Couple of hours before publishing I finish this book. This is a quick story about two friends who fake date due to an accident last Valentine’s Day.
This book is short and sweet and is definitely a NA book due to sexual content. Tropes include fake dating, friends to lovers, and found family.
I rated this book 3.5/5.
Things I loved is the cultural representation where both characters are of Asian descent. Where both dine and discuss their culture and food. Included in that is the difficult conversation where Taylor discusses the hardships that come along with being mixed race.
The cover is something I loved and I felt was perfect for this story.
My dislikes include the issue with short stories is the characters weren’t well rounded, and the development was quick a jump. With that includes the fake dating not being very believable to everyone.

Memorable moment is the ex hating wonton soup. Seriously, who hates wonton soup.....

If you are looking for a quick friends to lovers romance, this is the story for you,
I received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Such a cute book. Short and sweet, and with a wonderfully adorable ending. I loved the characters, especially the always-cheerful Taylor.

This unfortunately fell flat for me. The romance, dialogue, and writing didn’t work for me. I wanted more banter and chemistry to feel invested in the relationship. This is my first book by this author but I’ve heard great things about her other books, which I’ll still give a try.

I love a good themed read and this moderately delivered on a Valentine's Day theme. The main character is quirky and secretly sweet. I could tell this was supposed to be a reverse grumpy/sunshine trope and the love interest definitely delivered on the sunshine. I felt like the voice and pacing would be grasped and then a little bit lost at times with extraneous detail and that certain moments (like the initial premise to fake date) could have been hyped more. But when it flowed, the chemistry was appreciated. Enjoyed the on page spice level. Overall a very fun novella.

From the front cover to the back cover and everything in between, I fell in love with this book.

Jackie Lau's 'Not Your Valentine' combined some of my favourite romance tropes; We've got the fake dating with a side friends to lovers and a garnish of grumpy x sunshine. Loved it. I found myself connecting with the characters from the very first chapter (it turns out me and Helen share the same opinion on new years resolutions).

Usually I'd go for complicated tropes in books but so happy this book came to me at the best of times (was already in a reading slump of sorts and the easiness and cuteness of this book was enough to pull me out of said slump).

I'd recommend Not Your Valentine to anyone who's in a reading slump of their own, the sweet mix of cuteness and spicy in this book will be just enough to cure reading slumps.

Note: I'm now obsessed with saying charcuterie chalets

Thankyou to Netgalley & Jackie Lau for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was super cute! “Not Your Valentine” is a rather fast paced fake dating and friends-to-lovers romance, with a lot of pining and also some steamier parts. Bonus: it’s an ownvoice story! I literally read this in one sitting yesterday (for about 3 and 1/2 hours), discarding my freshly borrowed library books for author Jackie Lau’s latest novel (my personal first). The female lead is tastefully grumpy, and the male character is a giant green flag. Everything unfolds from Helen’s POV, which was rather fun.. I do wish Taylor had a little more depth (there were hints though!), but I think both protagonists had great chemistry together. I did feel really single by the end of the book, but that’s probably a side effect, I’m sure.

This ARC was provided by the publisher, via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.

Helen is done with romance, after having been humiliated by her ex last Valentines Day. Her friends and family, however, think it’s time she moved on. In attempt to silence them all, she concocts a fake boyfriend out of her old high school friend Taylor. Over the course of their “romance” she starts to have unexpected feelings; she starts to wonder, is she really done with relationships?

This novella had a tried and true romcom plot, so it was a quick, predictable read. I enjoyed the characters and the way their feelings evolved was a different take on the typical plot. The supporting characters all had their place in the story and nothing felt forced. I really appreciated the setting being in Canada and the perspective on a mainly non-white writer and characters.

Like other novellas, my only real criticism was the pace as things all seemed to unfold so quickly. This is more an issue of my personal preference regarding novellas though.

Overall this book is a fast, fun read.

Thank you netgalley for allowing me to read this book. This book was a cute and quick easy read! I definitely needed a fast paced book for a change and this was great for that. I will say the main girl seems immature at times and the couple felt more like teens than adults to me. I wasn’t really invested in the romance but I’m sure it’s because of how short the book was.

I really wanted to like this one. It had so many aspects that I usually love like fake dating and friends to lovers, but this fell a bit flat for me. I never felt that I got enough to be truly invested in their love story. This book was short so that could have contributed to it. It was a bit one dimensional but also rushed at the same time. I think the premise had a lot of potential and may work for others but unfortunately just didn’t work for me.

This was a cute friends to lovers romcom, with likeable characters! I did find the plot quite predictable though and found it hard to really connect to either MC. Still, an easy, cute read!

Let me start sayin how much did I enjoyed this book. It was so cute andI got hooked on it since the 1st page. I think I read it in like 2 hours or so.
The story starts with Helen and her hate for "Valentines day" (She was dumped last year and her broke up video went viral on the internet), as the days gets closer to this festivity her friends and family keep bothering her to start dating again, a thing she refused to do because she's scared of getting hurt again. This is where she get the idea to fake date her friend Taylor, who agrees to do that without even asking questions. The story narrates them going to dates and falling for the other untill "their fake dating" became real feelings. They have some spikcy scenes that I enjoyed too much.
This book doesnt have drama or anything just a cute story to enjoy.
This book was so cute and so easy to read. I would recomend this as an easy book to read in case you're in a book slump or if you want a cute rom com to pass the time.
Thank you NetGalley and Jackie Lau for letting me read “Not Your Valentine” in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars!

What a fun, cute and short read! This took me about 4 hours to read, I enjoyed the story, the characters and I enjoyed how straight to the point and short it was. It's a nice welcomed change to read a short book.

I always enjoy when books take place in Canada, and better yet, in my province! I like being able to relate to the locations and references. I was a little worried that this story was going to be too "lovey-dovey" for me at the start, but as it progressed, it surprised me. I haven't read many books with the theme of fake dating, but I thought this was a good version of it.

I read this in one sitting and would recommend to others that would like a quick read. It will definitely leave you craving some delicious food!

Thank you NetGalley for this advanced reading copy in exchange for my honest review.

Short & Cute read!!

“So, you haven’t sworn off love,”
“No, I’m just pickier.”
“I think that’s healthy. Be picky. You deserve someone great.”

reverse Grumpy-Sunshine fake dating single pov novel🤍
I loved reading about Helen & Taylor. The book has number of adorable moments.


Thanks to Netgalley and Kobo Originals for the ARC.

I wanted to love this one but something just felt a little off. I didn’t fully believe the reasoning behind the fake dating which made it challenging for me to get behind their relationship.

Jackie Lau crafts a delightfully fun and wonderfully sweet story with NOT YOUR VALENTINE. With friends to lovers goodness and some grump and sunshine mixed in, you’ll be sure to love Helen and Taylor’s story of finding love, one heart-shaped cake at a time.

The one-year anniversary of Helen Tsang’s very public, very embarrassing, and very internet famous breakup is fast approaching, and she’s tired of all the questions and pitying looks from her friends and family. Though she’s decided to give up on love, she’s also decided to enlist her friend, Taylor Li, to be her fake boyfriend to get everyone off her back. A few public dates and posts on social media should do the trick, but what Helen couldn’t plan for was falling for Taylor. Now the question is, is Helen willing to put her heart—and friendship—on the line for a real chance at love?

I just adored Helen and Taylor’s story. Friends to lovers has always been one of my favorite tropes, because I love seeing the history and the familiar way that characters interact with each other from years of building a relationship. Helen and Taylor’s high school friendship gives them the foundation that their new and shiny romantic relationship can grow on, even if Helen’s mind is far from considering romance at the beginning of their arrangement. I loved all the fake (read: very real) dates they went on, and seeing Helen’s usual grumpiness be matched by all of Taylor’s sunshiney-ness was the best. (Did I mention that grump and sunshine is another one of my favorite tropes? Because it is). Helen’s eventual realization of her feelings for Taylor is worth the wait, and when they finally have The Talk, you’ll be sure to swoon over their gifts for each other! * cue the glitter *

I also really appreciated the fact that Taylor opened up to Helen about some of his insecurities from his past, from being mixed-race and his strained relationship with his mother. Helen’s family accepts him with open arms, and I loved seeing all their Chinese family traditions and practices that are so similar to my own. It means so much to see my own culture reflected in stories, with family and friend relationships that are strong and thriving. This is one fun, witty, and heartfelt story you don’t want to miss!

A huge heart-shaped thank you to the author, Kobo, and NetGalley for an advance copy of NOT YOUR VALENTINE. Be sure to check it out on release day on January 24th!

Jackie Lau is one of my favorite authors. I’ve read every single one of her books. They’re always fun to read and has the right amount of spice for me!

Not Your Valentine’s romance tropes are fake dating and friends to lovers. It’s a predictable happily ever after, but it’s exactly what I needed.

This book as such a delightful, bite sized read! Packed with a cute storyline, lots of Canadian references and tasty sounding food!

Helen has sworn off love after a video of her being spectacularly dumped last Valentine’s Day went viral. However, while she may have made peace with this, others cannot help but look at her pityingly. During an afternoon bubble tea run where the owner once again gives her concerned looks, Helen announces that she’s got a new boyfriend! One problem: she doesn’t. Helen quickly enlists the help of her friend Taylor who agrees to fake date her until after Valentines. But as time goes on, Helen finds herself falling bit by bit for her friend.

Ok. Before we go any further I gotta say this: I LOVE books that feature Canadian settings and don’t feel the need to explain them! Swiss Chalet, Tim Hortons, the TTC! I loved seeing them! I even loved the mention of the Service Canada scams! I mean, they make my professional life very difficult, but I love that they were referenced!

The book is less than 200 pages and is a pretty quick and easy read to get through. The story is told from Helen’s perspective and we often get little bits of insight into what she’s thinking. The story pace is good and nothing seemed drawn out or badly rushed.

There’s definite spice, too! I appreciate that the author included a scene of Helen partaking in some self love with her toy! It’s not something that you see as often and I loved that it was included.

So if you love food, fake dating and Canadiana I highly recommend that you check this book out! It’s pretty cute!

Thanks to NetGalley and Jackie Lau for providing me with a free copy in exchange for my honest review!

If you like the easy, cute and cheesy romance, this is for you! Perfect Valentine’s Day reading!

Helen doesn’t want anything to do with love but her family and friends are pushing her to start dating again. To get them of her back, she asks her high school friend to be her fake boyfriend! Unexpectedly he accepts and the more time they spend together the more she’s falling for him!

This is a short read and very straightforward which makes it a little flat and not a super interesting read but super lovely and uplifting!

3.5 stars

“I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.”

After publicly being dumped the previous year on valenyine's day Helen is tired of the pity stares and questions about when she will date again. So she decides to ask a good friend she has known forever to be her fake boyfriend. What could possibly go wrong with lying, pretending, and making up a relationship? Good humor, friendships, chocolate and feelings made this a fun read

A cute, straightforward little romance novella that pretty much does exactly what it says it will do. The characters are great, and I deeply appreciated having the woman in a m/f grumpy/sunshine relationship get to be the grump for once (and without anyone trying to 'fix' her! so refreshing!). But the plot is a little one-note, and while it was enjoyable in the moment, especially since it really is such a short, fast read, I don't think it's one that will last with me. A quick fun read for Lunar New Year or Valentine's Day.