I am seriously so in love with this book!!! It deserves all of the stars! Such a beautiful story with a sweet LGBTQIA+ romance between two boys who meet under less than desirable circumstances. It all starts when Dylan delivers a very late and incorrectly made takeout order to a very rude and condescending customer only to be enamored by said condescending customers alleged boyfriend, Theo.

After their first fateful meeting Dylan and Theo become close even though it seems they don’t have much in common. Dylan is an aspiring chef who is always working and helping with his families takeout restaurant and struggling to make ends meet while Theo is an aspiring musician who is the son of a wealthy businessman who seems to forget he has a son unless it affects his reputation.

Through fake dates, family drama, and Mooncakes mishaps they start to care for one another and their families. It made me cry happy and sad tears and I will jo longer accept grand gestures less than what was done in this book!

I happened to read this at the end of September, right around the time of the autumn festival. I loved the setting and learning about mooncakes! The story was heartfelt and it was great to see growth from both characters. A wholesome story all around.

I found Fake Dates and Mooncakes to be a quick and charming read. If insta-love and fake dating are your things, then this book has those in spades.

What I really loved about this book was how honest the characters were with themselves. You know immediately where Dylan’s heart is, how much he loves his family and how important these mooncakes are to him. I wanted only the best for him and for him to succeed, regardless of his relationship status.

Where the book lost me a little was all of the conflict coming from Theo’s side of things with his friend, his dad, and his butler. It just seemed like there were so many forces on that end trying to keep Dylan and Theo apart that it took center stage over and over and over again.

3.5 stars rounded up

Thank you to the publisher for this advanced copy. I enjoyed the characters in this story, but ultimately didn't find it to be a stand out story.

Thank you very much for the opportunity to read this book early! I really enjoyed it. I thought the writing was very well done, and the story kept me interested. I believe my students/patrons would also love this book and will be acquiring it for the library!

This book is the sweetest and is perfect for mid-autumn festival! Lee gives us such adorable characters and reading about their relationship melted my heart.

This was adorable! I was feeling sick and just wanted to escape for awhile and this offered just the fluffy feel-good escape I was looking for. It also offered the cutest queer relationship and such a wonderful array of Chinese and Singaporean foods and culture that felt naturally immersive.

It was tropey and predictable in the way of my favorite 90s romcoms which honestly was a plus for a day when I felt gloomy and sick. It lifted my mood and gave me a reason to smile which my day had thus far lacked. It wasn't too heavy and didn't require a lot of brainpower, so I was able to just listen and enjoy it.

I loved all of the characters. They were fun and quirky and Dylan's family was wonderful and welcoming and loving. Theo was drawn to their warmth and made the sweetest grand gesture to save the day. Family was very important in this story and it was lovely to see Dylan's family embrace Theo, and the few people in Theo's family who care for him embrace Dylan and his family.

The audiobook was lovely and the character voices believable and distinguishable. It helped to immerse myself into the story. I did have to speed it up a bit more than I usually do.

*Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Children's for providing an early copy for review.

I really enjoyed this book while reading it. It was cute and loved the opposites attract trope. It was a quick and light book to read that I think a lot of people will enjoy.

Thanks to net galley for the early arc in exchange for a review.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an arc of this title in exchange for this honest review.

Fake Dates and Mooncakes was an incredibly sweet and heartwarming book and i cannot wait to read more from Sher Lee, as this was a great read. It did make me very hungry while reading, though.

- thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an arc to review!

- a cute love story between two opposites who unite due to circumstances. i didn't engage fully into the story, which made me disappointed, but overall, it was a cute story that is light and quick to read.

This book was such a cute read! The pace was perfect and I absolutely adored the dynamic between Dylan and Theo! The inclusion of so much cultural food and family dynamics was also a joy to read. Honestly, this book just felt like I was wrapped in a fluffy blanket the whole time. Definitely going in my comfort read pile!

This book was so cute!! It was such a fun read and was fast paced. I couldn’t put it down. This author is defo on my “to watch” list!

THIS WAS SO CUTE.

“Fake Dates and Mooncakes” follows Dylan and Theo. Dylan works at his aunts Chinese takeout place, and while running a delivery he meets Theo, a rich guy who instantly he finds attractive. After meeting a few times, Theo asks Dylan to be his fake date to his cousin’s wedding, this starts the kindling of their relationship. Additionally while this is happening, Dylan is working on a Mooncake recipe (hence the name Fake Dates and Mooncakes) so he can enter a competition.

This story was honestly just so sweet and warm. It was pretty light outside of a few mentions of family deaths and DUI’s. Dylan and Theo were so sweet together and the book overall was just a bundle of joy. It honestly made my teeth hurt. Definitely recommend!!!

Adorable meet cute story that will leave you googling where to find mooncakes near you. Dylan and his family were adorable.

I loved the vibe of Crazy Rich Asians! Dylan and Theo are just adorable, just look at the cover! Dylan wants to win the Mid-Autumn Festival Mooncake competition, but is distracted when Theo shows up. Theo convinces him to be his fake date at a family wedding and yes there’s too many “fake date tropes”, but this one is so much fun! Thank you to the publisher for a copy.

This was a cute rom com that was easy to read and very enjoyable. I usually am not a fan of instalove but I really did like each of these characters and the relationship between them. I really enjoyed getting to learn about the food we see throughout the story and how that added to the main plot.

First thoughts: this was a really cute read! As a Chinese-American, I loved reading about the food that my family eats on the regular. I enjoyed being able to relate to the main character. My family also owns a Chinese restaurant and I could see the similarities. One thing I would say was that I was expecting a little more out of the mooncake contest - like a bit more development. I would love to have read a couple more pages about the mooncake contest. Other than that, this book was rich in history about food and China which I very much appreciated. Other all, this was an enjoyable book!

Fake Dates and Mooncakes is an adorable romance. I love the characters, especially Theo. He may be rich but is also all heart. I am from the Hamptons so I thought it was a lot of fun that it takes place nearby. The difference between the real problems of Dylan and the fake problems of the rich is interesting.

Fake Dates and Mooncakes was so cute! I loved the representation in this book! I thought the fake dating plot line was so fun and I loved the theme of family throughout the book! Insta-love isn’t usually my favorite but I didn’t mind it in this book! I didn’t like Adrians character at all and found him to be unnecessary. The food was so fun to read about!

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House for a copy of this e-book in exchange for an honest review!

I love the Singaporean representation!! The focus on mooncakes is so cute. A very fun quick rom-com!

Thank you to Random House Children's, Underlined and Netgalley for the ARC.