This book was a short and sweet one! The one and only Grumpy/sunshine trope which I personally can never get enough of. I enjoyed the humour and the romance of this and overall it was a fun, cute read I really enjoyed!
Thanks to Netgalley for the arc!

I love a good fake-dating trope but this one wasn't for me, despite being so short. I couldn't get into it and DNF'd it pretty early on.

Quick Summary: A forget me not romance

My Review: Not Your Valentine by Jackie Lau is a lighthearted, standalone rom-com. It's a quick read that is surprisingly robust.

About the Book: After a particularly brutal Valentine's Day break up goes viral, Helen Tsang decides to go into a dating hibernation period. Only her girlfriends, her family, and Taylor Li, her closest male friend, can breach her self-imposed fortress of solitude. When she opts to begin fake dating her long-time confidant, she soon realizes that charcuterie, chocolate, marshmallows, and flowers cannot hold a candle to a heart shaped I Love You.

My Final Say: This story was a pleasant surprise type of read. The leads were so easy to like and relate to. They each had a unique backstory that made them endearing. It felt good to cheer for them. I wanted them to make it.

Other: Readers who enjoy stories where the underdogs get the love they deserve will adore this light, spicy gem.

Rating: 3.5/5
Recommend: Yes
Audience: A
Status/Level: 🍬🌶

Appreciation is extended to the author, to the publisher (Kobo Originals), and to NetGalley, who provided access to a digital ARC of this title in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for granting me the opportunity to share my thoughts and opinions on this novel.

What I like about Jackie Lau's books is that she writes romcoms but includes serious topics in a wholesome way and of course the descriptions of delicious food. This book is no different!

I love books with a female grump/male grump dynamic. The female main character was very relatable. She has a very visual and literal way of thinking. She takes things people say literally, which makes her giggle sometimes, while also getting the meaning behind them. I’d never seen that represented in a book, so that was very nice to see.

The conflict is a bit predictable but it's also only 125 pages, so no wild plot twists were expected.

I appreciate the opportunity to read this ARC from NetGalley. I am a new reader for Jackie Lau and while the blurbs seem nice and the covers
are cute, there seems to be something missing from her writing for me personally. For a holiday novella this was short and sweet, I would have liked more depth in the character development and romance.

Jackie Lau never disappoints! This was a cute, fun great read. Worth picking up on Valentine’s Day or any other day of the year!

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC of Not Your Valentine by Jackie Lau.

I am giving Not Your Valentine a 3.75 star rating. I thought this book was a cute and fun read with a happy ending after everything that happened to Helen Tsang. This is similar to other cute romance books where one of the main characters ask a friend to be their "fake date/fake bf/gf".

I enjoyed this book. It was the first one I read of Jackie lau and won't be the last. I recommend to anyone looking for a quick read.

Quick read about an anti-Valentine’s Day FMC who turns into a sappy love found for her bestie. Fake dating tropes get me, but friends to lovers is something I try to stay away from since it’s so predictable for me! But, Taylor was great, Helen was okay, and honestly not much to say other than charcuterie chalet - lord, if that was mentioned ONE MORE TIME!! Once is fine, but goodness. That’s what the story became about. Otherwise - quick and easy to read!

Thanks for the opportunity to read!

Sadly this was a DNF for me. I couldn't connect in any way with any of the characters. I found them lacking.

enjoyed this book i love reverse grumpy sunshine. i also totally relate to the fmc and enjoyed the book a lot :) thanks netgalley for the e arc

We follow Helen, who had a horrible Valentine’s day the past year due to a public breakup gone viral. So this year Helen decides to ask his friend to be her fake boyfriend to stop the pity looks.

This was such a fun little read! I loved grumpy Helen and chill Taylor and seeing them come together and figure things out.

I have a love-hate relationship with this book, but mostly a love-hate relationship with the main characters. Helen is frustrating and has the potential to ruin it, but Taylor is fantastic and has the potential to make it great. Their friends-to-lovers relationship could have been SO much more, but Helen was honestly just so anti-love that it ruined the first half of the story. That being said, the writing style was good and some of the characters were likeable, so I would definately read another book by this author.

Thank you to Netgalley & Publishers for access to an arc copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks NetGalley for the ARC. Opinions are my own.

I enjoyed this rom-com about a woman who says she's not looking for love, especially after being dumped on Valentines Day in a very public way. To get people off her back about getting back into the dating scene , she creates a situation with her high school friend to pose as her fake boyfriend and get her through the next year's Valentine's Day. Little does she know her friend has loved her from afar for years . What will Helen think and what will happen when Helen find this out and puts her feelings and his to the test.


Short, easy read. Sweet ending.

Also reviewed on Goodreads at https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5795436713

Jackie Lau delivers another delightful dose of romance with "Not Your Valentine." The fake dating scenario between Helen and Taylor, filled with Lunar New Year and Valentine's Day charm, adds a unique touch to this Asian-Canadian contemporary novella. Lau expertly captures the uncertainty of budding romance from Helen's perspective, making for a short and sweet read that's hard to put down. A perfect blend of tried-and-true tropes and refreshing twists. ⭐⭐⭐⭐

I LOVE Jackie Lau so I was excited to get this ARC. She did not disappoint. A cute romcom - an easy read which gives you all the feels. A definite read if you love romcoms - and Canadian authors!

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

This novella was ABSOLUTELY ADORABLE! I always enjoy Jackie Lau's writing, and the characters in this story are just delightful. I loved how she brought in the grumpy/ sunshine trope, but Helen (FMC) is the grump, and Taylor (MMC) is the happy, positive, people-person. I thought the fake dating scheme worked well here, and the relationship still evolved in a natural way. I think my favorite thing about this story, though, is the body positivity. Taylor isn't super tall or muscular, but Helen thinks that's perfect. She has some insecurities about certain body parts, and hearing all of these things be normalized is so refreshing! I would definitely recommend this to friends!

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the E-arc.

Helen had a terrible breakup that was recorded and that went viral on Valentine's Day. Since that day she has sworn off love and relationships.
A year later, Helen's family and friends were very concerned about her relationship status.
For New Years, as most people do, her friends were setting new years resolutions. When asked what what her resolutions would be, Helen was adamant that she would not go searching for love.
To ward off any unnecessary attention and looks of pity, she decides to ask her friend if he would consider being her fake boyfriend.

I loved how the story was set in Toronto, the characters using local transit, the delays that only Torontoians can relate to and local eats.
We definitely need to see more stories set in Toronto!!

Helen and Taylor had a cute 'fake' relationship and there was plenty of steam!! From cute heart shaped cakes to bubble tea and wonton soup, this book was a fun read.

I love books that take place in areas I'm familiar wit.
Imagine my delight that this takes place in Toronto, a place I know well.
Taylor and the supporting characters are wonderful and added so much to this shorty of a book.
I didn't really care for Helen most of the time though.
There were moments when I really liked her, and others when I wanted to shake her and yell "what is wrong with you!".
The spice levels in here are off the charts without being too much for a short book, hard to do.
Very deceiving with that cutie of a cover.
Overall I would recommend it to anyone who likes romancey books.
Much love to NetGalley & Kobo Originals for my ARC.