“A cinematic, charming heart-squeeze-of-a-book that has found its way to my Ultimate Comfort Reads shelf.” —Emily Henry, New York Times bestselling author of Beach Read

From the author of the “genuinely funny” and “delightful” Loathe at First Sight (NPR),  a young Korean American woman’s journey to finding a new career and new love means learning to embrace the awkward and unexpected—exploring familial expectations, finding your voice, and unimaginably falling for your childhood rival.

When up-and-coming investment banker Jess Kim is passed over for a promotion, laid off in a virtual meeting, and then overhears why (“she’s already being overpaid anyway for a woman” and “Asians are worker bees, not someone who can drum up new deals”) she delivers an “eff you guys” speech and storms out of the building.

Not sure what’s next, she moves back home to Tennessee with her domineering Korean mom, who tries to set her up with her pastor’s son Daniel Choi, an M&A lawyer by day and a successful video game streamer by night. Turns out he’s swoony and smart, not the awkward preacher’s kid she remembers. With his help, Jess launches a Korean cooking YouTube channel focused on easy meal prep for busy professionals.

All is going well until her mom walks on the show mid-live recording and argues about cooking technique. While she hates being berated by her mother in front of the world, it actually works in their favor—they go viral!

Soon her cooking channel becomes an actual media company and brand. When a global corporation is suddenly interested in buying Jess out, she finds herself sitting across the table from the very Wall Street firm she quit not so long ago. But there’s just one other problem: Daniel, the guy who’s been helping her and that she’s been falling for, is the firm’s new general counsel.