An ambitious career woman signs up for a co-parenting website only to find a match she never expected, in this unflinchingly funny and honest novel from the author of Last Tang Standing.

Management consultant Lucie Yi is done waiting for Mr. Right. After a harrowing breakup foiled her plans for children—and drove her to a meltdown in a Tribeca baby store—she’s ready to take matters into her own hands. She signs up for an elective co-parenting website to find a suitable partner with whom to procreate—as platonic as family planning can be.
 
Collin Read checks all of Lucie’s boxes; he shares a similar cultural background, he’s honest, and most important, he’s ready to become a father. When they match, it doesn’t take long for Lucie to take a leap of faith for her future. So what if her conservative family might not approve? When Lucie becomes pregnant, the pair return to Singapore and, sure enough, her parents refuse to look on the bright side. Even more complicated, Lucie’s ex-fiancé reappears, sparking unresolved feelings and compounding work pressures and the baffling ways her body is changing. Suddenly her straightforward arrangement is falling apart before her very eyes, and Lucie will have to decide how to juggle the demands of the people she loves while pursuing the life she really wants.

CW: (Off-page) pregnancy loss, infidelity; grief.

Praise

After Last Tang Standing, my expectations were unreasonably high, but Lauren Ho somehow managed to exceed them with Lucie Yi Is Not a Romantic. Prepare yourselves for a heroine who is laugh-out-loud funny and incredibly savvy. Lauren Ho is an auto-buy author for me!

Jesse Q. Sutanto, author of Dial A for Aunties

Lucie Yi is Not a Romantic kept me gripped from the very first page. It’s full of humour and heart — I couldn’t wait to see how Lucie’s journey played out.

Beth O’Leary, author of The Flatshare

A captivating and original take on modern love, family, and friendship, written with sparkling voice and humor.

Helen Hoang, author of The Heart Principle

A sharp, fresh story of finding yourself, and letting love follow. I AM a romantic—and I was rooting for Lucie Yi!

KJ Dell’Antonia, author of The Chicken Sisters

Fresh, funny and thought provoking – Lucie Yi is a romantic heroine for the 21st century.

Sophie Cousens, author of Just Haven’t Met You Yet

Sardonically witty, deeply relatable, and surprisingly vulnerable, Lucie Yi is a glorious take on modern romance. I read it in one take and then hated myself afterward for not savoring. A smart, sharp, laugh-out loud delight. Lauren Ho is at the top of her game.

Christina Lauren, author of The Soulmate Equation

Funny, sharp, and uniquely voicy, Lucie Yi Is Not a Romantic is what happens when an uber talented writer tackles important subjects with humor and charm! I cried and cheered and rooted for Lucie in her journey and determination to seize happiness—and in her discovery that maybe she is, after all, a romantic! I am simply in awe of the way Lauren Ho blends women’s fiction and romance. I adored Last Tang Standing, I loved Lucie Yi Is Not a Romantic, and I cannot wait to see what Lauren Ho gifts us next!

Ali Hazelwood, author of The Love Hypothesis

If Jane Austen and Kevin Kwan had a love child, it might well be Lucie Yi Is Not a Romantic. Lauren Ho’s most recent novel sits delightfully at the juncture of modern fertility, modern women, and modern romance.

Jodi Picoult, author of Wish You Were Here

A beautiful exploration of both grief and romance starring a lovably hilarious heroine.

Kirkus Reviews

As in her stellar debut, Last Tang Standing (2020), Ho skillfully employs humor to make heartbreaking truths more bearable.

Booklist, (starred review)