Review by Booklist Review
River Langston-Lee's life is falling apart, and it's his own fault. The night before the SATs, he breaks up with his longtime girlfriend. Then, he runs out in the middle of the SATs without so much as adding his name to the test. Finally, after a fight with a green-haired customer, he rage quits work at Cafe Gong, the growing coffee enterprise run by his family. With everything on fire, he takes a job working at a small Korean café called Bingsu for Two with his best friend and, as it turns out, Sarang, said green-haired customer who witnessed his epic meltdown. One accidental viral video leading to a burst in sales later, River and the Bingsu for Two crew decide to keep chasing internet fame for the sake of the café. The story is expertly crafted, from the crisp prose to the innovative use of a script format, bringing the story to life when the teens are filming. The romance that eventually blossoms between River and Sarang is hard-won and deeply satisfying, and the found-family camaraderie that the motley crew of teens develops is full of delightful characters who will charm readers from the first page. A standout debut from Witherspoon with a propulsive plot, nearly impossible to put down.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Witherspoon dishes up a healthy serving of slow-burn romance sweetened by fake dating tropes in this meta debut. Teenage River Langston-Lee has had a tumultuous 24 hours. After dumping his girlfriend Cecelia, he quits his job at his parents' café following an argument with cute but sardonic customer Sarang. His best friend Kai then offers River a job at Bingsu for Two, the neighboring Korean café that has been struggling financially--and which, coincidentally, is owned by Sarang's family. River lies to his parents about working for a rival café, but after accidentally posting a video of Sarang's training to his popular anonymous social media account, Bingsu for Two goes viral. What's more, the account's followers love seeing River and Sarang together, so they pretend to date to get views. As the café grows more popular, Cecelia discovers his deception, forcing River to decide if he should return to what he knows or follow his heart. Inclusions of River's fandom obsessions imbue the narrative with a tongue-in-cheek undertone, and the fully rendered worldbuilding is further brought to life by the grounded characters and their charming dynamics. Ages 14--up. Agent: Maeve Lysaght, Copps Literary. (Jan.)
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
A Seattle teen fake dates his way into saving a family business. Seventeen-year-old River Langston-Lee opens by informing readers that he's sure he's about to embark on the "Worst Day of My Life So Far"…but as he later ruefully reflects, it in fact turns out to be the "Worst Day of My LifeEver." After suddenly dumping his girlfriend, Cecelia, the night before, he walks out of his SATs and heads to his part-time job at Cafe Gong, his family's coffee shop "turned corporate caffeine hell." Making things even more awkward, he and Cecelia are co-managers at the newest location, where most of River's co-workers already hate him (it's mutual). The day becomes even more disastrous when River pours a bag of coffee beans down the shirt of a rude customer, a green-haired goth girl, then impulsively quits. His best friend helps him find a new job at Bingsu for Two, a struggling Korean cafe where he meets a new co-worker, owner's daughter Sarang Cho, aka Coffee Bean Girl. After River accidentally catapults Bingsu for Two into viral video fame, he and Sarang realize that fake dating for social media could save her family's business--if they don't strangle each other first. Unsurprisingly, River's family and Cecelia aren't happy about these developments. The strong narrative voice and amusing banter shine in this deeply heartwarming, laugh-out-loud rom-com that's equal parts coming-of-age story. River is Korean American and white; Sarang is Korean American. Entertaining and thoroughly enjoyable.(Romance. 14-18) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
