Hangry hearts

When the aftermath of an accidental restaurant fire destroys the friendship between their grandmothers and, by extension, their families, high school juniors Julie Wu and Randall Hur--who are Taiwanese American and Korean American, respectively--consider themselves mortal enemies. Coexisting at the Pasadena farmer's market while helping run the Wus' and Hurs' food carts is difficult enough, but things get even more tense when the teens are paired with wealthy classmate London on a community service project. Upon realizing that London has a crush on Julie, Randall starts to acknowledge his own feelings for her, sparking in a long-awaited and forbidden romance. Over secret dates, they grow closer, updating each other on things they missed when they were apart, such as Randall's coming out as transgender, even as they struggle to hide their budding relationship from their families. Alternating first-person POV chapters allow for a deep understanding of both characters' internality and a well-rounded picture of the pain that lasting grudges can cause. Lush prose describes both food and romance with a vibrancy that sparkles in this quintessential star-crossed-lovers, rival-family-food-chains rom-com. Ages 12--up. Agent: Caitie Flum, Liza Dawson Assoc. (Mar.)

Two teens fall in love despite their families' long-standing rivalry. Taiwanese American Julie Wu and Korean American Randall Hur had a friendship as special as the one between their grandmothers, who dreamed of opening a fusion restaurant together. But when the women's plans suddenly crashed and burned one fateful Lunar New Year's Eve, the once-sweet family friendship came to a bitter end. These days, Julie and Randall only see one another at the Pasadena Farmers Market, where their families compete for customers. But then the ex-best friends are paired for a school community service project, along with London Park, their wealthy, entitled classmate. The high school juniors temporarily set aside their grudges, only to find themselves falling for one another and sneaking around to make out. Readers' mouths will water over the descriptions of delicious Taiwanese and Korean dishes that appear throughout this strongly characterized story in which authentic homemade food isn't just a source of pride but a love language. While Julie and Randall's complex relationship is the primary focus, their story is deepened and enhanced by their special connections with their respective family matriarchs: Julie hurts for her ahma, who is emotionally burdened by the accident she caused years ago, and Randall never wants to disappoint his halmeoni, who lovingly accepted him when he came out as trans. A delectable treat handmade with love.(Romance. 13-18) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.