4 Stars Fake Dating isn’t my favorite trope (though I don’t hate it), but Jackie Lau hit it out of the park with Love, Lies, and Cherry Pies. The main characters were adorable and I loved reading about Emily’s relationship with her mother. A great read!

The synopsis immediately put me in mind of more Bridget Jones’s and I started this with high hopes (first time reading the author). There’s usually only so many times you can read a fake dating trope, but when one is done well it really seems to make up for the more lackadaisical ones.

I adored it; this made me laugh, made me nod in recognition of both Emily and her mother, and their relationship with one another, and Emily’s love of pretty notebooks that no ink can ever touch, and it was a terrifically enjoyable novel.

I can’t wait to read more by Ms Lau, and Love, Lies, and Cherry Pie is a definite recommendation from me!



Thank you to Atria / Emily Bestler Books and NetGalley for the DRC

Love this book and like all her books it was amazing. I couldn't put it down thanks for letting me read this book it was definitely a page turner

I give this book a solid 3.5 stars out of five. I enjoyed some aspects of it, but a few things ticked me off over and over throughout the book. There will be spoilers in the rest of the review, so if you want to avoid that, do not read past this sentence.



Emily slowly falls for Mark over the course of the book as a result of all their interactions, but Mark falls for her the moment he sees her because she's pretty and is the complete opposite of him. Make it make sense, please. Another thing that ticked me off was the lack of standing up for herself to her demanding older sister and mother. A lot of the issues could have been avoided with a single honest, open-hearted conversation.

This has to be one of the cutest fake dating romances I've read. From starting to fake date to please Mom to family drama, fake cake making lessons to oh so real kisses I loved this book.
As the fifth and only unmarried daughter left in her Asian Canadian family, and she's used to her mother matchmaking ways but when her mother starts her matchmaking ways at her sister's wedding things hit a new low.
When Emily Hung meets Mark Chan her mother's friend's son, her mother is insistent they'll get married and the fake dating starts, surprisingly he goes along with it. From visiting boba shops to fake cake decorating classes they seem to always run into their friends that they must convince this is the real thing so the pda comes to the forefront. What happens when this fake affection turns into not to miss sweet kisses that are wanted by them both? Family drama, fun, laughs and cherry pies make this one fake romantic dating story not to miss.

Pub Date 07 May 2024
I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

This book was an absolute delight, filled with charming moments and a plot that takes romance to a whole new level. Picture this: the story kicks off with our main characters instantly at odds, and as you peel away the layers, you discover a rollercoaster of fake dating, wild assumptions, a feisty sister, and more – the perfect recipe for potential couple chaos!

Meet Emily, a character so relatable, with all the '90s-born struggles and anxieties that hit close to home. Sure, her constant anxious musings might be a tad much for some readers, but hey, as someone with a mind that races a mile a minute, I found it oddly comforting.

Now, let's talk about Mark, the love interest. Opening up his character is like unwrapping a series of surprise boxes until you find the gem inside. Turns out, he's the total opposite of "what you see is what you get," and it's a delightful revelation that adds a unique twist to the story.

Oh, and for those who like to keep it PG, fair warning – there are two to three spicy scenes in the book! And who can forget the meddling, over-the-top mom on a mission to get her last single daughter hitched? It's a classic theme, but the way it's done here is pure joy – a fresh and enjoyable take that makes this book a bubbly, must-read romance!

Meddling mothers + Fake Dating make this funny. Emily and Mark meet at a wedding and do not get along. Both mothers think they would be great together so they start fake dating. Once they spend more time together they realize that mother might just be right.

Emily is always feeling like she is disappointing her mother. They finally have a heart to heart and come to understand each other. Emily hates to admit it but mother does know best.

This was a fun quick read.

Romantic comedy with fake dating and sloooow burn. Initially I thought this was going to be a chaste romance.

The cultural aspect of a meddling, pushy mum who will do whatever it takes to get her last single daughter married is throughout the book.

Best Rom com I've read in awhile. I finished in one afternoon. I didn't want this story to end. So very good.
Lau is very good at making you feel like you're a part of these characters' lives. She will draw you in from beginning until the end.

I loved this book so much!! Emily Hung is constantly trying to head off her meddling mother’s best intentions by setting her up with prospect after prospect. Emily meets and instantly despises Mark Chan. They soon devise a fake dating plan and Emily learns how wrong she was about Mark. And Mark has been smitten all along. A fantastic story of holding out for love, not judging a book by its cover, and sometimes mom really does know best. I loved the strong friendships and authors quick wit writing between characters. Really helped personalities stand out and you felt like these were your friends too.

Small Business BookTok ARC Reviews: "Love, Lies, and Cherry Pies" by Jackie Lau

Note: This ARC was given to me for free by the author and I am reviewing this book voluntarily.

Fake Dating? Easy as pie! Emily Hung wants nothing more than to live her life as an author and a barista without her mother’s meddling or her sister, Allison, judging her life choices. When her mother tries to set her up with family friend and engineer Mark Chan, Emily and Mark strike a deal to fake date one another to get their families off their backs. Will Emily and Mark be able to convince their families for long or will they end up falling for each other before their fake relationship is exposed?

From the author that brought you “Donut Fall in Love”, Jackie Lau explores cultural family dynamics and romance exploration while delivering in romance and comedic wit in her latest novel “Love, Lies, and Cherry Pies”! Through the worldbuilding and characters, Lau invites readers to discuss commentary on topics such as cultural ideologies of the measures of success and the deconstruction of marriage expectation ideologies. Emily as the main protagonist was an interesting character to follow as although she would go to extremes with her fake dating Hijinx, we feel for the character as she just wants to get her family to stop pressuring her with expectations, to appreciate her for who she is as a person with her own career, independence, and goals. Through her dynamic with her family, we also get commentary on the importance of communicating one’s feelings and needs with family members while also setting boundaries. Mark was also an interesting love interest as the more you got to know him as a person, the more you’ll connect with his wholesale, adorkable nature! If you’re looking for a comedic, thoughtful read that’s also as sweet as pie, you can check out this book when it hits online and in store shelves on May 7, 2024.

Rating: 4/5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice Meter: 4/5🌶🌶🌶🌶

-Tropes to Expect: Fake Dating, Cute Animal Sidekick, Meddling and Matchmaking Hijinx, Romantic Comedy, Author x Engineer, Mother-Daughter Narrative, and Slow Burn Romance.

-Trigger Warnings: Relationship Anxiety, Family Miscommunication, Generational Trauma, Sibling Rivalry, Slight Existentialism, Brief Hospitalization (Flashback), and Validation Anxiety.

I super loved this book! The characters were fun and engaging, and I loved the Eliza Bennet and Mr. Darcy vibes from the main two characters. I also liked how the book set up like it was a modern Pride and Prejudice (five sisters, bookish second sister is getting set up by mom who is obsessed with her daughters getting married, the way-too-nice sister, ect), but then really did its own thing. The character interactions were fresh and fun, realistic but also aspirational. The main characters were flawed but not hateful, and they both learned and grew through the relationships. I am so glad I got to read an ARC of this book and plan to find all of Lau’s books moving forward!

Emily, the last of her five sisters to not be married meets Mark Chan at her sisters wedding after hearing about him relentlessly from her mother. At the wedding she decides Mark is stuck up and that she doesn’t like him. After being conned into going on a brunch date with him by her mom, she proposes that they start fake dating each other to get their parents off their backs about still being single in their thirties.

This was a slooowwwww burn, I don’t think they even go on a real date or touch each other until half way through the book.

Overall, It was a cute book with annoying, overbearing moms and a cute cat named Ms. Muffins with her own Instagram.

Thank you to the publisher for providing an ARC on NetGalley in return for my honest review.

This was such a fun and cute read! I don’t think it was the best book I’ve ever read, but the romance aspects like slow burn and fake dating are what pulled me into this book! Emily is a likable character, but I felt like Mark’s character lacked. Also their “chemistry” was very rushed and underdeveloped. I think that if there was more of a connection made between the characters it would have been more of a book I would recommend to everyone.

as a gluten free girlie, every mention of gluten full food was more painful than the last. but i really enjoyed this book!

emily is a writer, trying to finish the manuscript for her newest book. she can’t have distractions like her mums incessant need for her to find a partner. enter mark. the man her mother is trying to set her up with. they decide that they’re going to fake date to get their parents off of their backs. does it become more? you will just have to read to find out!

overall this book was really cute. i found that i struggled with the pacing in certain chapters and emily’s family made me so mad it was a struggle to push through sometimes but i really appreciated mark and emily’s relationship and am looking forward to reading jackie lau’s next book!!

thank you so much to netgalley and atria for an e-arc!!

A charming rom-com about Emily Hung, a writer who decided to fake-date the man her meddling mother keeps trying to set her up with, only to find that maybe mother does know best.

Emily is a believable character- the last unmarried daughter of immigrant parents (still unmarried at the OLD age of 33!). She has taken an unconventional career path and feels like her parents don't think she's as much of a success as her three sisters. Mark Chan, the love interest, seems like the sort of boring, stuffy man her parents would love... but the the more Emily gets to know him, she realizes there's a lot more to the man than sweater vests.

This is a fun, light read, with just enough depth from the cultural thread to make things feel real. Readers are going to root for Emily- she's the kind of character you just want to be friends with. And the addition of Ms. Muffin the cat was a great bonus in this sweet treat of a novel.

4 stars – Love, Lies, and Cherry Pie by Jackie Lau is a wonderful story! It has so many fun elements: fake dating, meddling parents, sibling issues, last child (and over 30!) to marry and learning not to judge a book (or people) by a cover during a very slow burn romance. Emily and Mark, FMC and MMC, fake date to get their parents off their backs about still being single and discover that mothers may know best after all. Very likeable characters (love Emily’s parents by the end) and nice easy read. I highly recommend this book for an afternoon of smiles!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an ARC. I eagerly look forward to Jackie Lau’s next book.

📖: Love, Lies, and Cherry Pies
✍️: Jackie Lau
⭐️: 2 of 5

Troupes & Themes:
- Enemies to Lovers
- Fake Dating

Trigger/Content Warnings:
- Language

My Thoughts:
Unfortunately, this was not for me, and I had to DNF this at 10%. I did not enjoy the authors writing style. I do like first-person pov, but there was too much info dump as the characters narrated their lives. I also did not like like Emily, like at all. She immediately got under my skin. Off the bat, she is rude, condescending, and self-righteous. I do enjoy enemies to lovers troupe, but sometimes they can be too much, especially when its more of a bully situation. I found Emily to be extremely hateful for absolutely no reason. I don't tolerate people like her in real life, and I just couldn't finish this.
Thank you, NetGalley and Atria Books, for the opportunity to read and review this advanced copy.

What a cute romcom full of fake dating, lies and deception by more than one character in the story.
Mamma is set on making sure Emily meets and marries Mark Chan. Who is Mark Chan and why does Emily take an immediate dislike to him? What develops in the relationship between the two? Check out the book to find out.
I recommend this as a fun light hearted read.
Thank you NerGalley and Atria Books for my ARC.

I liked this! This was so cute and wholesome. The fake-dating trope is one of my favourites and I was so well done, it had me giggling throughout the whole book. I loved the tension between Emily and Chan. Their chemistry was amazing and I enjoyed following their journey.

the big, crazy and chaotic family of an Asian household was so interesting to experience and I loved their friendships and wildness. Along with that the pressure to be successful and marry a doctor was highlighted. I enjoyed seeing Emily's voice in the beginning and it then switching to multiple POV.

Overall this was so fun and I love the representations.


Thank you to Atria books for sending the free eARC!

I'm very torn on the rating for this book, but I think I'm leaning toward 3.5 stars. Emily wants to fake date Mark to get her mom off her back, while Mark agrees so they can actually learn more about each other. At first it's fake fake dates, then real fake dates, then real real dates, as they start to fall for each other in this sweet romance.

The POV of writer Emily is hilarious. I fall into that age bracket and related to a lot of her complaining about getting older and reflecting on her 20s. I also enjoyed her writing and publishing thoughts. I liked her mom's motive in the end, but not Emily's reasoning for why she broke it off with Mark--I'm glad everyone told her that was a dumb reason lol

As for Emily and Mark's relationship, I really wasn't invested or buying it, to the point I almost gave up on that plot, but then we got his POV which was great, except we still didn't learn much about Mark. I can't tell you much about him except he loves his cat and mom, has a tense relationship with his dad, and treats Emily well. We kinda only see his present state, and it mostly revolved around her, so he lacked a little depth, but he was a really sweet, considerate, and nice guy. I think the sex scenes could've been fleshed out more or just been closed door. Kudos if you come that fast, but I can't get over her climax after 2 licks and him entering her and other similar scenes.

Overall all it was a good read.