LOVE MAKES MOCHI

In Valentine’s sophomore novel, a budding fashion designer from Washington, D.C., goes to Japan to pursue her dream, finding unexpected love and inspiration along the way.

Seventeen-year-old Lilyn Jeong, who’s of Japanese, Taiwanese, and Korean descent, dreams of attending the Contemporary Institute of Fashion in New York City. She’s been feeling uninspired lately, but she hopes this will change during her upcoming summer in Tokyo. There, she’ll be interning with the renowned designer Hana Matsumoto, who’s descended from a storied line of silk spinners. After she makes mistakes and gets off to a rocky start with her mentor, Lilyn discovers she must design a whole collection in 10 days in hopes of impressing Mrs. Matsumoto. Struggling to mix her own goth style with traditional Japanese fashion, Lilyn turns to Yua, Mrs. Matsumoto’s daughter, for help. As the stylish, tattooed, and confident Yua offers guidance to spark Lilyn’s creativity, a sweet romance grows between them. Dating Yua brings warmth, excitement, and inspiration, but with all the sewing she must finish and her looming return to the U.S. at summer’s end, Lilyn isn’t sure this relationship can last. The girls’ struggles with familial expectations, cultural norms, and perceptions of love lend depth to the story, and the detailed descriptions of food, neighborhoods, landmarks, and sericulture bring the setting to life.

A charming stand-alone queer romance that highlights Asian fashion and cultures.