First Love Language by Stefany Valentine
- Wardley Love
- Jul 24
- 2 min read
A sweet, funny, and emotionally resonant YA romance about identity, language, and learning to be loved as you are.
If Frankly in Love and The Five Love Languages had a Mandarin-speaking baby in a Utah spa, it might look something like First Love Language.
Stefany Valentine’s debut is a heartfelt coming-of-age story that blends romantic comedy with deeper themes of adoption, loss, and cultural reconnection — all with the messy, awkward charm of being seventeen and trying too hard.
🚀 The Setup
Catie Carlson is a Taiwanese American teen raised by her white stepmum after the death of her father. She no longer speaks her first language; she doesn’t know why her parents divorced, and she misses her mother, who may or may not be in Taiwan.
Now uprooted to rural Utah to live with her conservative Mormon relatives, Catie takes a summer job at a local spa. There she meets Toby, who is shy, sweet, and hopelessly in love with someone else.
When he offers Mandarin lessons, Catie strikes a deal: he’ll teach her her heritage language, and she’ll coach him on how to win his crush.
One problem: Catie has zero dating experience. But with her late dad’s annotated copy of The Five Love Languages, she’s willing to fake it, one staged date at a time.
✨ What’s Good
Valentine nails the emotional tension of teen identity. Catie’s story feels layered and lived-in. From navigating family grief and sisterhood, to confronting the loss of language and culture, to falling (accidentally) for the boy she’s pretending to help.
The relationship between Catie and Toby is awkward and sweet in the best way. Their “practice” dates are funny, heartfelt, and full of small moments that ring true.
The representation is quietly powerful: transracial adoption, queer identity, and bicultural dislocation are explored with care and honesty. The inclusion of Mandarin pinyin, hanzi, and culturally specific moments gives the story depth without ever feeling like homework.
And for skincare girlies: yes, there is snail mucin. And yes, it works.
⚠️ What’s Slightly Less Good
Some readers might want more from the subplot about Catie’s biological mother and her father’s book annotations. They’re both fascinating threads that could have been pulled further.
The ending may feel a bit too neat for those hoping for a messier realism. But for a debut romance, the emotional beats land with sincerity and charm.
🧹 Final Thoughts
First Love Language is an adorable, emotionally honest YA romance about trying to find your place in your family, culture, and someone’s heart.
Stefany Valentine delivers a fresh voice and a strong debut that knows precisely what kind of love story it wants to tell.
Read First Love Language. It’s one of the most quietly lovely YA debuts of the year.
Recommended if you like:
Stories about identity, culture, first love, and snail mucin.
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