Ngin Ngin. Also, there’s a pretty good discussion on postpartum depression which you don’t see much of in romance.
Overall, Ms. Lau has delivered once again, and I’m very much looking forward to the next book starring Natalie’s cousin, Iris. If you’re looking for a slow burn friends-to-lovers romance, with lots of family drama, and most especially, a prickly heroine who doesn’t want kids, this is the book for you!
I received this book for free from the author in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
June 29, 2020
The "friends to lovers" trope is very well done in this book, they felt like real best friends before they started going out. I also liked how the theme of "women not wanting to have kids" was tackled. The final tension felt artificial to fit the formulaic pacing this author favors but I still enjoyed the book overall.
January 7, 2020
So, I went back and forth on rating this book but finally settled on 4 stars because the actual storyline and plot was so so well done. The writing was a little bit of "too much telling, not enough showing" but it doesn't matter because the characters, their choices, the intentions behind their choices, more than made up for everything else.
Lets start with Natalie, the heroine of this book. Natalie is a climatology professor who thinks that the world is going to end pretty much soon and everything is terrible. Everyone is always accusing her of being a pessimist. She's in her mid 30s and single and her family is constantly asking her when she's going to get a man and have kids because she's not getting any younger. But Natalie is happy with her career, she wants (not needs) to be in love and in a relationship but that's not something that defines her. And oh, yes, she does not want kids. Like definitively DOES NOT WANT KIDS. I've read books where the characters started off not wanting kids and by then had been persuaded to have one and everything was wonderful and yay for kids. THIS IS NOT THAT BOOK. And I am delighted by this. Here is a woman, a Chinese-Canadian woman in her mid 30s, her father's side of the family is traditional and family oriented and she has made it very clear that she is not interested in toeing that line. AND I AM HERE FOR THAT. I love Natalie's steadfastness, her unwillingness to compromise on this, her intention to live her own life on her own terms.
I also loved Natalie's relationship with her family, immediate and extended. Her relationship with Rebecca, her younger sister, was fascinating and I wish it had been explored more in depth - the way that she, at 11, almost became Rebecca's de facto mother because their own mother was suffering from postpartum depression and her father, as it comes out later, did not even want a third child. I liked her relationship with her parents and grandparents and I also liked the point that she makes about how there are homophobic and racist people in her family and just because they're her family doesn't absolve them of those qualities and she's not obligated to spend time with them or even love them.
I liked Connor, I liked that he was a solid, beta hero but also knew how to step in and take care of Natalie, not necessarily because she needed it but because rarely did anyone take care of her. I liked that his sole focus for the weekend wedding was always on Natalie and how she felt and if she was doing ok. He treasured her and nurtured her and took care of her and still was fully aware of how awesome and amazing and strong she was on her own. I wish the romantic side had been explored further but I know this author doesn't write super long books. Parts of the romance felt slightly abrupt but I had to remind myself that they had also been friends for 17 years. So, it's not like they just met.
So. content warnings: Natalie has an abortion 3 years before the story starts because, like I mentioned, she does not want children. And I really appreciated that. I appreciated the thoughtful, honest way in which it was presented and I also like that she felt relief afterwards. There was no guilt, no sense of her needing to be absolved of anything. I liked that there was a running theme in this book about choices and a woman's power to make choices for her own life. There as also a discussion with Natalie's mother in which it is revealed that Natalie's father wanted her mom to get an abortion when she was pregnant with Rebecca and her mother refused, leading to both parents basically ignoring Rebecca for the first year of her life. Eventually, her father came around and bonded with the baby and forced Judy to get help for her PPD, but these are things that may trigger people so I'm just putting it all out.
There is also talk of Natalie's mother's side of the family being homophobic and racist and how they treated Natalie's father and his family and refused to have any contact. Natalie's brother is gay and married and this definitely causes a divide in the family, where her father's mother is concerned.
I thought there were a lot of important and topical issues addressed in this book with nuance and depth but I would have liked more exploration of the actual romance between Natalie and Connor and as I said before, the writing was a little too much telling and not enough showing. But I really still enjoyed it and I will be reading more of her books this year.
Lets start with Natalie, the heroine of this book. Natalie is a climatology professor who thinks that the world is going to end pretty much soon and everything is terrible. Everyone is always accusing her of being a pessimist. She's in her mid 30s and single and her family is constantly asking her when she's going to get a man and have kids because she's not getting any younger. But Natalie is happy with her career, she wants (not needs) to be in love and in a relationship but that's not something that defines her. And oh, yes, she does not want kids. Like definitively DOES NOT WANT KIDS. I've read books where the characters started off not wanting kids and by then had been persuaded to have one and everything was wonderful and yay for kids. THIS IS NOT THAT BOOK. And I am delighted by this. Here is a woman, a Chinese-Canadian woman in her mid 30s, her father's side of the family is traditional and family oriented and she has made it very clear that she is not interested in toeing that line. AND I AM HERE FOR THAT. I love Natalie's steadfastness, her unwillingness to compromise on this, her intention to live her own life on her own terms.
I also loved Natalie's relationship with her family, immediate and extended. Her relationship with Rebecca, her younger sister, was fascinating and I wish it had been explored more in depth - the way that she, at 11, almost became Rebecca's de facto mother because their own mother was suffering from postpartum depression and her father, as it comes out later, did not even want a third child. I liked her relationship with her parents and grandparents and I also liked the point that she makes about how there are homophobic and racist people in her family and just because they're her family doesn't absolve them of those qualities and she's not obligated to spend time with them or even love them.
I liked Connor, I liked that he was a solid, beta hero but also knew how to step in and take care of Natalie, not necessarily because she needed it but because rarely did anyone take care of her. I liked that his sole focus for the weekend wedding was always on Natalie and how she felt and if she was doing ok. He treasured her and nurtured her and took care of her and still was fully aware of how awesome and amazing and strong she was on her own. I wish the romantic side had been explored further but I know this author doesn't write super long books. Parts of the romance felt slightly abrupt but I had to remind myself that they had also been friends for 17 years. So, it's not like they just met.
So. content warnings: Natalie has an abortion 3 years before the story starts because, like I mentioned, she does not want children. And I really appreciated that. I appreciated the thoughtful, honest way in which it was presented and I also like that she felt relief afterwards. There was no guilt, no sense of her needing to be absolved of anything. I liked that there was a running theme in this book about choices and a woman's power to make choices for her own life. There as also a discussion with Natalie's mother in which it is revealed that Natalie's father wanted her mom to get an abortion when she was pregnant with Rebecca and her mother refused, leading to both parents basically ignoring Rebecca for the first year of her life. Eventually, her father came around and bonded with the baby and forced Judy to get help for her PPD, but these are things that may trigger people so I'm just putting it all out.
There is also talk of Natalie's mother's side of the family being homophobic and racist and how they treated Natalie's father and his family and refused to have any contact. Natalie's brother is gay and married and this definitely causes a divide in the family, where her father's mother is concerned.
I thought there were a lot of important and topical issues addressed in this book with nuance and depth but I would have liked more exploration of the actual romance between Natalie and Connor and as I said before, the writing was a little too much telling and not enough showing. But I really still enjoyed it and I will be reading more of her books this year.
July 23, 2019
3.5 stars
#CBR11 Bingo: Summer Read
Fellow Cannonballer, kissing book enthusiast and long-time internet friend Emmalita has reviewed several Jackie Lau books this year, which is what made me really take note of the name. During the discussion of the very super depressing anti-abortion legislation being passed not that long ago, Jackie Lau put this book up for sale for $0.99, because of its pro-choice message. I bought it, and since it also fit into my Keyword Challenge this month, it didn't end up forgotten on my TBR list like so many other sale books do.
So yeah, minor spoiler, the heroine of this book has had an abortion. If that's a deal breaker for you, this is probably a book to avoid. In so much of romance, coupling with a man and having a baby seems to be the goal. The pregnancy epilogue is a popular trope for a reason (especially in historical romance). When I was struggling with fertility problems myself, even contemporary romance novels seemed to be bursting with insultingly fertile couples - women getting knocked up from one-night stands (while using protection and/or on contraception). When you've spent time, money and tremendous amounts on emotions on unsuccessful fertility attempts, that just seems extra hurtful.
We are constantly bombarded with proof that the world is going to hell in a hand basket, and much faster than we previously believed or predicted. So many people are choosing not to have children, and now that I do have a child, I'm constantly wracked with guilt about bringing him into this world when we're clearly all going to die, and possibly before he sees adulthood. I'm so sorry, Gabriel. I know many women who don't want children (and who didn't want children even before it became clear that we live in a dystopian nightmare). So if reading romance is difficult for women with fertility issues, I can't imagine how rarely voluntarily childless women find themselves represented.
Natalie is one such woman. She's a climate scientist, so it's no wonder that she doesn't want to bring children into this world, but even before she started researching all the ways in which our planet seems to be doomed, she'd made up her mind. Her mother suffered post-partum depression after having her younger sister, and her father just didn't seem to care about the baby at all, so Natalie took responsibility and pretty much raised her sister for the first year. Even after her parents seemed to step in and do their job, Natalie always felt extra responsible for the girl, and while she likes children and doesn't in any way resent her friends who chose to have them, she never wanted any of her own. Which is why she had an abortion when she accidentally got pregnant, which also resulted in the relationship breaking up.
Now Natalie is worried that she'll never find someone to spend her life with. All the guys she's been dating seem to want kids and a family, that's a total deal breaker for her. She takes her best friend Connor (they've known each other for more than a decade) with her as a date to her sister's wedding, and keeps explaining to well-meaning friends and family that they're "just friends". But after a drunken aunt blurts out a big secret, Natalie is shocked and rattled, and finds comfort in Connor's arms. After a pretty steamy night together, their long friendship seems to be evolving into something more. But Natalie's convinced that Connor must want kids, and her faith in long term relationships having a chance have been further shattered by the drunken wedding revelations.
While I fully respect Natalie's wishes not to have children, and absolutely in no way judge her for having an abortion (you go, girl!), she still annoyed me with her judgemental attitude towards her sister, who clearly wanted different things from her, and her persistent beliefs that she was fundamentally unlovable and would never find (or deserve) lasting love. Even after it becomes clear that Connor can't father and doesn't want children of his own (relationship hurdle avoided), she keeps insisting they won't work out - and it just got on my nerves. I get that she had issues she needed to work though, but to me, it dragged out a bit too long.
There are a few more Jackie Lau books on my TBR list, after I've picked them up cheaply in e-book sales. One of them is the sequel to this one, with Natalie's cousin Iris as the heroine. I liked this book well enough, and keep trying to read more diversely, so will absolutely be checking out more from the author in the future.
Judging a book by its cover: I don't really have a lot to say about this cover. It's cute, it shows you that the heroine is of Asian descent (which, to be fair, might be an important selling point for some). While I'm not a fan of full on smooches on a romance cover, this pose is sweet, intimate and romantic without being too intrusive, I think.
#CBR11 Bingo: Summer Read
Fellow Cannonballer, kissing book enthusiast and long-time internet friend Emmalita has reviewed several Jackie Lau books this year, which is what made me really take note of the name. During the discussion of the very super depressing anti-abortion legislation being passed not that long ago, Jackie Lau put this book up for sale for $0.99, because of its pro-choice message. I bought it, and since it also fit into my Keyword Challenge this month, it didn't end up forgotten on my TBR list like so many other sale books do.
So yeah, minor spoiler, the heroine of this book has had an abortion. If that's a deal breaker for you, this is probably a book to avoid. In so much of romance, coupling with a man and having a baby seems to be the goal. The pregnancy epilogue is a popular trope for a reason (especially in historical romance). When I was struggling with fertility problems myself, even contemporary romance novels seemed to be bursting with insultingly fertile couples - women getting knocked up from one-night stands (while using protection and/or on contraception). When you've spent time, money and tremendous amounts on emotions on unsuccessful fertility attempts, that just seems extra hurtful.
We are constantly bombarded with proof that the world is going to hell in a hand basket, and much faster than we previously believed or predicted. So many people are choosing not to have children, and now that I do have a child, I'm constantly wracked with guilt about bringing him into this world when we're clearly all going to die, and possibly before he sees adulthood. I'm so sorry, Gabriel. I know many women who don't want children (and who didn't want children even before it became clear that we live in a dystopian nightmare). So if reading romance is difficult for women with fertility issues, I can't imagine how rarely voluntarily childless women find themselves represented.
Natalie is one such woman. She's a climate scientist, so it's no wonder that she doesn't want to bring children into this world, but even before she started researching all the ways in which our planet seems to be doomed, she'd made up her mind. Her mother suffered post-partum depression after having her younger sister, and her father just didn't seem to care about the baby at all, so Natalie took responsibility and pretty much raised her sister for the first year. Even after her parents seemed to step in and do their job, Natalie always felt extra responsible for the girl, and while she likes children and doesn't in any way resent her friends who chose to have them, she never wanted any of her own. Which is why she had an abortion when she accidentally got pregnant, which also resulted in the relationship breaking up.
Now Natalie is worried that she'll never find someone to spend her life with. All the guys she's been dating seem to want kids and a family, that's a total deal breaker for her. She takes her best friend Connor (they've known each other for more than a decade) with her as a date to her sister's wedding, and keeps explaining to well-meaning friends and family that they're "just friends". But after a drunken aunt blurts out a big secret, Natalie is shocked and rattled, and finds comfort in Connor's arms. After a pretty steamy night together, their long friendship seems to be evolving into something more. But Natalie's convinced that Connor must want kids, and her faith in long term relationships having a chance have been further shattered by the drunken wedding revelations.
While I fully respect Natalie's wishes not to have children, and absolutely in no way judge her for having an abortion (you go, girl!), she still annoyed me with her judgemental attitude towards her sister, who clearly wanted different things from her, and her persistent beliefs that she was fundamentally unlovable and would never find (or deserve) lasting love. Even after it becomes clear that Connor can't father and doesn't want children of his own (relationship hurdle avoided), she keeps insisting they won't work out - and it just got on my nerves. I get that she had issues she needed to work though, but to me, it dragged out a bit too long.
There are a few more Jackie Lau books on my TBR list, after I've picked them up cheaply in e-book sales. One of them is the sequel to this one, with Natalie's cousin Iris as the heroine. I liked this book well enough, and keep trying to read more diversely, so will absolutely be checking out more from the author in the future.
Judging a book by its cover: I don't really have a lot to say about this cover. It's cute, it shows you that the heroine is of Asian descent (which, to be fair, might be an important selling point for some). While I'm not a fan of full on smooches on a romance cover, this pose is sweet, intimate and romantic without being too intrusive, I think.
April 3, 2019
I loved this book. Objectively, it's not really a 5-star book, more 4, but I loved the heroine so much that I can't be objective. I will go over what's not perfect about the book after I go over why I loved it so much.
Natalie has had a hard time with love and, while she still believes in it for other people, she doesn't think she'll ever find it. She doesn't want kids and I thought the way the choice to either have or not have kids created a nice, nuanced discussion of the subject with different characters who made different decisions that I don't typically see in books. Not wanting kids has made dating harder for Natalie and she has a lot of baggage related to what previous boyfriends, family members, and just society in general have told her about herself in relation to her decision. While this is one issue that leads to the main conflict in the book, which is Natalie's insecurities, the bigger issue that leads to her insecurities is the fact that she's internalized the prejudice that society has for people who aren't naturally sunny and optimistic every second of every day. She believes she's just too unlikable and unworthy of love because she's not sunshine, lollipops, and rainbows all the time. The fact that negative reviews on Goodreads basically say Natalie doesn't deserve Connor because she's too prickly and unlikable prove that her insecurities are justified. The thing is, Natalie isn't really the negative, Debbie Downer type of character that many people made her out to be and also convinced her that she is. Her family helps her realize this and makes her realize that the way others may see her isn't actually the real her and that people who really get to know her see that and love her.
Connor, the hero, has much less issues. He also doesn't want kids which led to his divorce. He's more of a sweet, easygoing person than Natalie. The fact that he's been her friend for 18 years means he has actually gotten to know the real Natalie and he actually appreciates her personality. He also knows her defense mechanisms and when she's using them against him.
Together, they were a sweet couple who felt mainly drama-free except for one issue that leads to the big conflict. I think the problems in the book lay with the fact that it's more telling than showing. There's a lot of internal monologue that won't work for a lot of people. Also the entire conflict really is one person dealing with years worth of insecurities based on not fitting into the role that society wants women to fit into. Grumpy men are beloved in romance novels, grumpy women not so much and it's the same way in real life. I can see why the lack of external conflict and the lack of any conflict on Connor's part could bother people. As for the not wanting child issue, I didn't have a problem with how it was handled but could see how some people might have one. For me, both Natalie and Connor wanted to wait until they were sure this wasn't just a friends-with-benefits situation before having the kid discussion. Something happens to force the issue and make it come out on the night they had both planned to bring it up, but in a way that wasn't constructive because Natalie was acting on her insecurities and reacting to the way men in her past had treated her instead of listening to Connor. This felt very real and I liked that the author didn't feel the need to show Natalie in a sympathetic light in that situation, but trusted the reader use their previous knowledge of Natalie to know where her outburst was coming from then used the rest of the book to show her overcoming the issues that led to the outburst.
Overall, I loved this book for personal reasons, specifically seeing a heroine who isn't happy-go-lucky all of the time, who is shown dealing with insecurities based on societal and family issues, who is shown as flawed and not perfect, but is still lovable. Of course, my fantasy didn't last long since the first thing I saw when rating it was a one-star review about how Connor deserved better than unlikable Natalie, but I already knew in real life a Natalie would have an even harder time finding love and very likely not find it.
Natalie has had a hard time with love and, while she still believes in it for other people, she doesn't think she'll ever find it. She doesn't want kids and I thought the way the choice to either have or not have kids created a nice, nuanced discussion of the subject with different characters who made different decisions that I don't typically see in books. Not wanting kids has made dating harder for Natalie and she has a lot of baggage related to what previous boyfriends, family members, and just society in general have told her about herself in relation to her decision. While this is one issue that leads to the main conflict in the book, which is Natalie's insecurities, the bigger issue that leads to her insecurities is the fact that she's internalized the prejudice that society has for people who aren't naturally sunny and optimistic every second of every day. She believes she's just too unlikable and unworthy of love because she's not sunshine, lollipops, and rainbows all the time. The fact that negative reviews on Goodreads basically say Natalie doesn't deserve Connor because she's too prickly and unlikable prove that her insecurities are justified. The thing is, Natalie isn't really the negative, Debbie Downer type of character that many people made her out to be and also convinced her that she is. Her family helps her realize this and makes her realize that the way others may see her isn't actually the real her and that people who really get to know her see that and love her.
Connor, the hero, has much less issues. He also doesn't want kids which led to his divorce. He's more of a sweet, easygoing person than Natalie. The fact that he's been her friend for 18 years means he has actually gotten to know the real Natalie and he actually appreciates her personality. He also knows her defense mechanisms and when she's using them against him.
Together, they were a sweet couple who felt mainly drama-free except for one issue that leads to the big conflict. I think the problems in the book lay with the fact that it's more telling than showing. There's a lot of internal monologue that won't work for a lot of people. Also the entire conflict really is one person dealing with years worth of insecurities based on not fitting into the role that society wants women to fit into. Grumpy men are beloved in romance novels, grumpy women not so much and it's the same way in real life. I can see why the lack of external conflict and the lack of any conflict on Connor's part could bother people. As for the not wanting child issue, I didn't have a problem with how it was handled but could see how some people might have one. For me, both Natalie and Connor wanted to wait until they were sure this wasn't just a friends-with-benefits situation before having the kid discussion. Something happens to force the issue and make it come out on the night they had both planned to bring it up, but in a way that wasn't constructive because Natalie was acting on her insecurities and reacting to the way men in her past had treated her instead of listening to Connor. This felt very real and I liked that the author didn't feel the need to show Natalie in a sympathetic light in that situation, but trusted the reader use their previous knowledge of Natalie to know where her outburst was coming from then used the rest of the book to show her overcoming the issues that led to the outburst.
Overall, I loved this book for personal reasons, specifically seeing a heroine who isn't happy-go-lucky all of the time, who is shown dealing with insecurities based on societal and family issues, who is shown as flawed and not perfect, but is still lovable. Of course, my fantasy didn't last long since the first thing I saw when rating it was a one-star review about how Connor deserved better than unlikable Natalie, but I already knew in real life a Natalie would have an even harder time finding love and very likely not find it.
September 24, 2018
This is a thoroughly enjoyable romance with a lot of family drama. I wanted to read it because the heroine is closer to my age than they usually are, and also like me, she comes from an interracial family. She also didn't want children, something that I want to see more of in Romance.
Natalie's baby sister Rebecca is getting married, and thanks to being eleven years younger and the treasured family baby, Rebecca thinks there's nothing wrong with inviting all of their family to the wedding. Even the racist, homophobic relatives. Add to that the basic fact that every one of their family weddings have featured a major disaster, and Natalie isn't exactly looking forward to the wedding. More personally, she doesn't want to suffer another barrage of "when are you going to get married and have children" from nosy relatives. So she asks her friend of many years, Connor, to be her date.
I loved all the family drama. It was cinematic and realistic at the same time. Beautifully depicted, with mostly rounded characters with both flaws and redeeming qualities. Ngin Ngin is my favourite forever. Natalie has a strong, consistent inner voice that carries a lot of the narrative. And it's interesting how much it reflects her actual speech to other characters.
One thing I did have a problem with throughout was the tendency towards repetition. Natalie reiterates things a great deal. Having children is repeatedly referred to as, "popping out babies," and the issue of not wanting children is way more of the plot than I expected. I had thought that was just going to be part of Natalie, not part of everything. It was awkward because I felt like she was trying to convince me when I started out already on her side. All minor stuff.
The romance is incredibly low-stress. Pretty much from the beginning, Connor finds Natalie attractive, and they start a physical relationship to distract from the storm of external conflict generated by her family. The Big Misunderstanding does have to labour to keep them apart, though. Natalie is so consumed by having to defend her right to not want children that she assumes that Connor, like "the rest of the world" wants children. But it felt as if the real issue was much more complicated than that, so I was happy with the romance.
Ultimately, I'd recommend this more as a "relatives are nightmares but we love them" story than a romance. But I do recommend it highly all the same.
Natalie's baby sister Rebecca is getting married, and thanks to being eleven years younger and the treasured family baby, Rebecca thinks there's nothing wrong with inviting all of their family to the wedding. Even the racist, homophobic relatives. Add to that the basic fact that every one of their family weddings have featured a major disaster, and Natalie isn't exactly looking forward to the wedding. More personally, she doesn't want to suffer another barrage of "when are you going to get married and have children" from nosy relatives. So she asks her friend of many years, Connor, to be her date.
I loved all the family drama. It was cinematic and realistic at the same time. Beautifully depicted, with mostly rounded characters with both flaws and redeeming qualities. Ngin Ngin is my favourite forever. Natalie has a strong, consistent inner voice that carries a lot of the narrative. And it's interesting how much it reflects her actual speech to other characters.
One thing I did have a problem with throughout was the tendency towards repetition. Natalie reiterates things a great deal. Having children is repeatedly referred to as, "popping out babies," and the issue of not wanting children is way more of the plot than I expected. I had thought that was just going to be part of Natalie, not part of everything. It was awkward because I felt like she was trying to convince me when I started out already on her side. All minor stuff.
The romance is incredibly low-stress. Pretty much from the beginning, Connor finds Natalie attractive, and they start a physical relationship to distract from the storm of external conflict generated by her family. The Big Misunderstanding does have to labour to keep them apart, though. Natalie is so consumed by having to defend her right to not want children that she assumes that Connor, like "the rest of the world" wants children. But it felt as if the real issue was much more complicated than that, so I was happy with the romance.
Ultimately, I'd recommend this more as a "relatives are nightmares but we love them" story than a romance. But I do recommend it highly all the same.
Read
October 15, 2018ARC provided by the author
Jackie Lau's Latest Features a 36-Year-Old Bi-Racial Heroine Who's Childless by Choice
Jackie Lau makes a point of incorporating social and personal issues in her romances. In NOT ANOTHER FAMILY WEDDING, heroine Natalie Chin-Williams is a successful, single 36-year old climatologist who’s chosen not to have kids.
Her sister Rebecca is about to get married and weddings in the Chin-Williams family are known disasters. Natalie recruits an old friend, Connor Douglas, to be her date.
In a time where heroes are always the grumpy ones, Natalie is unapologetically prickly. It’s a welcome twist. Connor is less defined, he’s divorced and a good uncle, but I never got a real sense of him. The romance builds on a long friendship stoked by forced proximity. Still, for me, it all felt a bit sudden, with not enough time spent to develop the relationship organically. The hook-up I bought, but a minute later, Connor was contemplating real feelings. (This guy was married, is he just looking for someone else to take care of him?)
Lau tackles the stigma around being childless by choice and comes back to it again and again, reinforcing how annoying it is for Natalie to be constantly asked about it. Natalie repeats (and repeats) it’s a decision she’s made, yet she also uses it to sabotage relationships and assumes it makes her unlovable. Get thee to therapy, Natalie!
Not Another Family Wedding's biggest strength is its family interaction. With her family scenes, Lau weaves drama, gossip, and brutal honesty into a contemporary picture of Asian-Canadian family dynamics. The Chin-Williamses are funny and opinionated, and the relationships among the women are especially memorable. It’s an alternative view that’s badly needed in mainstream pop culture. Crazy Rich Asians gave us an updated, nuanced view into an Asian-American woman and her relationship with her mother, and there’s room for more.
Most importantly, the family scenes give us Ngin Ngin, Natalie’s hilariously frank, open-minded grandma who’s seen it all. At 90, she isn’t afraid to say, “I do not see the point in being humble anymore. I am awesome.”
I’m looking forward to more Ngin Ngin in book two in the Chin-Williams series, He's Not My Boyfriend, out November 20.
Jackie Lau's Latest Features a 36-Year-Old Bi-Racial Heroine Who's Childless by Choice
Jackie Lau makes a point of incorporating social and personal issues in her romances. In NOT ANOTHER FAMILY WEDDING, heroine Natalie Chin-Williams is a successful, single 36-year old climatologist who’s chosen not to have kids.
Her sister Rebecca is about to get married and weddings in the Chin-Williams family are known disasters. Natalie recruits an old friend, Connor Douglas, to be her date.
In a time where heroes are always the grumpy ones, Natalie is unapologetically prickly. It’s a welcome twist. Connor is less defined, he’s divorced and a good uncle, but I never got a real sense of him. The romance builds on a long friendship stoked by forced proximity. Still, for me, it all felt a bit sudden, with not enough time spent to develop the relationship organically. The hook-up I bought, but a minute later, Connor was contemplating real feelings. (This guy was married, is he just looking for someone else to take care of him?)
Lau tackles the stigma around being childless by choice and comes back to it again and again, reinforcing how annoying it is for Natalie to be constantly asked about it. Natalie repeats (and repeats) it’s a decision she’s made, yet she also uses it to sabotage relationships and assumes it makes her unlovable. Get thee to therapy, Natalie!
Not Another Family Wedding's biggest strength is its family interaction. With her family scenes, Lau weaves drama, gossip, and brutal honesty into a contemporary picture of Asian-Canadian family dynamics. The Chin-Williamses are funny and opinionated, and the relationships among the women are especially memorable. It’s an alternative view that’s badly needed in mainstream pop culture. Crazy Rich Asians gave us an updated, nuanced view into an Asian-American woman and her relationship with her mother, and there’s room for more.
Most importantly, the family scenes give us Ngin Ngin, Natalie’s hilariously frank, open-minded grandma who’s seen it all. At 90, she isn’t afraid to say, “I do not see the point in being humble anymore. I am awesome.”
I’m looking forward to more Ngin Ngin in book two in the Chin-Williams series, He's Not My Boyfriend, out November 20.
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