A Pacific Beach woman writing under an assumed name has penned her first just-released Harlequin Romance novel.

Titled “The Teacher’s Match,” written by Kristi Hong, the book takes place in a Mandarin immersion school. Not coincidentally, Hong’s children attended Barnard Mandarin Magnet Elementary School in PB, which helped inspire her to helm her debut Harlequin novel.

Born to immigrants from Taiwan, Hong grew up in Michigan. An avowed “Midwestern girl at heart,” following a career on Wall Street, she fulfilled her middle-school dreams by becoming a published author. Her goal: to write books featuring diverse characters, particularly Asian-Americans.

“When we moved to San Diego, we wanted our children to attend a public bilingual Mandarin school community that would have a global reach and mindset,” she said, noting Barnard fit perfectly, adding it’s one of the few K-12 Mandarin immersion programs nationally. “We were welcomed there with open arms, like a hug,” she said of Barnard. “We’ve loved all our teachers, which made me think, ‘Wouldn’t it be a fun idea if a romance was sparked between two teachers, and the school is where the spark came from?”

Hong likes the “wholesome fun feeling” along with the “love, compassion, and belonging” that Harlequin romances impart. “I do like writing stories that have happy endings and that are great, neat, cute feel-good stories that are clean,” she said, adding everyone who’s ever had a significant other has stories about how they met.

Hong noted her book is partly biographical, noting characters in it “are not real people but inspired by real people.” She added her story, set in Michigan, takes place on the shore of a lake near a Mandarin immersion school where there’s a corner bakery in a small town where the local farmers market is “a must visit.” She added there’s tension in her novel’s female lead character who must deal with her “meddling mother’s wanting her to find love despite her protests.” Hong added that the main character’s love interest is a male teacher who inherits his family’s business back in the old country.

Will the couple’s love last? You’ll have to read Hong’s novel, which she encourages everyone to do, to find out. You may be surprised, though, as you may even end up as the main character of Hong’s next romance.

Message her on Instagram @kristihongwriter or through her website kristihong.com.

HARLEQUIN ROMANCE NOVELS

A popular category of romantic fiction, known for its “whisk me away” and relatable stories. They are often focused on the heroine’s experience of falling in love, with a low heat level and a focus on emotional connection. Harlequin is a publisher specializing in branded romantic fiction, with Harlequin Romance being one of its most popular and prolific categories. Toronto-headquartered Harlequin Enterprises was founded in Winnipeg, Canada, in 1949 and grew to become the largest publisher of romance fiction in the world from the 1960s.

BOOK BLURB

“The Teacher’s Match” (Harlequin Heartwarming, 2025). Joanna Lin is determined to avoid her mother’s matchmaking. With a new career as an art teacher at a Mandarin immersion school, Joanna refuses to let anything or anyone distract her. Especially her charming new colleague, Jack Sun. His kindness and passion for teaching — not to mention those dimples — are practically irresistible. But anything beyond friendship is impossible, especially when Jack’s moving to Taiwan at the end of the school year. But as spring — and the school’s Dragon Boat Festival — draws closer, love might send all of their careful plans tumbling overboard.

Where to buy: The book is available at all online bookstores, including harlequin.com;

barnesandnoble.com; Meet Cute Bookshop in La Mesa meetcutebookshop.com; bookshop.org.