Intrigued? Well read on to discover the synopsis and an excerpt from Suzanne Park’s One Last Word, which releases on April 16th 2024.

What would you say to your meddling parents, your ex-best friend, your toxic boss, or your high school crush if you didn’t have to face the consequences?

Sara Chae is the founder of One Last Word, an app that allows you to send a mes­sage to anyone you want after you pass. Safeguards are in place so the app will only send when you’re definitely, absolutely, 100% dead, but when another Sara Chae dies and her obituary is posted online, Sara discovers that drafted messages she had drunkenly uploaded on one night have been released —one each to her emotionally charged mother, to her former best friend who ghosted her, and to her unrequited high school crush, Harry Shim.

Still reeling from this disaster, Sara finds out she’s been accepted into a venture capital mentorship program— and that the mentor she’s been assigned to is none other than Harry, who’s now a major VC superstar. With her life going from uncertain to chaotic overnight, Sara has to deal with the havoc that ensues and reopen wounds from the past to find a true path forward.

Some days don’t go as planned.

For example, today.

Today, I dribbled hot coffee on my lap during my commute to the office, leaving me to decide if spit-cleaning my dry-clean- only pants would make the stain even worse.

Today, I discovered that the new red whiteboard marker was leaky, staining my hands as if I’d stabbed someone.

Today, I found out that the product I’d been working on all year—the career-defining app I’d been toiling away on during workdays and weekends—was simply nonfunctional.

And yet, I was scheduled to present this nonworking app wearing brown-speckled pants, with noticeably bloodied hands, in an important meeting, while the founders of the company sat and judged me.

Casey, my favorite interface designer at the company, hovered over my shoulder as I tapped my finger on the tablet, trying once again to make the app work. I exhaled hot air from my nose like a pissed-off dragon. “Nothing’s working. Why is nothing happening?”

He explained, “Sara, these are the storyboards you can use as visual aids this afternoon. See? That’s an image of the app icon. Swipe right and you’ll see the welcome message and the drop-down menus. Honestly, we’d be on schedule with a working prototype if it hadn’t been for this meeting.” He shrugged. “The design team did a good job though showing how it will work.”

Swipe. Swipe. Swipe. The still images were nice. The diverse template gallery offered designs ranging from simplistic to high octane. An easy-to-use font selector with smart pairing recommendations for headline and copy was something other apps didn’t offer. Themed photos based on content theme, mood, and personality type were all cutting edge.

Despite all the day’s earlier mishaps, I’d be walking into that meeting with a sure thing. For months I’d happily geeked out on developing these features. The level of customization for this messaging app was unparalleled.

I took off my glasses and rubbed my eyes. “I’m sorry I freaked out. The meeting is in ten minutes, and then I hope it’ll be back to business as usual.” My brain was out of sorts from caffeine overload and fatigue. I could barely see straight. When my boss came back from vacation, I’d need to talk to him about taking a long overdue sabbatical.

“No worries, if I was working long nights like you, I’d be a barely functioning zombie with draggy feet too. With saggier flesh.”

I couldn’t help but notice he’d said too and saggier. Saggier . . . compared to whom?

He clarified. “Maybe a little hydration and some fresh air would help.” He hesitated before adding, “And some expensive under-eye concealer.” I’d worked with Casey for nearly five years, and we’d been friends for almost as long, so I knew the drill. He came with an excellent work ethic, beautiful aesthetic sensibility, and slap-in-the- face directness. On the weekends, he frequently wore a T-shirt with the word “Sasshole” on the chest. Casey didn’t hold anything back, especially when it came to his favorite topics, such as dating, fashion, and under-eye puffiness.

“We can go to Sephora and get you some caffeine-infused cooling eye gel later this week. It works wonders. But not tonight. It’s gym day, and it’s kettlebell Tuesday.” Casey unzipped his jacket to reveal his other favorite shirt, the one I bought him for his birthday. A black tee with “Kettlebell King” screen-printed in large white letters. He was the strongest person I knew, which came in handy when I needed to rearrange furniture, move apartments, or make an IKEA trip.

“Sounds good, thanks Case.”

He jutted out his chest, then closed the door behind him.

After I rearranged a few photos on the tablet, my phone alarm rang, startling me. It was my five-minute warning to head to the meeting. I grabbed my tower of devices—laptop, tablet, phone—and arrived at the executive conference room with time to spare. But this was one case when punctuality didn’t matter: the session before mine ran over. When the door finally opened, a large group consisting of mostly men shuffled out of the conference room in complete silence, heads hanging low. What happened in there? It was almost lunchtime, and there wasn’t even chatter about the brand-new bacon bar in the cafeteria. The entire floor smelled like bacon, which to anyone who loved meat, namely the exact demographic who worked at my company, was the world’s best air freshener. You’d have thought they were walking out of a funeral.

I raised an eyebrow at my friend Dave when he exited the room. My shorthand for “WTF.” He muttered, “Brutal,” and shuffled past me.

The moment I walked in, alarm bells went off. I wasn’t the type of person who believed in burning sage to clear out evil spirits or bad juju, but the only way to describe the room’s energy was “severely fucked up.”

The post Read An Excerpt From ‘One Last Word’ by Suzanne Park appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

Releasing on November 14th, Mom Com is a heartwarming tale of love, family, and pastry perfection.

It’s the time of lights and cookies! Of cozy blankets and silly pyjamas. But is it truly the Christmas season until you’ve watched at least one Christmas movie, or maybe binged seventeen of them? Preferably curled up on a couch in front of a fireplace with a steaming cup of cocoa. If you’re anything like me you have your set list of fav holiday movies you’ve been watching every year since you were little, adding to them as you grow. Which is why it’s a double dip of pleasure to pair these movies with equally compelling books.

Do you watch Love Actually every year? Try Royal Holiday by Jasmine Guillory.

If you swooned and giggled over Huge Grant and Martine McCutcheon in Love Actually, give Jasmine Guillory’s holiday romance a twirl. In Royal Holiday, Vivian Forest has been out of the country a grand total of one time, so when she gets the chance to tag along on her daughter Maddie’s work trip to England to style a royal family member, she can’t refuse. She’s excited to spend the holidays taking in the magnificent British sights, but what she doesn’t expect is to become instantly attracted to a certain private secretary, his accent, and his unyielding formality. This story is infused with British charm!

Love The Holiday?  Check out The Holiday Swap by Maggie Knox.

There is nothing more fun than watching two people switch lives, make mistakes, and learn things about themselves while they scramble to fix it. In The Holiday Swap is a feel-good romantic comedy about identical twins who switch lives in the days leading up to Christmas. Will the twins’ identity swap be a recipe for disaster, or does it have all the right ingredients for getting their lives back on track?

Did you swoon over Happiest Season? Read Written in the Stars by Alexandria Bellefleur.

What’s not to love about sapphic romances with sparkly twinkle lights holiday backdrops? In Written in the Stars, two women who are complete opposites find themselves embroiled in a fake relationship stemming from a white lie. It’s a feel-good holiday novel following a free-spirited astrologer and an uptight actuary who made a pact to keep up their relationship ruse until New Year’s Eve. Love is definitely in the air!

If you habitually watch A Christmas Story, try Wishin’ and Hopin’ by Wally Lamb.

Of course A Christmas Story is based on Jean Shepherd’s book by the same name, but if you’re looking to shake things up with story that embodies the same heady nostalgia, try Wishin’ and Hopin’. The story follows a feisty parochial school fifth grader named Felix Funicello and is filled with Christmas dreams, a whole lotta laughs, and a dose of Christmas magic.

Charmed by Dash and Lily? Try The Christmas Clash by Suzanne Park.

There is nothing like young love. And if you were enchanted by Dash and Lily (based on the book Dash and Lily’s Book of Dares by David Levithan and Rachel Cohn) then you will love the vibe of Suzanne Park’s YA. Chloe Kwon can’t stand Peter Li. It’s always been that way. Their families don’t get along either: their parents operate rival restaurants in the Riverwood Mall food court―Korean food for the Kwons and Chinese food for the Lis. Now it’s the holiday season and Chloe’s the photographer at the mall’s Santa’s Village, and Peter works at the virtual reality North Pole experience right across the atrium. It’s all Chloe can do to avoid Peter’s smug, incredibly photogenic face.

A fan of The Family Stone? Read 10 Things That Never Happened by Alexis Hall.

Love a complicated and emotional family story that centers around the holidays? Try this awesome queer romance with fake amnesia and real feelings! In 10 Things That Never Happened Sam believes his boss Jonathan is going fire him and his entire branch. He panics, trips, and bumps his head, accidentally implying he doesn’t remember anything? Faking amnesia seemed like a good idea, but now he has to deal with the reality of Jonathan’s guilt―as well as the unsettling fact that his surly boss might have a softer side. Can Sam really bring himself to tell the truth, or will their future be built entirely on one impulsive lie?

And if like me, you desperately wish The Gilmore Girls had a Christmas movie, read Mom Com by Adriana Mather.

While the Gilmore Girls is an all year favorite, the show embodies the warmth, joy, and humor of a great holiday romp. In Mom Com, Maddi reluctantly returns to her tiny gossipy town (where she’s the town scandal) for the holidays with her nine-year old. What Maddi doesn’t know is that there’s an issue with her father’s will and his beloved bakery that mysteriously involves the one person she’s vowed never to speak to again—her childhood best friend, Wilder. It’s a story laden with pastries, heartfelt and complicated families, and swoony romance, all wrapped up in a heaping dose of banter!

The post Book Actually: Pairing Books With Favourite Holiday Movies appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

In this enemies-to-lovers YA novel, The Christmas Clash is a modern Romeo and Juliet retelling of two Asian teens and their families rivalling restaurants within the neighbourhood mall, featuring everything from high school drama, mouthwatering food, and of course, a touch of all things Christmas.

Chloe Kwon and Peter Li are far from being friends, just like how their parents loathe each other. A 15 year grudge separates their families, despite each family owning a restaurant (Chloe’s being Korean and Peter’s being Chinese) within the local Riverwood mall’s food court. However, a notice goes out Riverwood is going to be demolished in favour of building a mixed-use space. Eviction notices are also sent out to all the mall tenants, and the Kwon’s and Li’s have no idea what to do next. An unlikely collaboration between Peter and Chloe forms to figure out how they can save the mall and all that their families hold dear.

As for the plot of the story, I thought it only gave subtle touches into Christmas and the holidays given it was the wintertime. It didn’t encompass the book as a whole, but wouldn’t necessarily deem the title of it “book bait.” This comes into play knowing that Chloe and Peter have seasonal jobs at the mall, with Chloe working as a Santa’s Workshop photographer, and Peter working at a Santa VR experience. The plotlines that arose were Chloe and Peter figuring out how to save the mall, and Chloe’s big photography mentorship. Both elements brought the plot together, but it didn’t contribute to the pacing since it seemed it was on the slower side.

Following both of the protagonists around and with their point of view’s switching off throughout puts the story into a broader perspective. There wasn’t really too much of the “enemy” element coming from Chloe and Peter, and the communication between the two at first came off more as teasing than an actual rivalry. The romance subplot came off as the typical YA love story which was enjoyable. Where Chloe is more of the spoken figure, Peter comes off as a bit more reserved, which in turn balanced their eventual relationship out. Speaking for the rivalry of their parents, I was hoping to see more petty comments and arguments spewed, but instead was met more with the silent treatment. This didn’t cause too much of an issue, but it would’ve added more depth and context to the rivalry of the families.

Strong elements included the diversity of the characters. Chloe and Peter are both the second born children of their families, and each have to deal with the older “golden” child of the family. Where Chloe compares herself to Hannah, Peter with Sam. This is a rivalry within itself, but important points are made in the book about self-individuality and the yearning for what you want rather than everyone else’s desires of you. Park does a great job of describing this, and I feel this is an important aspect for the audience to understand.

Another element of this book was its overall representation of Asian cultures. Firstly, the descriptions of the food from the Li and Kwon restaurants were amazing. It had me wanting Shrimp Lo Mein and Korean Mandu throughout the whole read, and it was wholesome (and cute) to see Peter and Chloe partake in meal swaps behind the backs of their parents. Secondly is the yearn for the American Dream and the potential for opportunities, and this is especially seen in Chloe’s family who immigrated from Korea to seek a better life. This is important in today’s day and age, and seems to represent all those who look for opportunities beyond their conventional life.

The Christmas Clash had its ups and downs as a YA novel, but nonetheless gave representation to the Asian community, and communities as a whole. It’s a novel of teen romance, working together, forgiveness, and a willingness to fight for those things you care about.

The Christmas Clash is available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers, like your local bookstore.

Will you be picking up The Christmas Clash? Tell us in the comments below!

Synopsis | Goodreads

Who’s naughty and nice at Riverwood Mall? In this hilarious holiday rom-com, two rivals get together to save their families’ livelihoods, and Christmas, too!

Chloe Kwon can’t stand Peter Li. It’s always been that way. Their families don’t get along either: their parents operate rival restaurants in the Riverwood Mall food court―Korean food for the Kwons and Chinese food for the Lis. Now it’s the holiday season and Chloe’s the photographer at the mall’s Santa Land, and Peter works at the virtual reality North Pole experience right across the atrium. It’s all Chloe can do to avoid Peter’s smug, incredibly photogenic face.

But it turns out the mall is about to be sold to a developer and demolished for condos. Eviction notices are being handed out right before Christmas. Their parents don’t know what to do, and soon Chloe and Peter realize that the two of them need to join efforts to try to save the mall. Just when it seems like they can put aside their differences and work closely (very closely) together, they discover that the Kwon and Li feud goes far deeper than either of them realize…

The post Review: The Christmas Clash by Suzanne Park appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

Intrigued? Well read on to discover the synopsis and first chapter from Suzanne Park’s The Christmas Clash, which is out now!

Chloe Kwon can’t stand Peter Li. It’s always been that way. Their families don’t get along either: their parents operate rival restaurants in the Riverwood Mall food court―Korean food for the Kwons and Chinese food for the Lis. Now it’s the holiday season and Chloe’s the photographer at the mall’s Santa Land, and Peter works at the virtual reality North Pole experience right across the atrium. It’s all Chloe can do to avoid Peter’s smug, incredibly photogenic face.

But it turns out the mall is about to be sold to a developer and demolished for condos. Eviction notices are being handed out right before Christmas. Their parents don’t know what to do, and soon Chloe and Peter realize that the two of them need to join efforts to try to save the mall. Just when it seems like they can put aside their differences and work closely (very closely) together, they discover that the Kwon and Li feud goes far deeper than either of them realize…

ONE
CHLOE

The projectile pacifier grazed my left ear.

“I’m so sorry, would you mind grabbing his binky off the floor? Little Timmy’s got quite a temper when he’s hungry.”

Important note: Timmy was not in fact very little. I suspected he was five, maybe six. Way too old for a binky. He liked to bite them during out photo sessions and they made a grating chewy noise as he gnawed against the wet, rubbery plastic with his teeth.

I handed the pacifier to his mom, and she scrubbed it down with an organic baby wipe.

“Mommy, I want a Corn-Dog-on-a-Stick and a slushie. I’m hunnnngryyyyy.”

See? Not exactly baby or toddler food. Much too old for a binky.

I smiled at Timmy. “We’re almost done, kid. Just one more picture! Smile at the camera. Say ‘Orange Julius!’”

Timmy perked up, and his red sweater vest smoothed out as he sat up straight. “Orange Jule-yesss!”

CLICK. CLICK. CLICK.

“Mommy, can I have an Orange Jule-yesss?”

I stepped forward and showed his mom the last photo. Timmy had opted for a Santa-free picture, but one with a lit tree, a fireplace, and piles of presents. Meanwhile, Santa Dave took the opportunity to step out for a few minutes to go vape in the east wing loading zone. In the photo, not-so-little Timmy sat erect, looking at the camera, beaming from ear to ear. Perhaps visions of Orange Julius drinks danced in his head as the flashes went off.

Timmy’s mom sighed with relief. “I swear, you’re a miracle worker.” She walked over to my “Elf tips welcome!” jar and dropped in a ten-dollar bill. “You’re the only one who can get him to smile like that. Thank you. No wonder they call you the baby whisperer photographer.”

It was true. I had a reputation for being a baby whisperer of sorts. Also a corn-dog-eating kindergartner whisperer. It was the one of the few things I was good at.

“I’m so glad Santa’s Village is open earlier this year. This gives me a head start on sending out holiday cards and buying gifts. You can’t be too prepared, right?” She held out her hand toward her son. “Ready to go get a drink and snack?”

He pulled a pacifier from his pocket and popped it into his mouth. He scrambled off Santa’s chair and waved at me while he exited with his mom.

Santa’s Village opened earlier and earlier every year, and the day after Halloween was this holiday season’s soft opening. It was the result of “Christmas creep,” which was in turn related to the “pumpkin spice latte economic effect,” when stores sneak­ily promoted the fall season earlier and earlier into the summer months. The fact that gigantic bags of fun-sized candy and novelty costumes were out for sale immediately after the Fourth of July was criminal. And now, in early November, Santa Dave had parked his ass at the end of Riverwood Mall’s East Wing, ready for business.

As I turned to the laptop to upload the photos to the image portal, I heard Timmy cry out, “Mommy! Can we do that too? After Orange Julius? It looks so fun! I want that.”

I didn’t even bother to look up from the laptop because I knew what that was. Nearly every kid who exited our photo area beelined to the new attraction next door: the North Pole virtual reality experience. It had opened the same week as Santa’s Village, and it included a bonus video of the customer’s experi­ence that patrons could download immediately. Who wouldn’t want to be on Santa’s 3D virtual sleigh, flying over any address they typed into Google Maps?

Santa Dave plopped down on his chair. “Ready for the next family, Chloe?”

I nodded as our frontline helper elf ushered in a young couple and their baby. “This is baby Caroline.” Sweet Caroline wore a headband with a giant red bow the size of her head. She howled as her family entered Santa’s cozy living room and none of her parents’ bouncing and cooing helped.

The mom held out the baby in Santa’s direction, which made her wail even more.

Caroline’s mom let out a long breath. “We wanted to get holiday photos before she started teething, but I think it’s too late,” she said, her eyes watering as she pulled her baby closer to her chest.

I jumped into action. “Mom, while you’re holding Caroline, can you please stand next to Santa, by the tree? Dad, I’ll need you to sit on Santa’s armrest.”

They assembled per my instructions, and I looked at their positions in my camera. “Parents, if you could move in a little closer to Santa, that’d be great.”

Caroline took another look at this jolly bearded white dude and burst into tears again. Santa Dave was great with the toddlers and older kids, but babies were not his favorite. He made all of them cry. Every. Single. One.

But that’s where I came in—they didn’t call me the baby whisperer for nothing. From my pocket, I pulled out my trusty pair of black, chunky glasses and perched them on my nose. “Caroliiiiiine!”

The infant tore her eyes away from Santa and looked at me. Her crying stopped for a brief moment as she stared at my new frames.

Now that I had her attention, it was time to go for my classic baby crowd-pleaser. From my other pocket, I pulled out a small yellow bird plushie.

I whistled one of my many rehearsed birdcalls and perched the bird on my head. “Hey baby! Look over here, kid!”

Caroline not only stopped crying, she pointed at the bird and grunted.

Now, for the winning move.

I said, “Mom, Dad, Caroline! Look at the camera! One. Two.” I squeezed the bird and it let out a long squeak. “Three!”

Caroline squealed with delight and clapped. I took several photos, each one revealing different levels of contentment and relief from all three family members. Lots of options for the parents to choose from for their holiday portrait.

I pulled the bird off my head and displayed the images on the camera’s screen for the parents to review. The dad nodded at the last photo. “That’s our money shot right there.”

I continued squeaking the toy, and Caroline tried so hard to say “ba-ba-ba,” which we all agreed was her first word.

Bird.

Caroline’s mom wiped the baby’s drool from her mouth while chatting with Santa. The dad said to me, “Caroline loved that bird. Amazing how you were able to stop her crying.”

I nodded. “They all love the bird. I have a whole arsenal of animals, but she looked like a bird lover.”

“Can I buy it from you? Or could you let me know where I can get one? We’re desperate,” he chuckled.

I shrugged. “Petco.”

He scratched his chin. “Pet…co?”

“It’s a cat toy. The dog toys are louder if you don’t mind the excessive squeaking.”

Caroline’s mom fluttered over to us, and the baby reached out for me. “Awww look, she likes you!”

I laughed. “She just wants these glasses. Isn’t that right, Caroline?”

She gurgled and swiped at my face.

The mom dropped a twenty-dollar bill into the tip jar. “She’s been crying all day. I’m so relieved she stopped.” She turned to her husband as they exited. “Did she tell you where she bought the bird?”

I smiled while uploading the photos. The pictures of Caroline’s family really turned out well. Photography was the only thing I could do right, and with enough family photos under my belt so far this season, it was becoming natural to me.

After I took a swig of water and a bite of granola bar, I called to the front, “I’m ready for the next family!”

The elf cashier popped her head in. “Um, there aren’t any families in line. We’re taking lunch now while we have downtime.”

“W-What? The mall is full today.” Our lines had dwindled with the passing of each day, but I never thought we’d get to the point of having no customers. This was a first.

She pointed past the exit.

My gaze followed her finger to the 3D North Pole exhibit. The line was wrapped around the corner, and Peter Li strutted around the perimeter, handing out flyers to passersby. “New fall and winter themes added! Choose from twenty different immersive rides! Hey, nice coat! Love your hat!” Timmy and his binky were near the front of the line, underneath the giant sign that read NEW! ULTIMATE VIRTUAL REALITY SLEIGH RIDE SPECTACULAR!

I narrowed my eyes.

Peter.

Of course.

Peter, the bane of my existence, as far back as I can remember.

Boys’ varsity soccer Peter. Editor-in-chief Peter. Perfect PSAT score Peter. And now ruin-my-job Peter.

He was smirking right at me.

Time to wipe that smug smile off his face.

Excerpted from THE CHRISTMAS CLASH  by Suzanne Park. Excerpted with the permission of Sourcebooks Fire. Copyright © 2022 by Suzanne Park.

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Releasing on October 4th 2022, The Christmas Clash is now available to pre-order on Amazon, Bookshop.org, and Barnes and Noble. Be sure to add this one to your Goodreads!

Chloe Kwon can’t stand Peter Li. It’s always been that way. Their families don’t get along either: their parents operate rival restaurants in the Riverwood Mall food court—Korean food for the Kwons and Chinese food for the Lis. Now it’s the holiday season and Chloe’s the photographer at the mall’s Santa Land, and Peter works at the virtual reality North Pole experience right across the atrium. It’s all Chloe can do to avoid Peter’s smug, incredibly photogenic face.

But it turns out the mall is about to be sold to a developer and demolished for condos. Eviction notices are being handed out right before Christmas. Their parents don’t know what to do, and soon Chloe and Peter realize that the two of them need to join efforts to try to save the mall. Just when it seems like they can put aside their differences and work closely (very closely) together, they discover that the Kwon and Li feud goes far deeper than either of them realize…

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Suzanne Park is a Korean-American writer who was born and raised in Tennessee. As a comedienne, she was selected to appear on BET’s “Coming to the Stage.” Suzanne was also the winner of the Seattle Sierra Mist Comedy Competition and was a semi-finalist in NBC’s “Stand Up For Diversity” showcase in San Francisco. Suzanne graduated from Columbia University and received an MBA from UCLA. She currently resides in Los Angeles with her husband, female offspring, and a sneaky rat that creeps around on her back patio. In her spare time, she procrastinates. She is the author of the adult novels So We Meet Again and Loathe at First Sight and the YA novels Sunny Song Will Never Be Famous and The Perfect Escape.

Will you be picking up The Christmas Clash? Tell us in the comments below!

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As far as my favorite activities go, reading romance books and eating tasty food are both way up there. So when I can combine them by reading a swoony romance featuring mouthwatering descriptions of food, I am fully here for it. In all of the books featured here, falling in love is delicious both literally and figuratively.

Battle Royal by Lucy Parker

In this absolutely delightful confection by Lucy Parker, two bakers must fight it out to see which one will earn the chance to bake the royal wedding cake. Sylvie is known for her colorful hair, glittery baked goods, and fanciful candy animals. Dominic is known for stately monochrome perfection and the lollipop stick up his ass. They might start off enemies, but as they’re forced to spend more time together in competition, the heat they begin to generate might melt all that sugar into caramel.

I literally laughed out loud the whole way through this hilarious romp. Sylvie and Dominic captured my heart as they slowly broke each other’s walls down to find the soft gooey vulnerabilities beneath. I finished the book feeling not just sad that it was over, but that I couldn’t actually visit their bakeries in real life. It’s a good thing I’m already married, because if I was wedding planning right now, I’d be disappointed by any cake that didn’t come from Sugar Fair.

So We Meet Again by Suzanne Park

A main character who runs a Korean cooking YouTube channel and meal prep service? I’m so in. Jessie Kim’s had enough of the racism and sexism in investment banking, and has to move home to figure out the next step in her career. Which involves not just the YouTube channel and meal prep service mentioned before, but a sweet love story with her main childhood enemy, Daniel.

I couldn’t get enough of the mouthwatering descriptions of Korean food depicted in Jessie’s channel, or the hilarious antics Jessie’s mother gets into as she does her best to “help” with it. This book was also a really fun look at the business side of the food world, as Jessie grows into herself and gets her food out to an audience eager for it.

Rosaline Palmer Takes the Cake by Alexis Hall

As you might guess from the plot of my own book, I have a thing for books set on cooking reality shows. In this book, the titular Rosaline Palmer must battle her way through a British baking show, which might also involve falling for not just one but two men.

While this book leans heavier on Rosaline’s journey and her food than the romance, it is a joy to devour. Reading through each of Rosaline’s bakes and the creations of her competitors will make you crave cupcakes and crumpets. I’m already salivating for the next book in this series!

Accidentally Engaged by Farah Heron

Watching a fake-dating relationship turn into a real-dating relationship is the second-best thing ever—the first is, of course, when that transformation involves a lot of cooking and food descriptions. Which this book does. Reena, the main character, wants to enter the biggest food competition show around, except they’re only casting couples. Why not team up with the hot guy across the hall? Even if there are some complicated family dynamics intertwined with their budding friendship? And even if Reena still has some personal journeys to go on herself?

I loved Reena as soon as I read that she named her sourdough starters. Reading about all the different kinds of bread she bakes made me want to go buy out a bakery. (Special shout-out to the challah—my heroine Sadie approves!) And I loved learning more about East African Indian food and the discourse about not dumbing her family’s cuisine down for a Western palate. I can’t wait to make the Zanzibar egg curry recipe included in the back of the book!

Ramón and Julieta by Alana Albertson

Spoiler alert: this Romeo and Juliet retelling fortunately has a much happier ending than that of its inspiration. While their families are bitter enemies thanks to a stolen taco recipe many years ago, celebrity chef Julieta is forced to work for fast food magnate Ramón. There’s all sorts of tensions between them of both the literal variety and the sexual variety. Will the two of them overcome their families’ history to find a new start together?

Make sure you’ve got all the ingredients ready, because this book is going to make you crave tacos and all sorts of delicious Mexican food. But the world of Barrio Logan that the author builds is just as rich and vibrant, as are the important issues of gentrification and identity that the plot explores.

Chef’s Kiss by TJ Alexander

Sorry in advance, because this queer romance isn’t out until May, but trust me: it’s worth the wait. Pastry chef Simone has her dream job developing recipes at a food magazine, and she doesn’t need the super-friendly, super-hot nonbinary kitchen manager Ray getting their messy feelings all over her tidy, well-ordered life. But when Simone and Ray are tasked with creating a new video series together, and transphobia from some of their coworkers threatens Ray’s job and their health, Simone starts to realize that maybe she does have feelings for Ray after all.

This book presented a major dilemma: how could I bake the winter squash galette and chocolate-on-chocolate trifle that it made me crave without having to put the book down? Simone’s voice was both relatable and hilarious as she learned to loosen up, and her slow burn romance with Ray was tender, sweet, and hot. I desperately want to go to their dinner party (with Simone cooking and Ray hosting, of course).

Sadie on a Plate by Amanda Elliot

I couldn’t leave my own book off a list like this! Having just been fired by her ex-boyfriend/boss (yes, bad decision), Sadie is ecstatic to receive an invitation to compete on her favorite reality TV show, Chef Supreme. Surely that will revive her flailing career, right? And it’s a bonus when she has a meet-cute and a whirlwind date with the hot guy sitting next to her on the plane there. But when she turns up to set the next day and realizes that he’s the new judge, she’s going to have to keep the heat between them tamped down so that the pot doesn’t boil over and get her kicked off the show.

My book is less a romance with food than a romance about food. Because the main characters aren’t able to vocalize their feelings without consequences for most of the story, they use food as a substitute to tell the other person who they are and how they feel and what they want. I hope it makes you laugh, makes you feel happy, and above all, makes you crave the food!

The post 7 Foodie Romances to Fall in Love With (and Make You Hungry) appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

We chat with author Suzanne Park about her latest book release So We Meet Again, along with book recommendations, writing, and more!

Hi, Suzanne! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?

I’m a second-generation Korean American who was born and raised in Tennessee. I take pride in being a Korean Tennessean, even though I live in Los Angeles now.  Careerwise, my formal training was in marketing, but I also performed stand up comedy for over 10 years. It took me a while to figure out I wanted to be an author, but now that I’m here, I know this was what I was meant to do!

When did you first discover your love for writing?

I had always wanted to become a humor writer (is “Humorist” a real job title these days?), and through a series of random events, I tried out stand-up comedy, thinking that was a good start, and it definitely helped me learn how to tell comedic stories with a punch. My career was going well, but over the years it didn’t feel like it was what I was put on Earth to do. I enjoyed stand-up — not the performance part necessarily, but definitely the joke writing. Some people say performing gets easier each time you go up on stage, but for me it never felt comfortable, even after performing at hundreds of shows. I was good at faking it, though. After shifting gears, I took a lot of writing classes in the evenings after work and after writing a collection of comedic essays and a few poorly-thought-through sitcoms, I drafted my first novel.

Quick lightning round! Tell us the first book you ever remember reading, the one that made you want to become an author, and one that you can’t stop thinking about!

The first book I remember reading is MORRIS THE MOOSE GOES TO SCHOOL— it was the first time I remember seeing humor in a book. ME TALK PRETTY ONE DAY by David Sedaris is the book that made me want to be an author, and the book I can’t stop thinking about is PACHINKO by Min Jin Lee.

Your latest novel, So We Meet Again, is out now! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?

“Food, finding yourself, falling in love” would be the publisher-approved version. I wrote this book to shed light on how women are poorly treated on Wall Street…so those five words in the view of the main character would probably be “FU*K THIS SH*T, I’M DONE!”

What can readers expect?

A comedic comeback story about a Korean-American woman who navigates a new chapter in her life while falling for her childhood rival. Publishers Weekly reviewed SO WE MEET AGAIN recently and said the following about what you can expect: “Jess flourishes as a budding entrepreneur, rediscovering how important her cultural roots and family are to her; meanwhile, she slowly comes to terms with the fact that dashing Daniel may be the perfect fit for her after all. Park is a master in crafting comedic yet endearing moments that become the foundation for intricate character development.”

Where did the inspiration for So We Meet Again come from?

I have several friends who work in finance, and over drinks one night they told me about some of the racist and sexist things that had happened to them in their Wall Street jobs. When I left the restaurant I knew I needed to write about this.

Can you tell us about any challenges you faced while writing and how you were able to overcome them?

I wrote this entire novel in the pandemic, right after writing my YA book SUNNY SONG WILL NEVER BE FAMOUS (which I also wrote in 2020). When I think back to those days, when I had two looming deadlines, the image that comes to mind is the gif/meme of the dog who is drinking coffee while surrounded by a ring of fire, saying “This is fine.” I took baby steps when I started writing in quarantine. First, I wrote only 100-150 words a day for a few weeks, then 200, 500, and eventually ramped up to 1200 words a day which seems to be my maximum daily word count. By starting with small word count goals, it helped me get my projects turned in on time.

Were there any favourite moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?

I had a great time writing about Nashville, my hometown. It made me a little homesick! I also really loved writing both absurd and emotional scenes between Jessie and her mom.

What’s the best and the worst writing advice you have received?

The best advice is to celebrate your wins. I take time out now to celebrate all the smaller milestones because those are true accomplishments, and some can also be stepping stones to bigger wins. I tend to tune out bad writing advice so I don’t have any to share.

What’s next for you?

I have a YA holiday romantic comedy coming out in fall 2022 about two teen enemies who work at the local mall who find out its being torn down and have to work together to save it. I also have an adult comedic coming-of-age novel coming out in spring 2023 about a woman who finds out through a job-related background check that she never completed her college degree and has to go back to earn her final credits. There, she finds out her grad student TA is her old college boyfriend.

Lastly, do you have any book recommendations for our readers?

I loved PEOPLE WE MEET ON VACATION by Emily Henry, THE SOULMATE EQUATION by Christina Lauren, INCENSE AND SENSIBILITY by Sonali Dev, Helen Hoang’s THE HEART PRINCIPLE, and currently reading Alexa Martin’s MOM JEANS AND OTHER MISTAKES and enjoying the ride!

Will you be picking up So We Meet Again? Tell us in the comments below!

The post Q&A: Suzanne Park, Author of ‘So We Meet Again’ appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

Social media is a huge part of our society and there is no denying that it has changed our habits and the way we see others and even ourselves. Do you use your phone and social media responsibly? Does it distract you from responsibilities? Do you seek validation through likes and followers? Suzanne Park covers all these topics and more head on in her new novel, Sunny Song Will Never Be Famous.

Sunny Song spends all her free time working hard towards growing her social media presence on both YouTube and Instagram in order to reach the desired 100k followers benchmark. However, her parents think she has an addiction and they aren’t the only ones who are concerned. Even though all her posts are scheduled, the headmaster of her LA school is worried that her online presence may affect how the school is viewed by other parents. And when a brownie baking livestream goes accidentally viral, Sunny is sent off to a digital detox summer camp on a farm in Iowa to avoid getting expelled from school. Not exactly the big summer plan she had in mind: reach that follower milestone, get Rafael Kim as her boyfriend, and have the best summer ever with her best friend, Needless to say that spending weeks in a remote farm in the middle of nowhere is one big challenge for an LA teen whose life revolves around social media. No electronic devices, no Wi-Fi, farm duties, group meetings with a counsellor… How is she supposed to survive?

At camp, Sunny is immersed in a world that’s very different from the one she is used to and there she meets many other influencers who also struggle with technology in one way or another. At first she is quite reticent to camp activities and rules: she manages to sneak in a phone and use it to keep in contact with her friend at home who is managing her socials and helping her with her application for a competition that will help her build her brand. However, as weeks go by, and as she spends more time with Theo, the cute farm boy who caught her attention, she starts to question everything about her life, her beliefs, and her usage of technology.

The main themes Park leans into throughout the book are enjoyable and insightful. Park did a wonderful job portraying the way social media has overtaken society. This constant need for being liked and how easy it is to get addicted to instant gratification. It’s interesting to see the conflicting thoughts the main character has regarding this as well as the struggle to mark some boundaries between our public persona and who we are in real life, that is the constant battle of what we choose to share with the world and what we choose to keep private. This novel will definitely make people question whether they let social media define them or not.

This is a novel that is quick to read due to being very fast-paced and having a simple storyline, however, the writing sometimes dragged a little bit in terms of describing little moments in plenty of detail when maybe it wasn’t really necessary. But that doesn’t make the book boring since there is a lot happening all the time.

When it comes to the characters, obviously, the one that stands out the most is Sunny. Although not unlikable, she can be a bit irritating at times, due to her being so self-absorbed. Thankfully, she becomes more mature by the end of the book. It’s also nice to see that she has real teenage concerns and the way she navigates these conflicting thoughts she has and how she reacts when she is presented with tough decisions. In comparison, the rest of the characters feel a bit flat at times but most of them are still likeable and the little romance was also quite cute.

Another interesting point and theme that the book brings up is Sunny’s identity as a Korean-American. She often thinks she is not Korean enough because she sort of rejected that side of herself a little bit. Throughout the book she also comes to embrace her Korean side. She also faces some microaggressions but she manages to deal with them well.

All in all, Sunny Song Will Never Be Famous is an easy, enjoyable, and reflective summer read. The story and its themes are relevant to this day and age. Park shows both sides of the dependency that society has on technology—that whilst social media can enhance our lives and can help us connect with others, it also can take a toll on our confidence and social skills.  We’re certain this novel will make readers think twice about their own social media usage.

Sunny Song Will Never Be Famous is available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other book retailers, like your local bookstore, as of June 1st, 2021.

Will you be picking up Sunny Song Will Never Be Famous? Tell us in the comments below!

Synopsis | Goodreads

A social media influencer is shipped off to a digital detox summer camp in this funny coming-of-age story, perfect for fans of Jenny Han’s The Summer I Turned Pretty and Love and Gelato .

Sunny Song’s Big Summer Goals:

1) Make Rafael Kim my boyfriend (finally!)

2) Hit 100K followers (almost there…)

3) Have the best last summer of high school ever

Not on Sunny’s list: accidentally filming a PG-13 cooking video that goes viral (#browniegate). Extremely not on her list: being shipped off to a digital detox farm camp in Iowa (IOWA??) for a whole month. She’s traded in her WiFi connection for a butter churn, and if she wants any shot at growing her social media platform this summer, she’ll need to find a way back online.

But between some unexpected friendships and an alarmingly cute farm boy, Sunny might be surprised by the connections she makes when she’s forced to disconnect.

The post Review: Sunny Song Will Never Be Famous by Suzanne Park appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

Today, we’re granting the spotlight to the most delicious of tropes: enemies-to-lovers. Because we all know the rule…opposites always attract…especially if they initially hate each other’s guts. From sweet to steamy work rivals, and to bitter enemies, we have got you covered with this list!

The Hating Game by Sally Thorne
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Vying for the promotion of a lifetime, co-workers and enemies-for-life Lucy and Joshua begin to walk a fine line between love and hate as their games to annoy each other turn into more. Thorne’s debut is going to be adapted into a movie, so the time to dive into this delicious and delightful workplace comedy is now!

Beach Read by Emily Henry
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

A romance writer who no longer believes in love and a literary writer stuck in a rut engage in a summer-long challenge that may just upend everything they believe about happily ever afters – and each other.

Kiss My Cupcake by Helena Hunting
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Blaire Calloway has planned every Instagram-worthy moment of her cupcake and cocktails shop launch down to the tiniest detail. What she didn’t plan on? Ronan Knight and his old-school sports bar next door opening on the very same day. As two neighborhood shop owners battle for business, they prove opposites attract in this sweet and savory romcom.

Loathe at First Sight by Suzanne Park
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Meet Melody Joo, a fierce woman who gets her dream job as a video game producer – only to be stuck with an infuriating – yet devilishly handsome – intern that makes her question all her morals after a mass troll attack online changes everything.

This Is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

On the quieter, more pensive side of the enemies-to-lovers spectrum, we have an unlikely correspondence between two rival agents hellbent on securing the best possible future for their warring factions. What begins as a taunt grows into something epic that could change the course of history.

Work for It by Talia Hibbert
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Filled with angst and steamy goodness, follow this small-town story featuring a cynical city boy and a gruff, soft-hearted farmer as they bridge their differences and the distance between them.

Heated Rivalry by Rachel Reid
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Nothing interferes with Shane Hollander’s game on the ice —definitely not the sexy rival he loves to hate. Except Ilya Rozanov might be more than just the handsome, rugged boy on the other team – he might be even playing for Shane’s, if you catch my drift. Warning: There are scenes so steamy in here, you’ll probably need to fan yourself – while wondering how these two ice hockey gods don’t melt the damn playing field.

Dear Enemy by Kristen Callihan
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

As kids, they hated each other. Macon Saint was beautiful, but despite his name, Delilah knew he was the devil. That he dated her slightly evil sister, Samantha, was no picnic either. When they broke up, it was a dream come true: Delilah never had to see him again. Ten years later, her old enemy sends a text and sets a slew of events into action that will shatter their world.

Face Offs and Cheap Shots by Eden Finley and Saxon James
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

No one does enemies-to-lovers like this author duo does. When carefree and careless Beck surprisingly vies for the captain spot of their university’s hockey team – a spot that hard-working, stubborn Jacobs already had in the bag – pucks…and sparks fly.

Do you have any recommendations? Tell us in the comments below!

The post Romance Book Recommendations: Enemies to Lovers Trope appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

“Thanks for the ride!’ I grinned.
‘No problemo, senorita.’ Really, Nate? Spanish? My god.”

This is such a great example of pure awkwardness between the two main characters, Nate and Kate. I think this will resonate with a lot of people because who hasn’t had a moment like this before, especially as teenagers. Park nailed the socially challenged flirting game amongst the nerdier teens and I loved the representation here. It sounds odd but a lot of the time, YA novels have characters that are within the age group of YA but they almost always ‘grow up’ and really act like adults who have many things figured out. Albeit not everything, but that usually lends itself to the plot not the romance. They’re usually way too smooth when it comes to dating and sex but it’s not the case and I felt that this just made it a real perspective from a teenage boy and girl that many will be able to relate to. It might even give some hope or a more optimistic outlook on romance and dating rather than just giving up because they aren’t popular enough or not pretty enough. That’s another thing I loved here. It wasn’t about looks between Nate and Kate but rather personality. And you know what, you can call that cheesy but I think it makes it sweet and genuine. It’s a romance built on who a person is rather than what they look like and I appreciated that sentiment also. There’s too many things out there about looks despite how much attention everyone gives to the opposite. Nate liked Kate’s outgoing attitude and her interests and Park’s writing reflected that.

“My jaw dropped. OH MY GOD. MY HAIR. Where was my hair? Nate saw me like this! Sweaty hair.”

Despite Kate being outgoing, she still reacted like an awkward girl who cares too much how she looks around boys. I liked how Kate’s confidence dissipated when it came to all things with Nate. It was a realistic reaction for a teenager liking someone. Despite knowing that it’s not looks that matter, that sentiment goes out the window as soon as someone has feelings for another and I liked how Park kept that in here. The romance Park built was still based on personality but she made her characters’ work to see that if they needed to. Again, only making this book more real and relatable. Flustered messes are a part of dating and not everyone gets a smooth and sweet meet cute to tell their kids down the road. That being said I loved how they met at a zombie escape room because personally that makes a pretty great “how I met your mother” story to tell the kids.

“Pete used his massive hand to sweep his tousled Tom Holland hair out of his steely blue eyes.”

What a description! I have a love/hate relationship towards pop culture references, but for the most part I love them and this was one of them. It’s a shame that this was used to describe a bully in the story but I still love the ode to our latest Peter Parker. This also adds to the overall nerdy charm this book has and that’s awesome!

“The way he spoke to me was like how he talked when he was raising capital from investors. Like he was selling me this grand plan and wouldn’t take no for an answer. Did he realize that I was his daughter and not a business investment?”

This showcased the downsides of being rich or having rich parents. It showed how money isn’t really worth much when you don’t have anyone to share it with. Yes, I know I’m getting cheesy again but it’s true. This is another thing that’s common among society but seeing it in here written down makes it feel more real to me, more powerful even. I think this makes it more powerful for readers who can relate to these situations. Things they don’t talk about to others but read about instead have this pull that can reach them better than the people they know. Like how books are ways to escape reality. They also help work through problems that people can’t voice by seeing characters in novels face similar issues. It gives people a way to figure things out like a guide, helping them be prepared. I’m thinking I need to read more contemporaries! So many great tidbits!

“What is she doing here?’ There was a tinge of iciness in my voice I instantly regretted, but this wasn’t the right place and time to discuss the interpretation. Okay, it was more than a tinge of iciness. Fine, it was a hate tsunami. But that girl was here. Stalking Nate.”

I absolutely love finding creative phrases and “hate tsunami” was one I have not seen before but it really worked with the jealous humour Park was trying to convey in Kate’s feelings towards Nate. Original!

Nate and Kate were an adorable couple and I loved this debut by Suzanne Park. I look forward to more of her work and I leave you with one more parting quote.

“It’s not even trial-size. You’re such a precious snowflake.’
I corrected him. ‘A germ-free snowflake.”

The Perfect Escape is available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers.

Will you be picking up The Perfect Escape? Tell us in the comments below!

Synopsis | Goodreads

Nate Jae-Woo Kim wants to be rich. When one of his classmates offers Nate a ridiculous amount of money to commit grade fraud, he knows that taking the windfall would help support his prideful Korean family, but is compromising his integrity worth it?

Luck comes in the form of Kate Anderson, Nate’s colleague at the zombie-themed escape room where he works. She approaches Nate with a plan: a local tech company is hosting a weekend-long survivalist competition with a huge cash prize. It could solve all of Nate’s problems, and Kate needs the money too.

If the two of them team up, Nate has a true shot at winning the grand prize. But the real challenge? Making through the weekend with his heart intact…

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