Fake Dates and Mooncakes has easily become one of my top reads this year so far! I adore Theo and Dylans relationship so much. I loved all the characters (with the exception of some of Theo's family and friends maybe), and found myself falling in love with learning more about each of them (especially Clover, the best girl in the whole world like come on). Spent so much time giggling and blushing and kicking my feet to this book that I ordered a physical copy before I even finished the eARC (thank you netgalley and Sher Lee for gifting me this eARC in exchange for an honest review!)

Fake dating is one of my favorite tropes and I already knew i would love this book, but the execution was just so perfect. Dylan and Theo come from opposite worlds, but never once did it feel like it - Theo never made his privilege feel superficial, and he was very aware of himself in my opinion. Even in times where it very obviously was uncomfortable for Dylan, Theo was sure to do anything he could to make it less uncomfortable. I also absolutely adored how Theo was so invested in learning more about the culture every time Dylan said something, and never made jokes about them or called anything "silly traditions" like we so often see in novels.

Also, HALLELUJAH to the miscommunication trope in this book and it being well done! I am so sick of dumb, avoidable miscommunications, and this book was absolutely not that. I loved how it was done!

Overall, recommend this book to anyone who has eyes and wants to giggle about fictional characters being adorable as heck for an entire book. 5/5 stars hands down!

"Because every story can have a different ending. It all depends on which one you want to believe in."✨

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: charming, wealthy, with a smile that makes Dylan's stomach do backflips. He even convinces Dylan to be his fake date at a family wedding in the Hamptons. In Theo's glittering world of pomp, privilege, and crazy rich drama, their romance is supposed to be just pretend. . . but Dylan finds himself falling for Theo. For real.

This was just such!! A lovely read. It may be because I was in a romance drought after finishing two long fantasy series, but this was such a relaxing, fun read.

I'm slowly discovering that YA contemporaries about cooking/competitions are MY THING. Do I have any experience with cooking competitions? No. Do I know how to cook or how to bake very well? Also, no. But to quote Prince Henry: "They're just so soothing. Everything's pastel-colored, and you learn so much about the different types of biscuits, Alex. So much" (but in this case, it's not biscuits, it's mooncakes!!!)

And the food descriptions?? My god. I was starving reading this. I was desperate for a mooncake like the one Dylan and Theo make because they sound fantastic. What made this story extra special was the presence of Chinese culture, especially the food.

Crazy Rich Asians is one of the comp titles, and it fits this book so well. Though it doesn't have the excessive obscene wealth of Crazy Rich Asians. Still, it does have the same chaotic energy, with family members scheming to ruin others' relationships and so much drama.

All that drama, mixed with the adorable fluff that was Dylan and Theo's romance (oh, and the corgis!!!), made this an excellent read to prevent a reading slump. Oh, and I read this in two days??? Which is very rare for me nowadays, so bonus points for that.

I adored this story to the moon and back, no pun intended. It is such an inspiring yet adorable story that Sher Lee weaves beautifully with family and culture.

The relationship between Dylan and Theo is so wholesome yet at the same time explorative and not without its hardships. I loved watching how much each of these boys gave to each other and how much they really meant their love.

Sher Lee also did such a fantastic job at weaving in the culture. I loved her bits of explanations but at the same time it never felt forced or too much. It flowed perfectly with the story line and I personally LOVED learning about it all. It was just another wonderfully added element to already great book.

Overall, SO worth a pick up. I adored this story and could not get enough of it!

2.5

This is a difficult book for me to review because it's an enjoyable enough story, but the writing and pacing felt especially weak to me. I also found the love interest quite unlikable, and some of the events in the last 20% of the book felt cartoonishly cliche to me. Part of me wonders how seriously I should rate it knowing it's YA and a debut, but as it is, I have read stronger debuts this year (Chlorine by Jade Song, for example) and I have read better YA contemporary romances (Highly Suspicious and Unfairly Cute by Talia Hibbert).

Because of this, I feel like I have to rate this book two stars, unfortunately. That being said, I see a lot of potential in this book, and will check out this author's next upcoming book as well!

This is an adorable queer YA romance. The beautiful cover art draws you in, but you stay for the struggling restaurant, the family dynamic, and of course the budding romance.

Anyone who knows me knows that Crazy Rich Asians is one of my comfort movies. So it should come as absolutely no surprise that a book pitched as “Heartstopper meets Crazy Rich Asians” is an absolute must read for me. Add in a gorgeous cover and the CUTEST little corgi…I ALMOST don’t have to read it to tell you that I’m going to love it (but I'm definitely going to read it anyways).

When Dylan Tang spots a flyer for the Mid-Autumn Festival mooncake-making competition, he knows that this could be the thing that could help save his family’s struggling Chinese takeout and honor the memory of his mom. One day, Theo Somers struts his way into his life and is exactly what Dylan wants - and absolutely doesn’t need. Even though their lives are as different as apples and giraffes, Theo keeps showing up, even convincing Dylan to pretend to be his boyfriend at a family wedding. Their romance is supposed to just be pretend, but Dylan starts to fall for real until Theo’s rich people problems start to threaten everything Dylan is working for.

I was so right. I loved this book. The Crazy Rich Asians vibes were there, so much so that the story even directly references the film and I couldn’t help but laugh out loud at how meta it felt. In fact, I found myself laughing out loud at several parts of the book! The characters were just so casually funny and relatable, even though Theo and his family are outrageously rich. 

I am not usually a slow burn girlie. I prefer it when our main characters get together quickly and I quite enjoy the third act breakup. You can say it’s overdone, I don’t care, I love it. But when a slow burn is done right, it’s absolutely delicious. Watching two idiots who clearly have feelings for each other but won’t admit it for one reason or another makes it easier to wait for that flame to ignite because they are just being so stupid (in the best way!)

Speaking of delicious, all the food talk had me drooling - and I was eating while I was reading! Not only was there so much food that I’m familiar with, but we also got some insight into how it’s all made. Maybe it wasn’t the intention, but this story felt to me in part like it was a love letter to authentic Chinese food and I always love some good rep for my culture.

One thing that I absolutely loved (and this may be exclusive to me and/or other Chinese speakers) was the differentiation between Cantonese and Mandarin. The two Chinese dialects sound distinctly different to my ears, but it wasn’t until Everything Everywhere All At Once took over the film world did I realize that was not the norm. The fact that it was discussed on the page made my heart irrationally swell with pride.

“I think if fate brings two people together, nothing can keep them apart.”

Thank you Sher Li, Random House Children’s Books and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

“Fake Dates and Mooncakes” is a beautifully written debut novel. I not only enjoyed the story of family and young love, but also learning more about Chinese culture. I loved the way the author incorporated so many different aspects of Chinese culture into the story. Readers not only get to learn about Chinese folklore and sayings, but also about different cultural cuisine and their historical significance.

While this is a YA novel, this book was still mature in the way it talked about loss of a family member as well as cultural identity. I think these are two themes that many young adults and older adults will be able identify with. Personally, I was able to relate to Theo in the fact that we are both biracial. Growing up biracial comes with its own challenges and I definitely related to wanting to know more about my culture; specifically my Filipino culture that wasn’t always as abundant in my life as it is now.

If you’re looking for a book that has positive LGBTQIA+ representation, that is easily relatable, and gives you a chance to learn more about another culture, you need to read “Fake Dates and Mooncakes”!

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

Rating: 3.75; quick, delightful, sweet. Fake Dates and Mooncakes by Sher Lee is exactly what it says it is: there’s fake dates, mooncakes, two boys, and a really cute dog.

Dylan is a teen working at his aunt’s takeout in NYC and hoping to be the next Mid-Autumn Festival mooncake contest winner; Theo is a rich, private school teen who needs a fake date to his cousin’s wedding in the Hamptons. There are a lot of food descriptions, fun (and not so fun) family members, and fancy rich folk events (a gala!).

This was a choose-a-book-by-its-cover pick for me; I didn’t read a synopsis, I just saw a cute dog and clicked. It’s truly a teen romance, with the cheesy cuteness of YA tied together with classic tropes you know and love. I always say I don’t read romance until I do, and this book had me hooked from the start.

This is a book that I could see; Lee has a background in screenwriting and you can sense it throughout the pages. The locations felt fleshed out and the food descriptions were like that one mouth-watering cooking scene in Turning Red (the scene when the father’s glasses fog up cooking, you know the one).

I was really happy that every character was out, and there weren’t any negative comments or related drama so it freed the novel to be cute and fluffy in the romance department. The drama came from themes of grief and class differences (not too unlike Tiana and Naveen from Disney’s Princess and the Frog). I think the New York City setting helped showcase Dylan and Theo’s differences, yet allowed them space to explore what also makes them similar. Sometimes the plot felt a little too easy, but it felt true to the romance genre (it’s a tough balance and it really just depends on how much conflict you want to read in a romance).

I’m really happy I read this debut from Sher Lee, and I’m excited to see what she comes up with next. If you enjoy Singaporean and Chinese culture, Heartstopper, Crazy Rich Asians, Red, White, & Royal Blue, food and cooking descriptions, New York City romances, Disney’s The Princess and the Frog, A Cinderella Story, and/or cute teen romances, this is a read for you.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children’s for providing me with an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Content warning: death of a parent (in the past, but brought up often); alcohol abuse (a side character struggles with it, mostly off-page); possibility of drowning (ocean, no deaths); flooding (no injuries).

I received a copy of this book in exchange for a honest review. Thank you NetGalley.

First off, how cute is this cover?!
Fake Dates and Mooncakes is a YA rom-com. The author did an amazing job with the character development and world building. The characters were SO likeable and relatable. I found myself rooting for their budding romance from the start. I adored Dylan SO MUCH.

This was a really cute read. Check it out.

I really liked this book right from the start. The cute cover grabbed me immediately and it didn’t take long for me to fully invested in these characters. I liked all the family drama and the food descriptions. Dylan is sweet and had me cracking up so many times in the story. It was a cute love story I didn’t want to end.

Thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for the ARC.

Fake Dates and Mooncakes is a sweet book packed with an adorable romance (with fake dating!), an exploration into Chinese culture, family ties, the most mouthwatering descriptions of food, and the best corgi™. This one is pretty short too, so it’s one that you can read in a couple of sittings when you need something sweet as a pick me up. Not only is Fake Dates and Mooncakes filled with heartwarming moments, though, it also discusses grief and how difficult some families can be.

Warning: do not go into this on an empty stomach! I made this mistake and I don’t think I’ve ever been so hungry in my entire life. Dylan’s aunt owns a Chinese takeout restaurant and oh my gosh, the descriptions of the food are amazing. They are so detailed that I could practically smell the food. My poor stomach was desperate to try the different dishes. I’ve also never had a mooncake before and I feel like I need to remedy this immediately.

As for the story itself, I really enjoyed it! Dylan and Theo are drawn to each other pretty much right away. Usually, that’s not my favorite, but the fact that Dylan and Theo’s circumstances are so different and keeping them from acting on their feelings added that extra bit of tension that I’m always looking for. Both Dylan and Theo are super sweet with the perfect amount of chemistry. I love the fact that they’re also awkward with each other. It makes the fact that they’re teenagers exploring a relationship feel all the more real and genuine.

Additionally, I love the family ties in this book! First of all, Clover is the best girl and deserves all the treats. Second of all, I’m very excited to finally meet a character named Megan who is not a horrible person. I may not be into K-Pop, but Megan and I are definitely very similar with her love of K-Pop and my love of metal bands. (Her trying to get tickets for BlackPink reminded me of how stressful getting Bad Omens tickets is recently haha). Also, I just love the way Dylan, Megan, Aunt Jade, and Tim all support each other. They bicker like family, but when push comes to shove, they’re going to show up.

It was an interesting contrast to see Theo’s family dynamics versus Dylan’s. His relationship with his father is really strained, and while he’s close with some cousins and aunts, overall, his family situation is really rocky. I loved this because it shows that while some of us are lucky to have our family from birth, others have to find their family elsewhere. Just because we’re related to someone doesn’t automatically mean we have to be close or have a relationship with them. We have a choice. Just like Theo has a choice in Fake Dates and Mooncakes, even if that’s something he has to learn along the way.

Overall, I really enjoyed Fake Dates and Mooncakes! The exploration into Chinese culture was wonderful, and while I was familiar with some of it already, there was still lots for me to learn!

If you’re looking for a light and fun book, I definitely recommend you check this one out!

What a sweet and charming debut filled with delicious food, family, tradition, and competition. An absolute delight!

I picked up Fake Dates and Mooncakes, hoping for a light-hearted read, and that is exactly what I got. This book is fluffy and sweet - with the exact right amount of family drama to spice things up.

Also, after reading this book, I am incredibly hungry. The main character describes many dishes in wonderful detail, which is amazing and sad for me because I live in a place where I am unable to locate any authentic Singaporean food. :')

The characters are all so loveable (with the exception of a few...) and realistic. I adore the chemistry between Theo and Dylan. And their friends and family were also so much fun to read about. I looooved Theo's cousin, Terri. She's just a great character.

Honestly, I don't really have anything critical to say, other than I wish their trip to the Hamptons had been longer. The juicy family gossip and rich person parties were quite fun to read. This book delivered exactly what I wanted it to.

I would highly highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a sweet, romantic book to read.

4.5 stars

just want to start off by saying this book was so cute! One of the things I really loved was how food and family played such important roles in the story. As an American Born Chinese, I grew up eating mooncakes, but did not know much about the history and Sher Lee weaves it in so perfectly.

The romance between Dylan and Theo starts out with some bumps and miscommunication, but it is also the sweetest thing. And even when a huge obstacle comes between them, Theo does whatever it takes to prove his love for Dylan is real.

If you are a sucker for the fake dating trope like me, then you will definitely enjoy this book too!

Where do I even begin with this incredibly sweet and beautiful story? Dylan and Theo are some of my favorite YA contemporary protagonists, and their story was just so great, from beginning to end. I had a huge smile on my face and butterflies in my stomach the entire time I was reading! I loved both of them so much; oh, how I wanted to hug Theo with all my might.

I loved the appreciation and thought Sher put into highlights and sharing Chinese culture, and especially the food. I even went out and bought some mooncakes (and pork buns!) to enjoy while reading, because I just couldn’t stop drooling at all the food mentions.

Sher’s writing is detailed and flows really well, and her debut overall is just really, really amazing. I was swooning every second of it, and I cannot wait to read more from her!

This is sweet and charming! I love the relationship between the two leads. It's slow burn and you really feel for them throughout the book. They are the kind of characters you root for, and this book definitely achieved that. Only downside is you will want to EAT YOUR FEELINGS while reading this book. :p

THIS BOOK! I loved how cozy and warm
this was. I was hungry and loved the competition elements. I thought they were the cutest and enjoyed the exploration of their relationship.

This was a cute read from a debut author!

I'll admit, I rarely read Young Adult books anymore, but I couldn't resist the adorable, gorgeous cover! The fonts and cover art sucked me in, but the blurb sold it for me.

The story is told from Dylan's point of view, a 17-year-old who works at his aunt's struggling Singaporean Chinese takeout restaurant. He wants to enter the mooncake contest, which we learn was something his mom wanted to do with him before they found out about her terminal cancer. Since his mom's passing, he has lived with his aunt and cousins above the restaurant. While delivering food to the penthouse apartment, Dylan meets Theo, and the two quickly become intertwined in each other's lives.

Dylan and Dylan's inner world felt well-developed. I loved his two cousins, 16-year-old Megan, a spitfire, and 11-year-old Tim, a brainiac (Megan holds a special place in my heart; she is hilarious). However, Theo felt more like a plot device than a fully fleshed out character in his own right. In other words, it felt like Theo was only there to advance the story, and he didn't feel as real to me. When Dylan divulges his family's financial struggles, Theo sends them a $5,000 "scholarship" from a "nonprofit" (speaking of which, I know he comes from a rich family, but do rich 17-year-olds have the ability to just send $5,000 to someone they barely know without their parents' knowledge/involvement? Must be nice). This is definitely where the singular POV is a drawback, because had we been privy to Theo's inner thoughts and world, we might better understand his motivations, desires, goals, separate from Dylan. Instead, it felt like he existed solely to be Dylan's love interest. This was very much Dylan's story.

It also felt like Theo, who is half-white, half-Chinese, was only there so the author had a way to sprinkle tidbits about Singaporean and Chinese cultures without it feeling too much like a lecture. Theo feels disconnected from his background, and we (the readers) learn along with him as Dylan explains it.

My favorite part of the book was the Hamptons wedding, no competition. It was entertaining and dramatic (in a way somehow only astronomically rich people can be).

Regardless of my critiques, I do think this book is a significant contribution to queer young adult romance, and I think every teenager will be able to find something they relate to in Dylan (and maybe Theo, or one of the side characters). It was extremely well-written and polished, in a way I never expect of ARCs. The writing style made for a quick, easy, and enjoyable read. A word of warning, though: if you expect to find any similarities to Heartstopper, beyond a gay relationship between two teenagers, then you will be sorely disappointed (or relieved, if you are in the minority and do not like Heartstopper!).

Thank you to the publisher, Random House Children's Books, for providing me with an advanced copy of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Perfect for the fans of Heartstopper and Red, white and royal blue, Fake Dates and Mooncakes follow Dylan Tang who wants to win a mooncake-making competition to honor his mother. Crushing on a rich hot athlete, Theo is the last thing he needs.
But Theo is much more than his big name and Dylan can’t stop himself from getting charmed by his beautiful smile.
Fake Dates and Mooncake is a cute, heart-warming, and perfect story to pick up if you love Asian characters, stories rich in heritage and culture, and crazy rich Asian sort of drama.
The writing is beautiful and Dylan and Theo will make their way in your heart just like Nick and Charlie, Alex and Henry. Fake Dates and Mooncakes talk about family love, loss, and rich people drama in a family wedding that you won’t want to miss.

“My heart feels like a xiao long bao stuffed with too much filling.”

That’s exactly how I felt! I LOVED this book - it was such a cute YA romcom that encompassed my two favorite things: fake dating and FOOD.

Definitely craving some XLB and mooncakes now.