Chen, Hsinju. A Milky Way Home. [Place of publication not identified]: Hsinju Chen, 2023.
ASIN: B0BXVL9RWN | $2.99 USD | 150 pages | Contemporary Romance
Blurb
Yen-Chen and Florence—one tourist, one local—form a reluctant friendship after one too many encounters. Is their growing connection written in the stars, or will Yen-Chen still leave Clover Hill for good?
Yen-Chen Chang is tired of the big corporate world. After quitting his high-paying software engineer job in Seattle, he’s desperate to move back to Taipei to figure out the next stage of his career. When his best friend invites him to visit Clover Hill as the last stop before going home, he gladly welcomes the opportunity to see the town they love.
Florence Hong-Lam Ho is passionate about her shih tzu mix Milk Puff, music composition, and teaching children piano. She is not trusting of strangers, especially those from outside of Clover Hill. When a tourist reaches for the last piece of fènghuáng sū at Wong’s Corner Store at the same time as she does, she hopes to never see this person again, even if her dog loves him already.
But when Yen-Chen and Florence keep running into each other—once, literally—they strike up a reluctant friendship. Is their growing connection written in the stars, or will Yen-Chen still leave Clover Hill for good?
In the series
#1 Winning Move by Skye Kilaen
#2 Visible Mending by M. Arbon
#3 Rooting for You by Roz Alexander
#4 The Heartbreak Handshake by J.R. Hart
#5 Sotto Voce by Suzanne Clay
Review
4 stars
I received an ARC from the author and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.
A Milky Way Home is the sixth standalone installment in the Clover Hill Romance series, and it brings yet another new author and perspective into the fold, that of Hsinju Chen. While this isn’t the first injection of nonwhite, or even Asian, culture into Clover Hill, I enjoyed seeing what Chen brought to the table, especially with both MCs being Taiwanese, and there also being some Asian supporting characters as well, in addition to the standard majority-queer cast. The choice to include both the Romanized spellings and the Chinese characters in footnotes makes the story stand out stylistically. There’s also a generous helping of Chinese food, which makes this book a delightful confection.
I love that the leads are both queer, but don’t entirely agree with the concept of labels. Both are fairly certain of being bi/pan and demisexual, and I love the way that colors their bond, exploring their relationship on a deeper level, while also navigating intimacy subtly. However, Yen-Chen expresses his uncertainty about his gender identity in a way that resonates beautifully, defining it as “not a man,” but transmasc and genderqueer. And while he shares this in a vulnerable moment, Florence reassures him it’s ok to not have it all figured out.
This is another delightful installment in a fun series, and I’d recommend it to anyone looking for short, sweet, queer small-town romance.
Author Bio
Hsinju Chen grew up in New Taipei City and currently resides in Illinois, where they are pursuing a PhD in electrical and computer engineering. She writes prose with fragments of Taiwanese experiences and loves languages in all shapes and forms. When they are not dreaming up stories or reading queer literature, they are busy studying the workings of the universe.
You can find them on Twitter @hsinjulit and Goodreads.
Courtney Reads Romance 
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