[Book Review] Love and Other Moods by Crystal Z. Lee

Name: Love and Other Moods
A Novel by Crystal Z. Lee
Genre: Coming-Of-Age/ Romance
Published on 10th December, 2020
Publisher: Balestier Press

Goodreads || Amazon IN || Amazon US

Love and Other Moods turned out to be an un-expected read. When it arrived at my door, I knew it was going to be an amazing read. (I mean, just look at the cover!). It was a roller-coaster of feelings, emotions, places, faces, cultures, traditions and what not!

The color scheme on the cover is just so beautiful.

From the back cover:

Love and Other Moods is a coming-of-age story set in contemporary China, about falling in love, learning to adult, finding strength, and discovering one’s place in the world.

Naomi Kita-Fan uproots her life from New York to China when her fiancé’s company transfers him to Shanghai. After a disastrous turn of events, Naomi finds herself with no job, no boyfriend, and nowhere to live in a foreign country.

Amidst the backdrop of Shanghai welcoming millions of workers and visitors to the 2010 World Expo, we meet a tapestry of characters through Naomi: Joss Kong, a Shanghai socialite who leads an enviable life, but must harbor the secrets of her husband, Tay Kai Tang. Logan Hayden, a womanizing restaurateur looking for love in all the wrong places. Pan Jinsung and Ouyang Zhangjie, a silver-aged couple struggling with adapting to the ever-changing faces of their city. Dante Ouyang, who had just returned to China after spending years overseas, must choose between being filial and being in love. All their dreams and aspirations interweave within the sprawling web of Shanghai.

This multilayered novel explores a kaleidoscope of shifting relationships——familial friction, amorous entanglements, volatile friendships——in one of the most dynamic metropolises of the twenty-first century.

(From Goodreads)

Review

Well well well. I must say, I was so intrigued by the cover and the book did it justice to present an equally amazing plot-line. A kind of book which will let you travel to another country and city and different states. It was so fun reading and experiencing a new culture. I had read and heard a lot of people reading Asian books and talking about them all over the places but never really experienced before this beauty.

It was also the first book I annotated and I enjoyed doing that very much! I loved the character of Naomi very much. (i use a lot of very much, yes, pardon me!). A very ambitious and enthusiastic girl, I must say. I loved her determination while she worked in Shanghai. Even when she had no where to go, she did not rely on someone else but held herself up and went on!

The writing style is very intriguing, it takes time to read the book, not a super fast book. The book talks more about the history and background of the characters with a lot of facts and history about China and Japan as well. At a few places it was a few difficult for me go forward and read more but that happens very little, so, once you movie past it – great again!

More than the plot, you’d like how it says the story of each person. If you are someone who enjoys reading romance with a lot of details going on around, this might be the one for you! Also for someone who likes travelling through books.

There were things I could not understand at all, but I guess it is fine because I am not a Chinese person and may not be able know about it. Overall, a great read!

About The Author:

Crystal Z. Lee is a Taiwanese American bilingual writer and a member of the Asian Authors Alliance. She has called many places home, including Taipei, New York, Shanghai, and the San Francisco Bay Area.

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Thank you so much Lola from Lola’s blog tours for this review copy! I am so sorry for reviewing this late!