Emily Hung feels as though she can never match up to her family’s expectations. She’s thirty-three and is working three jobs in order to keep up with Toronto prices. Her mother won’t stop bugging her about meeting Mark Chan and when Emily does she’s not impressed. Then she gets set up with Mark a second time and suggests they pretend to date in order to get their parents off their back. But when Emily’s mom keeps asking for details about their dates it’s seems like the only option is to actually go on one and be seen. When their “fake dates” go better then expected Emily and Mark consistently start seeing each other. Even though Emily wants the real relationship with Mark she’s been pretending to have she doesn’t think it’s a good idea if her family found out it started as a lie. Will Mark and Emily come clean or will the familial pressure tear them apart?

I appreciated how open and honest Emily was about being single in your thirties and keeping up both with the cost of living and familial expectations. I also enjoyed how Emily and Mark had to get to know each other slowly and learn there was much more to each other than their first impressions. I think most of us know a first meeting isn’t usually a true reflection of who we actually are as a person. I really enjoyed this romance!

Thank you Atria/Emily Bestler Books and NetGalley for this ARC read!

I was unaware of this author before seeing this book on my monthly Atria influencer email, so I wasn’t quite sure what I was going to get. But I love romance and romcom reads so I of course enthusiastically clicked yes to reading it.

Being that it is AAPI/BIPOC Heritage month here in the US I wanted to be sure I was reading and reviewing books from authors who are writing own voices books. Something I have been trying hard to do this year is intentionally read diversely so, I was delighted to see that this book is written by an AAPI author.

Jackie Lau you have a new and devoted fan for the rest of your life and I plan to read everything you write from here on out! Thank you for writing such relatable and real characters. For putting true to life issues in your books and for honestly writing one of my new favorite books. I have already ordered a paperback copy so I can read it again this summer.

This book is going to appeal to fans of Abby Jimenez and Emily Henry.

This book is a delightful, funny, sweet read with characters you cant help but to love and route for! 5 stars all around!!

Heat Factor: It’s medium spicy. It’s spicy in my heart.

Character Chemistry: Most of the book, they’re oil and water. But then they’re perfect.

Plot: Emily is an author—a normal one, who is also struggling a little. Her mom throws her friend’s son at her repeatedly, so finally Emily decides to start a fake relationship with him to end the pestering…only the relationship fails to stay fake.

Overall: This is such a sweet book with fantastic characters.

If Jackie Lau has a new book out, I’m probably going to want to read it. You know how I can’t remember authors or books after I’ve read them? I don’t have this problem with Jackie Lau.

I think it’s because Jackie Lau is a master at creating a cozy little bubble of a book that is fully developed and ready for you to just pop into and forget everything outside of said bubble. I love bubbles like that.

In this one, we have Emily—she’s an author who would be considered actually pretty successful. She has an agent and a book deal and several published books, she’s just also successful by today’s metrics. Which means she has a book deal, a roommate, and a job in a coffee shop. Emily is kind of an undercover badass because she’s pursued this profession despite knowing she’s disappointed her parents with her unimpressive resume.

Mark is on the opposite end of the spectrum—he’s successful, owns a condo in Toronto (he did get some help from his parents, but it’s still impressive), and always wears sweater vests (which is adorable, let’s be real).

So when Emily’s mom pesters her nearly to death about how perfect Mark is, Emily snaps and decides she’ll play along to get her mom off her back and convinces Mark to fake date her.

Obviously, I loved the backstory, setting, supporting characters, and general ambiance of this book. That’s the bubble. I absolutely loved the family dynamics at play—although this is absolutely a romance, Emily has to work through a lot of these family dynamics to truly step into this next phase of her life, and I love that she’s able to do that in a more complex and developed way—it’s not just cutting off her parents. And I love that Mark’s development is so quiet and reserved.

I think Mark’s development required the author to split into dual perspective instead of single, and I still kind of wish that hadn’t happened. It happened so late into the book it was a little jarring. I felt like I was already tight with Emily and then out of nowhere I had to socialize with Mark. On the other hand, his development was so subtle that I can see why it was done.

I will also say that I like how the author’s intimate scenes fit the characters. Some characters just aren’t going to rattle the windows and scandalize the neighbors, you know?

Anyway, I really loved this and honestly hoped we’d have a series on our hands because I wasn’t really ready to say goodbye.

I voluntarily read and reviewed a complimentary copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. We disclose this in accordance with 16 CFR §255.

I enjoyed this delightful and laugh out loud novel by author Jackie Lau. This is my first book by this author and it was the lighthearted romcom I needed. Highly entertaining!

Likes:
Romcom
Funny and lighthearted
Fake dating trope
Books about books

Thank you to Atria/Emily Bestler Books and NetGalley for the ARC of this novel. The cherry pie is less of a character than I was expecting which was perfectly fine. I feel like I got a bit thrown off with a review from Goodreads saying this was meant to be a Pride and Prejudice re-telling because it was not. Yes there is a mistake in first impressions but that does not automatically makes a book P&P. Pretty quick and sweet and I did enjoy the ending and how not everything had to then be perfect. Quick cute read. 3 stars.

Thank you to Atria Books for the advanced reader copy and to Simon Audio for the complimentary audiobook. These opinions are my own.

Emily is her mother's only remaining single daughter. At Emily's younger sister's wedding, her mom has a strong agenda to set her up. And she knows just the right man: Mark Chan. Emily is equally sure that she will never hit it off with a guy her mom chooses. But after getting tricked into a date, she suggests a fake relationship.

I'm always so here for fake dating, and this was a blast. This is a true rom-com with funny moments sprinkled throughout. And I also really loved the more emotional moments and family dynamics.

Emily is a writer working on her next book, as she also works as a barista. The book incorporates absolutely amazing meta-level thinking about publishing, writers, and appropriate points of view for various genres. (This one started first person POV from Emily's perspective.) I especially appreciated the supposed quotes at the start of each chapter. They got progressively funnier, as the book continued.

If that's not enough, for all my cat lovers, there is an amazing cat with her own Instagram page.

I found this so lovely and heartwarming and just an all-around fun book.

Okay, so the second half of this was better for me and I was really wavering on 3.5 stars. The reason is the first half of the book. I have a hard time with angsty characters that are angsty about every aspect of their lives. I read books to enjoy and relax and you can't do that with Emily carrying on and on about her life. Mark was a good character, but I would have liked to get to know him better. Overall, a cute story, but too much in Emily's head brought it down for me. I personally wouldn't be able to handle an overbearing mother, but she made for a great character in this book.

Thank you to Atria Books, Atria/Emily Bestler Books and NetGalley for providing an eARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

Fake dating WITH cherry pie? Sign me up! I enjoyed meeting Emily and Mark, but the story got lost along the way. There was plenty of family drama and even a cat name (Margaret) Ms. Muffins. There were so many cute details, but I couldn't get into it.

This was a cute read! I've heard a lot about Jackie Lau but hadn't had the chance to read her and am happy to have had the opportunity to start with this one! I enjoyed the fake turned real dating plot, as well as the references to Toronto. I also enjoyed the switching perspectives that began in part two but wish it could have extended to the whole book. Overall, I would recommend this book and am looking forward to reading her others!

Love, Lies, and Cherry Pie was exactly the fun rom-com I wanted to dive into after a tough work day. Emily has four sisters and she is the only one who isn’t married. At 33, her mom has started really putting on the pressure and is now trying to set her up with Mark. Emily wants nothing to do with it and has no interest in Mark when they meet. But then she realizes if they agree to fake date, she can stop the pressure from her mom.

I am always here for a fake dating story and this one hit on all the points I enjoy. I listened to the audiobook and the narration was great. Fun read! Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the free ebook.

✨ Review ✨ Love, Lies, and Cherry Pie by Jackie Lau

Thanks to Atria/Emily Bestler Books and #netgalley for the gifted advanced copy/ies of this book!

This super sweet enemies-to-lovers and fake-dating romance was like a slice of cheery pie (on top of a milkshake...with whipped cream on top...and a book to read while you eat it)!

Emily and Mark decide to start fake dating to hold off their parents who were trying to match them up. After keeping almost getting caught in their lies they move from their imaginary dates to real ones, and Emily begins to wonder if maybe Mark isn't so bad at all...

Emily's published her first book with others in progress, while juggling working in a coffee shop and tutoring. She's the only unmarried daughter (out of five) and her family has FEELINGS about this. Much of the book operates around how Emily feels her parents and siblings perceive her and how she moves within those understandings.

I really loved these tropes - two of my favorites - and the general plot and relationship. Emily's grappling with her advancing age here, early in her 30s, and I did find some of the mentions of this begin to feel repetitive and overwrought. A few would have done!

Otherwise I really enjoyed this - it gives off some Kim's Convenience Canadian + Asian family vibes which made it even more fun to read!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Genre: contemporary romance
Setting: Toronto
Reminds me of: Kim's Convenience, Sunshine Nails
Pub Date: May 07 2024

Read this if you like:
⭕️ books, coffee, and gelato
⭕️ fake dating
⭕️ family drama
⭕️ cats

This is my second read by this author the first was "Not Your Valentine" overall a cute read with classic troupes and themes (fake dating, enemies to lovers). Great overall romance book for an easy day or reading.

Emily a budding author is the last unmarried daughter of four and her mother has now taken her dating life in her hands matching her up with an unsuspected man named Mark. Mark is also seemingly uninterested and wants to gets his parents off his back as well. Emily hatches a plan to pretend to date to appease both of their parents but as they spend more time together there the feelings change.

The beginning of the bool sets Emily up as a struggling author working three jobs to make ends meet and sharing an apartment with a friend at 33 years old. Mark on the other hand works in tech and is well off from first impressions. I feel like in this case Mark's POV could have been alluded to sooner to give more a deeper character and allow the book to have more substance rather than coming off as more fluff.

Very cute read would recommend as an easy weekend beach read.

Thank you to Netgalley for this book to read in exchange for an honest review.

It took me a long time to read this romance. The idea is pretty cute--a writer is writing about writing a love story while living her own love story--but I found the first half really slow. Emily was very judgmental, and I couldn't believe that Mark would be attracted to her after her pretty much constant rudeness. But once they began communicating. it became a lot better of a read. I also appreciate having Asian representation in romance!

This is the second book I have read by Jackie Lau and I really enjoyed this book. I really enjoy a fake dating book and this one was so fun. I enjoyed Emily and Mark, and seeing how they navigated dating while balancing their careers. Of course when fake dating is involved in a book you know your going to have a meddling family!! The meddling was so realistic and brought humor to the story. I felt like the characters were well written and enjoyable. This book was a lot of fun and give you some heartfelt moments. I would definitely recommend this book.

Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books | Atria/Emily Bestler Books for allowing me to read this ARC for my honest opinion.

Love, Lies, and Cherry Pie is a well-crafted novel featuring an interesting spin on the fake dating trope.

There were elements of this book that I found enjoyable to read, but I think that the familial expectations portrayed in the book and the ways in which miscommunication is utilized in the plot were too stress-inducing for me. But the fact that it resonated so heavily is a testament to how real the characters and the narrative feel. The author’s craft is evident and ever-present, so I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend this.

Emily Huang is a part time barista, part time author and the last of her siblings to be single. Her mother has decided to make it her mission to change that last fact about her ans goes about setting her up with dates, and her most recent one is with Mark Chan, a stuffy yet good looking guy who, unbeknownst to Emily’s mother, agrees with Emily that they should fake date to make both their families happy after meeting at the wedding at of Emily’s sister. First they just tell people that they’ve been on dates without actually going on dates but then decide that that won’t work for long so they go on real fake dates which lead to real dates which lead to some real steam. Maybe mother really does know best.
This is a slow burn romcom with forced proximity , enemies to lovers and fake dating and all of it taking place in Ontario, my home province, which made it that much sweeter for me. Not to mention the milkshake with the slice of cherry pie on top! I need!
Jackie Lau is quickly becoming a go to author when I need a pick me up read.
Thanks to Atria and NetGalley for this eArc in exchange for my review.

Gah, I feel like I’m striking out on books lately. I did not like the main character or love interest in this one. I felt like Emily was annoying and rude. I also didn’t love the writing style of the stream of consciousness thoughts in the beginning of the book. Mark also came across as very one dimensional. Also, I think dual POV is done strongly when it’s started in the beginning of the book, but waiting until 60% of the way through did not make the story better. I just didn’t believe in the romance here, and I’m so sad it wasn’t for me.

Read if you like:
💋 Fake Dating
😡 Enemies to Lovers
🧑‍🧑‍🧒‍🧒Meddling Parents
🌏 Asian culture & characters

This was a little slow start and get into the plot, but once you do, the book really takes off!

Emily has always felt like a failure in her mothers' eyes both because of her career choice and relationship status. After a lot of pushing, she agrees to go on a date with Mark, the man her mother is insistent on setting her up with. But the catch is that Emily and Mark decide to fake a relationship for mutual benefit!

This was a fun twist on fake dating because it was truly fake more than many other fake dating plots. It was so entertaining to see Emily's dynamic with her family and the excuses she came up with along the way.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC!

Jackie Lau is a new author to me, but I was drawn to the cover and the plot, so I decided to pick it up.

Overall, it fell a little flat for me. It was still cute, but we don't get much of the MMC until a third of the way into the book and we don't get his perspective until way into the second half of the book and I just wish we had more of it.. It was a little slow going the first half, but the second half was a lot better. It also became more about the relationship with the mom and most of that falls into the miscommunication trope. It's definitely still romance, but became more about the mother/daughter relationship. I guess I just wanted more from the two MMCs. I enjoyed the writer's style of writing, so I won't let this sway me from reading their other books.

Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley. I voluntarily read an early copy of this book.
3.75 Stars

This was a fun fake dating romance! I liked this book, the relationship between Emily and Mark, and Emily’s growth and how her relationships with her sisters and mom change. Emily and Mark’s relationship has a great fake dating trope which of course leads to a real relationship. They are opposites and at the beginning it doesn’t seem that they’d be a good fit but as they spend more time together we get to see that chemistry build and more banter and we see that they are actually so good for each other. Emily herself is also funny and relatable. Not only is her relationship with Mark great but I loved seeing how her relationships with her mom and sisters, mainly Allison, developed for the better in this book as they all gained a new perspective of what the other was dealing with and feeling.

Overall, this was a good and fun fake dating romance!