ARC received directly from the publisher, thanks to Netgalley. I didn't know Jackie Lau and I was quite curious to discover her writing.
Emily is a thirty-year-old Asian-american who, unlike her 4 other sisters, is not yet married. And for a good reason, this is not one of her goals in life. She has other ambitions, such as writing a novel for example. So when her mother throws Mark Chan into her life, a perfect young man in all aspects, Emily doesn't even bother to consider him. He is not made for her, since it is her mother who finds him perfect. And yet...

Romance based on fake dating, I sometimes suffered a little while reading because the lies of Emily who makes her mother believe that she is really going out with Mark accumulate. And I had a hard time understanding the reason that pushed her to break up during the “third act breakup”. In any case, it was a nice foray into mother-daughter relationships that are simpler than they seem...

-fake dating, Asian representation, dual pov
-writer and barista, Emily Hung is the last of her siblings to be married. Her mom sets her up with golden boy, Mark Chan
-it took me a bit to warm up to Emily, she was quick to judge and defensive right off the bat
-I enjoyed reading about Emily and Mark’s “fake” dates, they had sweet moments 🥧🍰🧋
-thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for this ARC!

3.6⭐️

[arc review]
Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for providing an arc in exchange for an honest review.
Love, Lies, and Cherry Pie releases May 7, 2024

1.5

Emily is part author, part barista, and also the last of her siblings to be married. Her mother is adamant on setting her up with someone — namely, Mark Chan. Emily and Mark agree to enter a fake dating arrangement after meeting each other at the wedding of Emily’s sister.

This book irritated me more than it probably should have. Something about the casual writing style did not work for me, and I found it very odd how the book took a complete shift at 60% from a singular pov narrative to an alternating dual perspective, which threw off the pacing. Mark's pov didn't even add any value, either.

Emily was very judgmental as a character which, in turn, made her unlikable. Furthermore, meddling family members that are <I>so</I> up in your business exasperate me to no end and this had my skin crawling just thinking about all the similar experiences I put up with growing up in an Asian household.

For a romance book with fake dating at it’s core, the romance was not delivering. There was no chemistry between the two leads and no sexual tension leading up to their sex scene, which felt so out of place. Honestly, up until that point, you could have told me they were distant cousins or something and I would have believed it.
There just wasn’t enough information about Mark for this to be convincing — why did he agree to everything so easily? What’s in it for him? What are his motivations? Why is fake dating beneficial to him?
More time was spent on the development and explanation of Emily's publishing payments than the romance...

Another thing that kept popping up was the mention of entitled millennials, which got repetitive and tiresome real quick.

This was an enjoyable. Romantic comedy with fake dating and sloooow burn. Initially I thought this was going to be a chaste romance because for at least the first half of the book there was zero physical interaction between any character, let alone the MC's. But happy to be wrong, and loved the long drawn out romantic part of the story.e read full of drama, family expectations, some laughs, fake dating, and romance.

Love, Lies, and Cherry Pie is a good example of a “just fine” romance for me. I liked the characters, but nothing about it sparkled. After the first few chapters, the Pride and Prejudice/Bridget Jones’s diary retelling or comparison disappears, so I don’t really know why it was there in the first place. A cute and forgettable book.

I loved this book! Emily is a writer and barista who fears she doesn't live up to her parents expectations and is frustrated by her mother's obsession with setting her up, in particular with the seemingly perfect Mark. There are nods to Bridget Jones's Diary and Pride and Prejudice that are absolutely delightful but my favorite part was how well this book got the writing and publishing world. Emily was extemely relatable in the pressures she put on herself, feeling that she was letting people down by following her dream, and in how the pressures from the writing world pushed in on her. But even if you aren't a writer or a part of the publishing ecosystem, the fake relationship, family drama, and the soft but steamy romance between Emily and Mark is so well done, you should definitely read this book!

Oh my goodness, what a super cute, delightful concoction of romance, humor, and a plethora of heartwarming moments that will leave readers craving for more. Emily and Mark are an unlikely pairing and their journey to coupledome is a slow burn. The family dynamic is easy to relate to and will have readers cheering for Emily.

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

One of the qualities that draw me back to Jackie Lau's works time and again is her ability to connect readers with her characters. On the one hand author and barista Emily Hung's experiences as a traditionally published but not bestselling author in the current landscape were all too painfully familiar. On the other hand, while I have not been the last unmarried daughter in an Asian Canadian family, nor do I drink coffee, and I am of an age with Emily's parents rather than her (okay, I did wince when she bemoaned her age, which is younger than half of my offspring), I was still emotionally invested with her challenges, thanks to Lau's skills. I also appreciate Lau's use of multiple=POV, allowing insights into not-as-stiff-as-initially-perceived Mark Chan's interior life. My only disappointment is that I was unable to find an Instagram account for the delightful Ms. Margaret (never Meg!) Muffins.

Rouding up from 3.5 to 4. I love a fake dating trope, but this one just didn't click with me. The FMC, Emily, mostly just irritated me for the first half of the book. I can't really pinpoint why, honestly, it may have just been a me issue (ergo the rounding up), but I found her so irritating and somewhat whiny. HOWEVER, when she actually admitted she liked Mark (MMC) she became much better (again, could have just been me). I loved Mark from the second meeting and knew she'd get there too, but she was so against liking him becasue her mother did she took a long time to actually admit she liked him. Their chemistry is great (the spice is spicy) and the friendship they developed first was very real.

Emily's family dynamics are a big hurdle in this book and her whole family brings a wild energy into every scene they are in. They do get some closure and heart to hearts toward the end, which is really good.

Overall, a really fun book that I would recommend. Special shout out to Ms. Margaret Muffins being the best character.

First, thank you NetGalley for this ARC!

I absolutely adored this book! I loved Emily and her independence and passion for writing. I love how much her family means to her even though they drive her crazy. And I loved her mom! She was the star of the book for me. Let’s not forget Mark! I loved him! He was perfect for Emily. Their flirtiness, even when they were fake dating was so cute! He’s attentiveness to Emily and constantly cheering her on in her writing was adorable.

I loved Jackie’s writing style. The story flowed really well and I appreciate the dual
POV in part 2. This books was very well paced, and it has me both giggling and tearing up which it what I love in a romance book. Overall, it was a great read! Thanks again NetGalley!

I have read many rom coms with fake relationships. This one, though, sets itself apart from the rest by getting Emily and Mark together quicker, allowing for an enjoyable story. Emily has heard so much about Mark Chang from her mom that she has many preconceived notions about him, none of them good. To get her mom off her case, they start fake dating. Much to her surprise, feelings turn real, only no one believes them. Sprinkled with a funny cat, dreams of cherry pie, and a large meddling family, this is one rom com that was fun from start to finish.

3.5 stars rounded up. In the spirit of complete honesty, I struggled with the first half of this book, but I’m glad I kept reading. I really enjoyed the second half a lot.

Emily is a published writer who feels like she’s a disappointment to her family — most of all because she’s still single in her 30s. Her mother’s attempts at matchmaking include a constant refrain of “Mark Chan this” and “Mark Chan that” every chance she gets despite Emily’s certainty that he is not her type. Finally, out of desperation to make it stop, Emily convinces Mark to fake date and sell the lie to their parents. The more she gets to know him though, he may not be as far from her type as she thought.

First half Emily was frustrating for me to read. She came across as pretty bitter about life despite forging her own career based on her wants rather than her parents. Also, as someone five years older than her character, her internal monologue about basically falling apart and feeling ancient at the ripe old age of 33 was not appealing. All that said, once she started spending real time with Mark and softening her edges a bit, I grew to like her and understand her a bit more. Culturally, I don’t have the same lived experience and don’t know the kind of pressure she experienced and had internalized from her parents, particularly her mom. The relationship between them appeared to be one way on the surface from the beginning, but there’s a really beautiful shift between them later in the book as motivations are revealed. The conversation they share was one of my favorite moments in the book.

The relationship between Mark and Emily was interesting. Mark had a lot more patience in the face of Emily’s unwarranted judgements and attitude toward him that I think a lot of people would have. Lucky for her because he turned out to be a supportive partner who appreciated the ways they were different in their approach to life. He viewed it as a complementary balance between them, and I think he was right. I enjoyed their transition from faking it to real feelings.

There were a lot of complex family dynamics at play throughout this book. In line with Emily’s relationship with her mom, things weren’t always as they appeared. It was nice to see everyone find their maturity to really talk to each other about what they were experiencing and feeling.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria/Emily Bestler Books for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Vibes: fake dating, modern P&P, family marital pressures, writer heroine

Heat Index: 6/10

At thirty-three, writer and barista Emily Hung is facing more pressure about marriage than ever before. More than anything, her mother is pushing her towards Mark Chan, who definitely thinks he's above Emily. (Does he, though?) But Emily really wants her mom off her back. And Mark's willing to go along with the charade... So what's the harm in a few fake dates? And if family happens to catch them on one date, I guess they'll have to plan another one! And another, and another...

I think that with romcoms, there's always a careful balance of sweetness (happy moments, some humor) and savory (sexual tension, the sense of ohmygodisitgonnahappenforthem?). Some people prefer romcoms that lean more sweet, sometimes they prefer romcoms that lean more savory. I am a "make sure it's got the sweetness it needs, but lean a little more savory" reader. And I know that's kind of ridiculous, but I'm saying this to lead to: this is a sweeter romcom. (Although it does have solid sex scenes!) A lot of people love a sweeter romcom, so there's no flaw in the system here. It just may have been too sweet for me.

However, it's well-written and engaging, and couches a kind of normal "fake dating to keep Mom off my back" setup in lovely descriptions and dialogue and dynamics. I recently saw a discussion surrounding fake dating that was like "Are you tired of the fake dating trope, or are you tired of the fake dating trope written by and about straight white people?"

And... that's a concept. I think that fake dating honestly lends itself much better to leads who have more traditional cultural pressure pushing them towards marriage. That pressure? Is not nearly as great for the vast majority of white Americans as romance wants us to think it is, let's be real. (Those for whom it is often come from more conservative religious backgrounds, and THEN we have something else to discuss.) When Jackie Lau writes this marriage-minded mama in the twenty-first century, I believe her because of the way she sets up and describes this mom. I believe that Emily is so over it, and I believe that she would resort to fake dating. It works here.

Was it just a little too on the side of nice for me? Maybe. But I really respected what she was going for.

Quick Takes:

--This sounds insane to say, but I loved reading a contemporary romance heroine who's thirty-three and doesn't have her life all figured out. I mean... that should be normal, but it's not in romance.

--One thing that I do think would've made this work a little more for me is faster pacing. Mark isn't in the book for the first chunk all that much; in some ways I get it, because this builds up Emily's idea of him. But you also don't have his perspective until later in the book, and I just wanted a little more, a little faster.

--There is a really great sense of family in the book, and I feel like that gave me P&P vibes the most. You have this overbearing mom, all of these people (including little nieces) dying for Emily to get with someone. It felt very true to life and also VERY classic romcom.

The Sex:

The sex comes a little late in the book, with a few scenes that are... not less than explicit, per se, but definitely edited in an interesting way. Exciting things are being done (there is face-sitting) but it cuts to another action, not another scene, so quickly? I think we could've lingered on the detail a little more.

However, there is a good buildup, and a strong chemistry between Mark and Emily. I liked what we got, I just wanted more... luxuriating.

So, while I can't say this was a slam dunk for me, I do believe it will appeal to romcom readers who prefer a little sugar. Perhaps... cherry pie?

Thanks to NetGalley and Atria/Emily Bestler Books for providing me with a copy this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

A Pride & Prejudice style fake dating w/ a Mr. Darcy character with a cat named and. Muffins? I’m sold.

This book was my favorite of Jackie Lau’s so far! The main character Emily was so relatable & funny and I loved that we got to have an MC in her 30s!

The author did a wonderful job with the pacing of this romance and the build up to the slow burn, but I have to say some of my favorite parts were just the banter between Emily and Mark. As well as the commentary about what it’s like to be trying to settle down and have a house and a good job in our economy today. It made me feel very seen but it wasn’t so heavy that it took you out of the romance.

Another surprising favorite in this story is the family and their growth by the end. I was crying I loved the resolution to the family conflict so much.

Just all around a great read! :)

Thank you to the author and NetGalley for the ARC copy. Reviews are my own

You can never go wrong with a Jackie Lau book. Her characters are delightful, engaging, funny and sexy. This book does not disappoint

Emily is a writer working part-time at a coffee shop. She is the last in her family to not be married and she does not mind. What she does mind is her mother's constant nagging to find a husband . So when her mother sets her sights on Mark Chan, son of a family friend, Emily decides the only way to get her mother off her back is to fake date Mark. Except it turns into something more, of course . But will it last ? Will Emily's mother figure out what's going on? Will Emily take a chance on love? Pick up this book and find out,

Also reviewed on Goodreads, Bookbub and Amazon

Oh this was a cute realistic fake dating romance between Emily the fmc and Mark the guy that Emily’s mom was trying to match make. It’s mainly told in Emily’s pov until 50% through when it becomes dual pov! We see the fmc navigate being an author while trying to please her immigrant parents and find a man. I loved all the publishing stuff and also liked seeing the characters fall in love and navigate fake dating. There is a bit of miscommunication and avoidable relationship issue but overall I liked this one! Thank you to the publisher for this arc for an honest review.

Read if you like:
- Fake dating
- Diverse characters
- A bit of spice
- Author fmc
- Matchmaking parents
- Miscommunication

The book was cute, a fake dating situation to appease parents. I thought the second half was more fun and fast paced than the first..
Thank you Atria/Emily Bestler Books and NetGalley for the ARC ebook.

I was really looking forward to LOVE, LIES, AND CHERRY PIE by Jackie Lau - pleasing Chinese parents with fake dating the person they are setting you up with?

However, this book really failed to hook me. Let me compare this book to a Mariana Zapata book, but it's shorter. If you know me, that is not a good comparison, except for the it's shorter part.

The whole first half of the book is single first person POV via the FMC. Emily. All Emily seems to do is complain. If not about her mom's matchmaking attempts, or her life as an author and how no one seems to understand. Maybe I see too many authors in my social media feeds bemoaning the business of being an author that seeing it in a book was just too much. Add to that Lau's FMCs questioning on whether or not they want to be mothers/have children. Plus for a dash of variety, the high cost of housing in the area.

Then there was the fake dating, where Emily seemed to dictate to Mark all the places they were pretending to go. I guess this was a spin on the whole fake dating aspect - making up the dates without actually going on them. But not why I go for fake dating - I want to see the couple in action, I want the tension. The build up in feelings. If you aren't going on real fake dates, why not just make up an imaginary person? Especially since she still was dating other people - fair, they never talked about fake dating exclusively, but it still felt wrong that she was dating others.

The second half of the book got better, once Mark's POV was introduced, and the two started to go on real dates. It was a bit repetitive, because his first chapter was a regurgitation of what happened in the first half from his POV - luckily it was quick, since he wasn't in many of those scenes.

I think the book would have been fine at that point...but then we get to the reason that Emily's mom has been trying to matchmake Emily. That just made this story too much.

I'm just sad that I didn't like this novel, especially since I recently enjoyed the novellas in her Chu's Restaurant series.

Thank you to Atria and Emily Bestler Books for the eARC via NetGalley in exchange for a review.

I loved Emily and Mark’s dynamic! Mark was the sweetest male lead ever and I am in love with his cat Mrs. Margaret Muffins (I genuinely out-of-context texted my friends about how much I loved Mrs. Muffins) and I am in love with the fact that he talks to Mrs. Muffins about how much he likes Emily.

I gotta preface this part by saying that I loved the second half of the book a million times more than the first half, because when I say that this book is a “slowburn,” I mean that they aren’t in the same room for, like, most of the first act of the book. The tension was like a rubber band, and fluctuated from being tense to the point of breaking, to just completely sad and limp. On a similar note, the chemistry in the beginning was sort of non-existent? (Incoming second metaphor) It felt like watching two elements that you know would cause an explosion, but you’re forced to sort of just sit and stare at them in their separate vials (…or is it test-tubes? I don’t know, I’m not a stem girlie) waiting for something to happen.

But, huzzah! The second half of the book (once they actually start hanging out and having real conversations) you get all the adorable interactions and fun fake-dates you could ever dream of. Fluff galore!

I loved the writing style, I loved the humor, I loved the mother-daughter dynamic, and I loved the cat. I also have a sudden urge to learn how to bake a pie.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Atria Books for this eARC!

This is a fun, light romance clearly intended for a millennial audience. It also provides insight into the publishing industry itself, which was very interesting. The family dynamics ended up being more compelling than the actual romance that's at the core of the story, but I enjoyed reading it and wanted to find out what would happen in the end.