It was no surprise that I was beyond thrilled to be given a spot on Caffeine Book Tour’s blog tour of Roselle Lim’s second novel, Vanessa Yu’s Magical Paris Tea Shop since I absolutely loved her debut novel, Natalie Tan’s Book of Luck and Fortune.
Vanessa Yu’s Magical Paris Tea Shop follows the story of Vanessa Yu, an accountant who has a special talent in precognition, whereby she can predict the future of those around her. However, Vanessa sees this gift as more of a curse than a blessing where she believes that her precognitive ability makes her the harbinger of devastating news. Determined to see things from a different perspective, Vanessa embarks on an unforgettable journey to Paris with her Aunt Evelyn, who we had the pleasure of meeting in Natalie Tan’s Book of Luck and Fortune!
Set in the City of Lights, Vanessa Yu’s Magical Paris Tea Shop is an absolute delight of a book because what’s not to love about a romantic love story that’s told through rose-tinted lens? And knowing how much I loved Roselle Lim’s debut novel, Vanessa Yu’s Magical Paris Tea Shop checked all the right boxes for me. From exploring her heroine’s Asian heritage to the incredibly sumptuous descriptions of decadent desserts, I was salivating and swooning over the romance of Vanessa’s Parisian love story.
However, a conventional love story, it was not. What kept me engaged throughout the book was that Vanessa didn’t let her fate, or destiny or whatever you call it, determine her love story. She challenged the hands of fate by owning her own destiny and ultimately finding love all the while doing a bit of matchmaking on her own! Aside from that, the thing that held the story together so beautifully was the bond that Vanessa and her Aunt Evelyn had, which developed wonderfully throughout the book as Vanessa learned more about her aunt and their shared gifts.
From mouthwatering descriptions of food, heartwarming family dynamics and a generous helping of romance that got me a wee bit swoonworthy in the end, Vanessa Yu’s Magical Paris Tea Shop is a sweet morsel that you will devour as it perfectly balances the intricacies of finding love, being proud of your Asianness and the splendour of Paris. I fell in love with Roselle Lim’s debut novel because of her lyrical and poetic writing and in similar fashion, Vanessa’s Parisian adventures were woven with her sublime writing that ignited my wanderlust.
“Yearning for the stars won’t bring them to your fingertips.”
So, in celebration of the utterly delightful book that is Vanessa Yu’s Magical Paris Tea Shop on my blog today, I will be sharing my favourite desserts that came to mind when I was reading Roselle Lim’s latest treat—aside from Marc, that is, but hush hush, I shall leave you to read more about him when you pick up Vanessa Yu’s Magical Paris Tea Shop!
Since the story is set primarily in Paris, it would be entirely criminal to exclude French desserts and pastries. After all, some of my favourite treats are Parisian and nothing lifts my mood like macarons! Delightful, fluffy, soft with a surprise centre that simply melts in your mouth, the macaron is the quintessential pick-me-up for me whenever I am in the mood for something decadent but light.
Photo credit: Golden Rod Pastries
Another French dessert that I am constantly craving for is the gâteau au yaourt, which basically means yogurt cake. Simple as it may sound, it definitely packs a flavourful punch that will always elicit a few soft moans. Gosh, I need cake now. I need this cake now.
Photo credit: Del’s Cooking Twist (do check out Del’s recipe – it’s simply divine!)
about the book
Vanessa Yu’s Magical Paris Tea Shop by Roselle Lim
Publisher: Berkley (Aug 4, 2020)
eARC courtesy of Caffeine Book Tours and Penguin Random House USA
Blurb:
Become enamored with the splendor of Paris in this heartwarming and delightful story about writing one’s own destiny and finding love along the way.
Vanessa Yu never wanted to see people’s fortunes—or misfortunes—in tea leaves.
Ever since she can remember, Vanessa Yu has been able to see people’s fortunes at the bottom of their teacups. To avoid blurting out their fortunes, she converts to coffee, but somehow fortunes escape and find a way to complicate her life and the ones of those around her. To add to this plight, her romance life is so nonexistent that her parents enlist the services of a matchmaking expert from Shanghai.
The day before her matchmaking appointment, Vanessa accidentally sees her own fate: death by traffic accident. She decides that she can’t truly live until she can find a way to get rid of her uncanny abilities. When her eccentric aunt, Evelyn, shows up with a tempting offer to whisk her away, Vanessa says au revoir to America and bonjour to Paris. While working at Evelyn’s tea stall at a Parisian antique market, Vanessa performs some matchmaking of her own, attempting to help reconnect her aunt with a lost love. As she learns more about herself and the root of her gifts, she realizes one thing to be true: knowing one’s destiny isn’t a curse, but being unable to change it is.
about the author
Roselle Lim was born in the Philippines and immigrated to Canada as a child. She lived in north Scarborough in a diverse, Asian neighbourhood.
She found her love of writing by listening to her lola (paternal grandmother’s) stories about Filipino folktales. Growing up in a household where Chinese superstition mingled with Filipino Catholicism, she devoured books about mythology, which shaped the fantasies in her novels.
An artist by nature, she considers writing as “painting with words.”
check out the other bookish baes on the blog tour
Bookevin 