Lauren Kung Jessen
Lauren Kung Jessen (she/her) is a mixed-race Chinese American writer with a fondness for witty, flirtatious dialogue and making meals with too many steps but lots of flavor. She is fascinated by myths and superstitions and how ideas, beliefs, traditions, and stories evolve over time. From attending culinary school to working in the world of Big Tech to writing love stories, Lauren cares about creating experiences that make people feel something. When she’s not writing novels, she works as a content strategist and user experience writer. She also has a food and film blog, A Dash of Cinema, where she makes food inspired by movies and TV shows. She lives in Nashville with her husband (who she met thanks to fate—read: the algorithms of online dating), two cats, and dog.
Lunar Love is a sweet, enemies-to-lovers debut rom-com filled with Chinese astrology will undoubtedly prove to be a perfect match with readers of Helen Hoang, Jasmine Guillory, and Helena Hunting.
Olivia Huang Christenson is excited-slash-terrified to be taking over her grandmother’s matchmaking business. But when she learns that a new dating app has made her Pó Po’s traditional Chinese zodiac approach all about “animal attraction,” her emotions skew more toward furious-slash-outraged. Especially when L.A.’s most-eligible bachelor Bennett O’Brien is behind the app that could destroy her family’s legacy… As the two businesses go head to head, Bennett and Liv make a deal: they’ll find a match for each other—and whoever falls in love loses. But Liv is dealing with someone who’s already adept at stealing business ideas… so what’s stopping him from stealing her heart too?
My emerald velvet chair in my office is one of my favorite places to read. It’s comfortable and wide enough for one of my cats to share the seat with me.
Dim sum at Jing Fong where I happily devoured all of my favorites.
I loved to read growing up. A few of my favorite novels in my pre-teen/teen years that sparked emotion were The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks, A Walk to Remember by Nicholas Sparks, The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger, One Day by David Nicholls, and Me Before You by Jojo Moyes.
My Chinese zodiac sign is the Year of the Horse, and it is incredibly accurate. As a Horse, I can be very independent, stubborn, and impatient. I prefer to keep busy with many different projects which keeps life interesting and stimulating, but I can have a hard time turning my work brain off. I’m also adventurous and enjoy having a variety of experiences.
My few of my favorite screen adaptations of books are Crazy Rich Asians, The Notebook, and Pride and Prejudice.
