Because Your TBR Isn’t Out of Control Enough Already
May is Asian & Pacific Islander Heritage Month, so we’re spotlighting 12 summer reads by Asian authors we’re coveting. While summer is looking a lot different than in years past, the good news is you’ll have plenty of great reads, even if your vacation only puts you in a lawn chair in your backyard or on your balcony.
In a year when Crazy Rich Asians seems to be mentioned in almost as many loglines as Gone Girl was (not a complaint), we’ve got long awaited K-pop fiction, contemporary romance, YA, and yes, Kevin Kwan’s next novel. You know I typically write my own blurbs or give you a review, but this time around, I’m still working on getting my hands on many of these titles. So the majority of the blurbs come courtesy of the publishers.
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THE TROUBLE WITH HATING YOU – MAY 12, 2020
Liya Thakkar is a successful biochemical engineer, takeout enthusiast, and happily single woman. The moment she realizes her parents’ latest dinner party is a setup with the man they want her to marry, she’s out the back door in a flash. Imagine her surprise when the same guy shows up at her office a week later — the new lawyer hired to rescue her struggling company. What’s not surprising: he’s not too thrilled to see her either after that humiliating fiasco.
Jay Shah looks good on paper . . . and off. Especially if you like that whole gorgeous, charming lawyer-in-a-good-suit thing. He’s also infuriating. As their witty office banter turns into late night chats, Liya starts to think he might be the one man who truly accepts her. But falling for each other means exposing their painful pasts. Will Liya keep running, or will she finally give love a real chance? Find out in this laugh-out-loud romantic comedy debut about first impressions, second chances, and finding the love of your life in the most unexpected way.
Get THE TROUBLE WITH HATING YOU from The Ripped Bodice | Amazon |Apple Books | IndieBound |Bookshop.org
PREGNANT BY THE PLAYBOY – May 26, 2020
Jackie Lau’s next romance takes tech entrepreneur Vince Fong from playboy to papa after a one night stand turns into a one-weekend stand. They never expect to see each other again until Marissa reveals she’s pregnant. For Vince, being a dad just might be what gives his life some purpose and while Marissa wants him to be involved, she’s not looking to get married. Can he prove he’s proper partner material? To hear him tell it, once he sets his mind to something, he doesn’t fail…
Get PREGNANT BY THE PLAYBOY from Amazon |Apple Books
LAST TANG STANDING – JUNE 9, 2020
At thirty-three, Andrea Tang is living the dream: She has a successful career as a lawyer, a posh condo, and a clutch of fun-loving friends who are always in the know about Singapore’s hottest clubs. All she has to do is make law partner, and her life will be perfect. And if she’s about to become the lone unmarried member of her generation in the Tang clan–a disappointment her meddling Chinese-Malaysian family won’t let her forget–well, she doesn’t need a man to complete her.
Yet when a chance encounter with charming, wealthy entrepreneur Eric Deng offers her a glimpse of an exciting, limitless future, Andrea decides to give Mr. Right-for-her-family a chance. Too bad Suresh Aditparan, her office rival and the last man her family would approve of, keeps throwing a wrench in her plans. Now Andrea can’t help but wonder: In the endless tug-of-war between pleasing others and pleasing herself, is there room for everyone to win?
Get LAST TANG STANDING from The Ripped Bodice | Amazon |Apple Books | IndieBound |Bookshop.org
THE MARRIAGE GAME – June 9, 2020
After her life falls apart, recruitment consultant Layla Patel returns home to her family in San Francisco. But in the eyes of her father, who runs a Michelin starred restaurant, she can do no wrong. He would do anything to see her smile again. With the best intentions in mind, he offers her the office upstairs to start her new business and creates a profile on an online dating site to find her a man. She doesn’t know he’s arranged a series of blind dates until the first one comes knocking on her door…
As CEO of a corporate downsizing company Sam Mehta is more used to conflict than calm. In search of a quiet new office, he finds the perfect space above a cozy Indian restaurant that smells like home. But when communication goes awry, he’s forced to share his space with the owner’s beautiful yet infuriating daughter Layla, her crazy family, and a parade of hopeful suitors, all of whom threaten to disrupt his carefully ordered life.
As they face off in close quarters, the sarcasm and sparks fly. But when the battle for the office becomes a battle of the heart, Sam and Layla have to decide if this is love or just a game.
Get THE MARRIAGE GAME from The Ripped Bodice | Amazon | Apple Books |IndieBound | Bookshop.org
I’LL BE THE ONE – JUNE 16, 2020
Skye Shin has heard it all. Fat girls shouldn’t dance. Wear bright colors. Shouldn’t call attention to themselves. But Skye dreams of joining the glittering world of K-Pop, and to do that, she’s about to break all the rules that society, the media, and even her own mother, have set for girls like her. She’ll challenge thousands of other performers in an internationally televised competition looking for the next K-pop star, and she’ll do it better than anyone else.
When Skye nails her audition, she’s immediately swept into a whirlwind of countless practices, shocking performances, and the drama that comes with reality TV. What she doesn’t count on are the highly fat-phobic beauty standards of the Korean pop entertainment industry, her sudden media fame and scrutiny, or the sparks that soon fly with her fellow competitor, Henry Cho. But Skye has her sights on becoming the world’s first plus-sized K-pop star, and that means winning the competition—without losing herself.
Get I’LL BE THE ONE from The Ripped Bodice | Amazon |Apple Books | IndieBound | Bookshop.org
SEX AND VANITY – JUNE 30, 2020
After the wild success of Crazy Rich Asians (the film) last summer, Kevin Kwan is back with a new novel that’s an homage to A Room with a View.
On her very first morning on the jewel-like island of Capri, Lucie Churchill sets eyes on George Zao and she instantly can’t stand him. She can’t stand it when he gallantly offers to trade hotel rooms with her so that she can have a view of the Tyrrhenian Sea, she can’t stand that he knows more about Casa Malaparte than she does, and she really can’t stand it when he kisses her in the darkness of the ancient ruins of a Roman villa and they are caught by her snobbish, disapproving cousin Charlotte. “Your mother is Chinese so it’s no surprise you’d be attracted to someone like him,” Charlotte teases.
The daughter of an American-born Chinese mother and a blue-blooded New York father, Lucie has always sublimated the Asian side of herself in favor of the white side, and she adamantly denies having feelings for George. But several years later, when George unexpectedly appears in East Hampton, where Lucie is weekending with her new fiancé, Lucie finds herself drawn to George again. Soon, Lucie is spinning a web of deceit that involves her family, her fiancé, the co-op board of her Fifth Avenue apartment building, and ultimately herself as she tries mightily to deny George entry into her world–and her heart. Moving between summer playgrounds of privilege, peppered with decadent food and extravagant fashion, Sex and Vanity is a truly modern love story, a daring homage to A Room with a View, and a brilliantly funny comedy of manners set between two cultures.
Get SEX AND VANITY from The Ripped Bodice | Amazon |Apple Books | IndieBound | Bookshop.org
THE UPTOWN COLLECTION – JUNE 30, 2020
Ruby Lang’s three Uptown series novellas are collected into one volume. Playing House, Open House and House Rules follow three couples living in Harlem. Whether your fave trope is fake relationship, enemies-to-lovers or second chance, Ruby’s got ya covered. Open House is my favorite of the bunch.
Get THE UPTOWN COLLECTION from The Ripped Bodice | Amazon |Apple Books | IndieBound | Bookshop.org
A SWEET MESS – JULY 14, 2020
Aubrey Choi has been content running her highly successful bakery Comfort Zone and with its first expansion taking up all of her time, dating has been the least of her priorities. Then a one-night-stand with gorgeous Korean hunk Landon Kim makes her want things she didn’t think she had time for. Too bad it turns out he’s a celebrity food critic whose scathing review of Comfort Zone goes viral and nearly destroys Aubrey’s business—and her fond memory of their night together.
Landon tries to clean up the mess he made by offering Aubrey a spot on the new celebrity cooking show he’s producing. She agrees to use this as a way to save her bakery and her reputation—no thanks to him—but vows to guard her heart. Now Aubrey and Landon find themselves sharing a villa in California wine country, which is a guaranteed recipe for disaster. For the next three weeks, baker and critic will tempt each other as they struggle to resist admitting that they have all the necessary ingredients for love.
Get A SWEET MESS from The Ripped Bodice | Amazon |Apple Books | IndieBound | Bookshop.org
LOATHE AT FIRST SIGHT – AUGUST 4, 2020
Melody Joo is thrilled to land her dream job as a video game producer, but her new position comes with its share of challenges. Namely, an insufferable CEO and a team that consists of mostly male co-workers who make the term “misogyny” pale in comparison to their obnoxious comments. Then there’s the infuriating—yet distractingly handsome—intern Nolan McKenzie, a.k.a. “the guy who got hired because his uncle is the boss”.
Just when Melody thinks she’s made the worst career move of her life, her luck changes on a dime. While joking with a friend, she creates a mobile game that has male strippers fighting for survival in a post-apocalyptic world. Suddenly, Melody’s “joke” is her studio’s most high-profile project—and Melody’s running the show.
When Nolan is appointed a key member of her team, Melody’s sure he’ll be useless. But as they grow closer, she sees he’s smart and sexy, which makes Melody want to forget he’s her intern. As their attraction deepens, she knows it’s time to pump the brakes even with her Korean parents breathing down her neck to hurry up and find a man. But she’s here to work—and nothing more. All she has to do is resist the wild thoughts coursing through her mind whenever Nolan is near. Easy . . . or so she thinks.
With her pet project about to launch, Melody suddenly faces a slew of complications, including a social media trolling scandal that could end her career. She suspects one of her co-workers is behind the sabotage and is determined to find out who betrayed her. Could the man she’s falling hard for help her play the game to win—in work and love?
Get LOATHE AT FIRST SIGHT from The Ripped Bodice | Amazon |Apple Books | IndieBound | Bookshop.org
VANESSA YU’S MAGICAL PARIS TEA SHOP – August 4, 2020
Vanessa Yu never wanted to see people’s fortunes—or misfortunes—in tealeaves.
Ever since she can remember, Vanessa has been able to see people’s fortunes at the bottom of their teacups. To avoid blurting out their fortunes, she converts to coffee, but somehow fortunes escape and find a way to complicate her life and the ones of those around her. To add to this plight, her romance life is so nonexistent that her parents enlist the services of a matchmaking expert from Shanghai.
After her matchmaking appointment, Vanessa sees death for the first time. She decides that she can’t truly live until she can find a way to get rid of her uncanny abilities. When her eccentric Aunt Evelyn shows up with a tempting offer to whisk her away, Vanessa says au revoir to California and bonjour to Paris. There, Vanessa learns more about herself and the root of her gifts and realizes one thing to be true: knowing one’s destiny isn’t a curse, but being unable to change it is.
Get VANESSA YU’s MAGICAL PARIS TEA SHOP from The Ripped Bodice | Amazon | Apple Books | IndieBound | Bookshop.org
K-POP CONFIDENTIAL – SEPTEMBER 15, 2020
Candace Park knows a lot about playing a role. For most of her life, she’s been playing the role of the quiet Korean-American girl who takes advanced classes and plays a classical instrument, keeping her love of K-pop to herself. But she has a secret that she’s been keeping from the world: she can sing. Like, really sing.
So when Candace enters a global audition held by the biggest K-pop label in the world, she doesn’t expect to actually win. And convincing her parents to go against everything they believe in is nothing compared to what’s next.
Under the strict supervision of her instructors at the label’s headquarters in Seoul, South Korea, Candace must hone her performance skills to within an inch of her life, learn to fluently speak Korean, and navigate the complex hierarchies of her teammates. And the number-one rule? NO DATING – which proves almost impossible after she meets superstar idol One.J and fellow Korean-American trainee YoungBae.
And when Candace finds herself in the middle of an international K-pop scandal, she must decide whether a spot in the most hyped K-pop girl group of all time is really worth risking everything …
Get K-POP CONFIDENTIAL from The Ripped Bodice | Amazon |Apple Books | IndieBound |Bookshop.org | Bookshop.org
Shine – September 29, 2020
A Korean-American girl travels to Seoul in hopes of debuting in a girl group at the same K-pop company behind the most popular boy band on the planet, in this romantic coming-of-age novel perfect for K-pop fans everywhere.
What would you give for a chance to live your dreams?
For seventeen-year-old Korean American Rachel Kim, the answer is almost everything. Six years ago, she was recruited by DB Entertainment—one of Seoul’s largest K-pop labels, known for churning out some of the world’s most popular stars. The rules are simple: Train 24/7. Be perfect. Don’t date. Easy right?
Not so much. As the dark scandals of an industry bent on controlling and commodifying beautiful girls begin to bubble up, Rachel wonders if she’s strong enough to be a winner, or if she’ll end up crushed… Especially when she begins to develop feelings for K-pop star and DB golden boy Jason Lee. It’s not just that he’s charming, sexy, and ridiculously talented. He’s also the first person who really understands how badly she wants her star to rise.
Get ready as Jessica Jung, K-pop legend and former lead singer of Korea’s most famous girl group, Girls Generation, takes us inside the luxe, hyper-color world of K-pop, where the stakes are high, but for one girl, the cost of success—and love—might be even higher. It’s time for the world to see: this is what it takes to SHINE.
Get SHINE from The Ripped Bodice | Amazon |Apple Books | IndieBound | Bookshop.org
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