Review by Booklist Review
In her dual-perspective novel, Wei (who has previously published under the pen name Ruby Lang) crafts an offbeat and satisfying romance with shades of Bringing Up Baby--style screwball comedy. (There's even a semi-domesticated wildcat named Baby.) Zoey Fong is determined to stick to the Plan: finish graduate school and discover the cure for the bone cancer that plagued her little sister. Davy Hsieh, the handsome stranger who accidentally walked into Zoey's lab and left with the slide she needs for her research, is not part of the Plan. Determined to get back her missing tissue sample, she follows former boy band member Davy back to his island animal sanctuary, where the two end up spending a week reevaluating if their chosen plans will really make them happy after all. Exaggerated plot elements--including two cougars, a villainous rich guy, and a grumpy grandma--are balanced out by Zoey's and Davy's well-drawn characters that feel real and flawed. Of course, they'll fall in love, but how they'll balance romance with the plans they'd had for themselves will keep readers hooked.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Wei (House Rules) puts a modern, gender-swapped spin on the 1938 film Bringing Up Baby in this zany rom-com. Zoey Fong has always obsessively stuck to the Plan: finish medical school and dedicate herself to researching a cure for the bone cancer that nearly killed her little sister. Her life's thrown into chaos, however, when she meets handsome, wealthy, and whimsical Davy Hsieh, who comes into her university lab hoping to find someone who can help him open a wildlife sanctuary on his private island. Zoey shoos him away, but Davy accidentally leaves with her precious sample slide in his pocket. Things take a sharp turn when the slide somehow ends up on the cargo ship leaving for Davy's island off the coast of Vancouver. Zoey insists on traveling there with Davy at once--despite worrying that her undeniable attraction to him could derail her Plan. The characters' frequent sexual musings (mid-conversation, Davy "found himself wondering about her underwear, probably also practical, a plain covering for something extravagant and beautiful") are as over the top as everything else and can be jarring at first, but Wei balances their relationship with delightfully wacky comedic scenes. This whirlwind opposites-attract romance offers plenty to enjoy. Agent: Tara Gelsomino, One Track Literary. (Jan.)
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Review by Library Journal Review
Researcher Zoey Fong aims to find a cure for bone cancer, the disease that almost killed her sister. In her lab one day, she encounters Davy Hsieh, whose request for help inadvertently leads to a tissue sample critical to Zoey's research being left in Davy's possession. Not knowing what to do with the sample, Davy prepares to head back to his remote island off the coast of Canada, where he's establishing an animal sanctuary. Zoey's realization of the missing sample sends her on an unexpected trip with Davy to his island, and together they encounter his rescue cougar and face unexpected challenges. As Zoey and Davy navigate their struggles (including Davy's past drug addiction, Zoey's lack of confidence in her endeavors, and the sexual tension between them), they must also confront the threat of a neighbor who seeks to cause trouble for the animal sanctuary. VERDICT Wei's (Clean Breaks, as Ruby Lang) steamy, slow-burn stranger-to-lovers romance is a great read.--Michelle Mistalski
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