Fake dating plot to get a meddlesome mother off her back. After her youngest sister’s wedding, Emily is the only one left unmarried and seemingly failing to meet her parents’ expectations. After too much nagging about being set up with the oh-so-proper Mark, Emily asks Mark to agree to fake dating to ease up on the parental pressure. While they start off with lying about their dates, it seems that Emily’s mom knows way too many people in Toronto that question their story. Now Emily and Mark need to real fake date and she realizes that there’s a lot more to him that what her mother had described. While this was a fun set up and premise, it seemed like it took too long for Emily and Mark to spend any time together on page, and Emily’s overbearing mother activated my own brand of anxiety and I didn’t like that as much.

This was a cute, fun read! The fake dating was really well done. Emily and Mark get set up by her mom, so of course she thinks she won’t like him. I love how in part 2 of the book we get Marks’ view of their relationship. Will definitely be recommending.

Love, Lies, and Cherry Pie by Jackie Lau is an enjoyable story, full of drama, family expectations, humor, fake dating, and romance. Emily Hung, writer and barista, has been hearing a lot about Mark Chan. As the only unmarried daughter left in her Asian Canadian family, Emily is used to her mother matchmaking ways, but when her mother starts her matchmaking ways at her sister's wedding, things hit a new low. Mark is single, comes from a good family, has a good job, and just happens to be seated next to Emily at her sister's wedding. From their first meeting, there was an instant dislike between Emily and Mark. Her mother, however, is determined they'll get married which leads to fake dating starts; which surprisingly Mark goes along with it.

From fake cake decorating classes, to visiting tea boba shops, to dinners out, they seem to always run into family or friends who they must convince this is the real thing; that’s when the kissing starts. Only this fake affection starts turning into real feelings, attraction, and a strong chemistry. Family drama, fun, laughs, cherry pies, and an adorable cat named Ms. Margaret Muffins make this an enjoyable story that should not be missed.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.
#NetGalley #Atria

I make a habit of reading Jackie Lau books when I can, and being able to read Love, Lies, & Cherry Pie as an ARC was something I just couldn’t pass up, particularly when the logline for the book is a Pride and Prejudice retelling having a good time with some tropes (Lau tends to always have more than one in her work). The tropes in question are fake dating, forced proximity, and enemies to lovers, and I think Lau did a good job with them.

Our fake daters are Emily Hung and Mark Chan. Emily’s mom has been chatting up Mark non-stop so when they finally meet at Emily’s youngest sister’s wedding she is immediately closed off to him and what he represents to her as the perfect Asian boyfriend and comes away with the impression that he thinks he’s too good for her, since she’s an author who works part time at a coffee shop to make ends meet and he’s an engineer. At their next meet cute – which Emily’s mother tricks her into – Emily suggests they get their parents off their backs by fake dating. As the kids used to say, hijinks ensue.

Fake dating has its pros and cons, but I really enjoyed Lau’s spin that her leads have to ‘real’ fake date to keep everyone believing that they are dating, and it is this forced proximity that gets Emily to reevaluate her position on just who Mark actually is. The emotional beats of the story lean hard into the characters senses of self-worth and ways in which our assumptions about others are a form of self-sabotage. The first half of the book is told exclusively from Emily’s point of view which worked well (although the end of the first half did drag a bit for me) because in a romance we care about who the characters are and why they (think) they cannot be together, Emily had lots and lots of reasons. I was excited to get Mark’s POV because as is often the case in my favorite fake dating books, he was the half of the equation who agreed to the shenanigans because he thought there was something there with Emily from the beginning.

This is a Lau book, so the Toronto and food details are excellent. As was the publishing meta commentary of Emily dealing with industry issues. Lau also name drops my favorite children’s book that I swear no one else has ever read, All-of-a-kind Family so bonus points there.

Another very cute story from Jackie Lau, a beloved Canadian author. I’ve read several of her books now and I’m never disappointed! She writes well and always tells a great tale.

I really enjoyed the story of a 30-something Chinese Canadian girl, middle of 5 sisters and the only one unmarried. Emily’s mother keeps trying to play matchmaker, including at her sister’s wedding, where the book begins… and we meet Mark - the latest pick and complete opposite of Emily. Neither is very interested in the mother set-up, but decide to play along, pretending to date and tell their mothers they’re seeing each other to appease all.

As the farce goes on and friends and family spoil the plot by telling their moms they’re being spotted out with other people and in other locations than expected, they decide to go with actual fake dating for a short term… but we all know how this always works out!

A very sweet little fake dating storyline, which is my favourite trope, and a perfect read for Asian Heritage Month here in Canada!! Definitely one you don’t want to miss.

I received an advance copy from NetGalley and Atria Books (Emily Bestler Books), and this is my honest feedback.

Love, Lies, and Cherry Pie was absolutely adorable! I really enjoyed the fake dating and older main characters (early 30s compared to early 20s), especially Emily. Seeing how Emily defensively believed her parents weren’t proud of her due to the heavy expectations they had and how “successful” her sisters were really put the burdens children of immigrants face at the forefront. The author broke down the “stoic, Asian son” stereotype with Mark, and revealed his initial coldness is mostly due to trauma and possibly him being on the autism spectrum. The romance was wholesome and I always appreciate seeing a healthy relationship front and center. Jackie Lau also included the pressure women face to do things by a certain age or in a specific order, especially when it comes to marriage. I was able to really identify with parts of Emily’s character, and that makes the story more special to me. I think this is a great contemporary romance with fantastic representation - and it’s a perfect pick for AAPI Heritage Month!

Thank you to NetGalley, Atria, and Jackie Lau for the early copy.

From the first lines of LOVE, LIES, AND CHERRY PIE by Jackie Lau, I relaxed into the wonderful, capable writing of a true storyteller. As Emily Hung seeks to escape the dread Mark Chan being foisted on her by her mother focused on marrying off her final daughter, the writer/barista comes to find that maybe that fate is not the dread disaster she assumed when she first saw the argyle-sweater ordinary man. Their banter, the contrived machinations to avoid the fate they agree is worse than death, the pair gets to know one another and realize that maybe meddlesome mothers really do know best. I was charmed and enjoyed the characters, the twists and turns of this frothy tale. I received a copy of this book and these opinions are my own, unbiased thoughts.

this book definitely had the bones to be a really cute one but it fell a little short for me unfortunately. this isn’t to say i wouldn’t recommend it - because i would, but probably to a more casual reader who’s just looking for a light hearted fun, quick read.

i did really like the mmc in this book & wish we would have gotten to know more about him prior to being 50% into the book. which is really when this started to SLOWLY pick up. this is definitely a slow burn, which i like, but i found the execution to not be the best.

i know our main character is in her 30’s, but dear god the millennial phrases and ‘quirks’ were a bit overdone. emily’s family dynamic had potential to be SO powerful and hard hitting, but the incessant complaining ruined it for me. as a 25 year old barista, who has a college degree, i definitely found myself relating to emily at lot, which i did really like. i think no matter your situation, you can relate to or empathize with familial pressures/stress and it’s something i love being focused on in books

like previously mentioned, i would definitely recommend this to someone who enjoys casual, cute & light hearted reads for sure, but that’s all this was for me so it doesn’t necessarily stand out.

I'm DNFing at 33%.

I really like Jackie Lau's books. But this one wasn't working for me. I think it's because there's been barely any chance for the FMC and the MMC to interact at this point. It seems like that might have been about to change soon, but I my interest ran out. I also felt the FMC was relying on assumptions she made about the MMC without, you know, talking to him?

I'll read more of Jackie's books, but I don't think I'll be returning to this one.

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

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.
Jackie Lau is slowly becoming one of my go-to authors, and Love, Lies, and Cherry Pie sounded particularly fun. I love when authors write about author characters, with a lot of meta commentary about the struggle to “make it.” A fun way this was conveyed was through epigraphs with “advice” from fictional, in-universe authors, as well as little nuggets of Emily’s inner thoughts. And while this book is not a Pride and Prejudice retelling in the traditional sense, there are elements of the story and references that made me laugh.
And Emily is incredibly relatable, both as a writer who is struggling to make it and in the context of her family and love life. Her insecurities over her tenuous position in life while she struggles in pursuit of her dreams rang very true to me, especially considering the rest of her siblings are comparatively more successful. She also has issues with her mother meddling in her love life, trying to set her up with people. But while her mom is overbearing, I respected that this relationship was a fairly nuanced one, and the Hung family, for all their flaws, are more loving than dysfunctional.
Mark took time to get to know, given he was more of a mysterious figure for the first part of the book, which focused on Emily’s POV. But in a stroke of meta genius, a reference to “typical” romance dual POV dynamics segues perfectly into a second part with dual POV between the two of them, as the relationship develops. As I got to know him, I really liked Mark and found him to be a generally sweet guy. The romance overall is cute, with some drama and obstacles, and I found it easy to root for Emily and Mark to figure things out.
I really enjoyed this book, and would recommend it to readers interested in a very meta multicultural contemporary romance.

This was super cute and I pretty much read this in one sitting. I really enjoyed the characters and seeing their relationship develop. I've been reading a lot of "fake dating" books recently and this was definitely one of the better ones!

Love the premise of the book, but the execution fell a bit flat for me.

Fake dating is one of my favorite tropes, so I was super excited to get into this one, but I felt no chemistry between the couple. Mark and Emily were bland and there was no tension that I was looking for.

Overall, it was a cute book, but not one I’d want to reread.

The fake dating scheme to keep her mom away from meddling was pretty good, even though the mom still meddled with spies all over the city keeping track of her dates with Mark Chan. Eventually had to go on real dates to have proof of her dates which led to having feelings for Mark Chan. Emily’s niece finding her a husband in a father in laws older brother brought in some humor. I was turned off with Emily’s constant complaints of her age, at one point she called herself a senior citizen, she’s 33. It was funny when her niece called her old, but when Emily does it feels like she’s putting herself down and doesn’t fit in with the rest of the storylines. The main plot is her mom finding her a husband because Emily is the only daughter who is in her thirties and unmarried. While Emily is pulling a muscle trying to reach a top shelf and slipping on ice and can’t get up I am so old.

A new favorite from Canadian author Jackie Lau! This enemies to lovers, fake dating, dual POV, Pride & Prejudice retelling was utterly charming and unputdownable!! I loved all the family drama, the Bridget Jones/Jane Austen vibes and the chemistry between writer Emily and staid, buttoned up Mark, whom Emily's mother tries to set her up with.

While Emily and Mark get off to a rocky start at Emily's sister's wedding, they eventually make a fake dating agreement to make their mothers happy and start to develop real feelings. The first half of the book is strictly Emily's POV but I really enjoyed getting a glimpse into Mark's thoughts when he gets some of his own chapters in the second half.

Highly recommended and perfect for fans of authors like Jayci Lee or Sonali Dev. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital and physical ARC copy that I was lucky enough to get signed by the author. If you're looking for a light-hearted read featuring a loveable Asian Canadian Toronto family with a little Sex in the City vibes, definitely give this one a chance!

Steam level: open door, mild details

How did I love this? Let me count the ways. I have read and enjoyed Jackie Lau in the past, but I think she's achieved another level with this one. This book takes the fake dating trope and creates something so rich and layered...oof. Mark is exactly the starchy, repressed, Darcy-type hero I love. Emily is vulnerable and imperfect, with a loving yet complicated family that so many of us can relate to. The romance that blossoms between the two of them is delicate and real and so so so delicious. And the cat! I went in with high expectations, and they were blown out of the water. I could not recommend this book more highly. 5 bright, glowing stars!

(3.5 Stars) This set in Toronto, fake dating romance, starts out strong. Emily Hung’s mother keeps talking up Mark Chan and then tricks her into having brunch with him. To get mom off back Emily suggests fake dating to Mark and he reluctantly agrees. It is too complicated to keep up the ruse with all of mom’s check in and it turns out it is easier to actually date instead.

Emily is a writer who has sold her first book and works as a barista to pay the bills. She often comes off whiny complaining about being 33 and still needing to have a roommate. She doesn’t feel her family respects her career choice. She and Mark are both first generation children of Asian immigrants and that puts extra pressure on them. Mark is actually very kind and is genuinely interested in Emily once they get past first impressions.

The story loses humor in the second half when they are actually dating. I like that this is open door and they are adults. But it is more cringe than funny to me when they go away for a weekend together with her family and her mom is expecting them to be intimate. And the almost break up near the end is very contrived. The author, who is new to me, does tie up things more completely than I expected. But I wish Emily saw and understood Mark as much as he does her. And I would have liked Mark to stand up to her family for her but maybe that isn’t culturally done. Overall a good read but a couple of bumps along the road for me.

This had some serious Pride and Prejudice/Bridget Jones vibes and I was here for it. Mark Chan is all Emily hears about. Her family is ready for her to settle down and so they are pushing her into the arms of Mark. Mark has it all together, or so it seems. His first impression of Emily isn't a great one, but when she comes up with a fake dating scheme to get her mom off her back, he reluctantly agrees. Because, you see, Mark is just a little bit intrigued by Emily and if this is the way he can get to know her, he takes it.
With all the fake dates and getting to know the real Mark, Emily isn't so sure her family is wrong about him being perfect for her. When I tell you that Mark is the sweetest, I mean it. Even though he was supposed to be fake dating Emily, he was all in and you could tell. I loved the fact that we got some of Marks POV in this, it helped tremendously to see where he was at.
I really love this series and I am so happy this had a bit of P&P vibes because that will always draw me in.
Thanks to Atria, Netgalley and Jackie Lau for an early copy.

Love Lies and Cherry Pie is a slow burn, fake dating romance that—shocker—turns all too real. Jackie Lau’s story is much more, though, and features family and cultural dynamics, along with a satisfying romance and a starchy yet sweet hero.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Writer Emily Hung is frustrated. Her mother seems to dismiss her non traditional career, and keeps trying to play matchmaker for her. Lately she keeps mentioning good looking but seemingly stuffy Mark Chen. After being forced together one too many times, Emily suggests they tell their parents they are dating just to get them to stop, and Mark agrees. But with family spies appearing all over Toronto, their pretend dates start to become real. But as Emily’s feelings grow, can she trust that Mark is interested, or is he still just playing along?

I ended up enjoying this one! I love the perspective of Emily’s Chinese family, and her life as a working writer. It’s interesting to see how family expectations play a large role in both Emily and Mark’s lives. And despite the images both of them show the world, neither is as confident as they seem.

Emily took me a while to warm up to. While she justifiably loses patience with her mother’s comments about marrying her off, she also laments being “so old” in her early 30s. It wasn’t until the second half of the book, when it switches from Emily’s single point of view to alternating with chapters from Mark, that I was able to sit back and enjoy both characters. Mark is awkward and adorable, and it was great to finally see Emily from his perspective. And, I adore Mark’s cat Ms. Muffins, and would totally follow her on Instagram.

Love Lies and Cherry Pie is an enjoyable fake dating romance. Emily and Mark start out forced together, and eventually figure out that they bring out the best in each other. If you are a fan of opposites attract with a starchy hero, along with lots of extended family, you’ll have a good time with this book.

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

Love, Lies, and Cherry Pie started off great! I was instantly intrigued by the main character and her fake dating scheme. Unfortunately, I lost interest half-way through the story. At first, I enjoyed Emily's inner monologies. I liked her tone and relatable quips about being a millennial. The author lost me when she started including long monologues and repetitive thoughts about publishing and the housing market into every chapter. I also found the "if this were a book" comments too meta. I thought it was an interesting choice to include Mark's POV 60% into the story. By that point, it really didn't add much to the overall storyline. I still left the book not feeling connected to Mark's character. I did like how the author concluded Emily and her mom's relationship. The mom grew on me towards the end. Overall, this was an okay read. Thank you to NetGalley and Atria books for the ARC.

This fake-dating romance sparkles, with plenty of humor, great chemistry, and interesting takes on mother-daughter relationships and family expectations. The central romance is quite cute, and I enjoyed the main characters' dynamic very much. A fast, engaging, make-you-laugh treat.