Another Pride & Prejudice retelling, kind of? We can never have enough! Fake dating improves on the original, and the MC Emily is a believably frustrated and hardworking midlist author. The other MC Mark surprises by not only being a secret sweetheart but becoming a POV character pretty far into the book! The highlight for me was the relationship between Emily and her mother, which got some tears out of me by the end. Sweet and funny!

I'm waiting for the day I read a romance book that is actually 5 stars for me (I've had like one or two in my lifetime, but it's a hard find for me).

Emily isn't the worst FMC I've read, but she is kind of annoying. She complains quite a bit, but that honestly wasn't too off-putting to me because most of the things she complained about made a lot of sense. I'd be annoyed too if my sister acted as though I could drop all of my work to take care of her kids, or if my mom was meddling in my love life, and I already complain about the cost of living so she's totally in the right for that. I think my biggest issue with Emily was her idea that if people found out she and Mark had fake dated before real dating, that would be the worst/most embarrassing thing ever. Which doesn't make sense to me, because if you just went "haha Mark and I actually faked our relationship to get you guys off our backs but now we're actually together and have been for weeks", then everyone would nod and move on.

Mark was also just a pretty boring character. He had a few funny quips, and I appreciated that he liked his cat. But overall, there was nothing remarkable about him, and it seemed like the author tried to make him a gentleman in the streets, and a sexy/domineering man in the sheets but it didn't work out. The spicy scenes were like two sentences long and embarrassing to read if I'm being honest.

Also... why the cherry pie? There was almost no significance to it. If they had gone to the initial baking class and made it, that would make more sense. But otherwise, it's like the author just forced imagery of cherry pie in the story to fit the title.

Not the worst story I've read (I actually really liked Emily's mom), but also not even remotely close to what I consider to be good.

To be fully honest, if this wasn't an ARC, I probably would have DNF'd it. This book is supposedly a romcom, but it misses the mark on both being romantic and funny.

The book is about a young woman whose mother has started trying to heavily matchmake in order for her to find a husband. She is the last sister of five to be unmarried and her nosy mother won't have it. Add to that, her parents' disappointment in her career (an author) and she works to avoid conversations with her family at all costs. And then, her mother tricks her into multiples dates with the one man she's determined for her daughter to be with, Mark Chan.

I had a hard time with this book for multiple reasons. The worst being that the main characters had no chemistry. This book has the fake-dating trope at its center, and it should have a lot of angst and pining and other excellent things for the MCs to endure but instead we plod along towards a romance that comes about for no reason.

Also, Emily (the MC) is 33 years old but acts throughout the entire book as if she's just realized she's hitting older adulthood. Every situation leads to her complaining about how it would have been different just a few years prior as if she's just been hit with these feelings at not 30 or 31 or 32 but the magic age 33!

Along with that, the whole book is so repetitive as to almost be unbearable. The characters experience the same situations and have the same exact conversations and inner monologues over and over and over again.

The ending was sweet, but it really didn't save much for me since I didn't want to get there.

One star is solely for Ms. Margaret Muffins.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my ARC!

A cute love story about an overbearing mom, a young woman trying to forge her own path, and an unexpected love story.
Thank you, NetGalley, for an advanced copy of this novel!

This fake romance story was great and the friends and family were also good, I wouldn't minda. series

I did really enjoy this book overall. The first half felt like an over explanation of the publishing world, which is not what I am looking for when I pick up a rom-com. However the second half of the story definitely saved it. The family dynamics throughout the story were enjoyable. I wished that Mark’s character developed more overall, but the growth we did see from Mark and Emily was enjoyable.

From the author of Donut Fall in Love, Jackie Lau has written another wonderful, creative love story which is funny, heartwarming, and mouthwatering!

All Emily Hung's mother wants is for her over thirty daughter to settle down and finally get married. Forget that Emily is a writer with one published book under her belt. Yes, it perhaps undersold a bit, but still... she is a writer and is working on her second novel. She's doing great all by herself!

So, when Mrs. Hung plays matchmaker at her sister's wedding no less, Emily decides to make the meeting as unpleasant as possible.

Enter Mark Chan, the unsuspecting, groom-to-be who realizes fairly soon this was not something Emily had agreed to. They say their goodbyes at the end of the night, and both think they will never see each other again. But Mrs. Hung has other plans! She tortures Emily to go on one date with Mark. Emily agrees.

But, once again, Emily is not having it and comes up with an idea. They will fake date (with pictures) so her mother will think they are together, but in reality, they can live peacefully and continue on with their separate lives.

What ends up happening is that the more time they spend together "fake dating", the more they discover there may actually be a spark between them, and they begin to fall in love for real. But without realizing it, Mrs. Hung opened a long-closed can of worms with secrets from years ago and misunderstandings in the Hung family.

Now Emily finds herself having to heal old wounds while trying to make Mark understand what she really wants as she learns the importance of family and the importance of finding the person of your dreams. Can you really have it all?

Love, Lies, and Cherry Pie is a delightful, fun story with wonderful characters and terrific messaging. Oh, and there IS Cherry Pie!

Thank you #NetGalley #Atria/EmilyBestlerBooks #JackieLau #Love,Lies,andCherryPie for the advanced copy.

I’m not sure what I expected with this book so I’ll try to write a review that makes sense. This is definitely a typical fake dating story and I enjoyed that the will-they-won’t-they trouble part didn’t last long (don’t play too much with me, it’s a romance - I know there’s the HEA). I also enjoyed that Emily was a writer and we got a little behind the scenes into that world and hello logical, understanding, supporting BF, Mark. Mark and Ms Muffins were my favorite characters. Now the drama with Emily’s family - holy crap. As a non-Asian person maybe it’s that I couldn’t relate so I didn’t connect to that part of the story. The family with the pressure and the condescending sister and Auntie. Oof. I did however love the surprise with mom at the end. Overall it was a cute read, but I didn’t connect with it enough personally to make it one I strongly recommend.

Lau skillfully weaves humor with moments of genuine tenderness, creating a narrative that charms readers from start to finish. The characters are relatable and endearing, each with their quirks and vulnerabilities that make them feel like old friends by the book's end. Emily's journey from skepticism to surprising admiration for Mark is beautifully portrayed, offering readers a satisfying romantic arc that feels both authentic and entertaining.

I greatly enjoyed the generational relationships, multiple perspectives, as well as the inclusion of life with emigrant parents and layered sibling dynamics. It was a cute and satisfying story. 3.5 stars

The cover of this book accurately depicts the story within-note for example the Argyle sweater. If also reflects the sweetness of this enjoyable romance.

This is a story where interfering family members try to set up a couple who initially are not interested. What happens when they decide to fake date? What will happen on the way to a happy ending? Readers will most happily turn the pages to find out in this perfect summer read.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for this title. All opinions are my own.

This was cute! While I understand why we didn’t, I do wish we got more of Marks POV aside from part 2. I really enjoyed seeing things from his perspective. Emily was relatable enough. I really loved her meddling family and thought the story was overall really great. This is my second book by this author and I’ve enjoyed the stories both times!

This was cute. I liked Emily and found her funny. To be honest the cover and cherry pie focus seemed a little juvenile. I would’ve also liked more of Mark’s perspective and background about why he was as stern as he was. But overall I enjoyed it and would read more from this author.

Love, Lies, and Cherry Pie by Jackie Lau is a charming rom-com that follows Emily Hung, a writer and barista, who enters a fake relationship with the seemingly dull engineer Mark Chan to appease her meddling mother. As they navigate through various staged dates, Emily discovers that Mark is far more than she initially thought, leading to genuine feelings and personal growth for both. Set against the vibrant backdrop of Toronto, the story explores family dynamics, self-doubt, and the journey towards self-acceptance. Despite a slow start, the book delivers a heartfelt and satisfying romance, rich with authenticity and relatable themes.

I would like to thank Atria Books, Emily Bestler Books, NetGalley, and the author for an advanced copy. All opinions are my own.

“Books can help people forget but also help them cope at the same time, and what I do is important, dammit. Even if you write something dark and twisted, it can help readers escape to another world. Or it can show them that other people are experiencing the same feelings that they are, maybe under different circumstances, but similar nonetheless. It can make you feel not alone when you're lonely, or it can simply entertain you when you're bored.”

Read if you like:
📖 Author MC
❤️ Fake Dating
👵 Mom plays matchmaker
🇨🇦 Asian-Canadian characters

Emily Hung is an author who has sold her first book and has an advance for her next book but has to work as a barista to pay the bills. She struggles to gain the respect of her family and convince them that writing is a “real” job. But she’s also the last unmarried daughter to immigrant parents which makes her to sole focus of her mother’s matchmaking efforts. She’s sick about hearing how perfect Mark Chan is and when she finds herself forced to sit with him at her sister’s wedding, she devises a plan to get her mother off her back. Mark doesn’t seem too keen about dating either, so they decide to fake a relationship long enough to have tried so they can move on with their lives.

This was a cute take on the fake dating trope and I really liked the mother-matchmaking angle. I really liked the family dynamics and the growth of the relationships between Emily and her parents and older sister. The first half of the book was a bit slow and felt dragged down by the Emily’s frequent lamentations about how hard the publishing world is, all good and valid discussion, but I felt like the point was trying too hard to be made. The second half picked up and I enjoyed getting to read Mark’s POV. All-in-all, a fun rom com with an added bonus of interesting family dynamics and growth.

🥧 Romantically Cozy & Deliciously Cute! 🥧

Jackie Lau never misses! Love, Lies & Cherry Pies is laugh out loud funny, provides important commentary on the publishing industry and was absolutely swoon worthy! Plus, there is the most purrfectly adorable cat!! 🐾

💐 Fake Dating
🔍 Meddling Mothers
😹 Hoot & a Half
📚 Bookish
💖 Romance
✏️ Author
🫶 Family
🔥 Steamy
🐾 Purrfect Cat

I loved Love, Lies & Cherry Pies so much! Jackie Lau has created another hilariously heartfelt romance and I can’t wait to see what she comes up with next!

Thank you so much Atria Books for the gifted copy!

Really lovely romance novel, always great to see Asian American male characters. Love how the theme of “real work” and “adulting” are explored… what are the benchmarks other people use to judge your decisions? Whose work is more important than others?

I needed a light read so this was a pleasant break. Quite a lot of unexpected spice too!

Such a cute cover for such a cute book. Cute romcom. It was an easy read and was enjoyable. Easy read for a cozy day.

Unfortunately, I didn’t get a chance to finish this one, but I did order a copy for our public library and I’m hoping to finish this one soon

Family pressure & fake dating = Count me in!! I enjoyed both of the main characters (Emily & Mark) and loved getting to know both of them! Emily's mom is my favorite character in this book! I love how we got more of her story and reasoning why behind some of the things she said/did in regards to Emily.