Lucie Yi Is Not a Romantic
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- Create Date：2022-06-16 06:51:44
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Lauren Ho
- ISBN：0593422260
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Summary
An ambitious career woman signs up for a co-parenting website only to find a match she never expected， in this unflinchingly funny and honest novel from the author of Last Tang Standing。
Management consultant Lucie Yi is done waiting for Mr。 Right。 After a harrowing breakup foiled her plans for children—and drove her to a meltdown in a Tribeca baby store—she’s ready to take matters into her own hands。 She signs up for an elective co-parenting website to find a suitable partner with whom to procreate—as platonic as family planning can be。
Collin Read checks all of Lucie’s boxes; he shares a similar cultural background， he’s honest， and most important， he’s ready to become a father。 When they match， it doesn’t take long for Lucie to take a leap of faith for her future。 So what if her conservative family might not approve？ When Lucie becomes pregnant， the pair return to Singapore and， sure enough， her parents refuse to look on the bright side。 Even more complicated， Lucie’s ex-fiancé reappears， sparking unresolved feelings and compounding work pressures and the baffling ways her body is changing。 Suddenly her straightforward arrangement is falling apart before her very eyes， and Lucie will have to decide how to juggle the demands of the people she loves while pursuing the life she really wants。
Reviews
leereadswords
，
3。75/ 5 stars This book was absolutely hilarious and I constantly found myself laughing and smiling while reading it。 I loved that all the issues where real and gave a great insight of the not so glamourous parts of pregnancy， stigma around births out of wedlock， strained and messy relationships， grief/loss and many other topic brought up throughout the book。 Lucie Yi is such a determined， funny and strong willed person and I found myself rooting for her to get her happy ending from the beginnin 3。75/ 5 stars This book was absolutely hilarious and I constantly found myself laughing and smiling while reading it。 I loved that all the issues where real and gave a great insight of the not so glamourous parts of pregnancy， stigma around births out of wedlock， strained and messy relationships， grief/loss and many other topic brought up throughout the book。 Lucie Yi is such a determined， funny and strong willed person and I found myself rooting for her to get her happy ending from the beginning though I will say that I didn't like the way the two love interests acted in parts of the book as they did come off as manipulative and toxic with that being said it was still a great quick read and I found myself flying through the chapters eager to find out what happens next and what Lucie will do and say next， 。。。more
Lauren
，
4。5 ⭐A fantastic non rom-com， but totally a rom-com！ Lucie the MC is just hilarious， very no nonsense and you just can't help but love her brutal honesty and puns！At times I was thinking the complicated triangle love life， reminded me of Bridget Jones and I was definitely here for that romantic chaos！Lucie Yi is not a romantic， I beg to differ！Co-parenting to lovers is definitely also now one of my new favourite tropes！ （Ali Hazelwood says it perfectly）Highly recommend this book， Full review to 4。5 ⭐A fantastic non rom-com， but totally a rom-com！ Lucie the MC is just hilarious， very no nonsense and you just can't help but love her brutal honesty and puns！At times I was thinking the complicated triangle love life， reminded me of Bridget Jones and I was definitely here for that romantic chaos！Lucie Yi is not a romantic， I beg to differ！Co-parenting to lovers is definitely also now one of my new favourite tropes！ （Ali Hazelwood says it perfectly）Highly recommend this book， Full review to come。*Thank you so much to Harper Collins for the early review copy， in exchange for an honest review。* 。。。more
Kaite
，
3。75 rounded up
Megan Parker
，
If you’re looking for a friends to lovers book that is absolutely captivating then look no further than LUCIE YI IS NOT A ROMANTIC by Lauren Ho。 It handles motherhood， parenting stigmas， cheating partners， and life with such grace and humor。 This book is a not like all the others out there。 If you’re in a reading rut， this book will get you out of it quickly。
Niamh
，
I was very kindly given an e-ARC of this book via Netgalley and HarperCollins UK。 T/W: Controlling partner （implied）， grief， cheating discussion/mentions of miscarriage， difficult family relationships， nut allergy （？ - is this a trigger warning？ Who knows）。 I really enjoyed 'Last Tang Standing' and I didn't even need to know what this book was about before clicking that 'Want to Read' button。'Lucie Yi Is Not A Romantic' is about a woman who decides to sign up for a co-parenting website。 She want I was very kindly given an e-ARC of this book via Netgalley and HarperCollins UK。 T/W: Controlling partner （implied）， grief， cheating discussion/mentions of miscarriage， difficult family relationships， nut allergy （？ - is this a trigger warning？ Who knows）。 I really enjoyed 'Last Tang Standing' and I didn't even need to know what this book was about before clicking that 'Want to Read' button。'Lucie Yi Is Not A Romantic' is about a woman who decides to sign up for a co-parenting website。 She wants to have a child but doesn't want to go about the traditional method。 On the website， she meets Collin and they decide to make a baby。 Spoiler - feelings occur。 But it's a bit more complicated than that。Concept - excellent。 Execution？ Less so。 This book is 400+ pages and I don't feel like it warranted it。 The central story dragged slightly as we got into the third act and certain elements felt a bit repetitive - there's a love triangle storyline that doesn't develop much beyond 'maybe this guy， oh no， maybe this guy'。 I also didn't like Lucie。 Whilst she admits she's cold and distant and deals with numbers rather than feelings， which is great， she was very mean at times - and very selfish。 There are moments where she would steamroller over the people around her and nobody seemed to mind it very much。 It made it difficult to root for her as the protagonist because I kept disagreeing with how she fundamentally treated the people around her。 I also felt， at times， she lacked nuance - it was an 'all or nothing' situation with her。 I would have loved to have seen her healing process。 There's a scene with a grief dinner that， had that plotline been pursued， would have felt more rewarding than the relationship one that the novel followed。 ALSO MARK IS A SHITBAG。 Why would she go back to him？ After everything he did before - and even in the book？？ The amount of times my brain just yelled 'RUN LUCIE， RUN！' - I lost count。 The first 1/4 of the book was my absolute favourite， but the best elements continued all the way through - Lauren Ho's writing voice is great and every character gets a fully rounded story （I was super intrigued by Anthony - are we getting a story around him next？ Give me a political rom-com！）。 You'll never be bored reading her novels and the concept is so strong， it'll keep you interested。 Where are the other co-parenting rom-coms people？！'Lucie Yi Is Not A Romantic' will be published on June 23rd。 。。。more
Kenzi
，
I’m rating this a 3/5 because I was unable to finish it。 Unfortunately， there were some triggering things in it that had me struggle to continue to read。 However， the writing of this story （of what I read） was wonderful and I know many people will enjoy this story。
On_a_sandbar （Carol）
，
I really enjoyed this book！ I’m always interested in seeing the traditional Asian cultural references since my daughter in law and her parents are from Singapore。 So much of it rings true。 I didn’t read Last Tang Standing by the author， but I loved her writing style and humor on this one。 I thought the relationship between Lucie and Collin was sweet and authentic and heartwarming。 I loved the puns！！ Thank you to NetGalley and Putnam Books for my advance readers e galley in exchange for my review I really enjoyed this book！ I’m always interested in seeing the traditional Asian cultural references since my daughter in law and her parents are from Singapore。 So much of it rings true。 I didn’t read Last Tang Standing by the author， but I loved her writing style and humor on this one。 I thought the relationship between Lucie and Collin was sweet and authentic and heartwarming。 I loved the puns！！ Thank you to NetGalley and Putnam Books for my advance readers e galley in exchange for my review Follow me on Instagram at http://www。instagram。com/on_a_sandbar 。。。more
Courtney
，
I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review。 All opinions are my own。 As leery as I am of pregnancy and fertility related storylines and （especially） plot twists， I love finding a book that looks to reinvent the wheel a bit， especially when they market the book as such。 Lucie Yi Is Not a Romantic does this from its initial premise of seeing a driven career woman take a businesslike approach to conceiving a child through an elective co-parenting website。 I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review。 All opinions are my own。 As leery as I am of pregnancy and fertility related storylines and （especially） plot twists， I love finding a book that looks to reinvent the wheel a bit， especially when they market the book as such。 Lucie Yi Is Not a Romantic does this from its initial premise of seeing a driven career woman take a businesslike approach to conceiving a child through an elective co-parenting website。 Lucie is easy to root for， and while I don’t want children myself， I can totally understand where she’s coming from， given what she’s been through and how those events have made her who she is today。 I also love how proactive she is in going after this unconventional road to parenthood， even if her traditional parents don’t approve， subtly highlighting the cultural divide in Asian diaspora families， with specific focus on the difference between Singapore and the US。I also really liked how， while the chemistry is there with Collin early on， it’s not instant fireworks， and they do have to work on getting to know each other to at least make co-parenting work。 The inclusion of the awkward， non-explicit sex scene highlighting one of their attempts at conception aids in this。 However， their relationship develops to the point where it’s so solid， I don’t understand how Lucie can still have doubts。 I mean， yes， her ex comes back into the picture， and they have a long， complicated history。 But he really hurt her， and just because he’s “gone to therapy and worked on himself，” doesn’t mean she should take him back。 She does come to this realization eventually， but it sucked to see her hurt Collin in the process， when he’d been nothing but supportive。 In spite of the title， Lucie Yi most definitely is a romantic， and this book is sweet and heartfelt， discussing difficult topics with a light touch。 Would recommend， if it sounds of interest to you。 。。。more
Sarah
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3。5 stars， rounded up to 4First up， thanks NetGalley and Harper Collins for giving me the ARC in exchange for my honest review 👍Collin。He is reason enough to love this book！The story follows Lucie on her quest to have a baby， after realising that she's ready NOW and is willing to do it via non-traditional methodsLucie is a character who I really felt for， she was strong， resourceful， loving and stuck between a rock and a hard place - doing things her way and disappointing her parents， or doing w 3。5 stars， rounded up to 4First up， thanks NetGalley and Harper Collins for giving me the ARC in exchange for my honest review 👍Collin。He is reason enough to love this book！The story follows Lucie on her quest to have a baby， after realising that she's ready NOW and is willing to do it via non-traditional methodsLucie is a character who I really felt for， she was strong， resourceful， loving and stuck between a rock and a hard place - doing things her way and disappointing her parents， or doing what's expectedSuffice to say， the story made me feel lucky that I didn't have those same pressures， as I would have been disowned 🙊I enjoyed LYINAR， it tugged on my heartstrings， made me laugh， made me angry， made me happy - all the things you want in a book！Lucie Yi is Not Romantic is releasing 23rd June， so make sure to grab a copy！ 。。。more
Amna Waqar
，
Lucie Yi is on a secondment in New York。 She is career-focused and seems to have it all until she has an emotional meltdown in a baby shop whilst buying baby gifts for her best friend's triplets。 It is at that moment that she realises that she really wants to have a baby。 With no man currently in her life， Lucie ends up signing up to a co-parenting website where she eventually matches up with Collin。 He is from a similar Asian background and they both seem to hit it off。 Their aim is to have a b Lucie Yi is on a secondment in New York。 She is career-focused and seems to have it all until she has an emotional meltdown in a baby shop whilst buying baby gifts for her best friend's triplets。 It is at that moment that she realises that she really wants to have a baby。 With no man currently in her life， Lucie ends up signing up to a co-parenting website where she eventually matches up with Collin。 He is from a similar Asian background and they both seem to hit it off。 Their aim is to have a baby and romance strictly isn't in the picture。 Once pregnant， Lucie and Collin move to Singapore。 Lucie eventually has to tell her strict parents about the pregnancy and they don't take it well。 Collin also tries to get to grips with patching up his relationship with his estranged father。 Lucie and Collin do have chemistry and romantic vibes but then Lucie's ex-fiance Mark re-enters her life， wanting to make amends。As much as I liked the story， I felt that there was a lack of character development when it came to both Lucie and Collin。 I found Lucie to be very one-dimensional。 Collin seemed to have the same conversation about his dad repeatedly。 Mark was just plain annoying and why Lucie even decided to reconnect with him was beyond logic。 However， making Lucie a character who doesn't conform to social norms is praiseworthy。 Lauren Ho also brings out the stigma of divorce in an Asian society， through Lucie's sister Hannah。 My thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
MaguiWorld
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🤰 #PRHInternationalPartner 🤰Primera novela que leo de Lauren Ho y la verdad es que me gustó， lo disfrute， fue entretenido pero me gustaría leer otra novela de ella para terminar de hacerme una idea de su manera de escribir y de cómo profundiza （o no） sobre los temas que trata en la novela。Lucie Yi Is Not a Romantic es una novela de las que no suelo leer mucho: romance， triangulos amoroso y embarazos。 No， no es mucho de mi zona de confort。 Pero estuvo interesante salir del mismo y experimentar。 C 🤰 #PRHInternationalPartner 🤰Primera novela que leo de Lauren Ho y la verdad es que me gustó， lo disfrute， fue entretenido pero me gustaría leer otra novela de ella para terminar de hacerme una idea de su manera de escribir y de cómo profundiza （o no） sobre los temas que trata en la novela。Lucie Yi Is Not a Romantic es una novela de las que no suelo leer mucho: romance， triangulos amoroso y embarazos。 No， no es mucho de mi zona de confort。 Pero estuvo interesante salir del mismo y experimentar。 Creo que es un libro ideal para ser adaptado， mirar un día lluvioso con un bowl de pochoclo y reir， llorar e indignarse un rato。 Porque de eso también va el libro。 ¡Y esta muy copado！Lo que menos me gustó de la novela es lo poco que profundiza en algunos temas: maternidad， amistad， familia。 Y creo que me hubiera gustado ver más sobre eso。 Ver el porqué， los cómo， la manera en que se desarrolla。 Eso fue algo que me falto y que personalmente esperaba encontrarme。 ¿No tenerlo lo hace una mala novela？ No， en absoluto。 Simplemente yo esperaba otra cosa。 Hubieron momentos donde me quería arrancar los pelos por comportamiento de la protagonista， que quería gritarle "AMIGA DATE CUENTAAA" pero no podía， claramente。 Hubo un personaje en particular que detesté， no lo quería ver en absoluto y cada cosa que hacía sumaba puntos negativos。 Sorry Not Sorry。Una experiencia interesante， una película que vería un fin de semana sin mucho que hacer。 ¡Me encantaría leer algo más de la autora！Más reseñas y recomendaciones 👉 https://www。instagram。com/magui。world/ 。。。more
Jacqueline
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The premise of Lucie finding someone to parent with through an app and getting pregnant was a good story line。 I adored Collin and felt like he might have been the only character that I understood。 I loved the chemistry and banter between Collin and Lucie， although Lucie seemed so rigid much of the time。 I found the culture and traditional ways of Lucie’s family and much of Singapore to be very eye opening compared to the culture we normally see。 Overall， I enjoyed this story and perspective but The premise of Lucie finding someone to parent with through an app and getting pregnant was a good story line。 I adored Collin and felt like he might have been the only character that I understood。 I loved the chemistry and banter between Collin and Lucie， although Lucie seemed so rigid much of the time。 I found the culture and traditional ways of Lucie’s family and much of Singapore to be very eye opening compared to the culture we normally see。 Overall， I enjoyed this story and perspective but had issues with some of the development of characters and lack of development of side characters。Thank you to NetGalley for a copy of this arc in exchange for an honest review！ 。。。more
Emily Pankhurst
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I am on the Blog Tour for this book on 27 June so keep your eyes peeled for my review on here， my blog， Instagram， Facebook， Amazon and Twitter！
Jamie Feuerman
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I was immediately interested when I saw the concept for this。 Friends to co-parents to lovers is a fun concept when it’s executed well and I was super excited to read this。 I have to admit that I was a bit disappointed that this book seemed to spend more time on Lucie and Mark than Lucie and Collin。 I really enjoyed the first third or so of the book of them getting to know each other and starting their “arrangement，” but once Mark got involved I felt like things fell apart。 I felt like Lucie goi I was immediately interested when I saw the concept for this。 Friends to co-parents to lovers is a fun concept when it’s executed well and I was super excited to read this。 I have to admit that I was a bit disappointed that this book seemed to spend more time on Lucie and Mark than Lucie and Collin。 I really enjoyed the first third or so of the book of them getting to know each other and starting their “arrangement，” but once Mark got involved I felt like things fell apart。 I felt like Lucie going back to him came out of nowhere， since she so adamantly hated him at the beginning。 I was internally screaming over how such a seemingly smart and independent character could go back to someone like him， and I felt so bad for Collin。 I’m just not a love triangle fan at all， and this didn’t even feel like a love triangle so much as a choosing the wrong guy for no good reason while the other guy was just there。 I did， however， enjoy reading about Lucie growing as a person and doing what she wanted to in her life。 I was happy with the way things worked out in the end for her （and Collin）。 I also really liked her relationship with her friends， and even wish they had been more prominent。Thank you to NetGalley for providing an ARC of this book！ 。。。more
Megan Hollenkamp
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If you are looking for something to read that will leaving you with a sweet feeling all while （possibly） teaching a lot about other cultures， this book is for you。 Lucie is reeling from loss in more ways than one and as she is entering her late 30’s she decides to take matters into her own hands and have a child on her terms。 But naturally， hijinx ensue。 I went into this thinking it would be a nice， light read to break up some of the more serious and/or spooky stuff I’ve read recently。 I will sa If you are looking for something to read that will leaving you with a sweet feeling all while （possibly） teaching a lot about other cultures， this book is for you。 Lucie is reeling from loss in more ways than one and as she is entering her late 30’s she decides to take matters into her own hands and have a child on her terms。 But naturally， hijinx ensue。 I went into this thinking it would be a nice， light read to break up some of the more serious and/or spooky stuff I’ve read recently。 I will say it has dark parts I wasn’t expecting that I get added a depth to the characters and relationships I don’t see in a lot of romance。 TW/CW: pregnancy loss， infidelity， grief， mental health issues， strained friendship/family relationship 。。。more
Elishia
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins for the opportunity to read this book！ Lucie Yi Is Not A aromatic had a promising plot/storyline， modern Lucie decides to look for someone platonically have a child with， no romantic intentions involved。 I really tried to connect with Lucie but i just didn’t， maybe it’s because I don’t see myself wanting children myself so I couldn’t relate to her situation。 But to me she seemed very headstrong and set in her ways， not often wanting to compromise yet always Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins for the opportunity to read this book！ Lucie Yi Is Not A aromatic had a promising plot/storyline， modern Lucie decides to look for someone platonically have a child with， no romantic intentions involved。 I really tried to connect with Lucie but i just didn’t， maybe it’s because I don’t see myself wanting children myself so I couldn’t relate to her situation。 But to me she seemed very headstrong and set in her ways， not often wanting to compromise yet always expecting others to compromise their views for her。 The way Lucie got back with Mark， her ex fiancé， so fast despite what he’d done to her in the past didn’t sit right with me。 She didn’t seem at all bothered that he was stalking and following Collin， the father of her unborn child， nor did she seem to mind the fact he’d told his parents that the child was his and not Collin’s。 For a while I thought that Lucie’s friend Suzie knew something about Mark but wasn’t telling Lucie for the sake of her being pregnant。 Turns out that Suzie felt lonely/left out because everyone surrounding her was either pregnant or already had children。 I think that the way the friend group handled the situation wasn’t to my liking， I’m sure you can find other things to talk about than children and babies， especially when your very close friend can’t relate to it at all。 Overall， this book had potential， It just fell slightly flat for me。 I really wanted to love it， the plot was really modern and new， I just wish the character development and relationships were better thought out。 。。。more
Tina
，
Being a 35 year old single woman who’s been pondering the ways of having a child without a partner for a couple of years， I was immediately intrigued by the concept of this book。 It felt like I just HAD TO read this book！ And now that I did， I can say that there are parts that I loved， other parts that I liked and some parts that I didn’t like so much。 I loved that this unconventional way of having a child was the center of a book。 I also really enjoyed all the discussions about alternative ways Being a 35 year old single woman who’s been pondering the ways of having a child without a partner for a couple of years， I was immediately intrigued by the concept of this book。 It felt like I just HAD TO read this book！ And now that I did， I can say that there are parts that I loved， other parts that I liked and some parts that I didn’t like so much。 I loved that this unconventional way of having a child was the center of a book。 I also really enjoyed all the discussions about alternative ways of having a family and how the characters are finding and standing up for their choices in this very traditional environment！ I liked the honest and open relationship between Lucie and Collin during the first 50% of the book。 I had some trouble understanding why this part of their friendship deteriorated after the halfway point， resulting in a version of the classic “third act breakup” that’s so typical for romcoms。 I’m not sure if the reasoning behind the actions of Lucie regarding Collin and Mark where 100% comprehensible for me。 I don’t know if it was a style choice or a result of something missing in the writing， but some actions felt outride immature and frustratingly random。 The writing style itself was very easy to read， which is always a huge plus。 I especially loved the banter between Lucie and Collin or Lucie and her friends， I wish I was as funny and quick-witted， and I wish I knew as many puns as Lucie！！ Overall， it was a very entertaining read with a unique concept at its core that I enjoyed reading a lot。4/5 stars。Thank you Netgalley and HarperCollins UK for this arc。 In return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review。 。。。more
Alexandra
，
He looked up and their eyes locked in an unguarded moment， too late for her to mask her emotions。 The want was written in her eyes for him to see， as his was。 She trembled。 If he kissed her now the charade would be over。Lucie Yi is not a romantic… except she is。 Like many other women living in the 21st century， she is tired of waiting for Mr。 Perfect， especially after having been in a relationship that almost left her broken。 She wants a baby and nothing or no one is going to stop her from pursu He looked up and their eyes locked in an unguarded moment， too late for her to mask her emotions。 The want was written in her eyes for him to see， as his was。 She trembled。 If he kissed her now the charade would be over。Lucie Yi is not a romantic… except she is。 Like many other women living in the 21st century， she is tired of waiting for Mr。 Perfect， especially after having been in a relationship that almost left her broken。 She wants a baby and nothing or no one is going to stop her from pursuing her dream。 Here is a story about romance， conflicting motherhood， parent expectations… and so much more！My thoughts:I liked Lucie from the first page！ Following her story， she felt more like a friend， and I was so rooting for her to find happiness。 I do not want to give too many details away， because that would ruin the whole reading experience。 All I can say is that Lucie portrays all the conflicts a modern woman deals with， especially when it comes to finding her better half， having a baby， or meeting work-related expectations。 In all of that， she deals with the judgment of colleagues， friends， and even her own family， struggling to keep her head above the water。Even though this is supposed to be a “light” read， I think the author did a brilliant job in approaching themes that are difficult to swallow。 Lucie has to decide on so many things， it is a wonder her head doesn’t explode。 I love how she has her close friends to offer advice， but she also follows her instinct when the pressure mounts。 She does not let herself be swayed by fleeting emotions， even though that would be the normal thing to do。 Of course， Lucie has her moments of weakness， but only because she is human， like the rest of us。As you will see from the story， Lucie has to decide between two partners。 One is a blast from the past， while the other comes like a refreshing breath of air， demolishing many of her preconceived notions。 Who will she choose？ And will she have a baby or not？ You will have to read the book to find out。 All I can say is that Lucie will definitely spend a lot of time analyzing her “romantic” self， something which many of us do， especially when trying to decide on the future。Another interesting aspect of the book was life in Singapore， along the cultural facts。 I love discovering other cultures and reading about their norms， as I am reminded that we are all different and yet alike。 No matter where we come from， we all dream of the same things， and I love books that highlight this above all else。 It was also great to see that friendship， romance， work， family， and parenthood were intermingled – this is actually how things stand in real life。 Refreshing to see them as such in a book as well。Verdict:This was such a great read， from beginning to end！ Lucie Yi is a well-developed character and her story draws you in from the start。 Filled with humor and conflict， it offers a delightful reading experience， with a taste of life in Singapore。 I have heard this book being presented as a rom-com story， but I would like for all future readers to know it offers so much more。 Just read it， you will definitely fall in love with Lucie， rooting for her to find happiness and everything that comes after！ 。。。more
Dianne
，
I'm just not sure how to write a review that makes the most of this book。 I was ready to DNF at 85%， to tell you the truth。 The storyline was interesting， but I could not connect with most of the characters， especially Mark。 The idea of matching up sight nearly unseen to have a baby without the mess of marriage was intriguing， but it got a little stale after a while。 Adding romance to this book by bringing back an unfaithful lover was just the icing on the poop storm this book was turning out to I'm just not sure how to write a review that makes the most of this book。 I was ready to DNF at 85%， to tell you the truth。 The storyline was interesting， but I could not connect with most of the characters， especially Mark。 The idea of matching up sight nearly unseen to have a baby without the mess of marriage was intriguing， but it got a little stale after a while。 Adding romance to this book by bringing back an unfaithful lover was just the icing on the poop storm this book was turning out to be。Mark was just such a d*ck head， and Collin was sometimes a tad too sweet and naive。 This book did let me know how another culture， and especially how Lucie's family feels about unwed motherhood and divorce。 Don't get me wrong; I know that there are still people in the USA who think of this subject in the same manner as some other cultures do。 However， I have never read a book that spoke so plainly about it。I truly started feeling apathetic about this book after about 50% but stuck it out as it was getting so many wonderful reviews。。。I should have given up then and not pushed myself。 I am just not in the age bracket that this book needs to be marketed to。 Also， I didn't particularly appreciate reading some of the agist comments the author had some of the characters spouting。 *ARC supplied by the publisher G。P。 Putnam's Sons， the author， and NetGalley。 。。。more
Gabi Benevides
，
First of all， thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC！ Lucie Yi Is Not a Romantic has a very creative plot: Lucie， in her late 30s， decided to find a partner – not a romantic one， someone she can platonically raise a child with。 I think everyone agrees how unconventional it is for a romance novel and how much potential it had。 Sadly， this isn't a positive review。 （view spoiler）[ The characters felt very flat to me even with all the conflicts between them （Lucie and Collin， Lucie and Ma First of all， thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC！ Lucie Yi Is Not a Romantic has a very creative plot: Lucie， in her late 30s， decided to find a partner – not a romantic one， someone she can platonically raise a child with。 I think everyone agrees how unconventional it is for a romance novel and how much potential it had。 Sadly， this isn't a positive review。 （view spoiler）[ The characters felt very flat to me even with all the conflicts between them （Lucie and Collin， Lucie and Mark， Lucie and her parents， Lucie and her friends， Collin and his father）。 Nothing seemed well developed to me and at the end I felt as if I had missed a huge part of the book where things actually happen。 The two MC did have chemistry and were cute together but not enough for me to actually care。 Most of their interactions were more friendly/platonic and suddenly he blurts out that he's in love with her。 Their romantic connexion was poorly developed （or inexistent）。 To me the worst part was how Lucie dealt with her situation with Mark， her ex fiancé。 She decided to get back together with him， ignoring the fact that he has been kinda abusive and manipulative to her （and a cheater！） and completely ignore his red flags。 He says he was following her， okay。 He says he was following and stalking Collin， she merely shrugs。 He tells his parents that Lucie is having HIS baby， she goes along with it and finds it sweet。 The whole thing was so surreal and I was feeling anxious the whole time waiting for something terrible to happen （I genuinely thought he would hit her or something like that）。 I also hated to see how Lucie's friend， Suzie， was treated。 For she was a divorced woman with no children， she was often ignored by her friends who always only wanted to talk about babies and their romantic status。 I'm not a mother myself and I can imagine how it becomes a central part of your life and conversations， but I'm pretty sure you can manage to talk about other things to when you have a bun in the over， specially when your best friends vocalizes how it's been bothering her。 （hide spoiler）]Overall， a poor development to a creative and original idea！ 。。。more
Liv
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A bold and clever romantic comedy， Lucy Yi Is Not a Romantic charts one woman's journey into pregnancy and the realities of coparenting。This book is brilliantly written and I was engrossed from the start， after reading the opening and laughing out loud several times。 Definitely a book worth picking up！I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review。 A bold and clever romantic comedy， Lucy Yi Is Not a Romantic charts one woman's journey into pregnancy and the realities of coparenting。This book is brilliantly written and I was engrossed from the start， after reading the opening and laughing out loud several times。 Definitely a book worth picking up！I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Hannah Kendal
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I DNF'd this one - I really wanted to like this book， and in the beginning。。。I did。 It was funny， modern， I loved the chemistry between Lucie and Collin。 However， I struggled as we hit the 50% mark。 It just annoyed me how poorly planned it felt。 AS she had to hide her pregnancy at work， as she tried to hide from her parents。 As she illogically reconnected with Mark。 As she went behind Collins back to afford a better place， which I knew would blow up in her face。 I feel if it had been an accident I DNF'd this one - I really wanted to like this book， and in the beginning。。。I did。 It was funny， modern， I loved the chemistry between Lucie and Collin。 However， I struggled as we hit the 50% mark。 It just annoyed me how poorly planned it felt。 AS she had to hide her pregnancy at work， as she tried to hide from her parents。 As she illogically reconnected with Mark。 As she went behind Collins back to afford a better place， which I knew would blow up in her face。 I feel if it had been an accidental pregnancy， with two friends trying to make it work， I would have finished the book， but it wasn't。 It was a completely planned pregnancy at the worst time！ The romance fell stale， the friendships felt odd， and I really began disliking the characters。 Collin went from golden retriever to just。。。odd。 I know a lot of people loved this book， but I felt like throwing popcorn at the movie screen whilst reading it。 。。。more
aditi
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dnf @ 25% Trigger warnings: complications in pregnancy， miscarriageI couldn't connect to the either of the main characters。 I don't want to read about heavy topics in romance when I'm not attached to the characters and this seems like its only going to get heavier。 I don't really like westernizing the names of South Asian characters and there were similar things like this that are pet peeves of mine that kept happening in this book and I just couldn't keep reading。 The writing was perfectly fine dnf @ 25% Trigger warnings: complications in pregnancy， miscarriageI couldn't connect to the either of the main characters。 I don't want to read about heavy topics in romance when I'm not attached to the characters and this seems like its only going to get heavier。 I don't really like westernizing the names of South Asian characters and there were similar things like this that are pet peeves of mine that kept happening in this book and I just couldn't keep reading。 The writing was perfectly fine and I'm sure this book will work for so many people， it just wasn't for me。Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the arc 。。。more
Rae Lewis
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Lauren Ho has a beautiful writing style that sucked me in pretty early。 I found the whole concept of dating for a co-parent really interesting， and the exposure to alternative cultural expectations was enlightening。 I've visited Singapore before， so as a setting for a romance it was different and fun to reminisce。 This is a new take on the friends to lovers trope - or co-parents to friends to lovers。In the beginning， I quite liked the protagonist， and I enjoyed her friendships。 She seemed strong Lauren Ho has a beautiful writing style that sucked me in pretty early。 I found the whole concept of dating for a co-parent really interesting， and the exposure to alternative cultural expectations was enlightening。 I've visited Singapore before， so as a setting for a romance it was different and fun to reminisce。 This is a new take on the friends to lovers trope - or co-parents to friends to lovers。In the beginning， I quite liked the protagonist， and I enjoyed her friendships。 She seemed strong and funny。 The com in the rom-com came out in their conversations， and again in her initial conversations with the love interest。 I really liked him as he seemed genuine， and a refreshing male in a rom com for the fact that he wasn't extraordinarily tall （though I do like them tall）， and did yoga and seemed generally upbeat。 But if I'm being honest， the more I read the more the MC began to irritate me - she made some really selfish and what seemed like spineless decisions to me， and I just couldn't get on board with her logic and thoughts for most of the book。She redeemed herself in the end， but it felt like it was too little， too late for me to be happy for her。 I almost wished the male love interest would have found someone better。 Maybe it's the Westerner in me， maybe it's the me that believes we should always do what makes us happy and that money isn't the answer to that， or the me that never does what my parents expect。。。I don't know。 All I know is that Lucie and I would probably not be friends for fear of me murdering her。The book did at many times feel less rom com and more romantic drama or literary， and part of that was that there was a lot of realism in the discussion of money， bills and work struggles that definitely felt more depressing than I was used to and almost broke the happy spell cast in the beginning。 The resolving of these issues seemed to come too late - or rather they went on for too long with no change。 Same with her dismissing Susie， and the business with Mark。 For me， there was little to no progression from must-work-till-i-die-and-do-as-my-parents-say-and-forgive-the-asshole to being an independent person with hopes and dreams and a nice future。 I'm sure a lot of people will like that - the break from unrealistic futures - but I think it sort of sent mixed messages to me about money and love and life when I just wanted a bit of escapism and to root for a fictional couple。 I wanted a rom com but I got a literary romance。All in all， Ho's writing can't be faulted， I just had a dislike of the protagonist that my stubborn ass couldn't get over。 If you're a fan of romance and you like to hear about different cultures and you like a HEA then give it a go！Thanks to Netgalley for this early copy！ 。。。more
Lit Shit Podcast
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Thanks Netgalley for the ARC。I just have to say that this book is not worth the hype， there are some serious issues that cannot be ignored。Basic premise: Lucie is older and is still reeling from her breakup and miscarriage。 She feels pressure to settle down and have kids， but she's not convinced she will find love so fast so she joins a website that partners people up to be platonic parents。 She meets Collin who is her opposite， they are intimate once， she gets pregnant （even though the doctor s Thanks Netgalley for the ARC。I just have to say that this book is not worth the hype， there are some serious issues that cannot be ignored。Basic premise: Lucie is older and is still reeling from her breakup and miscarriage。 She feels pressure to settle down and have kids， but she's not convinced she will find love so fast so she joins a website that partners people up to be platonic parents。 She meets Collin who is her opposite， they are intimate once， she gets pregnant （even though the doctor said this would be tough given the state of her uterus）， and they move to Singapore。 In Singapore， drama happens。 She reconnects with the cheating boyfriend， Collin lies to her about his relationship with his Dad and he's I guess dating a lot of girls， and they both lie to her parents。 Eventually they figure it out。 Honestly， the most unfortunate thing in this book is that Lucie is a horrible friend。 She and her friend Weina treat their other friend Suzie terrible。 They commandeer conversations making them about ONLY themselves and their babies， desire to have children。 Suzie can't get them to stop for one minute and ask about her or talk about anything else。 Lucie and Weina are literally so self-centered and selfish and it plays into age-old stereotypes that women lose themselves when they have children and can't think or talk or do anything else but mother。 It's also a missed opportunity to utilize Suzie to have a much needed conversation that motherhood shouldn't be the end all be all and define a person and their purpose。 We usually get stuck with stories about baby-crazy women， Suzie is more interesting than either of her friends。Honestly， most of the characters are unrelatable。 Why would Lucie get back with the cheating ex boyfriend， who was controlling， and barely registered that she had a miscarriage。 I am fairly certain he's stalking her in this book too。 It's such a dangerous story to tell and an unhealthy one at that。 Lucie eventually makes the "right" decision to be with Collin but even that doesn't quite sit right。 Collin and her fight all the time。 She manipulates and lies to him。 He disregards her opinions and makes snide comments semi frequently。 They aren't really suited for each other and I'm just not buying that they make sense。 They also have a one-off conversation that contains some pretty offensive language and outlooks on adoption that I found distasteful–perpetuating another stereotype that adoption is not a good option for people。 All in all， I expected a better book。 I don't usually like to read books that align with stereotypes， especially when these stereotypes are harmful to women。Angie 。。。more
Beena
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I loved Last Tang Standing and honestly had really high expectations for this book。 I think that's part of the reason why I felt so let down when I struggled to really connect with Lucie from the get go。 I did eventually end up enjoying finishing this， the premise was really well done and the story itself was interesting。 However， I found it hard to connect with Lucie's character。That being said， it's important to note that Lauren Ho did not disappoint with the way this book was written， and I w I loved Last Tang Standing and honestly had really high expectations for this book。 I think that's part of the reason why I felt so let down when I struggled to really connect with Lucie from the get go。 I did eventually end up enjoying finishing this， the premise was really well done and the story itself was interesting。 However， I found it hard to connect with Lucie's character。That being said， it's important to note that Lauren Ho did not disappoint with the way this book was written， and I would definitely pick up any future books she releases。 I think this one unfortunately just felt a little bit lackluster。The publisher kindly provided ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。 All opinions are my own。 。。。more
DiAngelea Millar
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 Thanks NetGalley for the review。 This book was all over Instagram but it’s a disappointment。 Lucie is a mess she had an awful break up and miscarriage and she’s facing pressure from everyone about being single and like 37 without kids so she signs up for this online site that matches people who want to have children together in a platonic clinical way。 She meets Collin and they have some chemistry and they decide to do it and she gets pregnant。 They move to Singapore to be closer to friends and Thanks NetGalley for the review。 This book was all over Instagram but it’s a disappointment。 Lucie is a mess she had an awful break up and miscarriage and she’s facing pressure from everyone about being single and like 37 without kids so she signs up for this online site that matches people who want to have children together in a platonic clinical way。 She meets Collin and they have some chemistry and they decide to do it and she gets pregnant。 They move to Singapore to be closer to friends and family。 She decides it’s a good idea to be romantic with her ex boyfriend AKA the father of her lost child and the man who cheated on her right after。 He’s horrible。 Controlling。 Manipulative。 And she’s SO DUMB。 Collin isn’t a cakewalk either。 He disagrees with Lucie about a lot of things including how cautious and careful she’s being and controlling about the pregnancy。 He picks fights with her all the time and she picks fights with him too about money and his career。 Also Lucie is a terrible friend。 She and her one friend Weina are also friends with Suzie， whine they neglect and ignore。 All they do is talk about babies and men and how they don’t have any other facets of their live and poor Suzie is clear that she wants them to stop being so baby crazy and self absorbed but none of them listen to her and then poor Suzie caves， which was such a huge disappointment。 Anyway， she moves in with the ex after Collin admits he has feelings for her but she’s scared because they fight all the time and he’s kind of irresponsible and her ex “just makes sense” even though I’m fairly certain he’s stalking her and slightly abusive。 She has a wake up call right before she is in labor and breaks up with the ex and then wants to be with Collin。 This book tries to be like modern with this storyline but honestly it caves to stereotypes and it’s a shame because it would be more interesting to read about someone who wasn’t so baby obsessed， or wasn’t a terrible friend and terrible romantic partner。 。。。more
Zoe
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The second I received the email that confirmed I had been approved for an ARC of Lucie Yi Is Not a Romantic， I immediately put down all the other books I was reading and rushed to download my copy of this novel。 I loved Last Tang Standing and have been eagerly anticipating the release of Lauren Ho’s second novel。Right from the first chapter， the description is vivid and clever， without being heavy-handed or interrupting the flow of the narrative。 I found myself highlighting something every coupl The second I received the email that confirmed I had been approved for an ARC of Lucie Yi Is Not a Romantic， I immediately put down all the other books I was reading and rushed to download my copy of this novel。 I loved Last Tang Standing and have been eagerly anticipating the release of Lauren Ho’s second novel。Right from the first chapter， the description is vivid and clever， without being heavy-handed or interrupting the flow of the narrative。 I found myself highlighting something every couple of pages simply because I really enjoyed the description or was particularly tickled by the imagery used。 As with Last Tang Standing， the writing is consistently good-quality and immersive， allowing you to focus on enjoying the characters and the plot。 Lucie， Collin， and her friends are all relatable， likeable， and easy to get invested in， despite （or probably because of） their flaws。 Lucie and Collin are fairly certain that they share the same approach to parenthood when they agree to enter into their co-parenting agreement， but soon find themselves having to navigate differences in beliefs and values as Lucie’s due date approaches。 Mark， meanwhile， is a great antagonist: he’s an insidious presence， rather than an over-the-top villain， and I loved the way Lucie’s friends don’t hold back with their clear dislike and distrust of him。 I would happily recommend Lucie Yi Is Not a Romantic， and look forward to reading whatever Lauren Ho releases next！With thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK for a much-appreciated ARC of this novel。 。。。more
Sarah Luther
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I loved this！！！ A modern day realistic romance which actually looks at some quite deep and upsetting topics including infidelity， divorce and conception issues。 Lucie is a perfect main character with dry witt and a lot more depth than originally the plot begins with。 The addition of Mark and Collin just provides the love triangle needed in every room-com。 I know which of the two I was rooting for。 If you pick one book up this summer however， I would really recommend you consider it to be this。
sara
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