“Giving your heart to someone is like learning to ride a bike. You’ll skin your elbows and knees, but the pain will pass. You’ll heal. And one day, the scars will be a memory, not of falling, but of getting up again.”

I was so excited to be approved for this #arc - once I read the premise I knew I had to read this one! This #yanovel was a gorgeous story of tradition, love, and what it really means to be family. I also loved how our main characters bonded over their loss but also their desire to know their roots and history. I read this in one sitting (almost, because, well, life) and I can’t wait for you to read it !

Thank you to @sherleeauthor @randomhousekids & @netgalley for my advanced reader’s copy in exchange for my honest review. This one is out tomorrow!!

Dylan and Theo are precious. I love them. Their relationship is so sweet. It was a little instalove-y, but being less than 300 pages, it wasn't too bad. The fake dating at the wedding was *chef's kiss*. They had each other second guessing if the flirting was real or not.(It was. Most definitely.)

This book also deals with family dynamics and loss of a loved one. I think it handled both topics well. Dylan's family is so supportive of him and you can feel the love. Theo on the other hand has a very strained relationship with his dad. Luckily for him, Dylan's family welcomes him with open arms.

This book was the absolute cutest. I had to put it down at one point because I couldn't handle how adorable it was. If your looking for something quick and sweet, pick this one up. Pick it up anyway, it's great. Also, the cover is 10/10.

Thank you to NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3/5



Genre: MM Romance

Tropes:
Fake Dating ✔️


I will keep this UNUSUALLY short & sweet.

Although Fake Dates and Mooncakes was a good read.. I felt like I was missing SOMETHING. Before I continue with me review... DISCLAIMER: I am a TOTAL mood reader. So, take that into account.

Now, don't get me wrong, I didn't hate the book. I genuinely liked it. The romance was romancing and I was SWOONING so much. It was ROM-COM YA perfection.!

But unfortunately.. I didn't feel ANY chemistry between the characters in a romantic way, and that's what it boils down for me. Parts of the plot also fell a little underwhelming BUT.. again, I am a mood reader!

Still.. the great thing about books is that while it wasn't totally for me.. it doesn't mean that it won't be for YOU.

3.75⭐️ A super cute YA romance! I loved seeing Dylan and Theo's relationship developing from fake dating into romance. I enjoyed the focus on familial relations and the importance of family, especially how it was seen in both of the main characters. The final gesture bringing Dylan and Theo back together after the third-act breakup was just so adorable and make me smile so big! The only thing keeping from being a higher ratings is that parts of the plot fell flat for me.

This was cute and sweet. I loved the relationship with Dylans and Theo. It was kinda intalovey but it was so well written I didn't mind. I loved the Singapore and Asain culture stories, myths , and superstition interwoven into the romance. I had such an fun time reading this story. This will be great for YA readers

When I tell you that this was one of my most hyped books of the year, I'm not even exaggerating. The title, the summary, the cover art by Myriam Strasbourg - it all sounded so perfectly made for me! And I was not at all let down. This book is everything that it says on the tin, and more.

Dylan is on a mission to win this year's Mid-Autumn Festival mooncake competition, both in honor of his mother and to save his aunt's struggling Chinese restaurant. He just knows that if he can recreate his family's treasured recipe, he can win and bring some much-needed publicity to the little Brooklyn takeout. ...And then he meets Theo: rich, charming, sweet, and exactly the distraction that Dylan does not need right now. But when Theo gives the restaurant a "grant" in exchange for Dylan being his fake date to a family wedding in the Hamptons, things go more than a little off the rails. Theo's family is all rich people drama and glamor, and Dylan finds himself falling more and more in love with his "fake date" when he really has more important things to focus on.

First, can I just make a request? Can we stop comparing every Achillean book that comes onto the market to Heartstopper? I love Heartstopper with a damn passion, but this book and that series have literally nothing in common except that they're both, you know, about two teenage boys falling in love sweetly. That comparison does such a disservice to both Heartstopper AND Fake Dates and Mooncakes.

Though, the Crazy Rich Asians comparison is surprisingly apt. The drama and hilarity and swoon-worthy romance are all on full display at the Hamptons wedding, and it is the standout section of the book for sure. I alternated between having an ache in my heart for poor Theo and what he goes through with his family, to full on belly laughing at some of the antics that occur.

And wow is this story a great examination of family: the ones that we're born into, the ones that choose us, and the ones that we choose. From Theo's broken family to Dylan's pieced together one, there is a lot that can be said about the roles that families play in this book. (This is where the secondary characters really do get a chance to shine, from Aunt Jade's sturdy ability to hold her family together no matter the tragedy, to Megan's comic relief, to Terri and Bernard as Theo's chosen family) Grief, too, takes center stage as both Theo and Dylan cope with the loss of their mothers and their absent fathers in their own ways. Their relationship with each other is well-developed and whimsical, and never once feels unbalanced like I was initially anxious it would.
The other beautiful thing that this book does is celebrate Chinese culture, both in going back to ancient myths and stories of how mooncakes came to be and tales of Dylan's own family recipes and heritage, to the more modern melting pot stories that exist in New York City. It truly is a beautiful celebration of Chinese heritage, both old and new.

Sher Lee's premiere novel is certainly a winner, and I absolutely cannot wait to see where her writing takes her in the future. For now, Fake Dates and Mooncakes is a charming, optimistic love letter to Chinese culture, good food, and family.

This was absolutely adorable! Dylan and Theo are two adorable YA heroes. The book is split between Theo’s cousin’s wedding and Dylan’s cooking contest and seeing them both in each other’s worlds helped show how much these two cared for each other. This was a delightful romance and I highly recommend it!

this book was such a cute and fun read! it was my first ever sher lee book, and it didn't disappoint.

thank you net galley and publishers for this arc <3

Fake Dates and Mooncakes by Sher Lee is as cute as the title promises it will be. This was such a cozy read and cute gay romance between Theo, a crazy rich Asian, and Dylan, a working-class 2nd generation immigrant. There are so many amazing tropes: fake dating, only one bed, a baking competition and class differentiation! It was so enjoyable and such a quick read.

There was very little spice in this story, but wow was there some big romance moments and excellent pining! If you like your book to be sexy, then this may not be for you. That is honestly the only reason I can think of that you may not want to read Fake Dates and Mooncakes.

The characters had so much depth for a short book, and were all so lovable! They all had their traumas and idiosyncrasies, but they were so real. There are a lot of hard topics covered, including: parent loss, family feuds, alcoholism, and abandonment. All the hard things were covered in such a respectful way and really added to the story.

This was Sher Lee’s debut novel and I cannot wait to see more of her work. This was such a cozy and beautiful read that went by too quick! I will be recommending this book to all my bookish friends.

3.5 stars

What another sweet love story by Sher Lee!

Fake Dates and Mooncakes has been released just in time for Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month in May, as well as Pride coming up in June! Those who are fans of the fake dating trope as well as those who love everything food related are sure to devour this sweet story about Dylan and Theo.

While the plot can be predictable at times, Lee fills the chapters with cozy, heartwarming moments. Also, there’s a corgi, so it’s hard to say no to this one. Just make sure to not read while hungry!

Ready to swoon and salivate over Chinese mooncakes? Say less, and pick up this adorable queer romance. Besides the mouth-watering cooking sections, I lapped up the fake dating turned to real dating story for Dylan and Theo. Their fake date was crashing a wedding (such a fun plot idea) and their chemistry was crackling. Sher Lee really did a fantastic job in crating conflict or plot lines that delayed Dylan and Theo's happily ever after without the dreaded miscommunication trope. There is a discussion on class differences and plenty of grand gestures to make you swoon. I sped through this book within one day and can't wait to see what the author writes next!

Thank you to the netgalley and the publisher for my advanced digital copy in exchange for my honest review.

Sher Lee’s “Fake Dates and Mooncakes” is a cute romance that has many romance troupes (fake dating, one bed) as well as having a mooncake competition! Dylan Tang is a teenager who works in his aunts takeaway and wants to win a Mooncake competition in honor of his mom. While Theo Somers is a wealthy teen who needs a date to his cousins wedding…

I absolutely loved this story, it was adorable and wholesome. The writing was really good, and I loved the entire book. Dylan is a boy always putting his family first—no matter what. Dylan is also a little shy, but that doesn’t stop him from standing up for himself. This book is all from Dylan’s POV and is the perfect wholesome story to read if you like plot driven stories to read until midnight!

Overall, I couldn’t put this book down, it was a tad cliche-y at times but it was all written really well!

This review is left voluntarily, and thank you to the publisher and netgalley for an ARC of this book.

Fake Dates and Mooncakes is a wonderful dip into the fake dating romance genre. I think fake dating is a very popular trope these days, and is only enjoyable when done well; this was done exceptionally. It also features a cross-class dynamic. Those are always tricky to handle as grand gestures can feel manipulative when one party has relatively unlimited resources. However, this book didn't have me questioning too much of the character's intent.

Aside from the romance, the novel makes quick work in endearing you to the cast of characters. I felt like apart of the family from the first couple chapters. Their habit of sharing cultural stories made me feel like I was sitting at the dinner table with them. Also for someone who didn't grow up around Chinese culture, I learned a lot for each of the traditional stories told.

I had some qualms about the love interest's best friend. We never saw a resolution about him being held accountable for frankly being a snotty brat.

Overall, this was an amazing debut novel. I am incredibly excited to see what else this author will do!

(4.5 stars)

The pure joy I felt when receiving this ARC almost killed me. The pure joy I felt while reading it revived me.

When the comp titles are Heartstopper: Volume One and Crazy Rich Asians, it sets a very high bar for the author to deliver on. Somehow, some way, Sher Lee does. This is literally Heartstopper: Volume One meets Crazy Rich Asians.

This is the perfect afternoon snuggled-on-the-couch read or perfect avoiding-work read or perfect travel read. It's perfect period because it's the perfect cocktail of cute, funny, romantic, and social commentary that YA readers have become accustomed to in this golden era of YA. I am obsessed and hopefully you will be, too. :)

This book was so wonderful! It was so cute, fun, inspirational, emotional, heartwarming, heartbreaking and more. Fake Dates & Mooncakes has absolutely everything I want and need in a book, and I’ll be recommending it to everyone. I loved this book so much!

Warning: Do not read this book while you are hungry! Ideally, read this book while consuming food because the mouth-watering and tantalizing descriptions of these Chinese dishes are going to drive you crazy otherwise.

The fake dating trope has never been cuter than the wedding crashing fake date of Dylan Tang & Theo Somers. Theo is crashing a family member’s wedding and has invited Dylan along to play the role of his fake boyfriend. Their very real chemistry sells the lie a little too well; later in the story when they try to tell Theo’s family the truth, they won’t believe them.

After the wedding weekend, “things” get in the way of their blossoming romance, but they are quickly cleared up. Dylan’s focus, when he isn’t mooning over Theo, is perfecting an old family recipe for snow skin mooncakes that he wants to enter into a competition at the Mid-Autumn Festival to help his aunt’s struggling takeout.

This is a low angst, fake dating to real feelings, young adult romance novel. I would recommend it to anyone in the mood for a sweet, queer love story.

I received a digital ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to Netgalley and Random House Children’s for the ARC to review.

Fake Dates and Mooncakes is as sweet as the titular mooncakes Dylan painstakingly creates. While some elements of the book have you suspending disbelief (and a lot of Theo’s life is more a caricature of a rich person than what an actual 1% lifestyle is like) it’s so sweet and lovely that I didn’t really care. I grew up in Bay Ridge and Sunset Park, and I loved the descriptions of all the shops and vendors and all the double-parked cars. I could basically smell the entire book, which is much more appealing than it sounds. And Theo’s house is based on a real place — there is in fact a sprawling mansion right in the middle of Bay Ridge, which is frankly hilarious and I love that Lee added that detail.

The romance hits a little quick and could have more depth, but the real emotional center of the book is Dylan’s family. Their love and support for each other is so heartwarming, and the best part of Dylan and Theo’s relationship was honestly seeing how Theo found himself included in that family.

Ultimately the book is an enjoyable read that makes you hungry; who could ask for more?

First of all, this book made me absolutely ravenous.

Second, I appreciated so much about how, in this queer YA, the drama wasn’t about coming out or being queer. That was so refreshing, and made this a really fun read.

I loved the class differences between Dylan and Theo, and how they navigated all those things set to keep them apart. Also really loved the mental health rep and discussions of toxic parental relationships.

My only gripe was that, based on the title, I expected the moon cake competition to take more of main role in this one. But I loved the grand gestures, the Crazy Rich Asians vibes, and these characters sweet and uplifting love story.

Thank you to Penguin Random House Children's/Underlined for a copy of Fake Dates and Mooncakes in exchange for an honest review. 
Get me a (vegan) mooncake, STAT

The things that Sher Lee's Fake Dates and Mooncakes does best are explore food, culture and grief. I wanted to eat every morsel of food this book portrayed as tasty. When describing a moon cake, Lee could give the best food critics a run for their money. 

I also love how much that deliciously-painted food is tied in with main character Dylan's love of his culture, which is then tied in with his grief over the loss of his mother. Meanwhile, Theo has his own complicated relationship with culture and grief. Double or mixed culture and grief are complex, but sensory experiences, which food is, can help heal those wounds. 

Eat the rich?

Fiction -- or maybe society as a whole -- doesn't know what to do with rich people. It seems we have to decide they're either villains or [Insert Gender Appropriate Title] Charmings instead of, you know, people. The trappings of wealth are inherent flaws to overcome, just like any other novelistic character flaw. 

I don't say this to lionize the wealthy but to point out that nuance is missing. All people are capable of being good and bad. Very few people, if any, are actually evil.

Plus -- and this is the part that truly gets me -- there isn't something intrinsically purer about taking a rich person's money when offered out of benevolence rather than spite. How they earned that money isn't different. How you're going to use that money hasn't changed. 

Sher Lee's Fake Dates and Mooncakes feels like a marathon -- until the last 50 pages or so. On the one hand, I can understand cramming the inevitable conclusions into such a short page span since they're not really "the point" of the book. However, doing so throws the entire pacing off, leaving us with a sense of literary whiplash. 

I'm okay with #InstaLove, but the stakes get so high here that I did 🙄 a couple of times. But then I got over it because people do get invested in each other quickly, even if I'm a judgy person. And the romance is sweet. 

Should you read it?

Despite my quibbles, yes. There's enough good here that Fake Dates and Mooncakes is totally worth a read. Even though I had a complicated relationship with my late mother, this was a nice read right before Mother's Day. Honestly, this book really has the perfect release date: a couple of days after Mother's Day, halfway through AAPI Heritage Month and two weeks before Pride Month. If any (or multiple) of those celebrations hold significance to you, I think you'll enjoy this book. 

On that note, I don't think there are enough YA romance novels about Asian guys. This is anecdotal, but at least half the time I read a romance with a non-white romantic lead, one of the pair is white. It was nice to see two Asian people in love! (That's not to say interracial relationships aren't great; they are!)

The final set of people I recommend this book to is foodies (but maybe don't read on an empty stomach). 

Fake Dates and Mooncakes is out on May 16, 2023. Pick up a copy at your local indie bookstore or library. 📚🥮👨‍❤️‍👨


https://www.geekgirlauthority.com/fake-dates-and-mooncakes-sher-lee-review/

This was a great fake dating to real dating romance with some fantastic cooking along the way! I really appreciated the explanation of how the soup gets inside soup dumplings. Dylan and Theo were so sweet and likable that I couldn't help cheering them both on. There are some good story lines about family, both found and biological. All in all a very fun romance. Highly recommended for grades 8 & up.