Confucius Jane

November 16, 2015
In this charming debut, which straddles the line between romance and women’s fiction, two women attempt to juggle life, love, and their careers. Jane Morrow is a poet currently writing fortunes for her family’s fortune cookie factory in New York’s Chinatown. Sutton St. James is a doctor who must choose between a prestigious residency at home in New York and a chance to study stem cell research overseas. The two women yield to mutual attraction, even while knowing their romance may not stand up under time and pressure, especially with Sutton’s disapproving father pushing her in a direction she doesn’t want. Their relationship is brought to the breaking point by a number of factors, forcing Jane and Sutton to rethink their priorities. The protagonists’ chemistry and Lynch’s knack for description and setting provide a delightful beginning and middle, with an adorable meet cute in a noodle shop facilitated by Jane’s precocious, scene-stealing cousin. The last third of the story veers into overwrought territory, piling on the drama from all sides in a somewhat forced manner. Luckily, it’s not enough to ruin the appeal of this sweet romance. Agent: Meg Ruley, Jane Rotrosen Agency.

December 1, 2015

At a stalled point in her school, work, and love life, Jane Morrow is trying to figure it all out in her aunt and uncle's house in New York's Chinatown. Her office window in her uncle's fortune cookie company gives her the perfect vantage point to the noodle shop where she can surreptitiously keep an eye out for her latest crush, a beautiful blonde by the name of Sutton St. James. With a former U.S. surgeon general as a father, Sutton feels more than a little pressure to succeed on her own merits in the medical field. Between that and her mother's multiple sclerosis, Sutton is convinced she has no time for love until she meets Jane. Their fledgling relationship is soon threatened when a nationwide scandal involving Sutton's father hits the news. VERDICT Lynch's new adult debut is a solid modern romance that expresses the gamut of emotions involved at the start of a new relationship. The vibrant descriptions of Manhattan's diverse community will please fans of LGBT stories and those who enjoy Asian American protagonists. Suggest to older YA readers as well.--Joy Gunn, Paseo Verde Lib., Henderson, NV

Copyright 2015 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

December 15, 2015
After losing a beloved mentor in her creative-writing program, Jane has traded writing poetry for writing fortunes for her aunt and uncle's fortune-cookie factory. She becomes ingrained in the Chinatown community and notices a young woman who's often at the local noodle shop. Sutton St. James is a driven medical student. Raised in privilege as the daughter of the former surgeon general, she is now trying to break free from her father's influence. Jane and Sutton begin to fall for each other, and Jane encourages Sutton to pursue a fellowship in stem-cell research, even though this is in opposition to her father's wishes. But unexpected troubles thrust the St. James family into the media spotlight, jeopardizing Sutton and Jane's relationship and leaving Jane brokenhearted. Debut author Lynch creates an unconventional and likable heroine in Jane. And while it's obvious that the two women will end up together, the story of how they find their way back to each other is sweet and compelling.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)