Fake Dates and Mooncakes is a heartwarming and hilarious romance novel by Sher Lee. We follow Dylan Tang, a high school student who juggles school and delivery runs for his aunt's struggling Chinese takeout in Brooklyn. When Dylan is approached by Theo Somers, a charming and wealthy customer, to be his fake date to a family wedding, he reluctantly agrees. But as they spend more time together, Dylan finds himself falling for Theo.

Fake Dates and Mooncakes is a delightful and humorous. Sher Lee excels at capturing the awkwardness and excitement of first love, and the novel's setting in Brooklyn's Chinatown is vibrant and full of life. Lee balances the romance with humor, which was pleasant to read. Not to mention, we get my favorite trope: fake dating!! If you're in search of a lighthearted, feel-good romance novel, Fake Dates and Mooncakes is right up your alley.

It is a well-written, heartwarming, and hilarious novel that I would definitely recommend to fans of rom-com novels. Everyone needs a sweet 'ol romance story every once in a while!!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children’s publishing for a copy of Fake Dates and Mooncakes.

This was such a cute and easy to read debut novel. This book was filled with great tropes/themes: fake dating, LGBTQ+ representation, Asian culture representation and a great message about family. Oh and also an adorable corgi. There were times where the book was making my mouth water with all the yummy food that’s talked about. I will warn you though, you may need a tissue for the last two chapters but they are for happy tears (those chapters really pulled on my heartstrings).

DNF @ 46%

i'm sad, because i really thought i would devour this book and here we are. dylan's family is the best thing we have here, i really liked what i read about them, as well as the food descriptions, but i was expecting a cute romance to warm my heart, and dylan and theo are cute and i like them as individual characters, but their chemistry is basically nonexistent. there's no point in reading a romance if i cannot feel what they're trying to show me.

I absolutely devoured Dylan and Theo's story in less than 24 hours. It's the perfect read if you need something that will have you smiling and rooting for the MC from start to finish. The writing is fast-paced, and the plot flows seamlessly. Loved the boys wedding crashing in the Hamptons, loved the cast of secondary characters, and loved how Lee tied it all together. This one will definitely be making its way to a featured spot in my classroom library.

Thanks to #NetGalley and #RandomHouseChildrens for a free ARC in exchange for my honest review.

this book was so heartwarming with just the right amount of drama. I loved dylan and theo so much, the fake dating aspect was also so much fun to read about. if you like fake dating and baking, you'd adore this book.I loved the representation of the Chinese culture and the recipes in this book. overall, this was so sweet and I definitely recommend.
tw: grief, loss of parental figure.
Thank you NetGalley and Random House Children’s for this kind Arc in exchange for my honest review.

I adore everything about Fake Dates and Mooncakes!

Through a chance encounter, Theo is determined to make things right with Drew for his best friends theatrics.

Theo finds himself smitten with Drew and his family, but things get a little awkward when Theo "secretly" helps, which leaves Drew feeling obligated to return the favor.

Despite the differences in their social classes and family drama, Theo and Drew bond over their shared grief and cultural history.

For a debut novel, this is everything I needed and so much more, from the fake-boyfriend ploy to the culinary references and everything in between.

I can't wait to read more from Sher!

What a debut, seriously. This book was just as adorable as the cover would lead you to believe. I love a good queer, YA rom-com, but add in a baking competition? Hell yes! Then, the fact that their meet-cute was Theo intervening when his obnoxious friend was roasting Drew over a tiny mistake in the takeout he was delivering? If you have ever worked in food service, you know how awful people can be so the fact that he defended him from that onslaught was precious.

Not only was the chemistry there, this story was super heartwarming. Loved how close Drews' family was and how he commemorated the death of his mother by learning an intricate mooncake recipe (that was lost.) The Chinese culture in this book and the all the extremely yummy food descriptions were honestly my favorite parts! Highly recommend if you are in the mood for something sweet and precious. Also, I will not sleep until I try a mooncake now!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the digital ARC!

I couldn’t put this book down! Sher Lee definitely delivered in her debut novel! I loved reading about Theo and Dylan. Although Theo and Dylan come from different worlds, they have similar experiences with heartbreak and loss. Their chemistry is through the roof and reading their interactions never failed to make me smile. It is also very heartwarming to read about Dylan and his family. I can’t wait to see what more Sher Lee has in store.

Fake Dates and Mooncakes Review

Absolutely cute! Roller coaster of emotions! Real stakes in this romance!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It’s a rom com series waiting to happen. It has fluffy sweet moments, it has tearjerker moments, it has moments of getting to know and celebrating Chinese heritage.

Food plays a big part of the book, from the struggling Chinese Singaporean takeout place run by Dylan’s Aunt Jade and the family to the mooncakes contest. Food lovers will enjoy the food mentioned, along with specific processes.

There’s an element of star-crossed lovers, but the novel deals with the fake dating meets Pride and Prejudice meets Crazy Rich Asians in its own way. I felt like I was buoyed along on a fun ride with this book. This is the kind of novel that I find really satisfying. Especially because of the big role that family plays in both Dylan and Theo’s lives. Both teenagers are second-generation immigrants on their mother’s sides and are trying to bridge the disconnection from their heritage.

Some of the tertiary characters aren’t that well-developed and depending on what tropes you like or dislike may play a role in enjoyment. None of that detracted from my personal enjoyment in this novel.

The HEA is exactly what I needed. I don’t care what anyone else says, it’s perfect to me.

Definitely check out this book if you love YA, rom coms, and delicious food in books. If that’s your style, you’ll fall in love with this book. Great for a book hangover or while reading a very emotionally heavy book. 9/10

There were some aspects of Fake Dates and Mooncakes that I loved --- particularly Dylan's family dynamic, the clear love that they have for one another, and the way they honor their family and culture. Those were without a doubt my favorite parts of the story. I also loved the descriptions of the food. I'm definitely craving some xiao long buns and mooncakes!

However, there were other things that I think just didn't work. I didn't necessarily dislike Dylan and Theo, they did have some really cute moments, but I felt no connection. Their romance fell flat for me, and I wasn't really invested in them.

The balance of the story felt very off to me. Yes, the mooncake competition was an important part of the story, but there times where it felt like an after thought. It was introduced at the beginning of the story and then we took a break from it, and then came back to it. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but something about the way it was done here took all the stakes out of the situation. I think that's my main issue with the story, it felt like there were no stakes at all. Additionally, there were some parts that I truly found completely unrealistic and I wasn't able to suspend disbelief, but that would just be a me thing.

I think that there were some good ideas in Fake Dates and Mooncakes, but ultimately, I don't think there was enough substance. Some people will absolutely love this, but unfortunately, it wasn't for me.

Thank you to Random House for letting me read this early.


Let me preface this with I was super interested by the synopsis But this reads more on the lower end of YA spectrum which is okay however as someone who reads a lot of LGBT Books. Nothing about this stood out for me. I’ve read similar scenes in other books and I feel that this would’ve been more enjoyable for me if the author would’ve let us experience the moon cake competition instead of just hearing about it. I wanted to see more of that

This was a heartwarming read about two boys falling in love over literally fake dates and delicious mooncakes! I ate every single cliché thing because it was queer and so much better. This book talks about loss and family through cooking and tradition and it made me miss my late grandmother a lot, too because I grew up eating her delicious Filipino sweet rice cakes and I would literally do anything to learn her perfect recipe. Not only did this book talk about the different ancient Chinese culture and practices, but it SERVED THE ROM-COM I WAS LOOKING FOR. It is very much a perfect recommendation for anyone who loved Heartstopper because Dylan and Theo’s story is queer as fuck and I’d give anything to read this again. This was adorable and sweet and it has a corgi so y’all better support Clover <3

Dylan Tang wants to win a Mid-Autumn Festival mooncake-making competition for teen chefs—in memory of his mom, and to bring much-needed publicity to his aunt’s struggling Chinese takeout in Brooklyn.

Enter Theo Somers: charming, wealthy, with a smile that makes Dylan’s stomach do backflips. AKA a distraction. Their worlds are sun-and-moon apart, but Theo keeps showing up. He even convinces Dylan to be his fake date at a family wedding in the Hamptons.

in honor of his late mother, and to help his aunt’s struggling takeout business, dylan wants to win a mooncake-making competition. on a delivery gone wrong, he meets theo, who ends up asking him to be his fake date for a cousin’s wedding in the hamptons. dylan is thrust into a world of $10,000 cufflinks and family drama, and he knows their relationship is fake and he should focus on the mooncake competition, but he can’t help but fall for theo.

i just adored this book!! i wanted to read this as soon as i heard its name, and i’m so glad it didn’t disappoint. fake dating is one of my favorite tropes and i love how it was executed here. i also enjoyed reading about the mid-autumn festival and this book really made me hungry for a mooncake (even though i’ve never had one). additionally, reading about rich people is always very interesting to me simply because of all the potential drama, and sher tapped into this potential very well with theo’s family.

overall, this was a fun rom-com perfect for the ya audience. despite the heavier topics, the book felt very light and i really enjoyed it.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Children’s Underlined for letting me enjoy an ARC of this lovely story! I learned so much about authentic Chinese cuisine while reading. I enjoyed the rich, descriptive language utilized throughout the book. This is a good book for high-schoolers and would offer this to students in my classroom library.

I had a great time reading this book!
While I liked the romance between the two main characters, the chemistry felt a little off.other than that I enjoyed, I loved learning about a different culture and diverse characters!
I loved following Dylan and Theo’s relationship and it felt realistic. While I didn’t live this story, I definitely is needed for queer young audiences to read a book about positive queer relationship!

Fake Dates and Mooncakes is a sweet achillean rom-com for young adults, full of family and food and first love. It’s pitched as Crazy Rich Asians meets Heartstopper and, while it will appeal to fans of the latter’s cute queer teen romance, it is definitely its own story beyond that comparison! Dylan lives with his aunt, cousin and pet corgi, Clover, above their Singaporean Chinese take-out in Brooklyn. He wants to enter a mooncake-making contest in memory of his late mother, in celebration of his culture, and in hopes of securing exposure for his family’s overlooked and struggling business. Theo is wealthy and charming and sweet and will be firmly off the menu when we eat the rich. The golden retriever boyfriend of dreams, I’m sure. Though their first meeting leaves a bad impression on Dylan, and though their worlds couldn’t feel further apart at times, a fake dating scheme and a fancy family wedding in the Hamptons could bring the two closer than they could ever have imagined.

The wedding was definitely a highlight for me and I loved all the opportunities for heightened comedy and drama that it created. The family secrets and tensions were so fun to learn about along with Dylan and I fully believe that was the social event of the season. I kept thinking how I would’ve killed to be there witnessing it all unfold. I'm a fan of the fake dating trope and that element was something that excited me most about the book, so I loved that it came into play in this setting where the pressure was already on.

Another thing I really appreciated in this book is how, though there were obstacles to the relationship throughout (i.e. disparity in financial positions, family pressure etc.) homophobia was never one of them. Both MCs are openly queer, with the inclusion of supportive elder sapphic side characters being genuinely touching here too. This book deals with grief and bereavement along with some other heavy topics, though the overall light, heartwarming feel of the story stops it from ever delving deep enough in these that we lose that sense of hope. I loved the small memories Theo shared of his mom and how he could find connections to her and his culture when surrounded by Dylan’s warm, loving family. These sweet, domestic moments were some of my favourites and I wish we could’ve heard even more about Theo’s experience with loss - both as it was something the boys had in common and as it could’ve helped me connect more to him beyond his relationship with Dylan.

This is such a wholesome, romantic read with characters you can really root for and I’m so happy that young queer readers get stories like this!

This one was just okay for me. The fake dating wasn’t super believable and I just didn’t adore the main characters like I wanted to. One character in a rich family and comes from privilege, and one who has not and lives a totally different lifestyle. I don’t tend to love those. I did love some stuff though! I loved learning about all of the food and baked goods that were made. The cooking competition was a fun addition. I kind of wished the book would have focused more on the reality show. I also loved the family and friend relationships. Im a sucker for a “found family” story.

This book did teach me that love can be found anywhere and any how. Opposites can attract and 2 people can find each other and fall in love even when they come from two different worlds.

⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Thank you so much, Random House Children's and Underlined, for the chance to read this book in exchange of an honest review.

Dylan Tang is determined to win a Mid-Autumn Festival mooncake-making competitions for teen chefs, for two reasons: a way to celebrate his mom's memory and help his aunt Jade's struggling Chinese takeout by bringing publicity to it. But when he meets Theo Somers, everything changes. Theo is wealthy, charming and funny and he's sweept off his feet. He's convinced to be his fake date to a family wedding in the Hamptons, bu as they start spending time together, they falls really in love, distracting Dylan from his plans. But when Theo's relatives reveal their true colors, everything becomes more and more complicated. Will Dylan be able to win his competition and keep his boyfriend or will he be have to make a choice?

Fake dates and mooncakes is a sweet, funny and truly engaging rom-com, following a young chef struggling to help his family's business, between rich people, fake dating and then real dating, rich people's problems mooncakes' recipes and so much more. Dylan is a lovely main character, funny, relatable and I loved his relationship with his family, mostly with his cousin Megan, they are a brilliant duo and I love their interactions and how supportive they are of each other. When Dylan's and Theo's worlds collide, between an embarassing encounter, him being a new customers, fake dating and they slowly discovering they actually care for and love each other, Dylan's plan for saving his aunt's restaurant is a bit sidetracked. Dylan has to balance between a new boyfriend and reality, old jealous ex, butlers and threats and his loyalty to his family. I really loved reading this book, I found it funny and sweet, so involving and really beautiful. It made me smile and laugh, being embarassed for second hand embarassment, brilliant moment and cute ones. It's a lovely fairytale and I love how the author dealt with financial problems, how Dylan felt the money's pressure and how he helps his aunt's business going on and then thrive.
Between love and family, friends and new allies, this book is a true gem.

Thanks to the publisher & Netgalley for the complimentary e-ARC. All opinions provided are my own.

I’m a sucker for a foodie or fake dating romance & lucky me, Fake Dates & Mooncakes by Sher Lee has both.

Dylan Tang works at his aunt’s Singaporean Chinese takeout & dreams of winning an upcoming moon cake competition so he can drive more customers to his aunt’s business.

Using a family recipe for the mooncake is also a great way to remember his mother, who passed away one month ago, & possibly to get to know Theo Somers, a handsome, wealthy charmer who Dylan has a crush on immediately after meeting.

Though they don’t have the most auspicious beginning, Dylan & Theo help each other out through a business grant-wedding date exchange.

This cute book explores the importance of Chinese culture to both characters & how that’s tinged by their own respective losses. Family support is huge in this book with Dylan’s family banding together to help him the same way he tries to help them.

Though the drama feels a bit odd to me, Theo makes a great gesture for Dylan’s sake, & it all wraps up with a heartwarming & satisfying ending.

4⭐️. Out 05/16.

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[ID: Jess, a white woman, wears an orange floral dress and holds the ebook in front of a green tree.]