I really loved Lauren Ho’s Lucie Yi Is Not a Romantic. I kind of went into it blind not knowing too much about the plot and got so much more than I expected. It was funny, with humor that reminded me of Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine with a touch of Bridget Jones’s Baby. It also had a lot of depth tackling heavy themes about family, aging, culture, trauma, and love told with such relatability.
Lucie Yi doesn’t consider herself a romantic, especially after how her last relationship ended. However, she knows that she wants to be a mother. So, she signs up for an online co-parenting site that matches people with a prospective partner to have a child with - on a platonic basis, of course. Collin Read turns out to be her perfect match. He’s genuinely kind, easygoing, and ready to become a father. After Lucie becomes pregnant, the pair return to Singapore where they are suddenly confronted with everything they thought they had moved on from, whether that’s Collin’s strained relationship with his father, Lucie’s traditional parents, or the return of Lucie’s ex, Mark Thum. Not only will Lucie and Collin have to deal with their past while preparing for a baby, they will also have to come to terms with who they are now and what they mean to each other.
I really connected with Lucie and understood her so well. She’s imperfect and complex, still trying to figure out who she is even though she thinks she has it all together. It’s something we can all relate to. That’s also why I loved her friendship with Collin. They both grow and change because of each other and the “will they/won’t they” romantic tension that brews between them ends up playing a role in how they handle everything they need to face.
I’m hesitant to call this book a romance (even though it’s there) because it’s so much more than that. This was a new and interesting way in telling a story about adulthood and all the changes that come with it, while being centered around the most pivotal moment of anyone’s life - having a baby. How it affects everyone from Lucie and Collin to their family and friends all made for a great read that is reflective and unafraid to be emotional.
⚠️ Content Warning: miscarriage (off-page, referenced)
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