Warning: Do not read this book on an empty stomach. You will be starving by the end of your reading session.

I'll admit, I am typically not a fan of these types of books. I am not necessarily crazy about the fake dating trope like a lot of people seem to enjoy. But this book just might win me over.

We follow our narrator, Dylan Tang, after he has a particularly bad day working at his Aunt's suffering takeout restaurant, Wok Warriors. In an attempt to save his family's establishment, Dylan decides to enter a Mooncake contest in the hopes of getting Wok Warriors noticed by the general population. Enter Theo Somers, an incredibly rich, son of a CEO who just happened to be present for Dylan's bad day on the job. The two form a connection, with Dylan slowly becoming smitten with Theo, before the latter suddenly asks him to be his fake date to his rich family's wedding. And unfortunately for Dylan, being a fake date to this wedding is much more drama filled than he expected.

This book, especially the relationship forged between Dylan and Theo, is just so cute. Dylan's narration in particular really adds an element to their relationship that just had me gushing over these two and just begging for them to get together already. The book is also cheesy in the best possible way: this is a plot you will only ever find in a romcom, and if that is your thing, you definitely wont be disappointed. It has all of the best tropes that would be in something like that. They have to share one bed at one point, for god's sake, and I'd be lying if I said I didn't love it.

The synopsis for this book is really spot on here: if you like Heartstopper and Crazy Rich Asians, definitely check this out, and you won't be disappointed.

Thanks to NetGalley for the early copy!

This book was so cute! The story is adorable, and I loved the characters. I do wish the plot had been a little more thought out at the end, as I feel like the very ending of the story came a little abruptly. Overall, it was really well done though.

Fake Dates and Mooncakes is a really cute book with loveable characters and an interesting plot. I find that the conflict in a lot of LGBTQIA+ novels focus heavily on the negative aspects such as disapproving/homophobic parents and family, but this book has none of that. The conflict is similar to that of Crazy Rich Asians with Theo being the son of an affluent businessman and Dylan the nephew of a struggling chinese takeout business owner.

Dylan and Theo meet by happenstance and eventually end up fake dating to Theo's cousin's wedding, but real feelings come to the surface.

TL;DR: Fake Dates and Mooncakes was high up on my list of anticipated YA contemporary romances this year and I was beyond thrilled to get a digital ARC! Sadly though, for various reasons, this book really didn't work out for me. I loved the cultural and food aspects of the story and Dylan's family was great as well. That said, the romance was instantaneous and I didn't really feel their romantic connection. The writing also read on the younger end of YA, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but I'm not sure that's what the author intended and it also clashed with the more sexually suggestive overtones between Dylan and Theo. I wanted to see more of the mooncake competition but that played a woefully small part in the story. Overall, I'm sad that this didn't end up being what I expected because I was genuinely looking forward to loving it!

There's no getting around it: the beginning of this book was rough. The writing was not what I expected as it read on the young end of YA but it also read very stilted and awkward with a lot of "telling" and no "showing". It felt like the story only skimmed the surface of these characters and their stories, which certainly made for 'easy reading' but left me wanting more in terms of depth and emotional connection. It was easy to see which parts the author felt the most comfortable and confident writing about because those were the parts that had the most detail. I really appreciated the food and cultural aspects of this story—it honestly made me so hungry while reading!—and they were one of the best things about it, but this could've been a cultural/culinary book because of how detailed the author gets about the recipes and their cultural significance. While I liked it, it only left me wishing that the other parts of the story could've received just as much attention (and it probably should've)!

The premise of this book was really interesting but it was the follow-through that was lacking. The reasons why Dylan and Theo got together were ultimately flimsy and felt disingenuous because there was so little interaction between them, to begin with, that the jump to more felt unrealistic. Dylan was an okay character but what I enjoyed most was his relationship with his aunt and cousins. I appreciated how much respect he had for his culture and how he carried the memories, language, and love for food with him, but I also wished that he had been less of a pushover when it came to Theo; though perhaps I'm biased though because I didn't like him. He lacked personality and every interaction with him felt bland and emotionless. There were things he said and did that left me feeling grossed out and made it harder to care about his character. If you're not a fan of instalove then you probably will feel the same way as I did about their romance. I didn't feel their connection because they go from strangers to "falling in love" very quickly and what made it harder for me to believe their chemistry is that I didn't really believe that Dylan actually liked Theo as a person either, he simply found him overwhelmingly hot.

Overall, it was just a big miss for me. While I know that as an adult I'm not the intended audience for this book. but I do read a lot of YA, although admittedly less in the contemporary/romance sphere these days. That said, if I'm being honest, I don't think I would recommend this to the young readers in my life if I were asked either. This had a promising premise and the potential for more was there, but the execution fell flat. Special thanks to the author and Underlined for providing a digital ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review! 2 stars

A cute YA LGBTQ romance featuring Asian American characters. I appreciate the strong family bonds portrayed in this. I'm not sure I like the financial solution at the end. It seems too simple. Like money can solve all problems. Overall, a solid LGBTQ romance.

Oof. This one hurts a little bit. I buddy-read this with Julie and Dini. We all kind of had some similar thoughts. I just don’t think this was the book for me or my age.

First, I’ll start with what I did like…

I really love the cover. LOL. I mean it’s pretty great and inviting. I also really enjoyed all the food and culture. It’s packed full of culture. Dylan was kind of teaching Theo about his culture but helping us understand too. A couple of times, it turned into “info-dumps.”Another thing that I really enjoyed was Dylan’s family! His cousin Meg was hilarious and I would probably consider reading a book about her.

The beginning and middle of this book were the hardest parts to get through. It does get a little better towards the end but there are several things I struggled with throughout this book. There are a lot of cringe moments between Dylan and Theo. I don’t really want to get into specifics because I don’t want to give spoilers away. Most of these moments came when it had to do with the differences in their social status or in sexual aspects. I almost felt like Theo didn’t take Dylan’s feelings into consideration and he kind of steamrolled him into whatever he wanted. It was almost like he was trying to change him and I was not about that.

The writing was also hard to get through in this book. While this is a rather quick read, the writing was all over the place. There are a lot of choppy sentences and dialogue that really took me out of my flow. The pacing is off and I felt like the last bit of the book was really rushed to get it to come together.

Overall, It was just not the book for me. The family aspect, culture, and food are the best parts. I’m not kidding, I was constantly hungry while reading this book!!

Many thanks to Underlined and Netgalley for an e-arc. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[arc review]
Thank you to the author, Sher Lee, and Random House Children’s Books for providing an arc in exchange for an honest review.
Fake Dates and Mooncakes releases May 16, 2023

I absolutely loved this debut and saw so much of myself in this story and the characters!!

Set in New York, Dylan is a high school senior who works at his aunt’s Singaporean-Chinese takeout family business. The way he meets the love interest is through a delivery order over Labor Day weekend.

Wok Warriors is going through some financial trouble, so Dylan follows through with entering a Mid Autumn mooncake baking competition, where if he won, it would give him the opportunity to join the host — a critically acclaimed chef — to spotlight a local diverse food place in NYC (great potential exposure for his family’s business).
It’s the same competition that him and his mother wanted to enter together, but she sadly passed away from cancer before they had the chance.

I loved all of the Chinese culture, biracial rep (half Asian, half White), found family, fake dating, and reconnecting with your heritage. Even the father living in Shanghai was an oddly specific relatability that I wasn’t expecting to find.
Most importantly, although Dylan and Theo were opposites in many ways due to their differences in social class and upbringing, not once did Theo ever try to hide anything or change Dylan in any way that wasn’t his authentic self (including the well loved punny tshirts).
<i>“You’re my fake date, but I never expected you to come with a fake identity.”</i>

The grand gesture towards the end for the mooncake competition was so sweet and thoughtful!

This debut filled with family, food, and tension was so detail oriented and paced really well. The fun wedding crashing and fake dating in the Hamptons (with one bed) balanced out the complex family dynamics and underlying grief from both main characters.

I had a great time reading this and can’t wait to see what Sher Lee comes up with next!

cw: grief, loss of a parent, mentions of DUI, rehab and dementia (side characters)


My 2 cents on readers faulting this for not having spent enough time on the competition:
As someone who has actually competed in baking competitions, I can say that I found the pacing and depictions accurate. This only spanned about a month and we got to see Dylan practice making mooncakes beforehand with both his aunt and Theo on multiple occasions. There’s really not much glitz and glamour on the actual day and I liked the inclusion of describing not only the other competitors flavours but also the other festival stalls and how all of the side characters came together in support.

Well, this was adorable. If you are looking for a heartwarming and cozy fake dating baking competition romance, this book is for you. It was just so sweet. It also made me so hungry and I want to try all these recipes immediately. I love Dylan and Theo! They are so cute together! I loved the representation and the presence of the Chinese culture. I just wished the topic of grief was explored a little more and in depth, not just told.
Overall, a fun debut and can’t wait to read more from this author.
Thank you NetGalley and Random House Children’s for this kind Arc in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you Netgalley and the publishers for sending and allowing me to read this book.
As soon as I started this book I realized I probably wouldn't like it. The book feels like it was written by a sixteen-year-old on wattpad. It's just not written well and the characters are so cringy. Also, I'm not a fan of how fast-paced this novel was it felt almost like instant love and that's just not my thing but I can see how it would be for some people.

I was really excited for Fake Dates and Mooncakes, but it ultimately fell flat for me. Everything felt very surface level, from the characters, to the romance — I've never been a fan of instalove, and Dylan and Theo felt like they were in love incredibly quickly. A lot of the actions between the characters also rubbed me the wrong way, and I just felt like the main characters lacked chemistry. Overall, I just don't think this was the book for me.

I was excited to read Fake Dates and Mooncakes, but it ended up not being the right fit for me. There were a couple of things I liked about the book. The representation was great, and I really liked Dylan’s family. They were fun and funny and so supportive of each other, and Dylan's cousin is comical. There was definitely a lot of love in his family, which contrasted Theo's well. I also liked the descriptions of food and culture, though it sometimes felt a little info-dumpy to me. I think I wanted a bit more development and more showing and less telling. And considering how much talk there was about food, I was surprised with how little a focus the actual mooncake competition was.

Many things happened in the story that I found bothersome, and the relationship between Theo and Dylan wasn't my favorite. Their dialogue felt forced, and they didn't have as much chemistry as I'd hoped. And some of Theo's actions rubbed me the wrong way. I feel like he didn't really consider Dylan's feeling many times in the story, and he should have. I also hated that no one was really held accountable for their actions, especially when it came to how Dylan was treated. The book read very young even though there were some pretty adult themes and sexually suggestive scenes. Overall, it might be a good read for the right audience, but I did not enjoy it.

1 Sentence Summary: Dylan Tang is planning to enter a mooncake making competition to save his family’s struggling Chinese takeout business, but when a disastrous first meeting with wealthy Theo Somers somehow leads to him being Theo’s fake date at a cousin’s wedding, Dylan starts to fall for Theo; however, their worlds are completely different and Dylan can’t afford any distractions if he wants to win.

My Thoughts: This was so adorable and fun! It’s a perfect lighthearted romance and will definitely get you out of a reading slump. And the food!!!! Warning: this book will make you extremely hungry and crave Asian food. I loved all the Singaporean and Chinese culture too.

It’s marketed as Crazy Rich Asians meets Heartstopper, and that is accurate. The romance was cute and the ending was so heartwarming. My only complaint was that their relationship developed kind of unrealistically fast and seemed very much based on physical attraction.

(Also, can we talk about how gorgeous the cover is???)

Recommend to: fans of cute YA romances that feature cooking and culture.

(Warnings: swearing)

🥮Book Review: Fake Dates and Mooncakes🥮

„The roundness of the full moon represents reunion—not just among family, but also between lovers.“

Book: Fake Dates and Mooncakes
Author: Sher Lee
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Genre: Contemporary Romance (YA)

When I heard of this book, I immediately thought it was going to be a five star read for me. Fake dating AND they come from two different worlds? Yeah, I was sold! It sadly didn’t totally live up to the hype I’ve created in my head.

Dylan Tang lives with his aunt and his cousin’s ever since his mom passed away last year. His aunt owns an authentic Chinese/Singapore takeout place in Brooklyn, that is on the verge of closing down. Dylan wants to win a mid-Autumn Festival mooncake-making competition for teens, in order to gain more publicity for the restaurant.
Enter charming, cute and super rich Theo, who always seems to be helping Dylan out. Theo wants only one thing in return. For Dylan to be his fake date at a family wedding in the Hamptons.

➕I really enjoyed the dynamic between Dylan and Theo together. The romance seemed very believable and wholesome. That’s the kind of queer romance we need more of.
The wedding was my favorite part of the book. It was so messy, but in the best way possible.
The book made me chuckle a few times, which I don’t do often while reading.
I loved learning about the history of mooncakes and the food descriptions were very detailed and profound.

➖I feel like this book could have really benefited from a dual POV. I felt very disconnected from Theo and he didn’t really have a personality, imo. It would have been great to actually read about his experiences with Dylan's grandparents.
I feel like another 50 pages or so would have been great. The competition was so anticipated and then it was just over in a blink.
All the grownups were extremely cringey, especially Bernard. Their dialogue was just very cringe. I don’t know how else to describe it.😅

Overall, I didn’t absolutely love this book, but I do think it’s very cute and that many young queer readers will benefit from this story.

A big thanks to Sher Lee. #Netgalley and Randomhouse for my eArc in exchange for this honest review.

Fake Dates and Mooncakes is a cute YA novel full of delicious food descriptions and teenage angst. I enjoyed all the descriptions of the food, and the couple is very cute. However, I think this book was written for a very specific audience, and it definitely was not me. This book delves a lot into Chinese/Singaporean culture and history, and while I thought this was interesting, it was extremely heavy-handed. Additionally, maybe I am just too old for this bc reading the passages with sexual undertones about teenagers who are not even legally adults left me very VERY uncomfortable. So if you are in high school and interested in learning about (SE)asian culture, this book would be a great read.

Getting into the 'educational' aspect of this book, I can clearly tell that Sher is passionate about her culture and wants to spread awareness of it. And don't get me wrong, I absolutely love that and support it, but it was just WAY TOO overdone in this book. Half the conversations are people mansplaining things to each other or just info dumps about why a certain tradition exists or why things are done in a certain way. The way this knowledge is disseminated seems incredibly patronizing, and I didn't enjoy it at all.

On the relationship development, I found this to be wayyy too much of a fast burn. The attraction between these two just blossomed so rapidly and I don't recall reading any concrete events/discussions that would really catalyze their emotional connection. While there never were moments where i could pinpoint 'oh this is where they developed feelings,' there were many cute moments showcasing them as a 'couple.' There was plenty of fake dating angst but I couldn't really understand why Theo and Dylan were so drawn to each other outside of physical attraction, Like maybe Theo liked Dylan bc he helped him connect to his culture and both boys have similar familial circumstances (dead mother + absent father) but it didn't seem anything more concrete.

In line with this lack of relationship development, the book didn't flow very well for me. Some parts dragged while others moved so quickly it was hard to connect the sequence of events. I understand that Lee had certain things she wanted to emphasize so the rest of the issues seemed to be just brushed under the carpet. Like how Theo is welcomed back to his estranged family for playing the violin as his cousin walks down the aisle,,, I do get that is incredibly nice and touching and a beautiful sentiment, but I don't see how that one act can fix years of tension and familial issues.

Also Bernard.....I have absolutely no idea where he came from...popped into the story as a pivotal character and then immediately dropped back into the background. His entire character seemed to be made entirely to push plot...there is no consistency in his character and no consequences for his actions. He is portrayed as Theo's de facto father, barely appears in the beginning (til the point where he reemerges at the end I had no idea who he was) and then suddenly acts like a Gossip Girl teenager, before rapidly returning to obscurity.

And note: this book is written in first person present tense, which I normally don't like, but I didn't mind here. This writing style made you feel incredibly immersed in the book and you felt what Dylan was feeling in the moment.

This book has the makings to be good, and Sher Lee definitely has potential as a writer, I just found the execution to be a bit lacking. I absolutely adore the concept, I just felt like Lee only wanted to focus on the things she found interesting and every side plot was tied together with a neat little bow 'for Romance Reasons.'

--
Thanks NetGalley and the publisher for the free eARC in exchange for an honest review.

3.75/5 ⭐️

This was really adorable! Dylan and Theo’s relationship was so wholesome and sweet. The fake dating to real dating timeline was really well done and felt really natural. You could tell they had chemistry from the moment they met. Dylan’s relationship with his family was also adorable. They loved, cared, and supported one another no matter what and the moment they realized Theo was important to Dylan they treated him like family.

My main critique is the pacing in the beginning, it felt very rushed. It was go go go from the beginning. It made it hard to connect with the characters and they didn’t feel as fleshed out as they could be. Once I got about 35% in the pacing got way better and I enjoyed the story and the characters a lot more.

Overall, if you love fake dating and wholesome relationships keep an eye out for when this comes out in May!

this was a fast read but really cute! I adore the dog in it. I didn't always like the love interest but like how it was all fixed at the end.

I loved reading this. There were so many lines, dialogue and thoughts, that made me giggle. The writing is stunning in that it is the exact blend of real but zany at the same time. The characters often say what we're all thinking, or tease in the way we all would, and it comes across so authentically it charmed my socks right off.

The romance is adorable and the tension sizzles off the page. The author does an incredible job of baiting romantic moments, of teasing the kisses and then yanking the rug out from underneath the characters- and the reader!

I highly recommend for those looking for hilarious dialogue and a movie worthy rom-com.

This was a sweet little love story. There was surprisingly A LOT of drama for a YA romance, and it gave me some SERIOUS “Gossip Girl” vibes. This book offered a sort of immersion into Chinese culture, and I loved how authentic it was and just how much culture was there.
The love story was general pretty low angst (like I said, lots of drama elsewhere) and it was a pretty quick and easy read.

I was given an ARC by NetGalley and Random House Children’s. All opinions are my own.

This book is so sweet!! It gave me immediate Heartstopper vibes.
I love the inclusion of LGBQT, diversity, and so much more education and knowledge that was in this book.
It is a fake dating trope which is always a fav. It’s quick, easy, lighthearted, and truly just fell in love with the characters💕

This book was SO different from books I’ve read before, specifically with the inclusion of culture so seamlessly. I learned so much about the history of mooncakes, which I just HAD to put more research into after finishing the book. I loved the story, I loved the premise. I loved the characters.