MY RATING 4,25/5 STARS

Thank you for to the Sher Lee, the publisher and NetGalley for giving me an eARC of this book in exchange of an honest review!

““How do you want me to act in front of your relatives?” I ask, since the pretend-dating handbook wasn’t on my senior year reading list.””

I had such a great time reading Fake Dates and Mooncakes! It was really interesting and kept a great pace which meant you didn’t want to put it down.

Through the story we got to see a super lovely romance between the two characters Dylan and Theo. As the two ends up entering a fake dating relationship, Dylan is struggling keeping his feelings in check, and seems to be pretty oblivious to the hints and advances Theo makes about being interested. Through the book we also get to hear how Theo has struggled connecting with his heritage after his mother’s death when he was young, so it was really lovely to see Dylan trying to show and immerse him in some of his culture. Not only did this add a great touch to their relationship, but it also gave us as the reader a better insight into these different aspects of the Chinese culture.

Another thing I really adored in this book was the family aspect. Not only is Dylan’s aunt and cousins always super supportive, but we also get to see their bonds and how much they all love, appreciate and are able to rely on each other.

Additionally, this book generally just had so many cute, funny and amazing moments/comments, that just made me smile, and I had to highlight so many great quotes!

If you want to read a cute YA M/M romance, I definitely recommend giving this one a try!

Fake Dates and Mooncakes is an Achillean Young Adult Contemporary Romance novel that utilises all of your favourite tropes – fake-dating, supportive family members and there’s only one bed – to make for a truly wonderful and joyous reading experience. The story follows Dylan, a seventeen-year-old boy, who helps his aunt run their family business (a Chinese takeout called Wok Warriors) after his mom’s death a year before. While delivering food, he meets rich-boy Theo Somers, the son of a powerful business man, and the two hit it off. Theo finds out about Dylan’s aunt’s struggling business and Dylan finds out that Theo needs a date for his cousin’s wedding in the Hamptons. The only solution…? To fake-date.

The most compelling aspect of this story for me was the bond between Dylan and Theo. Their immediate connection, Dylan’s shyness and Theo’s open, easy going nature made for an extremely enjoyable read that made you swoon and laugh in equal parts. Dylan’s obliviousness to Theo’s advances never once felt contrived or forced but rather like an authentic reaction from a boy who’s never been kissed and always tried to avoid too much attention. By contrast, Theo’s openness, flirtatious moves and general suaveness made for a great foil to Dylan while also portraying how Queer boys contain multitudes. The representation of gay boys is really, really strong in this book as both of our main characters are represented as fully formed people with imperfections and flaws while also being likeable and interesting. Both Dylan and Theo are the products of their experiences, upbringings and heritages and that shines so brightly the entire way through the novel.

Seeing Chinese culture explored so openly and how each story of ancient history is told was absolutely fantastic to read. The way Sher Lee was able to weave Eastern values, morals and traditions into this story made it a really special read and made each and every character feel authentic. This links to the next strength of the book which may be hinted at in the title: the presence of food. Food plays a vital role in this story not just forwarding the plot in terms of a central aspect revolving around Aunt Jade’s takeout place and the Mooncake competition that serves as the climax of the novel but also in teaching and embedding Chinese culture into the very fabric of the story. Mooncakes in particular are used as a way through which Dylan and Theo connect not just with one another but with their shared culture.

The side characters in this novel are all very strong with Megan and Aunt Jade (and of course Clover the dog!) being particular stand-outs. The emphasis this story puts on family is amazing, especially when paired with the discussions of grief that Dylan and Theo have about their mothers and the family that they each fell into respectively following.

Lee’s writing style was digestible and accessible which made it very easy to fly through this book in just two days. You’ll want to read every page over and over again due to the cuteness, fluff and delicious food packed in every sentence.

I can’t recommend Fake Dates and Mooncakes highly enough if you’re looking for a very easy to read, fun, swoony and tropey romp with two Queer boys making and eating Chinese food.

Ahh I loved this so much!
The last time I loved a romance book this much was The Charm Offensive, this gave the same boost of serotonin as that one.

The fact that this is Sher Lee's debut novel is mind blowing, because this book is not only adorable, but fully lives up to its name, with a fun plot driven story that had me swooning and giggling like a love struck teenager on more than one occasion with Fake Dates and Mooncakes!

4/5 Stars!

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC!

I wanted to enjoy this but overall found the story, characters, and plot to be something not what I was longing for or one that I would pick back up.

This book was absolutely perfect. It was just what I needed. Light, angsty and sweet with just the right amount of tension to keep me turning the page. I couldn’t read this book fast enough because I had to know what was going to happen next. I love Dylan and Theo! And Clover too.

I would love to interview Sher Lee on my podcast Raise Your Words for her book, Fake Dates and MoonCakes. It’s a cute book set in the Mid Autumn Festival. I adored reading about Dylan & Theo!!

I didn’t really care to much for this one. I just didn’t feel like the characters had much chemistry. The writing was also super young. I might have liked this book better if I was younger. It did have potential though just didn’t work for me.

I loved this so much. It was sweet and cozy with enough conflict to move the plot along. I didn’t except to cry so many times over the little sentimental moments. I learned a lot about mid-autumn festival traditions and moon cakes.

Fake Dates and Mooncakes is the story of teenagers Dylan Tang and Theo Somers. Dylan is from a working class, immigrant family. His mother recently passed away and he was taken in by his aunt and two cousins. He works hard in school and at his family’s takeout restaurant, Wok Warriors. With financial burdens looming over the family, Dylan decides to enter a mooncake making competition in his mother’s honor in an attempt to save the restaurant.

Theo is the son of absent millionaire, Malcolm Somers, CEO of Somers Technology. He loves the arts and dreams of studying music in college. Dylan and Theo end up meeting when Dylan delivers food from Wok Warriors to the penthouse of Theo’s friend and ex-boyfriend. The order is incorrect and Theo’s ex (he’s the worst) throws a fit while berating poor Dylan.

Despite the less than ideal meet-cute, something sparks between the two, and Theo ends up showing up to Wok Warriors after “the incident”. It’s at Wok Warriors and with Dylan’s family that Theo is reintroduced to family and culture that he never knew since the passing of his mom at age 5. After Theo provides Wok Warriors with some financial reprieve, Dylan agrees to fake being his boyfriend during a lavish family wedding in the Hamptons.

I absolutely loved the character of Theo. Even though he has endless wealth and luxuries at his disposal, he is very down to earth. He loves with his whole heart and it is so apparent through Sher’s writing. I enjoyed the character growth that took place between Dylan and Theo, both together and individually. The side characters were fun and quirky and Clover the rescue corgi was an absolute joy to read about.

This book was very cute and enjoyable, although a bit unrealistic at times. I also found myself wanting more from some of the sub-plots. It’s a fun and quick read with a fairytale HEA. I rate this book a 3.5, rounded up to a 4.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children’s Books for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Look for Fake Dates and Mooncakes on May 16, 2023!

This was such a good debut novel. The story was plot-driven and fast-paced with a cast of lovable characters. The side characters were really well written too and my favorite has to be Megan (she honestly kind of represented me when shipping the MCs not to mention her being a kpop stan too) The romance was well developed and just absolutely adorable. It was nice to read a book with Asian MCs whose sexualities are accepted in their society, which I know as an Asian myself isn’t widely common. I'm also glad we got to learn more about Singaporean culture.
This is definitely a book I’d recommend to get you out of a reading slump! It was cute, lighthearted, and wholesome, with a simple but elegant writing style, not to mention thoroughly entertaining.

4.5 stars

The drama of Crazy Rich Asians x Heartstopper's swoon-worthy queer romance?
I was honestly stunned at how perfect this premise is for me. Was it cheesy and were there some already vastly used tropes that you can see from a mile away? Yes. Did I have so much fun I binged the book into the early morning hours, clutching my chest every five pages for sheer anxiety and frustration as well as awww and victorious moments? ABSOLUTELY YOU BET I DID. I. WAS. SMITTEN!

The audience I will appeal to, to add this adorable debut to their tbr or just straight up pre-order it are people who love:
✨fake dating + complications ("there is only one bed?" and more).
✨amazing rep for diaspora Chinese; I wanted to sob over the sheer relatability of characters like Aunt Jade (first generation immigrant) and her children as well as Dylan (second generation) and give everyone in the book a big hug.
✨accepting families, especially witty, snarky but hyper-supportive little sisters.
✨plenty of food you swear you can smell off the pages.
✨The Hungry Ghost and Mid-Autumn festivals are my favourite times of the year and this book portrayed them so beautifully.
✨a couple queer sweeties growing into themselves, finding their paths only to find their respective paths tangling.

I received an eARC in exchange for an honest review. A gazillion thank yous to the author for making sure I get a copy, I love this debut and it was the perfect read for my current headspace. You saved my soul this week! And thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the opportunity.

This book was everything. Read it in one go as I couldn’t put it down. Fake dating always gets me so this had everything going for it. The fact that the plot revolves around a food competition, total yes. The bits you learn about the Chinese culture were sprinkled in beautifully. I loved the cast of characters as well, event the secondary ones were well fleshed out so you are actually interested in them. The only thing I didn’t like as much is that it feels a little bit too insta love for me, which I usually hate, but at the same time I’ve loved the fast pacer of the book. Overall, a cute yet emotional story that you won’t be able to put down.

This book was exactly the kind of cute, tropey romcom it wanted to be. It read like a fanfiction, and I mean that as the highest compliment: you know exactly what will happen and it's enjoyable every step of the way.
Dylan wants to win a baking contest so his aunt's takeout gets some good publicity. Theo is rich and lonely and needs a date for his family drama wedding. They fall in love, obviously.

The writing style was easy and fun to read, and I liked the emphasis on how money can't, and won't, bridge any gaps. I also really liked how querness was not an issue. These characters have 99 problems but homophobia isn't one of them. It feels very refreshing among the many queer romcoms that deal with the outside world's opinion.
The characters and their struggles felt a bit cliche at times, but I didn't mind that. This is a lighthearted romance, not a deep character driven novel, and it was absolutely adorable.
I'll be recommending this to queer teens as summer read!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

This was such a cute story! Ahh! I’m obsessed with all these fake dating romcoms and this is one of my favorites now. I also can’t get over how much I love the cover. It’s so beautiful.

Dylan is a kid who has been taken in by his aunt after his mother dies and his father moves away. He works in her takeout restaurant and after he delivers food to a snotty rich boy and his hot friend, everything changes for him.

Theo was so adorable I loved him so much. Even though he came from privilege and their classes were opposite, he never made Dylan feel bad about anything. He wasn’t in tune with his Asian heritage and Dylan helped him get back into his roots. I learned a lot about Chinese heritage and cooking in this book that I had no idea about. I also learned so much about mooncakes. I want to eat some so bad now.

I also adored Aunt Jade and Megan. Megan was a good sisterly character as was Terri for Theo. I loved how they became friends at the end. And Clover the cure rescue corgi! She was another great character.

The fake dating was just shenanigans with the most extreme tension throughout the whole thing. Like was even of it even fake? I couldn’t help smiling throughout this and saying “awww” every few minutes. The highs were high and the lows made me want to shake them to get their shit together. All in all this was a fabulous and swoon-worthy debut that I will definitely be raving about.

What a cute book! A quick and easy read if you want something that doesn't stress you out but also focuses heavily on the importance of remembrance and family. The central romance is queer, which is normalized and not challenged in this story, and I have to appreciate that because I don't think I could handle any additional conflicts when I was in the mood for something soft to read. Thank you to Sher for including me on her FDAM street team and allowing me to see the behind the scenes leading up to the release of this book! I didn't expect to get teary eyed in so many places :')

What I loved: our main character Dylan is motivated for honorable reasons: win a baking competition in memory of his mother and hopefully bring in more customers to the family restaurant and hopefully launch them into a better life. He is driven by love and the support of his family, and asks for nothing in return. I think we need more stories about how boys can be soft and this just warmed my heart so much. While Theo's motivation started out as spiting his father and served as the spicer conflict in the book, the boys' love for each other was truly the highlight, and watching them fight for each other made my heart ache a little.

Say hello to my top read of January! I’ve been quiet this month since some of the book that I’ve read so far was boring that I dnf them.

But this one, I was hooked on the page one. I finished it within a day! It was so fun packed with fun, romance, family and great food.

It was cute and easy to read. I adored reading about Dylan and his family relationship. My heart ache for Theo and his father’s relationship. I love that there’s development of the characters. The supporting characters were also so good!

The complex were a good touch and ended with a nice finishing.
To think that this book was from a debut author!

Thank you so much Sher for this arc, I enjoyed reading it so much.

🚨 Do not read this book in the middle of the night it will make you go hungry.

I really enjoyed this rom com. It was a buddy read with a friend so that always makes reading a little more fun. I think the comparison to Crazy Rich Asians was spot on but Heartstopper was a little bit of a stretch. I found Heartstopper to be more of a coming of age story while Fake Dates and Mooncakes had older characters who faced different challenges.

Things I Liked
Cultural references
Fake dating trope
Food, recipes, and cooking competition

One thing I wasn't crazy about was the way that the wealthy characters had a tendency to "throw money" at problems. I was expecting that to be one of the central issues that was resolved by the end but it seems that even in the end, large sums of money or grandly expensive gestures "fixed" the problems.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This was a cute debut! I did think that Theo was a bit difficult to root for because of the people he surrounded himself with and how easily he let them off the hook for things, but I think that would've bothered me less if I were a teen reading this. I do think this book, like many current YAs, does suffer from way too many pop culture references that will make it feel so dated so soon.

Fake Dates and Mooncakes delivers just what it promises: warmth, joy and enough delicious food references to make you hungry the entire time you're reading.

This book was one of my most anticipated books of the year and it did not disappoint! The romance was sweet, the scenes were sweet and the food was sweet! A triple threat! Perfectly interweaving culture, family and love whilst exploring the tentativeness of a budding relationship.

I DEVOURED this. From start to end this relationship had me captivated, it was quick paced and flew by but held so many memories and special moments. There were so many of my favourite tropes interweaved as well: fake dating, only one bed and reality TV competitions, what more could you need?

I wish I could have this book all over again, with a mooncake by my side whilst I read. Also, Clover is an angel - we do not deserve book dogs.

The only criticism I have is less criticism and more personal preference, the book itself is very linear, what you see on the tin is what you get which isn't a bad thing! I was just looking for something a little bit more, something unexpected.

Regardless, I'm excited to see what this author does next!!

I love this book to the moon(cakes) and back.

Actual rating: 4.25

A aspiring chef who finds himself trying to figure out the recipe for love and his grandmother’s long lost moon cakes as he enters into a competition to save his family’s business... and go on fake dates with a handsome new customer. Dylan Tang wants nothing more than to save his family’s restaurant and pursue his dreams of being a chef. He wants to win the Mid-Autumn Festival mooncake-making competition for teens, in memory of his mother who had passed away and had wanted to do it with him before she passed... and to bring publicity to his aunt’s struggling Chinese takeout. Cue Theo Somers, a handsome, wealthy, and charming guy who just happens to meet Dylan on the worst takeout delivery night of his life only to show up the next day and give him the biggest tip. Theo and Dylan are from completely different worlds but for some reason Theo keeps showing up, offering to take Dylan out on food tastings, helping him... and even giving him $5000 to help his aunt’s restaurant. Dylan is baffled, he doesn’t want to owe Theo anything... so Theo compromises: if Dylan promises to be his fake date to his cousin’s wedding they’ll be even. What was suppose to be fake soon starts to feel a little too real, Dylan can’t tell if they are just pretend or if its real as he finds himself falling into Theo’s world of wealth, privilege, and crazy rich drama. While dealing with this Dylan is also trying to find a way to win the mooncake competition but finds himself getting distracted by the rich-people drama. Dylan will soon have to ask himself if he can find a way to not only save his family business and follow his heart or if he can only have one and not the other. This was the absolute SWEETEST AND MOST ADORABLE ROM COM EVER. The way Theo and Dylan had me just gushing overing how sweet and precious they are. They have amazing chemistry and are just so sweet and caring. I absolutely adored this book so much and the food in it sounds AMAZING. The way I was craving mooncakes after eating this though, this book is absolutely charming and romantic in all the right ways. Theo was such a wonderful love interest for Dylan and they both were so cute. Dylan and Theo’s love for their families was beautiful and the lengths they would go to for one another? Amazing. Seriously add this book to your TBR immediately!

*Thanks Netgalley and Random House Children's, U